ThornyDevils (34 page)

‘Shoot the cunt,’ Robbie cried. ‘He’s been nothing but trouble.’

‘They’ll open up on us with everything, you stupid prick.’

‘The cunt must think it’s Christmas,’ Robbie commented as he crawled across the floor to peek out of the curtain. ‘He’s finally got the O’Learys.’

‘Shut up. He’s coming towards the office,’ Tommy announced as he peered out.

‘I’m shooting the bastard,’ Robbie cried as he reached up to the window.

He aimed his pistol through the window but Tommy snatched it out of Robbie’s hands. It crashed on the floor.

‘Forget the shoot-out, Robbie. We have to use our fucking brains here,’ Tommy stated as he smacked Robbie across the face.

‘He’s checking if Babs is still alive,’ Tommy commented. ‘She’s dead as a maggot.’

‘I don’t want to die,’ Robbie sobbed again and started to rock. ‘I wish Mum and Dad were here.’

‘Shut up,’ Tommy growled. ‘McCracken is saying something.’ He strained to listen.

McCracken’s voice blared over a loudspeaker. ‘Tommy and Robbie O’Leary. It’s Detective Senior Sergeant Dale McCracken here. Drop your weapons and come out peacefully. I promise no one will get hurt.’

‘We have a hostage, McCracken,’ Tommy shouted through the window. ‘We’ll shoot the Abo if you give us any trouble.’

‘Show us that he’s unharmed, then. Bring him to the doorway.’ Tommy motioned for Robbie to get Sam. Robbie crawled to Sam and shoved a pistol into the side of his head. Sam and Robbie slowly crawled to the closed door.

‘Show us that he’s safe,’ McCracken announced.

Robbie motioned for Sam to stand. Sam got to his feet, while Tommy continued to watch the police through the window. Robbie gently pulled open the door and pushed Sam into the doorway while he stood to the side, holding a pistol against Sam’s head. Sam stood in the doorway with his hands above his head.

‘Are you hurt, Sam?’ McCracken asked.

‘I’m all right. Just need a drink of water.’

‘Let him go,’ McCracken stated. ‘It’s pointless continuing this. You’re totally surrounded.’

‘No. No fucking way,’ Tommy shouted. ‘Let us get on our cruiser and we won’t kill Sam.’

‘I don’t negotiate with murderers, Tommy. You come peacefully and no one gets hurt. That’s the option.’

‘Fuck you, McCracken,’ Robbie yelled and pushed Sam aside and slammed the door.

‘Think about it, McCracken,’ Tommy called through the window. ‘We’ll willing to wait. We’ve got food and water in here. Let us know when you’re ready.’

McCracken walked back to the police cordon. Courtesy of their bargain, Peter and Dave were capturing the drama up close. The rest of the media were craning for glimpses, much further away.

‘I wish I hadn’t put Sam in this position,’ Peter whispered. ‘What’s McCracken up to? Just give them what they want.’

‘Looks like he wants to take the higher ground,’ Dave replied. ‘Maybe he thinks he’ll be able to wear them down eventually.’

‘He probably doesn’t care if Sam gets killed in the crossfire.’ Peter ran his hand through his hair.

‘He’s got the media watching him. It won’t happen.’

‘Better not,’ he sighed. He inched closer to where McCracken was standing, sipping a cup of coffee he’d just been handed. A mountain of a police constable blocked him from getting any closer.

‘Detective Senior Sergeant McCracken,’ Peter managed to shout over the shoulder of the constable. ‘How is the siege proceeding at present?’

‘Get back to your designated location, Clancy, or I’ll kick you out of here.’

‘I think that can be recorded as “negotiations are tense at the moment”?’ Peter told Dave, as they settled in for the duration.

***

Five hours had elapsed since McCracken had last spoken to the O’Leary brothers. From a light drizzle in the early morning, it was now blazing sunshine. It was a Mexican stand-off. Peter and Dave sat on the ground with their backs resting against the police van. Peter could see a police sniper slowly climbing the stairs to one of the cranes. The other officers appeared to be fused into crouching positions by the cars, their weapons trained on the office. McCracken was the only one who was animated, moving about and gesticulating.

Through the glare, Peter could see that the sniper had taken up position in the crane’s cabin.

‘We’re in the impasse phase,’ Dave observed. ‘It’s a matter of who’ll give up first.’

‘Ever been in a hostage situation?’ Peter asked.

‘No. I was a country cop, remember? Who takes hostages in a country town?’

‘You know shit then?’

‘Possibly.’

Another hour passed. Peter and Dave were still crouched behind the van when McCracken approached them.

‘You’re gracing us with your company, Dale,’ Peter remarked as he stood up to stretch. ‘Do you want to do an interview? I’ve got nothing else to do. Looks like you’re not doing much either.’

