Once Staffie and Willie had delivered the message to Lou, they returned in their car, they stopped in the middle of the road, ahead of Mike’s Porsche, and stepped out, looking nothing less than daring.

It gave Dez and his younger brother a reason to look up. It took a second before Dez recognized both men and then another before his brain kicked in and told him to run. He was totally unprepared for a battle; he’d left his knife in his car, just in case the police wanted to frisk him.

Randy and Woodrow had a dangerous reputation – Dez had lived off it for years – but Willie Ritz, Ted Stafford, and Mike Regan were well known to him from his prison days.

Willie might look like an ugly, lanky dope, but he was a reckless maniac, a downright fearless fucker. Dez certainly didn’t want a fight with him in the middle of the street because he was aware that Willie wouldn’t give a flying fuck that they were close to the cop shop. And as for Staffie, he was another strong bastard who would never back down. It would take more than a lead cosh around the head to bring him to his knees. He just hoped that Regan wasn’t with them, having been on the end of his sledgehammer fists. Another punch like that from Regan and it would be game over.

Without even considering Randy, Dez was quick on his toes to scarper. As he turned and sprinted in the direction he’d come from, he didn’t see Mike, who, with one hand, stopped Dez in his tracks. ‘You no-good, spunk-faced prick. You’re captured, mate.’

Dez tried to struggle, but it was like fighting with a metal vice. Suddenly, one mighty fist came down and struck him so hard on the collarbone that he instantly yelled in pain and felt the strength in his arm disappear. Mike had snapped his bone clean in half. The pain intensified, and the blood drained, leaving his face almost grey.

Mike then grabbed him by the throat and dragged him back to Staffie’s car. Meanwhile, Staffie was standing up against Randy; the only sound was Willie, who was blowing his nose. Mike opened the back of Staffie’s car and threw Dez inside. He nodded to Willie to make sure that Dez didn’t do a runner.

As Willie opened the back door, he leaned in and smiled. ‘Well, if it ain’t the stinking, fucking paedophile. This is a nice surprise.’ Mike pulled Willie back as Staffie gestured for Randy to climb in next to his brother. Randy’s eyes were glued to the gun in Staffie’s hand.