999

Today was the first time I genuinely had to make a 999 call. The only time I’d dialled it before was when I was taught about its uses by a kind ambulance lady who visited my primary school. I ran home and made the call to double check I’d be given 3 options before being told off by the operator.

I was cycling back from work, cruising down the redway listening to 1Xtra when I crossed the road and deviated into some woodland as it was a short cut. It was as a reached the top of a small heath that I noticed the shape a human body sprawled out on the ground. As I got nearer I could see it was a man and his eyes were closed so I got off my bike, yanked my earphones from ears and approached cautiously. The fist thing that entered my mind was what was I going to do? I called out to him but there was no answer so I shouted louder and still there was no movement. I kneeled down and checked his chest to see if he was still breathing and luckily it was still moving up and down. Deciding not to slap him I started to pat his shoulder until I was rocking him hard. Nothing happened. It was quite clear that I was unskilled and inexperienced in these situations and I probably wasn’t helping him at all. Noticing small droplets of saliva leaking from his mouth I knew he needed help so after deliberating for a few seconds I decided to recall my training from primary school and pulled out my mobile and dialled those 3 digits.

“Emergency services”

“Erm, yeah, can I have, the Ambulance service please?”

“Ambulance service, yes, patching you through.

…

“Ambulance service here. What address are you calling from.”

“Erm, yeah, I’m calling from near a street off Peartree…”

“Can you tell me the name of the street please?”

“Erm…”

I looked around trying to find a street sign but being in woodland the closest thing I could see were some rather large posh houses. I realised that I wasn’t helping the situation and was about to disclose that there’s an unconscious man lying next to me when I saw a huge bald headed man appear over the heath.

“Don’t worry lad, he’s with me. Been drinking he has.”

A rush of relief ran through me as I finally realised that the man on the ground was just inebriated and not dying. I switched my attention to the Ambulance operator.

“Hi, sorry, a man has just appeared to say he knows the unconscious man and that he’s been drinking.”

“Ok, that’s a relief and thanks for not just cutting the call.”

“Hey, no problem, sorry I couldn’t give you the name of the street.”

I ended the call as the man reached us. He was huge about 6”3 and about looked about 17 stone in weight. He looked at the motionless body and slapped it hard across the stomach.

“Get up you fucking piss head.”

Almost instantaneously two eyes opened staring wildly at everything before closing again.

“Do you need any help?” I asked the big guy.

“Help? No. Thanks though.”

And after that sentence he picked him up and threw him over his shoulder and carried him off muttering as he stared to make his way. I just stood there for a few moments reviewing just how awful I was in that situation and should he really needed help I surely wasn’t someone who couldn’t give. I couldn’t even give the operator decent directions!


:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::


“Of course I can Gregor, I could knock him clean out in one blow, I could break his arm with one hit and I could snap his neck with one twist. Yet why should we do this to a young person?”

“What? You’ve gone crazy, you’ve hit plenty of young blokes, in fact you tourtured that young un’ when he tried to thieve from us. I remember you knocked him out and tied him down so when he woke up all he could see was you with an array of tools. And you want to save this one? Who cares what happens to him. And if you don’t want to do it then Davy has no problems doing it do you Davy.”

Davy raises his head at the sound of his leader’s voice. Of course he’d do it, he cares only for the rewards and thinks little of the consequences of any action taken. He believes Gregor can fix anything. He nods in acknowledgement and waits for Charles’s response.

“I’ve got no problems Gregor with taking him out but my opinion is that if we can annihilate him before he gets to the garage the smoother the operation will run. But if the plan needs me to take him out I won’t bother threatening him I’ll just go straight for him and until he’s unconscious or at least till he won’t be able to jeopardise us.”

Gregor looks at him and reveals his top gum and teeth letting Charles know this was the answer he was looking for.

“And what about the escape route?”

“That is easy. Behind the garage are bushes and trees with a small trail. We can run from the garage up on there follow the trail which takes us near the wood. Now instead of going through the wood we turn left where it’ll take us next to Blenhiem road. We need to drop down from the woodland onto the path where Davy will be waiting.”

“Who’s says Davy is going to be the driver? Don’t assume anything on my project.” Snarls Gregor.

