Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
L uke had expected an abandoned warehouse or sketchy block of flats. Something with burned-out cars, gang tags, and an odour of piss and death. Instead, he was directed to meet Yuri in a chain restaurant near a cinema in the suburbs of Leeds. A couple of beefy men were standing outside the front entrance. One was smoking and keeping a keen eye on the car park, while the other was scrolling his iPhone. They clocked Luke as he approached and when he pulled open the heavy glass door to walk inside, the smoker threw away his cigarette and followed.
It was early evening on a weekday, so the place was quiet. An elderly couple circled the salad bar, and a couple of lone diners were dotted around the mostly empty restaurant. The host stand was unoccupied and Luke couldn’t see any staff at that moment. The bodyguard stepped in front of Luke before leading him down to the far end of the room and the last booth. The window looked onto the deserted carpark where a plastic grocery bag was blowing in the wind. It was the opposite of an Instagram-worthy meal moment. A Crapstagram.
Enjoying the depressing ambience and shovelling a wedge of meat-feast into his mouth was the largest and most-tattooed man Luke had seen in the real world. He didn’t know why he bothered with henchmen as he could clearly pick up and crush any and all would-be attackers.
Luke was not a small man and used to towering over others. This man was a mountain. He would even make Hammer look petite. Still, the larger they were, the harder they fell. At least, Luke hoped that was true.
He had brown, frizzy hair pulled back in a ponytail and a beard that was shot with a few grey hairs. The eyes watching him from a craggy face were sharp and assessing.
‘You wanted to see me,’ Luke said.
Yuri didn’t stop eating until he had finished the slice he had been working on. It didn’t take long. ‘You look well.’
Luke cautioned himself not to react. There was no reason for Yuri to suspect that he wasn’t Lewis. He was going to say ‘you look the same’ but what if there was something really different about his appearance? Would it reveal that he hadn’t met the guy before? Blow his cover? He was overthinking, he knew. He had to calm the fuck down. ‘Fresh air,’ he said, hoping he hadn’t paused for too long. ‘Living right.’
The man barked a laugh. ‘That’s not what I heard. But I guess Fisher’s been looking after you better than I thought.’
‘What can I do for you?’
‘Just like that? You don’t want to give me shit about my pizza?’
Luke’s mouth was dry. ‘Places to be,’ he managed.
‘Last time you told me I had taste buds of five-year-old little child.’ Yuri leaned back. A crease deepened between his eyebrows. ‘We have problem?’
Breathe, breathe, breathe. Luke forced himself to lean back a little, too. ‘Not that I know of.’
Yuri didn’t speak for a few seconds. He was still looking at Luke with a piercing gaze, evaluating him with a calm intensity that made the skin on the back of Luke’s neck crawl. Eventually, he spoke. ‘You know why you’re here? I need to look you in eyes and hear it.’
Luke had no idea what he was talking about. If he said that, he would sound evasive, maybe turn the meeting acrimonious. ‘Why do you want to know?’
The bright eyes hardened to chips of glass. ‘Careful. It has been long time since we did work together. I want to know we still solid.’ He thumped his chest.
‘We’re solid.’ Luke said, hoping that was enough.
‘You have been away for long time. Time enough to get chatty I think.’
‘I hope you know me better than that.’
Yuri paused, weighing up his response. ‘I guess Fisher isn’t favourite right now. I think you know I’m better friend to have. There is still lots of work we could do together.’ He shook his head, his eyes softening a little. ‘I’ve been worried about you, my friend.’
Luke hadn’t been expecting that. Yuri seemed to be genuinely concerned for Lewis, but he wondered when Yuri was going to get to the reason for the meeting. Lewis clearly had more history with the man than Dean Fisher was aware of. How many deals had his brother been involved in? How deep was the shit and who had taken his shovel?
‘Fisher wants to make things right,’ Luke said, hoping that was what Yuri wanted to hear.
‘Is that so?’
