by Darren Dash
The lights were dim, the music loud. Harsh, pounding tunes, some kind of heavy hip-hop that seemed to be all the rage. The kids liked it, banged their heads, did a few jerky dance moves. The older customers blanked it, deaf to the sounds, immersed in their own little worlds.
The machines made a music of their own. Buzzers and bells, falling coins and sirens, shouts and cheers, zaps from futuristic lasers. I recognised the sound of a Space Invaders game and looked round to see an old lady in a pair of slippers, all by herself, fighting to save her planet from the green alien menace.
I had to smile. This was like being in a time warp. The grotty cave was more of a 1980s amusement arcade than a twenty-first century casino. Give it another few decades and archaeologists would be swarming around, digging up clues to what life was like back in the Thatcher and shoulder pads years. The old dear in the slippers would probably still be here, driving back the Invaders.
I completed a full circuit a couple of times, getting to know the place, choosing my spots. It was larger than I’d imagined, row after row of machines. There were a few roulette wheels and craps tables, but most of them were covered in plastic, and croupiers were thin on the ground. Smurf Mironova had no interest in trying to run this as a proper casino. It suited him fine the way it was.
I noticed a couple of hard nuts circling as I was, and wondered if their job was to deal with possible Toni-related threats. But then I saw them having a quiet word with a guy who was leading a few teenagers to the toilets, and realised they were merely on the lookout for dealers. Drug deals were apparently condoned in the casino, but seemingly only from approved sources, I guess to ensure that a fair chunk of the proceeds wound their way back to Smurf and his team.
The guards were suspicious of me at first, with the bag over my shoulder, but relaxed when they saw I wasn’t approaching the gamblers. They should have quizzed me regardless, but as Wallace had guessed, security here wasn’t as tight as it should have been. Besides, this wasn’t a normal night, and I wasn’t the only unfamiliar face roaming the aisles, taking a curious tour of the dive before heading through for the main attraction.
There was an exit at the rear of the building, blocked by three men who were almost double the size of the guys on the front door. Haine had told me there was a yard out back, with a tall, narrow building on the opposite side, a hangout for Smurf and his crew. That was my ultimate destination, but not quite yet.
I checked my watches. Time to start setting the charges. It was almost too easy. All that noise, all those bodies, all the dark spaces that had been purposely created for shady deals and quick screws. I could have planted twice as many devices as I was carrying and nobody would have been any the wiser.
Wanting to avoid a body count, I carefully targeted the quieter areas, the less popular machines and inactive, dust-swamped gambling tables. Ducked out of view – not that anyone was watching – reached into the bag, unwrapped a package, slapped the Semtex in place, walked away. Simple as that.
When the bag was empty, I studied the watches, waited until it was almost time for the fireworks, then pulled out the baggy cap that Wallace had given me. His idea about how I could sneak my gun past the guards. I’d taken out the Hi-Power earlier, dropped it into the cap and stuck it in place with tape. Now I jammed the cap on my head. Wallace said it was the oldest trick in the book, yet still worked when you were dealing with the cut-price characters that Smurf Mironova liked to surround himself with.
I ditched the bag and made my way to the rear exit. The guards bunched together to block my path as I approached, but relaxed when I told them I was here for the special.
“Good job you didn’t leave it any later,” one of them growled. “You might have missed all the fun.”
“Have they started already?” I asked, trying to sound casual.
“Not sure,” he said. “Don’t think so, but we’ve been on duty here for hours.”
“Gotta check you before we let you through,” one of the other guards said. “No weapons allowed.”
“Of course.” I put my palms against the wall and let him frisk me. He did a lame job of it. In retrospect I could have just stuck the gun down the front of my trousers.
“He’s clean,” the guard said, and the last of the Three Wise Men opened the door and walked me through. The door closed after us and I was in the open yard with the guard, in the welcome night air.
“You coming too?” I asked as he nodded me forward and followed.
