Read The Front for Free Online Page B

      ‘Now the goons go first,’ he went on with authority. ‘And that’s never later than ten past twelve. They come out the front, go round the side into the yard, into the van and off. Pasha stays behind and bags up, then he comes out the back way at half past. And that,’ he beamed around at his friends, ‘is where we come in. Good, innit?’
            Mal picked up the sketch for a closer look. ‘You get a wanking chimp to draw this, or what?’ he asked with a derisive snort.
            ‘Piss off!’ Lee snatched his masterpiece back. ‘Look, never mind that. The point is the place is way overdue for a seeing-to. They’re making too much dosh for my liking, an’—’
            ‘And most of it’s mine,’ Mal cut in. ‘Suzie spends a bleedin’ fortune in there!’
            ‘Exactly!’ Lee slapped an emphatic hand down on his knee. ‘It’s our dosh, anyway, so it’s only right we take it back, innit?’
            ‘That’s not exactly logical,’ Ged pointed out. ‘You’ve had stuff for your money, so technically it’s his.’
            ‘Fuck me, man,’ Mal laughed. ‘Anyone’d think you’d never blagged nothing! Correct me if I’m wrong, but did you or did you not nearly blind that poor fucker just ’cos he wouldn’t—’
            ‘Yeah, well, anyway,’ Lee cut in quickly before Mal pissed Ged off even more than he already seemed to be – though why he should be pissed off, Lee had no idea! Still, the last thing they needed was to lose the only real muscle in the team. ‘Let’s get this finished, yeah?’ He waited until he had their attention before continuing.
            ‘Right, then. I’ve been keeping watch for the past few weeks, and Pasha’s routine is regular as clockwork. Now, the plan is to get round the back after the goons leave, and hide in the bushes till he’s locked up. Then we jump him and mash him up, and all that lovely dosh will be ours!’
            ‘And it’s dead cert the goons leave by ten past?’ Sam asked.
            ‘Dead cert,’ Lee assured him. ‘Like I said, I’ve been watching for weeks, an’ that’s how they do it every time. It’s safe, man.’
            ‘What if someone sees us?’ said Mal. This was Lee talking, after all – Mr Botch-it-and-scarper. ‘I don’t fancy a run-in with the Five-O, know what I mean?’
            ‘Nah, man, it can’t go wrong,’ Lee insisted, adding with a confident grin, ‘I’ll let you peel me nuts and dip ’em in acid if it does!’
            ‘And I’ll do it with pleasure, mate,’ Mal half-joked. ‘Right, then.’ He turned to the others, rubbing his hands together. ‘If we’re all finished, I say we have a line to seal the deal.’
            Reaching for the last of Lee’s stash, he tipped it onto the mirror, telling Lee: ‘Get a flick on, mate. A good stiffy should get us in the right mood to kick arse!’
     
    Suzie woke with a start, unsure whether the pounding was coming from inside her head or from someone hammering on the door. It was definitely the door. Peering at her watch through sleep-blurred eyes, she struggled to focus on the wavy hands. Nine o’clock. Who the hell could it be?
            Struggling upright, she dragged herself from the couch and limped to the front door. The bath had relaxed her, but falling asleep on the couch straight after hadn’t done her any favours. She was aching all over, and didn’t fancy talking to anyone. Peeping through the spyhole, her heart sank when she saw Wendy stamping her feet in the passageway, her fur coat pulled tight around her swollen belly. She slowly backed away from the door, hoping to creep back to the couch, but it was too late – Wendy’s eagle eyes had detected the change in light behind the spyhole. She banged on the door again, shouting: ‘Suzie, it’s me. Hurry up, it’s bloody freezing out here.’
            Suzie knew there was no escape – and no