Reckless Moments

Chapter 2 – Dreams to Dust

Dave Dawes opened the door to the Earl of Wakefield, he was meeting Fred, Sam and Derek. All eyes turned to the door before turning back to their conversations when they realised it was Dave. He got his drink and sat at the table with his friends. He, Fred and Sam had all been at school together but Derek's mum had moved him into the area much later and they had got to know him from down at the gym when he started hanging around with them. Not that he seemed interested in the boxing, they all reckoned he came to make friends.

He looked around and there was no one sitting near them as he took a sip of his beer and taking note of a group of lads drinking shots and looking like they were out their box already, he huffed blimey it wasn't even six o'clock yet as In the Air Tonight blasted out the juke box. Right scruffy bastards he thought shaking his head at their racket and rudeness to the barmaid, telling her to get her arse in gear they had been waiting ages for a drink. His old mum had always tried to instil that in him, good manners cost nothing boy, don't matter where you come from she said.

"Look at them" he stated sighing "Look at the state of them, what's happening to our East End" shaking his head still looking at the pissheads in front of him "never voted for this lot, maybe it's time we started looking at getting rid of the GLC"

"You don't like Ken then" laughed Sam earning himself a sneer from Dave

Fred patted him on the back laughing, "Well who did you vote for then Dave" Sam and Derek both joining in with the sniggers knowing full well that Dave wasn't even on the electorate let alone bloody vote. He couldn't be arsed to fill in the bloody form. "Leave them alone Dave, they're only kids having a bit of fun" he continued.

"What's our beautiful London turning into" narrowing his eyes at the lads with their scruffy jeans and long hair

"Well once the Krays and the Richardson's in the south were banged up it was always going to leave a bit of a vacuum for whoever had the balls" stated Derek matter of factly taking a sip of his drink before looking round at his friends all staring at him "Well it was, weren't it?"

Sam raised his eyebrows "Bit deep ain't it, we was only commenting on those tossers rat faced this early in the evening not who was going to take over the East End as the next crime lords" in his opinion Derek had always been a bit of a dark horse, kept secrets "Anyway Tony is still in charge ain't he, has been for years and word is so are the Krays… still running their manor from inside". Nodding his head in the lads direction "Can't see any of them being in any state to topple the way things are, more likely to see them in an hour puking outside the army recruitment office" causing Fred and Dave to nod in agreement.

"That's only cos Tony is keeping them updated along with some of the other faces while they are in nick, and what's the point of that, it's not as if they are getting out is it" continued Derek "Anyway I heard Tony fancies retiring to Spain, getting a villa built out there for him and the misses."

"We run things Derek and its gonna stay that way" growled Fred "I want my old mum to be able to go down the shops when she wants, leave her door open when she has a chat to the neighbour" he laughed "Dave's Marge might be a bit of an old dragon but she knows she can go out and get her moody food when she wants, won't get mugged or nothing"

"What do you mean my Marge, nothing to do with me" sulked Dave "She's an old bat…" nodding in the direction of the drunks on shots at the bar "She could take all of them out single handed just by opening her gob" snorting a laugh.

"Look we need to finalise the job are we going to do that here or go down the yard" sighed Sam before an all-out war started between Dave, Fred and Derek. Although he couldn't help but laugh internally, Dave was quite right Marge would have given them all a tongue lashing. Derek made him nervous though, he would throw in those little bombs just to see their reaction.

-OG-

A lot of years had gone past since he and Belinda had got married and Marge had been on his case the whole time, especially when Gary had been born 7 months after they got married, she weren't having any of it that he was born early.

"What you think I came up the Thames in a paddle boat or something" she said "You got my Bells pregnant before the wedding you twat, she could have had anyone and she's stuck with you"

Three kids they had now and she never let up, if she had been a bloke he would have plastered her all over the east end for some of the things she said, but you don't hit a woman do you. They will drive you insane son his father had always told him but you never lash out, never hit them, you need to let off steam you go down the gym and use the punch bag. Good bloke his dad and he had lived his life by that mantra, but Marge really tested him sometimes.

