Chapter 39

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

S kinner was scared, and he didn't mind admitting it. It wasn't what they were going to do that scared him. After all, Needles was right. These people raped their women and took their jobs and houses. It wasn't like they didn't have their own country. They should return there instead of expecting the English to fit in with them and allow them to build mosques everywhere. As Needles had pointed out, that ground could have been used for a church or homes for the homeless.

‘We need to take care of our own,' Needles had said. ‘They'll never go back if we keep making their lives comfortable. England is for the English.'

Skinner was afraid that The Vigilante geezer would turn up with his machete. He'd heard what had happened in the pub. It seemed this vigilante knew everything.

Skinner was surprised to see Digger waiting at the playing fields with Twitch.

‘Thought you weren't coming,' said Skinner.

‘Well, I figured if we're going to wear balaclavas, then me dad won't know it were me, will he?'

‘What if that vigilante bloke rocks up?' said Skinner, looking around nervously. ‘Did you hear about those blokes in the pub?'

Digger shook his head. ‘What blokes?'

‘Got their fancy cars smashed up. I think it was that vigilante bloke. He was wearing the same combats.'

Digger shrugged. ‘He won't come here,' he said confidently.

‘I hope not,' said Twitch nervously.

Needles was swaggering towards them, and his face lit up when he saw Digger. ‘Hey, mate,' he said, giving him a high five. ‘Well done.'

Skinner saw, with horror, that in his other hand was a hatchet. ‘You never said anything about getting tooled up,' he said anxiously.

‘Don't worry. It's not for them. It's just to smash a few things. Let 'em know we mean business.'

Skinner heard the excitement in Needles' voice and began to doubt whether this was a good idea after all, but didn't know how to get out of it.

Needles pulled balaclavas from his pocket and handed them around.

‘Maybe we shouldn't take the hatchet,' stuttered Digger.

Needles' face clouded over. ‘Are you in the Vipers or not, or are you just fucking cowards?'

‘Aw, come on, Needles, it's just me mum goes in there a lot, and they're always helpful and–'

‘Bloody 'ell, what are you now? A fucking Paki lover?' Needles sneered, his eyes flashing.

‘Let's go,' he said to Skinner without waiting for Digger to reply. Digger hurried after them.

Imran had never liked the skinhead kid with the tattoos, and his wife, Huma, had wanted him banned from the shop.

‘For what?' he'd asked her. ‘He's not done anything for us to ban him.'

‘You know why. He hates us.'

Imran had shrugged. Many people hated them, but an awful lot of people liked them and were their friends. One lad with a few tattoos and something of an attitude Imran felt he could handle. He didn't want to start banning people because they were racist. That kind of thing just fuelled further racism. They'd run the village shop now for five years, and everyone had always been friendly.

He was refilling the coffee machine when he heard the jingle of the door opening. Imran turned with a smile, expecting one of his Longbridge regulars. Instead, he came face to face with three men in balaclavas. At the sight of the hatchet, a spike of adrenalin shot through him.

‘What's going on? What do you want?' he asked, trying to hide his fear but failing miserably. Huma was upstairs with the boys. If he called her, she'd hear the fear in his voice and come down.

‘I don't want trouble,' he said. ‘Take what you like.'

Needles stepped forward, menacingly brandishing the hatchet. ‘Don't worry, mate, we will because this shop should be ours and not stinking of your fucking curries. Get some cans of lager, boys,' he said, turning to Skinner. ‘We'll have some crisps as well.'

Needles turned back to Imran, his eyes black with hate. ‘That fucking coffee you make is shit.'

He brought the hatchet down with a frightening smash onto the coffee machine, sending glass and paper cups flying through the air. The second smash brought Huma rushing down the stairs from their upstairs flat. At the sight of the balaclavas, she screamed in terror.

‘Please, just take what you want and go,' begged Imran.

Huma, in her fear, was struggling to breathe. Seeing her, Digger panicked and edged his way to the door, followed by Twitch. ‘Let's go,' he yelled.

Needles turned to Digger and said firmly, ‘When I'm ready.'

Tim was heading home after a quick pint at the local. He didn't often stop after work, but it had been hot that day, and as his aunt was with his mum, he thought he'd have a quick one before going home.

As he approached the corner shop, he decided to pop in for his mum's magazine and the local paper. Then, as he drew closer, he heard a crashing sound followed by a woman's scream. He ran to the shop, presuming someone had had an accident, but he stopped abruptly when faced with three masked men. On the floor, in the corner of the shop, he could see Huma was hyperventilating, and Imran was rigid with fear.

‘Help us,' cried Huma.

‘What the hell are you doing?' Tim yelled.

One of the masked men pushed past him at the door. He called over his shoulder to the man armed with a hatchet, ‘We should call an ambulance!'

Tim blocked their way. He saw the eyes of the man with the hatchet looking at him scornfully through the balaclava.

‘We'll be back,' he said, lifting the hatchet to smash the fridge door.

Tim grabbed his arm to stop him.

‘No,' yelled Imram, attempting to pull Tim back. ‘He's not worth it.'

Huma's screams tore through the air.

‘Oh God,' groaned the third masked man. ‘It wasn't supposed to be like this.'

