Black Beauty |T. Shelby|

vii.

'So I was layin' on the floor of my room
Cold concrete on my back
No, I just couldn't shake the feeling
I didn't want to intrude 'cause I knew that I didn't have all the facts
But I couldn't bear the thought of leavin' her'

1919, Birmingham

The family were sitting in the meeting room, Arthur being the one speaking. "Right, I've called this family meeting because I've got very important news. Scudboat and Lovelock got back from Belfast last night. They were buying a stallion to cover their mares. They were in a pub on the Shankhill Road yesterday and in that put, there was a copper. He was handing out these." He handed out some papers he had collected. John snatched one from Ada before she even had a chance to read it.

"'If you are over five feet and can fight, come to Birmingham.'" John read aloud.

Arthur nodded in confirmation. "They're recruiting Protestant Irishman to come over here as Specials."

"To do what?" Ada asked from where she was sitting.

"To clean up the city, Ada." Thomas spoke up. "He's a chief inspector. The last four years he's been clearing the IRA out of Belfast."

"How do you know so bloody much?" Arthur growled. Rowena rolled her eyes and sat back into her seat.

"'Cause I asked the coppers in our payroll."

"And why didn't you tell me?"

"I am telling you." Tommy retorted. Arthur glared at him, taking a swig from his flask.

Polly read the paper, "so why are they sending him to Birmingham?"

Rowena sat back up, leaning on the table with her eyes on Tommy. "THERES been all these strikes in the BSA, and Austin works lately. Now the papers are talking about sedition. And revolution." He explained. "I reckon it's communists he's after." That caused Ada to tense up.

"So this copper is gonna leave us alone... right?" Winnie asked quietly.

"There are Irishman in Green Lanes who left Belfast to get away from him. They say catholic men who crossed him used to disappear in the night."

John squirmed in his seat, but uncomfortably but getting rowdy. "Yeah, but we ain't IRA. We bloody fought for the king. Anyway, we're Peaky Blinders. We're not scared of coppers."

"He's right." Arthur said.

"If they come for us," John continued, "we'll cut them a smile each."

Tommy shook his head sighing. "So, Arthur, is that it?" Arthur ignored him.

"What do you think, Aunt Pol?"

"This family does everything open. You have nothing more to say to this meeting, Thomas?"

"No. Nothing that's women's business." Winnie's head snapped up, as did Ada and Polly's.

"If you've forgotten, Tommy, this whole bloody enterprise was women's business while you boys were away at war." Winnie snapped. "What's changed?"

Tommy kept a calm demeanor. "We came back." The women all looked at each other with disbelief.

...

Polly and Rowena were sitting in their local church, Polly was praying and Winnie was there for company. She didn't necessarily not believe in god but she wasn't religious. Polly had called Tommy, telling him to meet the two women at the church. He was no walking down the aisle and sat behind the two at another pew.

"I have ten minutes. What do you want?"

"An explanation." Polly replied. "I've always been able to tell when you're hiding something. People 'round here talk, you know. Some of them work at the BSA. We've been talking to wives of factory hands." She motioned between her and Rowena. "Detectives have been asking questions in the proofing shops. Nothing happens in that factory without you knowing about it." She finally turned to look at him. "Speak."

Rowena tutted. "God and Aunt Polly are listening." He playfully glared at her before sighing.

"It was meant to be routine. I had a buyer in London for some motorcycles. I asked my men to steal me for bikes with petrol engines." He explained. "I'm guessing they were drunk. There's a still inside the factory makes tram line gin. They picked up the wrong fucking crate. The boys dropped it to Charlie Strong's yard as agreed. They must've taken from the proofing bay instead of the export bay. Inside we found 25 Lewis machine guns," Rowena gasped and threw her hands up.

"And 10,000 rounds of ammunition." Tommy continued. "50 semiautomatic rifles, and 200 pistols with shells. All bound for Libya. Sitting right there in Charlie Strong's yard."

"Jesus, Tommy." Polly let out. "Tell me your threw them in the cut." Based on the look on his face, he didn't.

"We put them in the stables out of the rain." He confirmed the women's suspensions. "The guns hadn't even been greased yet."

Polly spun around in her seat and started slapping Tommy repeatedly. Rowena didn't even stop it as she thought he deserved it, Tommy didn't do anything either as he also knew he deserved it.

"So that's why they sent the copper from Belfast." Winnie said. Tommy nodded.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Polly went to slap him again but this time Winnie stopped her.

"Tommy..." she said exasperated. "You're a bookmaker, a robber, a fighting man, you are not a fool. If you sell those guns to anyone who has use for them, you will hang.-" she was going to say more but that's when the door opened and a and the reverend walked passed the three.

Polly looked to Thomas. "Dump them somewhere the police will find them. Maybe if they know they haven't fallen into the wrong hands, this might blow over. Tell Charlie to dump them tonight."

Not even a second went by before Tommy said, "No. he won't move contraband under a full moon. Three days until it wanes."

"Then you'll do the right thing?" Asked Polly. He nodded. "You have your mother's common sense, but your father's devilment. I see them fighting. Let your mother win." Polly stood and did a cross motion towards the front of the church before she sped off.

Winnie looked at Tommy with sad eyes. "I hope you know what you are doing." She then walked off as well.

NOT EDITED