He had moved them out of the maisonette they shared with her mum in the early days when they had first married and just after Gary was born. Belinda's sister had married and moved out to Kent, leaving them looking after the old bat but once Gary started to walk and talk and Belinda pregnant again and Marge not letting up he wanted space for their family, just him and Bells without Marge's snippy remarks. They had bought a nice place in Stratford. After Gary they had Jack and then after a few more years had their first girl Molly, the apple of his eye. She was four now. She had his green eyes and dark hair like his old mum, and her smile made him want to take on the world and give it to her. He loved his boys, no doubt about it, they were a chip off the old block, blue eyed like their mother and light brown hair like him. Anyone tried to pull a fast one on their sister and they flattened them, absolutely adored her and made sure she was safe when she was in the park. Both his boys went with him down the gym to learn how to box just like when his dad took him down to the same gym and made sure he knew how to look after himself, so to would his boys. His Molls though, when she looked at him with those big green eyes of hers, held his hand and tried to follow him everywhere, all he wanted to do was wrap her up in cotton wool and keep her safe, just like he did with her mother. She may have had his eyes but her smile, her personality was all Belinda. Far too trusting.

-OG-

They all stood to leave and couldn't help but grin as Stand and Deliver came on the juke box as they left the pub and made their way to the yard. This was an old scrap yard they had acquired a couple of years ago when the old owner decided to retire and wanted to sell up. He had given Dave and Fred first refusal on the business and they had discussed it with Tony before combining their resources and bought it. It was close to the river, had its own moorings and secluded so they could bring things up undetected. It wasn't overlooked perfect with some of their less than legal activities and of course they could crush their getaway cars which was the main reason they bought it. The friends moved to the porta cabin where the plans for their latest heist was hidden in a ceiling panel.

Fred as usual had meticulously planned it, been working on it for weeks, even checked to make sure there were no plans for impending roadworks. A daring robbery, a wages snatch from a print shop on an industrial estate. They weren't going to be armed, it wasn't necessary, they were going in through the roof of the building next door and drop down into the room with the safe. The wages will have been deposited in the safe the night before and due to be handed out on the Friday morning.

Derek was organising all the getaway cars. Three in total so they could keep changing and lose any police cars that may have picked them up, they would split off into different cars taking different routes and bringing them all back to the yard for crushing, then what was left would be taken by boat and dumped in the Channel never to be seen again and no trail back to them.

Dave and Sam were going to be doing the labouring and break through the wall in the roof from the next door building which was empty and the noise from the print shop would cover any noise they made. They had already done the reccie and found it was only a single skin brick wall, so should only be a couple of wallops with a sledgehammer to get through. Then it was a waiting game for the wages to be delivered to the safe.

Fred had the safe covered, if it was small enough they would take it with them, lower it out the window, but that was the least likely with what they expected to be their haul. He was also their safe cracker so they could either open it or blow it up there. The option of getting the combination was the favoured method, less noisy. They wouldn't be in the building long and if they tripped any security the law would think they were just arriving and not leaving and they would be gone before they arrived. Looked like there was only one security guard and he had already been given a bung, but hopefully they would be in and out before he even realised anything was missing. It was a perfect plan and should net maybe a hundred grand or more. Maybe Dave could start to look at a house in Wanstead for him Belinda and the kids after this one.

-OG-

Dave made his way back to their house in Stratford he had barely got his key in the door and opened it when Molly threw herself at him gripping his leg, hugging him tightly in greeting that he was finally home before she went to bed. Well she probably should have been in bed hours ago. Belinda followed her to the door a small smile on her face "Sorry Dave, she wouldn't settle until you got in, wants you to read her a story"

"No sweat Bells" he grinned at her putting his arm across her shoulder and kissing her on the temple. "I'll take her up, boys already asleep I spose" Belinda breaking into a wide grin and nodding.

"Yeah, but daddy's girl wanted to see you" kissing him on the cheek "I'll put the kettle on while you see to her."

-OG-

It was 1am and Fred, Sam and Dave were in the roof space of the building next to the one they wanted to break into. Dave and Sam having already broken through the day before. Derek was sat in the car outside waiting on them lowering the money to him before following it out the window.

