Die Tryin' (6 page)

‘Don’t do anything stupid, Tone,’ Nick XR2 said, sliding up by his side.

‘This prick’s all over her like flies on shit,’ Tony said, still facing forwards. ‘I’m gonna fuck him up!’

‘Don’t, Tone. There’s people everywhere,’ Nick XR2 warned. ‘Witnesses.’

Tony finally glanced over at him for a split second telling Nick Black that the other Nick had somehow got through to him. And that was consistent with the fact that if anyone could get through Tony’s numb head it was Nick Theo.

They reached the fairground, led by Tony, lights flashing all around them, Techno blaring at their eardrums. Maria looked up and noticed them coming towards her. She smiled. And as she did so, her silky black hair floating slightly in the breeze emitted by a nearby ride’s chugging engine; her dark eyes glittering like jewels, Nick Black thought to himself:
Jesus, she should be a model, no doubt about it. How she and this lump Tony were shot out of the same canon is beyond belief…

‘Hi guys,’ she said with a perfect smile.

But, Tony was in no smiling mood.

Instead, he roughly grabbed her by the arm. ‘Come here!’ he said, dragging her away from the bloke she was with.

‘Oi! Watcha doin?’ the bloke shouted, reaching out to grab Maria’s other arm.

Tony turned on him, that Pit Bull snarl emerging on his face. ‘You fucking stay out of this!’ he sneered. ‘You’re lucky I don’t snap your spine in two, believe me!’

The bloke—who looked to Nick Black like he could handle himself in a row—just stared hotly at Tony, probably wanting to kick off with him, but knowing at the back of his mind that he wouldn’t walk away unhurt even if he did somehow manage to floor him.

‘It’s all right, Mario. He’s my brother,’ Maria told him without much enthusiasm.

‘Your brother?’
Mario echoed, looking Tony up and down, and for a second Nick Black had no doubts Mario was thinking the exact same thing as him a few moments before.

‘Yeah, her brother, so do one,’ Tony ordered. ‘This is family business.’

Nick Black stepped towards Mario, putting a friendly arm around his shoulder. ‘It’s all right, mate,’ he told him, speaking quiet in his ear. ‘He gets like this. Leave ’em to it, it’ll be all right.’

Mario stared back at him hard. He was pissed, but he was also outnumbered. ‘He better not hurt her,’ he told Nick Black, pointing at him.

‘It’s his sister, man! Course he won’t hurt her.’

Mario then seemed to chill a degree or two, and held his palms up. ‘Okay. Okay,’ he said and backed off a little.

Nick Black puffed his cheeks, and then turned to face Charlie who was watching proceedings with a typical wide-eyed, freaked out look on his face. Nick Black guessed he was feeling a little guilty, thinking he had kicked all this off by spotting Maria in the first place. ‘Charlie,’ Nick Black called out to him. Charlie’s head spun round. ‘Stay with Mario,’ he told him as he approached him. ‘Make sure he don’t try anything,’ he added as he walked past him towards Tony and Maria. Charlie just nodded and moved closer to where Mario stood.

Nick XR2 and Marco were standing a little way off, watching. Nick Black joined them.

‘Here we go again,’ Nick Black said to Nick XR2 as he turned to watch proceedings.

‘Who the fuck is he?’ Tony asked Maria. ‘Huh?’

Maria just stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, her mouth scrunched up like a two year old that can’t get its own way. ‘He’s one of Elle’s older brother’s friends if you must know,’ she replied in a voice that matched her posture to perfection.

‘What do you think you’re doing picking up your mate’s friends?’

‘I didn’t
pick him up.’

‘Then what are you doing here then? Embarrassing me like this?’

‘What do you mean embarrassing
you
? You’re embarrassing me! I’m just here to have some fun, you’re not my dad.’

‘Not your dad? We don’t have a dad, Maria. So, someone’s gotta look out for you.’

‘I’m a big girl now, Tony.’

‘You think? Big girl fucking men much older than you.’

Maria crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.
‘I’m not fucking him.’

Tony shook his head, a fake grin on his face. ‘No?’

Maria pushed her face into his.
‘No.’

Tony grabbed her cheeks in one hand and squeezed, making her tongue pop out of her mouth. Mario saw and reacted. Charlie held him back.

Tony pointed a finger at him. ‘I said you stay out of this!’ he shouted before turning his attention back to Maria. ‘You think this prick cares about you?’ he asked her. ‘Huh? He only wants you for one thing, then when he’s had enough—’

‘That’s bullshit!’ Mario shouted from behind Charlie. ‘It ain’t true, Maria. Don’t listen to him.
Why is he saying this?’
he asked Charlie.

