Page 79 of Fool Me Twice
Dad lifted his chin.“Bigger they come, the harder they fall.Ain’t that right, Trent?”
Feeling like he was about to throw up, Zig ignored his dad and turned to Trent.“Ain’t it time you found someone better to work for?Instead of an aging petty criminal who talks like a movie and thinks he’s the bloody godfather?”He didn’t know where the courage to say all this was coming from.
Yeah, he did, and it was standing right beside him in a wicked leather jacket.
“We’re partners,” Trent snapped.
Hah.Touched a nerve.
“Oh, is that right?”Si piped up.“Congratulations.Hope you’ll be very happy together.”
“You fucking—” Trent broke off as Dad put a hand on his arm.
“Easy, now,” Dad said.“Just blowing hot air, ain’t they?We all know who’s got the upper hand here.Now,son, you’re going to listen while I tell you what you’re going to be doing for me, and you’re going to keep your pet ape under control, or it’ll go badly for both of you.”
“No.”Zig’s voice came out in a croak, but the meaning was clear.
Dad’s face darkened.“No?Have you forgotten who you’re dealing with?”
Zig gathered his courage.“I ain’t forgotten, but I ain’t dealing with you, neither.This is it.The end.You go back home, you and Trent, and you don’t bother me and mine no more.Neither of you.”
The gold tooth glinted in the moonlight as Dad sneered.“Gonna make me, are you?You and whose army?”
“That’d be mine,” Rob the copper said brightly, stepping into view.Adam and Corin flanked him, grim-faced, like a pair of movie henchmen, and behind them were a couple of lads from the locksmith’s.“Although we don’t like to think of ourselves as military, of course.Sergeant Knight, Avon and Somerset Constabulary.Off duty right now, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want me to have to break into my time off to deal with any parole violations anyone in the vicinity might be committing.I’d hate to have to arrest anyone for, say, threatening behaviour.Although I’m personally quite keen to stamp down on insulting language and hate speech, mind.”
Funny how Dad’s face could turn white so quick.He didn’t seem so scary anymore.As he dropped his fists and took a step back, he looked old, and tired.
“So, Dad,” Zig said.“You and Trent go back to London and never come back, and the sergeant won’t have to do any of that.”
Dad gave him a long look.“Fine.You got me.Guess there’s nothing to do but head home.”He turned to Trent, who was glowering at Rob the copper like he was imagining his head on a pike.“Come on then,partner.Better leave them to it.Forgive and forget.”
Zig stared, lighted-headed with relief and triumph.He’d done it.
No,they’ddone it.
Trent gave him one more filthy look, then turned away.
Dad patted Trent on the shoulder as they began to walk off.“That’s it.”He raised his voice.“After all, who cares about all them years in jail, just cos sonny-boy here got cold feet and called the cops?”
Zig’s heart stopped.
So did Trent.“What?”He spun to face Zig once more.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?”Dad’s tone was light.Conversational.“It was him what set off that alarm.Told me he done it, in so many words.”
Fuck, fuck, fu—
Trent was a blur as he hurtled towards Zig, fists clenched.
Another blur came out of nowhere, as Zig was bodily yanked to one side, out of range.
His head reeling, Zig became aware he was tightly clutched in Si’s embrace, while Trent was on the ground, Corin on top of him, holding him in some kind of arm lock.
“Sorry, Sergeant Knight,” Corin was saying.“Didn’t mean to overstep but, ah...”He gestured towards Zig.
“No worries.”Rob’s tone was cheerful but firm.“I think we’ll take it from here, though.Constable Walton?”
Huh.The female copper had turned up too.And she was in uniform.And had handcuffs.As she made excellent use of them on Trent, Zig saw, with a touch of unreality, that Sasha had come up to join them as well.
