Trying Not to Love You - Part Forty One

A/N This isn't an area that I'm confident writing. So any feedback here would be gratefully received. I may need to edit heavily, but relying on you guys to let me know what works and what doesn't, please?? :)

Chapter Forty One

Where had it all gone wrong? Sonny’s heart was racing as he cut through the pitch black night on the motorbike he’d acquired for the night. He had Johnny riding pillion behind him and could tell that he was shaking too. This was more than Sonny had signed up for, poor Johnny; he was even less likely to be involved in this. He’d been in prison for a fairly petty crime, Marcus’ world and the events of the evening were nowhere near his remit, not that Sonny was comfortable, but he knew the calibre of the people he was dealing with. Which was the exact reason he was desperate to escape, when he cared about nothing, no one, not even himself then the risks, the danger were part of the attraction. Now though, the thoughts of the Mansell family, even Lucy was becoming endearing to him, he owed it to them to throw this lifestyle, lose it completely.

Pulling into the lane that led to the farm, he relaxed for a moment; they had to get an alibi, that was why he’d brought Johnny back with him. He cut the engine and the lights before nearing the house, and wheeled the bike around the back of the farm, hiding it in some foliage; he’d get rid of it later when there was less to feel frantic about. . Then they both jogged into town.

In the Oak, they did two things, firstly acted very drunk, it was important that people presumed their stop in the pub was the last in a long line of drinking establishments that the two had visited, then once they were there, ordered several drinks, rapidly. The alcohol helped calm their nerves, but also helped keep up the pretence that they were both on a mission to get very drunk.

After their third round of drinks, Sonny shoulder barged Johnny, picked a fight with him. They hadn’t planned that, but Johnny instantly took the bait understanding Sonny’s plan. Within seconds they were at each other’s throats grimacing and snarling. It took Eamonn rushing over to pull them apart. Sonny wasn’t stupid; they needed an alibi and what better way for people to remember you being in their company than to bring attention to yourselves. And that was what they’d done.

                “Stay at the farm,” Sonny insisted as they finally left the pub ‘friends’ again. He wanted Johnny close to him, partly to keep the alibi going, but also because he feared what would happen if Johnny went home alone. He’d been jittery earlier on, which was understandable. The alcohol had mellowed him, but he needed him close in case he started to panic. It wasn’t every night that you faced a disaster as they had.

                “What about Oldbury?” Johnny asked as they approached.

Sonny sighed, “look let’s not talk about it, not at the moment. Let’s get back, have some food and relax. We can go somewhere tomorrow, dissect it then. Ok?”

As they walked into the farmyard, Sonny was relieved to see the kitchen light on in the farmhouse, Martha. She would calm him.

It had all been going to plan; Johnny and Oldbury had been seen in various places, gaining their own attention, an alibi of their own. Then their contact via Marcus called to give the location of the security van. It was an armoured vehicle, Sonny didn’t know the circumstances that meant it was parked in a quiet lay-by thirty miles away, but it was. Oldbury had driven them there in a car that he’d picked up from a contact earlier that day. Sonny had been camped out in the safety of the dark a few metres from the road, the motorbike he’d also acquired ready to go. He’d seen the car approach; Oldbury had a bit more about him than Gripper and had had the decency to park the car discreetly away from the van.

From his view point he watched them both approach the van, subtly try the doors. Marcus had assured him that whilst it would be locked, it would be easy to break in to. But Oldbury wasn’t used to doing his own dirty work and Johnny was playing dumb. So Sonny watched with much amusement as he tried to break the window to a security van. A bullet proof security van -virtually impossible. But if it had been too easy then Oldbury may have smelled a rat, so that worked out for the best.

Eventually they prised open the rear door, there was no alarm, and no one inside, so Oldbury climbed in. The van was apparently filled with sealed money boxes, and Oldbury wasted no time unloading them to the car. It was dark, so they were both barely visible as they moved between the vehicles.

It took all of Sonny’s skills to keep himself hidden yet follow exactly what was going on. He’d sent the message to Marcus the moment that Oldbury had turned up. According to the plan the police should be on their way so he was desperate to avoid being seen, there was no chance of him being ensnared in this, he was never going back to jail.

