Blighted Land: Book two of the Northumbrian Western Series (Northumbrian Westerns 2) (10 page)

Gregg pulled hard on it. Strangled him.

I stepped forward but Will was in front of me. He had his knife out and blocked my way.
 

The cord bit into the lad’s neck, lifting him up as he grasped hold of it, tugged at it. The other two stared at him, shuffled in their seats but didn’t help. Their faces were white. Eyes wide. Gregg leant back, forearms straining as he hauled the lad up. His body lifted from the seat, his face contorted as the cord cut into his neck. He clawed at his throat and kicked his feet.

‘You’ve made your point,’ I said.

Nico laughed. ‘Finish him.’

Will had half turned to watch the strangulation. He grinned as the lad’s eyes swelled up.
 

I took my chance and punched Will, a crack to the jaw that set him off balance, out of my way. I sprung past him and went over to Gregg, pulling at his arm. As I struggled with Gregg Nico came over. I had hold of Gregg’s hand and undid his fingers but he kept the pressure on. Nico went for me but I elbowed him, knocked some of the wind out of him and I grabbed at Gregg again. I hauled the cord, yanked hard slid one end out of his grip. Released the lad. Gregg staggered back as it came free.
 

Will stood in front of the settee. ‘Looks like you were too late.’

The lad was slumped on the seat, his head to one side and his tongue protruding. Eyes shut.
 

Gregg laughed and slid the rope into his dungarees.

Nico was round the front again. He pointed at the other two. ‘This is what happens. This is a lesson. A harsh lesson in reality.’
 

They didn’t move. Didn’t look at the body slumped beside them. The dead body of their friend.

‘If you cross the line, this is the result.’

Will went over and opened the door. Nico went out followed by Gregg, like they’d rehearsed this.
 

‘Come on,’ Will said to me.

I didn’t move. The two surviving lads stared at the floor. The body lay slumped beside them.
 

Will came over jabbed towards me with his knife. ‘Get out.’
 

‘What about him?’

‘Leave him.’

I moved towards the dead body but Will thrust out at me and I had to step aside to miss being hit.

‘I’m not kidding,’ he said. ‘Leave him. Or join him.’

I looked into Will’s eyes. He meant it. Him and Gregg would be happy to get rid of me. Nico might have plans for me but they weren’t interested.
 

So I went out into the corridor. Will shut the door and with a nod from Nico stood close to me. Gregg went to the other side. They hemmed me in as Nico came up, jabbed me in the chest. ‘Very disappointing. Very fucking disappointing, Trent.’

‘There was no need.’.

‘Things are tough. Out there in the world.’ He waved his hand around, sweeping it in a great arc. ‘The other night showed us that. We need to protect ourselves. Sort things out here then expand. Build our defences.’

‘How will this help?’ I tapped the door. Pointed back towards the dead lad.

‘See, Trent, you don’t understand. You don’t see the big picture. There’s no time for sentimentality. Bad people have to be wiped out.’

From the room I could hear sobbing.
 

Nico adjusted his shirt. He took a breath then punched me in the stomach. It took all of the air out of me. Folded me up.
 

Then he grabbed my collar. ‘Things are changin’ Trent. We’ve been slack. We need to step things up. Step, step, step!’ He took another breath and exhaled slowly. ‘But, you have a role. You’re no good at this. The tough stuff. It’s the other bits you’re useful for. Like our man in the cell…’ He eased his grip on me. ‘Any luck, Trent? Any information? Anything you can tell us, hmm?’

Will had his knife out again. This was going the wrong way. I was going to end up like that lad in there.
 

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘He said where he’d come from…’

Nico smiled. ‘Really? He talked?’

‘Yeah.’

‘This for real?’

‘Yes.’

‘And?’

I pulled out the piece of paper.
 

Nico read it. ‘Yorkshire? Where in Yorkshire?’
 

‘Just south of York.’ It was the first place that sprung into my mind.

He jabbed the paper ‘And this Eblis? What’s that?’

‘The tank’s name. The model.’

Nico stepped back and patted me on the cheek. ‘Well, that’s something. That is something.’ He nodded to Will and Gregg moved away from me as well. ‘Don’t think you’re off the hook, Trent. But this is something. A
reprieve
.’ He brandished the piece of paper and led them off.
 

As they disappeared I thought about going back into the room, saying something, helping with the body. Instead I hung around in the hallway for several minutes. Then I left the hotel and went straight across town.
 

I stopped at Harbour Bridge and held onto the metalwork where the steel had been twisted by the tank. For some time I stared down into the River Farle, as the filthy water rolled past. Maybe I should have done more. Tried harder to save the lad. Stayed and helped the other two. Not lied about what Casper had said.
 

Maybe. Maybe not.

I carried on across the bridge and up the pathway. Made my way to High Town. I didn’t trust Becky but at the moment she seemed to be the only person I wanted to talk to.

The bar of the Bay Hotel was quiet with a couple of fellas in their sixties drinking beer and some drunk woman half slumped over a table. There was no sign of Becky.
 

I took the same seat and ordered a whisky. Stared out at the town and the sea. From here it looked so peaceful. But I really needed to get away. The tank arriving had changed Round Up, made it worse. They’d gone from bullies to killers.
 

For some time I sat there and sipped the whisky, as piano music played on the sound system and the waiters flitted around. I thought about Casper, that nasty look on his face. The way he sneered at me. I finished the drink and had another, looking out across Faeston in the midday sun.
 

I moved to a table by the window and ordered a beer, just to pace myself.

