NEARLY DEAD

by Conrad Jones

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Charlie snapped.

  ‘By what?’

  ‘Saying that my head is done in.’

  ‘Well, you know.’

  ‘No. I don’t fucking know. Explain it to me.’

  ‘I didn’t mean anything by it,’ Chris backtracked. ‘I just meant that it would do my head in if I lost that kind of money. That’s all.’

  ‘He didn’t mean anything by it, boss,’ Matt intervened.

  ‘How the fuck do you know what he meant or didn’t mean?’ Charlie turned in his seat. His jaw was set, anger flashed in his eyes. ‘What are you, a fucking mind reader now or something?’

  ‘No,’ Matt shrugged and looked away. ‘I was just trying to calm things down.’

  ‘Why, who isn’t calm?’

  Matt didn’t reply. Whatever he said would be wrong. Chris stared forward through the windscreen. The silence was oppressive. Charlie snorted another line and leaned his head on the headrest. He closed his eyes and waited for the soothing rush. It seemed to calm him down a little.

  ‘I lost over five hundred thousand pounds to be exact,’ Charlie spoke calmly as if nothing had happened. ‘Half a million-quid burned because of some little rat.’ He looked at each man in turn. ‘And do you know what the worst thing is?’ No one answered. He waited a minute for an answer but they dare not speak. ‘I went in halves on the deal with Jaz.’ He made eye contact with each of them. They looked shocked. ‘You all know who Jaz is, don’t you?’ The men nodded but remained silent. Everyone in the city knew who Jaz was, wrong side of the law or not. They also knew that he was a puppet for the most dangerous outfit around. A Russian mob known as the Karpovs. ‘I was inside with him a few years back. We became friendly and he said he would help me get up the ladder. Jaz gave me the coke and I said that we would do the rest and split the proceeds.’ He shook his head and shrugged. ‘When the drone got busted, I offered to pay him the fifty-grand for the gear that we lost but that was when he stopped being my friend and business took over. His supplier, Viktor Karpov, stepped in,’ Charlie explained. ‘Karpov doesn’t want the money for the gear because it was my fuck up. He wants his share of what we would have made. He wants two hundred and fifty-grand plus interest. Grass or no grass, it is on my head to deliver.’

  ‘Jesus,’ Chris whistled through his teeth. ‘No wonder you can’t sleep.’

  ‘Do you know what the interest on the debt is?’

  ‘No,’ Chris said, his voice almost a whisper.

  ‘A grand a day,’ Charlie sighed. ‘I’ve got until the end of the month to pay up.’

  ‘Fucking hell. A grand a day? The thieving bastard.’

  ‘That is more than generous, to be fair to him. If he didn’t think that I could raise it, I would be dead already and so would you lot. We would all be toast.’

  ‘Is that why you’re recruiting and leaning on Clough and the others?’ Matt asked.

  ‘That is exactly why,’ Charlie turned to face him. ‘We need to generate cash rapidly. We can do it but it will be tight.’

  ‘All because of a grass. What can we do to help, boss?’ Justin asked.

  ‘Simple. You can make sure that everyone who owes us money, pays up this week. No ifs no buts, they pay up or bones get broken.’

  ‘How much is outstanding?’ Justin asked.

  ‘About a hundred and fifty big ones.’

  ‘We’ll split up the debt list in the morning,’ Matt said. The others nodded their agreement. ‘We’ll have what is owed by teatime.’

  ‘Good. The next thing is we make sure that it doesn’t happen again,’ Charlie said with a shrug. He snorted another line and then took out his mobile and sent a series of text messages. The men were silent while he used his phone. After twenty minutes or so, Charlie spoke. ‘Someone is a snake and he’s right under our noses. We need to weed him out and hand his head to Jaz in a bag. If I can show him that we’ve plugged the leak, it might keep him off my back for a while. It might buy me some time.’

  ‘How do we find the rat, Charlie?’ Matt asked. ‘Point me in their direction and I’ll make them talk. If there is one thing that I hate, it’s a rat. Tell us what you’re thinking, Charlie.’

  ‘I don’t want to speculate just yet.’

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with sharing what you think with us, boss.’

  Charlie looked thoughtful. He nodded. ‘Okay, here’s is what I think. I’ve narrowed it down,’ Charlie said, lowering his voice. The men in the back leaned forward to listen. ‘See if you can work it out too.’ He snorted a line and then passed the gear around. They all took a line. ‘Think about it clearly. Who knew about the drone going over the wall into Risley?’

