Smithy watches as Justin rushes through the kitchen to the hallway and he follows closely behind. He fondles the bat and with his other checks the pepper spray is still in his pocket. Walking through cautiously he looks out the window for a brief second to see if any lights have come on. It was only one swing, and everyone seems to have remained undisturbed. Which can’t be said for the house, as with the slamming of a door Justin rushes back into the kitchen, wide-eyed and terrified.

‘We should go, like now man.’ Said Justin going for the door. His courage dissipates, broken like the glass outside.

‘What the fuck……’ Said Smithy as anger rises at Justin’s display of weakness, he grabs his arm and pulls him back.

‘There’s a dog man, fucking run.’ He said trying to push through. Smithy grabs him tight and for some reason his weight didn’t push back. He allowed himself to be controlled and thrown into the corner of the kitchen where he falls into a heap. Smithy couldn’t believe his eyes, looking down to him as he cowers in the corner gripping the sledge in his hands as if he’s waiting to be beaten.

‘Who’d that?’ Said a voice booming from a powerful chest, like a claxon call of danger from the bass. A TV casts his movements through the hallway as a door opens. He doesn’t see anyone, just the shadow. Then he heard it. A deep growl from an angry dog followed by a single bark that shook his feet back towards the door. Smithy wasn’t a fan of dogs either, although it didn’t scare him as much as Justin. He held his little rounders bat in his hand and stood his ground ready. Unless it was a pitbull, he should be able to smash its skull in he thinks.

‘Dimitri……that you?’ He continued groggily, as you’d expect, he’s just been woken at four o’clock in the morning. Smithy looks to the counter-top and one side has bottles of empty vodka bottles alongside takeaway trays.

‘Stay….stay the fuck there.’ Said Smithy as Justin, now standing holds the sledge-hammer. He’s frozen in spot other than eyes darting to the door and back to the hallway.

‘You didn’t say he had a fucking dog.’ Said Smithy, jumping up and down in the darkened kitchen. He was starting to realise this wasn’t as simple as Justin made out and perhaps there was more surprises. He waits however, blocking the doorway out as Justin mouths ‘run’.

‘I didn’t know man, come on before he lets the dog go. Let’s get the fuck out of here.’

It started its run before Justin finished his whisper. Smithy heard its little feet tapping away at the wooden floor well before he seen it. It was coming fast, and it darted into the kitchen faster than Smithy had a chance to raise his bat. A stocky Staffordshire bull terrier flexing its muscles runs straight at Smithy.

‘Say hello to Dimitri bitches!’ Said the voice again, laughing as the dog came running through and launches itself at Smithy with its jaws wide as Justin’s eyes.

‘Hit him, fucking smash it now!’ Said Smithy as Dimitri clamps its heavy jaws around the end of the little rounders bat and starts pulling. Smithy holds on as he’s ripped around the kitchen. He can’t let go because he’d be next. His wrists jerks as the muscle-bound staff holds on. It was only a matter time before he released and went for something softer.

‘Where?’ Said Justin aiming for a hit, holding the sledgehammer aloft over his head and nearly smashing the unlit bulb above.

‘Just fucking hit it.’ Said Smithy letting go of the bat, just as Justin came down with the sledge and smashes Dimitri right off his head. There’s no blood just a heavy hollow thud before the dog drops to the floor. Not even a yelp, certainly no barking.

‘You kill my dog you little bastards?’ Said the voice, seconds later storming through with a machete in his hand after throwing the sleeve to the floor. He stumbles under the influence of the drink and uses the wall for balance to stop him following the sleeve to the skirting.

The big bastard was still opening his maundering eyes as such an early morning, as he was pissed, just like Justin said. He stands in the kitchen and looks around, however he must’ve downed an entire bottle of vodka because he seemingly couldn’t see Smithy standing right in front of him.

“Spray him, fucking hell spray him!’ Said Justin as the machete is turned in his direction. He holds out the sledgehammer and takes a couple of swings from the machete from range. The big bastard swings, all six foot six at least of a frame trying to lob Justin’s head off. He must not have seen Smithy all in black in the shadows. Justin’s illuminated by the window got all the attention. He only stops to check on Dimitri, who appears to be alive as his left leg spasms like he’s in one of those happy dog dreams. This only enrages him even more, as it’s clear to be the last death throes of a dog in transit to the farm.

Smithy stands there and waits for his moment. He reaches into his pocket and positions his finger carefully over the button. He moves to the side of the big bastard as he leans back for another strike. He’s within touching distance of the blade. He needs to act before his best friend is killed. He then strikes, pressing hard down on the button as the liquid shoots out and covers the big bastards face. The machete drops to the floor as his hands are instantly brought to his blinded eyes.

‘Aaaargh.’ Screams the big bastard as he stumbles back tripping over his own dog. He falls to the floor as Smithy two handedly pushes the rounders bat into his face and with a thud smashes the back of his head off the tile floor, knocking him out cold.

‘You fat bastard, have this.’ Said Justin, taking the rounders bat from Smithy’s hand and hitting him straight off the jaw. The crack was louder than his head hitting the floor and tinged Smithy’s ears as he slumps dejected into the corner. He changed quickly once the odds were in his favor.

