Barking Boy Read online

  Danny McKay pushed through the doors of the Ilford Palais. He quickened his pace as he strode across the dance floor toward where Freddie and the rest of his firm were stood. With the main lights on, the club showed up every imperfection. The threadbare dated carpet, and peeling paintwork was further proof that the club needed a bit more than a lick of paint to bring it up to standard.

  “What the fuck happened?”

  Freddie turned toward Danny. “They fucking took everything: the gold, the cash, everything. The no good fucking cunts.” He spoke with a low growl and stabbed his finger toward the younger man. “I want them fucking found and brought to me. Someone out there will know about this.” Freddie’s heart beat wildly in his chest. He’d only been looking after the gold until Mark Hopper, an armed robber with the mentality of a complete and utter lunatic, could ship it abroad to be melted down. In his stupidity, he’d believed the run down club would be the perfect place to stash it. Who in their right mind would even contemplate robbing the venue? He wiped his hand across his face as the severity of the situation hit home. “Hopper will fucking kill all of us over this.”

  “Who was on the doors?” Danny tore his attention away from Freddie, and nodded his head toward the heavies, as they crowded around the bar area. “How the fuck could you let this happen? Did it not cross your fucking minds to try and stop them? There were more than enough of you here.”

  “They had guns, mate. Nearly took my fucking head clean off one of them did, look.” Steven Wright jerked his thumb behind him at the gaping hole in the wall. “I’m lucky to be still standing here. I’m telling you, Danny, they meant fucking business. How the fuck were we meant to stop them, when they were pointing sawn-offs at us?”

  Danny narrowed his eyes. He was momentarily taken aback. “Sawn-offs?” This was the first anyone had mentioned sawn-offs being used in the robbery.

  “Yes fucking sawn-offs. You try stopping five blokes pointing them at your head. I thought me days were numbered, I can tell you.”

  Danny could feel the colour begin to drain from his face. Immediately, his thoughts went to Tommy Carter. No, he wouldn’t dare, or would he? No, he shook his head. It couldn’t be Tommy responsible, surely fucking not. He wasn’t that stupid to take on Freddie, was he? He wiped his hand over his face, smearing away the cold sweat that had begun to break out across his clammy forehead. His heart began to beat faster. He could barely hear what was going on around him. His mind went into overdrive as he recalled one of the last conversations he’d had with Tommy. “Let’s just say this job has more risk than usual.”

  Realisation took hold. It had to be Tommy Carter. How the fuck had he even known about the gold? They hadn’t exactly made it common knowledge. “I…,” he battled to regain his composure. “I can’t fucking believe it. Someone must have talked.” That was all he could manage to utter. His voice sounded higher than usual to his ears, and he cleared his throat, turning his back on the rest of the firm, as he tried to get his head around what had just taken place.

  “Well, obviously someone has been talking. Doesn’t take a genius to work that out, does it? How else would they have known about the gold?” Moray Garner looked around him at the men gathered at the club. He was thoughtful for a few moments. “Let’s face it, someone has opened their mouth, and those guns had to have come from somewhere. I reckon that’s where we should start looking. Find out who supplied them.”

  Freddie nodded his head, his lips were set in a straight line. “Start asking around then. I want every supplier brought to me. I’ll find these fuckers, if it’s the last thing I do.” He wiped his hand across his face. He needed the gold back, and the quicker the better. Otherwise, Mark Hopper would kill them all stone dead, of that he was certain.

  Danny turned toward Moray. He’d been one of his closest mates since they were kids. The man was right. Find out whoever it was who had supplied the guns, and then the culprits responsible for the robbery would be revealed. He lowered his eyes, as he watched Moray nod his head at Freddie’s order. An ice cold shiver ran down his spine. He knew for a fact it was himself who’d supplied those guns. Five sawn-off shotguns Tommy Carter had bought from him, and five shotguns had been used in the robbery. He’d bet his life on it that they were the very same guns.

  “Fucking hell, Tommy,” Jimmy pulled the balaclava off of his head, leaving his hair damp with sweat. “That was fucking close.”

