Bang Up: Prison walls don't just keep criminals in, the keep the outside world at bay (16 page)

When she got out it was still pissing it down and the wind was howling through the streets. It was depressing really and it did nothing for anybody’s mood. Everyone looked pissed off and there was no positive energy about, it was all doom and gloom. Rachel chugged hard on her cigarette and started to head home. Gary would still be in bed and there was no way he would raise his ugly head for at least another few hours. He was a right lazy bastard and he always complained that he never got enough sleep. You see, Gary was a stoner, a pothead. Every day he was wrecked and he couldn’t function without a few spliffs in the morning to set him up for the day. He was bone idle. The word ‘work’ made him get a sweat on. He was on sick benefit at the moment suffering from depression. Well, that’s what his sick note said anyway. Who was he trying to kid? There was fuck all wrong with him; nothing that a few weeks of hard work wouldn’t sort out. Most people in the area had blagged the benefit system in one way or other into believing they were unwell. Some of them even believed they were too sick to work, too. Gary always told everyone he wanted to find work but nothing ever came up. Even with his depression he told the doctors he would love to work, to get him out of the house, to get his life on track. What a lying bastard he was. He’d never looked for a job. Even when his pals asked him to do a few days labouring for them he always found a reason why he couldn’t, the money was cash in his hand as well. Gary was stuck in a rut. Why work anyway when he could earn whatever money he needed doing a few grafts here and there. He was his own boss and nobody told him what to do. He lived by his own rules and worked whatever hours he wanted. A lazy bastard he was.

Head down, coat zipped up fully, Rachel cut across the grass verge at the side of the shop. It was quiet and not a single soul was about. As she walked along she could hear gravel crunching behind her. “Oi, a word please,” a voice shouted behind her. Rachel turned slowly and she screwed her eyes up to try and get a better look. Her eyesight was shocking lately and even though she was as blind as a bat she’d never been to get her eyes tested. Rachel carried on walking and hoped the man would leave her alone. There were always junkies hanging about here begging for a few quid or a hot meal and she just thought this was one of those days. She was in no mood today for mither from anyone. If they shouted her again she was going to tell them to fuck right off. She had her own problems and couldn’t be arsed with anyone else’s today. Suddenly, a car door opened behind her and as she looked back over her shoulder she could see two males sprint to the side of her gripping her under each arm. They dragging her up against a brick wall. Two piercing blue eyes looked at her now and they were wide open, menacing. She feared for her life and she had every right to feel threatened, this was bad, very bad.

“It’s Mikey Milne’s mam, right?”

Rachel’s eyes were wide open and she swallowed hard as the man’s warm breath circled her face. She wriggled about but there was no way she was going anywhere, her body was pinned to the wall. This man was strong and even with one hand he was controlling every movement she made. This was serious and nothing to be taken lightly. “Your fucking son owes me some money. You tell him from me if my cash isn’t back by the end of the week he’s a dead man walking.”

Her eyes twitched rapidly and she licked at her dry cracked lips. Nothing was registering, her head was all over the show. “What the fuck are you going on about? Take your hands off me you prick.”

Why didn’t she keep her big mouth shut, these were not the kind of men you messed with? The man choked back and spat in her face. Green and yellow spit right in her eyes. “You little rat. Tell Mikey, I want my money back. He’s going to get leathered when I get my hands on him. Who the fuck does he think he is, having me over?”

Rachel was white, the penny had dropped. The other man at the side of her was in her face now and he was as aggressive as Davo. He chipped in adding his two penn’orth worth. “We know all about the lying cunt. We’ve been told he had the cash. He had his chance months ago to come clean and he never. Listen, you slut. You know how things work around here and if the money isn’t back in the next forty-eight hours shit will go down. You get me?”

Rachel’s chest was rising frantically, and she was struggling to get her breath. The man at the side of her was nose to nose with her. His hand was raised and she knew she wasn’t leaving without getting a good going over. Closing her eyes she felt a fist pound into her cheek. Her head crashed to the wall and for a moment she was unaware of her surroundings. This bastard was laying into her now. His foot swung into her legs as she melted to the floor. He made sure she wasn’t getting back up in a hurry. Rachel curled into a tiny ball and tried protecting herself. She’d had beatings in the past and knew all about protecting her face and teeth.