Tim grabbed the hatchet's blade before it hit the fridge and groaned as it cut into the palm of his hand.

‘Let's get out of here,' shouted someone.

‘You're all fucking cowards, the lot of you,' said the man with the hatchet. ‘I should have done the place over myself. I'd have done a better job. You clowns are just a noose around my neck. You'll be telling them your names next.'

He tugged hard on the hatchet, scraping Tim's hand with the blade, causing Tim to yelp and pull his hand back, giving him time to run from the shop.

Ana heard the shouts first, a fusion of panic and fear that pierced the quiet street.

‘Did you hear that?' she asked Jonny, her instincts as a police officer already kicking in.

The screams propelled her towards the shop. As she approached, the sight of Tim's bloodied hand and Huma's slumped form on the floor brought her to a halt. Imran, still reeling from the shock, managed to utter, ‘One of them has a hatchet.'

Jonny's distant yet distinct voice reached Ana's ears, urging her to call for back-up. ‘Call the station,' she instructed Jonny, her voice steady despite the adrenalin surging through her veins.

She didn't have time to wait for Jonny's response, as the fleeing lads nearly knocked her over in their haste to escape.

‘Police, stop!' she shouted, giving chase.

One of the men clutched a plastic bag of cans. The other, menacing and defiant, held the hatchet aloft.

Shit , thought Ana, she didn't even have a taser.

‘Get back,' screamed the man with the hatchet.

The standoff between them was tense. Ana took a cautious step forward.

‘Don't come any nearer,' warned the man. ‘I mean it, I'll do yer, I will.'

‘And what good would that do you?' she asked, determined not to show him her fear. ‘Doing a police officer carries a long jail term. Is it worth it?'

‘Don't be a moron,' cried the other lad. ‘Just leg it.'

‘He's right,' said Ana. ‘Attempted assault on a police officer is no minor crime, sunshine, so why don't you drop that hatchet and do us both a favour? You're in enough trouble already for possessing it and using threatening behaviour.'

‘You always take their side,' sneered the masked man.

‘Whose side?' asked Ana, taking another step forward.

‘Stay back,' he warned. ‘I ain't scared of bashing one of you lot.'

‘If you're so brave, why are you hiding your face?'

‘Because you'll arrest me. But you never arrest them, do yer?'

‘Who?' asked Ana, while thinking, Where's the sodding police? Didn't Jonny call them?

‘The Pakis. It makes me sick.'

‘So, you thought you'd smash up their shop with your hatchet and teach them a lesson. Not very bright, are you, sunshine?'

‘Stop calling me fucking sunshine.'

‘Okay,' said Ana, ‘tell us your real name, and I'll use that.'

‘That should be our shop,' he said viciously.

‘I bet you use it a lot, though, don't you?' said Jonny from behind her. Ana didn't turn around. She wasn't going to take her eyes off the hatchet.

The man with the hatchet stared long and hard at Jonny. ‘I won't forget your face,' he said threateningly before turning on his heels and running away.

Ana threw herself at the other man, pulling him down by the legs. He scrambled to free himself, scratching like a mole at the grass of the playing field.

‘Keep still, you little sod.' Ana cursed, ‘You've already twisted my finger.' Jonny knelt across his legs and pulled his arms behind his back.

‘You're under arrest for robbery,' Ana said breathlessly. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention something when questioned that you may later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?'

‘I ain't done nothing.'

‘Do you understand what I've just said?'

‘Yeah, but I ain't done nothing.'

Ana pulled off his balaclava. ‘Well, if it isn't "Mr I'm good at everything". Stand up and don't even think of running. I've seen your face, and it won't take long to find you.'

Skinner heard the police siren and sighed heavily. He was in deep shit now with just about everyone. Why couldn't they have nicked Needles?

Beth wasn't happy, and it showed on her face.

‘You could have been injured, Seargent Rawlins. I don't know how they do things in Liverpool, but here we wait for back-up.'

‘With all due respect, ma'am, I'd have lost them by then.'

A crowd of locals was milling around the shop while a paramedic checked over Tim and Huma. Imran, sitting beside her, suddenly recognised Skinner and lunged at him.

‘I know you. Your parents come in all the time. I've been nothing but kind to you all. Look what you've done to my wife. You're a racist coward.'

Matt gently pulled him away. ‘It's okay, sir. We've got him now.'

‘It wasn't me,' said Skinner, almost in tears.

Ana watched as he was taken to a police car, aware that Beth's eyes were on her.

‘Good work,' she said softly. ‘What happened to the one with the hatchet?'

‘He got away.'

‘Next time, think of your pretty face and wait for back-up.'

Ana nodded. ‘Ma'am.'

They both knew she wouldn't.

Beth liked her, and something about Ana reminded her of when she was a young copper, all eager and ready to take on the world. ‘Well done,' she said.

‘Thank you, ma'am.' Ana smiled.

‘Sorry your evening has been spoilt, but we'll need your statements.'

‘Of course,' said Ana.

‘It will just be a later dinner.' Jonny smiled. ‘God, you're bloody stubborn,' he said, relieved to see her safe.

‘And you're bloody mad. You're not even trained, you madman.'

He grabbed her hand. ‘I'm mad for you,' he said.