Chapter 6

Run, hide or die

Lizzie woke up the next day at seven o'clock, she had prepared everything the day before for her trip to Liverpool. She doubted that they would be able to solve this case in just one week end, and sadly, that was the only amount of time she had to investigate first hand without missing class. She took her pack breakfast and lunch and headed outside where she would meet this « Lancelot » lad. He was tall, muscular, brown eyes, and brown hair like most people have in Britain. He was good looking, even a seven year old girl new a handsome man when she saw one. He looked friendly enough. That image of him soon disappeared as soon as he said he should take her bags for her as it would be too heavy for her. She automatically refused and proved him wrong all the way to the station. They talked to each other on this and that and soon became accustomed to each other. Lancelot, even though not the brightest man on earth, knew it would be best not to question his new little friend's strength.

He then handed over the files Lawliet had given him the night before. At 7:35, the train departed. Lizzie had two hours and a half before arriving at Liverpool, so she got cracking on the files given to her. As Lawliet had stated, it was highly probable that in was an inside job, however, getting the proof of that would be difficult. Police records stated that they never found the bullet used to kill Smith, they even used tip searchers. Knowing the fact that guns were illegal in Britain, finding the bullet wouldn't help much in finding the killer. Guns weren't usually "clean", they had already been used in an other crime, usually in the USA, send to Britain for the criminal market. The gun could have probably been used by tree people already. None of which would A) admit to owning the gun and B) selling the gun in the first place. Therefore, the bullet had a personal symbol to the killer or the person who sent the killer. This of course in enforced Johnson's theory, but sadly, something seamed odd to Lizzie and Lawliet.

First of all Fitzlion had a good criminal record, keeping in his possession the bullet that killed his friends would be first class stupidity and madness. Fitzlion had killed before, never convicted because of the lack of evidence, but he did. According to the reports, he had killed two of his friends (execution style), BUT had left the bullet where it was. Smith and Fitzlion must have been the REALLY REALLY best of friends for Fitzlion to keep a souvenir. That was one of the things Lizzie had to investigate : was S&F's relationship that close?

Second of all, if so, why kill his best friend? Smith was known for his excellent skills in business and crime. Smith was far too reliable to kill off.

None the less, discovering those facts was going to be a touch job. Lancelot didn't exactly have "the people" skill. Lawliet and Lizzie were therefor counting on the "naive look" that Lizzie had to get information. They could of course not wipe out the possibility that it was a revenge murder. Lizzie would befriend the youngest daughter of the victim, Latisha , now 10. Lancelot was going to be Lizzie's "big brother", they had let out a flat on the same street as the Denby family. The two daughters were living with their uncle and mother in a house on Rove Street. A park was round the corner, the plan would be that she could befriend her there. If she failed, she could always try the older sister, now 17.

It had come to Lizzie's notice, that, they did not see the CCTV footage that showed a young man smashing the camera out. It could have been a young woman, or in this case, the now 18 year old and soon to be 19 in one month daughter of the deceased. Lawliet, agreed to the fact that would actually be possible, he send an email to the police asking for the CCTV footage. After watching the video, there was no soon of gender recognition. The vandal could have been either a woman or a man. It was now necessary to know if Kelly was involved with her uncle's gang.

Lizzie made a phone call with her mobile phone to Johnson, using the voice changer. The detective answered that they just assumed that she lived with her uncle, but didn't have anything to with the gang. Other questions and answers were given on the phone, after inquiring everything she wanted to know, she hang up.

She related her finding to Lawliet, who, he too had found new information. It appears that the BlackSmith gang were being quite reckless. Last year, from December to late February, a local resident living on "Black Smith" turf in Granola Avenue told the police that a neighboring house didn't have a speck of snow on the roof, which seamed odd knowing that the hole town was covered in it. The man, called Jimmy Ducks was concerned for his electricity bill, he hadn't used half as much as what the bill said. The thought that his neighbor was stealing energy from him. The police never did anything about it because Jimmy Ducks died soon after his visit to the police station. Lawliet explained to Lizzie that he believed that the house described by Ducks was actually a cannabis farm. He asked her if she could go there, pop-over, investigate find details on when and where the boss gets his money. This way, they would be able to get into contact with Fitzlion. They would of course need Lancelot's help for this one. Lancelot agreed to it.

