Reckoning

by Heather Atkinson

  “You took your time,” she called without turning round.

  The shadowy figure stopped. “How did you know it was me?”

  “You weigh twenty one stone Howie. It sounded like a rubbish truck coming up behind me.”

  “If you’re just going to insult me like normal you could have done it over the phone.”

  Jules tugged hard on the cigarette, drawing the smoke deep into her lungs before blowing it out in a messy cloud and tossing the butt to the ground.

  “Smoking will kill you,” he commented.

  “So will pies,” she retorted, gesturing to his pendulous belly. “This won’t take long. Because you took ages to get here I’m now on a time limit, I do have other things to do you know. I’ve got a package and I need you to get it inside Strangeways.”

  “Don’t you mean Manchester Prison?”

  “No one calls it that. It’ll always be Strangeways, very appropriate if you ask me.”

  “I’ve got a mate in there, I’ll be visiting him next week.”

  “Not soon enough and you’ll never smuggle it in that way. Security’s tighter than a gnat’s chuff.”

  “How else am I supposed to get it into a category A prison?”

  “Come on Howie, don’t piss me about. I know you’re in cahoots with a bent screw who works there.” Howie had helped Jules get into Jez and Mikey’s good books by pretending to attack Jez with a knife, allowing Jules to chase him off, leaving her the heroine of the hour. She’d set it up to make it look like the Starklaws - who she hated - were responsible, something Mikey and Jez were still unaware of and she intended to keep it that way. Howie had been much slimmer back then but since the death of his mother a few months ago his eating had gone into overdrive and now he was huge.

  Howie bristled. “How do you know that?”

  “I make it my business to know.”

  “I’m not sure about this Venom, it’ll make my contact nervous.”

  “The name’s Jules now. Venom no longer exists.” Casually she lit up another cigarette, stretching out the tension to make him uneasy. He knew how much she hated being told no. Jules blew smoke into his face. “I couldn’t give a fuck about his nerves or yours for that matter. I’ve got a job that needs doing and you are going to make sure it gets done. If not I might just have to tell Mikey and Jez about your little drug smuggling operation through your prison contact.”

  He held up his pudgy hands. “Alright, I’ll do it. You don’t need to blackmail me.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” she grinned. Jules removed a package wrapped in brown paper from one of her bike panniers and handed it to him. Howie was savvy enough not to ask what was in it. “Tell your contact he needs to pass it to Lanky Malky. He already knows what to do and he’ll do it discreetly. It’s a plan without any risks, no one will know something was smuggled in. I’ll pay you and your contact well for your trouble.”

  Howie visibly brightened. “In that case, no probs,” he said, accepting the package. “You won’t tell Mikey and Jez about my little arrangement then?”

  “Your secret’s safe with me,” she said, puffing smoke out of her nose.

  “Thanks Venom…I mean Jules. I’ll get right on it.”

  She smiled to herself as he ambled away. Mikey and Jez had been aware of his drug operation for months but they didn’t give a shit because it was so small-time. That would stay her little secret too.

  When her phone trilled she pulled it out of her leather jacket. “Yeah Jez, on my way.”

  She stubbed out the cigarette and jogged outside.

  “What took you?” demanded Jez as she climbed into his car.

  “Sorry, I needed to spend a penny.”

  “Charming,” he said, wrinkling his nose.

  “You’re lucky, I could have said I need to take a pi…”

  “Yeah, I get it. You ready to face the evil witch?”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” she said, unconsciously stroking the knives strapped to her wrists.

  “You’re not using them,” he frowned.

  “What do you care? She treated you and Ryan like shit.”

  “We are not going in there to kill her or hurt her. We’re just going to talk. Besides, Ryan wouldn’t let you. Despite everything she’s done to him, in his eyes she’s still a Law and his mum.”

  “And are you so sentimental?”

  “I don’t want anything to happen to her, for Ryan’s sake,” he said coldly, staring hard out of the windscreen. He’d not forgotten about how their mother had let one of her boyfriends abuse Ryan when he was just a teenager. Fortunately Ryan had killed the man before it had got serious. He could forgive her everything she’d done to them both, except for that.