  Chris looked into the rear-view mirror. The men in the back looked at each other and frowned as they thought about it.

  ‘Alright, let me think,’ Matt said, using his fingers to count. ‘Us four knew about it. Then fat boy Brian, Stu, and Robby all knew.’ He shrugged. ‘The rest of the lads knew something was happening but they didn’t know the details. We kept it quiet for obvious reasons.’

  ‘Hold on a minute,’ Justin said, shaking his head. ‘I knew about fat boy flying a drone but I didn’t know when it was going over the wall or what was in it. I didn’t know all the details.’

  ‘Nor me,’ Chris added quickly. He glanced at Charlie, nervously. ‘I didn’t know all the details either. That’s me and Justin out of it, eh Justin?’

  ‘Is right. We knew fuck all.’

  ‘That’s very true,’ Charlie said, thoughtfully. ‘You didn’t know all the details and neither did Robby.’

  ‘Okay,’ Matt said nervously. ‘That leaves fat boy, Stu, and myself and you Charlie who knew where and when. Obviously, Charlie didn’t grass on himself.’

  ‘Neither did fat Brian,’ Charlie added. ‘He didn’t know where or when the drop would be until I picked him up with his drone. So that leaves Stuart and you, Matt.’ He stared into Matt’s eyes as he snorted another line. ‘We’ve narrowed it down to two possible suspects.’

  ‘I’m not a grass,’ Matt snapped. ‘You know that I’m not a grass.’ He looked at the other men nervously, fear in his eyes. ‘I don’t believe Stuart is either. Where is Stu anyway?’

  ‘He’s out of the equation for now. Don’t worry about him.’

  ‘What do you mean, out of the equation?’ Chris asked.

  ‘Like I said before,’ Charlie shrugged. ‘I narrowed it down. My contacts on the force made a few enquiries and guess what came back?’

  ‘A name?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘What then?’

  ‘They said that the information came from inside Risley itself.’

  ‘No way,’ Matt said, shocked by the news. ‘Someone on the inside grassed?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I still don’t get it,’ Chris said. ‘One of the cons talked?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Why the fuck would they do that?’

  ‘They could be a plant or they made a deal for a reduced sentence.’

  ‘Whatever their reasons were, the leak was on the inside.’

  ‘I still don’t get it,’ Chris said, glancing at Charlie.

  ‘Think about it. Who was the go between for us with the boys in the nick?’

  ‘Stuart.’

  ‘Stuart?’ Matt said, disbelief in his voice. Charlie nodded. ‘I don’t believe it. He had me fooled. What a fucking snake!’

  ‘Cunt,’ Chris hissed.

  ‘I can’t believe Stuart is a grass,’ Justin said, astonished. ‘Never in a million years.’

  ‘He’s out of the equation now. Forget about him.’

  ‘Where is he, boss?’ Matt asked.

  ‘Which bit of what I just said do you not understand?’ Charlie turned to face him. ‘I said forget about him.’

  No one pushed the issue any further. If Charlie had whacked Stuart, it was better that they didn’t know. They travelled the remainder of the journey in silence. Chris ind
icated and pulled off the main road onto the industrial estate where Charlie had a lockup unit. He put the headlights onto full beam to navigate through the maze of dilapidated units, some derelict, the rest almost there. The lights picked out Matt’s Mercedes and Chris pulled the X5 to a halt nearby.

  ‘Keep going. Drive around to the lockup,’ Charlie said, pointing. ‘I want to show you something before we finish.’

  ‘No problem,’ Chris said, nodding. He steered the vehicle around the corner and pulled up outside the unit. The doors were open and two of Charlie’s men were standing on either side. ‘What are they doing here at this time of night?’

  ‘Take it inside,’ Charlie said, ignoring his question.

  ‘Here we are,’ Chris said, yawning. ‘I don’t know about you lot but I’m fucked.’ He turned off the engine and stretched his arms out.

  ‘You are fucked.’ Charlie grabbed his left arm and clicked a handcuff around his wrist.

  ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ Chris was stunned. He didn’t struggle as Charlie snapped the other cuff to the steering wheel. ‘What the fuck is going on, Charlie?’

  ‘You tell me, Chris.’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘You don’t know?’

