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Sadie sat at the table in black, her eyes red from the restless sleep without Michael. James and Will sat either side of her, Edward and Flossie standing behind them. The family and kin were stuffed in the small back room of the betting den, waiting for Thomas to arrive. She sipped at her drink of whiskey, going between it and her cigarette. Her gaze moved to the doorway when she heard footsteps, Thomas appearing moments later as he came to stand just inside the room.
'John is dead,' He stated; 'Esme has gone on the road with the Lees... She's taken the kids. Michael is badly wounded. They say it's sixty, forty in his favour.'
'There's no number, there's no percentages,' Polly rattled on; 'There's only the hand. The hand beneath him stops him falling. I spoke to someone. My son'll live.'
Thomas stood silent for a second, 'Michael and John were shot because we killed someone. Vicente Changretta. His son, Luca, has come to take revenge. Men from New York and Sicily here in Birmingham. These men will not leave our city until our whole family is dead. That's how it works, an eye for an eye. It's called vendetta.'
'Yeh,' Arthur spoke up as he held a bullet between his fingers; 'The bullet's been written. It says, Luca. When the time comes... And it will come... I, as the oldest brother, I will put this bullet into his fucking head.'
He placed it down on the table, but Sadie could hardly look at it as she stared at the amused smirk on Polly's face.
'There's been some bad blood between us,' Thomas spoke lowly.
She clenched her teeth as the woman began to laugh as though it was the funniest thing she had heard, her hand closing around her glass.
'Polly, please,' Finn muttered.
'Polly,' Edward added when she continued to laugh.
'Until this business is settled, we stay together,' The middle Shelby continued; 'And we stay here. Small Heath, Bordesley, Hay Mills, down to Greet. We know every face and every man is a soldier in this army... These men are professionals, they're good at what they do, so we're going to need more than we have. I've sent a message to Aberama Gold.'
'No,' Johnny Dogs looked at his with disbelief; 'No, Tom. I'll get you fifty Lee boys. Good men, Tom.'
'I don't need good men, Johnny. For this, I need bad men.'
'Tommy, his people are fucking savages. You know? Heathens, Tom. They don't even let them in the fair, so they come and steal our horses. You know, stealing from their own, Tom.'
'So this the plan, Thomas?' Polly drawled as she sat up; 'This is the plan? A bullet with a name on it, help from a bunch of savages?'
'Fucks sake,' James muttered.
'We're going to go on the offensive. I've spoken to Moss,' Thomas stated.
'Moss!' Polly exclaimed sarcastically.
'I've spoken to Moss... Moss is putting out word. Eyes and ears so we can find em. Yet the truth is, the police are busy with the revolution. Moss says they're expecting strikes and riots when the weather gets warmer. The Bolsheviks are planning-'
'The Bolsheviks couldn't plan a fucking picnic. He's reading the wrong papers,' Ada scoffed.
'Ada! Real or not real, the coppers don't give a fuck about us. All right? Which means that here today, in this room, we have to agree to end this war between us... Take a vote.'
They sat silent for a moment, Arthur the first to speak.
'Peace,' He nodded.
'Peace,' Will agreed.
'I was never a part of this, but peace,' Ada added.
'Peace,' James looked at Thomas briefly.
'Peace,' Sadie muttered.
'Peace,' Lizzie stated firmly.
'Peace,' Charlie looked directly as the man he looked at like a son.
'Peace,' Finn and Edward spoke together.
'Shut up, Finn,' Arthur snapped.
'Why can't I say, peace?' Finn asked.
'Arthur, let them have their say. Finn, Edward, sit at the table,' Thomas instructed.
'Little bastard,' Arthur grabbed his youngest brother, smiling softly at him; 'They're sending us fucking kids, Sergeant Major, to do men's work.'
Polly sat stubbornly, looking away from Thomas; causing the Loveridge girl to finally loose it.
'For fuck's sake, Pol,' She slammed her hands on the table as she stood; 'This isn't time to act like a three year old.'
The woman still didn't move, 'My son's not here to speak... So I'll speak on behalf of us both... Truce.'
'Eight for peace, two for truce, one abstention,' Thomas nodded; 'Let's get on with the war.'
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It was bustling down at Charlie's yard as guns were brought in an unloaded, men lining up to be armed with loaded weapons. But Sadie wasn't there to watch it all, instead she stood in the middle of a large open paddock with her family; her head low and tears drawing stains down her cheeks. She stepped forward to place an envelope on the caravan which held John's body, inside one of the letters he wrote to her during the war; one she could bear to part with, countless others still tucked away in a box in her room.
She moved back to stand beside James, holding his hand as he stared at the caravan with tears slowly falling. No body spoke, the smoke from the fire burning behind them creating a screen around the group. The girl placed her arm around Flossie as she cried, Peter with his arms around Will's neck as he held him on his hip. She'd left Daniel with Joe after she'd demanded he come down to be safe, stating a funeral was no place for a child.
