The Stone Gallows by C David Ingram Page A

back like I had been taught.
    Joe loomed over the fallen boy. ‘Did you think we were finished?
    Did you think that we were just going to go home?’ He planted a vicious kick into Derek’s side. ‘We’re just getting started, son.’
    Gerry struggled in my hold, so I increased my grip, jamming his arm further up his back. I had my left hand on his neck, ready to stick my thumb into his brachial artery, a nasty little trick they don’t teach you in Tulliallan but I had discovered on my own. I kept him facing his brother on the floor while Joe proceeded to do to Derek what Derek had done to nine people before him. I made him watch, having to watch myself, not wanting to but perversely enjoying it all the same. This was what it was all about. No paperwork, no warrants, no fucking hours wasted outside the High Court waiting to testify only to see some arsehole that we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt was guilty walk away because some dumb twat had forgotten to sign a report in triplicate or whatever.
    I’ve seen, given and received a few kickings since then, but in over ten years, nothing has ever come close. Joe fucked Derek up bigstyle.
    Ugly, indelicate, but that’s the only way I can describe it. While the boy struggled for breath, Joe flipped him onto his front and kneeled on his back, forcing the arm until the shoulder cracked loudly. Then Joe went to work on the hand, snapping the thumb and fingers one by one like a fistful of twiglets. At some point between the index finger and the pinkie, Derek passed out from the pain.
    Joe got to his feet and turned his attention to Gerry. ‘That’s your brother in a cast for the next month. So I guess the question remains. . . what are we going to do with you?’
    Gerry was white with fear. ‘Oh Jesus. . . Oh Jesus Christ . . . you can’t. . . you can’t do that. We’re just kids. . .’
    â€˜YOU ARE NOT FUCKING KIDS!’ Joe screamed in his face. ‘YOU
    FORFEITED YOUR RIGHT TO CHILDHOOD!’ Spittle landed on Jerry’s face. And mine. ‘You forfeited your right to be children the second you started to commit adult crimes!’
    â€˜I’m sorry. . .’
    â€˜I don’t fucking care that you’re sorry. Louise Brennan doesn’t know that you’re sorry. She doesn’t care. Sorry isn’t going to make up for what you did to her. Sorry is just a word that cunts like you use to weasel out of accepting responsibility for things that you should never have done in the first place.’
    Joe looked at me. ‘Let him go.’
    I released my prisoner. Gerry spared me one terrified glance before turning his attention back to Joe. ‘Please. . . please don’t. . .’
    â€˜Oh, shut up.’ Joe’s voice was toneless. He went and sat back down on the armchair. ‘I know that Derek’s the brains behind the two of you.’
    Gerry bent and picked up the towel, tucking it back around his waist. He nodded frantically, agreeing with Joe.
    â€˜Now, my colleague and I are going to go in a couple of moments, and you can then dial emergency services and get some help for your brother. I think he’s going to need it. They’ll want to know what happened, and I don’t care what you tell them.’ He nodded at the scratch on Gerry’s cheek. ‘Tell them he walked into a fucking door.
    Anyhoo, the point is that I have a dozen witnesses that will swear blind that both of us were elsewhere, and besides, everybody knows that the pair of you are pond life. Derek was right. Knowing that something is the truth and being able to prove it are two very different things.’ He looked at the mess at his feet without the slightest trace of pity. ‘You really did bring this on yourselves, you know.’
    Gerry nodded. He was at the stage where he would agree to anything that was said. If Joe suggested that it would be fun to get out the baby oil and