wishing wells - michael gray

sixteen

Michael and Elsie sat in their car. They were parked in a factory and Michael fumbled with his shaking hands. God, Hughes took Charlie. Hughes hurts kids. Fuck. Elsie soothingly put her hand over his. 

"It'll be alright, Michael." 

"Elsie," Michael whispered. "I'm scared." 

Elsie leaned on his shoulder. "It's alright. I'm here." 

"Oi!" Tommy yelled. They both jumped as Tommy stood in the window. "Elsie what the fuck are you doin' here?" 

"John said to come. He said it would be safe since Michael deals with legitimate business." 

Tommy shook his head. "No...No I needed Michael for cover. Elsie get in the back and hide."

Elsie nodded frantically and climbed in the back. Michael stared back with his eyebrows furrowed as Tommy handed him a gun.

"Tommy, who are we meetin'?" 

Tommy rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. "Alfie Solomans. He knew about the jewels. He betrayed us. This gun is good for short range. If it goes south you cover me." 

"Fuck, Tom." Michael turned around and gave Elsie a kiss on the head before following Tommy. 

Elsie laid flat on the floor bed of the car. Her breathing was shaking. 

I should have just stayed in the village. The village was nice and safe. It wasn't dangerous. I never had to hide in the back of cars. I never saw children getting snatched from their fathers. I shouldn't have left. 

But God...Henry. I needed Henry. 

A gunshot rang out. 

Oh fuck, oh fuck. 

Henry. 

Without thinking, Elsie opened the door and ran out. She saw a man lying on top of Tommy with Henry pointing a gun at the dead man. 

No not Henry. 

Michael. 

"What the fuck is goin' on?" a man bellowed, whom she believed was Alfie Solomans. "What is the matter with you, Tommy, eh?" 

Tommy lunged at Alfie. "Yeah, I've got fuckin' angry!" 

"Tommy!" Michael yelled, running to him. "I know this bastard deserves it!" 

The three of them began to fight. Elsie flinched and ran forward to help Michael. 

"Tommy! If you kill him now, the truce with the London outfits will be blown to fucking pieces."

"Don't worry about that truce, kid, right, 'cause it fell apart." Alfie stumbled backwards. "Nothin' to worry about when it comes to the scary London boys." 

"Who's fuckin' side are you on!" Michael roared. Elsie flinched as she had never heard him raise his voice like that. Tommy shrugged her hand off his shoulder and shot her a glare. Elsie drowned out the voices now, ignoring as Alfie towered over her and Tommy, screaming something.

I shouldn't have come out of the car. I mean realistically, what could I have done? I don't have a gun. I barely know how to shoot. I would have gotten killed too. But Michael does the killing now. Michael is a killer. And I'm not even scared by that. Why aren't I scared?

"How many fathers, right. How many sons, yeah? Have you cut, killed, murdered, fucking butchered innocent and guilty to send straight to fuckin' Hell, ain't ya? Just like me!" Alfie's voice cut through her subconscious as she stumbled towards Michael. "You fuckin' stand there...you judging me standing there and talk to me about crossing some fuckin' line. If you pull that trigger, right. You pull that trigger for a fuckin' honorable reason. Not like some fuckin' civilian who does not understand the wicked way of this world." 

Elsie didn't know Alfie. Never met him or heard of him. But he must hold the same power as Tommy because everything he was saying was true. Tommy had no right to be upset at anyone but himself because his son had been taken. Tommy had killed and murdered fathers, sons, and brothers. He was no saint. 

"Michael..." Tommy said. "You drop her off at the house and you go to Charlie's Yard. John and Arthur will be waiting. Call Moss." 

- - - 

Hours had gone by. Several hours. Elsie couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. She couldn't stop pacing around Michael's room. She was utterly shaken to her core. The phone hadn't rang and she had no knowledge about what was going on. No Shelby had come back to Polly's house. Nothing. 

The door clambered open and she flipped around to see Michael. She beamed at him and engulfed him in a hug. 

"Oh fuck, Michael. I thought you were dead. I was so worried. I..." her voice trailed off as she pulled away from the hug, spotting the blotches of dried blood he failed to wipe away. "Oh Michael..."

"I took a knife and pushed it into Father Hughes. I watched his life drain out of him. Shooting the man earlier was quick and painless...but I felt him go..." Michael's voice broke and he suddenly sobbed. She hadn't seen him cry since they were children. 

"It's alright, Michael. It's alright," she said as they fell to the floor. She ran her hands soothingly through his hair as his body quivered. He shook as he sobbed, releasing a stomach wrenching scream. 

"I killed him." 

"It's okay, Michael. He deserved it."

Michael pulled away quickly. "No...Elsie no. You're a Catholic. You have good morals. You need to leave. I'll give you money and you can go to London and start a new life. You can't be involved in this shit."

Elsie shook her head. "No, Michael. I'm already here and I'm not leaving. I won't leave you, especially not now. 

"Fuck, Elsie! Fuck. This isn't the life I want for you. I don't want you to become a murderer!" Michael's hands were shaking as he hyperventilated. Elsie reached forward and grabbed his hands.

"I don't care what you've done. I'm here and I'm not leaving."

Michael's breathing began to steady. His blue, bloodshot eyes stared at her. Maybe it was the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Maybe it was the stress he endured from the night's events. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because he knew deep down he wanted her. 

He leaned forward and kissed her.