The Legend of Long Jones Page 12

  “Who are you looking for?”

  “A man called Badger Hanscome,” Mullins said watching the reaction of the man as he said it. The reaction was one of mirth and he laughed and slapped Mullins on the shoulder,

  “He actually isn’t down this alley,” he said, “but if you want some free advice, you do your best not to find Badger.”

  “Why would that be?” Mullins asked.

  “I know you Irish fella’s are supposed to have a temper on you and love a good fight, but Badger Hanscome is not to be tangled with.”

  “You sound like you might be scared of him?” Mullins said trying to draw him out.

  “You bet your ass I am!” he laughed. This was going nowhere.

  “Where would I find him?” Mullins asked. The man looked at Mullins and shook his head like he was crazy and there was no reasoning with him.

  “You want to go get yourself killed, that’s up to you, I suppose.” He looked at Mullins one more time as if to give him a chance to walk away and not receive the information he was about to impart. Mullins stood firm. The man sighed, “He works out of the Blindman’s Tavern.”

  “Thanks,” Mullins said turning to leave.

  “I didn’t do you any favours,” the man said and then called as an afterthought, “You didn’t hear this from me.”

  AS LORD MUC MADE HIS way to Joseph O’Malley’s house to find out where the meeting was to take place that evening, he couldn't help but notice Sergeant Malwey following him very obviously.

  “You being a private bodyguard for me today Sergeant?” Muc called to him as he waited on a corner for the policeman to catch up. Malwey didn’t answer until he was right beside Muc.

  “Just keeping an eye on you this morning, Muc. Hoping you’re not seeking revenge or anything like that.”

  “Not at all, that will be tomorrow's work,” Muc said.

  “Where are you going now?”

  “To Joseph O’Malley’s house.”

  “Why?”

  “I want to ask him about the night Roan was killed. It was you who told me he was there after all.”

  “You’re a tenacious one, Muc, I’ll give you that.”

  “It’s the only way to get ahead in this life,” Muc said. They were quiet a moment and Malwey said,

  “How much of a shit storm is coming from this gang business?” Muc thought for a moment before answering but he knew he couldn’t promise anything.

  “As much or as little as it takes,” he said. “Lawndale’s gang might be caught up in a leadership battle for a while or they could fall apart altogether. You just never know with these things.” It wasn’t the answer Malwey wanted but surely one he’d expected. He pursed his lips and nodded with a grim look on his face.

  “Hopefully it won’t come to a sticky end for you all,” he said and walked away shaking his head.

  Lord Muc watched him walk away for a moment and then turned back to his task.

  THE BLINDMAN’S TAVERN was teeming when Mullins stepped inside. Mullins could tell at once this was a real bottom of the barrel kind of place. There was a fist fight in progress in one corner and the prostitutes who eyed him up all bore horrible scars on their faces or other deformities that would rule them out of most other places. Numerous men were face down on the floor or on tables which he could only assume meant they were either asleep or unconscious. Beady and villainous eyes stared out from everywhere and Mullins felt for his money pouch and took it into his fist for safety.

  “What do you want meat stack?” the barman shouted at him and some around him laughed. The barman looked like he’d been in more fights than all of his customers combined and his face wore the fearless air of not caring about anything.

  “What do you have that won’t poison me?” Mullins asked leaning on the bar.

  “Nothing!” the barman said and he burst out laughing.

  “Best, I don’t have anything then,” Mullins said, “I’ll be on my way.” As he turned he scanned the room and didn’t see anyone who might be Badger Hanscome. Something heavy prodded Mullins square in the centre of his back then and he turned to see the barman poling a long broom handle at him.

  “If you’re not drinking, get out, we don’t like spectators here.” Mullins grabbed the handle and pushed it away.

  “I’m already leaving,” he said looking meanly into the barman’s eyes. There was no flinching from this man however, and Mullins turned and walked slowly out, listening for the rush of footsteps behind him in case he had to turn and fight. None came.

  Outside, Mullins examined the street for any sight of the cart but it wasn’t there. He walked around the side of the building and saw there was a delivery alley behind the tavern. He walked to the corner and looked down. Sure enough, there was the cart, and sitting up in it could only be Hanscome.

  Mullins’ crunching footsteps resounded in the alley but Hanscome did not turn to look at him. Mullins wondered was he hard of hearing.

  “You’ll be the blacksmith who was looking for me, then,” Hanscome said suddenly causing Mullins to stop in his tracks.

  “I am,” he said. Hanscome turned his head slowly and regarded his pursuer. He looked Mullins up and down and nodded and then turned back to some task he’d been at.

  “What do you want?” he asked Mullins.

  “I want to know who you work for?” Mullins said.

  “That’s a long list,” Hanscome said, “I work for hire and plenty are willing to pay for my services.”

  “I want to know who pays you to take girls captive and collect light steel frames on Pine Street.”

  Hanscome turned at this and dropped down to the ground to face Mullins.

  “That’s the kind of information that can get a man killed in this city,” he said smirking.

  “Acting the way he does is another way to get killed,” Mullins retorted. Hanscome laughed, throwing his head back and revealing a row of rotted and broken teeth.