It was sometime later that Becky came in. By then there were a few more drinkers. Men in worn suits. Women in shabby blouses. Becky looked good again. She was in a long dress, purple with tie-dye patterns. Slim fitting. Even though I was wary of her I couldn’t ignore how great she looked. I watched how she moved, how her clothes fitted her body and how her hair fell onto her shoulders.

This was the time to play it cool, see what she had to offer, find out what her and Casper were really about. She was an enemy of Round Up but that didn’t make her my friend.
 

She took the seat opposite, pulled it up close. ’Did you see him?’ No small talk. No asking how I was or what was going on.

‘Yeah, I saw him.’

‘Is he okay?’

‘Oh, he’s fine. Fellas like him are always fine.’
 

She waved to the waiter. He came over and she ordered a gin. Even though she spoke to him she eyed me the whole time. Once he’d gone she moved closer. ‘He’s all right? Casper?’

‘Like I said, he’s fine.’

She smiled at this but her eyes were hard, serious. The waiter brought her drink over and asked if I wanted anything else. I said I was fine and he left.
 

Becky took a drink and stared out of the window. She pointed towards the door that led out to the garden. ‘Let’s sit outside, again. It’s a nice afternoon.’

‘Let’s not.’ I wasn’t in the mood to play along.
 

‘Did he say much?’

‘Bits.’

She took a drink, looked away from me. ‘But he is okay?’

‘We’ve covered that.’

‘What’ll they do to him?’

This was it, crunch time. I could soften it for her. But it was best she knew how it really was. ‘They’ll work him over. Find out everything he knows. They won’t stop until they got his full history. Where he’s from; going to. How to get into the tank…’

She took another drink, finished it off. For a few seconds she sat there with the empty glass in her hand turning it around, staring into it.

‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘That’s how they work.’

She leant one hand on the table. The other she slid underneath, onto my knee. Rested it there. ‘You’ve got to help, Trent, get him out of there.’

‘Get him out?’ This was new. But I should have spotted it.
 

‘You’ve got to help.’

‘I can’t. Sorry.’

‘It’s not just about Casper. If they get the Eblis, you know what they’ll do.’

‘I know.’

‘We need to get Casper free. And take the Eblis.’

‘I understand. But I can’t help.’ I stood up, ready to go. This was too much. It was all risk for me and no reward.
 

Becky took my hand. ‘Wait —’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s fine. I understand.’ She stood and joined me. ‘I want to thank you for your help. I know you've taken a risk doing this.’ She pulled out a wad of cash. ‘Let me treat you.’

‘I don’t want your money.’

‘Let’s take a walk. Go to some bars. Have fun.’
 

I was about to argue, point out I had stuff to do. Instead I nodded. Said nothing. A few drinks with an attractive woman wasn’t such a bad thing to do. I’d helped her out and she owed me. The alternative was an evening alone in my flat. Or with Sophie.

We went through the hotel, onto St Cuthbert’s Terrace.
 

‘So,’ she said. ‘Where do you suggest?’

‘I know a few places.’ I led her down the High Town Walkway, a paved road the Committee had just put in when I’d arrived eighteen months ago, something they were really proud of. It was old bricks set in a zig-zag pattern with a couple of mosaics. We passed one of a sea monster.
 

Even though it was only early evening candles were lit at some of the bars. Becky strode alongside me slowly, her head tilted back, dress tight on her body. She moved well and was in good shape. I didn’t have to trust her to find her sexy.
 

Music came up the road and I let it draw me towards The Web Club, one of my favourites when I first arrived in town. A couple at the doorway were locked in an embrace, hands all over each other as they stood below the metal spider’s web on the wall. The music from inside was loud, energetic: trumpets and saxophones. Drums.

‘Fancy this?’ I said.

‘Sounds good.’

I let Becky go ahead and followed her into the passageway and onto the narrow staircase, her legs just in front of me. As we twisted our way up I could see the muscles in her thighs working under her dress. She gave off the smell of some flower, something delicate.

At the top of the stairs we came to the main bar. It was a long room with tables set out in the middle and alcoves along one side. The walls were bare brick covered with posters of musicians. At the far end a band played an old jazz song. I led her to one of the alcoves.

As we slid in a waiter came over and took our orders. I asked for a large whisky and she had a small beer.

She leant over to me. ‘This is quite some place.’

‘Found it shortly after I arrived in town.’

‘One of your haunts?’
 

‘Not so much now.’ Largely because Sophie didn’t like the music or the decor. Or the drinks or High Town.

The band finished. Becky applauded, staring at me, a look that was hard to work out.

The waiter brought our drinks. Becky drank and so did I. As the band started to play again, she leant over, her breath warm on my neck. ‘I’m not going to mess with you, Trent. I think I can trust you. We have to get Casper out. Get the Eblis. We’re on our way somewhere…’ She sat back and gave me that look again, tilting her head a little, reading my reaction.

‘Go on.’

Leaning in again, she put her mouth even closer to my ear. ‘I’d like you in with us, Trent, you could add something to what we’re doing.’

And she needed me to get Casper out.

‘We’re going somewhere amazing. Really special.’ Then she sat back and drank, giving some kind of a smile, a faint one, but her eyes soft. The band stopped and the audience clapped. One of the musicians said something about an intermission. There was more applause. The sound of people talking.

Becky shuffled round so she was close to me, her thigh pressed against mine. ‘You’re not like the others here, Trent. Round Up and their like. You don’t belong here.’

‘You don’t know me.’

‘But you know what I mean.’

I knew all right. But I was still wary. She was feeding me what I wanted to hear. Buttering me up. ‘So what are you suggesting.’

‘Help get Casper out. And the Eblis. Come with us.’