‘You’re going to kill him.’

‘Good, have this fat prick.’ Said Justin as starts laying down blows over his lifeless torso. Thud, thud on his barrel chest. He’s layered heavy with fat and muscle and his body takes it until the bat breaks in two pieces leaving Justin holding only the handle.

‘Crazy bastard, you better not have killed him.’ Said Smithy as he looks to the tile floor and the little pool of blood developing behind the fallen head.

‘Fucking hell man, I broke the damn thing.’ Said Justin throwing the handle to the floor.

‘Anyone else here?’ Said Smithy meekly as he raises his balaclava to take a deep lungful of air.

‘Put the shit back on now, might be cameras.’

‘Where the fuck you going? Said Smithy as Justin rushes off. He was expecting them to gather their things and get out of there. They made some racket and left a man for dead on his own kitchen floor. He looks out the window a second time, peering his head to the left and right to see if any lights have flickered on. Still, nothing. Dead as the dog and perhaps the owner.

‘I’m having a gander, just like you should be.’ Said Justin from the living room, before leaving for the stairs. ‘Hurry up man we can’t spend all night here it’s not a sleepover, not for us anyway.’ Said Justin storming up and laughing as if he knows where he’s going.

Smithy doesn’t remember making it into the living room. He stands there motionless and looks around at the walls. They’re closing in around him and the decision to follow Justin in here. His eyes zoom onto the pictures. Military snapshots peer down and remind him what a silly little shit he’s been. He should’ve asked more questions about who this dealer was, or more pressing, still is.

You’d think it would be the action shots of their victim shooting an AK47 rattling him. No, it was the Nazi memorabilia covering the chipboard walls that had him dead quiet, contemplating his own stupidity.

Smithy just realized the person he was bumping off, that not only was he really fucking dangerous, but he had equally dangerous fucking friends. The pictures don’t lie. He didn’t have enough milliliters in his little bottle of pepper spray for even one more big bastard, let alone a platoon of European soldiers of war.

‘You find anything?’ Said Smithy calling up the stairs. He can hear banging and things breaking, snapping him out his fascination with the glory shots.

‘Ye man, all drying out now man, just bagging them up. Lucky boys! Have a proper look down there and then come help me out.’ Said Justin excitedly.

‘Sound as, I’ll turn this place over.’ Said Smithy going back into the living room and the walls were still trying to close him in. They weren’t allowed to break him out of his greedy spell.

He was opening draws and lifting the rancid sofa soon enough. He’d come this far, so Swastikas and the AK’s were pushed back for the search. He didn’t find anything on his first pass. It would change however, pushing a sofa out the way to get to the back of a large glass cabinet in the corner of the room. The cabinets empty other than dirty glasses and a few books. He stands there in a trashed room with nothing to find. He looks down however, he can see a bend in the carpet where it’s been turned over a few times between the sofa and cabinet. He presses his foot down around the carpet and nothing, until his foot sinks in slightly with a creak towards the skirting. He then pulls it back.

Justin was right. He’s been wrong about a few things thinks Smithy, but one thing he said was you don’t know what you would find. He looks down at the wooden floor and one of the pieces of flooring isn’t fixed in. The holes that used to be there are clearly gone. He lifts it up and the void underneath is lined with plywood and filled with a black canvas bag.

‘Fucking hell.’ Said Smithy taking out the bag, pulling the zip from one end to the other. He was tentative at first, and he didn’t really know why, other than whatever was there would’ve been there for a reason. His mind was racing quick, quicker than it ever did before. Interesting finds Justin said, he wasn’t fucking wrong.

‘Justin, you need to see this man, get down here.’ Said Smithy, opening the bag and taking out the black cloth inside. It was heavy and from the shape it was clear what it was. It was sticking out in all the wrong places as Smithy feels the weight in his hands. He didn’t reveal what was behind the cloth, however he knew and felt the power as he placed it down on the sofa and looked back to the bag. There were just two bundles of notes about an inch thick of twenties. He looks behind him to the stairs.

‘Get ready to bolt…..I’m packing up you mug.’ Said Justin without acknowledging what Smithy said.

He knew what Justin said, fifty-fifty and not to fuck him over. Thoughts like that aren’t entertained for long. He opens up his jacket, takes out his man-bag he hid inside and opens it up. He slots the cash inside and was about to zip up until he seen the cloth again, sitting there on the sofa. He didn’t want to touch it again but couldn’t help himself. He lifts the cloth revealing a revolver. Huge numbers spin upstairs, not on a roulette wheel either where most of his peers have put their hopes in salvation. He looks to the pictures on the wall and picks it up.

‘Grab a fucking bag.’ Said Justin as he launches one down the stairs, and then another on top. Smithy looks behind him and zips up his jacket as Justin rushes down the stairs carrying another.

‘What’s in there?’

‘Grab it and go, like fucking now.’ Said Justin opening the front door, picking up a bag in each hand and running off without even a cursory glance at Smithy as he picks up the last one.

