New Story - again written exclusively on Steemit - WiP - Bouncer Part 12

I started a new story to share on Steemit. It's not my usual type of tale, but I decided it has legs so I'm going to let it run.

Meet Zack, my newest character. I hope you like him.

The first part was written a few weeks ago and since then, I've been mulling it over in my head where the story needs to go.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11

Pictures from Google free to use search

Please note: This is the FIRST DRAFT, no editing, written straight onto paper. I don't know how to highlight that any more than it is. I'll NOT be making any alterations to what's already been written. As a good friend and excellent author has said, First draft is a race to get the story down before it decides to stop telling itself to you. Thanks Glenn. @alienbutt

---

The brothers went home and made plans. Viktor was pleased they were going to visit but he wouldn’t be there, he had another business trip arranged for Saturday. He made sure there was a reservation held at his hotel and gave Taylor the name of the manager to speak to when they got there.

Then Zack and Taylor went out – in Zack’s car, just in case.

He parked the car in a brightly-lit car park in the middle of town, close to the Snooker Hall.

Zack nodded to the girl sitting in the pay-booth and he went right in. Taylor followed but she called to him, “Hey! That’s three quid!”

Taylor stopped and went back to the window. “Three quid?” he said.

She nodded and held out her hand. Though he wouldn’t be able to reach her hand to place the money on her palm, he caught the symbolism and reached into his pocket.

“Thanks, lovely,” she said and her scowl turned to a grin as he pushed the three coins toward her.

Zack waited beyond the large double-doors and they went into the darkened room together.

Twelve tables stood in rows. All except two stood without players. That would change as soon as the clubs closed. Doormen used the Snooker Hall to wind-down. Friday night was always busy, but Saturday night was busiest.

The tables were mostly pay as you go – a quid per game. When the crowds arrived, there could be as much as a tenner stacked up on each of the tables to show there was a queue for a game.

A notice beside one of the tables was turned around so the writing was hidden.

Taylor waited while Zack played and he leaned against the wall, lifted the notice and read it.

“Come on, stop wasting time,” Zack said. “You always did have to read everything.”

“Yeah, well that habit stood me in good stead, didn’t it?” Taylor said. He studied the position of the snooker balls and took his shot.

“You’re a bit out of practice,” Zack said. “At one time, you’d have got that one and set yourself up for the next.”

The brothers played a couple of games and then went to the bar to wait for Joe and Zack’s team to come in.

From their vantage point at the bar, they could see everyone as they came and went and because of the darkness in the room, broken only by the lights above the tables, they had the advantage of being in silhouette as they waited.

Zack nudged Taylor’s elbow. Two guys entered the room and stood at the door, looking around.

They also had the advantage of being in silhouette because of the light behind them but Zack recognised them anyway.

“Mikhail’s two goons,” he said. Zack looked away and sank a little onto the bar so to appear smaller and less ‘Zack shaped’. If he’d recognised them, there was a good chance they’d recognise him.

Taylor looked. He took notice of them, their size, shape and demeanour and then turned away.

“You think they’re here to cause trouble?” Taylor asked.

“Probably not, but I bet they’re going to take notice of who talks to me. I’m glad we got here a little early.”

Zack took out his phone and sent a message.

“Who are you texting?” Taylor said.

“Joe, giving him the heads-up to not come over to us as soon as they get here,” Zack said. “He’ll let the rest of them know and they’ll wait until the goons leave, I hope.”

A little after 02:40 Joe pushed open the double doors. One of the goons was a little too close and the door bashed into him. Zack grinned. Joe looked at the guy but didn’t apologise. He ignored him and went straight to a free table.

The door opened once more and a constant and steady stream of doormen came through. The two goons had to move from their vantage point because of the volume.

With five clubs and ‘late pubs’ in town, between six and ten doormen on each team, plus friends and other staff, the Snooker Hall was heaving in no time.

Extra bar staff appeared from somewhere out the back to join the guy that served Zack and Taylor.

Additional lights went up and the goons looked at each other. They no longer held the advantage of anonymity and because Zack and Taylor stood at the bar, still hidden in silhouette, they decided their mission was a bust and they left.

As soon as they’d gone, Joe went across to a guy standing off to one side and had a word with him.

The guy nodded and went through the double-doors to the front door. The double-door remained open, Joe held it so Zack could see the guy locking the door.

The girl in the pay-booth came through to the room, grabbed a coat and bag and disappeared off out the back, her shift unexpectedly ended.

One by one, Zack’s old team came to shake his hand.

Sinbad came over last. The light from the bar gave Zack a clear view of Sinbad’s face. Never one for smiling, unless he had his eye on a pretty girl, Sinbad’s scowl put Zack on his guard.

“You left us in the shit tonight,” Sinbad said, ignoring Zack’s extended hand.

“Hey, Sinbad, don’t go blaming…” Taylor started. Zack moved the hand he’d extended to Sinbad and held it against his brother’s chest. Taylor stopped talking.

Sinbad looked Taylor up and down in an arrogant and dismissive manner. Taylor moved against Zack’s arm but the elder brother held him back.

“Let him say his piece,” Zack said to Taylor.

Sinbad sneered at Taylor. “I never liked you, Taylor. You were always stuck-up and arrogant because you were going to University,” Sinbad pronounced ‘University’ in a sing-song, childish manner, mocking Taylor.

Taylor realised what Sinbad was doing, goading him, trying to get him to react and he calmed right down, just as Zack had taught him.