Bill woke the next morning with a haze of dehydration, the sun blinding him from shutters and the strange feeling from the bed he was lying in. The bed base was made from a thick fur which was neither here nor there to complain over. It definitely beat the barn floor with all the loose hay scattered, besides he was remembering the events of the night. Bill could somewhat remember knocking Shankel to the ground and both himself and Shankel enjoying it plus losing his shirt somewhere amongst the night.
He turned over to avoid direct sunlight to see a woman with wild hair, what seemed to be no clothes on sound asleep with her left arm over his chest. Bill could now remember his night with her too and how she was worth seeing again on her merits alone. She was quite frisky from what he could remember and had numerous sensitive areas. Bill then checked himself over and saw he was also naked, he knew he had to get back to the barracks but he'd not felt this comfortable in a while so he stayed a little longer. The woman next to him began to wake, he could tell because she was stroking his chest hair with her fingers.
Both got up to talking and got dressed, him being faster as he had less of a process til fully dressed. The both left the carriage wagon to a bright sunny morning with gypsies getting busy packing, sorting and otherwise occupied. This all halted to the men and women seeing him and her, and cheering loudly with applause and laughter for a brief moment only get back to which ever task was at hand. The woman blushed showing embarrassment and Bill jumped down and helped her down too holding her by the waist til her feet touched ground.
"that was fun, what was your name?" Both the woman and Bill laughed to the question.
"Margaret, Margaret Flint. And yours Mr Hatchet?" Margaret said with a smile.
"Call me Bill Hatchet, you should come to barracks. It's not bad for a pub" Bill said keeping an eye on his surroundings regardless he was in good company.
"I will, when there's a big event happening" Margaret wanted to leave him there on a cliff hanger as she walked off.
He watched her leave knowing what was under that dress and petticoat layers. Bill now went to find his wagon. He knew the whiskey was gone, it was a peace offering to the typical gypsy party. He found it with his horse detached and the wagon loaded up with the gypsies belongings. Tending to his horse was Shankel himself. He was different from his first encounter outside the barracks, as a short tempered boxer he changed to a calm and a little lucid.
"we can now call ye a brother gypsy, we'll cover your back if you have ours aye" Shankel was so different to before it set Bill back a moment.
"of course, you and the family clan are welcome in lads army ground any time. Just give us a heads up" Bill shook his hand mounted his horse.
He left the gypsies to return post haste to the barracks, shifts in power were always in motion in Londonway. He thought 'maybe when I'm ready to slow down I'll take on the gypsy life'
He did truly like the gypsy way of living, no one place to be with only horses, wagons and a portable home as priority. It didn't take long to see that his absence was noticed and someone took advantage. He rode in to see a factory fire being put out plus numerous bodies covered by blankets, he rode in faster. He got off and gave the saddle lead to another looking at the bodies without revealing too much to daylight, it was a mix of lads army and slum kids all beaten, bruised and with bullet wounds.
He pointed to five lads looking combat ready,"why in the fuck were they allowed to get to this dock twice!!"
"they just showed up in numbers sir, non left here alive" one of the lads said.
Bill went back to the bodies now looking closet at the slum kids bodies, then to the lads bodies. There was something in the pocket of one of the dead lads, Bill pulled it out and saw a rolled up small bit of paper. He unrolled it out and powder flew out into the wind, it was Tokyo blues and it was on a lad before he died. Bill could feel his temper get shorter. This is the first he saw a lethal drug like Tokyo blues on a lad, he felt it stopped here and now.
"LISTEN UP, ANY TOKYO BLUES IS TO BE BURNT INTO THE CUT, NO DRUG HEADS IN THE LADS ARMY" Bill shouted to get everyone's attention, and it worked.
The lads in ear shot and sight were either fired up or nervous, as expected of course. Bill went to the barracks and called out for someone to send a message to Shankel straight away. An old man in flat cap answered, "tell him the lads are calling in the cavalry and he's needed"
The old man left immediately, Bill took the time to address the other lads in the barracks.
"Tokyo blues was found on slum kids and lads alike at the dock fight, this is not on" Bill stood up on a chair to make his point heard" I don't give a shit about the slum kids, I care that lads were found with Tokyo. This will not be a war, just one violent fucking fight"
There was a tense feeling in the room, it had a mix of enthusiasm and fear.
"be armed and ready lads, officers your with me" He'd rounded them up for a battle plan.
It was to be fast, hard and point blank. By the time the officers were up to speed on the plan Shankel walked in with six gypsies, one was his sister Belle. He'd fancied her and was keen to get closer but not whilst it was this rough.
"I'm glad you showed, the lads need you Belle to sell the top kid good whiskey", as Bill said this she'd put on a sour face, "and you my man with your lot get the other lads through the river and into the residential slums"
"so why are we going to war with drug hooks aye?" Both Belle and Shankel looked at him with that 'good point' look as Shankel asked.
"because I hate Tokyo blues, if we can't track robin hood in the woods we'll burn the woods down. He'll show up then and I'll kill him for bringing Tokyo to my part of Londonway" Bill had the look of determination in his eyes, "I hate Tokyo blues"