They crawled across the broken wall and into the cavity next door, finding the loft hatch quickly. Opening it and jumping down into the darkened room with the safe. Fred grinned "Piece of piss mate, I'll have this open in minutes" he laughed. He did and they bagged the money tied it to the rope and started lowering it to a waiting Derek by the car. "Christ" he said, "I think we've hit the fucking jackpot, there is well over a hundred grand here."

All hell seemed to break loose, they could see from the window the flickering blue lights, being ordered to stop and being told to give up. "Shit" exclaimed Sam "I told you we should've come tooled up" speaking to no one in particular.

"What and add another 10 if we get caught" humped Fred as a retort "Separate and get out of here meet at the second car, they won't expect that".

"What about Derek" asked Dave

"S'pect he already scarpered once he saw the blue lights" answered Fred

That's what the three friends did, separate in different directions in the dark, clinging to the shadows and hoping to get away. Dave made his way back to the roof cavity hauling himself up crawling through the broken dividing wall and opening the skylight window. He hauled himself through and started crawling across the roof. He made good progress and thought it was his lucky day that there was a window for him to get out of. He stood up to start to run across to the next roof his dark clothing hopefully giving him some cover in the night. Noise and flashing lights all around him, his heart thumping in his chest, he didn't like heights at the best of times but he had to keep going, get back home and tell Bells that if anyone asked he had been in all night.

It was only a slight give he felt as he ran across the tiles, he wasn't sure if it was the tile or moss but his legs seemed to go out from underneath him and he was sliding down the side of the roof. He put his hands out, trying to grab onto anything that would stop his descent to the ground but everything he tried to cling to just came away in his hands. Then he was falling through the air as he cried out.

He had never felt pain like it as he scrunched up his eyes. He could hardly breath, winded by the drop to the hard ground of the car park. The shooting pains up his legs and back making him take shallow breaths as he tried to control both fear and pain of just how bad he was injured, he daren't open his eyes and see the damage.

"Dave, Dave" he heard and opened his eyes to see Fred leaning over him "Come on mate, let me help you up"

"No chance, get out of here" he huffed struggling for air through the pain "I can't fucking move Fred"

"I can't leave you here"

"Yes you can but do me a favour and let Bells know, the rozzers will have to take me to the hospital, you've got a chance to get away" pausing for breath "You tell her mate, I don't want them lot turning up on the door step scaring the shit out of her and the kids" Dave gripping his arm tightly

"OK, if you're sure, I'll go there now, tell her and wait with her for them to turn up"

"Tell her it will all be OK" Fred nodded, he wasn't happy about leaving him there wanted to get him out of this, they had always been close mates and he couldn't believe he was even contemplating leaving him but trying to carry him would just slow up his own escape.

-OG-

Dave was in and out of consciousness for days, the surgery on his legs extensive but every time he opened his eyes Belinda was there, her eyes red raw with tears but he tried to tell her he was OK that everything would be alright.

He must have laid in that bed for ages, couldn't get out or move, had to shit in a pan for weeks. Both his legs and ankles busted and clearly done something to his back the way he was strapped down. He could see the uniformed officer out the corner of his eye just down the corridor, so even like this they weren't taking any chances he might do a midnight flit. Bloody idiots, if he could move he would have been off on his toes like a shot but with all the gadgetry encasing his legs he wasn't going anywhere.

Lying there like this though gave him a lot of time to think, worry about what would happen to him and Belinda, sighing as he realised that this would probably be the end of his boxing. He also contemplated how had the old bill been there? They had cased the place for weeks and there was no security there, they couldn't have tripped anything that set off a remote alarm. The old boy, guarding the place had been paid to be on the other side of the building when they were doing the job and he had told them there was no other security, had he got cold feet and grassed them up. Something didn't feel right, Fred always planned a job well, double and triple checked everything to make sure there were no mistakes. Well he had made one and gone up on the roof, there was no way he was walking away from this one, he just had to hope it wasn't literally.