Soon, they arrived. They walked to their new flat, looking at their new environment. Lancelot was equipped with camera-installed glasses, meaning Lawliet could see what was going on. It was only a 10 minute walk, they talk to the landlady, went in, and settled down. It was quite noisy, chavs were obviously living next door. Lizzie looked out the window, she searched the area from afar, looking for a girl matching Latisha's photo. The was out of luck. She decided to go out, hoping of having a better chance finding her on foot. She soon arrived at the park : she was there. Kelly, looked like an adorable young girl on her school photograph, with her shinny green eyes and brown pigtails. However, the reality was quite different, the ten year old girl was with four other girls, probably the same age, bullying tree younger kids.

"Whatcha mean you don't wanna give me your money? You know that even if I don't take it, someone else will, so give it 'ere and I'll won't break your nose!"

The children gave what they had, which by the look of it, wasn't much anyway. Not happy with the result of their extortion, the five girls leashed out on the poor boys, kicking them to the moody ground. Lizzie wanted fight them off, but sadly, she was supposed to befriend the twat and not become her enemy. She decided to walk over to the swings and have a go at them in stead. She soon realised that she was being watched by the five girls, as they were making their way up to her with their arms crossed.

"Who'r you? Never seen ya before! Said one of the girls

-I'm Lizzie, I've just arrived.

-Where d'you live then? Said an other one

-Down there, in the flats.

-And you just think ya can play here without paying up? May I introduce you to Miss Denby, THE queen 'ere. Pay ya respects! Said the same one

That bastard, she's lucky I'm not introducing her to the floor -Sorry, I didn't know I had too...is there like a ticket machine?

-No you idiot, you pay me! Said Latisha

-How much am I supposed to pay?

-Erm...a fiver!

-Oh...um...well I've got fifty pence, sorry I don't have much pocket money

-I said a fiver,don't make me angry 'cos otherwise you'll have to pay a tenner in stead.

-Okay...should I ask my big brother for some money then?

-You do that, we'll wait here!"

Aaaaaaaaaargh I won't to rip out my eyes right now, calm down Lizzie, you just need to this for a while, it will soon be all over. She went to the flat, talk five pounds, went outside and joined the girls, however this time is seamed that other girls were with them, and older boys, and they didn't seem to be on good terms. The park was located between common territory, meaning that both Black Smith and Denby Alliance were sharing the park.

"Oy Denby, saw you got some money from some of us! We want it back! Wiv interest!

-Shut up Dave, you don't even know what interests are!

-Sure I do! For example, you kicked Billy five times in the stomach, it happened five minutes ago so I owe you twenty four kicks in ya stomach!

-That's not interests you dumbo and ya bad at maths too! Bring it on Dave!I can kick ya arse any day!"

It seemed that Latisha was also bad at maths. Her group was outnumbered. They were five against tree other girls and four teenage boys. Well isn't that pure luck! Lizzie made her way to the park and went to Latisha's side.

"I've got the money, can I use the swings now?

-Nar! Ya one of us now, gimme that. See those pricks, we're bringing 'em down!

-I would run away if I were you, you don't stand a chance against us!

-Latisha maybe we should, we don't have much on us anyway.

-Shut up Amber!

-I knew it, you Denbys are just a bunch of pansies! Stupid little weak girls all of you!

-WHAT DID YOU SAY? Okay I agree with the fact that those girls are utter twats but HOW DARE YOU SAY I'M WEAK?

