When Glynn and Mike withdrew their knives, Sam’s body writhed around but the rope held him fast. His breath was now coming in short bursts as panic overwhelmed him.

‘Right, let’s start with his fingers,’ said Glynn, and Mike was only too happy to comply.

‘Yes, let’s have one finger for each of our pubs that him and his gang have tried to muscle in on.’

Sam’s squeal intensified, his eyes now pleading. But there was no sympathy from Mike. He stepped behind Sam and lifted his hand. Sam squealed again and let out a stream of urine just as Mike hacked into his finger. Mike scowled, showing his distaste as the smell of urine permeated his nostrils.

Without giving Sam chance to recover, Mike severed another finger. Then another. Until he had cut off four of Sam’s fingers. Then he released Sam’s hand, which bounced back against the pillar, coating the decayed paint with a crimson sheen.

Glynn wore a satisfied smirk. ‘Now we need to make sure he can’t tell everyone which fuckin’ pubs we run,’ he said.

‘Yeah,’ said Mike, as realisation dawned on him. ‘It’ll stop him fuckin’ snivelling as well.’

Glynn’s face now became hard set as he watched Mike remove the tape and heard Sam scream. Then all went silent as the blood gushed from Sam’s mouth where Mike had sliced off his tongue.

‘Ooh, it looks like he’s lost his balls as well,’ said Glynn.

‘Good idea,’ said Mike, eagerly lowering the knife towards Sam’s genitals.

Glynn wasn’t sure whether Sam heard their last words. He had already passed out.

When they had finished, they tied him onto the length of rope that hung from the ceiling. Then they hoisted him up until he was suspended, his lifeless head lolling forward. Blood gushed from his mouth and dripped from his body forming a viscous scarlet pool on the stony ground below.

They left him; mutilated, unconscious and close to death.

On their way home, they stopped at a call box. After giving Peter an update, Glynn rang the Sportsman’s. ‘Make sure Alan gets this message,’ he said to the barman. ‘Tell him he can find his fuckin’ Judas at the Byson Street Warehouse but there’s not much left of him. And tell him, that’s what happens when you betray someone.’

He put down the receiver then they got back into the car and sped away. While he drove, Glynn began to think. Mike’s earlier words came back to him. Maybe Mike had a point. Perhaps he would make a better leader than Pete. It was something he hadn’t given much thought to previously.

But now that Mike had mentioned it, the idea took root in his mind. One day, when the time was right, he might just do something about it.

Chapter 35