𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃, ⁱˢⁱᵃʰ ʲᵉˢᵘˢ

33 (act three)

Act three/ season 4
1924

Coppers dragged Michael, John and Arthur from their cells. John resisted, putting up a fight.

"I'm John Shelby" he laughed, moving along. Michaels eyes landed on Arthur through the door. "Micheal" He shouted. "Arthur"

"John" Arthur shouted.

Polly was dragged through to the cellar, she stares at the rope, panic filling her.

All three of the boys froze when they saw the ropes in front of them. Micheal struggled to move as they dragged him.

John swallowed hard as they tightened the rope around his neck.

Michaels breath increased.

"In the bleak midwinter" Arthur whispered. The priest whispers prayers. John kept his eyes closed, trying to remain calm.

The man held the lever that would drop the floor beneath them, turning as another man screamed "Wait"

-
24th December 1924

Florence waltzed through the house, pulling on her expensive jacket and walking outside. "Where too?" Her driver asked. "Thomas Shelby's house, i believe you already know the address?" she asked, glancing out the window.

"Yes Miss Gray" he said, driving away from her large house.

The large house which the money that Tommy had given her was used for. It was lovely, the size of Thomas'.

-

"We thought we lost you to the great white way of Broadway" John said to ada, placing his hat on the table. "No" she sighs. "Well, this beats Watery Lane, John" she glanced around the room.

"Does it?" he asked. "Here take a seat i'll grab the kids"

"No it's alright" she said, "not stopping, just wanted to drop those presents off for tomorrow. I don't want words on Christmas Eve"

John nodded at her. "Youse still coming to the party on New year's eve?" he asked.

"Yeah who else is coming" Ada asked. Esme appeared at the door. "Arthur, Linda-"

"Hello Esme" Ada sighed. "Who paid for your car and driver, Ada?" she asked, leaning on the door.

John sighed, sipping his drink.

"Shelby Company Limited"

"Nice car, treats you well, his last little pet " Esme huffed.

"Look this visit is meant for making things all right" Ada looked away. "John had a rope around his neck, he shit himself"

"All right, Esme, that'll do yeah" he stopped her.

"Go on go in the kitchen" John said to Esme. She walked over to Ada. "Take the cars back to the money" she hissed.

Esme walked out.

"Anyway, there's your presents" Ada sighed."How's Arthur?" Ada asked.

"Uh, for Christmas get him a sewing kit." John sighed. "So he can sew his fucking balls back on"

-

"Hello, Tommy" Florence said as she walked into his festively decorated house. "Florence" he nodded. Charles ran up to her. "Hello Charlie" she smiled, picking him up.

"Father Christmas is coming tomorrow" he said excitedly. Florence acted shocked. "Have you been good?" she asked. He nodded quickly. "Then you'll get lots of presents won't you?" she smiled.

"Here, take a seat" Tommy nodded.

"Go on, go play" she whispered to the boy, putting him down. "So, they're out of prison" he licked his lips.

"I heard" she nodded, pouring a glass of gin. "Why did you not mention me to the police?" she asked.

"Because, Florence, i need you around" he told her. "You deserve a chance" he continued. "A chance?" she asked. "Tommy i've killed more than five men, how do i deserve a chance?"

"Because, you are a lot smarter than the rest of them, you deserve a life you never got. That big house, for example, the expensive clothes"

"And Micheal doesn't?" she raised an eyebrows.

"Micheal got a good life in a different way, Florence" he said, leaning forward. "He got the love and attention off Polly and your adopted mother, you never. Micheal got to carry out his role with the company and have people be proud of him. Whereas people painted you as some insane teenage girl, which you may be, but you were an insane teenage girl that we needed"

She listened to his words.

"Am i not still an insane teenage girl?" she joked. "Yes, you are, just not a teenage girl anymore"

She chuckled, leaning back.

"I appreciate that, Tom, giving me a chance" she said, taking a cigarette.

There was a slight pause before she opened her mouth again. "Thomas," she began, "i've been getting feelings recently, bad ones" she said quietly.

He tilted his head.

"Someone's going to die, i can feel it. I just don't know who. There's going to be a war" Florence said, staring at the window.

-

"Arthur," he said "Have you checked your post?" he asked. "I just got served the black hand" he said.

"I just got delivered a black fucking hand to the house, from Luca Changretta"

"Jesus" Arthur whispered. Ada looked from Linda to Arthur. "Wait a minute john, which one's Luca?" he asked.

"The old man's only son. He was gonna get done for killing a bank clerk in a robbery, so his old man sent him back to New York. You know what the black hand means among the wops Arthur"

"Its Mafia shit"

"The Sicilian fucking Mafia. Just check your post Arthur"

"Did you say Mafia?" Esme asked. "Esme, i need to make a call" He told her. "No" she said. "I need to make a fucking call"

She shoved him out the way, grabbing the card of the counter.

"What the fuck is this?"

He chased after her. "Give me it" he shouted. "Not until you tell me what the fuck it is"

"Give me it"

"What is it?" she asked. "It's from Luca Changretta, Arthur killed his dad"

"I remember" she nodded, "it was tommy who killed him"

"It was fuckin..Arthur pulled the trigger" John shouted. "All right, it was mercy but it was Arthur"

"Anyway it makes no fucking difference" he said. "For the Wops it's family. The black hand came here" he told her. "Everybody will have got one"

"They're coming for us all"