  ‘Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong. Very wrong.’ He turned to the men in the back. ‘Have a word with him will you, Matt! This is bollocks.’

  ‘What is going on, boss?’ Matt asked, concern in his voice.

  ‘I’ll tell you what is going on.’ Charlie snarled. ‘A little birdie told me that the leak wasn’t working alone,’ Charlie said, smiling thinly. His eyes had darkened. ‘I didn’t know who was working with Stuart until tonight. It is you, Chris.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Charlie. I’m not working with Stuart or anyone else!’

  ‘You dropped yourself right in the shit, Chris.’

  ‘Fuck this, Charlie!’ Chris struggled with the cuffs. He yanked at the wheel. ‘I’m not working with Stu or anyone else. I’m not a grass. This is bang out of order!’

  ‘Is it?’ Charlie grinned and took a line.

  ‘Yes, it is! Get these fucking things off me.’

  ‘How did you know about the mobiles, Chris?’

  ‘I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,’ Chris said, continuing to struggle with the restraints. ‘You’ve lost the plot. Get these off me and I’m finished with this shit! I’m out. You can shove your paranoid bullshit up your ring. I’ll go and work somewhere else!’ Charlie turned and punched Chris in the side of the head, just below the temple. His body crumpled, stunned by the force of the blow. ‘Charlie!’ Chris mumbled, panic setting in. ‘I work for you. I’m with you! You’ve got this wrong.’

  ‘Have I?’

  ‘Yes!’

  ‘Tell me how did you know about the mobiles?’

  ‘What mobiles?’ Chris moaned, his voice childlike and frightened. ‘I don’t know what you’re going on about.’

  ‘You knew how many phones there were in the football.’

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Charlie punched him again. Chris jerked violently in his seat. ‘Fucking hell, Charlie! I haven’t done anything. I don’t know what you’re talking about!’

  ‘Are you sure about this, boss,’ Matt said, finding the courage to intervene. ‘What makes you think that Chris is in on it?’

  ‘I wasn’t sure who it was until tonight.’ Charlie turned to look at him in the eye. ‘I’ll be honest with you, Matt, I thought it was you until earlier but then he gave himself away.’

  ‘What are you talking about, Charlie?’ Chris asked in a panic. He pulled at the steering wheel. The cuffs rattled but didn’t budge. ‘How did I give myself away? I haven’t done anything. This is all wrong!’

  ‘You said the mobiles were worth three grand,’ Charlie said. He punched him in the face again, splitting his lips on his teeth. ‘I didn’t say how many there were. I said they were worth five hundred each on the inside.’ Chris looked terrified. He shook his head and searched for an excuse but none came to him. ‘You said that they were worth three grand. There were six mobiles in the package. I put them in myself. I was the only one who knew how many were in there apart from Stuart.’ He punched him again. Chris howled like a wounded dog. ‘I didn’t tell you so how did you know that, eh Chris?’

  ‘I don’t know, honestly. You must believe me, Charlie. Maybe I read it in the news or something.’

  ‘The news didn’t report the details. They said a large quantity of class A drugs and a number of mobile phones had been intercepted.’ He punched him in the side of the head again. Chris cried out and reached for the door handle but Matt grabbed him from behind, pulling him back into the seat. ‘Where are you going, Chris?’ Charlie asked, punching him in the face once more. ‘We’re just getting started here.’

  ‘You fucking grass!’ Matt snarled in his ear.

  ‘I didn’t grass!’ Chris sobbed. ‘You have to believe me, Matt! I didn’t grass.’

  ‘Then explain to me, how did you know about the mobiles?’ Charlie asked, calmly. ‘This is your last chance.’

  ‘Okay, okay. Give me a minute. I can’t breathe. Let me explain,’ Chris said. His breath was coming in short gasps. He was shaking. ‘I remember now. It was Stuart that let it slip. We had been drinking and having a toot. He told me about the phones in conversation but I didn’t know he was a grass. It didn’t cross my mind for one minute that he was a snake. I didn’t think anything of it until now. I didn’t know he was a grass, Charlie. Honestly, I didn’t.’

  Charlie smiled and then shook his head and punched him in the face again. His head rocked back violently and clattered against the driver’s window.

