Free Justice for the Damned by Ben Cheetham Page A

his gag, his eyes swelling out of his head, gleaming pure hate.
    Stan punched Bryan in the solar plexus, dropping him back onto the chair. Winded, Bryan continued to strain wildly against his bonds. Wrapping one arm around the gangster’s neck, Stan grabbed the bicep of his other arm. He pushed down on the back of Bryan’s head, cutting off the blood supply to his carotid artery. As Edward watched Bryan go limp, he ran his tongue over his lips again, only now it left a trail of glistening saliva, as if he’d smelled something that made him hungry. Stan pulled the strap taut. The gangster’s eyelids flickered open. His head rolled from side to side, a confused, lost look on his face.
    ‘Do you know him?’ Tyler asked Edward.
    Edward shook his head. ‘I’ve never seen him before in my life.’
    ‘His name’s Bryan Reynolds.’
    ‘Bryan Reynolds.’ Edward’s forehead creased, as if the name was familiar but he couldn’t quite place it. ‘Who is he?’
    ‘He’s a drug dealer, amongst other things.’
    Edward nodded as his memory was jogged. ‘Ah yes, I knew I’d heard his name before. But isn’t he some kind of major organised crime guy?’
    ‘He controls the trade of narcotics and prostitution in Sheffield.’
    Edward’s forehead bunched into a deep frown. ‘And this man came to my house. Why?’
    ‘To kill you.’
    ‘Yes, yes, I know that,’ Edward shot back impatiently. ‘But why? Why does this man want to kill me?’
    ‘He’s Mark Baxley’s father.’
    Edward’s mouth dropped open. ‘Yes, now you’ve said it I see the resemblance,’ he murmured, lifting a finger to his lips, touching them softly, almost caressing them. ‘Stephen told me he wasn’t Mark’s father. I always wondered who the real father was.’ His frown returned suddenly, deeper still. ‘But how the hell did he find out about me?’
    ‘That’s what we’re here to try and find out.’ At a signal from Tyler, Stan tore the duct tape off Bryan’s mouth.
    ‘You’re fucking dead!’ The words exploded from Bryan like pent-up steam. He jutted his head towards Edward, veins and tendons standing out in his thick neck. ‘I’m gonna tear your cock out by the roots!’ He twisted towards Stan. ‘And you. I thought you were a stand-up bloke. How much is he paying you? It must be a shit lot if you’re willing to work for filth like him. Or maybe you’re the same as him. Maybe you get your kicks out of sticking your dick in kids too.’
    Stan made no reply, but he shifted on his feet as if he was uncomfortable.
    Grabbing Bryan’s head between his hands, Tyler wrenched it around to face him. ‘Who put you on to Mr Forester?’
    Bryan bared his teeth in a savage grin. ‘I’m going to give you a chance. Let me go and give me him,’ he jerked his eyes at Edward, ‘and I’ll let you live.’
    For a moment, Tyler seemed to consider the offer. Then he shook his head. ‘I made a contract with this man.’
    ‘He’s not a man,’ spat Bryan. ‘He’s an animal!’
    ‘Regardless of what he is, I…’ Motioning to Stan, Tyler corrected himself. ‘ We have a duty to carry the contract out.’
    ‘And what about your duty to me? Don’t I pay you to protect me?’
    Tyler scratched his bandage thoughtfully. ‘He’s got a point there. I think this is, what do you call it, a conflict of interest.’
    ‘There’s no conflict of interest here,’ Edward piped up, the tremor back in his voice. ‘I’ve paid you to do a job, so bloody well do it!’
    ‘You haven’t paid us yet.’
    ‘That’s merely semantics! As soon as the job’s done, you’ll get your money. And…’ Edward cleared his throat as if what he was about to say pained him. ‘And seeing as it’s turned out to be such a difficult one, I’ll chuck in a completion bonus of, let’s say, twenty thousand pounds.’
    Tyler fixed the politician with his unreadable gaze. ‘Each.’
    Edward’s tongue flickered between his lips, dry once again. He stared at Tyler