Charlie shrugged.

Maria wanted to speak but couldn’t under her brother’s grip. When Tony realised this, he let go, and she backed away from him.
‘You always have to do this shit, Tony!’
she shouted, now hysterical.
‘Why?’

There were tears in her eyes and Nick Black stared at her with pity in his heart. This wasn’t right. He understood Tony feeling protective of his sister. Shit, he knew how he felt, because he had a sister too. Two of them, in fact, so he knew the score. But he felt this was going too far. It was obsessive. And pretty sick.

‘You don’t even know him and you say these mean things!’ she said through her tears.

‘I
fucking know,’ Tony replied, digging his thumb into his own chest, making his gold
stavro
bounce. ‘I know him. I know ’em all. And I do this to protect you from predators, Maria. From people who wanna use you. One day you’ll understand and you’ll be grateful.’

‘I’ll never be grateful!’ she spat.

Tony looked away, licking his lower lip, and for a second Nick Black thought he was gonna rush Mario, was sure of it. But, somehow he held back.

‘Come on, we’re going!’ he said to Maria instead, putting his hand out.

She refused to take it. ‘I’m not going anywhere with you!’

‘Yeah you are…’ Tony replied and grabbed her arm again. He yanked her towards him and at the same time turned away to leave.

‘Maria!’ Mario shouted.

She turned her head to face him, but was effortlessly pulled away by her older and stronger brother. Nick Black watched Tony drag her away like some kind of rag doll and thought what a fucked up situation it was. He glanced at Nick XR2 who shrugged, probably thinking exactly the same thing. Marco just looked nonplussed.

Nick XR2 approached Mario, who looked like he was set to go after Tony.

Nick XR2 showed him his palms. ‘You better just leave it, mate,’ he told him. ‘When Tony gets possessive like that, it’s best to leave him alone.’

‘He’s a psycho,’ Mario said, cold reading him to a tee.

‘He’s our friend,’ Nick XR2 replied. ‘You got a problem with
him
, you got one with us too.’ Mario just stared back at him, his eyes full of dislike. ‘Now, it’s best you just go home and maybe forget about Maria.’

‘Forget about her?’ Mario replied. ‘Why the fuck should I?’

‘Tony. That’s why. As long as you hang around
her
, he’ll hang around
you
. Is it worth it?’

Mario straightened his jacket. ‘Yeah it is, actually. It’s pretty serious between us and we won’t let this crap stand in our way.’ He looked everyone over one by one, a look of determination etched on his face. He then turned away and strode off, kicking over a wastebasket, sending it clanging against the back of a stand. Soon, he disappeared into the crowd.

Nick Black looked round to see Tony dragging Maria to the entrance of the park. He let out a long sigh. At least no one got hurt. Charlie just stood there shaking his head.

‘What was
that
all about?’ Marco asked out loud, now that Tony had dragged Maria out of earshot.

‘You don’t wanna know,’ Nick XR2 replied. ‘Listen, I’ll call you tomorrow about that thing, yeah?’

Marco began nodding. ‘Yeah. Tomorrow’s good.’

‘We’re all in, okay? Including Tony and Charlie,’ Nick XR2 added. He glanced at Charlie, who was looking at him sideways. Nick XR2 just gave him a stern nod in return.

‘Good to hear. Just find us one more man and we’re all set. Like I said, I wanna get this done sharpish. The sooner we get organised the better.’ Nick XR2 nodded in agreement and put out his hand.

Marco took it again. ‘See you boys later,’ he said to Nick Black and Charlie before turned away and like Mario, disappeared into the funfair.

Nick Black approached Nick XR2 and puffed his cheeks. ‘Same old Tony, eh?’

‘He really shouldn’t do that shit to her,’ Charlie said. ‘It ain’t right.’

‘No it ain’t. But, it’s none of our business. It’s between Tony and Maria,’ Nick XR2 replied.

Nick Black shrugged.
A minute ago we were all friends, now it’s between them only…

‘Who you gonna ask to get on this thing with Marco?’ Nick Black asked, wanting to change track.

‘Taki,’ Nick XR2 replied.

‘Taki?’ Nick Black echoed.

‘He’s a mummy’s boy,’ Charlie stated.

‘You think he’s gonna have the balls to do this?’ Nick Black asked.

‘All he’s gonna do is look out, he ain’t going in the tomb with us. No chance.’

‘You’re seriously going through with this?’ Charlie asked.

