𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

18

"Finn, get in here" John shouted, "Finn, hold the phone, come here" he passed the phone to his younger brother. "Take this"

"Yeah sure"

John stepped outside his office, hands in pockets. "Polly" he began, "He's gone to the black lion" she stepped forward.

"On his own?" John asked her, "Tommy does everything on his own"

"Should i go to the Black Lion?" he asked, following Polly. "What?" she asks. "Should i go there and see him"

"No!"

"Where the fuck is Arthur" John hissed, "Protecting the Garrisons whiskey from the police" she sighed. "For fucks sake" he whispered, closing the doors that separated the house from the betting den.

"Polly," he began, "feels like things are getting out of hand"

"So get em in hand" she shrugged. "Know what Ada said to me yesterday?" he asked, "she said we all look like we work in a factory" he scoffed, "under the ground"

Polly lit a cigarette.

"She said we look like ghosts" he continued. "She'll be back" Polly said.
"When?"

"When she needs us,"

"And anyway" John started, " who the fuck would blow up our pub?"

"Six" Polly stated. "Six what" he frowned. "Six questions since you walked through that door"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Soon you'll have to start being the man with answers" she pointed at him. "Well i do apologise Pol but currently my head is revolving around my niece who is sat upstairs hating everything" he reminded her.

"When London happens, you'll have to hold up your end" She stared at the fire. "or we'll find somebody else who can"

-

Tommy looked at the people sat before him as the sack got pulled from over his head. "Thomas Shelby" the woman began. "You blew up my pub" he stated.

"Anger defeats fear. Good"

"You blew up my pub" he repeated. "Tommy has a reputation to uphold" she told the man beside her. "A reputation for not being scared of anything" he said, looking at Tommy.

"In all the world, violent men are the easiest to deal with" she said. "So tell me which brand of rebel are you,eh?" Tommy asked. "I read somewhere that you paddies started fighting amongst yourself now"

"The king offers you a peace treats and you start a war about it, that's funny, don't you think" Tommy nodded his head, taunted them. "A war about peace"

They stayed quiet.

"So are you for the treaty or against the treaty" Tommy asked. "Forgive me i'm confused"

The man stood up, grabbing his gun.

"You are one decision away from death, Mr Shelby," she told him. "So stop fucking smiling" the man chimes in.

"Your name is Irene O'Donell" Tommy pointed at her. "You have a son at the Cherry Wood Road School in Harborne, he has irons on his legs. His name is Sean"

"He comes last in every race" he added, "poor boy"

"Poor boy if the race was important. Do you know what i mean Irene O'Donnell?"

The gun cocked an the man pressed it to his head. "There are other ways to carry out this mission, please allow me to put a bullet in this scum tinker's head"