Fangtooth

Chapter 16

“You little bastard,” Lillian Brown snarled as she squeezed Jack’s arm. A wild look sparkled in her eyes. Shazam barked loudly.

“Let go of me, you crazy bitch,” Jack screamed.

Lillian squeezed tighter. Jack wanted to punch her, but he couldn’t hit a woman, not even one as mad as this bitch. He grabbed her hand to try to prise her fingers apart, but her grip was too strong.

The two grey streaks in Lillian’s hair accentuated her piercing grey eyes. Her lips curled back, and when she spoke, spittle flew out and struck Jack’s cheek.

“It’s all your fault,” she said. “You and your kind come down here and bring all the bad luck with you.

“Just let me go you stupid cow,” Jack said, trying to remain calm. “You’re coming with me,” Lillian said as she started to drag him towards the road.

Jack tried to resist, but despite Lillian’s thin stature, she seemed to possess the strength of the damned.

Shazam ran around the pair of them, barking wildly, seeming unsure what to do.

“What’s all the commotion?” Zander asked as he appeared from the outbuilding.

“You’ll see. You’ll see,” Lillian screeched. “Come with me, you’ll see.”

“Tell this crazy cow to let me go,” Jack said.

“You look wet kid. Been swimming with your clothes on?” Zander replied, ignoring Jack’s plea.

Jack tried to brace his feet on the pavement, but it was no good. Pain radiated from his injured leg.

Rather than intervene, Zander followed.

Lillian pushed Jack into the Sheet and Anchor bar. Jack counted at least fifteen people inside the room.

“Here he is,” Lillian screeched.

Everyone turned to look. Graham stopped cleaning glasses on the bar and leaned forward. “What’s all this about?”

Lillian pushed Jack into the middle of the room. “Ever since this lad and his father arrived, there’s been nothing but bad luck.”

A man with ginger hair stood up from his seat at the bar and raised his hands. Jack recognised him as the man from the shop, Duncan someone or other.

“Come on now, Lillian. Let the lad go.”

“She’s right,” Zander said as he walked into the bar. “I’ve never had it so bad. It’s as though the fish have all disappeared.”

“Yes, what about the Silver Queen?” Lillian snapped.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Jack said, his cheeks starting to burn.

“The Silver Queen was a boat that disappeared just before you arrived. Went missing with all hands,” Lillian said.

“That’s nothing to do with me.”

“Of course it’s to do with you. You’ve brought bad luck to the village. I told everyone it would happen. Didn’t I tell you? When you start letting outsiders buy up the houses, it creates bad karma.”

“Leave the boy alone,” someone said.

“No, let her speak,” a man with short hair and leather hardened skin said.

“She’s got a point,” piped up a middle-aged woman with her black hair tied back in a ponytail. A few of the other patrons nodded in agreement.

“And then there was that attack,” Lillian said. More patrons nodded.

“And there was that woman, pulled from the sea like she’d seen a ghost,” someone said.

Graham held his hand up. “There’ll be a logical explanation.”

“We don’t need an explanation. We know what’s happened. We need to get rid of the newcomers,” Lillian said.

Jack trembled. He couldn’t believe they were talking this way. The animosity directed towards him filled the air. He fought back tears. Didn’t want to show any sign of weakness.

“So what, you want to chase them out of town, is that what you’re saying?” Graham asked.

“Something like that,” Lillian replied.

“Hey now hold on,” Jack said, finally finding his voice. “We didn’t come here looking for trouble.” Rather than appear timid, he held his head up and maintained eye contact with Lillian. Judo had taught him that predators choose victims who appear unaware, timid or lost, and this was no time to be any of those.

“Then what did you come here for?” Lillian spat back.

“To make a fresh start.” All eyes turned towards the door, where Jack’s father stood. “Now can someone tell me what the hell’s going on?”

Lillian released her grip.

Relieved to see his dad, Jack hurried across and stood next to him. Lillian shook her head in disgust. “You outsiders are all the same. All you do is bring misfortune.”

Bruce grimaced. “What are you talking about? Surely you people aren’t going to listen to this madwoman.”

Graham puffed out his chest. “You can’t come here and tell us not to listen to one of our own.” The crowd made grunts of agreement.

“Everybody needs to just calm down,” Duncan said as he stood up and placed himself between the two factions. “This is no way to treat newcomers. It’s bad enough we’ve lost business to the new resort down the coast without trying to run people out of town.”

“Yes, they were newcomers too,” Lillian said, grinning maniacally as she sprung on Duncan’s argument. “They put most of you out of business. Came from the city with their big plans, and now look what it’s done to us.”

“You can’t blame everything on outsiders,” Duncan said. “Where would we have been for all those years if people hadn’t come here on holiday?”

Lillian cackled. “Yes, they built us up all right, just so they could knock us down.”

“Can someone tell me what this is about? I’m sure we can straighten it out.” Bruce said.

Jack shook his head. “They’re trying to blame us for the lack of fish and for the recent incidents.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Look, look, he’s calling us crazy,” Lillian shouted.

Bruce shook his head. “That’s not what I said. You’re trying to twist my words around.”

“Will everyone just calm down,” Duncan said. His permanently red cheeks looked overly flushed.

“How can we calm down, Duncan?” a large man wearing a hat and sporting a well-worn suit shouted. “As if it’s not bad enough these people have left us with nothing, now we can’t even make a living. Do you know how much money I earned last year? Less than twelve thousand pounds. It’s not right. A man should be able to support his family.”

“Aye, John’s right,” Zander said. “We don’t need outsiders coming here disrupting our way of life.”

“What way of life?” Bruce said. “By the looks of it, you need all the outsiders you can get to bring money back into the village.”

“We’ll manage,” Zander replied.

Bruce grabbed Jack’s arm. “Come on, we’re going.”

Not wanting to argue, Jack followed his dad out of the bar. Shazam was sitting outside. Her tail started wagging when she saw Jack and Bruce.

“Some good you were,” Jack said, scratching the dog’s head.

As they walked away, Jack glanced back, worried they might be followed. When he didn’t see anyone, he relaxed a little.

“So much for a peaceful life in the country,” Bruce said.

Jack could see his dad clenching his jaw. “I told you it was a mistake moving here. Remember Tenerife?”

Bruce didn’t reply, but Jack could see by his expression that he was inclined to agree.

When his dad did eventually speak, he said, “So how come you’re all wet? And where did you get those cuts? Did that madwoman do it?”

“I tripped and fell in the sea.”

Bruce visibly blanched. He stopped walking and grabbed Jack by both arms. Jack grimaced.

“Take it easy,” Jack said.

“You’ve been in the sea? Promise me you won’t go in again.”

“Hey, chill. It’s no big deal.

“Jack, promise me.” He squeezed tighter.

“Jesus, don’t blow a fuse. Okay, I promise.”

Bruce let out a breath then released Jack. “I’m sorry, but there’s something going on out there.” He pointed to the sea, lips pursed.

“I know. The shark, remember.”

“Yes… the shark.” He had a faraway, wistful look about him before he turned and started walking again.

Jack fell in step beside him. He gazed out to sea as he walked. Wished he was anywhere rather than here, even back in Tenerife.