Heaven On Hold | Peaky Blinders

Those Fucking Bastards

Dear Rioney,

I know this wasn't exactly the first news you hoped to hear from me in such a long time, but despite the fact that I got our family free, we lost an important member. John has lost his life in an shooting affair meant to kill him. Someone is after all of us. This is why you aren't safe in London anymore and I would love to meet you back in Birmingham. It would be harder for them to hurt us when we are together.

Sincerely,
Thomas Shelby

~~~

Just in time, I parked my car and knew were to go as I saw a group of shadows standing on a beautiful open meadow. It was on the opposite side of Small Heath. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I suddenly reminded myself that John wasn't waiting on me on that meadow as usual. He wasn't on this earth anymore. I couldn't believe that John had lost his life by some assholes who thought they could tear us apart and I silently joined the rest while Tommy was raising his voice at us all. In his eyes I could see even he had a hard time. His gaze never met any of us other than the ground and therefore he hadn't noticed me standing among the back of the group.

"This is how John wanted to go. On this smoke... and the truth is.... we died together once before. Arthur, me, Danny WhizzBang, Freddie Thorne, Jeremiah, and John. We were cut off from the retreat... no bullets left, waiting for the Prussian cavalry to come and to finish us off. And while we waited.... Jeremiah said, 'We should sing, 'In the Bleak Midwinter.' But we were spared. The enemy never came. And we all agreed... that everything after that was extra. And when our time came... we'd all remember-..." Tommy coughed a bit while looking up with glassy and red eyes, same as mine at the moment.

"You remember that god spared you. But what did you do with that extra time He gave you, eh, Thomas?"

Polly, my mother, interrupted Tommy angrily and he rolled his eyes before looking her way. If that glare could kill, we would have all joined John, but he shook his head and again examined the ground before letting Arthur do the honor to burn the 'wagon' where John's body was laying in... And that was the moment when I surveyed it, two Italian guys making their guns ready and aiming at us from the left side of the funeral. I slowly watched the scene and understood that Tommy saw them as well and didn't do shit about it. Perhaps he had a plan, he seemed calm so I relaxed and waited to survey what would happen next. Not long after, two men killed off the two aiming Italians and I sighed in relieve.

"At ease. At ease!!"

Tommy yelled as an gun shot was hurt and only Arthur, Tommy and I were standing because the rest had jumped onto the ground. That was the first time Tommy glare at me, and man, he looked amused to see me again after what I think were 6 months.

"DO NOT RETURN FIRE! I repeat, do not return fire. Stand down! The men doing the firing are on our side. I took the trouble... of getting an invitation to Aberama Gold."

"Oh, fuck! Now it's begun." Johnny Dogs looked relaxed and surprised at the same time as he whispered to himself.

"Put us out in the open on purpose." My mother whined and I sighed, irritated by my own mother and her hysterical personality. "To use John's funeral fire as a fucking beacon." She rose her voice at us and noticed me immediately afterwards.

"We were never in any danger Polly." Arthur tried to control the dramatic woman.

"YOU SET A TRAP!"

"Finn? Finn? Go to the yard and light the fires." Tommy asked Finn and he nodded before taking his leaving. I think he would be better of somewhere else than this place.

"YOU SET A TRAL WITH US AS FUCKING BAIT. Who's dead?" Polly pointed out at Tommy.

"Our enemies."

"Who's dead?" She again asked more silently and sobbing now.

"You wanna know, Pol? Two fucking no good Italians who heard about the Vendetta, trying to make a fucking name for themselves, that's who."

"We got word to them about the funeral, the where, the when... told them where to stand for the best shot." Arthur interfered with them as I stayed the fuck away from the arguing.

"And Aberama Gold will do the rest. That's the language of Vendetta, they take one of ours, we take two of theirs."

Tommy finished Arthur's conversation with my mother and I stared at the men coming our way with their horses. "You used your own brother's funeral. When did we vote on this, Tommy?"

"Mom, leave."

I stated as I shook my head in annoyance, rubbing my tempels afterwards.

"Curly, get a boat ready to take the bodies to the city. And another boat for anyone, anyone who wants no more part of this. 'Cause this is how it's gonna be. Polly!" Tommy shouted as he lit up another cigarette to inhale.

"I'm not staying for this, Arthur, I'm going home." Linda annoyed me even more and even Arthur was done with her.

"Oh, yeah? Home's 57, Watery Lane. You go there, lock the doors, you wait for me." Arthur tried to give his wife his key, but she walked right to the other side without even hesitating. Ada followed, but took the key with her to give it to Linda.

"Five hundred each. A thousand for the brace. Where do you want them?" Mr. Gold had arrived and questioned Tommy meanwhile switching his attention to me. It was something that he found interesting about me, perhaps he'd even recognize me, thought I didn't. As soon as they appeared as soon as they left when they gave us the bodies and I had the urge to follow them. Anything would be better than here I guess. "I think we could all agree this was our best family reunion of all time." I spoke up and smirked to myself as I nodded at Tommy.