                “What the HELL is going on?”

Everyone froze at the sudden outburst that was accompanied by an approaching set of headlights. Sonny turned slowly to the sound of the voice at the same time that both Oldbury and Johnny did. A car screeched to a stop, the headlights illuminating the van and the two thieves, a man was hanging out of the car window still screaming.

Suddenly Sonny felt sick, this wasn’t in the plan, this wasn’t meant to happen.

                “What are you doing? I’m calling the police!” The man jumped out of the vehicle as soon as it stopped and pulled out his phone. At that moment two things happened, firstly the car driver turned in his direction and Sonny recognised him as Marcus’ driver and right hand man. Secondly was the look of terror that suddenly became evident on Oldbury’s face. Johnny was back pedalling, moving behind the van away from the conflict and out of view of the new intruder, his mind intent on escape even though the plan had changed. Sonny sighed with relief at his forethought, he’d promised to keep him out of things too.

But he was only aware of his friend from his peripheral vision as he couldn’t drag his eyes away from the man dialling on his phone, that was until Oldbury pulled out a gun.

                “Shit!” he gasped under his breath as the gun was directed at the driver. Marcus’ driver was no stranger to danger and he looked a little nonplussed at the weapon being nervously waved in his face. It was obvious to everyone there that Oldbury had never fired a gun. But he had fear fuelling adrenaline through his veins, who knew what that would lead to.

Johnny was now separated from the others by the van and he was leaning against it panting anxiously. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, Sonny thought as he watched the driver - Tony, the name came to him in a flash, Tony walked towards Oldbury, seemingly uncaring of the gun.

                “You’re not going to shoot me! No way.” It was then the back door of the car opened and Marcus himself got out.

Sonny gasped, this was ridiculous, especially as the older man himself was also holding a gun, pointing it at Oldbury.

                “Think you’re clever hey?”

Scott’s head snapped up and he had a look of pure terror on his face. Marcus was marching towards him, snarling. “Do you know who I am?”

Scott shrugged, and that caused Marcus to laugh, “I’m the man you ripped off, it rarely happens, but it seems you got away with it. Then there was my nephew.”

Sonny gasped again, Marcus’ nephew being murdered was almost legendary in its notoriety. A young boy no more than seventeen he’d been in charge of a small bookies in East London; it had been his first job. He’d been killed during a break in. Everyone presumed it was a chancer after some cash, someone who didn’t realise whose toes they’d trodden on. But Oldbury? He couldn’t believe that he’d indulge in something like that. Had he completely misjudged him? He thought back to Martha’s confessions, she’d seen him batter some guy into unconsciousness, not a fight, but torture, a merciless beating of a man restrained. That was tantamount to murder in its own right, then there was the violent rape of Martha, he shuddered at the thought of that. How could a man do that to a defenceless woman like her?

Any sympathy or pity for him immediately disappeared. Whatever happened to Oldbury was his own fault, he’d messed with the wrong person, and it was nothing to do with Sonny. Not now.

Johnny rushed to his side.

                “What the fuck is happening?”

Sonny turned to him and grimaced, “not sure. This isn’t what I was expecting.”

                “They used us to get him here...”

Sonny sighed, “Marcus was devastated when his nephew was killed.”

                “Wouldn’t have thought that was Oldbury’s MO.”

                “Not sure I have any idea what he’s capable of. You know he was packing a piece?”

Johnny looked across at the standoff and shook his head, “not at all.”

Marcus now had the upper hand, his arm outstretched, gun trained at the now quivering figure of Scott Oldbury.

                “Not happy with just killing my nephew, you beat up three of my acquaintances, and, and I find this unbelievable, you interfere with my businesses, try to take them by extortion.” Marcus in full angry flight was rather intimidating especially as he had the back up of several of his henchmen who’d arrived in other vehicles somewhere in the last few minutes.

                “This was all a set up?” Oldbury’s voice was weak and he looked more terrified than he had been. His crimes had been read out like a marshal of court would, but there was no fair judge, and no jury and he couldn’t have pleaded more guilty if he’d tried.

                “I wanted a chance to look you in the eyes when I accused you of these things, any doubt it was you vanished the moment I spoke.”

                “I didn’t...”

