Rebound // Alfie Solomons

56. Truth & Bullshit

"Thanks for this." Tommy remarked softly. 

"You gonna tell me whats going on?" Cora countered. 

"Nope." Tommy corrected hugging her. 

"Something really bad if you want Charles gone." Cora countered. 

"Real bad." Tommy rasped. 

"Are you in trouble Tom?" 

"I love you Cora."

"I will keep him safe. Protect him.  I promise. I might not even give him back." Cora informed him as Charles fell asleep against her shoulder. 

"This is the last bag." Tommy remarked bringing it out to her car. "Don't tell him all the bullshit about me."

"Just the truth?" Cora teased. 

"Gentle truth." Tommy countered. 

"I will tell him all the truth and bullshit and turn it into the fucking ballet of bedtime stories." Cora declared before kissing his cheek. "Bye Tom."

"Bye Cora."

+

'Before I begin I want to let you know, let everyone know, I Thomas Shelby made a mistake.' Tommy told everyone. 'I made a mistake. And I want to apologize to all of you.' Tommy looked around at his family. 'Arthur, you warned me against getting involved in Russian business. And you were right. I doubted your wife. For that I am sorry. Linda I have added 3000 here and hope that you'll forgive me, Tommy said Linda got up taking the stack of money from the desk

'Apology accepted' she told him taking her seat

'Esme I doubted you as well' tommy told her

'And now John has innocent lives on his conscience' she told him 'ordinary workingmen.'

'Yeah all right Esme he's got it' John told her

'no, no she's right.' Tommy said 'and you and Arthur are going to have to share that burden. But I hope the house that you can buy with this can become a place of contemplation perhaps redemption.' John got up taking the money from the desk. 'Charlie for lost tools, damages and goods...' another stack. 'Johnny For board and lodging' Tommy tossed money to both of them. 'Lizzie' he placed a stack of money on the edge of the desk but she rolled it back across not taking it. 'Michael for the killings. 5000 for the cutting 5000 for the shooting' but Polly wouldn't let him take it. 

'This is who I am and this is all I can give you for what you've given me. Your hearts and your souls. Yesterday I nearly lost my son,' Tommy told them 'so today I gave him to someone that I know would protect him. Love him."

"Cora." Ada realized. Tommy nodded. 

"you should fucking understand that for what? For what for this! And I know you all want me to say that I'll change that this fucking business will change but I have learnt something in the last few days. Those bastards, those bastards!' he shouted 'are worse than us! Politicians judges lords and ladies they are worse than us. And they will never admit us to their palaces no matter how legitimate we become. Because of who we are... Because of who we fucking are because of where we are from. Isn't that right Ada! Our Ada knows. She got smart about the revolution. And she knows you have to get what you want your own way. Lizzie I want it known that money was for you because some nights it was you who stopped my heart from breaking. No one else. And the rest of you took King's shilling. The rest of you took the kings fucking shilling. When you take the King Schilling the King expects you to kill. Right Arthur? That's how it works right John?' Michael stood up taking the stack of notes from the desk.

'That's right' Michael agreed sitting back down

'That's right Polly' Tommy told her 'that's right Pol.'

'Tommy' she said 'you've had a bad time we understand. So at an alternative time when we have all recovered,' she took the notes back from Michael 'I would like to put before the family-' she went on. 'An alternative you. Of the future of the Shelby Co. Limited A more hopeful view.' Polly suggested.

'Which I would quite like to hear.' Ada said

'Me as well' Esme said standing up

'As would I' lizzie agreed

'Come on Arthur the train for the dock leaves in an hour,' Linda told him. 'Then we'll get to the boat to New York and then it'll all be in the past,' she informed him. Arthur stood up everyone got up ready to leave.

'Ill be off them tom.' Arthur said. 'Ill see you eh? Ill see you brother.'

'You can go but you won't get far' Tom admitted as his family headed for the door.

'Is that right Tom?'

'I spoke to Moss last night,' Tommy told them 'he told me that the chief constable of Birmingham has issued a warrant for your arrest murder sedition conspiracy to cause explosion.' Tommy told them calmly. 'John they're coming for you as well. Murder conspiracy to cause explosion. Michael-'

'What the fuck!' Arthur screamed

'For the murder of the Hughes. Poly-'

'What are you talking about?'

'The murder of chief Inspector Campbell the people that we betrayed last night they want to bring us down,' Tommy told them 'they control the police they control the judges. They control the juries they control the jails. But they do not control the elected government.'

'why didn't you tell us before what's going on?'

'Listen to me listen to me, so I have made a deal' Tommy told them as everyone started to panic as the whistle of police could be heard.

'I've made a deal...' tommy repeated.

'They will hang us!' Arthur yelled

'In return for giving evidence against them-'

'They'll hang us'

'It's all been taken care of. Lizzie collect up the money and bring it to the cellar.' Tommy told her 'you will all get your money in due course when the police get here do not resist. Go with them and do not say anything. Arthur I made a deal with people even more powerful than our enemies.'

'Arthur!' Linda started screaming

'You have to trust me. Trust me.' tommy told them.

'You did this deliberately! You made this happen to keep us!' Linda said hitting at him

'Come here come on' Arthur said pulling her away, 'come on now we have to run!' Arthur told her. 'Fuck you!' He screamed running out of the office.

But they couldn't run they were too late one by one they were pushed up against the wall cuffed and threatened and dragged from Tommy's home. Tommy watched as his family was dragged away. If he didn't fix this they would all hang. Tommy put his family into this mess.  He felt he was betraying Cora even now, even though he didnt threw her to the wolves, she would find out and she would feel the sting of his betrayal. His families screams rang out as they were pulled away.