The Darkness Within (Peaky Blinders) Thomas Shelby

34. Grenade

Oh my god

Please help me, knee deep in the river tryin' to get clean

He says wash your hands, get out the stains

But you best believe, boy, there's hell to pay

Yeah you best believe, boy, there's hell to pay, sayin'

- Bartholomew, by The Silent Comedy

"Jesus Christ." John exclaimed to himself, kicking a wooden crate in frustration and anger. The place was a mess. Everything had been turned over, knocked over, broken or scattered.

"What happened?" Arthur asked Scudboat, the man who had been left on guard while they were at the meeting as he poured him a glass of whiskey. The man had taken a knock to the head and blood ran down his brow.

"The Lees." He stated. "All of them; cousins, nephews, even the bastards."

"They've taken anything they can lay their hands on." Polly stated. "Four cash boxes." She added as Tommy wondered back over to his family after having walked a few paces away, being distracted by something on top of the fireplace. He was looking down at an item in his hands, grabbing everyone's attention.

"They left these?" Tommy said, holding it up for everyone to see, but he was mostly just looking to his brothers, as if he was saying it for them.

"Wire cutters?" Kiara asked from where she stood next to John

"Why would they leave wire cutters?" Polly wondered.

"Nobody move." Arthur ordered calmly as he, Tommy, John and Scudboat all exchanged a look, the woman out of the loop.

"I think our friends are playing the game." Tommy said.

"What game?" Polly demanded as she began to walk about the room, going to pick up a few things to tidy and Kiara moved to help her, but John stopped them both.

He quickly threw an arm across Kiara's stomach to hold her in place as he held out the other hand to Polly who was further away.

"Aunt Poll, don't..." She instantly stopped. "Don't touch anything."

"Why not?" Kiara demanded. "What the hell is going on?" She turned to her husband from where she still stood, John's arm firmly in front of her as if he didn't trust her not to move. "Thomas?"

"Erasmus Lee was in France." Tommy began to explain. "When we gave up ground to the Germans, we'd leave behind booby traps set up with wires. Then we'd leave wire cutters. It's part of the joke."

John's arm finally began to drop as he began to speak, adding on to Tommy's explanation. "Somewhere in here there's a hand grenade."

"Holy Jesus." Polly muttered.

"Attached to a wire." Arthur finished. "Don't move any chairs." He said as he, John and Scudboat began to carefully move about the room, looking for the wire. "Or open any doors. Go easy, John boy, easy." He said to his brother.

"Why would they leave the cutters in a place you could get to them before setting off the grenade?" Kiara asked, looking to her husband who looked back. "Finn's been running around in here, Polly and I began picking things up the second we walked through the door, John kicked that crate and it skidded the whole way across the floor." She listed.

Tommy shook his head slightly, as he looked about he room. "Boys, no, there's nothing here." He spoke. "Kiara's right, if it was in here, it would have blown by now." He stated. "It was my name on that bullet Erasmus sent. He set up a trap all right. He set it up just for me."

"The bedroom door?" Kiara asked.

"No." Tommy shook his head. "They wouldn't risk you opening it instead. You're uncle wouldn't allow that. It's why you were able to get into Kimber's party at the races through the front doors without being harassed by the Lees."

"Well then where is it?" Polly asked.

Tommy hung his head slightly, looking to the ground in thought before an idea came to mind and he looked back up, heading for the door. "Wait here!" He called over his shoulder as he ran out.

Kiara waited all of 30 seconds before shaking her head and following after him.

"K!" It was Arthur that called after her, but she kept going and they let her.

She came outside and looked either way on the street, seeing her husband not 15 metres away, his hand held in front of him, looking into the undercover park they had for the car.

"Finn, stay exactly where you are." He was saying as Kiara walked over to him, seeing the youngest Shelby behind the steering wheel of the car, happily smiling at his older brother as Thomas took careful steps towards him.

Finn giggled, "I was pretending I was you."

"Which door did you open to get in, Finn?"

Her heart pounded in her chest. The car. Tommy was the only one who drove the car.

"I didn't. I climbed in." Finn said back, clueless to what was going on.

Tommy's eyes flicked to either side of the vehicle in thought before stepping over to the driver's side door carefully. Kiara took a step forward, but Tommy held out his hand behind him.

"Stay back there." He threw over his shoulder and she froze. "Now, Finn... I want you to climb out exactly the same way you climbed in, okay?" He nodded. Finn chuckled like it was a game and then took off to the other side of the car, opening the door. "No, no, Finn!" Tommy yelled as there was a click and then a clatter.

Kiara ran forward, grabbing the boy as he hit the ground while Tommy reached in the car and grabbed the grenade, making fast steps out of the garage. "Grenade!" He yelled, throwing it across the street while the men out there ran clear.

Kiara held Finn and turned, shielding him as she crouched down while Tommy quickly ran back and shielded the both of them, the loud bang echoing off the wall.

Once the echoing had passed, they took a step back. Tommy knelt down to his youngest brother, placing a hand on either side of his head. "That's why you should never pretend to be me." He said firmly. "Okay?" Finn nodded his head in shock. "Okay." Tommy nodded back, getting to his feet as he pulled his brother into him for a hug, the eleven-year-olds arms wrapping around his waist as Tommy held him, looking over to his wife.

He held out a hand and she stepped into it as he pulled her into the hug as well, placing a kiss on her lips and resting his forehead against hers in relief.

"When are you going to make that peace, Tommy?" She whispered to her husband.

"Today."