‘So. A bright kid like you has got to be wondering what a man like me wants from him.’
Ben studied his shoes and took a step back.
‘You seen that Oliver Dickens?’ The man asked him.
‘Twist,’ Ben said correcting him, and then ducking as if the man might take a swipe.
‘What you on about?’
‘Oliver Twist is what the book’s called. Dickens wrote it.’ They got it at school recently. Ben didn’t like it. Couldn’t see the relevance to his life.
‘I like a fucking smart arse, I do,’ the man said and his smile seemed genuine for the first time. But Ben instantly realised it was only because the man saw that his quick mind could be of help to him. ‘Well, anyway…’ The man’s hand shot out before Ben could duck again and caught him on the back of the head. It was enough of a blow to make him stumble, but he knew the man wasn’t really trying to hurt him, he was just playing a part. Keeping him right. Telling him there was more – and far worse – where that came from.
‘Ow,’ Ben said and rubbed the back of his head.
‘I was saying,’ the man continued, making a face that suggested maybe he did use more force than he intended. ‘Dickens wrote about kids being … used back in the day to help wiv criminal enterprises.’ Smile. ‘Nuffinks changed, mate. They’re all’ – he adopted a posh voice – ‘this is 1990 and we expect better of people, but it’s utter bullshit, mate. Show me an angle and I’ll work it. If there’s something wot a kid can do wot I can’t, then the kid’s going in. Get me?’
Ben had only a vague sense of what Seth was on about but nodded anyway. ‘And this morning’s job was only the start. You still owe me. A lot.’
Ben reared back. He owed this guy? How? He’d been drugged, transported to … wherever this was. He felt a cold chill rise up his spine. Felt a pressing in his bowels. What was going to happen to him? And what about that boy?
He’d gone up to the boy and girl as directed by Seth, assessed them both, saw the boy’s thick head of blond, almost-white hair, read how the girl was taller than the boy, who looked a year or two younger. But he revised this estimate, thinking they must be the same age or they wouldn’t be going out together. He told them he had some wacky baccy, knowing the boy would want to impress his girl with how grown up he was.
‘You don’t even smoke, Greeny,’ the girl said.
‘What do you know?’ Greeny replied, hopping from one foot to the other. ‘I’ve done lots of stuff.’
The girl snorted a ‘yeah right’.
‘Only Greeny can come,’ Ben said, thinking how easy this was. If this was all he had to do for Seth, life would be a dawdle. He looked at the girl. Long, straight, dark hair, large eyes, and one big yellow-headed spot on the point of her chin.
Then Ben turned and began walking away, shaking at the thought of what Seth might do to him if this didn’t work, praying that the boy would follow him.
He did. His eyes flashed with excitement when he drew shoulder to shoulder with Ben. ‘I’ve only got a tenner on me, pal,’ he’d said.
‘You said you’d win me a goldfish, Greeny,’ the girl called to them. ‘There’s only a couple left.’
‘I’ll do that when I get back,’ he shouted over his shoulder and offered Ben a shrug that read: Girls, eh?
Ben turned round to see the girl’s reaction. He’d been told to separate them; if he didn’t Seth would be furious, and he’d get another whack on the head. Or worse. To his relief the girl simply stamped her foot, turned and stormed back down the hill.
‘It’s Seth who’s got the stuff. He’ll let you know what it costs.’ Ben turned to the other boy, and dipped in between two stands, moving in the direction of the van that brought him here, wherever here was. He almost asked the boy what town this was, but decided that would make him look suspicious and that he’d leg it. And then Seth would be pissed off. And he didn’t ever want to see what a pissed-off Seth looked like.
Seth’s voice sounded just behind him. Ben ducked automatically, afraid that the man was going to hit him again.
Seth gave a little snort of pleasure at Ben’s reaction. ‘I’ll take things from here, sunshine. You go and sit in the front of the van.’
Feeling like he’d just committed an act of betrayal, Ben did as he was told. He had no other option if he wanted to get away from home, and stay away. From his seat in the front of the van he saw Seth walking with the boy, arm over his shoulder. The boy looked tiny beside the man – completely at his mercy.
As if that thought somehow transmitted to the other child, he chose that moment to look over his shoulder and threw a panicked stare towards Ben.