“Just showing you the way,” he said. “Everyone gets an escort.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He looked surprised by the question, but answered, “They call me Spursy.”
“You a big Spurs fan?” I smiled.
“No,” he snarled. “Hate them.”
“Bit of an unfortunate nickname then,” I noted.
“Only unfortunate for those who laugh at it,” he said.
I paused and looked round the yard. “A bit of a hole, isn’t it?”
The guard shrugged. “Perfect for what’s going down tonight.”
“Worked here long?” I was desperate to make small talk and slow things down, not wanting to get to the building at the far side of the yard before the first of the devices went off.
“A couple of years,” the guard sniffed, happy to chat. “Don’t just work in this place though. I get around, do all sorts of — Jesus fuck!”
He ducked instinctively as the retort of the first explosive roared through the night. I ducked with him, yanked off my cap, grabbed the gun and ripped it free.
“What’s that?” I screamed, acting scared, keeping the gun hidden down by my side, not wanting to use it unless I had to.
The guard didn’t answer. His jaw was hanging low. He was staring back at the casino, though we couldn’t see anything from out here.
“What’s happening?” I shouted.
The guard reacted this time. Rose swiftly and cracked his knuckles, looking excited to finally be dealing with something other than unruly teenagers. “Stay here,” he barked, and set off back the way he’d come.
Ignoring the command, I moved quickly in the opposite direction to the guard, heading straight to the small building that had been my destination since my date with Craig Haine earlier in the night. I hammered wildly on the door, yelling as if panicked, and it opened within seconds. A couple of men spilled out, guns in hand.
“What the fuck are you up to?” one snapped.
“Somebody’s blowing up the casino!” I screeched as the screams from inside echoed our way. Another device went off. They hadn’t heard the first explosion, but they heard this one and flinched with shock. “One of the guards got hit!” I panted, even though that made no sense, given that the bomb had gone off inside the casino and we were out in the yard. “I think he’s dead!”
“Fuck!” the guys yelled and rushed towards the casino, where they banged on the door, then forced it open when nobody answered.
More people were emerging from the small, narrow building. Angry men and curious women, Smurf Mironova’s inner circle, spilling out to see what the fuss was. I noticed one guy with a blue nose — the low and mighty Smurf himself. I gently pushed against the flow, heading into the building while the others were streaming out. Nobody paid me any notice. They were transfixed by the casino, staring with uneasy awe at the smoke and flames that they could see flickering through the open exit door.
This was what I had planned for, but I hadn’t truly believed it would pan out this way. Muting my delight – mindful of Wallace’s warning not to get cocky – I hurried in past the last of the stragglers, knowing the confusion wouldn’t last. Smurf and the others would return. I had to work fast.
I checked all the rooms on the ground level. No sign of Toni. Hustled up the stairs. I wanted to shout but restrained myself. The less noise I made, the better. Began going through the rooms on the first floor, when I suddenly heard someone shouting.
“Come on! Fuck’s sake!
We’re missing it all!”
I moved ahead cautiously as another voice cried out, “Wait a minute! I’m not leaving till I’ve shot my load.”
“Hurry, Harry,” the first guy said. “Someone’s torched the arcade. If Smurf finds out we stayed behind, he’ll…”
There was an open door ahead of me. The guy who was speaking was shuffling through, pulling up his trousers, dick still half-hard. Noticed me just before I clubbed him with the gun. Managed to half-duck, avoiding the worst of the blow, so I had to strike again. This time he didn’t get up.
I entered the room. It stank of sweat, beer, dope. Toni was tied to a mattress on the floor. Naked, still stained with dried blood from DEL’S. Plenty of fresh blood too though, cut and bitten in many places. Streaks of sperm across her stomach, breasts and face, that beautiful face distorted with hatred, fury, desperation.
