CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: the End of a Another War
CHANGRETTA HAD TO BELIEVE ARTHUR WAS DEAD FOR THOMAS' PLAN TO WORK.
On the day of the boxing match between Bonnie Gold and Alfie Solomon's champion Goliath. Most of the men in Birmingham were there, placing bets on who would win. In the beginning rounds, Goliath was beating Bonnie as Tabitha, Polly, Ada, Lizzie, Theo, and Linda were cheering Bonnie on. Tabitha had never been to a boxing fight, so she was excited, and that made Thomas smile.
Arthur knew something was off with Goliath's coaches, but Thomas shrugged it off because Arthur had snorted up cocaine. Though, Tabitha agreed with Arthur, her gypsy sense were tingling and they knew something was wrong. Arthur went off on his own to investigate, and Tabitha convinced Thomas to go after him before she knew something bad was going to happen.
When Thomas left, she joined Polly, telling her what was going on with Arthur and Thomas. Polly went to investigate with Tabitha following behind her, drawing the small guns from their purses. They walked down the hall and Thomas came out of one of the rooms.
"Arthur's been injured, but he's alright. We need to make them believe that he's dead. To everyone but you two, me, and Linda, Arthur Shelby is dead. I've got it all worked out. We can use his death to win this war."
The next day, they had a funeral set up for Arthur as he was in hiding. No one else knew he was alive except Thomas, Tabitha, Polly, and Linda. Mrs Changretta came to the Shelby home with a white flag, seeing Luca would let them live if they handed over all their businesses. Michael had hopped on a train to New York on his own, a part of Thomas' plan.
Later that afternoon, Thomas went down to the distillery to sign the papers with Luca Changretta. Polly and Finn were there as well as pregnant Tabitha, even though Thomas wanted her to stay at the house with Charlie and Ada. He told her she could stay if she stood with Polly and Finn for her and the baby's safety. Thomas looked down at his bottle of gin and it said:
DISTILLED FOR THE ERADICATION OF SEEMINGLY INCURABLE SADNESS.
Thomas put the bottle down as Luca Changretta and his men armed with tommy guns entered the lab. Tabitha and Polly had their arms linked with Finn standing close beside her, like a brother protecting his sister. Changretta approached the table and met Thomas' face, speaking Italian to his men.
"All that's left of the Peaky fucking Blinders," Luca said.
Then he stepped in front of Thomas, and snapped his fingers. A man in a fedora began setting down documents in the table as Luca walked back to him.
"I've had my lawyer draw up these papers," Luca said. "Cover every enterprise in your possession. Bars, restaurants, warehouses. Every fucking thing that you've taken all these years to gather together. You will sign them all over...to my family..." Luca began walking back to Thomas. "...or you're gonna die. Right here. I would've buried you all, but my mother, she, uh...she knows you. She said, it'll be worse for you if I let you live...and take away everything you have."
Luca grabbed Thomas' coat, and pulled out the gun Thomas hid in it.
"Search them," Luca told his goons.
They walked over to check Tabitha and Finn while Luca walked towards Polly.
"Especially don't trust his bitch," Luca then said.
He ripped Polly's blouse open, showing a part of her bra as the men patted Tabitha down for weapons. Luca grabbed a black pen and held it up to Thomas.
"So...sign," Luca said, tossing the pen on the table. "Every fucking one of them. You can sign them on your knees. On the floor."
Luca pushed the papers on the floor for Thomas to sign. Thomas didn't respond though, looking at Luca with his usual stoic expression. That only enraged Luca, and made him flip over the table and he growled.
"Get on your fucking knees and sign!"
A couple seconds later, Thomas started to get in his knees with his lips starting to part.
"A friend of mine once said...big fucks small," Thomas said, his knees in the ground. "So I had to find someone bigger than you. Now, you may know there are two families in Brooklyn, who want to take over your monopoly on the import of liquor into New York."
"But if they move against you in New York, they'll start a war between the families," Tabitha finished for Thomas.
"But if you were to die in a vendetta with some fucking bookmaker in Birmingham, they could take over your business without a war."
"We also contacted a businessman in Chicago," Polly said.
"He's also interested in moving into the liquor business in New York," Tabitha said.
"His name is Alphonse Capone," Thomas said to Luca.
"You been talking to that fat fuck?" Luca asked surprised.
"You see, all the blood relatives you brought with you from New York, they're all dead, Mr Changretta. And these men here, they work for money, for the highest bidder. They have new orders."
"Is that right?"
Luca then turned around and raised his voice for the goons to here.
"Is that right?"
He repeated the question as the goons lowered their weapons. With hurt on his face, Luca looked at the man in front of them all.
"And you, Matteo?"
The man named Matteo looked at the ground, not able to look at Luca. Luca turned back around to the Shelby's, slowly nodding.
"Hey..." Luca whispered. "Very fucking..."
He immediately went to grab his gun but Thomas threw it out of his hand with a pipe. Thomas grabbed onto Luca's coat and they began to fight. Polly and Finn pulled Tabitha back with her hand on her stomach, keeping her away from the fight. She was panicking as Thomas slammed Luca's face against the glass on another table. That's when Arthur and some of the Peaky Blinders came into the distillery, making Finn gasp in shock.
