‘Gunny takin a bit then?’

‘Aye, a half Oscar n ten sweeties.’

‘FUCKIN YASS, Azzy boy! You should git in on this. You’d make a few bob! Eld silver tongue, know wit A mean, Kenzie?’

‘Bad enough listenin tae yooz moanin n greetin on a Friday. A’ll help yees the night but that’s yir whack.’

‘Some cunts irnae fit fur the game, know wit A mean, Danny?’

After that the sales dry up. The elder wans ir nae use the night. Oot ae aw the younger wans we manage tae git rid ae another twenty eckies n a quarter ae dope. We make half their tick back, which is pretty good goin considerin. Aw that’s left tae dae is go n meet McIntire n tell him the script in person. They’re meetin him in a car park doon the bottom end.

We roll in n there’s a black Subaru Impreza awready waitin. Aw the windaes ir blacked oot n the motor hus the usual gold alloys. A pull up across fae it n Danny leans forward fae the back seat. ‘Mate, you wait here,’ he says tae Kenzie.

‘Wit yi talkin aboot?’ Kenzie says, his pride obviously knocked by this.

‘Wait here, fuck sake. Both ae yees. Witever happens here, just stay in the fuckin motor n that’s it. Awright?’

‘Danny, we’re only fuckin aboot a tonne short or suhin! Yir being para, ya cunt.’

‘Naw we’re no.’

‘Wit dae yi mean?’

A roll ma fuckin heed back n take a long last draw on the joint. ‘How much?’ A say without lookin round.

‘Wit?’ Kenzie says, confused.

‘How much, Danny?’

He finally turns tae me. ‘Me n Amanda git a quarter ae ching through the week. A thought the pill money wid cover it, but A told him it wis fur a mate.’

‘Fuckin gear anaw? On tap ae the bar ae dope n the fuckin eckies?’

‘Aye …’ he says.

The Scooby flashes its lights.

‘Yir a fuckin dick, mate.’

‘A know A’m ir, he says A better huv it anaw. Said he didnae care aboot the pills, but don’t dare let him down fur gear money.’

‘Take it yi sniffed it aw n didnae punt any?’

‘Aye, obviously, two ae us ended up wrecked n sniffin rock stars n shaggin aw night.’

‘Canter, mate. How much noo?’

‘An extra two hunner on tap.’

Three hundred-odd quid tae these cunts is a week’s wage. Even wae their wee enterprise runnin they don’t huv two pennies tae rub the-gither. It’s always in wan hand n oot the next. They like countin notes n playin aboot wae scales but they never actually seem tae profit fae any it, pure pointless. The lights flash again.

‘We’ve been late the last three times, Azzy. He’s telt us straight nae fuckin more or else.’

A shrug. ‘Yir gonnae huv tae tell him the script, eld son.’

Danny sighs, bounces oot n jogs up tae the Subaru.

Two minutes later, Danny’s up at the windae ae the Scooby wavin his arms about. The door flies open n Marcus McIntire bounces oot. He’s a big Donkey Kong ae a cunt, roarin at Danny n pushin him. Danny’s shitin himsel waitin fur the inevitable. McIntire hits him five rapid n Danny’s on the deck. He’s gittin bootit fuck oot ae n aw we kin dae is watch. A kin feel Kenzie shakin like a leaf in the passenger seat. He’s a fuckin cardboard gangster. Danny’s both brains and enforcer in their wee business arrangement. It finishes before it starts. McIntire helps Danny up n brushes him aff. He takes the notes oot his hand, after Danny picks them up. McIntire ruffles his hair before he jumps back in the motor n toots the horn on the way oot the car park.