  “You’re a brave one, aren’t you!” he said still laughing. Mullins didn’t like this and his temper was rising.

  “Are you going to tell me who I’m looking for or not?”

  “Of course I’m not going to tell you anything,” Hanscome said, “That wouldn’t do my business much good would it?”

  “You can make an exception on this occasion!” Mullins growled and he walked towards Hanscome to take hold of him and shake the answer out of him if need be, Hanscome didn’t move or react in anyway. His smile stayed on his face and Mullins was just about on him when a loud crack rang out. Mullins crumbled to his knees feeling the pain in the back of his head now of the barman's broom handle. He had come out looking for him after all.

  “It will be dark soon,” Hanscome was saying, “I better be heading off. I have a special delivery to make tonight.” Mullins couldn’t tell if it was he or the barman Hanscome was talking to but either way it was the last thing he heard before falling face down in the snow unconscious.

  AS WITH THE TIME PREVIOUS, June, the maid in the O’Malley house, was terrified when she saw Lord Muc on the doorstep on answering.

  “I’m not here for any trouble,” Muc assured her before she had a chance to speak, “I don’t even need to see either of your masters, but I do need you to find out when and where I am to meet them this evening.”

  “I’m not sure if I should do that,” she answered timidly and Muc smiled at her and went on,

  “As you can see the dark of evening is coming very soon and I have an arrangement to meet with them this evening. I just need the time and the place to square it all away.” June nodded uneasily and then closed over the door.

  Muc looked out on the street as he waited. He wondered if Stirling was even still alive.

  The door opened suddenly, much sooner than Muc had expected it and Peter O’Malley stood there with his sour looking face twisted into a smirk.

  “You’re still looking to have this meeting then?” he said to Muc.

  “I am.”

  “Do
you have someone to swap out for your little friend Stirling?”

  “I wouldn’t call it a swapping out,” Muc said, “But yes.”

  “Well, it’s my brother who you’ll have to satisfy,” Peter said, “If he’s not convinced, Stirling will be dead in an instant.” Peter, smiling, made a slashing motion across his throat for emphasis.

  “I think I can convince him,” Muc said. Peter studied his face but it was giving nothing away.

  “So be it,” Peter said, “I will have a carriage pick you and one of your men up at the Five Points in an hour.”

  “Just one man?” Muc repeated, “How many will you have there?”

  “You needn’t concern yourself with that,” Peter said and closed the door without another word.

  MULLINS OPENED HIS eyes and felt the snow sting his eyeballs. He pushed up from the ground and the front of his clothes were wet and freezing cold. He was unsteady on his feet once he was up and his hand went to the back of his head instinctively at the pain.

  A towering rage formed as he recalled what had happened. Spinning around Mullins found the rear gate to the Blindman’s Tavern and smashed through it without even trying to see if it was open. A man and a prostitute negotiating a price jumped back startled as Mullins’ huge frame pushed into the rear storage yard.

  Mullins ignored them and went inside the bar.

  The barman’s eyes met him at once and the offending broom handle was quickly back in hand.

  “Some people don’t learn!” the barman said striding towards Mullins and raising the stick above his head.

  “Go on Tommy!” someone shouted and a loud cheer went up. Mullins hadn’t stopped moving since entering and when the broom handle came down searching out his head he raised an arm and parried it away before gripping the barman by the front of his shirt and pummelling five rapid and furious punches right into his face. Tommy’s nose burst and shattered all over his face and his knees went weak and could no longer hold him up. Mullins’ rage was not satisfied yet, however, and he held the man up by the clothes to level some more blows to each cheek before letting the bloody mess of a man fall to the sodden and stained ground.

  The place was silent and Mullins looked around, partially hoping someone might be coming at him so he would have an excuse to fight on, but no one was so foolish- even in this villainous den. Breathing hard, Mullins went to the counter and helped himself to a large swig from a bottle of whiskey. He shuddered as it went down and set back off out through the back door to follow the cart tracks of Badger Hanscome as best he could.

  LORD MUC HAD TO RUSH back to Orange Street to get Tobias for the meeting. He was his most trusted gang member and, after Muc himself, was the best fighter in the Wild Boars gang. James was busy carrying out the task set him earlier so Muc called John as he came through the gate.

  “Get anyone who’s close by to come to Five Points and watch for Tobias and me getting into a carriage. Do your best to follow it but keep your distance and only come if I call for you.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I don’t know yet, the driver of the coach will just take us.”

  “How many men do you want?”

  “As many as you can get in ten minutes!” Muc replied and then called out, “Tobias, get your arse out here, we have work to do.” John ran off down the street in search of gang members for the job set. Tobias appeared at a window on the second floor of the house.

  “What is it?” he called down.

  “We have an appointment with the O’Malley Brother’s,” Muc called up.

  “Weapons?” Tobias asked.

  “Just small ones we can conceal.” Tobias nodded and disappeared inside.

  While he waited Muc went to the pens and looked in on the pigs ruffing about. Ragjaw had grown a little and was still bullying all around him. Muc smiled at this and wondered would there ever be a time he could take the pig out on a leash and have him in a fight like the Roman’s used to?

