The Broken_A gripping thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat

by Casey Kelleher

  Gem nodded. He’d promised his wife that he wouldn’t get involved in anything illegal, but maybe that had been a mistake. What sort of life was this for his family? Trying to earn an honest wage wasn’t getting them anywhere. It was as if they were on a hamster wheel, going round and round in circles and getting nowhere fast. Miyra and the children were stuck inside this bedsit day in, day out. All of them miserable and hungry. Exhausted from the mundanity of their lives.

  He felt it too. He was exhausted. Drained. All he wanted to do right now was crawl into his bed and fall into a deep, unrelenting sleep.

  ‘You should try and get some rest today too,’ Gem said, hoping that when he went to work Miyra would do just that.

  His wife seemed tired. Quieter than usual, as she fussed around the kitchen, her back to him. Making him his morning cup of tea. He watched as she held onto the worktop as if to keep herself upright as the pot on the camping stove bubbled away. Her tiny figure like that of a child. Miyra had always been slim. Only, now he could see the outline of her bones underneath the thin fabric of her clothes. Jutting out, making her look malnourished and frail.

  Watching as Miyra poured the boiled water into the cup and stirred the tea, before turning and carrying it over to where he was sitting, Gem’s gaze moved to his wife’s stomach. Her belly was nothing more than a small, bloated swell. As if she’d eaten too much food. It was hard to believe that a small baby resided in there.

  Miyra barely looked pregnant, let alone almost eight months gone.

  Taking the cup from her gratefully he smiled at her. His eyes lingering on her small, deflated breasts then. They should be full by now, but still her milk hadn’t come in, and Gem knew that caused Miyra a head full of worry.

  ‘I’ve had to reuse the last tea bag. There’s no sugar either.’ Her words sounded like an apology as she turned to take a seat herself. She suddenly felt heady, her vision blurred, and she stumbled as her legs suddenly went from beneath her.

  Gem was up on his feet then.

  As Miyra hit the table, sending the tea flying, the tepid liquid pouring out across the tabletop and dripping into a pool on the floor, Gem hooked his hands under his wife’s arms, struggling to hold her upright.

  ‘I’m okay,’ Miyra insisted, though her disorientation was clear in her eyes as Gem guided her to the chair next to her.

  ‘Sit, Miyra. Please.’

  ‘I’m fine…’ Registering that she had just fainted Miyra did as she was told, suddenly grateful of the seat beneath her bottom, steadying herself by placing her hands on the kitchen table in a bid to regain her balance. ‘I’m just dizzy. I’m okay. It’s normal in pregnancy…’

  Gem shook his head, disbelievingly. Angry at himself for putting Miyra in this situation. What sort of husband was he? Unable to care and provide for his wife and children.

  ‘Normal? How would we know what was normal? How do we know that you and the baby are really okay?’

  All of this was Gem’s doing. He knew that. He was the one that had forbidden Miyra to attend any hospital appointments. They were immigrants. No one could be trusted. Doctors, midwives, nurses. None of them. They’d all talk. Poking their noses into matters that didn’t concern them. Prying about their other children, and their financial situation. About whether or not Gem and Miyra should even be here in England.

  It was too risky.

  They’d get sent back to Turkey. They’d be made an example of. Gem couldn’t allow that to happen. So somehow Gem had convinced Miyra to just trust that all was well.

  And so far it had been. Miyra had what the textbooks referred to as an easy pregnancy. But things hadn’t been so easy for her lately. She was struggling now and with such a small bump he couldn’t help but think that maybe the baby was struggling too. Gem felt guilty for that. He’d married Miyra and vowed to love her and protect and provide for her for all of their days; only, so far, he’d broken those promises.

  He loved her, of course, fiercely. But he’d neither provided for her nor protected her.

  That saddened him greatly.

  England, the place where dreams came true? That was all lies. This country was a place of nightmares, and he’d fallen for it. He’d dragged Miyra over here from Turkey so that they could have a better life. Only, the painful truth was, now they had no life at all. Here in England they were treated like rubbish. Disrespected. Talked down to.

  ‘You need to rest, Miyra. You’re doing too much.’