Fred came in to see him "I'm so sorry Dave, I thought that job would have been a piece of piss, quick in and out, job done"

"Not your fault mate" he tried to smile "Shouldn't have tried to leg it over the roofs"

"Might have been a bit rash Dave, what with your head for heights" Fred tried to make light of the situation but he was stunned at the sight of his mate with both legs plastered, metal rods poking out and looking decidedly pale. "See you got a guard" he smirked

"Yeah, as if I could run off" laughed Dave in return looking down at his legs "Bricking it a bit if I'm honest mate, you know if I'll walk again"

"Course you will Dave" replied Fred "You have a couple of busted legs and a bruised spine, might take a while but you'll get there"

"Won't be a lot of fun in nick if I haven't got full use" sighed Dave

"Tony is fully aware of what happened and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it" patting Dave on the arm Fred continued "but he'll make sure your OK when your inside and it goes without saying that I'll make sure that Bells and the kids are fine and looked after on the outside"

"Appreciate it" sighing "Did Derek and Sam get away as well"

"Yeah mate, your trapeze act caused a diversion for the rest of us" he took a lungful of air and huffed it out "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you, I should've stayed"

"Then both of us would be looking at a holiday at her majesty's all-inclusive establishment" trying to make joke at a bad situation that quite frankly frightened him a bit especially if he wasn't going to be fit in there. He was going to be hard pushed to defend himself if he could barely bloody move.

-OG-

It was months before it even went to trial. They had to wait till Dave was up and about before they could start proceedings but because he was lightly to flee, or so the prosecution said, he was held on remand while waiting the case coming to trial, no bail for someone like him.

Belinda was distraught and went to visit him as often as she could, fortunately he was in remand in London and he had frequent hospital appointments so it wasn't too difficult for her to visit. They decided between them that with Gary only 12, Jack 10 and Molly only 4 they were too young and Dave didn't want them to see him like that he was already starting to get that sallow look of a prisoner, he had dropped a lot of weight with his injuries was still on crutches, some of that sparkle already leaving his eyes while he waited on others deciding his future. Their relationship already starting to change as Belinda covered up how upset the kids were that he was gone and Molly crying herself to sleep that he wasn't there to tuck her in. He in turn covering up how much he missed them, how much pain he was still in and trying to convince her it wasn't that bad in there that he got 3 square meals and at least she knew where he was. Both of them worried about how long he would be gone, where would he end up and what would happen to them. While he loved her more than anything, he wasn't stupid he knew he was going to get a lump here and he couldn't expect her to put her life on hold while she waited for him, although he hoped she would but he couldn't ask her to. Both of them not saying what they wanted, thinking they were making it easier for the other.

There was no way that Dave was a grass and he refused to name his accomplices and although most of the money was recovered at the scene they wanted the names of the rest of the gang. If he didn't divulge the names, tell them where the rest of the money was, it would mean a longer sentence. There was nothing he could do about that, there was no way he was giving up his mates and he had no idea who had the money. But Belinda, the kids, that was going to break his heart.

-OG-

Fred was walking up the pathway to Tony Wilkens house in Epping, it was a lovely Georgian house, detached and away from prying eyes tall Leylandii trees lined the front of the property, which was just as well grinned Fred thinking of some of his more nefarious activities. He knocked on the door and a short plump woman with dark hair and a wide smile opened the door to him.

"Hello Fred nice to see you, it's been a while" she grinned as she opened to door wider to let him in. Tony's wife Doris was the opposite to him where as he was tall and dark she small and there was a softness about her features and a sadness in her eyes, which he knew he shouldn't be taken in by, she only had to say the word to Tony that someone was taking the piss and that person would get the full wrath of his anger.

