He had to get up! Peter rolled away from the bouncers, forcing himself unsteadily to his feet as the machete grazed against his leg and his heart pounded. A disturbing sight met him as he got off the floor. Carnage! A heaving mass of testosterone and blood.

He tried to pick out his men from the crowd. Where were they? Then he spotted one or two. Surrounded by bouncers, they were trying to fight their way through, but failing. Peter briefly took in the sight of blood on the face of one of them and the look of desperation on the face of the other.

The siren had stopped. Bright lights dazzled in a sea of black suits. Where were the rest of his men? He could only spot the same two who were bedraggled and bleeding. Without hesitation he lifted the machete and ran forward. Slicing it into the black suits. Ripping off strips, puncturing flesh and leaving a crimson trail.

Then Peter heard the heavy tread of footsteps from behind. And voices, lots of voices. Before he could turn round, he felt his arms being wrenched backwards and the machete tugged from his hand. There was the feel of something restraining his wrists just as he saw a horde of police officers. The booming voice of authority: ‘Come on, men. Get this lot in the van!’

Then a voice addressed him: ‘I’m placing you under arrest.’

Peter turned and looked at the staunch features of the police officer who gripped him by the arm and, together with a colleague, led him out of the building.

Then he saw what had happened to his men. They were also being led away. Expressions of defeat were pasted on their battered faces as they shuffled miserably out of the building.

Shit! thought Peter. He was done for.

*

Glynn was still inside his BMW watching Angels. He saw the red Transit van speed off up the street, with Jonny behind the wheel, just as the police arrived. Jonny obviously wasn’t waiting around for the outcome. A smirk formed on Glynn’s face as he thought about Jonny’s disloyalty. You definitely couldn’t trust anyone in this game!

The police swarmed into Angels. It was a few minutes before they re-emerged, leading several bloodied and beaten men to the police van. The first of the officers opened the back of the van and pushed his captive inside.

Then Glynn’s face lit up as he saw Peter being led outside by two burly police officers. What a result! He couldn’t have timed things better. Glynn couldn’t read Peter’s expression from this distance but his bitter disappointment showed in the way he hung his head and dragged his feet.

It looked like the police had arrived just in time, too. Peter had obviously been heavily involved in the fighting. His jacket hung off one shoulder at an odd angle and was heavily blood-stained.