Page 54 of Red Retaliation
Red
PULLING UP IN THE back street service road, I turn my car engine off and slip on my gloves, glancing irritably at the perfectly tailored wedding suit I still wear.
On a job such as this, I’d normally wear something old - something dark - something nonsequential, like black jeans and T-shirt. But this isn’t a normal day. It isn’t my normal duties anymore either, but some things are never forgotten, and my ability to pull this off in classic Red Bateman style won’t have diluted.
And never will it, because I am who I am.
I get out of the car, my eyes hardening. Oscar and Liam have picked a good spot. There’s not a soul around, and that’s good because with what I’m about to do, there can be no witnesses.
Flipping the boot, I lift the cover off the spare wheel and slide the hidden partition across behind my toolbox. A slow half-smile spreads across my face as my gloved fingers curl around the handle of a hatchet.
There will be no guns tonight. This one will be up close and personal - just the way it warrants.
I’mundertaking this one - not Oscar, not Liam - just me.
Closing the boot, I stride into the alley, my adrenaline ramping up a notch spotting Harry Taylor’s eyes widening at my presence. He tugs pointlessly against the iron grip my brothers have on him as they patiently hold him like I requested until I arrived.
“M-Mr Bateman! T-There’s been some kind of misunderstanding...”
“That I doubt.”This sad little prick thinks he can talk his way out ofthis one?I smile as my fist connects with Harry Taylor’s nose, the impact made stronger from my brothers holding him rigid so the punch is fully absorbed. I watch Taylor’s nose flatten across his face, his eyes streaming with the effect.
I don’t usually bother wasting time with fists, but on this occasion, I’m making an exception.ThisI’ll enjoy.
“Mr Taylor’s dictaphone has already been destroyed,” Oscar growls, aggravation in his tone.
Yeah, I know my brothers wanted to get on with this themselves rather than wait for me to do it, but Taylor ismineand I’m having him.
“I... I won’t print the story if that’s what you want?” Harry Taylor garbles, blood from his smashed nose dripping into his mouth. “I swear I won’t! I’ll say nothing! I’ll...”
“I don’t give a fuck what you will or won’t say, Mr Taylor. That concept is irrelevant.” I swap the hatchet from my left hand to my right and Taylor’s eyes bulge at the sight of what’s in my hand.
His feet scrabble pointlessly against the concrete of the alley floor, unable to gain traction while Oscar and Liam have hold of him. He isn’t going anywhere, and he knows it, which only makes the game more fun.
“Look, I’m sorry!” Harry screams. “Please! I’m sorry if you feel I’ve overstepped the line.... I was just trying to do my job. I...”
“You weren’t ‘just’ doing your job! You’re a cunt!” I bark. “I’ve heard you in action before, so it’s about time you learned to think aboutwhatyou ask,whoyou ask andhowyou fucking ask it!”
“Yes, yes! You’re right! I agree! I’ll do better in the future! I...”
“Shame there isn’t a future for you anymore, isn’t it?” I raise the hatchet, giving the nod to Oscar and Liam to drop their hold.
“No,please!” Harry’s blood-stained fingers grasp at my suit jacket. “I didn’t mean any offense! Please don’t do this! You can’t! I...”
Grabbing Taylor’s wrist, I twist his arm, his body spinning so his hand is forced flat against the alleyway wall. “I’ll do what I want to people who speak badly or put my wife in awkward positions.”
It takes little effort to lop off the tips of the fingers of Harry Taylor’s right hand. The howl coming from his mouth is deafening. “Shut up!” I bark, smashing his face into the wall.
I hear a crunch, and guess it must be Taylor’s cheekbone that’s now gone west. It’s certainly not his nose - you can’t break a nose twice in ten minutes. Grabbing his hair, I smash his face back into the wall. “No one speaks like that to my wife. Let me spell it out a little clearer for you...”
“SHE.” Taylor takes another smash to his face.
“IS.” On the third smash, I hear more crunching.
“MY.” The fourth time, Taylor’s face embeds into the wall, his legs buckle but I’ve still got hold of his hair.
“WIFE!”
After the fifth impact, I release Harry Taylor and allow him to crumple to the floor. I then glance at my brothers standing to the side of me, a smile breaking over my face.
