The Graft

by Karen Woods

  Mark weighed Tina up. He wasn’t as trusting as Alex; he was paranoid and wanted to know the ins and outs of a cat’s arse hole. He wanted to keep the circle as small as possible and the less people who knew about his job, the better. Of course, Alex hadn’t told Tina about where they got their girls from, no, the snidey fucker never breathed a word. He kept his cards close to his chest and made out he was whiter than white. Mark was edgy and hated meeting new people, she could be dibble for all he knew. “So, how did you two meet?”

  Tina was flattered that he was interested in her love life. It wasn’t much of a love story, but it was the most important thing in her life at the moment and nothing else seemed to matter. She never really saw her friends much anymore and the afternoon chats she’d had with Elsie had gone out of the window. “We met on a night out. We just clicked from the moment we got talking. I never believed in love at first sight until now,” said Tina.

  Mark raised an eyebrow; he had an eye for a classy lady and Tina was far from one. She was mutton dressed as lamb; a desperate woman looking for a husband to spend her twilight years with. He could tell by the way that she spoke that she was common. You can’t polish a turd. He wanted to know more about her and threw some more questions over at her. “So, which area are you from?”

  “Manchester, I lived there all my life. I always planned to move away but I kind of got stuck in a rut and never did. I love my home and where I live and moving up here to Bolton will probably give me a big culture shock, but I’m sure I will cope.”

  Mark was full of questions, but Alex cut him short, “Stop worrying, it’s all in order.”

  Tina smirked and snuggled closer to her man. “He won’t be worrying anymore. Especially now that I’m here to ease his burden.”

  Mark brushed her comment off and spoke directly to Alex. Who did this daft bint think she was talking to? She wasn’t his boss. She was just some washed up slapper Alex was boning for the time being. Alex never kept a woman for long. He was always in bed with one of the working girls given the chance. Why would he close the door to these sexy young girls with firm toned bodies in exchange for this wrinkled old bitch with saggy tits. It was just a matter of time before she got carted and Mark would be there to give her the marching orders when it did. He didn’t like Tina, he had a gut feeling about her, a feeling that she wasn’t the person she was making out to be.

  Outside, Jordan and Tony had finally located the pub and were plotted up in the pub car park. Jordan patted his leg and nodded slightly at his father. He was tooled up, ready for action. Jane was sat in the back of the car whimpering. She just wanted this to end and all the way on the drive up here she had been pleading with them to take her back home. Everything was hitting home now, the extent of what had happened. She’d been groomed and didn’t have a clue about it. Jane was more concerned about her parents finding out. It was inevitable though, of course they would be informed when all of this came out.

  Tony was a live-wire. He reached over and patted the top of Frank’s head who was sat in the back of the car. This animal would rip them apart once he’d given him the right command. He’d tear them to shreds. Frank often accompanied Tony when shit was going down. The dog had his owner’s back and he was dangerous when he needed to be. Tony gripped the dog’s face and looked deep into his chestnut brown eyes. “Don’t you let me down Frank. I want you to tear the cunts apart. Every single one of them.”

  Jane’s sobbing was getting louder. This was no place for her, she should have been at home, protected from what lay ahead. Frank was restless and trampled all over her legs, she pushed the dog away with force and snapped. “Can you move this flea-bitten mutt from me please? Look, he’s slavering all over me.”

  Tony twisted his head over his shoulder and gritted his teeth together tightly. “This flea-bitten mutt will help get my daughter back, so shut the fuck up and pipe down before he turns on you.”

  Jane squeezed herself into the corner of the car and tried to ignore the dog. He seemed to know there was a job to be done and he was raring to go. Jordan nodded his head slowly. “Jane, this is the boozer right?”

  “Yes, now can I go home? You don’t need me anymore,” she said timidly.

  They never answered her. Tony was out of the car in a flash. If his daughter was in this pub, then she was coming home with him no matter what and God help any man that stood in his way. Jordan was the leader here today and he was the one calling the shots. “Dad, you wait here while I have a quick scout around. If I spot her, I’ll be straight back.”