  Miyra nodded obediently, even though, they both knew that rest for her would be impossible. How could she rest while Gem was out working every hour? She had no choice but to look after the children. When this baby came along, it would be even harder. Though, of course, his wife didn’t voice those thoughts. She never did. Miyra never allowed a single complaint to leave her lips.

  ‘You’re hungry, Miyra,’ Gem said, acknowledging what they both knew was true. The reason why Miyra was feeling weak and faint. ‘The babies are hungry too. I will sort something out today.’

  He sank back down opposite his wife. The defeat in his voice that of a broken man, but he had to keep fighting. His wife and children were depending on him. He’d have to take some money from the club’s tills.

  It shamed him to even think about stealing from his workplace, to think how low he had sunk but the truth was that was just how desperate he had become now. He’d done it before and he would do it again.

  What other choice did he have?

  When he’d first started doing it, Gem had always intended to put back the money he stole, once he’d been paid, but his wages just never seemed to stretch that far to allow him the opportunity. It had become a habit. Topping up his wages every now and then. Hoping and praying that no one noticed the money had been taken.

  And so far they hadn’t.

  ‘I’ll bring something back for you all. I promise.’

  Miyra simply nodded, but he could see the look in her eyes.

  Gem wasn’t due his money yet; they still had another five days to go until he was paid, and he couldn’t call in any favours. He already owed money to Alfie Harris that he had subbed him.

  That was the hardest thing for Gem to bear, the look of disbelief in his wife’s eyes. She may not voice her complaints but they were there. Lingering under the surface, unspoken. Her silence speaking volumes. That Miyra had already resigned herself to the fact that they would all be going hungry today was clear on her face, and it pained Gem to see that his wife had no faith in him.

  Sometimes he wondered if it would be easier if Miyra was angry at him. If she blamed him, as he blamed himself for the shitty existence he had bestowed on his family. She could have chosen anyone but, for some reason, she’d chosen him, and Gem still had days now when he couldn’t believe his luck. He had nothing much to offer her, only love, and boy did he love her. More than anything, with every part of his being.

  That’s why he was working so hard. This was all for his family.

  ‘I’ve got to go,’ he said, eyeing the clock on the wall above them. He couldn’t afford to be late again. When Alfie Harris summoned a meeting, you got there on the dot or else.

  Picking up the cup that had fallen, Gem mopped up the spilt tea. Wiping the table dry, he made his way over to where the children were both playing loudly in their playpen now. He held his arms out to them, picking them both up, glad that their crying had stopped.

  ‘Come,’ he said to his wife, as he led her into the bedroom and placed the children both down on one of the beds, kissing them both on their foreheads gently before he tucked them in and then turned his attention back to Miyra. ‘Lie down. The children are tired. Get some sleep while you can. I’ll be back soon.’

  Miyra nodded gratefully. Hoping that Gem was right and that the children would settle. At least if she slept for a little while she wouldn’t feel so hungry and dizzy.

  ‘I’ll figure something out for us,’ Gem promised, as he watched his wife lie back on the bed, closing her eyes gratefully
before placing her hand protectively on the small round of her stomach.

  And he would.

  No matter what, Gem was going to have to find some way of trying to fix this for them all.

  They couldn’t go on as they were.

  Things were going to have to change and soon.

  Gem was determined.

  Chapter Seven

  ‘What the fuck do you mean the shipment’s not come through? It was due this morning!’

  ‘No, it was cancelled…’ Scott James said, stepping forward. The only man in the warehouse brave enough, or maybe stupid enough, to answer back to Alex Costa. Especially when the man was in this ferocious mood.

  Alex had only been here twenty minutes and already he’d managed to tear the office apart. Ranting and raving, as he dragged out all of the files from the cabinets, clearly not happy until he’d completely ransacked the place. Christ knows what he’s looking for, Scott thought, but he was the mug that needed to try and rein the bloke in before he really did some damage to the place.

  ‘Boss, you’re going to do yourself an injury in a minute. You need to calm down. We can sort this…’ Scott said trying to reason with him as Alex almost pulled the huge metal cabinet down on top of him. Pushing it back upright, Scott could see that all eyes were on them now. The other workers had downed tools and were having a good old gawp as Alex Costa lost his shit in front of them all for the second time this week.

