Firecracker- John Shelby

-two-

"Right I've called this family meeting because I've got some very important news. Scud boat and love lock got back from Belfast last night. They where buying a stallion to cover their mares. They where in a pub on the shank hill road yesterday and in that pub there was a copper...handing out these"Arthur said handing out a leaflet.
"If your over five feet and can fight come to Birmingham"John read aloud
"They're recruiting Protestant Irishman to come over here as specials" Arthur said
"To do what"Ada asked
"To clean up the city Ada. He's the chief inspector.the last four years he's been clearing the IRA out of Belfast"Tommy said
"How do you know so bloody much" Arthur asked
"Shirley asked the coppers on our payroll"Tommy said
"Why didn't she tell me" Arthur said turning to me
"I saw Tommy first" I said shrugging
"Why are they sending him to Birmingham"polly asked forcing me and Arthur to break eye contact
"There's been all these strikes at the BSA and Austin works lately. Now the papers are talking about sedition and revolution. I recon it's communists he's after"I said to polly
"So this copper is going to leave us alone right"polly asked
"There are Irishmen to in green lands who left Belfast to get away from him. They say catholic men who crossed him used to disappear" Tommy answered
It shouldn't anger me Tommy was talking credit for my findings, but after while of listening I realised he wasn't trying to pass it off as his own, he wasn't letting me speak so he could censor out information, he didn't mention the robbery I told him about at all.
"Yeah but we ain't the IRA. We bloody fought for the king. Anyway, we're peaky blinders. We're not scared of coppers!"John said as I scoffed
"He's right"Arthur said
"If they come for us, we'll cut them a smile each"John carried on
"So Arthur is that it?" Tommy spoke my thoughts
"What do you think aunt poll"Arthur asked polly
"This family does everything open. You have nothing more to say to this meeting Thomas?"polly asked
This I was interested for, he glanced at me before saying
"No.nothing that's women's business" he looked at polly but I knew he was directing it at me, warning me not to bring it up.
"This whole bloody enterprise was women's business while you boys where away at war. What's changed?" Polly asked
"We came back" Tommy said simply
Once the meeting was over I ran to catch up to Tommy, he was in a rush to leave.I wanted to know why he didn't mention the robbery and most importantly, if he had anything to do with it.
"Meet me at the church in an hour"I said
I was sat praying when Tommy walked in and sat behind me.
"I have ten minutes what do you want?" He asked
"An explanation" I said
"Why didn't you mention the robbery at the meeting"
He sat in silence for a while as if debating on what to say.
"It was meant to be routine.I had a buyer in London for some motorcycles. I asked my men to steal me 4 bikes with petrol engines. I'm guessing my men where drunk. There's a still inside the factory that makes tram line gin. They picked up the wrong fucking crate. The boys dropped it at Charlie strings yard as agreed.they must have taken it from the proofing bay instead of the export bay. Inside we found 25 Lewis machine guns, 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 50 semiautomatic rifles, 200 pistols with shells"Tommy said
"Jesus Tommy" I said in shock
"All bound for Libya. Sitting right there in Charlie strongs yard." Tommy said
"Tell me you threw them in the cut?" I asked urgently
"We put them in the stables out of the rain, the guns hadn't been greased yet"he said
"Tommy Shelby you idiotic man!"I said
"So that's why they sent the copper from Belfast?!" I asked
"Maybe, maybe not"Tommy said
"Thomas, your a bookmaker, a robber, a fighting man, you are not a fool. You sell those guns to anyone who has use to them, you will hang" I said
Just then someone walked past, once he was far enough not to hear I turned back to Tommy and said
"Dump them somewhere the police can find them. Maybe if they know they haven't fallen into the wrong hands this might blow over. Tell Charlie to dump them tonight " I said firmly
"No. He won't move contraband under a full moon, 3 days until it wanes"he said
"Then you'll do the right thing?" I asked
He nodded.
"Tommy, we have the same mind, we always have. My mind is unspoiled by war. These guns aren't a blessing, I hope you know that" I said
He nodded again. I got up and walked past squeezing his arm. God could Thomas Shelby
Be foolish.