  Tony was bouncing about on the spot. “Nar lad, I’ll come in with you and we can rush the bastards.”

  “Just wait here with Frank. If you come marching in here with the dog, you will just bring it on top. I’ll be as quick as I can.” Frank cocked his leg up and pissed up the brick wall, the animal must have been nervous too. Jordan took his time looking around, he was checking every nook and cranny. There was no sign of his sister. He went to the bar and got the attention of the barmaid. “Hiya love, has Mark or Omar been in tonight?”

  The busty barmaid came to where he was stood and leaned over the bar slightly. “Yes, but you’ve missed them. They were in earlier.”

  Jordan was in a panic, what now, where did he go from here? “Oh no. I should have met them both about some business. I don’t suppose you know where they live, or have their contact number do you?”

  The woman shrugged her shoulders and huffed. “Sorry love. I don’t.”

  Jordan backed off. His spirits were low. What was his next move? Maybe Jane could help him find the house. He stormed out of the pub and met his father. “They’ve been and gone, fuck knows where. We need to try and get Jane to remember where the house is. Come on, get back in the car.”

  They both motored over to the parked car. Jane was sat biting her fingernails, eager to hear what had gone on. “Was she in there? Is she okay, did you see Mark or Omar?”

  Jordan was fuelled with adrenalin now. He looked straight behind him and spoke to her. “We’ve missed them. We need you to try and remember where the house was where they took you.”

  Jane was gobsmacked, the pressure was back on her now. “I’m not sure, I can’t even think straight. How do you expect me to remember, I’m not even from around here?”

  Tony punched his clenched fist into the side of the chair. Frank cowered and lay down shaking. He could sense his owner wasn’t happy and when this happened, he always gave him a wide berth. Jane held her head with both her shaking hands. “I don’t know, all I remember was that there was a street near it called Marry Street. I remembered it because I said to Emily that is was a sign that she was going to get married.”

  Tony flipped out. “My daughter won’t be getting married to no fucking peado. When I’ve finished with him, I’ll cut his dick off and ram it up his shitter.”

  Jordan was all over it, he had his google map opened and he was zooming in on the street. “It says here fifteen minutes away. Jane sit up and start taking things in. It might jog your memory when we get closer, you might recognise the house.”

  The engine roared and Jordan wheel spun the motor out of the car-park. He was wasting no time and put his foot down. He was swerving in and out of the traffic while Tony was quiet. His eyes never left the road. He popped a fag into the corner of his mouth and opened the window a tiny bit for the smoke to escape. Jane had her face glued to the window when they reached Marry Street, surely, she could remember where the house was from here? They were both hanging on her every word. “Do you know anywhere? Is it familiar to you?” Tony ranted.

  “No, I mean, it might be, I just don’t know.” Jordan crawled down the streets nearby, looking at every house, imagining his sister was somewhere inside one of them. Elsie might have been right, perhaps this was too big for them to deal with, it might have been better to get the police involved and then at least these bastards would have had the book thrown at them.

  Suddenly, Jane sat forward in her seat, lip
s moving but no words coming out, she gripped the top of Tony’s seat. “I think it’s just down this street, it’s a massive house with iron gates, I’m sure the gates are electronic.” Jordan was eager to get to the end of the road. His eyes scanned every nook and cranny. Just as the car came to the end of the street Jane screamed at the top of her voice. “There it is, that’s the house.” The brakes slammed on and they all jerked forward.

  Frank was near enough on Tony’s knee. Jordan turned the engine off and looked in the rear-view mirror. “Are you sure, it’s that one there?”

  “Yes, yes, look at the gates. I remember them now.”