  Sensing the other workers’ apprehension of getting involved in their boss’s outburst, Scott knew that they were all doing the sensible thing of keeping the fuck out of it. Which is what Scott should have done, really; only, it was Scott’s job to oversee things in the warehouse. Deal with any problems and, unfortunately for him, Alex Costa had become a huge fucking problem.

  ‘Calm down? Calm fucking down? Someone’s royally fucked up and I won’t calm down until I find out who it was that took it upon themselves to go ahead and cancel the shipment?’ Alex Costa was raging. ‘I can’t get hold of any of the fucking couriers and I’ve got every bastard in London ringing me, hassling me for their gear. What have you all been doing down here, huh? I’m not paying you to sit around and scratch your arses. What? Do you need a fucking babysitter? Someone to give you step-by-step instructions. Fuck me, monkeys take better direction than you lot.’

  Alex Costa was rambling now. His slurred speech and bloodshot eyes told Scott all he needed to know. That and the stench of alcohol that came off the man in waves. Their boss was drunk, and knowing Alex Costa, as they all did, probably off his face on cocaine too. He was acting deranged. Unhinged. This was the second time this week he’d turned up here in this state, but this time Scott knew that he had to put an end to Alex Costa’s erratic behaviour. It wasn’t good for business.

  Watching now as Alex slumped down into the office chair, exhausted from the chaos he’d created, opening the top drawer of the desk and reached for the bottle of Scotch that he kept there. Not bothering to get himself a glass, he undid the cap and glugged it back. Then he glared back at Scott, as if challenging him.

  ‘What the fuck are you lot looking at, eh?’ He caught the condescending looks he was being thrown from his own workforce, all standing around outside the office, peering in through the large glass front. ‘You all having a good fucking look, are you? Go on, someone be brave and say what you’re really thinking. I know you all would have heard the rumours by now. About me and Jimmy. Only, they’re not rumours, and I don’t give a fuck what any of you think,’ Alex spat, glaring at the men each in turn. ‘Looking down your noses at me. You don’t know shit.’

  ‘No one’s thinking anything, Alex, we’re just concerned about you, that’s all.’

  Alex was off his seat then. His face puce as he shouted. ‘Bullshit! You think I don’t know what you’ve all been saying about me. The comments and jokes. Nothing goes on in this place without you lot ripping the shit out of everyone. You’re all two-faced cunts the lot of ya! You’re all happy to have your pockets lined with my fucking money at the end of the month though, ain’t ya! Well how about you all go and fuck yourself. I ain’t paying none of you until I find out who went behind my back and cancelled today’s shipment. One of you imbeciles has cost me a shit load of cash.’

  Throwing the bottle of Scotch against the wall with all his strength, the glass and liquid exploded against it, which was the moment that Scott made a leap for Alex Costa, throwing the man down onto the desk, just as chaos amongst the workers erupted then too. The rest of the workers were enraged by Alex’s threat; Scott was going to have a riot on his hands if he didn’t put this to bed and quickly.

  The men were no longer willing to be spoken to in such a way by their boss. They’d given Alex Costa a free pass the first time he’d come in here drunk and shouting abuse at them all, because of Jimmy. They all knew he was hurting and, to be fair, most of them were too. But patience was starting to wear thin now. Alex Costa wasn’t the only one to be affected by Jimmy Byrne’s death.

  ‘Alex you’re a fucking mess, mate. Go home and sort your head out,’ one of the men called out, trying to appeal to Alex’s more diplomatic side. Going on his actions tonight, though, he was beyond being understanding.

  ‘I want my fucking money. We’ve been manning this place all week, and following orders as always,’ another bloke shouted.

  Trying his hardest to hold Alex Costa down, as the man hit and kicked out beneath him, he could see the other workers losing their shit now too. Disgruntled about not getting paid what they were owed, Scott knew they all had good reason to be angry.

  ‘Alex can’t take over from Jimmy. He hasn’t got it in him,’ another worker said, as the men around him all jeered in agreement. ‘He’s only going to run this business into the ground. Look at the fucking state of him; the bloke couldn’t run a fucking egg and spoon race let alone an operation like this one.’