‘Yeah.’ Luke couldn’t help the sarcasm breaking through. ‘He’s the penitent type.’
‘Penitent?’ Yuri’s face folded into a furious scowl. ‘You eat dictionary?’
Shit. Luke controlled his own features. He had no way of knowing how Lewis spoke in this world.
‘Always were snotty fuck,’ Yuri said, and Luke could breathe again.
‘You know why I’m here,’ Luke tried.
‘Because I told Fisher to send you,’ Yuri said with some satisfaction. ‘He knows I won’t let product move until I checked on my friend. I told him. It’s been long enough. Time to forgive and move on. Time to get back to business.’
‘If you say so.’
Yuri looked at him, not speaking for a long and uncomfortable time.
Eventually, he shook his head, as if deciding Luke and Dean Fisher weren’t worth his staring effort. ‘I would have thought you be more grateful. Fisher going to think twice before burying you good.’
‘I am,’ Luke said. ‘Thank you.’
‘No need for thanks. Long as you have kept your mouth shut. Safe. You keeping our business safe and sound, we don’t have problem.’
‘Okay. Great.’
Yuri held up a meaty finger. ‘You say it.’
‘I haven’t said a word,’ Luke said, hoping he sounded trustworthy. Certain. Even as he had no idea what he was promising. ‘You don’t have anything to worry about.’
Yuri stood up, opened his arms. ‘Come here. We hug now. You are still my brother.’
Luke stood, hoping this wasn’t a trap, hoping that Yuri wasn’t about to squeeze the life from him with his bare hands.
It was a good hug, all being said. If Luke hadn’t been in fear for his life, it probably would have been even better.
‘There,’ Yuri said. ‘All is good. You can tell Mr Fisher that I will allow his business to continue through the usual channels.’ He wagged a finger. ‘No more locking up my friends, though. Yes?’
‘Thank you,’ Luke said. He was filled with a rush of genuine gratitude and affection. This man, whoever he was and whatever terrible things he did, had prevented Dean Fisher from killing his brother.
Driving away from the pizza restaurant, Luke’s head started pounding. He realised he wasn’t taking enough breaths and pulled over at the side of the road to get his head down. Little black spots danced in front of his eyes as he sucked in oxygen. One little favour, Fisher had said, but what were the chances that would be it? And how far would he really go to protect Lewis?
He didn’t have Dean Fisher’s home address, although he could probably find it given enough time with Street View. He wasn’t interested in showing up unannounced and getting himself shot, though. Instead, he called the number he had been given.
‘Yeah?’ Fisher answered quickly.
‘Yuri says it’s business as usual. As long as Lewis remains a free man. He seems very fond of him for some reason.’
‘Lewis killed someone for him,’ Fisher said. ‘They bonded over it.’
Luke couldn’t speak. Fisher had to be lying. His brother was not a killer. Dodgy, yes. A thief and a conman and sometimes violent: yes, yes and yes. But a killer? Absolutely fucking not.
‘He has a way of making friends, your brother. That’s why I kept him around. Didn’t know how Yuri would react if I chucked him in the canal. You sure you don’t want a job?’
‘I’m sure. Thank you. Lewis’s debt is paid. We’re both clear.’ Luke was gripping the phone too tightly and he forced his hand to relax.
‘As I said,’ Fisher said, ‘don’t stress. You played your part, I’ve got my cash and had six months of Lewis’s life. It is enough. This time, but…’
‘Six months?’ Luke interrupted. ‘It’s been eighteen, easily.’
‘I told you. He was a pain in the arse. Took me over a year to find him. Lot of wasted time, lot of manpower. I should add that to the bill, really. You’re lucky.’
Lewis had been ignoring him for a year before Dean Fisher grabbed him? That couldn’t be right. He was about to tell Dean Fisher that he was misremembering the timescale, but shut his mouth in time.
‘You change your mind about work, go to the Spoons and ask for Fred. They’ll get a message to me. Cheerio, son.’