Payback Time 1

Craig and Danny were standing talking outside the Tower Block on the Kilby Estate. Craig was twenty four and three years older than Danny. Both worked for Paul Fletcher, the local supplier of all things narcotic.

They were discussing they’re preferred drug of choice. Craig was adamant about Cocaine.

“Look, the possibilities are endless with the stuff, you can sniff it, smoke or inject it, fuck me you can even drink the shit, it gives you a buzz like nothing else, make you do things faster than you normally would and makes you as horny as fuck!”

“Yeh, agreed but most of the time you’re as horny as fuck but can’t get more than a lazy!”

“That’s why you need to take a little bluey, to help in the downstairs department!”

“Yeh, then you’re as stiff as a board for hours, she’s had enough and fallen asleep and you’re still rock solid with nowhere to go!”

“That’s when you take your weed, to chill out, calm everything down”

“Yeh, then you’re so chilled out you don’t want to do anything or go anywhere!”

“That’s when you take some more fucking coke!”

The two of them roared with laughter.

Danny looked at Craig.

“You are one fucked up dude!”

Danny noticed someone looking over at them, he was quite a distance away and he had his hood up but it looked like he was looking in their direction. Danny gave Craig a nudge.

“Who’s that guy over there?”

Craig looked over.

“Dunno, can’t make him out from here, maybe he wants some gear, call him over”

Danny gave a shout.

“Oi mate, you after something?”

The stranger walked a few steps closer and shook his head from side to side. Danny wasn’t impressed.

“Well fuck off then and stop staring!”

The stranger took a few more steps forward; he was now about fifty yards from the two of them. He stood still. Danny looked at Craig.

“Is this cunt for real?”

“I think he’s calling you out Dan, I think he’s taking the piss out of you”

Craig was winding Danny up, something that he loved to do. Danny was losing his temper.

“Oi mate, you listening to me, I said fuck off, or I’ll come over there and cut your fucking ears off!”

The stranger stood his ground, took off his hood and gave then both a wide grin. Then very slowly turned and started to walk away.

Craig’s jaw opened so wide that Danny thought he was having some kind of stroke.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, did you see who that was, did you fucking see?”

Danny had no idea what Craig was talking about.

“See what, you mad fuck”

“The guy, did you see who it was?”

“No, how the fuck would I know who it was, just some arsehole winding you up”

Craig was beginning to panic; he was pacing up and down, mumbling to himself.

“It can’t be, no way, he’s still inside, won’t be out for ages yet, can’t be him, not him, if it’s him we’re all fucked, but no way, it can’t be”

Danny got hold of Craig by the shoulders.

“Will you fucking calm down, you’re beginning to get on my nerves now, what the fucks going on?”

Craig took a deep breath.

“I think I just saw someone, someone from back in the day, but it can’t be him cos he’s banged up, but it really looked like him, even the way he smiled, that fucking silly grin of his, he looked older but then he would look older, haven’t seen him for six years, I should call Paul!”

Now Danny started to panic.

“Look, you know the rules, you only call Paul in an emergency, call someone else if you have to, one of his boys but not Paul, you know what he’s like if you interrupt him, he could be playing golf or be on a beach somewhere, you interrupt him and he will go ape shit”

“Dan, you don’t understand, if I saw who I think I just saw, Paul will want to know straightaway, I’ve gotta call him!”

“Well make sure he knows it’s nothing to do with me when you interrupt him!”

Danny walked off, he wanted no part of what was about to happen. Paul Fletcher was a nasty bastard, if you interrupt his day for some silly reason, he was likely to send someone round to re-arrange your face, he’d seen it done, poor Des from the Pride Estate had two fingers cut off cos he called Paul on a Sunday when he was having dinner with his family. He was a fucking nutter!

Craig took his mobile out of his pocket, took a deep breath and dialled Paul’s number, it rang twice then a voice said.

“This had better be fucking good Craig or you and me are gonna have a real problem!”

“Paul, Paul, really sorry to call you like this but I thought you should know straightaway!”

“What about you fucked up junky?”

“I just saw Terry Murphy!”

“Repeat what you just said!”

“ I just saw Terry Murphy, right here on the Kilby Estate, he was about fifty yards away and he just looked over and smiled at me, then walked off, it was him Paul, I’m sure of it!”

Craig couldn’t say anything else; the phone had already been hung up.