  “Understood, I won’t kill Mummy. So what’s the plan?”

  “Ryan’s on a plane as we speak. We’ll meet him at Nottingham City Airport and go to Estelle’s from there.”

  “Do you think she’s actually helping Jared Slattery?”

  “I wouldn’t put it past her, she’d do anything for cash, including selling out her own children.”

  “I don’t know why I’m surprised, after all she wasn’t above selling me.”

  Jake sat staring at his plate of mince and mashed potatoes, for once his appetite gone. Usually he tucked into his food with gusto but ever since Mikey’s visit he’d lost his appetite, the hatred lying heavy in his stomach. Just the memory of his younger brother dressed head to toe in designer gear, the power and confidence he’d exuded, made him furious. That should have been him, it was his birthright, he was the oldest son. Everyone in the prison talked about Mikey as though he was some sort of god. He’d killed Alex Maguire and taken over, which everyone thought was so amazing at such a young age. Only Jake knew that was bollocks. Ryan Law had killed Alex, he was sure of that. Mikey was just a leech, happy to suck up all the adulation. He didn’t deserve the life. Jake had done his best to convince everyone of the truth, but no one would listen. Until now. Thanks to the Starklaws successfully attacking Mikey’s businesses he’d finally managed to sow the seeds of doubt about Mikey’s ability to keep hold of his power. Now the criminal underworld was abuzz with the gossip that Mikey and his business partner, Jez Law, were on their way out and everyone - right down to the lowest, scummiest thug - scented blood, like hyenas sensing a wounded animal. Jake smiled at his plate of grey, lumpy food. He’d rather his family’s businesses fell into someone else’s hands rather than stay in that little sod’s. The long years he faced in here would be so much easier knowing Mikey was lying dead in a shallow grave.

  Jake jumped when something stung the back of his neck. A bloody wasp must have got in. He tried to raise his hand to explore the area but it refused to move. When he attempted to stand his body felt like lead and his head started to spin. With a groan he collapsed to the floor, clutching at his chest, feeling like a huge weight was bearing down on it. As he gasped for breath he turned to look at the sea of familiar and loathed faces frowning down at him.

  “What the fuck’s wrong with you?” said one man, a fat, ugly bastard in for beating his wife.

  “He’s having a heart attack,” said a small, wrinkled man who resembled a mole, pushing his glasses up his button nose.

  Behind them he could see the warders pushing prisoners out of the way in their haste to reach him. Beyond them was a tall, scrawny man Jake had always been wary of because he was too intense, too quiet. He was a scraggy biker type with long stringy blond hair, arms covered in tattoo sleeves. Jake was painfully aware that he used to be an associate of Jules Parker/Maguire. This wasn’t a heart attack.

  “Mikey you bastard,” were Jake’s last words.

  Katia was crouched on the floor of her room at the brothel, fingers knotted into her messy blond hair, rocking back and forth and emitting a low groan.

  “She has been like this for the last two hours,” Irina whispered to Jared. They were standing in the doorway staring at her but Katia hadn’t even noticed they
were there. “I very worried about her.”

  “It’s lucky I came when I did before she lost the plot completely,” he replied.

  Irina frowned. She adored Jared but often she had no idea what he was talking about. What plot?

  He took her chin in one hand and smiled gently, delighting her. “You’ve done so well looking after her, you’re very loyal. I like that.”

  “Thank you,” she said, gazing into his wide, dark brown eyes.

  He turned from her and entered Katia’s room, wrinkling his nose up at the smell. When was the last time the manky bitch took a shower? “Katia?”

  She didn’t respond, continuing with her weird rocking.

  “Katia,” he said louder, grabbing her face and forcing her to look up at him.

  Her blue eyes focused and widened. “Have you found my babies?”

  “Not yet. How do you fancy a trip to Manchester?”

  She shot to her feet, chest heaving with determination. “I’ll pack.”

  “Make sure you take a shower first,” he called to her as she dragged her suitcase out from under her bed. “You stink.”