“Now, how secure is this getaway path? Do you know if this Tammy or Yannish aware of it?”

Charles shot him a look of disgust, he didn’t like to be teased and definitely not by a person he loathed more than any. He stared at Gregor’s provocative expression, the smirk, the tightening of his eyes, he was goading him to retaliate. A wave of anger ran over his body resulting in him clenching his fist to control himself, he wanted to punch him so much. He knew though that punching Gregor is what he wanted. Davy accepted everything he was told to do but Charles didn’t and would question him, and for this he believed Gregor wanted to return the favour by using any opportunity to tease or enrage him. However, in this instance the question was a good one even if it had not intended to be. Charles was pretty sure Yannish did know of the trails that ran through the bushes considering it was him that introduced him to the terrain. He didn’t want to tell Gregor though, he was vexed enough already by Charles’s suggestions on how the plan should be. No, Gregor need not know that maybe the young man does know his way around that area, besides he would be taken out.

Charles refocuses his mind to the present and breaks away from the glare he was giving Gregor. He looks at the floor then back up to Gregor.

“No, I don’t believe they know of those trails.” He replies in a calm voice.

“Excellent, well I’ve heard what you’ve both had to say and I’ll think of the plan and call you back in once it’s arranged.”

“What?” Spurts Charles.

“I told you, once I’ve got the plan I’ll get back to both of you.”

“Why can’t we do it now why we’re all here sharing ideas? We can nail this tonight.”

“You’ve shared your ideas and I’ll make the plan, like always.”

“Fuck you. Davy what do you reckon?” Says Yannish breathing heavily as the agitation starts to influence his thinking. He turns to see Davy standing and by shuffling his feet backwards as if trying to escape but not being able to. He looks in despair as Charles forces him to play his hand and give an opinion.

“I think we should do what Gregor says.” He replies in a quick raspy voice, his looking at Gregor.

Gregor shows his gums again in approval.

“You see Charlie, Davy agrees, now piss off and wait for my call.”

Charles turns around walks over to Davy and runs his teeth his along his gums and then pulls his head back and spits in Davy’s face. He sees it trickle from his eye lid slobbering down his cheek before Davy raises his hand to wipe it away.

“I’m going.” Charles tells them both and turns around to walk away. Having taken only two steps he feels his hair pulled then yanked back arching his head. An arm thrusts across his throat the forearm applying pressure downwards gradually closing down the air supply. A knee digs into his kidney while both Charles’s hands are grabbed tightly and twisted backwards.

“I don’t need insubordination within our unit. We are a unit and this is our biggest job in a long while. Now I’m going to stop applying pressure on your wind pipe so that you can apologise to Davy. If not I’ll crush it.”

He knew Gregor would do it so he knew there was little choice. He didn’t want to die and even though feeling emasculated he knew what he had to do. The pressure on his throat subsided and he opened his mouth.

“Davy I’m sorry.”

“Wait for me to contact you about the job.”

The arm slowly slides away from his throat and his body is released. Charles doesn’t bother to turn around to face them. He opens the door and walks out. Walking past his car he carries on until the frustration gets the better of him and he starts to punch a lamp post. The first punch lands cleanly but it’s then followed by another which catches the corner. His knuckles split open letting the blood to flow out. He stops for a moment to examine the cut only for him to carry on punching, this time faster and harder. His other hand cuts open and yet he carries on until he starts to get tired and just as he considers about to slow down he smashes his head on the post causing a deep thudding sound spreads throughout the street. Then, clarity. Screw Gregor and Davy he was still gong to formulate a plan on how to rob the garage, Gregor was good at planning but he wasn’t listening to the key points that were pivotal to get right in order to ensure the successful operation. He’d wait for the call and would listen to his plan if it was good enough then he’d follow it but if it wasn’t then he’d make sure they listen to his alternative. He leans against the post and then slides downwards until he’s hit the ground. The blood starts to drip on the floor so looks inside his pocket for something to dampen its flow. He pulls out a piece of paper and is about to cover his right hand knuckles when he notices that the paper is the letter Karen had sent to Yannish. He pauses for a moment as it hovers over his blood covered hand. Then he carefully slides it back into the pocket concentrating hard not to get any blood on it. Once back in his pocket he gets up and walks over to some grass and rubs his knuckles along it to clean the blood away and heads back towards his car already thinking of the best way to steal the money in the garage.

