Slammer (24 page)

Authors: Allan Guthrie

BOOK: Slammer

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Heat had spread all over Glass's shoulder. Blood crawled down his back.

'Now, when they get here,' Darko said, 'we'll all keep calm and everything'll be fine. And keep the noise the fuck down, Glass.'

Glass realised he was moaning. He closed his mouth. It filled with saliva. He swallowed. Blinked hard.
More painkillers.
Didn't know if he could keep quiet without them. 'OXYs,' he said. 'Pills. My pocket.'

'Get your hand away from there,' Darko said.

Glass let his hand drop to his side.

'Act like everything's normal,' Darko told Crogan, just as they heard footsteps in the corridor.

Then voices, one much higher than the other. Sounded like Ross and McDee had bumped into each other en route.

The voices got louder. Glass heard the clearly female voice of Ross saying, 'Crogan. Everything okay?'

'Seems to be. What kept you?'

'Took a look through the gate at C-Hall. No sign of
Crystal
. And they're making a real din. Reckon he's fucked up again.'

'Come on through,' Crogan said. 'If Glass doesn't check in, we'll get a key, go take a look.' He buzzed open the gate. 'How's Fox?'

'On the mend,' Ross said. 'But won't be back at work for a while yet. That's if he decides to come back.'

Ross and McDee walked into the reception area, looked up at Crogan.

Behind them, Darko said, 'Hands up.'

McDee turned. 'Fuck me,' he said. 'He's got a gun.'

'And he's not afraid to use it,' Darko said, giving Glass a shove.

Pain spiked in Glass's shoulder, skittered down his back. He cried out. Had a violent impulse to see what his shoulder looked like. Not that he could, but that didn't stop him wanting to. Couldn't be worse than his finger.

'He's bleeding,' McDee said.

'Thanks,' Darko said. 'You could be Mafia's eyes. You've clearly got a talent for it.'

McDee's hands moved about like they had a mind of their own. He finally settled on clenching his fists, holding them tight to his chest and banging his knuckles together.

'Get your fucking hands up,' Darko said.

'Why'd you bring us here, Crogan?' Ross said. 'Fucking right into a trap, you wank.'

'They weren't here when I called you,' Crogan said. 'Couldn't do anything about it.'

'Tell that to the—'

'Quiet,
kuja
,' Darko said. '
Psi ti jebu mater.
In the arse. And for the last time, get your hands up.'

Ross shut up, raised her hands. McDee did the same.

Crogan said, 'Let me call an ambulance.'

'He told you to be quiet,' Mafia said.

'Put your fucking hands up,' Darko said.

They stood there staring at one another as the dull steady thump thump thump from C-Hall carried towards them. The cons would keep that up all night.

Darko said to Glass, 'You got your car keys?'

Glass said, 'Back …' Hard to breathe. '… pocket.'

'What do we do about them?' Darko waved the gun at the officers. 'The gate only opens from the other side. You know how to open it, Glass?'

Glass nodded. 'Button on the desk.'

'Okay, folks,' Darko said. 'Take your clothes off.'

Crogan, McDee and Ross stared at each other.

Mafia said to Glass, 'What are they doing?'

'Nothing,' Glass said.

Darko shouted at them: 'TAKE OFF YOUR FUCKING CLOTHES.'

One by one, they lowered their hands. McDee was the first to start to undo his jacket buttons. Then Crogan followed. Ross folded her arms.

Glass said, 'Do it, Ross. Do it or he'll shoot me.'

'Skinny wee fuck wouldn't dare,' Ross said.

'He already has.'

'That?' Turned her head to the side. 'It won't kill you.'

'It's no fucking joke.'

'He'll do it,' Crogan said.

'I don't give a fuck,' Ross said. 'I'm not taking my fucking clothes off.'

'You're such a cunt,' Darko said.

'You're a sleazy Slavic fuck.'

'Just fucking do what you're told,' Darko said.

Ross didn't move.

'We don't have time for this.' Darko aimed the gun in her direction and smiled.

She closed her eyes.

Darko fired.

McDee dropped to the floor.

'What happened?' Mafia said.

'Let's go,' Darko said.

'Did you hit her?' Mafia said.

'Let's go right now.' Darko grabbed Glass's tie.

Glass said, 'How bad is it, Ross?'