  Shane swallowed hard when the shiny black Audi rolled to a halt. No one on this estate owned a motor like that. It had to be Ryan Law. He was proved right when the man himself climbed out of the vehicle, looking even bigger and harder than Shane remembered. He was accompanied by a woman wearing a black leather jacket and a homicidal look and a second man. Shane’s stomach twisted with excitement and nerves. It was Jez Law, Ryan’s younger brother and a legend in his own right. When Ryan gave the nod the three of them casually approached him. Even though he wanted to be in these men’s world and he admired them greatly, Shane was still afraid of them, which he thought only sensible.

  “Shane, good to see you,” said Ryan.

  To his eternal astonishment, Ryan Law shook his hand. “Yes Mr Law,” he replied, once he’d recovered the power of speech. “She’s alone.”

  “Excellent. Here’s a little bonus,” he said, stuffing a wad of notes into Shane’s shirt pocket. “We’re going inside to see her. Please ensure we’re not disturbed and that our vehicle remains unmolested.”

  “I will, you can count on me.”

  “Yes, I think I can,” he replied before sauntering away.

  Jez gave him an uncomfortable, scrutinising look before following his brother while the woman appeared lost in her own world, looking extremely pissed off about something, probably Estelle. He was glad she wasn’t angry at him, he wouldn’t want her for an enemy. She was scarier than the men.

  “Remember Jules, take it easy,” said Ryan as they ascended the stinking stairwell to Estelle’s flat.

  “I’m not promising anything,” she glowered.

  “If you can’t behave yourself you can wait in the car.”

  She stopped and spun on her heel to face her elder brother. “Do not talk to me like I’m a child. And just so you know, there isn’t a force on earth capable of preventing me from going into that flat.”

  “You don’t know Ryan,” said Jez with a wry smile. Out of the three of them he was the most relaxed. Estelle had always had a horribly negative effect on Ryan, ever since he was a little boy, but he’d suffered more than his brothers at her hands. Jules was naturally very antagonistic towards Estelle because she had sold her to a pair of paedophiles when she was a baby. It seemed it would be down to him to keep the peace, but if it was finally time for him to choose between his siblings and his mother, he knew which side he’d take.

  “We just want to talk to her,” continued Ryan. “Try not to stick her head down the toilet.”

  Jules’s eyes gleamed wickedly. “I’ll do my best.”

  The look Ryan threw her was doubtful.

  It was Jules who knocked on the door, slamming her fist against it repeatedly until it was pulled open by a haggard peroxide blond, blue denim jeans encasing stick-like legs, her white t-shirt dotted with unpleasant stains.

  “Oh fuck,” she cried when she saw Jules on her doorstep.

  When she tried to slam the door in her face, Jules threw herself against it, knocking it into Estelle, who fell flat on her back. Hastily she tried to back up as Jules stalked into the flat, scrabbling on her hands and knees. “Stay away from me,” she cried. Her eyes widened with hope when her sons entered behind Jules. “Boys, get her out of here, she’s mad.”

  “She is that,” said Ryan, finding Estelle’s terror satisfying. “At you.”

  “You don’t know what she’s done, she came here to try and get me in on her plot to kill you.”

  “Don’t bother lying Estelle,” said Jez. “We know it’s bullshit. Jules has already told us what happened the last time she paid you a visit. You proposed that you and her should gang up together to tackle Ryan and Rachel. Your words.”

  “She’s lying, she’s trying to set me up. You don’t know what she’s like, she’s a lunatic.”

  “Correction, we know exactly what she’s like,” countered Ryan. “She saved my life.”

  “She did?” she said, throwing a sneer at Jules, feeling safer with her sons here.

  “Yes.” Ryan took a deep breath before adding, “she’s my sister, in every sense of the word. Jez’s too, so we’re not interested in any lies you conjure up about her.”

  “Is that why you came here, to tell me that? You should have sent a card,” she said sarcastically.

  “Aren’t you even going to ask how Ryan is?” said Jez, feeling his zen evaporating in the face of this bitch’s toxicity. “He was abducted by three serial killers and you haven’t even asked if he’s okay?”

