𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃, ⁱˢⁱᵃʰ ʲᵉˢᵘˢ

40

"Fucking hell it smells of pig round here don't it" Alfie Solomons spoke, looking out at Watery Lane. "Definitely not kosher" he walked forward.

"Come to Small Heath, you will go to hell for fucking breathing. Where is everyone?"

"Ishmael, please, will you hit the call of prayer?" he asked. The boy walked to the car and pressed the horn. "We'll hit it"

Alfie sighed, walking over. "Thank you" he dismissed, pressing his hand onto it, letting it ring out.

Tommy opened the door, stepping outside. "Good Morning Alfie" he sighed.

"Yeah it is, it is. How come everyone is in fucking bed?" he asked. "So, this must be Goliath?" Tommy questioned, looking at the strange looking boy.

"Let me introduce you to David, this way boys" he walked past them, down the road.

"Assuming that David's out of bed" Alfie huffed, following.

-

Tommy stood, watching the group of Italians exit the van. He looked up at Florence who stood on the floor above. He began firing the gun, sending two men to the floor. The rest hid behind the van.

"Come on" Luca urged, they all stepped out, firing their guns. Tommy kneeled down before running into the apartment, grabbing the gun from above the shelf and loading it.

The men carefully walked through the building, travelling up the stairs. The looked over their shoulders, walking to where Tommy had went.

Tommy walked up the metal stairs, running as a gun was fired. He ran through the hung up sheets, avoiding the bullets being shot at him.

"Florence, go" he urged. The girl turned and stepped through the smashed window, running down the stairs and staying put.

He walked into another room. "Get always from the window, right, stay inside and stay down" he warned the people.

"Everyone stay indoors! Stay down! By order of the peaky blinders" Tommys voice echoed through the building and Luca stood, looking around.

Tommy ran up a set of stairs.

Luca and the men carefully travelled through the hallways where he'd previously been, searching rooms. The stood at the stairs and looked at the boy who remained in the corner.

Florence breathed heavily as she watched the boy walk away from where she'd been hiding and toward Luca.

"Come here" Luca whispered, pulling out coins. He grabbed the boy. "Which way, which way did he go?" he asked. The boy pointed down.

Luca let go of the boy, handing him the money. He sent two men upstairs and one with him.

The boy returned to her and she patted his shoulder, slipping two more coins into his hand. "Thank you" she whispered, leaving through the fire exit and cautiously climbing the stairs.

Tommy stood around the corner, quietly loading the gun, heading the voices approach. He ran into the next room and outside the fire escape.

He looked out at the man walking alone, shooting him as he turned.

"Luca let's get out of here"

"No he knows the streets we don't. We have him cornered, we've got him"

Tommy went down to the man he had shot, shooting him in the head. Luca came from the corner, shooting as Tommy hid. Tommy shot back.

Florence leaned her gun onto the wall, firing down at Luca, resulting in him hiding behind a wall. He looked up at her and she smiled sarcastically.

"I know you own the cops in this dirty fucking town, but you'll be dead before they get here. Come on, you and me Tommy" he dropped his gun.

Tommy stepped out, looking at him. "Luca i sent that girl up there once glance and she will shoot your head off" Tommy said, his hat covering his face.

A gunshot fired behind Luca and Police emerged, shouting. "Stop what you're doing"

-

Tommy watched as charles played with his toys and Polly stood in the corner, pouring a glass of whiskey.

"Do you know, i remember the very first time you head butted a police officer" she spoke. "But after you got your OBE from the king i didn't think there'd be a next time"

He took the glass from her hand.

"What do you think you're gonna tell Arthur" She asked, standing at the window.

"I will tell him the truth"

"They're here" she said, watching the car pull up outside.

"So, what the fuck happened today, Tom?" Arthur asked, sitting at the table. "We all heard. Shooting in Artillery Square"

"Yeah, There was. Today i killed three men Florence injured one. Now our enemies are down to eight"

Arthur looked up. "I suppose they, er, i suppose they took you by surprise did they?"

"No, i knew they were coming"

"Just after Christmas i received a letter" Polly interrupted. "From Luca Changretta offering to spare my son if i gave up Tommy. And i gave Tommy up"

"Because that was the plan that Polly and I agreed on. I knew that Luca would want to pull the trigger himself. So i used the set up as bait to bring him in"

Florence face dropped when she realised that must of meant that Micheal knew they were going to kill Tommy, but said nothing.

"You are a fucking idiot tom"

"Look, i didn't get Luca but i got three. All right? That's it. That's what happened" he looked at Charles who had walked in. "Come here you" he sighed, picking the boy up.

"Aye, but he's right, I thought you'd gone soft" Johnny laughs. "So you got three?"

"Yeah i got three"

"Well i drink to you, Tom, you mad bastard" Charlie spoke.

Polly slammed her glass on the table. "And what have i told you about going around trying to get your head blown off" Polly shouted at the girl. She looked up at her mother, not phased.

"It's my job, mum, it's what i do"

"Not anymore it's fucking not" she hissed. Florence leaned back, rolling her eyes. "Polly, Florence is a necessary part of my business" he spoke. "When i need her, she's there. She doesn't second guess me or herself, and she does as she's told"

"So what? You want to get my daughter arrested for killing people"

"No, Pol, cause if i wanted to do that, i would of got her arrested when i got the rest of the family arrested, wouldn't i?" he licked his lips.

A smug grin sat on Florence's face.

"I can't have that girl sat in a cell" he told Polly. "We all need her"