Chapter 36

Pacing up and down like and expectant father, Saim could not get the phone call out of his mind. Who the hell was it? How did he know they were dealing with the Stratford arseholes? With every question he contemplated, the fire grew within him. No, they wouldn't do that to me. They are loyal and know better than to cross me. They have been with me for years, why doubt them now. No matter how much his mind tried to defend them, the suspicion grew stronger every passing second. Like a geyser building pressure, the doubt inevitably exploded.

Thinking back to the morning, he remembers the boys seemed jumpy. As soon as he walked out of the door behind them, their hand went into their pockets faster than a bullet. The suspicion tormenting him, he could stand it any longer. He needed to know.

The boys were downstairs relieving their stresses with the girls on tap, but their jackets were hanging on the old wooden coat stand in the corner of the office. Feeling inside the pocket, the first one was empty. Digging into the second pocket of the first jacket, his fingers touched what felt like a folded leaflet. For a few seconds Saim left his hand buried in the pocket. Did he really want to know if it were true? Knowing the consequences the boys would pay, he was not sure. Sliding the leaflet out, he brings it up to his face. Bloody casino, is that it. That's what they were hiding from me. Laughing, he reaches to slot it back into the pocket. Turning the leaflet, he notices as something slides out from inside and floats to the floor. Looking down, he sees a plain white card. Not wanting the boys to know he had been riffling through their jackets, he scoops up the card. Pushing it back inside the leaflet, a picture, on the back of the card, catches his eye.

What the fuck is that? He explodes. Within a fraction of a second his blood had gone from as cold as a Canadian glacier, to as hot as flowing lava. The picture was instantly recognisable, the emblem of the Stratford crew.

Mimicking a lion tearing at the flesh of its prey, he rips into the other jackets. All four produce the same card. Proving to him, without a shadow of doubt, the boys were working both sides.

"How could they do this to me? I have given them everything, money, clothes, girls, drugs whatever they wanted was theirs. Well, it's the last time they shit on me that's for certain" he spits.

Crunching the two-way radio in his hand, he calls the boys to the office. One by one, they march in.

"Take a seat boys" Saim instructs with a motion of his hand.

"What's up boss?"

"Oh nothing, just wondered how things are, anything new happening in the area I should know about?"

"Not much, just the usual crap"

Opening the top drawer of his desk, Saim removes a bottle of malt whisky and pours four glasses.

"Have a drink lads"

"Cheers boss, could do with it after the horizontal workout we just had with the girls"

Picking up the triple measured glasses, all four down the drink in unison.