𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

49

Everyone sat in Tommy's office, waiting for him to speak.

"Before I begin, I want to let you know I made a mistake. I made a mistake, and I want to apologise to all of you. Arthur, you warned me against getting involved in Russian business, and you were right."

Arthur hummed.

"I doubted your wife, for that, I am sorry. Linda, I have added 3,000 here, in the hope you will forgive me."

Linda stood, taking the money. "Apology accepted"

"Esme, I doubted you as well.

"Now John has got innocent lives on his conscience. Ordinary working men..." she hissed.

"Yeah, alright Esme, got it" John stopped her. "No she's alright" Tommy said. "You and Arthur are gonna have to share that burden. But i hope the house that you can buy with this," he tossed money in front of John.

"Can become a place of contemplation. Perhaps redemption"

John took the money and returned to his seat.

"Charlie, for lost tools and dangerous goods and Curly's wise words. Johnny, for board and lodgings." he tossed money at them.

"Lizzie." He whispered, handing her money. She scowled and threw it at him.

Delilah frowned in confusion. Why was he giving Lizzie, out of all people money?

"Michael, for the killings. Five for cutting and five for shooting."

"No, Tommy." Polly stood. "What? Tell me, eh? This is who I am!" He shouted.

"And this is all I can give you for what you have given to me. For your hearts and your souls. Yesterday, I nearly lost my son. You should fucking understand that. For what, eh? For what? For this? For this?" he ranted.

"And I know that you all want me to say that I will change, that this fսck¡ng business will change." he mocked.

"But I've learnt something these last few days. Those bastards. Those bastards are worse than us. Politicians, fucking judges, lords and ladies. They are worse than us. And they will never admit us to their palaces no matter how legitimate we become. Because of who we are, because of who we fսck¡ng are because of where we are fucking from."

"Isn't that right Ada?" he asked. "Our Ada knows. She got smart about revolution. And she knows you have to get what you want your own way"

"Lizzie, I want it known, that money was for you because some nights it was you who stopped my heart from breaking, no-one else."

Lizzie stared at him. Delilah's mouth parted slightly, understanding what he meant.

"And the rest of you, you took the King's shilling. You took the King'a fucking shilling. When you take the King's shilling, the King expects you to kill."

"Isn't that right Arthur?" he looked at Arthur. He stayed quiet. "Yeah, that's how it works, right John?"

Micheal stood, taking the money. "Thats right" he whispered.

"That's right Pol," he pointed at Micheal, "That's fucking right"

Polly shook her head. "Tommy you've had a bad time we understand. So at an alternative time, when we have all recovers i would like to put before the family, an alternative view of the future of the Shelby Company Limited" she took the money from Micheal.

"A more hopeful view" she continued.

"Which i for one would quite like to hear" Ada spoke. Esme stood. "As would i"

Lizzie agreed.

"Come on Arthur, train for the dock leaves in one hour" Linda urged. "Then we will get the boat to new york and it'll all be in the past"

"I will be off then Tom" he stood, along with everyone else. Arthur said his goodbyes, finally hugging Delilah.

"You can go but you won't get far, Arthur" Tommy said. "Uh, all right tom" Arthur nodded.

"He told me that the Chief Constable of Birmingham has issued a warrant for your arrest. Murder, sedition, conspiracy to cause explosions. John, they're coming for you as well. Murder, conspiracy to cause explosions. Michael.."

"What the fuck Tom" Arthur said. Delilah stood quickly, her eyes wide. "Tom what are you saying" she asked.

"...for the murder of Hughes." he confined. "Polly.."

"Wait a minute, what the fսck are you." Arthur asked.

"Dad what are you talking about?"

"the murder of Chief Inspector Chester Campbell." Tom looked down.

"Why didn't you fսck¡ng tell us, Tom"

"The people we betrayed last night, they want to bring us down. They control the police, they control the judges, the control the juries, they control the jails. But they do not control..."

Knocks came from the door whilst everyone shouted. Delilah's heart pounded as she watched the family shout.

"Look what they did to us. Why didn't you tell us before?" John shouted. "You are my brother." Arthur argued.

"Listen to me. So I've made a deal."

"They will hang us!" Arthur shouted.

Panic rose in Delilah at his words. Isiah gently grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the office.

"We will fucking hang" John shouted. "It's all taken care of" Tommy assured.

Everyone began shouting.

"Lizzie, collect up the money and bring it to the cellar. You will all get your money in due course. When the police gets in, do not resist. You go with them, and you do not say anything"

Finn stood beside Delilah, in the same shock as her.

"Arthur, I have made a deal with people even more powerful than our enemies"

"Arthur" Linda shouted from outside.

Linda ran in, going for Tommy. "You did this deliberately! You made this happen to keep us" She shouted at him.

Arthur grabbed her.

"Get off him" Delilah shouted as a copper grabbed John. She hit the man over and over, in attempt to get him away from John.

"leave it" Finn shouted.

Tears poured from her eyes.

"John" she screamed. She saw Polly get pushed up against a wall.