"Too long Doris" he smiled back at her "Is he waiting for me"

"Yes Fred he's in his office, I'll pop in there in a minute with a pot of tea and some biscuits" she smiled "Go through" she opened the door and popped her head in "Fred's here Tone"

Fred walked through and sat down in the chair opposite Tony. Tony finished off what he was doing at his desk and leant back in his chair looking at Fred before sighing. Doris came back in "There you go boys tea and biscuits" she smiled, there was no way anyone was coming into her home without being offered and getting refreshments, well unless her Tone was going to off them later and then there was no point in wasting the food "I'll leave you to it" looking at Fred "Don't be a stranger Fred and let me know if I can pop in to see Belinda and the kids she must be devastated with all of this"

Fred nodded "Yeah she is and of course her mums moved in to help her" huffing a laugh. Doris shook her head "Can't see that woman being any help to Bells, she's probably telling her to run for the hills, the old witch, and turning the kids against Dave"

Fred sniggered "Yep something like that, but Belinda ain't having none of it already threatening to throw her out. My sister Beth will get her in laws to look after her kids for a bit and she's coming up to stay with her while the court case is going on"

Doris nodded in approval "Cor haven't seen her in ages hope the boys are OK, tell Belinda I'll pop by and it goes without saying I'll be there with her for court" she patted Fred on the shoulder before smiling at her husband and leaving the room.

Fred looked across at Tony who seemed to be deep in thought so he did a small cough just to remind him was there. Tony refocused and started to speak "I've spoken with the solicitor I got for Dave and it's not looking good" Fred raised an eyebrow in question "As expected he's not talking and he's possibly looking at 8 years, what with some of the money unrecovered" Fred whistled and shook his head, he still felt guilty that he left him behind, he knew he should have just picked him up and carried him, got them both free and clear.

"Don't you go thinking you could have got him out of there Fred, you couldn't" said Tony gruffly knowing what was going through the younger mans mind "Might have even made his injuries worse if you had picked him up, as it is his boxing career is probably over, he may still have that hard punch but he's not gonna be fast on his feet anymore"

Fred looked down at his hands in his lap, he couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat for his mate, he loved the boxing ring had done since they were kids. Dave's old dad taking them both down the gym most evenings and weekends to train. His own Dad had walked out on them when he was a nipper and Dave's dad was the nearest he had to one. Taught him how to be the man he was with his little pearls of wisdom. Family always come first son, he had said and what had he done left Dave lying there.

"There will always be a place for Dave on the firm when he gets out, perhaps he could run the gym, teach the next generation of boxers. The bookies and of course he could still do the collections if he wanted, the clubs and parlours no reason why he shouldn't keep all that up, he was bloody good with the books and cleaning the cash" he laughed "you only have to look at how little the coppers found since he got arrested, blimey he could have been looking at another 10 if they knew"

"I thought you were thinking of retiring Tony" asked Fred remembering a conversation he had in the pub where Derek had told them he was moving to Spain and where would that leave the firm no Dave, no Tony and only him, unless he could convince Sam and Derek to take on more. It was all turning to shit.

"Thought about it for a bit, might still get that villa built in Spain for holidays in the sun, got a lot of mates out there" laughed Tony "Don't know where you got that idea from anyway, it was all a bit hush hush" he shrugged "but with what's going on with Dave that's all on hold for now" looking at Fred "We need to stay focused, stay alert" leaning forward on the desk "I don't want no one thinking that the manor is open for the taking because we have had a bit of a setback"

He was staring blankly at Fred before sighing again "Doris and I, well we couldn't have kids ourselves, no one to leave everything too" spreading his arms out and waving them around the opulent room "I always thought you and Dave would take over eventually, send me a wedge every month to Spain" he grinned "the pair of you were sound, growing the business, still liked to do things the old way, not involve civilians or get them hurt, kept to the old code" he huffed "Not like the new lot coming in shoot their own granny they would for a fast buck"

Fred couldn't believe what he was hearing, he never once believed that Tony thought on him and Dave like that, although he had known them since they were teenagers. He knew they had worked their way up, worked bloody hard if truth be told came down hard on any interlopers, if they really had to, they had been in the inner circle of the firm for years and were trusted but it never occurred to him that they would be running the manor one day, that Tony was preparing them to eventually take over from him. He wished Dave was here with him and could hear this he would be dead chuffed that he was highly thought of by Tony. Him and Dave might not have been blood but it felt like he was his brother, he was going to bloody miss him when he was inside.