Shit, what have I done? Ben asked himself, praying that the boy was going to be okay.
Seth and the boy returned ten minutes later, and Ben could see that the boy was holding something in his hand.
Seth had a flask in his.
As he reached the van Seth signalled with his head that Ben should come and join them. Then he led both boys to the back of the van, opened the doors and bade them have a seat.
With an uncertain look at each other the boys sat down.
‘Young Robert here has his stuff…’ At that Robert held out his hand and showed that he was holding a little packet. As he smiled at him, Ben could see that his earlier bravado had vanished and that he was hoping and praying that whatever this was it was going to be over soon.
‘Before you go back to your girly,’ Seth said to Robert, ‘You need to seal the deal wiv a little drink, alright?’
Robert nodded. It looked like he’d agree to do anything, so long as he could then get as far away from here as possible. Seth gave the lid of the flask a little twist, removed it and handed the flask over to the boy.
‘Drink up,’ he said.
‘What is it?’ the boy asked, looking from Seth to Ben.
Ben opened his mouth to speak but closed it again, unsure of what to say. His mind was at war with itself. He was sure the drink contained the same stuff the big woman had given, whenever that was – he’d lost track of time – and by drinking it Robert was going to find himself in the same position as Ben. Ben felt weak with guilt. He didn’t want this boy to come to any harm.
As if he could read what was going through Ben’s mind, Seth shot him a look of warning. ‘Ben will have a little drink too, to show you how it’s done.’
Seth took the flask from Robert and handed it to Ben.
Ben knew he’d be in trouble if he didn’t comply, so took a large gulp and added a little dramatic noise to the action.
Reassured, Robert took the flask and had a long drink from it. He wiped his mouth with a sleeve. ‘That was…’ he tried to think of a word ‘…nothing really.’
‘Of course it was,’ Seth replied. ‘Do you think I was after giving you something poisonous?’
‘Right,’ Robert said. ‘I eh … need to be going. Thanks for the…’ He held his hand up, the one holding the little packet. And then with a cheery, and relieved, ‘see ya’ he climbed out of the van and started to walk away.
Ben was now starting to feel the effects of whatever was in the drink and wondered when it would show on the other boy.
The answer came quickly. Robert had only taken a few steps before he stopped and turned. ‘I don’t feel good,’ he said, his face pale.
Seth clambered out of the van and in a few strides he was alongside the boy and with little effort he swooped him up into his arms and carried him back up to the van. There, he laid the boy on the floor.
‘You might as well join him, lad, before the stuff kicks in,’ Seth said to Ben.
Wordlessly, and hating himself for it, Ben did what he was told.
Just then he heard movement down the side of the van – heavy breathing and the swish of one leg passing the other, as if a large person was walking there. He tried to lift his head, tried to assess if there was any way he could get out of here, but his thoughts were too slow. Then he heard the voice of the woman who’d passed him on to Seth.
‘What are you doing, you idiot?’ she asked. ‘That stuff can be brutal, you have to be careful with it.’
‘He just took a little sip. Don’t be stressing, woman.’
Through the mist that had settled in his mind Ben was aware of the back of the van being pushed down a little as if someone was leaning on it, and even through the mist of whatever drug he’d been given he felt a surge of fear. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get them both out of here.
‘You’ve got another one,’ the woman said, and even from the distance the drug created Ben could hear the disgust in her voice. Then in a thoughtful tone she said, ‘I recognise his face from somewhere.’ There was a pause. ‘I know that kid. He was with the old man’s granddaughter. He’s her boyfriend.’
‘And?’
‘Mr M hears about this and you are toast, man. Whatever you think you’re doing here you need to stop it now, and get that kid out of your van.’
‘What’s done is done,’ Seth said his tone suggesting he didn’t have a problem with crossing whoever Mr M was. ‘I’ll be hitting the road soon, and Mr M can kiss my hairy arse. Besides, he’s a special order. Blond wanted, if you know what I mean. That lad’s going to earn me a fortune.’
Ben listened to this conversation with mounting horror. If it hadn’t been for him this boy would be safe, going home to his family.
However, there were two of them now in this situation. Two would be more difficult for Seth to handle than one. They just needed to be brave. And as soon as the situation presented itself, they’d run for it.