Chapter 19

Revenge.

The bar of the ‘Station hotel’ standing at the top of Brownhills high street was almost empty as the old railway clock on its wall struck 7.30. The pub’s owner ‘Tiger Smith’, a famous ex-boxer, stood behind the bar. His only customers at this time were two old guys who sat talking with him, sat on the tall bar stools. While in the far corner sat at a table next to a potbellied iron stove, four men were playing cards. One of these was Wilf Collis, and among the other men playing was his brother Jack. Wilf looked up as the door of the pub opened and in walked Mazza with three of his friends. Under his arm he carried a small cardboard box. He placed this on the bar top then ordered four pints of Ansell’s bitter.

Jack Collis was by this time frantically nudging his brother, who, ignoring him, calmly carried on playing his hand of cards.

Danny and Tom having not at this point ever seen Wilf Collis, when they saw the size of him, wondered if they would be making the return journey home in an ambulance.

A few minutes passed as the three men now sipped the top of their beer when suddenly Wilf Collis looked up, having thrown his hand of cards in and called across the room, “I suppose this visit is supposed to impress me, is it, Mazza?”

Mazza licked his lips then placed his beer on the bar, before picking up the cardboard box. He turned to face Wilf, before walking across the room to stand facing Abe across the card table. He slammed the carboard box on to a table which made them all jump, the contents of which now as they spilled across it, were seen to be the broken Lucas Magneto from their previous encounter.

“I have just bought you a gift, Wilf, sorry but I am afraid it is broken.”

Mazza now looked daggers at Jack Collis who in turn looked as if he could not quite believe that someone was crazy enough to come here doing this to him.

Mazza continued by pointing out that if his brother had more manners then the magneto would have been delivered intact.

Wilf’s face meanwhile changed colour, the confident smile he had just now worn had slipped, to be replaced by a frown as he pushed his chair back and called out, “I am going to kill you, Mazza.”

Tom by this time was biting his lip, a trait he adopted whenever he was worried, Danny just looked on wondering once more if any of them would be leaving in one piece. Only Sean looked confident of the outcome, he had in the past seen his friend many times hand out a beating to much bigger men than himself.

As Wilf launched himself at Mazza, for the first time Danny saw just how lightning fast his friend was in a fight, as Mazza moved back out of his opponent’s reach before delivering him a fierce chop to his kidneys. As they now moved around the room the landlord ‘Tiger Smith’ called out in vain, “Come on stop this, boys, before someone gets hurt.”

Wilf now changed tactics as he tried to catch Mazza in a bear hug, but once more Mazza’s speed outdid him. Wilf was by now panting, taking in huge breaths. As he just for a second stopped moving, Danny was amazed now to see his friend run at Wilf before jumping to deliver the nut on the bridge of his nose, which in turn erupted in a torrent of blood that ran down the front of his white T shirt. The momentum of this move forced Wilf to fall back, losing his balance before landing on his back with Mazza landing on top of him with his knees on Wilf’s chest, as one or more of his ribs could be heard breaking.

Now gaining the upper hand Mazza went about his task with a calm efficiency by pressing his thumbs into Wilf’s eyes, who by now was screaming with pain.

At this point both Tom and Danny thought their friend would stop, what to them seemed torture having quite clearly won the contest, but no, Mazza now decided to move to a different part of Wilf’s anatomy by kicking him in his genitals then for good measure stamping on his kidneys. Having now reduced Wilf Collis to a bloody unmoving body that lay unmoving on the bar room floor, Mazza walked back to the bar were he calmly finished his drink.

None of Wilf’s gang spoke a word as his brother now moved to help Wilf into a sitting position. He, though, quickly moved back as Mazza once more approached the table. Looking at each of them in turn he ran his fingers through his hair, then advised them that they should not in future interfere in his business in any way or else there would be a repeat of tonight’s treatment.

The boys then left the Station Hotel and with Sean driving made their way home. Danny and Tom were deep in thought about what they had witnessed tonight.

Later that evening as they both sat in their bedroom, the two of them agreed that they were not happy to be involved with any more scenes of violence such as they had witnessed today, which had shocked them both.