  ‘Look, all of you, just back off. Let me sort this out, yeah!’ Scott shouted, doing his best to restrain Alex, though the man was giving as good as he got. Hitting out. Kicking his legs up. As pissed as he was, he was still as strong as a bloody ox.

  Nancy Byrne couldn’t have timed her arrival any better.

  ‘Well this is a lovely welcoming reception. Ooh, I see you laid on drinks too. You really shouldn’t have!’ Nancy said, stepping into the office and eyeing the state of the place. Scotch dripping from the walls, shards of glass all over the floor, and paperwork everywhere. It looked as if they’d been burgled.

  The entire warehouse fell suddenly silent then.

  Nancy Byrne was the image of her father. The same pale skin and steely eyes. She had the same commanding presence that Jimmy had too. Teamed together with her flaming red hair and her indisputable beauty, she held every man’s attention in the room; they gave their boss’s daughter the respect she was due. The respect that they knew she demanded.

  Even Alex Costa had stopped his tirade.

  Straightening himself up, as Scott James released his hold on him, he sat against the edge of the desk, as if having to support himself.

  ‘I’m sorry to call you out here, Nancy. I didn’t know what else to do,’ Scott said, apologetically, hoping that he’d done the right thing. Normally he would have sorted out any kind of situation without involving anyone else. He was more than capable. Only, he’d never had to sort out his own boss before, and he figured Nancy would want to know what was going on here tonight.

  He had no one else to call.

  Nancy nodded understandingly. Though her eyes didn’t waver from Alex’s. The man looked even worse than the last time she’d seen him. Unwashed and unkempt, a shadow of his former self, the man looked like a tramp.

  ‘You did the right thing, Scott,’ Nancy said simply, reassuring the man as she sensed the ever-growing tension in the warehouse around her. It was no wonder that all the men here were disgruntled. Nancy had caught the tail end of the abuse that he was dishing out and to say that she was less than pleased about it wou
ld have been the understatement of the century. She was fuming.

  ‘Now, do you want to tell me what the fuck is going on in here?’ she said, directing her question at Alex this time.

  ‘Some fucking prick has cancelled the shipment. I was just telling all these fuckers that they wouldn’t be getting jack shit from me until I found out who it was.’ Straightening up his shirt, suddenly self-conscious, Alex wasn’t prepared to back down. Not when he knew that everyone’s eyes were on him, that they were all lapping up the way that Nancy was talking down to him.

  ‘Is that so?’ Nancy said, nodding as if she understood. She stepped forward to pick up the phone. Dialling a number, she spoke briefly to someone at the other end, before hanging up just a few moments later.

  ‘Well that’s good news for everyone here then. The mystery’s been solved. Apparently, Alex, it was you who cancelled it. I just spoke to the courier directly. He said you called him a couple of days ago and told him that you didn’t need any more gear from him. He said you were rude as fuck to him, too. That we’re lucky he’d even consider doing business with us again.’ Keeping her voice controlled as she waited for the penny to drop. For Alex to realise that some time this week in his paralytic state he’d taken it upon himself to make some very foolish decision that had ended up affecting them all.

  ‘No fucking way…’ Alex started, but his voice didn’t sound certain. There was a tremor of doubt there; Nancy could hear it too.

  Nancy stared at Alex, her eyes shrewd. Burning with fury, only somehow she managed to keep her cool. ‘Right, lads. I’m sorry about the mix-up here today. The shipment is coming in tomorrow now. So it will be business as usual. I really appreciate you all keeping the place going the past few weeks, especially with everything that’s gone on. Your efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by me, and I’ll be seeing to it that you all get a little extra in your wages this month.’

  ‘Thank you, Nancy, we really appreciate that,’ Scott James said, feeling sorry that the girl had to contend with all this drama when she clearly had more important things to deal with right now. ‘Only, it’s not business as usual when Alex keeps getting himself in this state. We can’t work like this. It’s not fair on us all having to tiptoe around him…’ Scott intervened, feeling brave now, hoping that Nancy was in the same mind as they all were.