Thomas and Luca had stopped fighting when Arthur came in, looking better after being injured at the boxing match. Luca stood up, showing his face covered with blood and the shards of broken glass in him. Luca's eyes widened at the sight of Arthur as Arthur raised his gun. Arthur pulled the trigger and Luca fell to the floor, dead.
Turns out it was Arthur who shot the bullet to kill Luca Changretta after all.
____________________
SINCE LUCA CHANGRETTA WAS DEAD, TABITHA AND THOMAS WERE FINALLY ABLE TO GO BACK HOME TO THE ARROW HOUSE WITH MAGGIE.
The vendetta was over, and it was a night of celebration. Arthur was alive, everyone except Tabitha and Lizzie were drinking rum and gin, and having a great time. Tabitha was happy to finally be home, finally allowed to have peace with her second baby growing inside of her. Her and Thomas were able to Maggie and their second baby grow up away from the business again like they planned.
Everyone was in the drawing room, talking and laughing together. Theo and his wife Lizzie were holding each other close, with his hand on Lizzie's tummy, rubbing the baby inside it. He gave Lizzie a quiet I love you and they tenderly kissed. The sight made Tabitha smile, sitting on the sofa with Thomas standing beside her and talking too her. They decided since the vendetta was over to announce her pregnancy, since Lizzie announced hers days before the boxing fight. Thomas stood up straight and spoke up.
"Hey. Listen up. Um..before we go to eat, Tab and I'd like to say a few words," Thomas started, getting everyone's attention. "Last time we were all here, it ended badly. And now we're in a happier place. That's it, I'd just like to raise a toast." Everyone raised their glasses. "And Tab-"
"Hold on. A few words I want to say from the heart, and this time, you're gonna let me finish, Tommy," Arthur said, cutting Thomas off. He sat up in his seat. "Now, as you all know, Arthur Shelby is dead. 'Cause of that, Tommy's offered me a way out. A new identity. Start a whole new life for meself" He stood up, walking to where Linda was sitting. "I've thought about it. Made a decision. I ain't fucking going anywhere."
Everyone broke out into laughter, except Thomas, who smirked.
"Our enemies are gone. Dead, all of them. For the first time, since me, my two kid brothers, Tommy and John, enlisted in the Warwickshire Yeomanry, we have peace. So...I think I'd like to make a proposal that all of you, the Shelby Company Limited, insist that Tommy and Tabby here, take some time off together. It's time you two took a holiday. Put your feet up, have alone time. The war is over. No one wants to kill us. To peace."
Arthur raised his glass as everyone said to peace. The room went silent, looking at Thomas. Tabitha got up from the sofa and stood beside Thomas.
"Tabitha had some from both of us to share before we eat," Thomas spoke up, then looking at his wife. "Tab?"
Tabitha's bubbles with excitement and a smile formed on her face. That's when she happily told the news.
"We're having another baby!"
Only Polly, Thomas, Lizzie, and Theo knew Tabitha was pregnant so everyone else was shocked and happily laughing. Linda and Ada gathered around Tabitha, hugging her and saying congratulations. Arthur have her a big bear hug, but tried not to hurt the baby. When Everyone hugged Tabitha with congratulations before they walked into the dining room for dinner.
After hours of talking and laughing after dinner, everyone has left. It was just Thomas and Tabitha, with Maggie asleep in the nursery. Tabitha was happy it was just them, happy to be back home away from the guns and violence.
There was finally peace, and for her it was a fine feeling indeed, and she and Thomas were definitely going on vacation. She knew very well that the peace wasn't going to last with the business her, Thomas, and the family ran, so she was going to enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasted.
That night, when everyone had left and home back to their homes, Tabitha stood outside on the porch her nightgown and silk robe. Her eyes were closed as she took in the sound of crickets and the soft sound of the wind that blew her hair a bit. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she sighed with a smiled. Thomas was trying to find her around the house before he found her on the porch. He walked outside, only in his white sleeping shirt with trousers and suspenders.
"What are you doing out here, Tab?" Thomas asked, standing beside his, wife. "It's late and cold."
"I'm just enjoying the sound of peace and silence," Tabitha said, opening her eyes. "I've missed it, being able to stand outside alone without the fear of being shot. Finally being able to sleep without fearing our throats will be slit if we closed our eyes for even a second."
"Now we'll get that vacation you asked for."
Thomas wrapped his arm around Tabitha, pulling her body to his. Her head rested on him and head as they looked up at the stars together.
"We will never have permanent peace, Tommy," Tabitha said, making Thomas raise a brow. "We'll have peace now until someone new comes along, someone who we can't defeat. So, we should enjoy this peace while it lasts."
"I promise you this now, Tab," Thomas started. "I promise that no matter who we face in the future we will finally have eternal peace. Our children will grow up in a world of peace away from guns and gangs, a world where they can be what they want to be. A world where we will live together until we're old a gray, eh."
"Old and gray?" She asked with a faint smile. "Old and gray doesn't sound so bad if it's with you."
TABITHA AND THOMAS WILL RETURN IN...
"THE GREAT WAR"