‘Shut the fuck up, Clancy,’ McCracken hissed. ‘Do you know where their mother might be living? You interviewed her once.’

‘I went to their house in Clifton Hill just after the shooting and then I met up with her at Slugger Douglas’s flat. I don’t know anywhere else.’

‘We’ve been there. We checked if she was at their holiday home in Portsea. We checked with her friends. They don’t know where she is.
Fucking think, Clancy. Did she mention anywhere else?’ McCracken barked.

Peter scratched his head as Dave muttered, ‘You reckon she’d calm down the situation?’

‘No. I’m very concerned that they may be missing their mummy right now,’ McCracken said.

‘Something comes to mind,’ Peter broke his silence. ‘No one knows this, but Ivy and Slugger were having an affair for many years. They used to meet at the Windsor Hotel for their trysts, Slugger told me one night. Could she be staying there?’

‘Worth a try.’ McCracken waved over two detectives.

‘Windsor Hotel,’ McCracken ordered. ‘Ivy O’Leary could be staying there. If you find her, bring her here. Better be right, Clancy,’ he added. ‘It’s our last chance.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘If she doesn’t turn up, we’re going in.’

What about Sam?
Peter followed McCracken to the van. ‘You can’t let Sam die.’

‘We’re not going to negotiate with murderers.’ McCracken stopped and spun around. ‘It’s likely they’ll kill Sam. That’s how the O’Learys operate. Tommy will be planning a way out of there, but Robbie’s going to snap. I know him. A real psychopath.’

‘You can’t go in there like Rambo,’ Peter said. ‘Sam’s going to walk out of there alive and in one piece. Remember the party snaps, Dale.’

‘Photos or not,’ McCracken said as he elbowed Peter away, ‘I’ll try to get Sam out alive but if these blokes crack I’m going to have to move fast. Hopefully Sam won’t be in the crossfire. Remember, you’re the one who put him in the situation.’

‘Fuck you,’ Peter groaned.

‘You’d better hope we can find Mum O’Leary.’

Another two hours passed. Inside the office, the situation grew tenser. Sam remained huddled near the sink sipping water from a teacup, while Robbie and Tommy kept a careful watch near the windows. Robbie got more agitated.

‘Why don’t they leave?’ Robbie shouted anxiously as he peered out of the curtain. ‘Copper bastards!’

‘Be careful doing that, ‘Tommy snapped when he noticed Robbie looking out of the window. ‘I’d say they have a sharpshooter somewhere
nearby. Maybe in one of the cranes. Just hang on, Robbie. They’ll come to their senses eventually.’

‘I’m getting out of here now. I can’t take it anymore,’ Robbie ranted as he crawled back to where Sam was positioned and put his pistol to Sam’s head. ‘Get up, Abo.’

‘What the fuck are you doing, Robbie?’ Tommy rushed from the window. He grabbed Robbie from behind and wrapped his arm around his neck. ‘Stupid bastard. You’ll get us all killed,’ he screeched as he tightened his grip.

Robbie reached up and smashed the butt of his pistol into the bridge of Tommy’s nose. Tommy fell to the floor, writhing, a deep laceration to his head.

‘I’m tired of doing everything your fucking way, Tommy,’ Robbie raged as he pulled Sam to his feet. He pushed Sam to the window and tore the curtain down. ‘Listen up, McCracken,’ he yelled. ‘Either you let us go now or I start cutting up the Abo.’ Robbie tucked the pistol into his pants, grabbed Sam’s arm and held it up. Then he reached inside his coat and produced a large hunting knife from a scabbard attached to his torso. He held up the hunting knife and pushed Sam’s hand onto the ledge of the window. ‘Do you see what I’ve got? I’m going to start with a finger for every fucking hour you don’t let us go. If fingers don’t work, I’m going for hands, starting now!’

Robbie raised the knife.

‘Don’t. Don’t!’ Peter screamed as he tried to push through the police. A burly detective tackled him and pushed him head down into the ground.

‘I’m going to fucking do it, coppers! One, two…’

‘All right, you made your point,’ McCracken barked into the loudhailer.

‘I’m not fucking around, McCracken.’ Robbie raised the knife higher. ‘Here we go.’

A police car with its siren blaring sped onto the wharf and parked behind the police cordon.

Robbie paused momentarily. ‘What’s going on, McCracken? I’m getting nervous. Bad things happen when I’m nervous.’

‘Someone wants to talk to you, Robbie.’ McCracken beckoned a bewildered Ivy O’Leary through the throng of police. McCracken gave her the loudhailer and flicked it on.

‘What’s my mother doing here?’ Robbie barked as he lowered the knife and pushed Sam away. He pulled the pistol out of his pants.

‘She’s here to talk some sense to you, Robbie,’ McCracken called. He nodded at Ivy.