Davo stood over her and his voice was chilling. “You tell your son to find me before I have to find him.”

Rachel was in a bad way and blood was seeping from the side of her mouth as she lifted her head up. “He’s fuck all to do with it. Mikey’s in the big house, how could he have had your money away when he’s in there?”

“Since when has he been in jail?” Davo asked.

Rachel tried to explain and hoped she convince these two that her son was innocent. Davo looked at his pal and inhaled, nostrils twitching. “Did you know he was doing a rip?”

“Nar, Davo, I’m as much in the dark as you are.”

Davo bent down and gripped Rachel’s cheeks again. His fat fingers digging deep into her flesh. “Which jail is he in? And, don’t fucking lie to me because I’ll find out. Your son owes me and I’ll make sure he pays every single penny back. Does he think people don’t talk around here?”

Rachel sat up and dragged her knees up to her chest, she was quivering and her lips were shuddering, she had no choice but to grass him up. “He’s in the farms, Lancaster Farms.”

Davo had connections and he was sure to know someone who was serving time at the prison too.  The man nodded slowly and stroked the end of his chin. Standing to his feet he chuckled. “Either way, if my money doesn’t land soon I’ll be coming back for you. You make sure you tell him that right?”

At that moment Rachel would have done anything to save her bacon. She knew the script and nodded her head slowly. “Davo, Mikey has enough shit of his own going on. I think this is a big misunderstanding but I’ll make sure he knows what you’ve said.” The two men started to walk away but she didn’t move an inch. She was in total shock.

Davo and his wing-man dived into a silver Vectra and screeched out of the car park. She kept her head low as they passed her and didn’t make eye contact. Her hand pressed firmly against the ground, she used every bit of strength in her body to get up from the floor. A few people were there now and they were whispering about her. Rachel was limping as she passed them. She was fuming. “You could have given me a lift you fucking cowards. Fancy just standing there watching a woman get attacked by two men. Where is your backbone, no wonder this world is in the state it is.” The onlookers watched her walk by but stayed silent. They huddled together and in their own hearts they knew she was right but who would ever step up at a time like that? They knew the code of conduct around these parts and have a go heroes never came out of it too well. Once you opened your mouth, you were involved. You were a marked person too. Yep, one wrong word and your home could be petrol bombed, your family beaten up or worse… the list was endless. Nobody ever got tangled up with anyone else’s beef.

Rachel wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Her teeth were gritted tightly together as she dodged the cars as she crossed the road. She just wanted to get home now, away from any danger. This woman was a target, a sitting duck and she knew it wouldn’t be long before they came to her house to smash it up. Her step quickened and she didn’t even go to get Gary a weed from the dealer. He was going to go berserk, but her life was in danger, she was living on borrowed time. He could get to fuck.

Rachel’s hands shook as she tried to place her key into the front door. At one point she booted the door thinking it was stuck or something. She was shrieking at the top of her voice, hysterical. “Gary, get the fuck out of that bed, shit’s going down. We need to tell Mikey! We need to let him know he’s not safe.” Rachel slammed the front door behind her and staggered into the front room. She was screaming at the top of her voice and collapsed onto the sofa.

Gary sprinted into the front room, he was still half asleep. Rubbing his knuckles deep into the corner of his eyes he could see her properly for the first time. She was bleeding, bruised and in a right state. “Rachel, what’s happened? Fuck me, you’re cut. Babe, take a deep breath and tell me what the hell has happened.”

She was hyperventilating, her teeth chattering together. Gary twisted his head around the room and ran to get a blanket. He wrapped it around her shoulders and cradled her in his arms. He was rocking her, trying his best to comfort her. “Sweetheart, come on. Just tell me what’s gone on. Just take your time. Do you want me to light a cig for you?” Rachel nodded slowly and her breathing was starting to calm down. Gary sparked a cigarette up and sucked a few long drags of it before he passed it over to her. “Here, get that down you.”