  “Tell me about it.” Tommy was driving the van back toward the scrap yard. Frequently, he checked the rear-view mirror, making sure they weren’t being followed. He wiped his hand across his forehead, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes. His skin warm and clammy. “I nearly shot that bloke. Could’ve ended up taking his head off his fucking shoulders. I reckon I would’ve done and all, if he hadn’t ducked out of the way.” He turned to look at his brother and continued. “Fuck me, Jimmy, I wasn’t expecting all of that gold. No wonder they had so many heavies in there.”

  Jimmy nodded his head. He was just as stunned as his brother. His eyes were still wide, his pupils dilated. “What the fuck are we meant to do with it now though, Tommy?”

  Tommy shrugged his shoulders. He pulled into the scrap yard, and looked around him, before giving the all clear for his brothers to climb out of the van.

  Mad Dog Harris made his way out of the office. He took one look at their faces and raised his eyebrows, concerned. “What happened?”

  Tommy made his way around the van. “It was a fucking nightmare from start to finish.” He began unloading the bags of cash, passing them across to his younger brothers. “There were more of them than we were expecting. They came out of fucking nowhere.”

  “None of you were hurt though?” Mad Dog looked the brothers over.

  Tommy shook his head. “Just shook us up a bit, that’s all. We weren’t expecting that many heavies to be in there.”

  “Well, the main thing is you’re all okay.” He peered inside the van, his eyes widening. “What’s this, lad?” He stared down at the holdalls containing the gold bars, before looking back toward Tommy. “Where the fuck did they come from?”

  “Believe me, we were just as fucking shocked.” He began hauling the holdalls out of the van. “We opened up the room where the safe is, and they were sitting there.”

  “What do mean, they were just sitting there?”

  “Exactly what I said. We opened the door and they were there. The place is such a shit hole, they probably thought that no one would even contemplate robbing it.”

  Mad Dog blew out his cheeks. “This isn’t Freddie’s style. He runs doors, amongst other things. What he doesn’t do is commit robberies.” He looked across to Tommy. “You should have left the gold, lad. You’ve got yourself involved in a situation where you have no right to be.”

  Tommy dragged out the last holdall. “Yeah, well, it’s too fucking late now, ain’t it?” He wiped the sweat from his face, his cheeks red from the exertion of pulling the heavy bags. “This has to be the gold from that robbery over in Deptford.” He kept his voice low.

  “Aye lad, I reckon so,” Mad Dog nodded his head. “What the fuck are you going to do with it, Tommy? This is too big, even for us.”

  “I’ll think of something.”

  Mad Dog watched as the younger man walked toward the office. “And where are you going to stash this lot?” he called after him. “You know your name will be the first out of a lot of people’s mouths. You can’t just chuck them in the office, and hope no one turns up looking for them.”

  Tommy paused. He looked around him at the broken scrapped cars piled on top of one another. “For tonight, they can be stored in them,” he nodded his head toward the cars. “Tomorrow, I’ll think of something better.”

  “Aye lad,” he followed Tommy into the office. “Come on, you all need to move fast. You have to get yourselves over to the pub.” He chewed on the inside of his cheek. “Now, more than ever, you all need to be seen in there.”

  Changed into fresh cl
othes, the brothers made their way into the short blue public house. Indicating for his brothers to enter through the doors before him, Tommy brought out his hand, bringing Jimmy to a halt. He glanced nervously around him. It was a necessity they were all seen in the pub together. They needed watertight alibis, should Freddie Smith start asking questions.

  “What’s up?” Jimmy narrowed his eyes, the cold night air causing his breath to mist.

  Tommy glanced around him for a second time. “Danny McKay will come here for me tonight.”

  Jimmy’s eyes widened. “What? You said everything was sorted out. Nothing would come back to us, you said.”

  “It is sorted out.” Tommy blew out his cheeks. “When he comes, don’t get involved and keep the others away, too. Promise me that, Jimmy.”

  “Why is he coming here for you?” He waited for Tommy to answer him and when his brother remained silent, Jimmy continued. “You can’t ask that of me, Tommy. I ain’t just gonna let McKay barge fucking in, am I?” He shook his head. “I can’t do that, you’re my brother.”