She saw me past the arse of a man who was standing next to her, masturbating savagely. He was fixated on Toni, oblivious to my presence. Toni’s eyes widened. She started struggling and grunted into the gag. The masturbator whooped. “Don’t worry, little lady,” he cackled. “It’s coming soon. A taste of what’s in store for you when I come back for the real party. Let’s see if I can hit an ear…”
I marched up behind him, grabbed his hair, jerked him around and smashed his face with the butt of the gun. Then I dropped the gun and laid into him with my fists, cursing and spitting as I pounded him, wanting to smash through to brain and still not stop.
Then I remembered the timers, and Smurf and his men, and I let the creep drop. No time for losers like him. I had to get Toni out of here before her tormentors returned en masse.
Toni’s knife was lying nearby in a pool of blood. I picked it up and bent to free her. I thought they’d just lightly sliced her with the blade until I started cutting the ropes around her wrists.
I stopped, horrified, when I saw that they’d hacked off the tips of her two little fingers.
I felt my hands shaking, but I hadn’t time for an emotional breakdown, so I put the torture from my mind and quickly cut through the last of the ropes. Ripped off the gag, absently (and sickly) noting that it was the one I’d stuck in place myself. Smurf must have been saving her screams for later.
Toni couldn’t make any sort of noise apart from a low mournful dirge. I picked her up, cradled her in my arms like Mary holding Christ in a pietà, and let her face press into my chest.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“They c-cut off my…”
She held up her left hand.
“I know. I’m sorry. Did they…?” I left the awful question hanging.
“No.” She managed a sick chuckle. “Stupid fuckers couldn’t even get that right. Smurf would only let them play with me. Waiting for some Russian friends of his. He’d promised them first dibs.” She looked at me, smile fading, tears forming, and croaked, “You came to rescue me.”
“Save the waterworks for later,” I grunted. “We have to get out. Now. While we have a chance. Are you ready?”
She scowled and cleared her throat. Wiped a bloodied hand hard across her cheeks to drive back the tears. Whispered gruffly, “Clothes?”
“No time.” Still holding her naked body in my arms, I started out the door and down the stairs. “When we get away, we’ll find clothes for you and get you to a doctor. But first we’ve got to get away.”
“Smurf.” She said his name clearly, through gritted teeth.
Again I said, “No time.”
I crashed through the open door at the bottom of the stairs. A woman in a robe with a strap-on dildo poking through was standing nearby — it looked like some of Smurf’s female friends had planned to get in on the action too. She saw us and began screaming. One of Smurf’s men turned towards me, pulling a gun. I fumbled for my weapon but it wasn’t there. I’d only fucking left it upstairs after tending to the imprisoned Toni.
I swivelled, hoping to shield Toni, knowing it was a futile gesture, that we were both screwed, when there was a blast directly beside my ear. I winced, then looked round, surprised not to feel any pain — the guy surely couldn’t have missed from that close.
What I saw didn’t make sense. The man was lying on the ground, his head a shattered cathedral of blood and exposed bone.
There was another blast and the chest of the woman in the robe blew open.
I looked at Toni, stunned. She had my gun and there was death in her eyes. “Put me down,” she hissed. “I’ll kill the fucking lot of them.”
I began running for the gate that Craig Haine had told me about, the gate in the yard, the gate I’d deliberately parked near when I arrived.
“Eyrie!” Toni screeched, shooting at the crowd outside the casino, hitting a couple of random people. “Put me down!”
“We’re getting out of here,” I gasped, seeing the gate get nearer.
“No! I’m staying! I want to –”
“There’s too many!” I shouted. “We have to get out while we can. We’re alone, Toni.”
She fell silent but kept firing. More people were starting to notice us, but they couldn’t chase while she had them in her sights. A couple tried and paid the price. Her ordeal hadn’t affected her aim — every bullet she fired found its mark.
We reached the gate. It was secured with a lock and chain. No sign of a key.
“I need the gun,” I huffed.
Toni ignored me and looked for another target.
I put her down – but kept a firm hold on her – and said again, steadily this time, “Toni, I need the gun. We can’t get out otherwise.”