She was bent over McDee. 'Fucker hit him in the chest. But he's still breathing.'

'Should've done what you were told,' Darko said. 'That'll keep you busy.' He tugged Glass's tie. 'Time to go.'

'I can't,' Glass said.

'You'll do what you're told, too.'

'I'd like to,' Glass said. 'But I really don't think I can.' As if to prove his point, his legs buckled.

Darko and Mafia held him up. Been there before.

'You fucks,' Darko said. 'Don't try anything till we're gone.' They shuffled across the room towards the outside door.

'Leave Glass,' Crogan said. 'He needs an ambulance as much as McDee.'

'Stop telling me what to do,' Darko said. '
Drkadzijo
.'

They heaved Glass along. Got to the door. Found the handle, opened it.

A blast of wind hit Glass's face. Revived him a little. Not enough to hold himself up, though.

'Come on,' Mafia said.

A final look behind him and Darko said, 'After three.' He counted. Then they were moving again.

Something pressed against Glass's wound. He screamed. There was no let-up. Nobody seemed to care.

Mafia and Darko scampered across to the car park, Glass dragging his toes along the ground between them.

Tried to lift them. Tried to raise his knees. But that just increased the agony.

Must have passed out. Next he knew they'd come to a standstill. The pressure was off his shoulder, Mafia and Darko were breathing heavily, and Glass's face stung as if he'd been slapped.

'Which one's your car?' Darko was right in front of him, face in his face. Darko
had
slapped him. 'Your car?' he repeated.

Wasn't a lot to choose from. A dozen or so.

Glass wondered if he shouldn't just leave them to it. They'd find it eventually. They knew where his keys were. Could try the cars one after the other. That'd be fun. Staying awake was too much trouble.

But they wouldn't let him sleep.

His head snapped back as Darko slapped him again. Tasted blood this time. Felt a lump on the inside of his top lip. Raw round the edges.

'Car?' Darko said. 'Last fucking chance.'

Glass looked around, pointed it out.

'Easy, wasn't it?' Darko said.

Actually, it wasn't, but Glass didn't say so. His fingers and toes were tingling as if he had pins and needles. He was going to pass out again.

He was looking forward to it.

WEDNESDAY

The voices came first. Before the pain. But when the pain hit, it deafened him to everything else.

Glass opened his eyes. Light pressed like thumbs into his eyeballs. A welcome relief from the craziness in his shoulder.

Took a moment, blinking, for his eyes to adjust.

Gradually, the bleary streak turned into a room. An unfamiliar one.

No recollection of how he'd got here. Mafia and Darko must have carried him inside.

Inside. Not there, no. They weren't in the Hilton.

They'd escaped.

Well, Darko and Mafia had escaped.

Given what Glass had done, maybe it was accurate to say that he'd escaped too. He'd killed Caesar. He'd killed Horse. He'd killed Jasmine. Had he really done that? The memories seemed real enough.

He took a breath and looked around.

A couple of single beds, each with a cheap night table. A clock on the table telling him the time was 2:02. A desk against the far wall. A wooden chair. A more comfortable armchair that Darko was pacing up and down in front of.

Glass heard Mafia mention his name.

The curtains were drawn, the overhead light on. A TV, turned off, squatted in the corner. A kettle sat on a coffee table.

Who had a kettle in the bedroom, Glass wondered. Who had two single beds in the bedroom come to that?

Then it clicked: this was a hotel room. Of course. There was even a small bowl next to the kettle with sachets of coffee and tea.

Glass lay where he was, closed his eyes. He had a few painkillers left, in his trouser pocket. All he had to do was reach down. But he was too heavy. Maybe the pain would ease if he didn't move. Lying here, listening to the conversation, that was as much energy as he could summon.

'Doesn't matter,' Mafia said. 'You agree we need to get rid of Glass's car?'

'Yeah,' Darko said. 'Drive it somewhere and dump it.'

'They'll know we're nearby.'

'Not if we clear out of there straightaway.'

'We'll have to come back here for Glass. We can't take him with us in his state.'

'Can't babysit him either. He needs a hospital.'

'If he goes to a hospital,' Mafia said, 'then it's cheerio hostage.'

'A dead hostage ain't much good.'

'He won't die.'

'You sure?'

Silence for a bit.

Then Mafia said, 'We'll get somebody to patch him up. Take him with us.'