Sadie pressed her trembling lips together as Edward hugged her from behind, his arms wrapped around the front of her shoulders. She turned and rested her forehead against his cheek, a soft sob leaving her mouth. Will stood wrapped his arm around James' shoulders, connecting them all as one; glad to have each other alive and well.
'This is how John wanted to go. On the smoke,' Thomas spoke; 'But the truth is, we died together once before... Arthur, me, Danny Whizz-Bang, Freddie Thorne, Jeremiah, James, Will and John... We were cut off from the retreat, no bullets left, waiting for the Prussian cavalry to come, and to finish us off. And while we waited Jeremiah said we should sing, In The Bleak Midwinter... But we were spared, the enemy never came. And we all agreed... That everything after that was extra... And when our time came, we would all remember.'
'You remember that God spared you. But what did you do with the extra time that he gave you, eh, Thomas?' Polly chastised.
The Loveridge girl shook her head, lowering it as she let out a sob. Her heart clenched as she thought over all of the things she had helped put inside, a sob clawing at her throat as her tears fell quicker down her face. She gripped James' hands tighter as Thomas flicked a match down onto the wood that surrounded the caravan, flames quickly erupting.
James' knees gave way beneath him as he collapsed down, hanging his head as he sobbed. Sadie sunk down beside him, wrapping her arms around him as she sobbed quietly; Flossie and Peter's soft cries sounding through the crackling flames. The smoke filled her lungs and burnt her eyes, but she couldn't care less. She could feel the warmth of the fire on her face, the flames licking the sky.
Everyone let out a yell as a gunshot sounded, James curling over with his hands on the back of his head. Flossie screamed as she curled into Will's side, Peter crying as he covered his ears. Sadie looked around wide eyed, looking up at Will's still body as he held his youngest siblings, his gaze set across the field. Thomas yelled out to them, telling them to lower their weapons as some men raised theirs.
'The men doing the firing are on our side,' He informed them.
Another gunshot sounded, James jumping as his body shook lightly. She helped him stand once more as everyone around them did the same, letting him hold her hand to stop himself from having a breakdown.
'I took the trouble of getting an invitation to Aberama Gold,' Thomas stated.
'Oh, fuck. Now it's begun,' Johnny Dogs muttered as he pushed himself up to stand.
'You put us out in the open on purpose,' Polly stated; 'You used John's funeral fire as a fucking beacon.'
'We were never in any danger, Polly,' He shook his head.
'You set a trap.'
'Finn? Finn! Go to the yard and light the fires. Take Edward.'
'You set a trap with us as fucking bait... Who's dead?'
'Our enemies.'
'Who's dead?'
'Want to know, Pol?' Will spoke up, almost yelling as his whole body remained tense; 'Two fucking local Italians heard about the vendetta, tried to make a fucking names for themselves, that's who.'
'We got word to them about the funeral the where, the when,' Arthur explained; 'Told them where to stand for the best shot.'
'And Aberama Gold will do the rest,' Thomas added.
Sadie looked across the field as a group of horses and riders walked toward them, her eyes moving over all of them before she lowered her head at the shyness evading her mind.
'That's the language of vendetta they take one of ours, we take two of theirs,' The man continued.
'You used your own brother's funeral,' Polly sneered before pointing at the group; 'When did we vote on this, Tommy?'
'Curly, get a boat ready to take the bodies to the city, and another boat for anyone- anyone who wants no more part of this. Cos this is how it's going to be.'
Polly was walking away before he even finished his sentence, wading her way through the long grass.
'Polly!' He called after her.
'I'm not staying for this, Arthur,' Linda spoke up; 'I'm going home.'
'You'll fucking die,' Sadie stated; 'Don't do that to him, Linda.'
'I'll be on the next train.'
'Oh, yeah,' Arthur turned and strode toward his wife; 'Home's fifty seven Watery Lane. You go there... Lock the doors, you wait for me.'
But Linda merely looked at him and walked away, ignoring the key in his hand. Ada moved to take it from him, striding after Linda with a scowl on her face. No one else left, all standing at attention to wait for Thomas' orders. Sadie's eyes followed the man she assumed was Aberama Gold as he walked past on his paint horse with a younger man, ignoring the numbers he threw Thomas' way. She watched the horses carrying the dead bodies walk past, turning away quickly as the memories of the war threatened to push through.
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Sadie pushed the doors open to Michael's room after she'd made her way through the hospital with Polly, planning on making a quick visit before she headed to the late Christmas lunch Thomas and Johnny Dogs had brought down from the house. She ignored Polly's sneers toward the two guards who'd been caught sleeping on the job, and made her way to her husband's side. She kissed his temple as she held Daniel in her arms, smiling softly when she saw his lips turn up a little as his eyes remained closed.
'Hello, love,' She whispered; 'Look, Danny, it's daddy.'
'Hello, sweetheart,' He replied in a mumble; 'Hello, Danny Boy.'
'Da,' The little boy pointed toward him.