  So here they were, no plan, no team behind them, what on earth did they think they were going to do? If they were team-handed in there, it could be a massacre. Jordan’s head was in turmoil. This was the same house where he’d dropped Lizzy off. This could only mean one thing, Jimmy The Chop was involved and if that was true, they were in a whole new ball game. This would be a blood bath. Jimmy was ruthless, a lunatic, a gun merchant. Jordan sat frozen, he had to fill his dad in on the whole story because they were on dangerous ground. Tony was fuelled with anger. “I don’t give a fuck who’s behind them doors. My daughter is in there and I’ll do whatever I have to do get her back. These cunts don’t know who they’re messing with.”

  Jordan tried to calm his old man down. “Right, right, just be quiet while I think.”

  Jane dipped low on the back seat, she was shaking like a leaf, upset and scared of what lay ahead. “There is a cellar under the house, look at the small light shining through the window,” Jordan stated. Tony considered himself a sneak thief and this was right up his street. But he’d never had a job this big before, it would be tricky and dangerous, but he was willing to give it a try. Jordan was thinking aloud.

  “I know Lizzy who lives here, if only I could get hold of her then maybe I could get into the house. She’ll know where they are keeping her. Am I thick or what, why didn’t I put two and two together and suss this lot out?”

  Jordan spoke about his work now for Jimmy The Chop and everything he knew about the crew. They needed to calm down and come up with a plan otherwise they would all be in body-bags before the night was over.

  CHAPTER TWENTY- FIVE

  Emily sat in her cell and prayed they would just leave her alone. She could hear voices outside and her heart raced knowing they would take her soon. She made a quick sign of the cross and pressed her two flat palms together, she was praying. Thick black mascara ran down from her eyes and onto her cheekbones as she pleaded, “Lord, if you help me now and take me home, I’ll be a better person, I’ll never lie, or pinch stuff again. I need your help; I need this to stop. Please listen to me, help me please.” These were desperate words, she had no one else to turn to.

  Keys jangled outside the door; the time had come. A large Polish man was in the doorway. He was massive with big banana like fingers and bulging biceps. He spoke behind him in a foreign accent before he came into the room. Emily scrambled onto the bed and drew her legs up to her chest, trembling. “Please, just go away and leave me alone. I swear, if you bring another man near me, I will kick him right in the bollocks You can do what you want to me but I won’t do this anymore. Go on, beat me but you won’t change my mind. My mind is made up and I would rather be dead than sleep with another man. You lot will rot in jail for this, you’re sick in the head. I’ll tell everyone about what has happened here, mark my words.”

  She was rambling, anything to keep them away from her. Was this girl crazy? She was dicing with death. The man stood tall and his nostrils flared. He walked over to the bed and just stared at her for a few seconds before his shovel like hands reached over and gripped her hair. “Any trouble and I will shut you up once and for all,” he hissed. Emily didn’t stand a chance. What was the point in fighting back? She was wriggling about, scuffling with her attacker. The man pulled a tablet out of his pocket and rammed it down her throat. He sealed her mouth with his hand and dragged her head back. “Swallow it bitch,” he growled. The tablet went as he dragged her to another room. The door was slammed shut behind her and she was alone again. It didn’t take long for the tablet to kick in, she had blurred vision and her eyes closed slowly. Her body was folding in two and she was barely able to stand. As she looked behind her, she could see the bed, the place where her body was used for these sick men to do what they wanted to her. Her breathing was shallow and she seemed to melt into the bed. She was trying to talk but her words were prisoners in her mouth. Her hands gripped the side of the bed as she fell back onto it, her eyes staring at the ceiling, like she was in some kind of trance. She could see a shadow approaching her, she heard a man’s voice in the distance. Her mind was asleep now and all that was left was an empty shell. Emily could feel his cold hands on her flesh. She tried to move but she no longer had any control. She could feel his warm stale breath, his stubble digging into her breasts, his hands touching her in places she didn’t want to be touched.

  “No, please no!” she tried to cry but nothing would come out.

