Read Online The Unquiet Heart by Gordon Ferris - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Gordon Ferris
Ads: Link
followed. I found her shaking her hair loose and being admired
by the boys who were preening in front of their prisoners.
“Get your fucking hands up!”
We whirled and stared into the dark chamber. The missing man was standing not ten feet away. He was a skinny little guy but he was holding a big fat gun. Slowly we did as he asked. I noticed Eve
slipping back behind me so that I would shield her from the gunman. Smart girl.
He came towards us. I recognised the huge set of teeth in the little face. Sid the foreman. It figured.
“Now get over there, you bastards! Away from them.” He waved his gun towards the doorway. We shuffled until he had us set up with our backs to the river. Eve was cowering behind me,
holding on to my jacket at the back. His mates lay between us and him. They were stirring and ready to be freed. I felt a complete fool. I also felt vulnerable standing so close to the lip of the
doorway.
Sid bent down and pulled the gags off the three men.
“Thank Christ, Sid!” said one of them. “Don’t just stand there. Finish the fucking job. Shoot the fuckers.”
Sid stood up, and looked at us. A grin came over his weasel face.
“I seen you in the yard. You’se fucking coppers?”
I shook my head, wondering about stepping back and jumping. But Eve was between me and the exit. I hoped one of the others would make the jump. Better to risk a broken leg than a shot in the
belly.
“Well, that’s all right then. You ain’t gonna be missed.”
“Shut the fuck up talking, Sid. Shoot!”
Sid raised his gun and took aim at my chest. He could hardly miss from six feet away. I braced myself. I suppose I shut my eyes. A gun went off and I heard a scream. It wasn’t me. Sid was
writhing on the ground, clutching his shoulder. Eve’s right arm stuck out under mine. Smoke was clearing from the little gun in her hand. I didn’t waste any more time thinking. I dashed
forward and kicked the gun away from Sid. He was squealing in pain like a skelped pup. I retrieved his gun and walked back to Eve, now the centre of attention and congratulatory hugs by my lads.
She wasn’t looking joyous. Her face was strained and tight, like a kid who knows she’s done wrong but won’t admit it.
“I said no guns.”
“Not to me you didn’t,” she said fiercely.
“I didn’t expect you to need the warning.”
Midge butted in. “Fuck’s sake, Danny. She saved our skins.”
I sighed and nodded. “You’re right. Eve, thanks. Thanks a million. Now I suggest you use that journalist imagination to think up a good story for the boys in blue tomorrow.”
She looked at me warily. I smiled and stepped forward and put my arms round her. My turn to hug. Through her thick worker’s clothing, her curves pressed against me. She felt good in my
arms.
“Thanks. I mean it. You were amazing. You all right?”
She looked up and nodded, and this time she smiled and I could feel the tension leave her and the shakes begin. I gently prised the gun from her. It was a toy, a Beretta 0.25. I’d ask
later where she got it and how she learned to use it.
“Let’s get Sidney here as comfortable as we can. It won’t be serious. It was only a pea-shooter.” I held up the gun. The boys laughed and bent to work. When we were done,
we settled down for what was left of the night. That’s how Tommy Chandler found us come daylight.
SEVEN
Tommy almost wept when he found what had happened – whether in gratitude to us or anger at being betrayed by his foreman was hard to tell. We only just managed to stop
him from kicking the lot of them into the river, still tied. And Tommy would have added a couple of bricks to help them on their way to hell.
It took half a pack of Craven A to calm him down. I asked him to get some of his boys up to mind the prisoners, and pointed to the remaining one down on the barge. I wanted my men well away from
the scene when the rozzers got here. Same with Eve. I especially didn’t want her
by the boys who were preening in front of their prisoners.
“Get your fucking hands up!”
We whirled and stared into the dark chamber. The missing man was standing not ten feet away. He was a skinny little guy but he was holding a big fat gun. Slowly we did as he asked. I noticed Eve
slipping back behind me so that I would shield her from the gunman. Smart girl.
He came towards us. I recognised the huge set of teeth in the little face. Sid the foreman. It figured.
“Now get over there, you bastards! Away from them.” He waved his gun towards the doorway. We shuffled until he had us set up with our backs to the river. Eve was cowering behind me,
holding on to my jacket at the back. His mates lay between us and him. They were stirring and ready to be freed. I felt a complete fool. I also felt vulnerable standing so close to the lip of the
doorway.
Sid bent down and pulled the gags off the three men.
“Thank Christ, Sid!” said one of them. “Don’t just stand there. Finish the fucking job. Shoot the fuckers.”
Sid stood up, and looked at us. A grin came over his weasel face.
“I seen you in the yard. You’se fucking coppers?”
I shook my head, wondering about stepping back and jumping. But Eve was between me and the exit. I hoped one of the others would make the jump. Better to risk a broken leg than a shot in the
belly.
“Well, that’s all right then. You ain’t gonna be missed.”
“Shut the fuck up talking, Sid. Shoot!”
Sid raised his gun and took aim at my chest. He could hardly miss from six feet away. I braced myself. I suppose I shut my eyes. A gun went off and I heard a scream. It wasn’t me. Sid was
writhing on the ground, clutching his shoulder. Eve’s right arm stuck out under mine. Smoke was clearing from the little gun in her hand. I didn’t waste any more time thinking. I dashed
forward and kicked the gun away from Sid. He was squealing in pain like a skelped pup. I retrieved his gun and walked back to Eve, now the centre of attention and congratulatory hugs by my lads.
She wasn’t looking joyous. Her face was strained and tight, like a kid who knows she’s done wrong but won’t admit it.
“I said no guns.”
“Not to me you didn’t,” she said fiercely.
“I didn’t expect you to need the warning.”
Midge butted in. “Fuck’s sake, Danny. She saved our skins.”
I sighed and nodded. “You’re right. Eve, thanks. Thanks a million. Now I suggest you use that journalist imagination to think up a good story for the boys in blue tomorrow.”
She looked at me warily. I smiled and stepped forward and put my arms round her. My turn to hug. Through her thick worker’s clothing, her curves pressed against me. She felt good in my
arms.
“Thanks. I mean it. You were amazing. You all right?”
She looked up and nodded, and this time she smiled and I could feel the tension leave her and the shakes begin. I gently prised the gun from her. It was a toy, a Beretta 0.25. I’d ask
later where she got it and how she learned to use it.
“Let’s get Sidney here as comfortable as we can. It won’t be serious. It was only a pea-shooter.” I held up the gun. The boys laughed and bent to work. When we were done,
we settled down for what was left of the night. That’s how Tommy Chandler found us come daylight.
SEVEN
Tommy almost wept when he found what had happened – whether in gratitude to us or anger at being betrayed by his foreman was hard to tell. We only just managed to stop
him from kicking the lot of them into the river, still tied. And Tommy would have added a couple of bricks to help them on their way to hell.
It took half a pack of Craven A to calm him down. I asked him to get some of his boys up to mind the prisoners, and pointed to the remaining one down on the barge. I wanted my men well away from
the scene when the rozzers got here. Same with Eve. I especially didn’t want her
Similar Books