She glanced at me, eyes afire, then down at the lock. She twisted slightly, took aim and shot the lock to pieces. Turned back and fired another shot at those in the crowd.
I took a chance, released her – I was relieved when she didn’t run straight back towards the crowd – kicked the lock clear and began unwinding the chain.
A regular Hi-Power magazine holds thirteen 9mm bullets. More than adequate for most occasions that it will see use, but nowhere near enough this time. Toni ran dry.
“I need another clip,” she shouted.
“Give me the gun,” I yelled, reaching for it.
“A clip,” she snapped, keeping it out of my reach.
I had no choice but to hand her a fresh magazine. She wasted no time and had already reloaded and opened fire again by the time I tossed the chain aside and pushed open the gate.
The two guards in the alley outside – I’d forgotten about them in all the excitement – had pocketed their phones and drawn their weapons. They fired as soon as they saw me, which was a mistake — they should have let me step all the way through.
I ducked back just in time to avoid the bullets, which struck the brick wall and steel gate, which swung closed once more.
“Toni!” I yelped. She spun, moved forward, kicked the gate open again and began firing at the guards, ignoring their own shots, acting like her nakedness was an impenetrable shield.
Five seconds later there were two steaming corpses lying on the alley floor.
We limped through. I paused to push in the gate, to provide us with cover, and saw that some of the men from the crowd had broken free and were giving chase. I picked up Toni again – the yard was full of stones and broken glass, and her feet had been cut – and hauled her to the car, ignoring her protests, letting her carry on firing. I laid her across the bonnet while I rooted in my pocket for the keys and opened the door. I heard more gunfire but didn’t look round.
I turned to get Toni.
She wasn’t there.
She was striding back towards the gate, leaving bloody footprints as she moved at a surprising speed. I chased after her but she was too far ahead. Then I saw where she was headed. Not back into the yard, as I’d first thought. One of the men who’d chased us was down but not dead. He had a blue nose and he was her target.
“Toni!” I yelled, trying to stop her.
“Stay back, Eyrie,” she w
arned. “If you try to stop me, I’ll kill you.”
I came to a halt. She meant it, regardless of what I’d done for her. She had her chief tormentor in her sights and nothing was going to get in her way.
I hovered, unsure whether I should stay to see what happened or get out while I could. Decided since I’d come this far, I might as well see it through.
Toni paused by the gate and addressed those still in the yard. “I’m Toni Curtis,” she shouted, voice incredibly firm. “I’ve been tortured and disgraced, and you sons of whores were going to rape me to death once you’d been given the green light.”
I could hear the noise in the yard dying down, people stopping to listen, awed and fascinated. They heavily outnumbered her. If they’d attacked as a group, she could have done little to repel them. But her voice made them forget their superior numbers and held them in check.
“If I had my way, I’d kill every single one of you fuckers,” Toni went on, “but I don’t have the time or the bullets. What I do have is Smurf Mironova. I’m going to execute him where he lays, mewling like a newborn calf in his own blood and piss, and if anyone interferes, you’ll get the same. You hear me?”
She screamed her challenge, which went unanswered, then sauntered over to the stricken Smurf. I couldn’t see what was happening on the other side of the wall, but nobody shot at her and nobody came near the open gate, even when her back was turned to it.
Smurf was trying to drag himself to safety. He’d been shot through the stomach and was suffering. I could feel Toni’s dreadful smile igniting the night. And I have to admit, I smiled with her.
She stood over Smurf, used one of her bloodstained feet to turn him over onto his back, took aim and blew his cock and balls to nothing.
He screamed. As you would.
Toni shuffled forward, so she was over his face. He could have grabbed her legs and wrestled her to the ground, but he had grabbed his ruined crotch and couldn’t let go.
She crouched on top of him. For a moment I thought she was going to make Smurf Mironova perform a sex act on her. But then she brought the gun up and stuck it in his mouth. I saw a thin stream of urine hit his chest, and remembered what she’d told me before, about what happened when she got excited. When she killed.