Still seething about letting Gregor form the plan he manages to clear his head for a moment to formulate his own one. It was simple really, the best day to strike would be on a Wednesday, take Yannish out before he got to work, then about half an hour later storm in wearing masks and Tammy would have no chance. Of course masks would be used and Davy had told them where the security cameras were placed. They would have to enter the store and stick immediately to the right to avoid the camera above, then move to the second aisle to avoid the second camera and be able to place their masks on. The safe was located out the back and although Davy wasn’t able to know exactly where, convincing Tammy to tell would be easy. It was simple really but yet he wasn’t allowed to speak his mind in front of Gregor.

“Fuck him” He thinks convincing himself this would be his last job. All the morals and values he was taught when he was younger had deteriorated over the years as he begun to get more involved in the petty thug crime scene. He looks down at his gashed hands, still seeing blood slowly oozing out and thinks how often had he seen his own blood because of his work. This work, that’s what he used to call it, was about taking, never earning. Other people would earn, they learn new skills and experience new things and then get a job that reflects their achievements. He didn’t. He would be the one that would steal from them or take what they earned. At first it felt good, getting money so easily. He remembers when he was 19 and needed money to go out, he didn’t have a job in the local supermarket or clothes shop. No his job was to hang out by an underpass after dark and mug people for money. This particular time a young lady in her mid-twenties was walking back, probably from work when he noticed her. He stood on the other side behind the underpass waiting until she approached the middle. He could tell she was at the middle because he would smash glass bottles all around that area so when someone walked over them he could hear the crunching sounds. The familiar noise rang out around the underpass as he walks out from behind checking first to see if anyone was coming. When no one was in sight he turned his attentions on the girl and rushed at her with a menacing grin. Grabbing her by the throat and shoving her against the wall he demanded her purse. The woman quivered before braking into hysterics, her body was vibrating all over and wasn’t listening to what Charles was telling her. He pushed the palm of his hand up against her chin so her head titled backwards then he whispered into her ear that he would kill her if she didn’t give him her purse. This time she understood and although still shaking she managed to reach into her bag and hold out her purse to him. Her eyes looked gaunt in terror whereas Charles’s lit up at the sight of the purse. He quickly snatched it and pulled her close before kissing her on the cheek and pushing her on the floor. She wailed as some of the glass cut into her legs. Charles sprinted off until out of sight, until he was alone. Then he opened the purse to find £80. He was so pleased and openly laughed at the thought of how easy it was to get money.

Now he was thinking, yes it was an easy way to make money but how shallow life has become because of it. There was no achievement. Hitting people and terrifying them until they give you money used his innate skills and noting more. And it had been the same process day after day, year after year repeating the same thing for round about the same amount of money. It was only really when he met Gregor that things changed. This little, terrier of a man always wanted to try something new, do a different job and gradually things changed from waiting by an underpass to mug someone to waiting for the drunks to leave the pub at night, to breaking into warehouses early in the morning and stealing things and selling them on. There was a bit of variation in his life for a while but Gregor was evil and wanted it all. He can’t believe how closed minded he was, why didn’t he think of expanding his jobs, then he never would have needed Gregor. No matter now, it had all become boring, or become pointless with no sense of achievement and subsequently he feels his life is the same. All his achievements have been through petty or just above petty crime and he resented those accomplishments so he resented himself to the point now that he hated his life and what it had become. He hated the fact he had to steal to make money, he hated the fact he was a unable to do anything without Gregor’s approval, he hated the way he was starting to obsess hating Gregor. The human brain is an empty container, it is up to it’s owner to fill it with their choice of thoughts. And this was Charles’s. Maybe that’s why Yannish was a growing in presence in his head. This individual, young, and seemingly having a tough life schedule was still managing to live the ‘honest’ way. He was going to college to improve himself, he was working five days a week to earn probably half as much what Charles used to earn at his age from muggings alone. However, he seemed content because there was hope around him. He was emanating hope and Charles could sense it and he was fighting hard to not stay too intrigued as this would lead to jealousy and he didn’t want to hurt him. Instead he focuses on his own problems and uses the boy for inspiration. He knows that to start solving them he needs to cut off the main source, crime, and stay away from Gregor. That’s what he needs to do in order to survive and get clarity. Although in his late thirties he can still re-build his life the way he wants it. Even though he doesn’t know what that is he still knows that by living in this current way will only consume him into a cocoon to awake as a potential killer.

