Jakes Dilemma ( Part 5)

Jake watched as his Mum and Dad eagerly ate their Chinese and drank the bottle of Piat Dor he had bought with his “winnings”. It had been a long time since he had seen them look so happy. At ten o’clock he kissed Mum goodnight, shook his Dads hand and went up to bed.

He was awake until the early hours thinking. So far he hadn’t done anything wrong, all he’d done was tell squashed nose about his day at work and he’d given him two grand. No harm in that surely, these guys could obviously afford it, that was a given, all they wanted now were the names of the people who were going to work at the weekend, once again no harm done. He was trying to convince himself that everything was Ok, all normal, but by the time he got to sleep he realised that he was already involved in something that he had absolutely no control over!

He was awake before his alarm went off, showered, shaved and on his way to work before seven. He kept looking for the Blue Bentley but there was no sign of it anywhere. Today was Thursday; he was hoping pisshead would have some news for him about the weekend. Stevie was sure to know more about it than him, he’d been with the firm for two years, Stevie would also know the names of the other lads that were working. He knew Steve would be in the café so decided to pop in there before work and get a mug of tea. A few minutes later he was opening the café door. Stevie was sitting in the corner reading The Sun.

“Oi Stevie, stop eyeing up page three, you’ll go blind!”

Stevie smiled and put down the newspaper.

“Ahh, if it isn’t the strange Mister Roberts, what’s up mate?”

“Just the usual, any news on the weekend job?”

“Yeh, saw the list on pissheads desk last night, me, you, Lanky Lenny, Gerry and pisshead. That’s it as far as I know, pisshead did say he wanted only four or five of us so I guess that’s it”

“What do think it is, you know, this special job?”

“Could be anything mate, we did one about a year ago, same sort of thing, didn’t know what was going on until the last minute, turned out we were making fittings for some rich bloke, wanted everything in solid silver”

“You’re joking?”

“No straight up, he had everything made in silver, door hinges, handles, taps, fucking everything, came to a right load of money!”

“Fuck!”

“There was a security team and everything, we just got on with it, treated it the same just as though we were working with copper or brass, no big deal really, we were all done by about four in the morning, pisshead was useless as usual, he slipped off to the pub and came back at one o’clock then slept till we finished”

The two of them went off to the warehouse; Jake was now beginning to get the picture. He turned on his machine and spent the next few hours making door hinges. At midday he turned off his machine and went for his lunch. Pisshead called him over.

“Right Jake, it’s a ten o’clock start on Saturday night, should be finished about five I reckon, still up for it?”

“Yeh sure Guv, who else is in?”

“Just a small crew Jake, me, you, Lenny, Stevie and skinny Gerry”

“What exactly are we going to do then?”

“Not sure Jake but it’s probably some special fitting for some rich bloke, should know more tomorrow, but it’s none of your business really, all you’ve got to do is your job, just like normal, right I’m off down the pub, see you after lunch”

Jake smiled, he knew that pisshead would now be gone until around three o’clock and when he came back he would just fall asleep in his office, he really was a useless twat!

Stevie was looking over at Jake, signalling him to come over. Jake went over to see him.

“What’s up mate?”

“You know the little blonde bird in accounts, well she likes me, she’s always giving me the eye. Well she just told me that Group 4 Security are bringing the metal in on Saturday and staying on site until the job is finished then taking it on somewhere, said that Mister Miller himself was talking with some Russian guy on the phone for ages last week, must be a few bobs worth!”

“Silver again?”

“I think it could be the real thing this time, GOLD, I think we’re making gold fittings for some Russian!”

“Jesus Christ, no pressure then?”

“Jake don’t worry, just do what you normally do, it doesn’t matter if its copper, brass or bloody gold, it’s just metal, stay calm just do your job”

“Ok, just a bit nervous that’s all, right I’m off to get some lunch, coming?”

The two of them walked out of the warehouse and across the road to the café. Jake just knew that his phone would ring. It did.

“Jake, any news for us?”

Jake got up out of his seat and walked out of the café.

“Yeh, a bit, can’t talk now, call you later?”

“No Jake, let’s meet up, go to the arches where we first met, six o’clock, be there!”

Jake went back into the café. Stevie was looking curious.

“So you can’t talk on the phone in front of me these days, who the fuck was that, new girlfriend or something, had to tell her how much you loved her?”

“Fuck off Stevie, it was me Mum, just finding out what I wanted for tea and yes I did tell her I loved her, she’s me Mum for fucks sake!”

“All right, keep your hair on, wanker, right what you having?”

They both ordered the special, Lamb Shanks with mashed potato.

At five thirty Jake turned off his machine and left the warehouse, Stevie wanted to go for a pint but Jake gave him an excuse about having to help Dad paint the kitchen. He headed towards the arches about a fifteen minute walk away. When he arrived he saw the blue Bentley parked outside, he opened the small metal door and went inside. The three of them were there, waiting.

“Hello Jake, take a seat mate, let’s have a chat”

Jake sat down on a dirty greasy looking swivel chair, the three of them stood over him. Squashed nose spoke first.

“OK, what’s the news, what can you tell us?”

Jake gave him a piece of paper, on it were the names of the five people who were working on Saturday night.

“Nice work Jake, any of these boys handy? You know what I mean, might fancy themselves a bit, want to be a hero?”

Jake knew exactly what he meant.

“No, there just kids really, like me!”

“Good, we know about your mate pisshead, we now know what boozer he drinks in, he’s no problem, what else can you tell us?”

“We start at ten and finish about five, looks like Group 4 are bringing in the metal and staying until we finish”

The three of them looked impressed. The one who gave Jake a thump a few days before, walked forward and knelt down beside him.

“You’ve been a busy boy Jake, didn’t expect you to know this much so soon, well done, now fuck off and we’ll see you again tomorrow, here, at the same time then we’ll tell you what you need to do. Remember Jake we will be watching you at all times, one slip up and poor old Dad needs a wheelchair!”

He gave Jake a slap on the side of his head, it was only a slap but Jake felt it and knew its meaning.

“Now then Jake, say the words, you know the rules!”

Jake knew what he had to say.

“I won’t say anything to anyone!”

“Good Boy”