The Formidable

47

The call came early. Jase hadn't long got out of the shower, his hair dripping onto his bare shoulders as he answered the phone.

"What's it gonna be then, Jase?" Benny asked. Jase could picture him smiling with giddy excitement at the prospect of getting his hands on Mickey. His grip on the phone tightened as he attempted to conceal his anger.

"I want it done in a public place, no funny business," Jase replied, forcing the discomfort and irritation down. He didn't like any of this, not one bit, but he had been given the thumbs up by Mickey and they still had no other solutions. It didn't help that Jase knew Benny had very little patience, patience that was required with a toddler. He didn't want Mia with that scumbag any longer than absolutely necessary.

"Of course. We do just want Mickey at this point, you understand? I'm even willing to call it a day once we have him, an eye for an eye and all that," Benny said. Jase couldn't care less for a truce, he wanted his daughter back and after that, he would let Madison decide what to do with Benny.

"Time and place?" Jase questioned.

Benny paused in thought. "Oxford Street, next to the underground entrance, 4 o'clock today."

"I'll see you then." Jase hung up and chewed the skin off his lips, slumping down in one of the dining room chairs as he ran his hands through his wet hair out of stress.

"What's up?" He looked up to see Madison in the doorway, plastering on a false smile that went no further than the curve of his lips.

"Everything," he said, trying to be light and ignore the guilty feeling throbbing in his head and chest. Madison nodded slowly.

"Janine's trying to distract me with a movie day," she said with a tinge of distaste. Jase had told Sam what was going down, he'd likely asked Janine to keep Madison busy. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to head to the club at some point, see if everything is still in one piece," he replied. Madison bobbed her head absently, flicking the kettle on. There was a knock at the door, Sam answered, letting Mickey in. He was wearing a smart tailored suit with cuff links, all pressed and crisp. Best dressed for his death bed. Madison didn't blink at the attire, accustomed to him wearing suits for most of her life and seeing nothing out of character.

"Hey dad," she greeted with a little more energy than she had yesterday. He smiled at her, a master at lying through his teeth and pretending everything was fine.

"How you holding out?" he asked, taking a seat opposite Jase. Madison turned her back to them to make her coffee, taking another mug down from the cupboard to make her dad one.

"I'm hanging in there," she replied. Whilst she couldn't see them, Mickey nodded at the phone, Jase nodded and then Mickey looked at his Rolex, pointing to it in order to silently ask what time. Jase held up four fingers. It was coming up to ten.

Mickey took a deep breath and let his shoulders relax slightly. He would need to come to terms with it before it happened but knowing you were heading to your final resting place was a heady pill to swallow. Mind, he had packed a secret weapon in his pocket to rip the satisfaction from Benny hands.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Madison asked, taking a seat next to Jase and placing their coffees in front of them, reaching behind her to take her own off the counter. She cradled it, blowing at the steam.

"I figured I'd come round, make sure I didn't miss anything if the phone rang," Mickey replied. She nodded.

"What are you going to tell him when he rings?" she asked, looking at Jase. He watched Mickey through his lashes and shrugged, folding his arms across his chest.

"I don't know yet." She licked her lips, they were sore and cracked from the lack of self care and hydration. She'd avoided the mirror, not wanting to see herself shrink away.

"Why don't you agree to go along with his plan and then ambush him or something?" she suggested to her dad. It was weak and she knew it, there would be things set in place so that wasn't an option. It would put Mia at risk. But she couldn't stand the thought of the option Benny had given them being the only one.

"We'll think of something kid," Mickey falsely reassured her. There was a niggling feeling in the back of her head telling her something was wrong, she chalked it up to paranoia, anxiety and exhaustion and brushed it aside.

"Well, keep me up to date. I'm going to go and sit with Janine."

Jase and Mickey only spoke when Madison was well and truly out of ear shot.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jase asked. Mickey puffed his cheeks.

"He has us by the balls here, unfortunately. If we show any signs of hostility, it'll put Mia in danger and none of us will live with that on our conscience. I'm ready. I have a little pill in my pocket that will put me out pretty quickly so I'm not worried about being tortured or anything." Jase's brows twitched in curiosity,

"You can get those?" he asked with genuine fascination. He may have to ask around, should there ever be a situation he needed one. Mickey smiled.

"It's not what you know, mate." Jase let the guilt slide a little, feeling better for knowing that, although Mickey would be meeting his demise in six hours, he wouldn't suffer. Benny wouldn't take that well, mind.