Wolf Tickets by Ray Banks Read Free Book Online Page B

here, doesn't know how to knock."
    "Oh I knocked, you cunt," said the chubby lad. Behind him, a mountain of muscle and flab ran one hand over his shaved head. "I'm guessing you're the fuckin' mick, eh?"
    I smiled. Watched the mountain come into the flat, floundering over the busted door and breathing so hard I could hear him. Either there wasn't that much muscle under the fat, or he'd jogged up the stairs.
    Something to note.
    "How, I asked you a fuckin' question."
    "No, you didn't. Not really."
    "You what?" The chubby lad moved his shoulders as he approached. "Fuckin' smart lad, eh? Noel, this one's a fuckin' smart mick."
    "Smart mick?" Noel's voice was too high for his frame. "That'll be the day."
    These two wouldn't be a problem. They talked too much. The talkers of the world ended up being the loudest screamers.
    "If he's Noel," I said, "then that would make you Liam."
    Liam looked panicky. "The fuck d'you know that, like?"
    "Wild guess."
    "Smart mick," said Noel.
    "Aye, he fuckin' is," said Liam. He held out a hand. "So where's the fuckin' gun then, smart lad?"
    "What gun?"
    "Yeh knaa what fuckin' gun."
    Liam bounced up to me. He rocked on his heels. Wasn't tall enough to intimidate, so he'd decided to shift his weight like he was ready to throw a punch. It didn't work. If anything, it made him look like he was desperate for the toilet. But when he got in my face, things changed.
    Then he became annoying.
    "Yeh knaa what fuckin' gun, yeh mick , yeh fuckin' mick cunt ."
    "Quite the vocabulary on you, Liam. Bet you're a mean Scrabble player."
    "Eh? You fuckin' taking the piss?"
    "Yes."
    "I'll fuckin' cut yeh."
    Like any talker, this bowsie's mouth let him down. His hand went for the tracksuit pocket, and came out with a Stanley. I backed up. Decided to let the Docs do the talking, and they yelled. One swift punt to the happy sack and the knife hit the carpet. Another punt, and Liam lifted off the floor long enough to feel his balls hit his gag reflex. Liam dropped, wheezed, retched.
    It took Noel three full seconds to realise his mate was out of the game, then he lumbered forward, his weight shaking the floor. Coming right at me, arms out at his sides like a bodybuilder, and I got to thinking that maybe I'd been wrong about the amount of flab on this one.
    "Yiz're fuckin' dead, yeh mick cunt."
    No way I could tangle here, not with this fella, so I hunkered down and backed off. As I did, I caught a glimpse of salvation sticking out from between two crusty seat cushions. But too far. I'd never get to it in time. I needed a miracle. Down at my feet, Liam caught his breath and slapped one hand on the Stanley.
    "Easy now, boys. We can talk about this."
    And then there was Cobb, charging into the room like a freight train, the sock a blur in his hand.
    Thank fuck.
    The heavy end of the sock connected sharply with Liam's crown. Liam let out a sound – Ayahman – before the hand that had been holding the knife dropped in order to stop the bleeding from his scalp.
    "Heads up," I said.
    The mountain launched himself into Cobb. The pair of them tumbled back up and over the armchair, brought the standard lamp next to it down with a crash. I turned in time to see Cobb hit the floor, kicking and biting. Noel was first to his knees, putting a solid fist in Cobb's face, staggering back to grab the fallen lamp and wielding it like a club. I made a break for the couch. Noel shouted. I felt a hand grab at my jacket. I saw the grip of the revolver poking out from between the seat cushions and threw a hand out at it.
    The hand scrabbled. Pulled. Ripped the seams. I felt the lamp hit me across my back. I yelled and pulled the cushions out of the couch, flung them to one side.
    I felt my fingers brush metal. Lunged forward.
    Praise be.
    I twisted, jammed the barrel of the .38 into Noel's cheek once hard, then again to break the skin. "This what you're after, eh? This gun, is it? This fucking gun?"
    The mountain turned liquid, the hand gone from