it Good For?” But please‚ for your own safety‚ stay at home tonight folks. This is Tony Virdi reporting—
I killed the radio.
‘Looks like Ashford’s taken care of‚ eh lads?’ Khan said to no response. ‘Yeah‚ Staines is the place to be. Especially Elmsleigh Car Park… You got any battle tunes‚ Jay?’
The last thing I wanted to do was put on some Gangsta Rap‚ it would only serve to make Khan more volatile. I looked in the rear view and Parvez was looking out of the window blankly.
‘Parvez. You alright‚ mate?’ I asked.
‘Course he’s alright. He’s a fuckin’ soldier. Ain’t that right‚ Parvez?’
‘Yes. I’m fine‚’ Parvez said. His words a stark contrast to his tone. ‘Soldier of Islam.’
‘Why Elmsleigh‚ Khan?’ I asked.
‘Elmsleigh Car Park is Kafir city. The place is full of good-for-nothing white boys. Doggers‚ slags‚ dealers‚ chavs‚ fuckin’ name it. Place is filth. They deserve to be hit.’
‘But what’ve they got to do with the attack on the mosque? Why are we moving on them?’
‘We won’t be the one making the first move.’ Khan said‚ inclining his head towards Parvez and smirking conspiratorially at me.
I pulled up around a hundred metres away and looked towards Elmsleigh Car Park and it looked back at me with bad intentions. Harsh orange lighting seeped through the slits between the three storeys‚ lending to its menace. The car park just seemed to breathe and pulsate wicked energy. From what I remembered from my one and only visit‚ there were badly designed‚ narrow bays and ticket machines that never worked‚ broken CCTV and the strong smell of piss. A haven for junkies and pissheads. Sexual activity of all kinds was reserved for the middle level‚ and the floors were littered with used condoms and joint butts. I scrunched my face at the thought of wheeling my Beemer in there.
‘Lose the leather‚’ Khan said to Parvez.
‘Have a heart‚ Khan‚’ I said‚ as Parvez slipped his jacket off. ‘At least let him keep his jacket on. It’s freezing out there.’
‘It is okay‚ Brother‚’ Parvez said‚ placing his hand on my shoulder before stepping out of the car in only his shalwar‚ kameez and prayer hat. We watched him make his way to the car park on foot. God help him. Dressed like that it wasn’t just the cold that was going to get him.
Khan reached in the back seat and grabbed a cricket bat and a small metal bar.
‘Take your pick. Or there’s the cross spanner if you prefer. But not easy to conceal.’ As if a cricket bat was! I took the cold metal bar. ‘Good choice. When it kicks off strike to the head. Do not pull your arm all the way back‚ they’ll see it coming a mile off. Short‚ sharp bursts. Boom‚ boom‚ boom‚ and then on to the next one. Got it?’
I nodded‚ I had no intention of striking anybody in the head. I was only there out of some misguided notion of loyalty for Parvez. If anything happened to him‚ his Mum would destroy me.
‘Okay. Drive. Slowly.’
I pulled in and it was immediately clear that we would be outnumbered.
‘More Kafirs than I thought there’d be‚’ he said‚ helpfully.
‘Can we go now‚ Khan? Please.’ I was coming across like a coward but I couldn’t care less. ‘Let’s just grab Parvez and go. This is ridiculous‚ we’re so fucking outnumbered.’
Khan reached inside his jacket and pulled his weapon. The blade alone was twelve inches long and it looked to be at least half that across. I couldn’t tell you if it was a knife‚ a meat cleaver or a machete. But it was shiny and jagged and I could see in the reflection the fear etched on my face.
‘This should even things up‚ eh?’ Khan said‚ as he pressed his finger on the tip of the blade and drew blood‚ which he then proceeded to calmly lick off.
Parvez had clocked us drive in and positioned himself where we could see him‚ leaning against a pillar situated outside the lift about ten metres to my top right. To my left‚ eight hostiles‚ all white‚ a mixture of baseball caps‚ hoodies and skinny jeans. Not the culprits‚ but in Khan’s eyes; as close as fucking possible. They were curiously watching Parvez with a measurement of suspicion‚ wanting to react but uncertain in their approach. In fact‚ by their bemused expressions‚ they seemed more worried about him. There was muted conversation and puzzled looks. One guy‚ a grey hoody tightly over his head‚ shouted something across to him. Parvez put a finger innocently to his chest in a – sorry‚ are you talking to me? – gesture. I slid my window halfway down and wrinkled my nose as the stench of urine crept into my car. The guy shouted louder this time‚ loud enough for me to hear.
‘What’d he say?’ Khan asked.
‘He’s asking what have you got underneath your shirt?’
‘Ha! Does he think all Pakis walk around strapped with explosives?’ Khan said‚ as he typed out and sent a text message on his phone. ‘Sorted!’ he said quietly to himself.
Parvez patted his chest and stomach to prove that he didn’t have anything underneath his kameez and they all took a tentative step back as though he was about to detonate.
Grey Hoody leaned into the VW Beetle that he was standing next to and whispered something to the passengers. Two doors flew open and two guys stepped out‚ two seats were folded down and two girls stepped out from the back dressed in cheap tracksuits‚ one in blue shell and the other in sickly purple velour. They confidently strutted towards Parvez who had now pushed himself off the pillar. I watched him straighten his topi. There were about a dozen guys who had now gathered around the Beetle watching carefully‚ feet shuffling‚ a bundle of nerves and anticipation. Velour spoke first.
‘So… what?’ she said. ‘You some kind of pervert?’
‘No!’ Parvez replied‚ horrified.
‘Hoping to get your rocks off peeping into cars‚ are ya?’ Velour continued.
‘I am not a pervert‚’ Parvez said‚ eyes darting towards us and quickly away again.
‘Well what are ya‚ then? You look like a cunt terrorist‚’ screeched Shellsuit.
‘You fuckin’ do as well. You got big balls coming in here dressed like that‚’ Velour said‚ and then she moved with her hand‚ as if she was about to grab Parvez by the testicles. Parvez flinched and took a step back clumsily into the pillar. The girls laughed at his predicament.
‘Did you have anything to do with the attack on St Marys Church? Was that you and your Paki mates?’ Velour asked‚ animatedly.
Parvez opened his mouth to respond but before the words could leave his mouth Shellsuit spat in his face and Velour ripped the topi clean off his head and turned towards