  Tobias came to Muc’s side and handed him some knives for placing in secret pockets in his clothes.

  “Do you expect we’ll be using them?” Tobias asked.

  “I expect blood will be shed,” Muc said, “But I’m not so sure we’ll have to do any of it.” Tobias looked at his boss but Muc didn’t say anything more and walked towards the gate. Tobias looked in a moment on the pigs and then followed.

  Chapter 11

  Mullins followed the cart tracks to the end of the alley and could see which way Hanscome had turned but the tracks were then lost in those of the traffic on the street. It was impossible to tell which were which. His blood still boiled and he decided on a new tactic to find his prey. If all these street traders and people walking about responded to was fear, he would give them something to be fearful about.

  “Which way did Badger Hanscome go?” he shouted in the face of a man shovelling snow from the front of his store. The man’s face drained white and he pointed to the corner without hesitation,

  “To the right, about ten minutes ago!” he said through gulping breaths and chattering teeth.

  Mullins carried out this same procedure on each new street he came to with a new terrified person each time. It seemed to be effective and by what people were telling him, he was gaining the man. Half an hour later, his clothes frozen hard in front of him, Mullins rounded a corner to find the cart parked outside a house. It was unoccupied but Mullins knew it would be for long. He went close and hid in beside the stairway of another building. Here he would wait.

  Across the street, Mullins saw a furniture store and inside a man cleaning up for closing time. This gave Mullins an idea. Hanscome had mentioned a special delivery and this place was probably his pickup point. Mullins could imagine a person bound and covered in a sack pillowcase over their head being the cargo. There was a chance this might lead to the person Badger worked for. That was the real heart of it all.

  Looking to the doorway of the house outside which the cart was parked to be sure no one was coming out, Mullins crossed the road and went into the furniture shop. After a short but forceful negotiation, Mullins came back out with a hammer, a thin foot long sheet of wood and a couple of small nails.

  Creeping to the back of the cart, Mullins got down out of sight of the house and nailed the wood to the underside of the roadside wheel of the cart. Checking once more that he was not being watched, he then used his strength to pull the cart back a little so the wood was on the ground. The horses whinnied a little in complaining but took the one step back that was required all the same.

  After returning the hammer, Mullins stayed in the store and watched the house through the window. Sure enough, a few minutes later a man appeared at the door, looked up and down the street and then held the door open wide. Badger Hanscome emerged with a hooded and tied man and dragged him down the steps and out to the cart. The other man went back inside and closed the door as soon as they were clear of it. Badger pulled at the bound man roughly and then lifted him and dropped him unceremoniously into the back of the cart before climbing up and whipping the horse into motion at once.

  Mullins let them gain a little distance before coming out onto the road to follow. He looked down at the ground and saw his idea had worked. If he were to lose sight of them somehow, he would be able to follow the tracks in the snow thanks to his little addition to the wheel.

  THE CARRIAGE THAT PULLED up for Lord Muc and Tobias was fancy by the standards of the Five Points, but not something to be overly impressed by. There was an old gaunt driver and he didn’t say anything when he stopped. He just waited for them to get in and then he started off again. No one was inside to greet them. Muc looked out the window as they passed some of his men blending into the crowd. He had to guess the O’Malley’s had anticipated his idea and their own men would be following the carriage to see Muc’s men doing the same thing. That could mean there would be no back up at all when they got to the meeting place.

  “We could be heavily outnumbered at this part
y,” Muc whispered to Tobias, He nodded. “If anything happens just make a run for it, don’t try to fight it out and we can regroup with the lads and go back at them.

  They looked out on the slow lumbering journey and then Muc said,

  “I don’t believe it. They’re taking us to that poxy cabin by the sea we met them at!” Muc had considered this was a possibility but had dismissed it as too obvious.

  The sound of the sea crashing against the rocks came almost as soon as he spoke. They would be stopping soon and would have to make the rest of the journey on foot.

  “At least it’s somewhere we've been before, we know something of the lay of the land.”

  “Can you swim?” Muc grinned at him.

  The carriage came to a halt and the driver knocked on the roof twice. Muc and Tobias got out and the driver left without looking at them.

  “You’d be hard pressed to prove he wasn’t a ghost,” Muc mused smiling.

  They looked around and all seemed quiet. Looks were sure to be misleading however. They started the walk over the uneven ground towards the cabin by the sea. The darkness seemed to make the crashing of the waves all the more loud and it made it hard to hear anything else.

  When they were about fifty yards from the cabin, three men came out carrying bats and heavy sticks. They stood facing the two oncomers. Then Peter O’Malley came out, his smiling sneering face as irritating as ever.

  “Well, Lord Muc,” he called out, “Is this the killer?” he pointed at Tobias.

  “Let’s talk inside,” Muc shouted, “I can’t hear a damn thing.” Peter nodded,

  “You can come in, but we’ll leave your friend out here for now. The lads will keep an eye on him.” Muc looked to Tobias and nodded,

  “Remember what I said, if anything happened just run.”

  “Call if you need me,” Tobias whispered back.