Provoke

Chapter Twenty-Eight Mace

From one of Melbourne’s best neighbourhoods to one of the worst. This was the kind of place I expected lowlife scum to live in. We followed Luke, staying back a few cars, to an industrial area on the outskirts of town.

“What are you doing?” Leeta screeched as I flicked the headlights off.

“It’s him and us in this street. Don’t you think headlights kinda make it obvious he’s being followed? And if he’s being followed, do you really think he’s going to stop?”

Besides, we were barely even moving. It’s not like we were at risk of having an accident.

She didn’t reply. We crept along the street, waiting for him to do something. Up ahead, Luke turned into a driveway. Bingo. My heart pounded. For the second time that day, I could smell victory.

“What now?” Leeta asked.

“Now I go down and check things out while you stay here.”

“What?” she hissed. I winced. I should have known that one wasn’t going to go down well. “Mace, you are not going down there alone.”

“Relax, I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just want to check the outside, try and get an idea of what we’re dealing with. Then I’ll call for some help.”

“Help?” she asked suspiciously.

I sighed. “Don’t ask, Leet.” She shut her mouth, instantly getting my meaning: family connections. What happened from this point on Leet was better off not knowing. In my world, getting help for a problem such as this meant only one thing.

“Can you call for your backup before you go off leaving me all alone? Please?” she asked, frowning. Shit, she’s really scared.

“Okay. I’ll call now,” I said, touching her arm.

I scrolled through my contacts until I found Micky’s number. Dad had arranged everything—all I needed to do was say the word. I closed my eyes and listened as it rang. God, I just hope that I’m right.

“Yeah?”

“Micky. Mace Jordan. Long time.”

“Mace, how are you going? Lemme guess; this isn’t a social call.” He chuckled heartily, which turned into a full-on throat-hacking cough. Good old Micky. A family friend, he and Dad had been exchanging favours for years. This was just another notch on the post.

“No, it’s not. Dad spoke to you? Told you I might need some help? Well, I’m ready. I’m out the front of a warehouse out the back of Saint Meadows. Grouger Street. There is a grey Ford Laser parked out the front, and the property is lined with a tall blue fence. The driveway is open though.”

“All good, mate. Leave it to Uncle Micky,” he said, laughing again. I smiled. Micky was one of those guys you couldn’t help but like—unless you got on his wrong side. Then he’d slice off your toes for stealing his parking spot.

Hanging up, I turned to Leeta.

“I won’t be long, okay? Five minutes, tops. I just want to see if there is a back way into this place.”

“Please be careful,” she said. She reached for my neck and leaned over, her lips smashing against mine. I kissed her back, my fingers cradling her face. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

“I’ll be back soon,” I promised, kissing her fingers. I got out of the car, zipping up my jacket. Walking up the sidewalk, I stuck as close to the fence as I could, hoping the line of shrubs would obscure me from anyone’s view.

I crept up the driveway, listening for any sign of life. The warehouse was huge. I kept along the fence as I neared the side door. Pulling out my phone, I checked the time. It was nearly one on Friday morning. The only sounds were those of the traffic far off in the distance.

I backed up along a row of shipping containers, slowly making my way around the perimeter of the lot. The place was deserted. As well as the side entrance, there was a huge roller door around the back.

Squinting, I stared at a covered window. I could’ve sworn I had just seen a flash of light in there. What if he was in there alone? It hadn’t even occurred to me that the guys might not be there.

They’ll be here. Most of their business would run at night—and why else would Luke have come here now?

I crept back down the side, ducking out into the laneway and cutting across the neighbouring lot. Now we just have to wait. My heart was pounding in my chest, every beat ringing through my ears as the cold night air numbed my face.

“Not so fast.”

I stopped and turned around slowly, my eyes focusing on the gun that was aimed at my head. Shit.

“You’re so keen to look around, why don’t you come inside and check the place out properly?” The man flicked his wrist, motioning for me to walk in front of him.

All I could think about was Leet. I prayed that she stayed put, and didn’t try to come looking for me. But I also knew her better than that.

Come on, Micky. Hurry the fuck up. Thank God Leet insisted I ring first, because that was all I was clinging to. I was fucked, and I knew it. The dude holding the gun certainly knew it, too. That put at least two of them here.

This guy, and Luke.

#

“This is a turnaround, hey, Mace?”

I looked up. A very happy Luke walked over to me, holding a baseball bat loosely in his right hand, swinging it around as though he were going out for a casual hit. I flexed my wrists against the ropes that tied me to the chair I was sitting in. I wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’re not a very smart man, are you?” he asked, leaning the bat against the wall.

He walked in front of me and crouched down. I studied his face. A black eye and some bruising was the only evidence of earlier. The blood, the sweat . . . it was all gone.

“You think I didn’t know you were following me? Did you think I was that stupid?” He laughed and then swung his fist at me.

I groaned as it connected with my chin, knocking the wind out of my chest.

“You know, the best part of all this is the fun I get to have with your pretty little girlfriend. I couldn’t believe my luck when you landed on my doorstep with her in tow. She’s a sexy piece of meat.”

“You touch her and I’ll kill you,” I spat, rocking violently in my chair.

“Yeah?” He laughed. “Pity you’ll already be dead. I just hope she’s as much fun as your sister was.” He picked up the bat and cracked his neck as his mouth broke into a grin. “You have no idea how much I’m going to enjoy this, Mace.”