Free The Runners by Fiachra Sheridan Page B

fellas grabbed us and took the video.’
    ‘Who were they? What did they look like?’
    ‘They had their hoods up, we couldn’t see them.’
    ‘You must have seen something, Bobby.’
    ‘It all happened so quick. Jay wouldn’t let it go. He tried to stop them. And one of them punched him.’
    ‘Where did this happen?’
    ‘On the stairwell of Micka’s flat,’ explained Jay, ‘I tried to stop them.’
    Jay pretended to get upset.
    ‘Don’t worry. Don’t worry.’
    ‘Why would a junkie rob a boxing video?’ asked Jay.
    ‘How do you know they were junkies?’
    ‘All the fellas down there look like junkies.’
    Anto ran back inside and put a top on, before sprinting past them down the road.
    ‘I wouldn’t let it go.’
    ‘I thought it sounded realistic.’
    ‘It did. You’re good.’
    Bobby got a little bit of a buzz being believed by Anto. He didn’t suspect a thing.
    ‘Now what are we going to do with the video?’
    Bobby wanted to know the next part of Jay’s master plan.
    ‘What do you want to do with it?’
    ‘I think we should throw it in the canal.’
    The only things they had ever thrown into the canal were rocks, at the dirty rats that lived under the bridges.
    ‘We should see what’s in it first.’
    ‘We’re not opening it.’
    ‘We can’t throw all that money in the canal.’
    ‘It’s not money.’
    ‘Are you not curious about how much it’s worth?’
    ‘No. And neither are you. We’re getting rid of the video.’
    ‘We can get rid of the video, without the drugs in it.’
    Jay started to unscrew the video.
    ‘I’m going home, you’re doing it on your own.’
    Bobby was only home for ten minutes when Jay knocked.
    ‘Anto wants the two of us. He has his own plan.’
    ‘I’m going to follow behind the two of you. If anyone tries to touch you I will be there to pounce. I want to try and find out who it is. Don’t look behind you or act suspiciously,’ he informed them.
    ‘Did you find out who robbed us?’ enquired Jay.
    ‘They didn’t rob you. They just borrowed something that belonged to me and when I find out who it was, they will give it back,’ Anto said, with a certainty that they believed.
    ‘What will you do to them?’
    ‘Bobby, that doesn’t matter. What matters is respect. They will learn not to disrespect me.’
    ‘But that’s twice now that we have been robbed. Those videos are bringing us bad luck,’ said Jay.
    ‘It won’t happen again. I won’t have you going into the flats to meet Micka.’
    ‘What about Johnny?’
    ‘Or Johnny.’
    ‘It’s a waste you giving us a fiver every time. Sure they may as well call here to collect the videos,’ said Bobby.
    ‘They are lazy swines. Micka will meet you outside the swimming pool. Off you go.’
    They walked to the top of the bridge. Bobby couldn’t resist and turned around for a look. Anto was halfway up the hill behind them.
    ‘I thought it was the last delivery.’
    ‘So did I.’
    The shop beside the Red Brick Slaughterhouse was the dirtiest shop in Dublin. Jay said it smelled like old women. It was in the front room of one of the three-storey houses. Two floors above ground and a basement below. Everyone threw rubbish into the basement.
    ‘Let’s go in, Bobby.’
    ‘Anto will go mad.’
    ‘Just don’t look behind. It’s only a video so we have to act normal. He hasn’t a clue what really happened.’
    The hall door was always wide open to signify that the shop was open for business. The minute you stepped inside the hallway, a dog, which was behind a gate leading up the stairs, would bark its head off. It had the loudest bark Bobby had ever heard. The shop was in a door off to the right of the hall. Two old women ran the shop. They worethe same dirty aprons every day. The shop smelled like old person mixed with sweets. The selection of sweets wasn’t that great, but one thing they always had was flying saucers. They were delicious and only a halfpenny each.
    ‘Ten flying saucers,