Zodiac's toy by John Jones (best free ereader .TXT) 📖

had to watch his back. There were far worse criminals than him. He knew that, but had not crossed them, and was not on their radar. He left them alone, they left him alone. He did have a small reputation amongst the criminal fraternity, and in the police, and only once had someone come looking for him for revenge. A beer-bottle was struck on his head, but it never broke. The perpetrator ran. Lee tracked him down and beat his face to a bloody pulp. That was that, end of revenge.

In a way he kind of 'enjoyed' prison, simply because he was around like-minded people. There was violence and hostility there, but Lee was mostly simply an observer, but wouldn't hesitate to get involved. Sometimes he wished he did, to satisfy his high testosterone level, but the opportunity sometimes wasn't there. He knew he would never go straight. The rewards of crime were too tempting, and sometimes it was just too easy.

He had robbed a lot of post-offices, and had gotten away with it every time. He guessed that trying to rob a bank on his own was too ambitious after having that proved the hard way, but post-offices, they were different. Quick, easy, smaller, and rarely anyone willing to take him on, certainly not the clerk who in his experience were mostly of pensionable age.

He was usually handed the money to get him away as quickly as possible, and that was what he counted on. The protective glass did nothing to stop them giving him what he wanted as when a shotgun is pointed their way it becomes instant panic mode, and the glass becomes irrelevant. Sometimes the clerk in their haste to get him away would, in their state, give him more than just money. They would hand him cards, stamps, stationary, 'just-take-it-and-go'.

He picked up the CZ Drake shotgun and loaded it, took a black balaclava from a drawer as well a small black well-used duffel bag and went back into the other flat.

"I only need one of you to keep dixie. Who's coming?". Shane put his hand up and stepped forward.

"Alright, I know which one we'll hit. I've done it before. Couple of miles in the next town".

They were soon heading downstairs and out into the car-park, and they walked all the way there.

 

Ray and Victor watched from the window as they disappeared from sight.

"Good to see him back," Victor said, "he's looking well".

"Yes," said Ray, running a hand over his hair.

 

Shane came out of the post-office in a not-so-busy corner of the town, which seemed more like it belonged in a remote village, and walked across to Lee who was leaning against a post-box. He kept his voice low, even though nobody could overhear.

"There's three people in there, none of them look like they would give you trouble".

"Alright, we'll wait". After five minutes, two left. Lee took a good look around and apart from a man walking his dog over the other side of the road, there was nobody who could see him. They walked across to the door and he gave the bag to Shane who opened it wide, then took out and pulled on the balaclava that exposed only his eyes and mouth. He grabbed the shotgun, then entered the post-office.

 

Ray and Victor hardly spoke for the two hours they were waiting, pacing nervously around, Victor cleaning things that didn't need it, cleaning in other flats. Ray walking up and down the corridor, looking out of the window, sitting down to watch three seconds of television, going back to the window, going to another flat, until finally there they were, heading towards the high-rise, laughing and joking.

"They're back Vic, they're back". Victor emerged from Shane's flat with wide eyes and a humourless smile.

The entrance banged below, footsteps loud on the concrete stairs.

"Fucking sorted," said Lee, emerging into the corridor followed by Shane. The bag looked bulky over his shoulder.

At the table in Lee’s flat, he emptied the bag, and they all looked wide-eyed at the money that spilled out.

"One of my biggest hauls from a post-office. That'll do me for a while. Now I can lay low and just chill for a while. There must be at least three grand there. Honestly you should have seen the old girl behind the counter, soon as she saw me and the fucking shotgun, she jumped and fell over. It was hard not to laugh, but she got up and gave me the fucking lot".

"Anyone would with a shotgun in their face," said Victor.

"Too right they would, and because I'm in a good fucking mood. I'm out of prison and I've got a few bob now," he picked up a bundle of notes and handed them to Shane.

"That's yours". He picked up even less notes and gave them to Ray and Victor.

"Fifty quid each for you pair of pussies".

"Fifty quid," said Ray, disappointed. He stopped himself saying: 'Is that all?'.

"Yes, well I'm going to count this now, so I'll know if any of you thieving cunts has took any".

He settled down to count it. Ray and Victor sat, smoked and watched television. Shane went back to his flat. It took half an hour. He'd lost count several times, but eventually a smile spread across his face.

"Three thousand four hundred and twenty five quid" he said, nodding in satisfaction.

"What are you going to do now though," Ray asked. "Now that you're back. Have you been thinking about it?"

"I'm going to go and find my dad and call him a cunt. Then I'm going to try and find Hannah. Remember her? That tomboy gothy one who I was just getting to know before I was put inside. To be fair, she said she wasn't going to wait and I accepted that, and she never visited or messaged me in prison, so I'll just find her and see if she's still single. If not, then I think I remember some other one. One of your sisters mates..."

"My sister's mates want nothing to do with us," said Ray, "we're a bunch of crooks remember?"