  Tommy grabbed a hold of his brother’s arm. It was imperative he understood. “You can and you will. I need to be on my own with him, I mean it, Jimmy. Promise me you won’t get involved.”

  Jimmy looked to the floor. He nodded his head. He had no other choice, but to do as Tommy asked.

  Tommy took a seat at the farthest table in the public bar. He sat down beside Jimmy, and gulped at the beer, which had been placed before him, then wiped the back of his hand across his lips. He blocked out the conversations around him. His head bowed, he was waiting for McKay to make his grand entrance, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before he found him. More than anything, Tommy needed time to think. With the gold in their possession, now more than ever, he had to have everything clear in his mind. He had to know what to say to the man.

  “Tommy Carter.”

  Tommy could hear the rage in Danny McKay’s voice, and he closed his eyes for a moment, before turning his head to the side. He held his breath as he looked up at McKay and took note of the man’s stance. It was enough to tell him and everyone else stood in close proximity that there was trouble brewing, and a lot of trouble at that. Tommy could feel his brothers’ eyes on him, as he slowly got up from his seat. He didn’t speak. He didn’t even glance across in their direction. He walked toward Danny, his back tall and straight, as he followed him out of the pub. He’d long resigned himself to the fact that he could very well be in for a beating. In fact, all along he’d known this moment would be coming.

  They had barely made it out of the door, when Danny slammed him up against the outside wall, his fist connecting with the side of Tommy’s face, his free hand firmly clutching at the front of Tommy’s shirt in a vice-like grip.

  “You fucking bastard, it was you.”

  Tommy remained silent. The unexpected punch to the side of his head, left him feeling momentarily dazed.

  “It was fucking you. You were the one who robbed the Palais.” Danny’s breath came in short bursts. He smashed his fist into the side of Tommy’s face for a second time. “I swear to God, I will fucking kill you over this. We need that gold back. Do you fucking hear me?”

  Tommy swallowed deeply. He could feel the side of his eye already beginning to swell. “What gold?”

  “Don’t play fucking games with me.” Danny curled his fist into a ball, ready to strike out again.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tommy ducked, sidestepping Danny’s fist, as he swung it toward him, years of semi-professional boxing giving him the advantage. “Don’t try and mug me off, Danny, you’ve swung for me twice. Do it again, and I’ll bounce you across this fucking car park.”

  Danny’s face reddened at Tommy’s words. The anger he felt seeping out of him, he snarled as he threw a punch. “I should fucking haul you in front of Freddie and let him deal with you.”

  “You should, but you won’t.” Tommy battled to regain his composure. He twisted his body around, and pushed Danny up against the wall. His forearm slammed against his chest, restraining him. He took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, his voice low. “You won’t because you can’t, can you? Not without incriminating yourself.”

  “What?” Danny shook his head, as he tried to take in Tommy’s words. “What are you fucking talking about, incriminate myself? How the fuck would I incriminate myself?”

  “Don’t try and act innocent. I buy guns from you Danny, therefore you supply them to me. You’re up to your neck in this as much as I am, and I don’t think Freddie will be too happy when he finds out about our business arrangement.”

  Danny’s mouth fell open. He tried to speak, but was lost for words. Tommy Carter had well and truly tucked him up, and he hadn’t even seen it coming. He threw Tommy away from him, and brought his fingers up toward his temples, rubbing at his throbbing head. Finally, he spoke. “Are you trying to fucking blackmail me? Because trust me, I will bury you.” He gave Tommy a cold stare. “We need that gold back, otherwise there’ll be murders. I know it was you. Five sawn-offs I sold you, and five shotguns were used in that robbery. Do you really think I’m that fucking stupid that I wouldn’t realise it was you?”

  “It wasn’t me.”

  Danny shook his head in disbelief. “Do you even realise who you’re dealing with?”

  Tommy shrugged his shoulders, his voice taking on a cocky tone. “I really don’t know what you want me to say. Whatever it is you think I’ve done, I didn’t do it.”

  “I need that gold back. I don’t care about the cash, keep the fucking lot of it, but I have to have the gold.”

