An ambulance was parked further up the street, which Alex had failed to notice and two paramedics were advising Mark to go with them and get his wounds checked out.
Mark beckoned him over. ‘I’m fine, Alex.’ Lifting up his T-shirt, he mopped the blood from the side of his face. ‘Some bastards ran in and just started smashing the place up. Of course, I fought back. You know me Alex, but I didn’t stand a chance. Got a punch in though,’ he boasted.
Escorted to the back of the ambulance, Mark declined going to the hospital, but let them check his wounds over and patch him up. The police were milling around asking all of Mark’s friends questions, which seemed pointless because they all said the same thing. They were having something to eat and drink when the front door was kicked in and three men wearing balaclavas ran in with baseball bats. Mark had run forward to defend Olivia, but they had grabbed him, punched him and shouted they would be back for their money.
Alex had a suspicion that he knew who was behind all of this. Suddenly everything fitted into place as Alex recalled the conversation he’d had with Percy at the bar. Percy had suspected Mark had something to do with the cannabis plants and had mentioned that the Liverpudlian gangsters wanted their money back: the money they’d paid for their own plants. A twinge of guilt passed through Alex. He had brought this on his friend. Mark was being blamed for his actions and Alex knew that it was Percy who had passed this information on to those men. He was sure of it.
Looking around the crowd, Alex couldn’t see Percy anywhere, which was odd, considering he was always in the thick of it like some nosey old woman. His gut instinct told him Percy was up to his neck in all of this and anger rose in him. Without thinking, he pushed past everyone standing in the pub doorway and got his gun. Screwing the silencer on, he pushed it inside his jacket pocket and went out again and made his way around the back of Percy’s house. Trying the door handle, he discovered it wasn’t locked and quietly opened it. True enough, Percy was sat there drinking mugs of tea with three men who, Alex was sure, had been the ones who had just ransacked Mark’s house.
Hearing the door, the men stood up and picked up their baseball bats menacingly, as Alex faced them. ‘After everything Mark does for you old man, you let this lot beat him up?’ Percy looked down sheepishly and blushed. ‘Don’t bother explaining yourself to me, you low life.’
‘Don’t come at us with that shit. We’ve done our homework. You’re Alex Silva, ex-hitman and now a grass in witness protection. By all accounts you’re worth a lot of money. Maybe we should take you with us and let your old friends know where you are?’ one of the men spat out as two of them walked towards him with their baseball bats.
The oldest member of the three shouted, ‘Don’t kill him, let his old friends do that. He’s worth more alive than dead.’
Glancing at him, Alex recognised him as the man in the BMW he had spoken to – Mr Gold Teeth and Luke’s enemy. ‘I remember you Silva,’ he sneered. ‘I should have run you over properly when I had the chance. But at least now I am going to make a huge profit by turning you over to your enemies.’ He spat in Alex’s face and grinned, showing his gold front teeth as they glinted in the light.
Glaring at him, Alex wiped the spit away as it dribbled down his face. ‘Good, because I remember you too and that smile of yours doesn’t do you any favours.’ Alex looked up at the other men. Just as they were about to raise their bats to hit him, Alex quickly felt for his gun and fired three shots in quick succession. Each shot was accurate and the three of them fell to the floor in an instant, a bullet hole in each of their foreheads. The blood was minimal, almost a trickle. Alex held up his gun. ‘Are you next, Percy?’
‘For fuck’s sake Alex, there are two police cars outside. What am I going to do with three dead bodies in my living room?’ Nervous and panicking, Percy looked down at the bodies and then back at Alex still holding his gun.
‘Well, why don’t you go out there and tell the police you were harbouring the very men they’re looking for? Or let Mark know you have sold him down the river and his friendship means nothing to you? Go on Percy, you son of a bitch! Because your police buddies can’t get you out of this one, this time!’
Angry and red faced, Alex slowly put his gun away. ‘I am Alex Silva, but I am sure you have known that for some time. Like I give a fuck. I have got bigger and harder men after me than your three clowns. But you’re asking me what to do? Well I suggest you call your other friends and tell them that this lot are dead. They will clean the mess up, believe me. And if your friends come looking for me for revenge, remember this Percy. I have more of these,’ Alex said, tapping the gun in his jacket, ‘and my family know how to use them and one bullet has got your name engraved on it.’
Percy stood there as white as a sheet and shaking with fear.
‘Be fucking warned!’ With that, Alex left the same way he had got in. Sweat poured down his forehead and he brushed it away with his coat sleeve. He couldn’t believe what he had just done. Rubbing his face, he looked up at the moonlight. No matter how many times he tried to start afresh, he was still a cold-hearted killer. As he walked back to the pub, he decided this was one secret he would definitely keep from Maggie. This new leaf he had turned over, was just an old leaf with a new colour. Old habits die hard, Alex thought to himself.