She held the fag like it was a piece of gold. Pushing it into her mouth she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. The nicotine filtered her body and it seemed ages before she blew the smoke out from her mouth. “Davo knows about the money. Gary, we’re not safe here. He’ll be coming through our front door soon. He’s tapped in the head, he’s a fucking lunatic.”

Gary blew a laboured breath and sat back on the sofa. “How do you know, who’s said that?”

Rachel snapped and smashed her hand against the arm of the chair. “Look at the state of me Gary, we’re not talking about any little dickhead here who we could sort out ourselves. Davo is a gun merchant and he wouldn’t think twice about coming here and knocking the living daylights out of us. Look at the state of me. And this is just a warning.”

Gary sniffed. His arse was twitching, he was by no means a fighter. Yeah, he could throw a few punches but when push came to shove he was a shit bag. He liked to big himself up as a bit of a street fighter but the fact was he was a nobody. He couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag. “Well, say something then,” Rachel stressed.

Gary was shell-shocked and he knew in his own head that when they came to the house they would leave him for dead. He was a man and what they done to his girlfriend was just a taster of what was to come in the future. Licking his dry cracked lips slowly, he sat in a deep trance. Rachel punched him in the arm and she was in no mood for him to be having second thoughts about being with her. He was like that Gary. Any real sign of danger and he was on his toes until it all calmed down. “Fuck that Rach. I mean, they’ll fucking murder me if they come here. What was Mikey thinking when he got involved with them? Davo is a nutter we both know that right?”

Rachel clenched her fists tightly into two rounded balls. She knew he was getting ready to bail and leave her to it. She bolted from the sofa and stood facing him. “Don’t you dare leave me to deal with this on my own Gary. I swear to you now, if that’s your plan you can fuck right off. Every time this happens you’re always the same. You’re a shitbag. Go on, if you’re going, fuck off now and save me the trouble of binning you.”

Gary was fidgeting, he was trying to defend himself but he was struggling. “Rach, I’m going nowhere,” he said unconvincingly, “It’s just that I don’t need all this shit in my life. I’ll stand by you. Come on give me a bit of credit. As if I would just get off and leave you to deal with this on your own.” Rachel shot a look over at him and knew he was chatting shit as per usual. He was never there when she needed him, he was a yellow belly. Rachel plonked down on the floor and Gary joined her. “If you know where the money is just give it him back. Simple isn’t it?”

“No fucking way. Mikey would go ape. If we give the money back then they’ll know for sure he had them over. He can’t win. I need to speak to Mikey, he’ll know what to do.”

“Where’s the money. Please tell me it’s not in the house. If they come here and find it we’re fucked.”

Rachel rubbed vigorously at her skin, she was itching at it, dragging it. For a split second she forgot who she was talking to and told him about the stash under the floorboards. Gary’s eyes were wide open and he ran to the corner of the room. He was quickly bent over and his hands seemed eager to get his fingers on the money. Rachel grabbed him from behind just as he was about to pull the cash from under the floorboards. “Shift out of the way. I’ll get it.” Gary moved back slowly and he was watching her like a hawk. As the money was revealed he rubbed his palms together. “Rach, let me stash it somewhere safe. Let’s face it, where can you hide it that’s secure? If you leave it here they will find it for sure.”

Rachel wasn’t born yesterday and there was no way she trusted Gary. He was her boyfriend yes, but she didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him and he was a right fat twat. “Just leave it with me, Gary. I know where I can put it. I’m not going to leave it in here, I’m not that daft. Do you think we should even be staying here with all this going on? It’s only a matter of time before they’re knocking on our door for the money,” her voice went higher. “Fucking hell, when it rains in this house it pours.”

Gary wasn’t listening to a word she said, his eyes were fixed on the cash and he was watching every move she made. “Come on babes, let’s get you cleaned up. Look at the state of your lip. It looks like your eye’s going to be bruised. It’s already swelling up.”

Rachel placed the money on the table and walked to the mirror. “Bloody hell, you’re right. I’ll tell you what Gary, they had no qualms about giving me a crack either. The two of them set about me in the car park with no mercy whatsoever. God help you if they get their hands on you, they’ll destroy you.” He swallowed hard and blew a laboured breath. What the hell was she doing to him, he was as white as a sheet!