Tony cleared his thoughts "Anyway enough of this maudlin chat about the old days and the future, let's move on to business" he raised an eyebrow "There's something I want to ask you"

Fred sat up a little straighter, this sounded serious "I've been mulling over everything that happened on that job, making a few enquiries" again Tony leaning forward on his elbows resting his chin on his hands narrowing his eyes before continuing "Apart from me, Dave and you who else knew about this job because something ain't right here, the coppers turned up far too quick, in fact I have it on good authority" he grinned and winked "that they knew when and where and were already waiting for you"

"Shit" spat out Fred pushing himself back into his chair "No one knew only us that were on the job" he started frowning "Mind you saying that, it's been worrying me that all the money wasn't recovered" he shrugged his shoulders "We had only just started lowering it out when all hell broke loose, we dropped it and started legging it out of there"

"Could have been a bent copper whose wife is getting a new kitchen and the kids sent to private school" shrugged Tony "They've been running Operation Countryman for a long time and I bet they still haven't scratched the surface" he laughed before shaking his head and thumping his fist on the desk. "About the job, I think we need to look closer to home, someone grassed" He took in a deep breath trying to calm himself down, he'd lost one of his best lads on that job and he would never box again not to mention he was shit hot at running the clubs and parlours, and he couldn't imagine how Dave was feeling about Belinda and the kids and not being about for them. He was gutted for him. "All I'm saying Fred is be vigilant, keep things close to your chest because if I find out that there is a traitor in our mist" he sneered "He's gonna wish his mum never gave birth to him"

Tony leaned back in his seat again and Fred got the impression that this meeting was now over and stood to leave "Don't worry Tony if I find out we've got a snake he's gonna beg me to put him out of his misery after what he's caused"

-OG-

The court case was pretty much open and shut, didn't take long for the jury to hear all the evidence and to convict, the judge hadn't helped in his direction, telling them that organised crime had to be stamped out and that they couldn't have violent criminals walking the streets of London. What bloody violence no one got hurt, they weren't even tooled up thought Dave, he fell off the fucking roof that was all as he felt that familiar niggle of pain in his back from sitting so long listening to the old duffer. Eight years, eight bloody years he got as he stood up to be led away.

"Dave, Dave this can't be happening, Dave" screamed Belinda tears streaming down her face. Dave turned to look at her his eyes showing the sadness but had been resigned to the fact he was never going to get away with this, it was always on the cards he was going inside for a long time, he wasn't going home to her and the kids tonight, he knew that and now she did too. He saw Beth holding her hand and Doris on the other side with her arm around her shoulders dabbing away the tears. He shook his head at her, as she looked like she was going to speak again, letting her know to let it go nothing could be done. He watched as she clenched her lips together and jutted out her chin, holding her head up. He nodded at her and gave a small smile and a brief wink, that's my girl he thought don't give them anything. He just hoped she might stay his girl with him being away for so long.

"Come on Bells let's get you home" said Doris as Dave was walked away by the guards

"Look William is away at the moment and I can't sit at home watching the news, pack some bags for you and the kids come and stay in Bath for a week or two for a bit of a break" said Beth squeezing her hand

"I can't you have enough to worry about what with him being in the Falklands" wailed Belinda "You don't need me and the kids there as well"

"That's the thing Bells, I just spend my time looking at every news reel, hoping I might see him and know he is OK and then I see what is happening out there and worry that he might not be" Beth gripping her hand and hoping she would come to Bath, it would be a welcome distraction for her. William had been on loads of tours over the years but this felt different somehow, maybe it's because it had been described as war, been so sudden, she only had to listen to her own mum talk of the war to know that was terrifying, after all she had gone through the blitz.

"I've got to see him and I can't if I'm right down there"

"Look Bells" said Doris rubbing her back "It's gonna be a couple of weeks before you get the VO to see him and Tony can always get a message in to say that you've gone to stay with Beth for a week or two"

"Got to be better than having to put up with your mum ain't it" added Beth in a whisper. Belinda gave a tearful laugh "Fair point"