Digital Life Form part 8

 

Atkins growled as he saw the three men pile out of the bar amid the sounds of gunshots.  He turned the ignition key and cursed when the engine didn’t start but kept the starter motor turning.  Richards slipped his seat belt off and gripped his pistol firmly, ran his thumb over the safety catch, ensuring it was set to off. 

‘Want me to follow on foot, boss?’ he asked, reaching for the door release as the engine fired.  The spinning of the wheels was sufficient answer.

*

'Follow me, run,' Geek shouted as he sprinted to the edge of the car park.  I heard the watching car's engine fire up and the wheels spin on the rough gravel, heard the sound of Winston's sixty year-old breath as he rasped and wheezed in our wake, heard his footsteps as he kept pace with us.  

The sound of the car was closing. I didn't look; I just heard the engine roar.  At the end of the car-park we reached a three foot high concrete wall forming a boundary above a dual carriageway.  To our left was a steep embankment, sparsely grassed and sporadically seeded with young trees.  Winston caught up and turned towards the car bearing down.

'Run to the left and get down the embankment, I'll hold them off,' he said, pointing his pistol at the car.

'Don't be a fool,' shouted Geek, slipping over the edge of the concrete wall.  I hesitated, my heart pounding and senses tingling.  Winston was standing bent kneed, facing the approaching car, sweat beading on his face, concentration in his eyes.  I shuddered as he squeezed off a shot, shook as the screen of the car turned opaque, panicked as the car started to slide in our direction.  I grabbed Winston, heard him yelp as I pulled at his wounded arm, and dragged him to the edge. 

Over the other side I could see Geek tumbling down the incline, out of control, illuminated by the orange street lamps.  Pulling Winston I fell over the edge, sensed him fall after me, felt the ground pound against my skull, shoulders, hips and legs then start over again.  I tried to steer myself but the fall was uncontrolled, gravity and shale dictating my speed and direction.  At one point Winston overtook me, then I passed him as he managed to dig a leg into the ground, showering us both with dirt and grass.  His hand caught my jacket, not for long but sufficient to slow me down enough to stop me rolling straight out onto the road below.  I paused at the bottom, on the pavement, panting for breath while supporting myself on my cut hands and torn knees.

From above I heard the car slam into the wall, followed by the sound of rubble rolling down the slope.  Almost immediately I heard one of the doors creak as it was flung open and grunts from the occupants as they struggled out of the door.  I stared absently at the ground in front of me, dazed and confused, unable to comprehend the meaning of the tarmac surface exploding in front of my face.  Winston and Geek cupped their hands under my armpits, dragging me up.

'They're firing at us,' shouted Winston, pulling me forward.  I staggered under his and Geek's direction towards the underpass, hearing the report and the ricochets of the bullets.  Within thirty seconds we'd rounded the corner and gained shelter from the attackers.  We slowed down spontaneously, three men dragging cold breath in voraciously, clinging to each other bonded in an event as frightening as any of us could ever imagine.

*

Atkins swore softly, his Southern drawl smoothing the venom.

‘Fuck them,’ he said, holstering his pistol, turning to look at the car, assessing the damaged wing.  Richards jogged back to the car, having been intercepted mid car park.

‘Bellonski and Johnson have bought it,’ he said, looking back at the club doorman stood in the middle of the car park.  ‘Locals aren’t too happy with us; reckon we’d better get the fuck out of here pronto.’  Atkins thought briefly about facing them down, he had some decent firepower in the trunk and, what the fuck, they were his employees that had been killed.  But then again they weren’t his highest priority; perhaps he’d just send flowers.

Looking back at the bend he’d watched the three men run down he followed the concrete path of the flyovers and intersections just beyond.

‘Get in, let’s see if we can catch them,’ he said.

*

'We need to keep moving,' said Winston, urging us forward.  We broke into a jog, approaching a bend in the road, feeling the dawn mist spread across our faces, cooling us down. 

Then I saw the arc of lights spreading across the road, heading towards us.  We pulled up and soundlessly started to look for cover, but to no avail as the car swept around the bend.  Winston started to pull his pistol out as the car slammed on the brakes and pulled up alongside, doors flung wide.  Geek pulled Winston's arm down.

'Don't shoot, he’s with me,' he said, pushing me into the car.  Winston piled in alongside me while Geek jumped into the passenger seat.  Within seconds we were hurtling away from Manchester, chasing the dawn rising in the east.  Geek turned in his seat.

'What a mess,' he said to me, 'you must have loads of questions.'  I shook my head, pulled my hands over my face.

'Only one,' I said, 'what the fuck's a DLF?'

***

Daily Telegraph, Monday 17th August

Shots heard in Manchester Suburbs

Gangland rivalries were reported to have erupted last night after a four month period of relative calm when gunshots were heard at around three in the morning.  Manchester’s Chief of Police expressed disappointment that his year-long campaign to outlaw gangland killings by taking a zero tolerance approach to firearms offences had been threatened.

‘According to officers who were on the scene within minutes there are no indications of casualties,’ he told this newspaper.  ‘It’s usually kids posturing; firing rounds off to impress their peers.  We will review the community approach this morning and target the vulnerable elements of the district.’

Five people have been shot dead in the Manchester suburbs in the last twelve months, mostly believed to be drugs related.

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Digital Life Form will be back with part 9 soon.  Can't wait?  Like all of my books Digital Life Form is available as an eBook and paperback on Amazon and can be read for free if you're an Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited customer.