The Sean Bateman Trials - by Kaz.
CHAPTER NINE
Disclaimer: "Jimmy Varns"
remains copyright to Gemma and is used here with permission. With thanks
to the RPG. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS FREQUENT AND STRONG LANGUAGE!
Six bonfires, a kitten stuck in a drainpipe, a skip fire, two activated fire alarms and a car fire caused by a stray firework had kept Blue Watch busy this bonfire night. Hyper wondered if people would ever actually learn to build their bonfires in a safe place so that they could enjoy the occasion without the main event being cut short.
He had not told anyone of the conversation he had overheard, but had managed to keep it under his hat for the past week. DO Griggs' comments were beginning to eat away at him.
"What would you do," he asked Adam. "If you heard someone say something nasty about someone else?"
"That would depend if it was about me!" Adam grinned.
"This is serious."
"Yeah, ok," Adam paused. "It would depend who it was about I suppose."
"A close friend."
"Tell them about it."
"You reckon?"
Adam shrugged. "I dunno, if you think it would do any good."
"I don't think it would. Actually, I think it would make things worse!"
"Then don't bother about it," Adam told him. "There's some nasty people about."
"Yeah, don't I know it!"
"Are you coming over to the Twist?" Adam offered, changing the subject.
Hyper considered the option. "I dunno,
maybe later."
"Is that him?" Davis asked.
Varns shrugged. "I think so."
"Have you ever done this before?" Davis questioned.
"Nah man. What do you think I am?!"
"Er… a violent criminal?!"
Varns glared at him. "Shut the fuck up man."
They kept themselves hidden behind a car parked on the forecourt of the pub. Several men from the fire station across the road wandered in at around the same time. Amongst them was the target.
"How are we gonna do this then?" Davis asked. "Do you wanna grab his legs while I take his arms?!"
"This ain't fuckin' funny, dude. This is serious charlie we're talkin' about."
"Charlie? Man, what happened to the monkey?" Davis moaned.
"It was murdered in the zoo. We wait until he comes out."
"Do we have to wait here?" Davis moaned again. "It's fuckin' freezin'!"
Varns grinned. "Fancy a pint then?"
Hyper still could not get Griggs' comments about Sally out of his head. He decided to share his secret with Adam.
"Do what?" Adam did not believe what he was hearing.
Hyper shrugged. "That's what I heard. I could be wrong…" he paused.
"Uh yeah, and there's a flying pig. This is Griggs we're talking about," Adam pointed out.
"Who's talking about Griggs?" Sally invited herself into their conversation.
"No one," Hyper replied, deciding not to let her in on the snide comments.
"Fair enough," it was not a topic she wished to discuss either. "What you drinking?"
After one bottle of larger, Hyper decided to head home. He felt he was not much company tonight as thoughts and tough decisions were still playing on his mind.
Should I tell Sally what Griggs was saying about her? Or should I leave it?
"Do you want me to come with you?" Sally offered.
"No," he replied. "You stay for another one. I'll be fine, I just want some time alone. I've got some stuff to think about."
"Oh, ok then," she let him go.
He failed to see the two rough looking guys who followed him out of the pub and waited until they were in a nice secluded street before grabbing him and pulling a canvas sack over his head.
"Hey…" he tried to struggle.
"Where's the car?" one guy asked.
"Uh, you didn't say anything about a car!" the second one replied.
"You fucking muppet! What kind of fuckwit doesn't bring a car to a kidnapping?!"
"Hey don't blame me for your fuck-ups."
The first guy seethed as Hyper struggled.
"Look, man, you ain't makin this any easier are you?!"
The prisoner received a kick in the stomach from one of the wannabe kidnappers, who really did not know the first thing about kidnapping. They were very much amateurs who had no clue as to what they were doing.
They continued to argue as the second guy conjured up a car.
"Is this the best you can do?" the first guy was far from happy with the mode of transport. "For fuck's sake, my fucking granny would go faster!"
"Could you do any fucking better?"
"And you call yourself a car thief? Fuck man, I bet you couldn't steal a good car if the fucking keys were left in the ignition!"
"I've had my moments."
It seemed like a long drive from under the blanket. He did not dare to make a sound or any movement as this usually met with another blow from the first guy who kept tight hold of him.
Who are these jokers? And what do they want?
An eternity passed before they pulled over. The two kidnappers were still in strong disagreements, especially when the second one who was driving had to take a day trip around the roundabout as he had missed the junction!
"The boss does not pay you to fuck about," the first guy threatened.
"Fuck the boss, if he ain't payin' shit."
"If you don't want your share, that's fine with me."
"I never said that…"
"Fuck you did."
"Guys?" Hyper tried asking as he hid in a corner where he had been cowering after the first guy shoved him over.
They ignored him as their disagreement about "Charlie" seemed more important to them.
"I'm gonna call the boss," the first guy announced.
"Fuck you," the second guy made a grab for the mobile phone, which erupted into a fight.
Hyper threw off the sack and wondered if he could make an escape while the kidnappers were preoccupied.
London's Burning - The Sean Bateman Trials © Karen Moody 23/01/2002