by a loud banging at the door, they all went
quiet and looked at each other. Kathy put her fingers to her lips and crept
over to the window trying to look through the filthy nets to see who it was.
Andy took advantage of the distraction and went over to comfort the crying
Lucy.
Kathy started cursing, ‘Shit…I fucking knew it…it’s fucking
Nellie…you stupid little brats bringing this to my door…’
‘OPEN THE DOOR KATHY…DON’T MAKE ME WAIT OUT HERE ALL
DAY…OPEN UP YOU SLAG,’ shouted Nellie banging on the door again.
Kathy opened the door with trembling fingers and was nearly
pushed to the ground as Nellie, followed by Turk barged into the tiny flat.
The children looked up at him in terror; and indeed he was a
terrifying sight, at six foot four and built like a tank he towered over most
people but to Andy and Lucy he looked like a bloodcurdling giant from a
children’s tale. This image was enforced by the tattoos on his arms and neck
and the scars that crisscrossed his face, one in particular that ran from the
corner of one eye right down across his cheek was so deep that it seemed to
split his face and gave him a look of pure evil. His sidekick Turk was no less
intimidating, despite being shorter and leaner, his reputation as a psycho was
well known on the estate and he was feared by most.
‘What were the filth doing ‘ere Kath?’ said Nellie to the
shrinking Kathy.
‘We didn’t tell ‘em nuffin Nell…they was asking ‘bout the
shop…you know Amish’s shop…but we didn’t say a fing, did we kids?’ she
spluttered.
‘So ‘ow did they know to come ‘ere then?’ said Turk grabbing
Andy by the arm, ‘you give ‘em your address did you Andy…that was a stupid fing
to do wasn’t it?’
‘Nnno…’ stammered Andy, ‘I promise I haven’t said a word to
anyone…honest…I wouldn’t.’
‘Yeh well I hope you haven’t fella…cus I can’t stand a
fucking grass, and you know what’s going to happen if you’ve opened your mouth
don’t you?’ Andy nodded at him frantically. ‘Yeh, well you see I don’t think
you do fella…I think we need to show you exactly why you’d better keep your
trap shut, you follow?’ Nellie said grabbing Kathy by the arm. Kathy by this
time was squirming and trying to pull away from the beating that she knew was
coming her way.
‘NO NO PLEASE NELL!…I won’t let ‘em say nuffin…you know
I won’t…’ she was silenced with a blow to her head that knocked her to the
ground. Andy tried to run to her side but Turk held him fast, Lucy had run into
the corner of the room and was curled up into a ball sobbing.
Nellie lifted Kathy’s head up by her hair and put the tip of
a wicked looking knife to her eye, Kathy began squirming and screaming even
more desperately.
‘NOOO…PLEASE,’ screamed Andy, ‘we won’t tell…please leave
her…please.’
Nellie just looked at him as he dragged the knife down the
side of Kathy’s face, a steam of blood followed the knife and his mother’s
cheek was laid open almost to the bone, both children were screaming now and
Andy was struggling and fighting to get to his whimpering mother.
With a nasty smile at the children’s terror, Nellie put the
knife to her other cheek, but Kathy found some strength from somewhere and
brought her fist up punching Nellie hard between his legs, he went down
clutching his privates and pandemonium broke out.
Turk seeing his friend hurt let out a yell of fury and,
flinging Andy to one side, rushed over to wreak his revenge on Kathy. He
started hitting her round the head, Kathy, who had used up any strength she had
had, was flopping around like a rag doll with every punch, her wounded face
spraying blood in every direction. Andy had run over after him and was kicking
and punching Turk trying desperately to get him off his mum…none of them
noticed a panic stricken Lucy picking up the knife that Nellie had dropped,
until that is that she plunged it deep into the