  She shrugged. “I read about it in the papers, I don’t need to ask.” Her eyes fixed on Ryan and filled with viciousness. “That must have brought you down a peg or two. Thought you were invincible, didn’t you? Did they make you feel like a scared little boy? Did you cry like you used to when you were a kid?”

  Jules looked to Ryan, who’s face had turned to stone. “Toilet time?” she said.

  Slowly he nodded. “Yes, I rather think it is.”

  Grinning, Jules grabbed the back of Estelle’s t-shirt and dragged her along the floor towards the bathroom.

  “Stop, get off me. Ryan,” she screamed.

  “Sorry Estelle, Jules is a law unto herself,” he said, feeling almost jovial as he watched Jules flip her onto her front, yank her onto her knees by the hair then plunge her head into the toilet. Estelle twitched and gurgled as Jules held her head in the stinking bowl, she’d never been the best housekeeper and the entire bathroom was in need of a good clean.

  “Urgh,” said Jez. “I hope the last person to use it flushed.”

  Ryan didn’t respond, his eyes riveted on the scene, enjoying Estelle finally getting what she deserved. He’d never hurt her himself, he didn’t do that to women, no matter how evil they were and he’d always stopped other people from hurting her but he felt Jules had earned this. Considering what she’d done to Alice Parker, Estelle should think herself lucky.

  “Alright Jules, let her up. We need her to talk,” said Ryan.

  Jules ignored him, forcing Estelle’s head further into the bowl, whose arms pin-wheeled around her head, desperately trying to land a blow on Jules and completely missing. Strangely Jules wasn’t blinking, as though she didn’t want to miss one second of this revenge.

  “Jules,” said Ryan.

  Still she ignored him and worryingly Estelle’s movements were growing more lethargic.

  Ryan and Jez looked at each other before lunging forward and dragging Estelle out of the toilet, who released a gasp, spraying toilet water everywhere.

  “She can’t tell us what Jared Slattery said if she’s dead,” Ryan told Jules, who merely shrugged, dispassionately looking down at her biological mother struggling for air.

  Between them Ryan and Jez hauled Estelle to her feet, the latter grabbing a crusty towel as they exited the bathroom and headed into the small living room. She staggered along with them, blond hair plaster
ed over her face and in her eyes, dripping a trail of toilet water across the sticky carpet. They seated her on the couch and Jez chucked the towel at her before hastily wiping his hands on his jacket with a grimace, wondering when she’d last washed it.

  Estelle dried off her face, staring up at Jules accusingly. “You…you nearly killed me.”

  “That was the idea,” she said, stuffing her hands into her jean’s pockets and leaning back against the wall. Jez wondered if she was aware Ryan often assumed the exact same position.

  “You see, she’s fucking crazy,” exclaimed Estelle.

  “No, not crazy,” said Ryan, grey eyes hard. “Just hurt after what you did to her, which she’s every right to be. Now, get over your near-drowning so we can get to the real reason why we came here.”

  “Just keep her away from me,” she said before launching into a coughing fit.

  Ryan shifted uncomfortably while he waited for her to stop coughing. Estelle’s housekeeping skills appeared to have deteriorated even more since he was last here. The smell hanging in the air wasn’t just unpleasant, it was almost putrid and he wasn’t sure whether it was coming from the room or Estelle. It was sweat, filth, smoke and the revolting, indefinable stench radiated by someone hopelessly addicted to drugs. To his disgust track marks ran up the inside of both her stick-like arms, the skin red and raw.

  Jez fetched her a glass of water from the kitchen, which took him some time as he was trying to find a semi-clean glass. By the time he returned to the front room her bout of coughing had almost passed. She snatched the glass from his hand and downed the water in one go.

  “Ready to talk now?” said Ryan.

  “What the fuck do you want to know?” she said, her voice even raspier than usual.

  “What did Jared Slattery want with you?”

  “Who?”

  “Don’t even try it. We know he was here.”

  “Yeah, you can’t miss him,” glowered Jez. “Huge, blond, built like a brick shithouse and if that’s not enough to jog your memory, he’s a fucking Essex wide boy.”

  “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”