Run Johnboy Run: The Glasgow Chronicles 2 Read Online Free Page B

Big Man never found oot that it wis us that tanned the loft and blagged aw his good Horsemen?”
      “Naw.  He thinks it wis the polis that goat some big team fae doon south tae come up.  Him and the bizzies hiv been battling away ever since, which suits us.  It means that we kin get away wae blue murder maist ae the time.  Apart fae the two local sergeants, the plods oan the street tend tae stick tae their squad cars efter dark, fur fear ae coming across Wan-bob Broon or The Goat when they’re pished.
      “Bloody brilliant.  At least, that makes me feel a lot better, so it dis, knowing we humped them…again.” Skull said, smiling.
      “Anyway, so whit happened next?” Johnboy asked, steering Skull back tae the matter in haun.
      “Ah jist decided tae heid roond tae the cabin.  When Ah goat there, everything wis fine and dandy, so it wis.  Ah goat the candles lit and put oan Joe’s tranny and played wae the wee hen and the doo fur a bit.  They seemed glad tae see me.  It wis obvious they wur getting tae know me and wur mair comfortable wae me haundling them.  Ah’d jist put them back in their nesting boxes when Tam the Bam fae The Grafton Bar’s dug, Elvis, arrived fur a wee visit.
      “Aye, Ah remember Elvis.  The Toonheid wisnae the same withoot him…and you as well, so it wisnae.”
      “Anyway, Elvis and me scoffed wan ae they good City Bakeries pies we’d hid left o’er fae the day before.  Ah don’t know whit time it wid’ve been, bit aw Ah remember wis laying doon oan the cot beside Elvis, who wis lying there, feeling right at hame, snoring and farting like buggery.  Ah’d left the tranny oan.  It wis hinging fae the bit ae string that Joe’d nailed up oan the wall and Ah couldnae be arsed getting up tae switch it aff.  It wis the same wae the candles.  Ah’d stuck two ae them oan tae a couple ae jam jar lids,” Skull said quietly, before drifting intae silence.
      Johnboy held his breath.  He wisnae sure if he really wanted tae hear whit wis coming next, bit knew he hid tae know.  Tony, Joe and Paul wid never furgive him if he came away withoot finding oot.  He looked at Skull, whose face wis aboot eighteen inches fae his.  Although Skull wis staring straight intae Johnboy’s eyes, it wis as if Johnboy wisnae there.  Skull seemed tae hiv drifted aff again. 
      “Whit happened next, Skull?” Johnboy whispered gently.
      That seemed tae bring him back fae wherever he’d gone. His eyes focussed back oan Johnboy’s, before continuing.
      “Ah fell asleep.  Ah don’t know how long Ah’d been oot fur.  The candles wur still lit and Radio Caroline wis still gieing it laldy when Ah woke up.  Ah’d heard a dug barking, away in the distance.  That’s whit hid wakened me. It wis Elvis.  He wis gaun bloody batchy, scratching fuck oot ae the door, trying tae get oot.  Ah could hear the birds flapping against the doors ae their nesting boxes, trying tae escape as well.  The room wis full ae smoke…aye, billowing smoke…the type ae smoke ye see belching oot ae the tap ae they big chimney stacks across at Pinkston Power Station.  It wis coming up fae the four corners ae the flair.  Ah jumped up and nipped across tae the nesting boxes and managed tae wrench the doors open.  Ah then swivelled roond, stuffing the doos up ma jersey and ran across tae Elvis, who wis gaun mental by then and hid awready ripped the beaded curtain aff the curtain wire that wis covering the door.  He might’ve been a dug, bit Elvis knew fine well tae get oot ae ma way.  Ah wis jist unbolting the door when the whole flair suddenly gied way and caved in.  Wan minute we wur at the door and the next, me, the dug and the doos hid disappeared doon intae the cavie, alang wae the cot Ah’d been kipping oan a few seconds earlier.  Ah wis still okay when we landed because Ah wis still oan tap ae the flair, although there wis a big explosion ae fire and sparks aw roond aboot us, coming up