  *

  Jordan sprinted back to the car. He was gagging for breath and distressed. He opened the car door and plonked back into the driver’s seat. “I’ve had a good look around the area and I can’t see a way in. The gaff has got CCTV all over the place. As soon as we get inside, they’ll be on to us.”

  Tony’s ears pinned back. He could have done with a spliff to calm down, his heart was racing and he was having a full blown panic attack. “There must be a way in. Fuck me, have you ever been on a big job? I knew I should have gone myself.”

  “I’ve looked and unless you want them onto us straight away, there is no way in,” Jordan snapped.

  Tony shuffled about in his seat. “Fuck it, let me out of this car, I’m going myself. Fucking hell, sending a boy to do a man’s job. I should have known better.”

  Jordan watched as his dad left the car. “Wait up, don’t go fucking this up. Think about it first before you get us all done in.”

  Tony had already started to walk away. He twisted his head back over his shoulder and spat a big ball of phlegm behind him. Frank was going ballistic in the back of the car and running from one side of the backseat to the next. “Shut that fucking mutt up will you while I think,” Jordan screamed.

  Jane panicked; she’d never been as scared in her life. She was wide eyed and looked like she was going to pass out. With shaking hands, she touched the top of Frank’s head and spoke to him in a low voice. “Come here lad, lie down, come on.” Frank wasn’t listening and he continued jumping about. Jordan opened the car door and paused for a split second before he left. “I can’t let that daft cunt go in there on his own. He’s a live-wire. I’ll have to go with him.” Jane licked her dry cracked lips and turned her head away. The sooner this was over the better.

  Tony crept about the garden using low, slight movements. He could see the house from where he was. He stretched his neck and could see lights on inside the gaff. “Calm the fuck down Tony,” he whispered to himself. “Come on lad, get your shit together.” The branches crunched underneath his body as he moved forward. The ground was hard and smelled of shit. He’d scurried towards a small window that was low to the ground. This could only lead to the cellar. Rummaging deep into his jacket he pulled out his old faithful screw driver and gripped it tightly. Looking one way then another he rammed it into the side of the window and prised it open. Splinters of wood fired out at him like bullets from the barrel of a gun, but bit by bit the window started to open. Once he completed the job, he pushed the window open firmly. This was going to be a tight squeeze, very tight indeed. Tony shoved his head inside first; it was pitch black and he couldn’t see a thing. His breathing was rapid and he was struggling to hoist his body all the way through the window. Moaning, huffing and puffing he was nearly inside. Tony was as quiet as a mouse now and his sneak thief days were all coming back to him.

  Once he got in, he made small steps as his fingers fumbled al
ong the wall. Surely there was a light switch somewhere, something to help him see? After double checking he was alone, he found the switch and flicked it on. His head spun around and gave him a second to gather his thoughts. There were empty boxes and bottles of wine piled high but there was nothing here of value. Tony held his ear to the door and listened carefully. There wasn’t a sound. His hand gently gripped the round brass door handle and turned it slowly. It was do or die time; he needed his daughter back. Tony patted his pocket. His blade was stashed there and ready for use. If they wanted a beef, then he’d give it to them. Taking deep breaths, he opened the door. A small ray of yellow light sprayed from the room at the end of the corridor and there were muffled noises. Tony stuck close to the corridor wall and slowly made his way towards it. He tried each door he passed but they were all locked. The noise was getting louder and he could now make out a man’s voice. He weaved in and out of the doorways. He’d not lost his touch; he was as light as a feather. He looked confused, where next, what was his next move? Should he stay put or just run into the room and one-bomb them all?

  Suddenly there was a noise behind him, he had to get out of sight. His quickly hid in a doorway, his heart was beating like a speeding train. A large Asian man wobbled out of the room and he was angry. Another man appeared from a room in front of him as Tony listened in. “I’m not paying for that one. She’s barely awake. I pay for a good time, not that. I want another girl, one who is more entertaining.”

  The Polish man shook the man’s hand. “I’m sorry Amid, I will get Lizzy for you. You like her, don’t you?”