‘Of course, Charlie. As long as what he’s saying is true, it’s free money.’

‘Well, you can count me out.’

‘No, you’re in.’

‘No, I’m not.’

‘Yeah, you are.’ Charlie looked away and rolled his eyes, giving up the chase. ‘Now, do you two wanna lift home?’ Nick XR2 asked. ‘I’m fucking sick of this place.’

‘You’re gonna do what? Just run that by me again, ’cos I don’t think I heard you right.’

Nick XR2 adjusted in his seat, suddenly feeling about as big as a flea. ‘We’re gonna break into a tomb full of jewels and loot it,’ he replied, his face expressionless.

Taki leant back in his chair, his eyes widening, his round face lighting up like a fruit machine that has hit its jackpot. ‘HAHAHAHAHA!’ he bellowed, crossing his arms over his chest and lifting his face towards the ceiling.

Nick just stared at him coldly. He didn’t like being laughed at by anyone, let alone a king size mummy’s boy like Taki.

Taki’s thunderous laughter soon petered out. He leant forwards, picked up his Turkish coffee and took a sip. When he looked up at Nick again, he burst into a new round of laughter, spraying coffee all over the table. Nick looked away and let out an agitated huff.

‘You boys come out with some crazy shit, but this takes the biscuit,’ Taki said, wiping coffee from his mouth and tears from his eyes.
‘Dear oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…’

Nick turned back to face Taki and gave him daggers. ‘Look, dickhead. That’s what’s going down. And we’re talking serious amounts of bling here that can net you and me more than a few
lires,
believe me. Now, if that doesn’t sound good to you then, sorry, that’s your loss.’

Taki frowned, calmly sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his barrel like stomach. ‘You’re serious?’

Nick tutted and looked away, mumbling under his breath.
Was this prick for real?
‘Course I’m serious,’ he said curtly. ‘What you think this is some kind of joke?’

‘You
are
serious,’ Taki repeated, all traces of laughter vanishing from his face.

‘Yes. I’m serious. There’s a tomb nearby here filled to the brim with bling and we’re gonna go grab it. Now, you want in or not? Remember I’m doing this for you as a favour.’

‘You’re really gonna go dig up a grave in broad daylight and loot it? I mean is there a body in there too…?’

‘It’s not a grave, it’s a tomb. Six by ten by…
something
. Argh, it don’t matter. And to answer your question, yes, there is a body inside, which will probably be bones by now, but you won’t have to see it ’cos you’ll be keeping the guard busy.’

‘What guard?’

‘The one on duty by the gate.’

‘Oh, that’s where I come in, is it?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Well, how am I supposed to keep this guard busy?’

‘We’ll work something out.’

‘I thought you had a plan.’

‘We do! But, there are one or two little things we need to still sort out.’

‘Like my bit.’

‘Yeah, like your bit. Look: I could easily go get someone else if you’re not up for it, believe me. Truth is, I’m only giving you the opportunity to get in on this ’cos of that thing that I owe you for.’

Taki suddenly looked confused. ‘Thing? What thing?’

Nick cleared his throat, and lowered both his head and his voice.
‘That
thing,’ he repeated.

Taki’s mind worked for a few seconds, then his eyes widened in realisation.
‘Oh, that thing…’

Nick nodded his head.
‘You know what I’m saying?’

‘And my reward for doing
that
thing is getting in on
this
thing.’

‘Correct.’

Taki sat back and stared past Nick and out of the kitchen window. ‘Wow. Thanks.’

‘And this thing is a good earner. Trust me.’

Taki rubbed his chin and contemplated. ‘How do you know about this tomb anyway?’

‘There’s this bloke we met the other day. Says it’s legit.’

‘He
says?’

‘He’s coming with us, he’s got no reason to dark us.’

‘How do you know? How do you know he’s telling the truth?’

‘Why would he lie? He wants the jewels as much as us. If he’s lying we’ll sort him out, but till then I’m taking him on his word.’

Taki sat back and began contemplating more. Soon, he began shaking his head. ‘I dunno,
re
. Robbing graves is just wrong in my book. I mean that’s a grave for fuck’s sake, man, not a deposit box.’

‘You sound just like Charlie,’ Nick groaned.

‘Well, he’s right,
re
. It’s immoral.’

‘Jesus, look at Mr. Righteous, here. You never done a wrong thing, eh?’

‘It ain’t about that,
re
. Things like this, the dead, I don’t like to mess with. God’ll see what we’ve done. It’s basically a sin is what I’m trying to say.’