Marcus held up a hand, “save it.”  He turned around, “Carter, get yourself up here, I know you’re here.”

Sonny groaned, he wanted no part on this rough justice that Marcus seemed intent on. But he didn’t want to incur his wrath himself, so he emerged slowly from the undergrowth to the road.

                “You, bastard.” As Oldbury staggered towards him, anger replacing the fear, two of Marcus’ associates grabbed him and held him by each arm; his gun had somehow been removed.

Standing next to the older man, Sonny sighed again, he knew what was coming.

                “Your chance to start the ball rolling, you’ve got more reasons than most for hating him.”

He leaned close to the older man, “you going to finish him?”

Marcus laughed, “you think he deserves less?”

Sonny shrugged, “I think that’s your call.”

                “Free rein, before we take him away.”

In the past Sonny would have quite happily beaten the man to a pulp, he’d done a lot worse, and it had been what was expected of him. But a restrained man like this, unable to defend himself? It didn’t sit well with him. He thought of Martha, the way she’d described Scott doing the same to someone, the disgust that had caused in her, he was better than that, and he never wanted to see that from her.

But he was also under a huge amount of pressure, he couldn’t insult Marcus.

He aimed a punch to Scott’s midriff and caused a huge release of the air in his chest. With Scott slumped forward, he felt nausea rising, he couldn’t do anything else.

                “That wasn’t me, or the farm or the chaos...that was for what you did to Martha.”

Scott lifted his eyes and laughed, “and I LOVED every minute of it!”

The inevitable beating he was about to receive was filling him with bravado, and it cut Sonny to the quick that he could laugh at the way he destroyed her, “you bastard.” He hit him again in the body causing Scott to lurch, and Sonny had to step back, the anger, the red mist was only ever a step away. If he hit him again he’d never stop, that was what Marcus wanted, it was suddenly really clear to him. Marcus wanted to watch Sonny pulverise him, possibly kill him, then he’d be in debt to Marcus forever, would never be free.

                “You’ll never touch her again.” He snarled instead.

Marcus laughed, “he won’t touch anyone ever again! Is that it Carter? Is that as much as you want?”

Sonny nodded, “it’s you he owes.”

Nodding Marcus moved towards the car and brought out the two promised envelopes, “reconsider?”

Sonny shook his head, “I can’t do this anymore.”

                “A woman?”

Sighing Sonny shook his head, “a family. Something I’ve always wanted.”

He nodded considering that for a moment, “something we all take for granted.”

                “Not me.”

Marcus sighed, “all that happens, happens for a reason.”

That puzzled Sonny, but he was more keen to escape.

As he walked off towards the undergrowth and definite safety, Oldbury called after him, “she likes it rough...she asked for it every time!”

He sprinted across the road back to the man and despite all his resolution punched him smack in the face, “pity you’ll never meet the product of that night like I did, you fucking bastard!”

Immediately he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him, if by some miracle Marcus survived the night then he’d know, know the secret that Martha had given up years of her life to hide, all because he was angry and wanted to get one up on the prick.

As he jogged off again he could hear Oldbury shouting “what do you mean?...Carter you bastard, tell me!”

When he got to Johnny, his friend was stood mouth agape, behind them was a full on production line of activity. The security van and the cars were all being driven away, the two heavies and Marcus were leading Oldbury out into the darkness.

                “Are they going to kill him?” Johnny breathed as Sonny handed him a safety helmet. He was astride the bike when the cries of pain echoed on the breeze. Scott’s voice, there was no doubt. Then there was a single bullet fired that caused Johnny to go into a panic.

                “A robbery, a set up, that’s what you said.”

Sonny gasped, his heart pounding with fear despite the relief that he hadn’t betrayed Martha, this wasn’t the outcome he either wanted or expected. “That’s what I thought it was...honest, jump on, we’ve got to get away. Now...” He was still frozen to the spot, so Sonny elbowed him. “Get on! NOW!”

No sooner did two arms secure around him, albeit two shaking arms, than he opened the throttle. He’d become an expert at covering his tracks, he cut through the undergrowth until they hit a stream, then cut back onto the road. The back roads that led back to the village were fortunately deserted, and it had taken them only fifteen minutes to get back.