Chapter 4
Tommy and Inspector Campbell were driving the streets of Birmingham, Tommy demanded that they visit every policeman on the books. He knew that one would have Thea held at their house. So far, they'd been to 12 houses, but Thea wasn't anywhere to be seen.
"What's the name of that new copper who came from Worcester way?" Tommy asked as his patience was wearing thin.
"Sargent Frederick Wood" Inspector Campbell said.
"Take me to his house now!" Tommy had a bad feeling about the man.
"We can't disturb him tonight his wife has just given birth; I'll speak with him when he comes to work in the morning" Campbell tried to reason with Tommy.
"I don't care if his wife has had a football team's worth of kids, I want to speak to the man tonight!" Tommy's anger was multiplying by the second.
"You can't barge into an innocent man's house without reason" Campbell resisted.
"Since when did I need a reason to believe that someone is at fault, the man's untrustworthy and I'm lead to believe he has a vendetta against my family and I want to find out why and put an end to it" Tommy's mind was filled with possible ideas as to why a police officer could want to harm his family.
Thea awoke to find herself in an unfamiliar bed in a room that she didn't recognise, she gently sat up in bed and noticed how it was still dark out, she could hear a commotion downstairs. Gently removing the covers, she got out of bed and walked around the room only relying on the dimly lit fire for light.
"Where the hell am I'' she whispered, this room was much posher than her own with lovingly hung silk curtains and larger windows. As she walked, she could feel the softness of a majestic rug touch her bare feet gently. She'd only ever seen a room like this in a Charlie Chaplin film. Eager to know what else she could see in the house she scoured the room for some form of light to help her on her way, by the door there was a side table with a medium in height white candle ready to be lit. She gently picked up the box of matches beside it and tried to light the wick, this was a first for her as Polly would usually do this at home.
Sucsessfully lighting the wick she gently inserted it into the lantern next to the matches and carried it gently out of the room and onto the immaculately positioned landing.
Making her way around the top of the house she couldn't believe how many rooms she could see, her home had a few but not as many as what she was seeing now.
Finally getting to the top of the stairs she walked down them slowly, checking her footing as she took each step down. The noise downstairs was becoming more audible she could hear shouting, there appeared to be a number of voices, she couldn't tell if it was aggression or celebration. As she got closer to the living room of the house she could see people gathered in the room, not wanting to be seen she hid behind a coat rack to get a closer look and to be unseen and unheard, she settled when she heard her cousin's voice coming from the room.
"What brings you this way then Mr Shelby?" Fred asked, clearly taken aback by having Tommy in his living room.
"I think you know exactly why I'm here, tell me where you've got her" Tommy snapped jumping straight into it hoping to nip the man's pretend cluelessness in the bud.
"I don't know what you're talking about Mr Shelby sir" Fred stammered, looking towards his poor wife who was sat on the sofa shaking with fear at the presence of Tommy.
"I'll ask you again where is the fucking child?" Not admitting defeat, he slipped a gun out from under his jacket aiming it at Fred.
"Tommy there isn't need for any violence" Inspector Campbell bellowed worried that he was going to shoot Fred.
"Your employee is refusing to cooperate with me, so I think that's cause for a harder try" Tommy jabbed it into his chest.
"I'll give you one more chance to reveal where my cousin is!" he yelled, Fred started to panic, he attempted to knock the gun from Tommy, so he pushed him to the ground here was where a full-blown fight had broken out.
"Arthur, John" Tommy called as he wrestled with Fred on the floor.
Several seconds later John and Arthur joined the scene, Thea moved into the living room hiding behind a sofa several steps from the door. She was shocked to see Arthur here as his wound would still be fresh.
"Where is she!" Arthur spat angrily, removing his cap and slashing Fred's face with the tiny little blades inside the peak of his hat, John joined in quickly too. Thea knew her family were violent but nothing on the scale of what she was seeing now.
Fred screaming in pain as the blades came into contact with his skin, he fought hard to resist Arthur's strong hold by kicking him violently and punching him in the chest.
"It's like that then is it" Arthur complained as Fred's skin made contact with his clothing.
"Leave him alone Mr Shelby sir" Betty fretted, tears streaming down her face.
"Shut up!" Arthur spat through gritted teeth, his anger not filtering at the sound of the woman.
"Arthur leave the woman out of this" John added, scared that he'd turn on her something that the Peaky Blinders stood clear from.
Arthur took more anger out on Fred, Fred was being held down by Tommy he fought to knock the gun from his hands, he managed to knock it meaning he could take it from him.
"You hink you're the strongest men of the land don't you'' he laughed, loving the new sense of control he had over John, Arthur and Tommy.
"That's because they are!" Thea shouted, jumping up from behind the sofa not wanting to sit back and watch her family fight without her. She approached Fred fiercely, slipping a small knife from inside her sock. Unbeknownst to her family every day she would carry this just in case trouble found her.
"If you've laid a finger on that little girl, I'll break your neck" Arthur spat, relieved to see Thea but still adamant she'd been hurt in some way.
"Arthur I'm fine, it's him that won't be if he carries on resisting punishment" Thea aimed the knife towards Fred's throat, standing small at only 4 ft 10 she suddenly started to lose her shy demeanour and appeared much older for her years.
"Put the knife down girl" John said calmly, he was shaking he was scared of the change in his cousin.
"No John, he needs to pay for what he's done" Thea had no emotion in her eyes just sheer determination.
"I knew the females of your family should have been aborted or killed before they could be influenced by your barbaric behaviour" Inspector Campbell fumed at the site of the youngest child of the Shelby house acting so violently.
"Do you want blinding as well" Thea shouted; she wasn't relenting now she was ready to fight a war.
"That's enough!" Tommy scolded, he usually found it difficult to raise his voice at Thea but today she was pushing her luck.
''Spawn of the devil" Fred spat.
"You're heading to hell my friend, say goodbye to your precious little wife as it'll be the last, you'll be seeing of her" Thea jabbed the knife into his throat, soon discovering the look of sheer shock from her family she didn't receive the reaction she thought she would.
"Thea what have you done" Tommy had tears filling his eyes, he was devastated someone so innocent tainted by his lifestyle how on earth will aunt Pol react.
''I'm sorry Tom he was trying to hurt you and Arthur again and I couldn't just stand there" Thea was now crying suddenly taking heed at what she'd just done.
"John take her home, me and Arthur will finish up here" Tommy ordered.
"Come on girl" John soothed picking her up gently, he knew she was too old to be carried but he couldn't trust that she would stay with him.
"Please don't tell my mum she'll beat me till I'm black and blue" she sobbed; John nestled her close to him.
"I won't until Tommy decides what to do next" John kissed her head, rubbing her hair gently. He knew she needed to be punished but he wouldn't be the one to do it.
By the time John had got her back home the house was a solemn quiet, Polly had finally settled in bed, Ada had fallen asleep on the sofa. Hoping not to wake anyone he gently carried Thea through the house.
"shh" John soothed trying to settle Thea who was still sniffling in his arms.
"John, what time is it" Ada groaned as she sat up on the sofa.
"Oh my god Thea are you okay" Ada got up and stroked Thea's head.
"Sometime after 4am, go back to sleep Tom will hold a family meeting at dawn" John smiled, Ada was a deep sleeper, so she'd soon drift back off he thought.
''Night Ada" John said as he carried on doing the task at hand.
Just as John had got Thea into her bed there was a sudden sound of banging on the front door.
"Oh Shit where the hell Is Tom and Arthur" he grunted as he could hear the voice of Mr Campbell bellowing through the letterbox..