‘Drive the fucking car, let’s go.’ Said Smithy jumping in the front seat with his bag to his chest.

‘That smells pukka as bruv, pukka as bruv.’ Said the Mule burning rubber and screeching off down the street with the lights off.

‘Drive the fucking car slowly, we don’t wanna wake the whole street you mug.’ Said Justin, throwing his balaclava down to the floor.

‘I hear ye bruv.’ Said the Mule as the Yaris disappears down the backstreets in the direction of Shard-End and safety.

‘Is it just green?’ Said Smithy unzipping the bag and taking a sniff.

‘Nah man, got some powder too, not sure what it is though looks like ketamine.’

‘Fucking ket?’

‘Ye, no drama, there’s about two kilos of the stuff in the bottom of this one.’

‘Nothing else? Just that?’

‘Smithy, my cousin is sorted with one of those bags and the rest is ours.’

‘How much?’

‘Enough for a year off kid! Your Mom on the night shift again ye?’

‘Finishes at eight in the morning.’

‘Got a few hours to divvy up man we’ll soon see.’

‘No heroin for me?’ Said the Mule scratching at his face.

‘I’ll sort you some notes after you get rid of this car, I want it burned in Small Heath and you get a few hundred.’

‘Fucking hell I’m clucking now.’

‘Cluck us back to Smithy’s and….what the fuck is that?’ Said Justin looking back.

‘Fuck, is that police?’ Said Smithy as blue sirens can be seen in the distance flashing off a hotel outside Acocks Green train station, the same one they just passed.

‘Turn here and pull over.’ Said Justin as the Mule obliges, pulling to a stop. The blue lights keep flashing and they’re not sure if they’re coming closer as they just flash as if the police car has come to a stop.

‘We can’t just sit here, get away from here man.’ Said Smithy as Justin winds down the window and listens.

‘Wait, I need to hear where what we’re moving into.’ Said Justin winding down the window and ushering them to silence with his fingers to his lips.

‘What you doing……..get us out of here, Mule, move your fucking arse.’ Said Smithy frantically looking around and expecting the whole West Midlands Police force to be boxing them in at any second.

‘Can you hear the screeching? Sounds like an RS, so they’re on a chase and I bet my fucking balls it gets away.’

‘Nah, nothing.’

‘Open the boot, we’ll need to leave it here and call a taxi from down the road.’ Said Justin stepping out and taking his two bags with him.

‘We can’t leave it here.’

‘We have to for a few hours, we’ll get back to mine and pick up my motor and pick the bags up after. There might be a helicopter in the area soon, if the guy gets away the police be having a good look into every car. They’ll stop us man, I swear.’

‘Fuck sake, what we doing with him?’

‘Mule, here’s a few notes and fuck off. Anything happens to the gear or motor I’ll fucking end you, understand?’ Said Justin taking out a few notes and thrusting them into the Mules hand. He doesn’t even look at Smithy and Justin again only the notes. He counts frantically before shoving down his pants. The sirens can’t be heard, however the clouds in the sky are flashing blue as the Mule rushes off into a dark alley.

‘He’ll be back and fuck us.’ Said Smithy watching the blue lights hitting the clouds and the Mule vanishing into the darkness.

‘Within thirty minutes he’d be sticking a needle in his arm, don’t worry about him he lives about five minutes away. Come on, let’s go.’ Said Justin and Smithy follows behind reluctantly.

He watches the houses and yet again, doesn’t see any movement. His whole future is sitting in the back of the Yaris that’s being abandoned and they’re walking off down the street.

‘It’s coming this way, they must be setting up for a stinger or some shit.’ Said Justin as he pulls out his phone and calls for a taxi.

‘I can hear it, it’s not far.’ Said Smithy listening to the loud rev of an engine. He couldn’t tell if it was an RS or not. It certainly sounded powerful and echoed through the early morning.

‘Wait for it, it’s coming.’ Said Justin as a blue Audi RS6 bolts it straight passed them, followed behind by two BMW X5’s flashing their blues close behind.

‘Fuck sake the place is crawling with police.’ Said Smithy as another police car passes behind, followed by another and soon there’ a convoy coming from the Swan island.

‘I think we’ll be alright, they’ll be playing games for ages…. the fucking RS still has its wheels.’ Said Justin heading back to where they’d come. Within sight, the Yaris beckons them once more.

‘You taking the piss?’ Said Smithy as the last in line convoy of three police cars are tearing it up in their direction.

‘Come on, I don’t trust that smack-head either.’

‘Nightmare this is.’ Said Smithy as the police cars steam passed them, heading in the direction they once came and after their colleagues.

‘You not excited? It’s been a great night out, can’t wait to count up.’ Said Justin as he jumps back into the Yaris. He flicks on the radio as if it’s a Sunday afternoon ride out in the country and he puts his foot down.

‘Nah mate, I’m fucking exhausted.’ Said Smithy as he puts on his seat belt and shifts himself in the seat. Until this point Smithy didn’t remember what he had hidden down his jacket. The belt strap pulling tight, digging into his chest with every sharp corner terrified him all the way home.