-Weak! Your weak and pathetic! "

Lizzie launched herself onto the older guy, throwing her right fist between his eyes, a key point to knock anyone out on the ground. The boy named Dave fell to the ground. Lizzie then threw an other punch in the young lad's nose, braking it for sure. It's all for a good cause, I need to get Latisha's trust, so that I can solve this murder, on the plus side I WON'T BE INSULTED BY THIS TWAT ANY LONGER. The surprise attack took the others off guard, Denby's team decided to upper cut the person closest to them, sadly, they were more "all talk no action " and usually targeted weak kids. They weren't strong enough to make any "real" damage to their rivals, who had been working out. Lizzie took one of the girls from behind, keeping her in a choke-hold, while Amber kicked her in the stomach, cutting the girl's breath, Lizzie then punched the girl in the face sending her straight to the ground. Dave's friend came from the left throwing his punch at Lizzie, she barely dodge it. She grabbed onto her opponent's arm, lifted her foot in the air and kicked in his underarm, a very painfall spot.

She then sent him flying, making him land in her bin. Latisha was the strongest out of her gang, she was up against the second girl, trowing punches and getting some like it was nothing. However, an other boy caught her by behind and threw her own the floor, starting to launch his foot on her foot. Lizzie ran to her rescue and rabbit the guy.

The guy was left unconscious on the floor. The other opponents ran towards Lizzie, she threw herself in the air, kicking them both at the same time in the face, her "allies" took it from them and started kicking the boy and the girl in their stomach. The Denby girls took the money from their opponent's and ran towards Latisha's house, Amber, one of Latisha's friend, grabbed Lizzie by the arm and led her the same way the others went.

Lizzie was inside the house And that people, is how you do it.

"Wow, you're brilliant innit girls!

-Yeah, ya a kung fu fighter or something?

-Well no actually, I did aikido and french boxing.

-Here, take ya fiver back, you really help us out there! I'm Latisha, this is Amber, Deborah, Charlotte and Li.

-Nice to meet you all!

-My uncle the head of the Denby Alliance, those kids are kids from the other gang, so don't go near them on ya own or you'll get yourself killed. Where are you from?

-London, Winchester.

-Nice! By the looks of it, your a little delinquent aren't ya!

-Well, you've got me, I can't really hide it! As if I would hurt innocent people

-Well, you can join my gang, well it's not really a gang yet, but we'll go in my sister's gang, it'seven better than my uncle's!

-You've got a sister? She's got a gang?

-Yeah, it's called the Red Revenge! Only girls aloud though, we don't need men.

-Why not?

-'Cos men are bloody pigs that's why! BlackSmith and Denby alliance don't allow girls in their gang, so my sister made her own! As soon as by father died, my sister swore she would take revenge, she wanted to join my uncle, but he said "NOOOOO , girls are weak like shit".

-You said your sister's gang was better than the others! That's awesome, it proved them wrong!

-Well, it's not the best right now, she only started the business, but we're growing real fast and rich! We've got drugs an' all!

-Drugs? I'm not sure I won't to get involved in that, my brother, Lancelot, is already involved in drugs, and I was really sad when he went to prison.

-Don't worry, we don't get caught! The police think exactly the same thing as the other gangs : girls aren't in gangs, so they won't even think twice. Plus, we're young, so we pass unsuspected.

-Wow, that's cool. So do you make the drugs?

-No, we STEAL the drugs from BlackSmith, it's super easy, and they can't really complain AND we're protected because they think it's the Denby Alliance that nicked them, proper innit?!

-Very smart! But erm...I'm seven, I don't think my sister would want me in her gang.

-Nonsense, my sister had me delivering coke and cannabis on bike since I was five.

-Okay...well I'm in then.

-By the way, ya brother, he's with the Denby Alliance now?

-Naah, he's got this thing attached to the leg, so he can't do anything for the moment, we've got money from his "last" jobs.

-Anyway, I'll call my sister, I bet she'll be very impressed with you, Li, get Liz to my bedroom, show her around and explain things to her"

Li lead the way, informed Lizzie about how she would work for the RR. Lizzie was seven, so no one would suspects that she was working with the police, it was perfect. Lizzie had a camera in her necklace, Lawliet could see and hear everything she saw and heard. It was proper!

It started to rain, and playing outside was out of the questions, so they started playing Barbies dolls, strange thing to do after joining a gang and knocking out some enemies. At lunch time, they went down the stairs and went into a very dandy dinning room.

Pizza had bean ordered and served, midway threw lunch, the door opened and in came much older girls, one, was Kelly Denby. They all wore at least one piece of red clothing.

