By Andrew Hillier (Beneath, Shady, Devastated)
Paul sat beneath the oak tree and contemplated that last few days. He had always been a bit of a wide boy but had never got himself into serious trouble like this, this situation had gotten completely out of control and here he was contemplating a deal with the devil. The police had him; they knew everything but had nothing however they had a lot on him. The pictures, voice recordings and witnesses. Paul was small fry and the police knew this as he did himself, however with the information he possessed well he could help the police land some pretty big fish indeed. The problem was Paul being a little fish in a big pond could very well be eaten by the sharks and the would end up getting away scot free and his remains would end up holding up some underpass somewhere or other. The police knew this and also knew Paul didn’t want to serve any time so they had gone to him with a solution and this is what Paul was contemplating. Protective custody followed by a trial in which he could give his evidence not in the courtroom but via an audio link then a new identity and removed quietly out of the country.
Under the shade of the Oak tree Paul wondered how a few shady deals could get him into such serious trouble, yes he was warned but he didn’t think selling a few knocked off DVD players, stereos or games consoles would land him in such deep water after all it wasn’t drugs he was selling or illegal immigrants he was helping smuggle into the country but that was the problem he didn’t think and now he had to, he had to think long and hard. What should he do, should he just plead guilty? Paul knew this could be up to fourteen years inside but he had no criminal record, the guilty plea would take off some time plus time served and time off for good behavior he could be out in two or three years, however this didn’t appeal to Paul, he didn’t want to spend anytime inside although on the upside he would be looked after because he took the fall instead of blabbing. Still it was two to three years inside and Paul enjoyed his liberty too much. On the other hand there was the police offer, a bit of cash, fresh identity but with that came looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life, not being able to see his family or friends and not being able to do something slightly dodgy to make a bit of extra cash because the police would be keeping tabs on him, no that was no life not really he would still be in a prison of a sort.
Did he testify? Did he just face up to it and put these nameless, faceless people who he had somehow got mixed up with take the consequences of their actions. He couldn’t do that he would be dead before he got a hundred yards from the court and free but dead really didn’t appeal to Paul. Paul closed his eyes and enjoyed the warm feeling on his face and the cool breeze that would occasionally brush his face. This was the life he wanted, just to lie beneath a tree feeling the sun, hearing the birdsong and being left to his own daydreams. Could he go back, could he avoid the police and not testify and by doing so avoid being killed in some horrible way. No not really because he would have not only the police looking for him but also the organization, the police would want him to testify, the organization would want him to carry on doing those little jobs he was doing now which as he now knew were only cover for much bigger much more serious crimes.
Even with his eyes shut Paul knew there was a shadow covering him and he knew it wasn’t a cloud. “Hello Paul”. “Hello Inspector”. Paul wondered what the inspector wanted; there was nothing more he could say, nothing he could do until Paul made his decision. “We don’t need you, you are free to go and carry on your life, and we will not be pressing any charges. You are a lucky boy.” Paul sat up and blinked. “What! Why? I mean you cant do this” “We can and we have, we have another person in custody who is more than willing to help and fortunately has no criminal record, someone who is happy to help the police so you are free to leave.” Paul was devastated. “Free? How the hell am I free, they know you have me, they know you have charged me. If you let me go without charge and you start arresting people, they will think I blabbed, sang, whatever you want to call it and I will be a dead man A FUCKING DEAD MAN” “Goodbye Paul you take care” Paul stood up and watched the inspector go. He looked around but there was no-one about, maybe he could still get out of this, maybe if he went to the top man and told him what was going on he would be ok. Paul slumped down, he didn’t know the top man he knew his suppliers and that was it, and he couldn’t even get to them because if what the inspector said was true then they would be being rounded up. He was dead, he knew it. He knew the people at the top wouldn’t worry about killing him as he was just a wide boy, plus his murder would help the police maybe only circumstantially but they would be able to tie it in with everything else they had so they wouldn’t help, oh they would say that it was a tragedy but!
Paul didn’t hear the footsteps, didn’t feel the presence of another, all Paul felt was the knife under his ribs and the hot sticky blood running down his side and the whisper of his attackers’ apology.