‘Don’t let the cops push you around, Mum,’ Robbie said as he waved the pistol around. ‘The mongrels aren’t taking us to jail.’

‘Stop this madness, Robbie,’ Ivy stammered softly into the loudhailer. McCracken urged her to speak louder. She wiped her eyes and continued. ‘Is Tommy there? Where’s Tommy?’ Ivy said in a louder voice.

‘He’s okay,’ Robbie replied. ‘He hurt himself but he’s okay. Why do you always worry about him?’

‘I want to see him,’ Ivy said.

McCracken whispered into Ivy’s ear. ‘And Sam. I want to see both of them.’

Robbie pushed Tommy and Sam to the window. Ivy dropped the loudspeaker when she saw Tommy. He was holding a blood-soaked tea towel against his forehead, unsteady on his feet. Ivy tried to dash towards the office but McCracken grabbed her by an arm.

‘Tommy. You look hurt,’ Ivy cried. ‘Come out. You need help.’

‘I’m all right, Mum,’ Tommy grimaced as he wiped blood away from his face with the tea towel. ‘See? Robbie and I had a disagreement.’

‘Stop all this. Please give yourself up. You’re not going to get away,’ she pleaded.

‘We’re getting on the cruiser and pissing off, Mum,’ Robbie added. ‘You can come with us or stay. It’s up to you.’

‘You’re acting stupid again, Robbie,’ she screeched. ‘Let Tommy talk. Tommy!’

‘We’re not going to jail, Mum,’ Tommy said. ‘We’ll rot in there.’

‘I’d rather have my sons in jail than in the ground. At least there I can see you.’

‘We’re not doing it, Mum,’ Robbie added.

‘You were always the hot-headed, stupid one, Robbie,’ Ivy cried. ‘Come on, Tommy, be sensible. Don’t listen to your brother.’

‘I’m sorry, Mum,’ Tommy replied. ‘We don’t want to go to jail.’

‘Please, Tommy. Please.’ McCracken spoke into Ivy’s ear. ‘Are you all right, Sam?’ she asked.

‘Just tired, Missus,’ Sam replied wearily.

‘All these killings wouldn’t have happened,’ she raged, ‘if you hadn’t started selling that bloody heroin. I told Patrick not to get involved. All he thought about was money. Now he’s dead and my other son is dead along with all those poor kids who’ve died from overdoses. If you have a conscience you’d give yourself up.’

‘We’re sorry, Mum,’ yelped Tommy, ‘we were just doing what Dad told us to do. We wanted to please him.’

‘Pat only cared about himself.’ She pursed her lips and reflected momentarily. ‘He wasn’t even your father, Tommy. I’ve always wanted to tell you but I never had the bloody guts.’

Tommy leaned against the windowsill.

‘You’re not Patrick’s son, Tommy. You’re Slugger’s son.’ With that Ivy crumpled to the ground. McCracken motioned to an ambulance officer.

A wounded animal howl came from the office. ‘I killed him! I killed him! We thought he was dogging on us. Oh, God, I killed my own father!’

‘Give it up, Tommy,’ McCracken urged. ‘This madness can’t go on. Please.’

‘I’m giving up, Mum,’ Tommy yelled as he tore open the door and put his hands in the air. ‘I love you, Mum. I’m so sorry.’ He stepped out of the office dropping the blood-soaked towel in the process. The police raised their weapons. ‘Don’t shoot. I’m done with all this. I’m done. I’m coming, Mum.’

Tommy staggered towards his mother who was lying on her back, an oxygen mask on her face. She pulled away the mask and propped herself up on an elbow. ‘Tommy.’

‘Fucking dog, bastard,’ Robbie shouted from the doorway. He pointed his pistol at Tommy and fired. Tommy fell face down with two bullet wounds to his back. Sam seized the moment to jump through the window. He dropped onto the ground and lay still.

‘No! Not my Tommy!’ Ivy screamed and tried to get up.

There was a crack from above as the sniper took a shot from the crane. Robbie froze. He dropped the pistol and slumped in the doorway. The shot had severed his pulmonary artery. Ivy managed to crawl to Tommy and was sobbing over his body with her ear pressed against his chest. Everyone else rushed forward.

‘He’s still alive,’ Ivy cried. ‘Our boy is still alive, Slugger.’

Peter and Dave scurried to where Sam was lying. Peter shook him while Dave checked his carotid pulse.

‘You better be okay, Sam. I’ll never forgive myself,’ Peter yelled.

Suddenly Sam sat up and dusted the dirt off his body. ‘I was just pretending to be dead,’ he smiled. ‘I do dead pretty well, don’t I?’

‘You bloody old bugger,’ Peter said, as he grabbed him in an embrace.

***

Peter and Dave had nearly reached the Stag when they heard a familiar voice behind them.

‘You forgot something, Clancy.’