The girl moved to stand, placing her hand in Michael's as Polly removed her jacket.
'Hello, Mum,' He greeted his mother.
Polly looked at him shocked, quickly moving to sit down in the chair beside him; patting his face with a damp cloth.
'They said you'd be out cold,' She gushed as he tried to sit up; 'No, don't move... The doctor said they'd sewn you up like a football.'
'What else did he say?' Michael croaked.
'He said you took four bullets... Only one was live. One was a ricochet... Two were already spent.'
'Two had passed through John.'
Sadie lowered her gaze, blinking back her tears quickly as she placed a kiss to her son's head; sighing as the boy below her ran his thumb over her knuckles.
'The last thing I remember was his face,' He muttered; 'I watched him go.'
'Fuck,' She whispered as she ran the back of her hand under her eyes quickly.
'Where's Tommy?'
'Oh, don't worry about Tommy. Just get better,' Polly shook her head.
'Where is he?' He looked up at his wife.
'He's home. We all are,' She informed him.
'The Garrison, Watery Lane, Charlie's,' Polly drawled.
'I need a cigarette,' Michael muttered.
The girl moved to grab once, pausing when Polly spoke up again.
'No,' She stated; 'I've made a decision.'
'Give me a cigarette, Mum,' He groaned.
'It's not allowed.'
'It's not allowed?'
'I've decided we're going to get away.'
Sadie passed him a lit cigarette, ignoring the glare that was shot her way by her aunt. She glanced out at the brochure that Polly placed on the bed, cocking her head to the side when she saw it was about Australia.
'Yeah?' He pressed.
'Just me and you. Australia. And I've been to the Cunard office and I got a magazine. America's no good, because that's where they are, but there's no Italians in Australia,' Polly explained, causing her entire body to tighten.
'I think there are, Mum.'
'Bad ones, I mean.'
'Have you stopped taking those prison tablets?'
'Don't you worry about me.'
'I do.'
'Just you get better. The doctor says it'll be five weeks. Then, you'll be up and walking. Now, there's a boat that leaves on February the thirteenth.'
'You've got to be fucking with me?' She asked.
'Why would I be?' Polly asked.
'He's got a child now, Pol. He's got me. He's got a family that needs him.'
'Sayd,' Michael's voice calmed her.
She let out a sigh, 'I'll leave you two to talk.'
She leant down to peck his lips, not looking toward Polly as she left the room. The woman's words made her blood boil, it made her anger rise up her throat; wanting to spit words at her that she knew she'd regret. So, she took the next best option, to leave. She slid into the car that was waiting for her, sitting Daniel in her lap.
'What will we do, Danny Boy?' She asked softly.
The little boy spoke in his childish dribble, leaving her with no answer but a smile on her lips. Her eyes moved took look at her home town, trying to think over what she could do to change Polly's mind. She was too caught up in her mind when the car came to a stop, hardly noticing where she was until her driver cleared his throat. Sadie met his eyes in the rear vision mirror, nodding to him in thanks before she slipped out of the car; her feet hitting the dry dirt beneath her.
'We missed Christmas, let's have it now,' Thomas spoke loudly as he stood by a large makeshift dining table facing Amberama Gold; 'Peace on earth, good will to all men.'
She smiled softly to herself, crossing the yard with Daniel on her hip; Joe rushing over to greet her. She chuckled at his questions on her well being, before letting him take her son to see the horses. James handed her a drink as he greeted her with a kiss to the side of the head, walking with him to take a seat at the table across from Curly and Charlie.
'Toast to my brother, John. Raise your glasses, all of you,' Thomas demanded as he stood at the head of the table.
'Raise 'em up, all of you,' Arthur repeated as he sat.
The Loveridges raised their glasses high in the air, everyone on the table doing the same.
'John Shelby,' He called.
'Cheers,' They all replied.
Sadie threw her head back as she downed her drink, John on her mind. She slammed her glass down onto the table, pouring herself another one before she lit a cigarette; taking Daniel into her arms when Joe passed him over head.
'How's Michael?' Will asked before sipping at his drink.
'He's awake, in a lot of pain,' She sighed; 'But fucking worried about work and me and Daniel.'
'He needs to take a break.'
'I don't think he will till this is all over,' James smirked.
'That'll be the bloody day,' Edward chuckled.
'I just want him home,' The girl french inhaled; 'I haven't slept a wink and Danny misses him... I can't deal with this on my own.'
'You've got us, Sayd,' Flossie reminded her.
'I know, but you're not going to share a bed with me, now are you?'
'I will if I have to, we all will.'
She let out an amused breath as she smiled, shaking her head softly. Her gaze moved over each of her siblings, thankful for each of them.
'Will, where's the food?' Peter asked.
'Coming, Peter,' Will nodded; 'Johnny Dogs' cooking a fucking feast.'
'Of course, I fucking am. Us, Peaky Blinders don't eat like dogs,' The man called back.
Sadie laughed, raising her glass in the air in a mock toast.