Page 3 of Fury

“By anyone, you mean your wife, don’t ya, mate?” Magnet shook his head, his face heavy with disappointment. “How long you been messing about?”

“A few weeks, maybe a month or two. She’s pregnant,” he added. “I was just frustrated. I needed to let my hair down. You know, get some, as she’s not up for it at the moment.”

The fist came from nowhere, burying itself in Tez’s mouth, not fully retracting before his lips popped and blood exploded down his face to join that which had already dried and matted into his beard.

“You don’t deserve a wife and a bairn, ya prick,” Magnet spat, his face contorted like he was chewing on a wasp.

“Fucking hell,” Indie looked at me. And suddenly he looked old. His face was tired, dark shadows under his eyes, even clear under the dull shit lights of Tez’s strip joint. “Get Magnet out of here.”

Demon nodded, dragging the spitting, fuming wildcat of a man away. Tez touched his face, disturbing the wound again, more blood oozing out.

“What’s wrong with Magnet?” he muttered, spitting a gob of blood onto the floor at his feet.

“Apart from he’s probably due his period, he’s pissed off that you’re fucking about behind your missus’ back and he can’t even get his up the duff. Better stay away from him at church tonight if you don’t fancy more of your teeth knocked out.”

Tez stayed in a far corner, well away from Magnet till the brothers had put what they could of Trouble on the Tyne back together and most of us had filtered out, back home to families, wives and girlfriends, or empty beds.

Indie lingered, glancing around tiredly.

“You all right, mate?” I asked, passing him a glass of whisky from the one bottle that had survived the ransacking relatively unscathed, apart from missing its neck.

His fingers clutched the tumbler, but he didn’t move the glass to his lips.

“Aye. Just lots going on. Emmie’s having terrible nightmares, waking up screaming in the night. I’m not getting much sleep, and now the undertakers are being cocks. Some new bigwig changing things up. Looks like Ste’s funeral is going to cost twice as much.”

“How?”

“Seem they can’t offer our usual rates anymore. The new boss is scrutinising everything within an inch of its life. I need to go sort it out.”

Indie was tired. Emmie was still recovering from being attacked by her ex, and whilst her physical injuries were healing well, it seemed her emotional ones were not.

“Look. I’ll call in before church. I’ll introduce the club and make sure they know what the deal is.”

Indie’s face moved. Not enough that you’d call it a smile, more of a concerted twitch. But it was as happy as he was going to look this side of dawn.

Chapter Two

‘We seem to be haemorrhaging money across the entire northern businesses. The profits are dropping off, cash withdrawals I can’t trace.’

I read the email again, the clacker clack of the train heading north calming despite the urgency I could read in my father’s words.

The call had come three days ago. A panicked feminine voice, one I didn’t instantly recognise. One that barely spoke to me unless it was absolutely necessary. But there she was on the other end of the phone, telling me my father had been rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack.

The train sped on, fields and trees, houses and cars, everything streaming past the windows.

“Another coffee, miss?” the waitress offered, wheeling her trolley through the first-class section.

“Thank you.” I nudged the cup and saucer towards the end of the table, the thick brown liquid glugging in, its aroma rising on the steam, filling the cabin with a deep, woody smell.

“Can I get you a sandwich or anything else to go with that?”

Was it too early for wine?

“No, I’m fine thanks.”

My laptop sat in front of me, the curser flashing patiently as it waited for me to type something else. Something meaningful. Something reassuring to the old man lying in the hospital bed, worrying more about the performance of his business than the heart that had been re-started numerous times only days ago.

‘I’ll be there in an hour.’ I typed. ‘I’ll go straight to the Newcastle office and get started straight away.’