"Yes and they’re fucking right, but one of them was really into me before she was taken away by that other posh fucker. Maybe I'll track her down. Or get you to put a good word in. 'He's changed and left his life of crime behind him' and all that shite. What was her name?...oh, yes, Sandie".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5

 

"...should have seen him hit the fucking floor. Got him right here," Lee put a fist to just below his ribs on the right side. "...some of the guards...right fucking pussies".

It was the following night, and Lee had spent most of the day out, the others, most of the day in and around their flats with the occasional trip to the shops.

All of them were in Ray’s flat, sat around the table with cans of lager and ash-trays curling smoke.

“Did you find Hannah and your Dad?” Ray asked, taking a drag on his cigarette. Lee nodded.

“I saw her but she didn’t see me. She was with some big fat fucker. Looked like a wrestler or something. I wasn’t gonna mess with him, so I just thought fuck it she’s gone and went to my Dad’s. He opened the door and you should have seen the look on his face..then I told him to fuck off cunt and walked away”. There was silence for a while, and as Ray took a drag on his cigarette, he noticed Lee’s new tattoo was not as he remembered.

“Thought that was a gun,” he said, looking at the image. The image of a scorpion.

“What?” Lee asked, even though he knew what had been asked, “it is a gun. Can’t you see it’s a gun?”

“It’s a scorpion,” said Victor. Shane nodded.

“It’s not. It’s a gun. Micky did it inside and it’s a good tattoo. Get your fucking eyes tested”.

“Scorpion,” added Shane. Lee frowned, put down his can and stood up and went into the bathroom.

“I thought it was a gun as well,” said Victor.

“What the fuck!” came a loud voice from the bathroom. “I thought it was a gun...fucking scorpion..what the..?” He came out about a minute later and sat down looking confused.

“I really thought that was a gun. I remember looking at it in the mirror and telling Mick that he’d done a good job, but it’s a fucking scorpion”. There was silence for around one minute, then he added: “Still, scorpions are cool so I don’t mind”. They were quiet again for almost five minutes, smoking, drinking, Lee with badly made cannabis joints.

"So come on Ray, what's been happening with you while I've been gone? Not much has changed by the looks of things".

"Well," he said, "My sister is getting married".

"Oh, right, good," Ray shook his head.

"No it isn't. She's getting married to Wayne, fuckin' vegan hippy".

"Well if she's into him, then whatever. If he makes her happy and they're getting married then good on them".

"It's just," said Ray, folding his arms, "She can do so much better".

"D'you mean me?" Lee said, smiling, taking a swig of his drink.

"Well you would be much better for her".

"Well I appreciate you thinking of me, but you know I've got no chance with her, and too be honest, I don't really fancy her. A plain-Jane mate, and anyway none of us have got a chance with her or any of her mates. Bunch of posh, snotty fuckers who think they're better than everyone else, especially us".

"They probably are, though," said Victor. Lee nodded and drank from his can.

Shane finished his drink and cigarette, then stood up.

"I'm knackered, it's bed-time," he said, leaving the flat, and soon Victor was on his way back to his place as well. Ray smoked the last of his cigarette and crushed it out in the ash-tray. A pall of smoke drifted between him and Lee.

"She can just do...so much better". Lee shrugged.

"Up to her if that's...oh hang on! Fuck me you spineless little weed. Are you asking me to warn him off? Warn him off your sister, Caroline. Stop him getting married to her. Is that really what you're asking me to do?"

"Maybe just scare him a little. Make him think twice. Warn him off seeing her. Get him to call the wedding off". Lee laughed, loudly and for around ten seconds. They could have probably heard him on the third floor.

"Now come on Lee don't be like that".

"You want me to fight your battles. I've just come out of fucking prison and you want me to intimidate some hippy cunt off getting married to your sister. Well, Ray, it's got fuck-all to do with me".

"Keep your voice down," Ray said, flushed red and sheepish, arms folded and sunk into his chair like a chastised child. Lee didn't.

"If your sister wants to get married then so what? I don't care. Do it your fucking self. Obviously you haven't got the bollocks so you get me to do it. Can't intimidate a fucking hippy," he laughed again. "Good luck to her. It's fuck-all to do with me".

"He works at Tiger vegan cafe in the town centre, just in-case you know...ask him to leave off her. Try and split them up, just a little warning or something".

Shane came back in, a look of concern on his face. He was holding something which he placed on the table.

Twelve zodiac cards.

"I was gonna make a cuppa and found these next to the kettle. Who put them there?" Ray just stared at them.

"I got them the other day at the funfair when I went with me sister and her mates. I just left them there". Shane put them on the table.

"Why are they in my flat?"

"I don’t know"

"Didn't think you were into that shit," said Lee.

"I'm not. I just had a go at the fair the other day".

"Whatever. I'm starving. I'm going for a takeaway. Not had one in ages. Fish and chips. Think I’ll get two fish. Anyone want anything?". Shane and Ray didn't, and