𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

41

"He has people all over the docks. If it's going to happen, it will happen now." Mr Changretta whispered to his wife. "We'll be alright" she said to him.

"Why don't these Irish fill in their papers in advance?" he asked. "Think about Mott Street, the café, the smell of the coffee." she reminded him.

He looked behind him at the men approaching, fear filling him.

"Police! Help! Police! Officer, there are some men, they mean us harm. We are in danger here. Can you escort us to the dock? Please." he begged the officer.

"Come with me." he agreed. A man stopped Mr Changretta as he grabbed his bags. "Excuse me, brother. You got a light?" he ignored him and returned to the officer.

They walked for a while, underneath a bridge, calming slightly. Only to panic once more when they both saw John and Arthur Shelby in front of them.

They dropped their bags and Audrey grabbed her husband with fright. Her eyes widened.

"John Shelby. Is that the lad I used to teach? John Shelby, I smacked your arse."

"Let him go." John said to her.

"Please. Please, let her go." Mr Changretta begged them. "Arthur? How many times I looked the other way because of your sweet smile." she spoke.

"I said, let him go. He's coming with
us."

"Not until I know my wife is safe." he argued. "She's safe. We're not going to harm her. Let's just get a move on." John promised.

"Look, we're disobeying Tommy's orders just by talking to you. Don't push it, please. Come with us. Let him go."

"Let him go, too. Say it's done. Say he's in the harbour. He can do you no harm from New York." She pleased.

"I can't do that, Mrs Changretta. I can't do that. Sorry." Arthur apologised. "Ok, ok. Audrey, listen." Mr Changretta began.

"No!"

"Listen to me! Go to the café in Mott Street. Bonito will take care of you." he told his wife. "Let him go, too. He's an old man. I gave you sweets and cakes."

"Mrs Changretta, there are rules. Your husband knows the rules. Come on, old man."

"No." she begged. "Sorry." John cocked his gun. "We're disobeying orders here. Let him fսck¡ng go!" he shouted.

"You have 10 seconds, or Tommy's orders stand. They stand. One! Two!" Arthur told them. "Please!" she shouted. "Three."

"I love you forever." he whispered to Audrey. "Four." he stepped away from her.

"No, no, no!" she sobbed, John grabbed her.  "America." he began.  "A new life. A new love."

-

"Do you know what time it is, old man?" Tommy asked him, sitting in the chair opposite. "I'll tell you."

"It's after seven in the evening, and I'm going to keep you alive until it gets light. I'll not deliver the final cut until we can both hear the blackbirds singing outside." he grabbed him, pulling him closer.

"It's a beautiful sound, which my wife will never hear again." Tommy whispered. "Now, I'm gonna have to choose carefully which part of you I cut away first. Open your eyes. Open your eyes, or I will cut away your fսck¡ng eyelids!" he threatened.

"Now look at me. Look at me. This is the end. This is the end. It was your tongue that gave the order. I'll take your tongue first." He grabbed the man's face. "Then I'll take your ears. Then I'll take your fingers. Then your fսcking toes. See, I take your balls first, you drain too fast like you fuckers do."

"No, I think tongue first. Tongue first.Tongue first." he repeated, "If I take your tongue, you won't be able to explain, and I want you to explain. I want you to fսcking explain."

John and Arthur looked at each other.

"Come on, Tommy. I forget who I am. I forget who I am. I'm a Blinder. I'll take your fսcking eyes first!" Tommy corrected.

He stopped when he heard a gunshot.

"I heard the blackbird sing." Arthur said, standing beside Mr Changretta who he had just shot.

"And we let his wife board the immigrant ship to New York. We didn't kill Mrs Changretta." John said.

"And tonight... We're not those kind of men."

Tommy stared at the floor, wide eyes whilst Arthur left. "You get rid of the body, John. Get rid of those for good. All gone."