The Mackies. Billy didn’t need to ask.
‘We have to get him back,’ she said.
Billy fumbled with the knot at the back of the chair, the thick rubberised cable claggy in his sweaty palms. It seemed to take for ever, his hands trembling and slipping. Eventually he loosened the knot.
Adele whipped her hands out and began working on the knot around her ankles. She pulled it free then rolled away from the chair and clambered to her feet. She swept her hair back from her face. Billy saw bruising around her eyes and cheeks, a trickle of blood from her nose.
‘Are you all right?’
‘Never mind me, I have to get Ryan.’ Her voice was fragile, close to breaking. Billy wanted to reassure her, but no words came.
‘I don’t know what to do.’ She talked fast, as if to herself. ‘They said no police or they’d kill him. This is all about Dean. They said he set fire to their home.’
Billy nodded. ‘I’ve just come from there, it’s gutted.’
‘This is crazy. Why are me and Ryan even mixed up in this?’
‘I said you should’ve left.’ He regretted it as soon as the words were out of his mouth.
She stared at him. ‘Is that supposed to help?’
‘Sorry, fuck. I don’t know what I’m saying. I didn’t mean it like that.’
‘This is all for Dean’s benefit. He was supposed to come home and find me.’
‘Where is he?’
‘How should I know? Him and those two pricks went out, probably to one of his stupid brothels.’
‘What else did the Mackies say? What do they want?’
Adele was shaking her head, her whole body shivering. Billy wanted to wrap her in his arms, feel the warmth of her against him, smell her hair.
‘They just said this had to end. They’ll be in touch. Billy, what if they hurt him?’
She started crying, thick, heavy sobs. She gasped for air between, hands to her face, covering the bruises.
Billy put a tentative hand on her arm. ‘It’s OK.’
She shook him off. ‘Don’t say that, it’s not OK. I don’t know what to do.’
Billy stared at her, the light in the room too harsh, everything too sharp. Jeanie poked her head in the doorway then went away again. Billy tried to get his brain to work, tried to cajole the amphetamines into firing his neurons.
‘I’m going to sort this,’ he said quietly.
She stared at him like his head had flipped open.
‘How the hell are you going to do that?’
Billy lifted out his phone. ‘I have Wayne Mackie’s number.’
‘So? Are you going to ask politely to have Ryan back?’
Billy shook his head and looked at his phone. It was half two in the morning.
‘When did the Mackies leave?’
Adele was exasperated. ‘I don’t know, maybe quarter of an hour ago.’
‘I have a plan.’
‘You’re out of your mind. It’s got nothing to do with you, this whole thing.’
‘It’s got everything to do with me.’
‘How do you figure that?’
Billy stopped for a moment. Considered. ‘It just does. Do you trust me?’
‘I hardly know you.’
He moved towards her, put his hands on her shoulders. She let him. He looked at her beautiful eyes, red from crying. Her beaten face, already swollen and discoloured. She didn’t deserve any of this. No one deserved this. Except him. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
‘This looks fucking cosy.’
Billy felt Adele’s muscles flinch at the voice. She jumped back from him and turned to the doorway. Billy turned too, already knowing what he was going to see.
Dean and his two morons were standing in the room, faces flush with booze. Dean took in the upturned chair and electrical cabling like a snake on the floor.
‘What the fuck is going on?’ He spoke to Adele, pointing at Billy. ‘And what the fuck is this cunt doing here?’
Adele ran over to him, stopping before touching him, wary.
Dean and the goons were eyeballing Billy.
‘The Mackies have taken Ryan,’ Adele said.
It took a second to filter through, Dean switching from aggressive to outraged.
He stared at Adele as if she was talking a foreign language.
‘Wayne, Jamie and a third guy. They tied me up and beat me, then took Ryan out his bed and left.’
Dean looked at the chair again, the cable, Adele’s discoloured face.
‘When was this?’
‘Quarter of an hour ago,’ Billy said.
Dean turned on him. ‘What the fucking fuck has it got to do with you?’
Billy felt suddenly weak and his knees began to buckle. He stumbled but caught himself before he fell.
‘I came to check on Adele. I found her in here tied to the chair.’
‘You must have a fucking death wish, coming round here,’ Dean said. ‘You look halfway dead already.’
Billy felt lightning searing through his head, making him close his eyes and scrunch his face up. Just keep going, Billy boy. He opened his eyes and thought for a moment he saw a red flash in the corner. He snorted air into his lungs, searching for a burning smell, but nothing. He felt like sleeping for a hundred years, just closing his eyes for ever. But he had to keep going, had to see this through. Just a little while longer and he could rest.
He looked at Adele. He could still fix this. She needed him. No one had ever needed him before. It felt good. He rubbed at the lump on his forehead then scratched at his sweat-soaked bandages.
The sound of ringing. The house phone. On a table next to the sofa.
Dean walked over, keeping an eye on Billy. Adele followed in his wake, staring at the handset. ‘Dean,’ she pleaded. ‘Just do whatever they want.’
He raised a warning hand. ‘Let me handle it.’
He picked up, didn’t speak. Listened for a moment.
‘You cunts are dead, you do know that?’ His voice calm and even.
More silence, his face giving nothing away.
‘Yeah, well, you started it.’
Gap.
‘Don’t give me that fucking horseshit.’
It was like he was conducting a business deal. The goons were eyeing him intently.
‘Of course I know it. Why there?’
Pause. More silence in the room. Billy looked at Adele, her face full of fear.
‘OK.’ Dean hung up.
Adele grabbed his hand. ‘Well?’
Dean shook her off and walked to the door. Adele grabbed him.
‘Dean, what did they say?’
‘We’re going to meet them, get Ryan back.’
‘Now?’
‘In an hour.’
‘Where?’
‘Up Salisbury Crags.’ Dean stopped and turned. ‘I think it’s those cunts’ idea of a joke. They want to meet above where Frank’s body was found. Fucking dickheads. We’re going to be ready for ’em, though.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘What do you think? We’re going to destroy those cocky little shits.’