"Hello Kelly! Pizza's still hot, there won't be any left if you don't come quickly, Lizzie eats like a horse

-Do not!

-So, your Lizzie, the girl that does kungfu?

-Well ichactuallymichofaichidoandfrenhboching!

Shit hit Lizzie on the head -Eat first, and don't speak with your mouth full

She swallowed her food -Sorry...and a, it's more of a mix of aikido and french boxing.

-Who taught ya?

-Guy at a club and my father.

-Can ya father teach us?

-...Can't...he's dead, died back in London during a gang fight.

-I'm sorry to hear that...I know how you feel.

-Latisha said your father died, did the BlackSmith gang kill him.

-Yes, they fucking did, Joshua Smith to be precise, but don't worry, that's bastard's dead for good, and soon, all his mates will be dead too!

-Good luck with that then.

-Oh yeah, but ya know, ya gonna help us lass, we need young girls like you who know how to fight. Me sister tells me your brother used to deal cannabis, is that right?

-Yeah, but he can't now...

-So why did he move to Liverpool if not to continue his lifestyle?

-Well, his mate said he knew where a cannabis farm was being held in Liverpool, he said he should take a look, rob the bastards. His tracker is going to be removed next week.

-I see...do you know where that's farm is?

-Um yeah...but I'm not sure I should tell you, if he doesn't rob, how's he gonna pay the bills?

-Don't worry, you'll be getting money, and I'll make sure your brother can join my uncle alliance, how's that.

-Fantastic, should I tell my brother now?

-Nar! Nar nar nar, you just nead to tell me where the farm is, and I'll tel you what, I'll let you go sightseeing wiv us, you'll have a blast.

-Um okay...if I remember correctly, it was 7 Granola Avenue.

-Good...good good good. Okay girls, go put your cricket uniforms on, I'll go buy one for the new girl

-Cricket uniforms?

-How do you expect people to understand why we have cricket bats? We can't just say we're about to rob a cannabis farm!

-Oh right!

-Nadja, you plan the stakeout, I want this done tonight, if her brother got this information all the way from London, then others might know about it, I want this done as soon as possible!"

Kelly left with one of her girls whilst the rest of the gang hang out and planned the assault. The six cubs (Latisha, her mates and Lizzie) were sent "weapon requiring" whilst the "alphas" went on BlackSmith turf to see the house. They were back twenty minutes later.

"It sure does look like a cannabis farm, windows are plastered black, unkept garden, no sign of life, CCTV, lots of fertilisers and shit lying around. SO what have we got ladies?

-We've got six cricket bats, three proper big knifes and your gun."

Her gun? The gun was a glock pistol, the same make used to kill Smith. Kelly seamed annoyed as soon as her sister showed the gun.

-We don't need a gun, there's probably nobody in the house, we only need to brake in. Sharon, can you hack the CCTV

-I didn't go to school for nothing ya know, of course I can.

-Great, you prepare your stuff for that, I'll debrief the rest of the girls."

And so she did. It was easy, the geeky Sharon would freeze the camera, everyone would climb the fence, go from the back, brake in, steal everything. A girl named Fahimah would be driving the "getaway" car, more like a van that they would have stolen before hand. Youssrah, Kathrine and an other girl named Lola went out to look for that van. The cubs were important to this mission according to Kelly they would be stealing inside the house, where little hands are needed, whilst the alphas would be stealing the big plants in the garage and probably cellar. Everyone understood their positions and roles. At seven o'clock, Kelly got a call from Lola, saying they found a van and parked it somewhere. The girls were coming back and Youssrah went out to get the van. Lizzie asked if she could go home, make sure her brother won't worry, of course, she knew that Lancelot was already informed of the situation, but she wanted to look more convincing. She was refused to go out, but was aloud to call him, she did so. She was then sent up to change in her cricket kit. They ate dinner together, they where hitting at midnight, they played video games, and other stuff. But what Lizzie needed to do was go in Kelly's bedroom. It was, in her opinion, not a good call to do it now, she could always do it tomorrow or even the week after, there was no rush, she didn't want herself killed, neither did she want to blow her cover.

