Dave knew he was right but he didn't ever want to have to face Jimmy Brick or Patrick Brodie again.

'Give him a week and we'll have a rethink. OK?'

Tommy shook his head in disgust and, hawking in his throat, he spat on to the concrete floor. Then he walked back into the flat and, picking up a kitchen chair, he crashed it over Colin Parker's head with all the strength that he could muster.

Colin was as amazed as Dave. He tried to crawl across the floor on his hands and knees, his head pouring blood and his mouth trying to bring forth some kind of warning, but all he could manage was a low animal grunt. Tommy Williams repeated the blows over and over again. The force of his anger and disappointment made him vicious and determined. Parker tried to crawl under the table but Tommy just kicked him over and over again, until he was spent and Colin was still, lifeless. Tommy stripped him of his jewellery and his wallet and walked outside once more.

He looked at his elder brother and said quietly, and with hatred, 'Fuck you, Dave, and fuck Brodie.'

He pocketed his spoils and walked away from his brother without a backward glance.

Dave watched him go, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he had been beaten and cowed, but with good reason. He knew what could happen if you pushed it too far and he was sorry that he had not explained that sufficiently to his little brothers.

Spider and Cain were in the club they frequented in Paddington. The usual customers gave them the salute they had come to expect and, walking through the main bar to the small offices behind, they greeted everyone with a smile and their usual cheesy grins.

The club was owned by them, though no one would ever be able to prove that. Even paying legitimate taxes was beyond them. They were also not about to be placed anywhere for any length of time by the filth. This was just another hang-out as far as anyone was concerned. Nothing to write home about and nothing could pin them down here.

In the back room, called the office for no other reason than they couldn't think of a better word for it, sat Jimmy Brick and Patrick Brodie. That Spider and Cain were surprised to see them was evident, but they both recovered from their surprise with an ease that made Patrick Brodie suspicious.

'Hey, how are you, man?' Spider, as always, was pleased to see his friend.

Patrick grinned. 'Good, as always.' He stood up and clasped his friend's hand tightly, telling him that he was still in the frame whatever happened.

Patrick sat down once more and stared at Cain with cold eyes. 'And how are you, mate?' The question was loaded with malice and Patrick was pleased to see the flicker of fear that passed ever so briefly over Cain's handsome features. He had hit the mark as he had intended. He just hoped that would be enough to bring him in line.

But Cain recovered his equilibrium quickly and shrugged nonchalantly, saying with the arrogance of youth and inexperience, 'Never better.'

Spider saw the look exchanged between Jimmy and Patrick and his natural suspiciousness took hold.

'Glad to hear it.' Patrick threw a bundle of money on to the table.

'What are you doing letting people like Colin Parker have credit?'

Spider's eyes widened slightly at the words. Other than that, no one would have guessed that he was rattled by Patrick's words. Patrick knew he was though, which is why he had said them in the first place.

'Did you know about this?'

Spider was expecting the question as he knew Patrick would have been expecting him to know it. He wouldn't have asked it otherwise. Brodie was not going to throw him a blind side, a curve, he wanted peace at all costs.

They were just play-acting, and Spider appreciated his friend's decency and his guarded pretence as he spoke to him. Spider was so annoyed that he could easily have bludgeoned his brother with anything that came to hand. Instead, he said, with an almost genuine honesty, 'Please, Pat. You know I would never countenance anything like that.'

Cain could hear the underlying annoyance in his older brother's voice but he was still too new to this game to realise that he was being flaked by the three main players in the room. His brother included.

Cain was unaware just how angry Patrick Brodie was with him, or that he had stepped on someone else's toes. He didn't yet understand that it was only because of his brother he was being given a Get Out Of Jail Free card.

Cain was shrewd enough to know that he had dropped a serious bollock and he was only interested in talking himself out of any kind of aggravation.

'Have I done a wrong 'un?'

Cain was being rude and he was over the top. He was without a brain cell if he honestly thought he was going to get away with any of it. He was standing by Patrick, his arms out in a gesture of supplication; his whole demeanour was telling them that he had had a capture and he was willing to learn from his mistakes. But it was also a gesture that said he was biding his time, that he thought they were all dinosaurs, his brother included. He was under the mistaken apprehension that he was too clever to be caught, that no one really knew the score where he was concerned.

Spider laughed loudly and punched his brother with more might than he would normally.

'You let a fucking racist thug have credit?'

Cain shrugged arrogantly. 'Who cares what he thinks? He wanted to carry on playing and now he owes us more money.'

Patrick nodded at the cash he had thrown down on to the table. 'He owes you nothing. There is a two hundred for your trouble.'

'But he still owes me a grand.' It was said quickly, without thought for who he was addressing and with anger and disrespect.

Patrick looked at him with a cold and calculated contempt. 'You get what I give you, boy.'

The atmosphere was heavy with malice and Cain was surprised to find that his brother was obviously on the opposite side. For the first time ever, Cain was on his own and he didn't like it.

Spider was seriously angry. His dreadlocks were thick and wild and they seemed to take on a life of their own when he lost his temper.

Cain was quick to note that Patrick was not at all fazed, yet his brother was almost spitting feathers. He had never before experienced anything like this and he was not impressed. He was earning, that was supposed to be what they were all about, so why was he being singled out for it? He was being vilified for making a few quid off the skinheads he loathed? Taking the spend off the scum was what they were all about, surely?

'It won't happen again, Pat. I will guarantee it.' Spider spoke with respectful authority and this annoyed his younger brother even more. Spider was supposed to be someone; Spider and Patrick were supposed to be partners. Why was his brother acting like a fucking houseboy?

Patrick knew what was going through Cain's mind; he had expected it. The boy was young, eager and if what he had found out was true, which he suspected it was, then he was also in need of a swift kick up the jacksy.

'Oh have a day off will you!'

The laughter in the room hurt more than anything else.

Patrick was shaking his head in utter disbelief. The boy was a fucking brahma. He was off his tree if he thought they were cunt enough to think he was some kind of businessman. Who in their right mind allowed people like Parker to have credit? Parker was a strictly cash-only gambler. If he was asked to say what he had for breakfast he would lie, add a sausage and then accuse someone of stealing it. He was also a member of the ICF and they were not an organisation to meddle with. They were just out for the fight, nothing more and nothing less. Patrick had no intention of taking them out over a debt. He would have done if he had to; that went without saying. But he had no intention of bringing any kind of notice on himself or on anyone in his organisation because of something so trivial. If Cain thought he was going to make his mark by letting people like Parker scrounge a few bob then he was either a retard or in need of a serious talking-to.