‘You feeling better now Mark mate? Come and have a drink,’ he shouted above the crowd. ‘And then we will help you clear the decks.’ Alex noticed that the ambulance had gone in his absence and people were slowly finding their way back to their homes and the pub. Looking around for Maggie, he couldn’t see her. ‘Where is Maggie?’ he asked.
‘Back in the pub with Olivia. They are having a drink to calm Olivia’s nerves.’ Alex waited for Mark to join him, and they both walked towards the pub.
Much to Alex’s surprise, the pub was packed to the hilt. He knew Maggie would be pleased the cash register was opening and closing as people bought more drinks, and like any good tale, the story got better and better each time it was told. Mark wasted no time in gulping back a drink, smacking his lips and letting everyone know how he had fought the intruders and got a few punches in. Alex thought back to the men he had seen at Percy’s and couldn’t remember any of them a nursing any wounds or black eyes. In fact, they had looked very calm and composed drinking their tea and biding their time with Percy until the police had left.
‘Who called the police?’ Alex asked, surprised Mark had called them considering he had been sniffing cocaine.
‘I did!’ Olivia cried, making her red, tear-stained face even worse. ‘My Mark could have been hurt. He’s a hero. A bloody hero saving me and my George from those hooligans.’
Alex cast a glance towards Maggie and they stared at each other for a moment and smiled. Both of them knew that Mark was going to dine out on this tale for a long time to come!
Excusing himself, Alex walked towards his own back door and pushed his gun deep into the umbrella stand beside the rifle under the coats and hung his own coat up. For a moment, he stood there staring at the coats and wondered what Percy was doing at this precise moment. He knew his cover was blown, but what the hell. It was all going to come out soon enough anyway. He also wondered if he had just got rid of all of Luke’s enemies. He doubted it, because like all puppets, somebody was always pulling their strings. These Liverpudlians would have another boss giving out the orders.
Turning around to walk into the bar, Maggie stopped him. ‘Everything okay, Alex?’
‘Everything is fine, darling. Sorry I took so long. This place is so boring, and the minute I go out there’s a bit of action,’ he laughed. As she searched his face, he kissed her on the cheek, while whispering in her ear, ‘The deed is done love – all gone.’
Nodding her head and smiling, she said, ‘I’ve told Olivia that they can stay here tonight. We will all muck in tomorrow to help them clean up their house, love.’
As much as Alex liked Maggie playing hostess, he felt it hindered him. He wanted to see the cement first thing in the morning, preferably before the builders arrived. The last thing he wanted was Mark on his heels.
Hearing a loud banging on the pub door, Alex looked at Maggie.
‘That will be for me,’ shouted Mark. ‘I’ve got a bloke coming out to secure the front door. I told them to knock here.’
Alex opened the door and true enough, the carpenter stood there. Swaying, Mark put his arm around Alex’s shoulder. ‘He’s a mate of mine,’ Mark boasted. ‘Owes me a favour, which is why he has come out so late.’
Seeing his drunken state, Alex decided to take over and talk to the carpenter and offer any help, if needed. He took some chipboard out of the back of his van and Alex helped him carry it to Mark’s front door. As he stood with it while the workman went about his work, Alex spotted a small transit van outside of Percy’s house about to drive off.
A smile spread across his face as he watched Percy come to his front gate and close it. Quickly, they glanced at each other before Percy turned swiftly and walked back into his house.
Alex realised that Percy had followed his instructions and had called his friends to get rid of the dead bodies. All in all, a job well done. He then remembered that he had left Mark’s van parked further up the street. Now was the time to bring it back.
Yawning as he parked the van up and checked the back for traces of anything he might have left behind, Alex locked it and walked back towards the pub. What a bloody day, he thought to himself. He was sick of seeing dead bodies! Now he would have a drink!
26 THE AFTERMATH
Waking with a start, Alex opened his eyes to the sound of the builders turning up. He jumped out of bed so quickly he nearly fell out. He needed to see if the cement had dried properly and if the body had definitely been covered. Pulling on his jeans, he crept downstairs and went out to them.
‘Morning, how you all doing?’ Staring across at the tarpaulin, he watched the two young builders’ apprentices pull it away. His heart was in his mouth.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he saw that it looked like it had set.
‘Morning Mr Silva, don’t suppose that gorgeous wife of yours has the kettle on yet?’ The foreman smiled.
‘I’m sure she does,’ Alex laughed nervously. ‘So, I presume you will be putting up the bike shed today?’ he asked nonchalantly.
‘Hopefully. We have the tarmac to do first. Can’t leave it just concrete for safety reasons. It dries pretty quick though, and we should be out of your hair by the end of today.’