  ‘Why didn’t you say that straight away?’ Chris didn’t answer. He cowered in his seat and spat blood into the foot well. ‘The answer is because you’re a fucking liar, that’s why.’ He rained a series of heavy punches onto Chris’s head and neck. ‘Get this piece of shit out of my beamer. Looking at him is making me want to puke.’

  Matt and Justin climbed out of the X5 and opened the driver’s door. Charlie unlocked the cuffs from the steering wheel and fastened both his hands together. Chris sobbed as they dragged him out, blood and saliva dripped from his chin.

  ‘I’m not a grass, lads,’ he muttered. ‘I’m not a grass. Help me. Charlie has got this all wrong. I would never rat on anyone. Please help me. Don’t let him hurt me, lads, please. I’m not a grass!’

  ‘Shut your mouth,’ Matt snapped. He kicked him in the face. ‘After everything I have done for you and you’re a fucking grass. You make me sick.’

  ‘I’m not a grass, Matt,’ Chris whined. ‘You have known me for years. I’ve watched your kids growing up. You know that I’m not a grass.’

  ‘Don’t you talk about my kids, you fucking snake. I thought I knew you. Turns out that I knew fuck all about you.’

  ‘Matt,’ Chris gasped. ‘Please, mate. Listen to me. I am not a grass. Charlie has got this all wrong!’

  ‘Charlie has got this all right,’ Charlie said, aiming a kick at his testicles. Chris screamed and doubled up in pain. He vomited onto the moss covered concrete. ‘You had better start talking, Chris because I need to know what has been going on and I need to know now.’

  ‘Nothing has been going on, Charlie!’ Chris sobbed, his voice almost inaudible. ‘Please believe me.’

  ‘That is the crux of the problem, Chris,’ Charlie said, kneeling next to him. ‘I don’t believe you.’ He stroked the back of his head. ‘Don’t take this personally. This is just business. I realise that there will be a reason why you have ratted me out. There is always a reason. However, I need to know who you have been talking to and what you have told them.’ Chris tried to talk but Charlie raised his finger to his lips and shook his head. ‘Shush! This is the bit where you stop lying to me and you listen very carefully to what I am going to say. Are you listening to me, Chris?’ Chris nodded, tears streaming from
his eyes. ‘You remember the Wicks brothers, don’t you?’ Chris screwed his eyes tightly closed as if the memory was too horrible to recall. ‘And you will remember Kenny Jenkins too, won’t you?’ Chris nodded, his body began to shiver uncontrollably. ‘You were there at the abattoir for all those men, weren’t you?’ Chris nodded again. He shook his head. His eyes pleaded for pity. Charlie grinned. ‘Do you remember Jenks was still screaming when his arms went into the grinder. Most people stop screaming at the thighs. You remember that, don’t you?’ Chris nodded almost imperceptibly. His lips quivered as if he was very cold. ‘You were sick all over the floor, if I remember rightly. I should have known then that you had no spine.’ Charlie paused to find the right words. He leaned closer to Chris’s ear. ‘This is the important bit. Listen very carefully. If you don’t tell me what you have been doing, I’m going to send the boys to your house and they’re going to take your wife and kid to the abattoir.’

  ‘No, no, no, no!’ Chris became hysterical. ‘Don’t touch my family, Charlie! Don’t you fucking touch them, you sick fuck! Don’t let him do this, Matt. Don’t you fucking touch them,’ Chris blubbered, saliva dribbled from his chin. Charlie slapped him hard across the face, silencing him instantly.

  ‘Shut up and listen! I’m going to let you watch your wife and kid go through the grinder, Chris and then we can feed them to the pigs together. Unless you talk to me, right now.’ Charlie stood up and walked to the X5, leaning his back against it. He snorted a line and shook his head. ‘Five seconds, Chris. Four, three, two, one, too late. Go and get his wife and kid,’ Charlie ordered the two men who had opened the doors earlier. They moved towards a Land Rover without a question. ‘Take them to the abattoir. We’ll meet you there.’

  ‘No, Charlie!’ Chris cried in a high-pitched tone. ‘Don’t bring them into this, please. Please, Charlie, don’t hurt them.’

  ‘Talk now or they’re mincemeat.’

  ‘Okay, okay. I’ll tell you what happened. Promise me you will not touch them!’

  ‘You have my word.’

  ‘Promise me, Matt,’ Chris turned to look at his colleague. ‘Promise me that you won’t let him touch my family!’