He lays back and blinks a few time to bring him out of his thoughts and back to the present time. The robbery must be a success and therefore he must support Gregor until the job is done.


It was a three days when the text came through. He was sitting on the toilet reading one of Marla’s magazines. It read, “Plan. Mine @ 9.” Finally it had been formulated. Charles couldn’t help but feel that this could have been done along time ago and in fact right now the job could have been done and he could be counting his final takings. Still he needed to speak to Marla to find out if she would be willing to change with him, leave it all to start something new. He pulls up his trousers and goes to find out what she’d think of it.

“What you doing today?”

“I told you, Semmii and I are going out, I want to get some bits.”

“You know, I’ve got a big job coming up.”

“Of course I do. It’s pretty big, well what Gregor told me, you guys could get some huge money from this. And I was thinking with that we could get some new stuff for the apartment, you know, like a new kitchen perhaps, or re-do the bath room. I really would like a bigger bath room.”

“I didn’t know you spoke to Gregor.”

“Yeah, I saw him in town when I was shopping, we got talking and he said some money would be coming your way and in that means also mine.

She leans forward and rubs his legs with her hands.

“Look, this money. The job. I’m thinking of stopping it after.”

“I want to stop.”

“I don’t want to do this anymore. I want to quit this, I want to do something else.”

“You can’t leave your friends like that.”

“They aren’t my friends. Fuck, Davy is a wimp and Gregor is one of the sickest men I’ve ever encountered.”

“He wouldn’t like you if he heard that.”

“Screw Gregor. The point is I want out. With the reward from this job we can be alright for a bit but I want to re-train and do something else.”

“You selfish bastard, you can’t do this. I need to live, don’t I?”

“Of course I won’t let you die. It’s just that you won’t be able to maintain your lifestyle for a while. I was thinking of maybe doing a plumbing course and maybe working as a bouncer at night to keep the income up.”

“No fucking way. I don’t want to give up anything. I want to carry on living the way I do, in fact I want to improve my living conditions not make them worse.”

“Look I want to try something new not carry on living the way I am. If I get caught I could go to prison for a very long time and who’s going to look after you then? You’ll be living with Semmii in a bed sit crying yourself to sleep thinking about how good it use be for you. This must be hard for you but if you love me you’ll trust me, I know what I’m doing it is the best for us and me.”

She gets up walks out of the room. Charles for a moment considers going after her but decides it’s best to let her stew on what he’d told her. He was confident, although kicking and screaming she’d go along with it. He imagined that it might be difficult for her to take, she was a poor girl to begin with and must hate the idea of perhaps returning to it. That wasn’t going to happen but it wasn’t going to be luxury either. He gets up himself and walks to the kitchen to fix a drink, rum and coke, then sits down on the chair in the front room. It’s strange but telling Marla brought his plan public, it wasn’t locked in his head anymore where he could’ve closed it down had he thought it stupid or was just to frightened to go through with it. Now someone else knew about it, and because it was serious he was almost obliged to go through with it even if he did want to back out. How shameful would it for him if he decided not to quit. Marla would torment him every time they had an argument. Things seemed lighter in his head now, this particular part of his life project was now in the open and it made his head clearer. He could move on to what he needed to do next, like thinking what exactly he wanted to do with the money. Closing his eyes and with a smile curling across his face he lets his mind drift into thinking what is he going to do.

Gregor had told them the plan. He decided that they would do it a week today, a Tuesday. They would wait for both employees to be on the shop floor before rushing in. It was deemed too complex and pointless to take out the boy Yannish before he got to the shop. The car would be parked thirty seconds away from the garage in a rural area. Masks would be put on in the car and Gregor would lead the charge followed by Charles. He would run towards the boy while Gregor made sure the lady Tammy did what they asked. This would involve turning off all the lights in the shop and the forecourt and telling them the code to get in the safe. Gregor would get the money while Charles tied and gagged them. In all the whole operation once the first step is made in the garage should take no more than four minutes.