It was midnight, they went outside, the cubs went in first, they arrived at the house ten minutes later. Amber got a call on her mobile. It was Sharon, the cameras were down, as for the alarm system, she had apparently found none. The girls went over the fence, back in the yard. It was empty, no sign of the owners. They then used their bats and quickly smashed one of the small windows. Li was the smallest, even though she was older than Lizzie. She crept inside the small hole, and opened the door for the rest of them, Kelly phoned her sister : they were in. They switch the lights on, bottles of beer and boxes of pizzas, but no sign of cannabis in the front rooms or kitchen. Amber and Kelly went upstairs, Lizzie checked the floorboards Li and Deborah looked underneath the sofas, cupboards and everything. Lizzie found the cellar, opened it, and found dozens and dozens of plants, no need to switch on the light, it was practically the sun in there, soon afterwords, the alphas were here to get the goods. Results were found upstairs, the garage and the shed. Everything was going smoothly. Lizzie was helping depoting the cannabis plants in the cellar, when she heard the front door open. "Shit" she heard, lots of footsteps, running around over head, men barking insults at her "friends". Her "friends" had worn masks and sweatshirt, making it impossible to know who they were and the fact that they were female, the girls took what they had and fled to the van. They had their bats so they were fine, but Lizzie was down in the cellar with Kathrine, they couldn't escape. Katherine went near Lizzie, dropping carefully the plant she had in her hands. She took a knife out of her belt . She murmured "Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, one of the neighbor's must have called the rest of the BlackSmith. Alright cub, what ever you do, don't make a sound, I'm going to go over there, you hide over there, if they see you, ya run, okay? It's either you run, hide or die! You get me?"

Lizzie nodded, shit was about to get down. Lizzie hid in one of the pots, and covered her self up with a small cannabis tree. Katherine looked relieved, more relieved because Lizzie wasn't screaming her head off. Katherine wasn't going to help Lizzie, she had her own skin to think about. Steps were heard going down.

"Those motherfucking Denbys, we should have gunned them down!

-You crazy? And blow up our location to the cops?

-Yeah ya right, anyway, let's see if any of them are left here..."

They searched the cellar, Katherine was hidden behind a huge cannabis, tree, they had their back against her, she was quiet, and made her way upstairs, they didn't even looked twice. Thankfully for her, no one was inside the house, as soon as she went outside, she knife the unlucky bastard she saw. She stuffed his own bandana in his mouth to make sure he didn't cry for help, she ran home.

Lizzie was no alone...all alone...The rest of the BlackSmith joined the crew already inside the cellar, it was a called September and the cellar was nice and warm.

"WHO THE FUCK TO THEY THINK THEY ARE?

-How'd they bloody know we had a farm ere? It's all own by us 'ere!

-Do you know how much they stole ! Twenty funking grant!

-Shit boss!"

Boss? Fitzlion was in the room? She needed to see that, or more like Lawliet needed to see that, she put her necklace in view of what was going on, hoping no one would notice.

"First they kill Joshua, Micheam and now this?" said Fitzlion

Oh, so it wasn't Fitzlion afterall! But who's this Micheal...one of the bouncers were called Micheal, maybe he died last year and would explain the lapsus of time.

Fitzlion was in a rage, he was now throwing his products everywhere in the romm, cannabis plants going everywhere, crashing pots to the ground, inculding Lizzie's. Lizzie went litteraly smashing down.

"What the fuck?" was the ony think Fitzlion said. Lizzie fled to the stairs, only two men were in their way, more then ten people were in the cellar and they all looked eager to kill her. Lizzie, also had a mask on her, so they were calling her a boy, she threw herself on the tallest man plunging her fist n his noise, jumped on top of him and ran up the stairs, she heard gun shots, the door was closed with a key, she ran in the kitchen, threw the bat in the window and escaped threw there. She ran across the street, but they were gaining on her and this wasn't a "Denby" friendly neighborhood, she ran ran and ran, she heard a motorcycle come, the rider had a gun, she ran faster, she didn't want to die, not yet, she was grabbed by her t shirt and thrown …...

To be continued!