  Tommy shook his head. “I can’t do that, Danny.”

  “What are you fucking talking about, you can’t do it?” Danny’s famous temper began to bubble to the surface. His green eyes flashing dangerously, he stabbed his finger in Tommy’s face. “This ain’t even about Freddie anymore. We’re not dealing with Mickey fucking Mouse here, this is Mark Hopper I’m talking about, and believe me, he’d eat you for breakfast and spit you out for lunch. The man’s a fucking psycho.”

  “I’ve already told you I can’t do it, because I don’t know anything about any gold.”

  Danny shook his head. He stabbed his finger toward Tommy. He could feel his blood pressure rising. He could hear his heart begin to drum. “I need that fucking gold back, otherwise we are all dead.”

  “I’ve already told you, Danny, I haven’t got your gold, and let’s face it, you haven’t got any proof that I have. I’m not the only person out there capable of a robbery, am I?”

  Danny snarled. He spat out his words, his voice shaking with anger. “I sold you those guns, I know it was you.”

  Tommy battled to remain composed. He took a step toward Danny, his body tensing. “So you sold me guns, and what? We both know you can’t go to Freddie without incriminating yourself, and I’m pretty certain Freddie isn’t going to go to the old bill, is he? So come on, Danny, what exactly are you gonna fucking do, eh?”

  Pulling back his fist, Danny took a step forward, his temper was beginning to get the better of him. Everyone in their world knew what it was Tommy did for a living, and it would only be a matter of time until he found himself on Freddie’s radar. And when that happened, the shit really would hit the fan, for the both of them. “I’m gonna tell you one last time, I need it back. If I don’t get it, Mark Hopper will come down on all of us like a ton of bricks, and that includes you.”

  Every instinct inside of Tommy told him to give in and hand over the haul. His pride, on the other hand, refused to cooperate. He’d took that gold fair and square. “Danny, you’re not listening to me. I’ve already told you, try and smash me again, and I’m gonna bounce you across this car park. Now, I haven’t got your fucking gold. It wasn’t me who took it.”

  Danny flopped back against the wall. He brought his hands up toward his head in defeat. To say Mark Hopper was going to go ape shit was an understatement. He exhaled loudly, stru
ggling to catch his breath. “We’re all fucking dead.” He turned to look at Tommy, concern clearly evident in his eyes. “I swear to God, I will tear apart every one of your businesses if I have to. I know it was you, and when I find that gold, believe me, I’m gonna break every bone in your fucking body.”

  Tommy glanced toward the pub entrance. He sighed. How many times did he need to say it, before it finally sunk into the man’s brain? He began backing away. “It wasn’t fucking me, but a bit of advice for you, Danny, you need to start covering your tracks. I don’t think Freddie is gonna be too happy when he finds out you’re a supplier, and that you’ve been dealing with me behind his back for all of these years.”

  Danny stared after Tommy’s retreating back as he made his way back inside the pub. He had to fight the urge not pull him back out and kill him stone dead. Instead, he leant back against the wall and blew out his cheeks. His warm breath hit the cold air and streamed out in front of him. He desperately needed to think. He wiped his hand over the dark stubble covering his jaw, clearly stunned. Not once had he seen this coming. The slippery fucker had well and truly fucked him over. Danny’s thoughts immediately went to Moray. He needed to speak to him and fast. He was going to need all the help he could get to find a way out of the situation Tommy Carter had kindly landed him in. All thanks to the younger man, there would be murders committed before the week was out. All he could do was hope and pray it wouldn’t be his own death he was predicting.

  Leaning against the closed pub door, Tommy took a deep breath. His heart beat ten to the dozen inside his chest. He glanced over his shoulder, checking that Danny McKay wasn’t coming after him. He blew out his cheeks in a bid to compose himself, then straightened out his shirt and walked calmly back inside the pub. Once inside, Tommy began to make his way through the crowded bar, absentmindedly stopping to say hello to people he recognised, before walking toward the table where his brothers were sat. He locked eyes with Jimmy and leant toward him to speak privately in his ear. “We need to move that gold,” was all he needed to say.