𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 ᵖᵉᵃᵏʸ ᵇˡⁱⁿᵈᵉʳˢ

32

Russel pointed his gun to Tommys chest and Tommy grabbed his wrist, twisting it backward.

The gun fired into Russell's mouth, sending him into the wall, blood splattering everywhere.

"Lizzie" Tommy said, holding his hand out. "Where were you" she shouted. "Where the fuck were you."

"Give me the gun Lizzie"

Lizzie sobbed and Thomas wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry" he whispered.

"Fuck off, fuck off" she shouted, pushing him away. "Just go" he shouted. "Go on just go" he repeated.

Lizzie ran out the back entrance and Tommy pointing the gun to the air, firing three times.

"Officers, officers. I was taking a shit" he panted, "and i heard voices, irish voices and i heard a shot"

"I swear to god there's a soldier lying dead in there" he told them.

Both officers ran toward where he pointed.

-

"All right make ready boys, this is it" John said, watching the coppers move from their place. Arthur shoved a gun into Delilah's hand. "Make your father proud" he whispered.

They all pulled out their guns. "You four get round the back, take three of your boys-"

John and Arthur walked a separate direction to the rest of them and began walking to different areas of people who owned betting licenses.

"Go on" Arthur urged.

"Your betting license" John said as they approached a man. Lilah pointed the gun to one of the men's heads. He slowly put his hands up as Arthur dug through his suit jacket, pulling out a betting license and setting it on fire.

-

"Who are you?" Grace asked. "May Carleton, i train Tommy Shelby's horse. And you're the woman he said was going to sail away"

"I see he didn't tell you about me" May nodded. "He did tell me another you though i wonder if that's significant"

"Tell me what about you" Grace asked. "You have any idea where he is?" May asked her. Grace shook her head.

"I'm waiting for him here"

"There's been trouble on the track, all of the bookies have had their licences burnt" May nodded, "shouldn't you be down with the horses" grace asked.

"Which means they'll have to re apply for their legal pitches" May continued. "It's all part of Tommy's plan for the future"

"What do you know about Tommy's future" Grace snapped. "The applications will be denied of course" May continued.

"And all pitchers will be allocated instead to Tommy's bookies, i know cause i'll make sure of it. I have influence with the board"

"There's business and there's love" Grace whispered.

"Is there?" May asked. "With Thomas Shelby"

"What do you want from him" Grace snapped. "Same as you, I want to feel alive"

May turned, walking away. "Did he tell you my name" Grace shouted.

"My name is Grace"

May continued walking away.

-

"Lizzie" Arthur shouted, pulling a seat beside the upset woman. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he asked. John joined them.

"Working for Tommy the same as all of us"

"You work for the Blinders" Arthur nodded. "Hey what happened to you" John asked, examining her beat up face.

"Fell over" she lied. Delilah pulled a seat opposite her.

"Don't fucking give me that, Lizzie" he pulled her toward him. "Come here, come here, come on" he whispered, embracing her.

"Eh, were you working?" he asked. "It's got to stop Lizzie, Tommys already told you. Toffs at the races are the worse you know that"

She nodded, keeping back tears.

"Hey come here, look at me" he gently held her chin. "Cheer up, we won, we took Epsom, kicked the cockneys arses"

"Congratu-fucking-lations" she nodded.

-

Tommy sat in the back of a van, staring at the small window. It suddenly came to a stop and the doors open.

He stepped out, looking at the empty field and the whole that had been dug.

"Were any you boys in France" he asked, "Will you allow a man a cigarette"

"The somme" one of them spoke, "The black woods"

Tommy looked at him. "The somme the buldge"

The man nodded at him, "Smoke"

Tommy placed a cigarette in between his lips and watched the other boy pull out a gun, checking the barrel.

"So fucking close" Tommy whispered. "So fucking close" he repeated. He looked up at the sky. "Nearly got fucking everything" he shouted.

One of the guns cocked.

Tommy turned back around. "Oh what the fuck" he shook his head. "Get it done boys" he said, walking toward the hole.

Thomas stepped inside it, throwing his watch inside.

"Comrade, we have our orders" the irish man spoke. "You know how it is"

"I know how it is" he said, "In the bleak mid winter"

He felt a foot push him forwards and two shots fire but he remained breathing.

The two men fell to the floor.

"At some point in the near further, Mr Churchill will want to speak to you in person Mr Shelby" the remaining man spoke.

-

Arthur stood on a table in the Garrison, "I'd like to raise a toast, to to the Small Heath Rifles" he shouted.

Everyone cheered.

"To the lee boys and to the peaky fucking blinders and to fucking Delilah" he finished.

She smiled widely, leaning against to wall.