The Tied Man

The thick layer of cheap white gloss that covered the entire canvas hadn’t had time to dry, and the sheet had stuck to half of it, but it still did the job.  Not a trace of Blaine remained; just dripping, stinking paint that was starting to drip and puddle onto the floor.

‘All those months, all that work…  My ‘Bresson’… What have you done?’ Blaine whispered, and actually had to wipe tears from her eyes.

Lilith stood next to Blaine and admired our handiwork.  ‘Finished it,’ she smiled.  ‘Now fuck off.’

Chapter Thirty Three

Lilith

‘Well? How did it go?’  Henry asked.  He’d been washing up to pass the time, and the kitchen was immaculate once more.

Finn grinned. ‘Lilith told Blaine to fuck off.’

‘You know, I had something so lyrical all worked out in my head,’ I said.  ‘The perfect combination of elegiac and pithy, and then she started crying over a sodding second-rate painting and I really don’t think I could be bothered anymore.’

‘Ach, she was amazing really,’ Finn said.

Henry dried his hands.  ‘So the flying monkeys are finally without a mistress?’

‘What?’ Gabriel frowned.  There was no trace of the spliff, and he and Nat had a particularly mellow air about them.

‘Wizard of Oz,’ Finn explained. ‘Henry’s favourite movie.  Jesus, little man, you are actually the gayest gay man in the universe, you know that?’

‘Well you’re the one that got the reference, dearheart,’ Henry said. ‘And now the cellar’s vacated, I can break out the champagne, if anyone’s interested?’

*****

We were handed a bottle each, and grabbed whatever we could to drink from, and for the next half-hour we toasted everybody and everything we could think of.

‘I need codeine, and I need to pee,’ I announced, after we’d raised our glasses, mugs and teacups to Bran, Noblest Hound Who Ever Lived.  ‘I’ll just be a minute.  You want a couple bringing back?’  I asked Finn.

‘Wouldn’t say no if you’re headed that way,’ he replied, which meant he was in agony.  ‘You want me to come with you?’

‘What? To pee?’

‘God, no, not that bit – I mean, Coyle, if he’s still here…’

‘It’s okay,’ Gabriel said.  ‘I heard Ed talking.  They’re bringing over a couple of reinforcements before they think about moving him anywhere.’

I drank the last mouthful in my teacup and picked up the remainder of the bottle as refreshment for the long journey to my room and back.  ‘See? I think we both know how secure that room is.  So stay there, rest your knee, and I’ll be back before you know it.  I’ll be fine.’

Champagne, fatigue and freedom had made me giddy, and I didn’t care.  Every step I took now was one step closer home.

Finn

‘Too long,’ I said.

Nat checked his watch.  ‘Mate, it’s been three minutes.’

‘Still too long.  And I get it, okay?  She’s fine and I’m paranoid and she’ll be back here any second, but I’ve lived in this shit-tip for too long, and I need to check.’

‘I’m coming with you, then.  Here, give me your hand.’

We were halfway to Lilith’s room when one of Ed’s junior taskforce came belting along the corridor to meet us.

‘Have you seen him?’ he gasped.

‘Who?’ Nat asked, but I already knew because nothing was ever going to come to any good in this place.

‘Big guy, black hair.’ Sarge and the others are on the way back for him.  I was checking on him and he said he was having a heart attack, and it sounded real.  I know I wasn’t meant to, but…’

‘Shit no no no no no…’

‘…As soon as I opened the door he just barged past…’

‘You stupid fucking twat!’  From deep within the hall, Lilith screamed because Coyle had her now, and I knew where he had taken her.

I thought the officer was about to shit himself on the spot.  ‘What do I do?…’

‘Go and get Ed.  Get whoever you can down to the cellars. What the fuck are you waiting for?  Go!’

I began to run for the stairs.  My knee didn’t matter now.  I felt nothing except fear, because Coyle had Lilith and he was going to kill her.  Nat began to run beside me, but I stopped and shoved him back.  ‘You won’t make any difference by yourself.  Get the others.’  He hesitated, and I pushed him again.  ‘Unless you’re prepared to kill the bastard, go and get help!’