Paul sat beneath the oak tree and contemplated that last few days. He had always been a bit of a wide boy but had never got himself into serious trouble like this, this situation had gotten completely out of control and here he was contemplating a deal with the devil. The police had him; they knew everything but had nothing however they had a lot on him. The pictures, voice recordings and witnesses. Paul was small fry and the police knew this as he did himself, however with the information he possessed well he could help the police land some pretty big fish indeed. The problem was Paul being a little fish in a big pond could very well be eaten by the sharks and the would end up getting away scot free and his remains would end up holding up some underpass somewhere or other. The police knew this and also knew Paul didn’t want to serve any time so they had gone to him with a solution and this is what Paul was contemplating. Protective custody followed by a trial in which he could give his evidence not in the courtroom but via an audio link then a new identity and removed quietly out of the country.
Under the shade of the Oak tree Paul wondered how a few shady deals could get him into such serious trouble, yes he was warned but he didn’t think selling a few knocked off DVD players, stereos or games consoles would land him in such deep water after all it wasn’t drugs he was selling or illegal immigrants he was helping smuggle into the country but that was the problem he didn’t think and now he had to, he had to think long and hard. What should he do, should he just plead guilty? Paul knew this could be up to fourteen years inside but he had no criminal record, the guilty plea would take off some time plus time served and time off for good behavior he could be out in two or three years, however this didn’t appeal to Paul, he didn’t want to spend anytime inside although on the upside he would be looked after because he took the fall instead of blabbing. Still it was two to three years inside and Paul enjoyed his liberty too much. On the other hand there was the police offer, a bit of cash, fresh identity but with that came looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life, not being able to see his family or friends and not being able to do something slightly dodgy to make a bit of extra cash because the police would be keeping tabs on him, no that was no life not really he would still be in a prison of a sort.
Did he testify? Did he just face up to it and put these nameless, faceless people who he had somehow got mixed up with take the consequences of their actions. He couldn’t do that he would be dead before he got a hundred yards from the court and free but dead really didn’t appeal to Paul. Paul closed his eyes and enjoyed the warm feeling on his face and the cool breeze that would occasionally brush his face. This was the life he wanted, just to lie beneath a tree feeling the sun, hearing the birdsong and being left to his own daydreams. Could he go back, could he avoid the police and not testify and by doing so avoid being killed in some horrible way. No not really because he would have not only the police looking for him but also the organization, the police would want him to testify, the organization would want him to carry on doing those little jobs he was doing now which as he now knew were only cover for much bigger much more serious crimes.
Even with his eyes shut Paul knew there was a shadow covering him and he knew it wasn’t a cloud. “Hello Paul”. “Hello Inspector”. Paul wondered what the inspector wanted; there was nothing more he could say, nothing he could do until Paul made his decision. “We don’t need you, you are free to go and carry on your life, and we will not be pressing any charges. You are a lucky boy.” Paul sat up and blinked. “What! Why? I mean you cant do this” “We can and we have, we have another person in custody who is more than willing to help and fortunately has no criminal record, someone who is happy to help the police so you are free to leave.” Paul was devastated. “Free? How the hell am I free, they know you have me, they know you have charged me. If you let me go without charge and you start arresting people, they will think I blabbed, sang, whatever you want to call it and I will be a dead man A FUCKING DEAD MAN” “Goodbye Paul you take care” Paul stood up and watched the inspector go. He looked around but there was no-one about, maybe he could still get out of this, maybe if he went to the top man and told him what was going on he would be ok. Paul slumped down, he didn’t know the top man he knew his suppliers and that was it, and he couldn’t even get to them because if what the inspector said was true then they would be being rounded up. He was dead, he knew it. He knew the people at the top wouldn’t worry about killing him as he was just a wide boy, plus his murder would help the police maybe only circumstantially but they would be able to tie it in with everything else they had so they wouldn’t help, oh they would say that it was a tragedy but!
Paul didn’t hear the footsteps, didn’t feel the presence of another, all Paul felt was the knife under his ribs and the hot sticky blood running down his side and the whisper of his attackers’ apology.