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 the baying crowd and waved the topi in the air like some sort of fucking trophy.
My fingers were wrapped around the door handle. I turned to Khan. ‘Now?’
‘No. Wait!’
There were shouts of encouragement and sounds of laughter. With the back of his arm Parvez wiped the gob off his face and unexpectedly and viciously wrenched the ponytail of Velour‚ pulling her back towards him and snatched the topi back from her hand. She let out a high-pitched‚ earth-shattering scream.
And that’s when it all kicked off.
Parvez’s eyes widened and he ran‚ hat in hand‚ towards the stairs to the upper levels. The hostiles pelted after him‚ disappearing up the stairs to a chorus of Paki and Wog and the like. I gripped the metal bar and flung my door open. Khan did the same and we ran across the car park to the door leading to the stairs. I could hear my shoes in my ears pounding on the floor and I wished I had my Nikes on instead of my crappy mosque shoes.
After quickly checking the first two floors we flew through the door of the third. I came through first‚ with Khan just a fraction behind me. They all had their backs to us in a small semi-circle. Through a small gap I saw a flash of cheap beige cotton in the foetal position‚ as Velour and Shellsuit reigned brutal kicks into Parvez’s back and ribs and the guys cheered them on. Behind me‚ a guttural‚ feral sound‚ a fucking ROAR emanated from Khan‚ which stopped the proceedings sharpish. All heads turned. Their focus was now on Khan as they first walked and then ran towards him. But they stopped short as Khan‚ bent at the knees‚ pulled out his blade with a smile.
‘C’mon then!’ Khan growled. ‘Who wants to take a ride in an ambulance?’ He waved the blade around in small circles in front of him like a sparkler. I ran to Parvez and helped him to his feet.
‘Shit‚ Parvez‚ you alright?’ I asked‚ knowing what a stupid question it was.
‘Yes. I’m fine‚’ Parvez said. I took him limping and hobbling to the far wall. He looked down over it as if jumping three storeys down was our only way out.
‘Jay‚ look‚’ he said‚ pointing down towards the ground. ‘There’s more cars coming in.’
There was nothing I could do about that. Ten against three or thirty against three‚ what’s the difference? Either way we were getting fucked. Our best hope was to leave this place with most of our organs intact.
Khan was now surrounded in a tight circle‚ holding the hostiles at arm’s length‚ fiercely arcing and poking the blade towards anybody who tried to cover ground. There was a serene look on his face‚ a look of contentment. This was Khan and this was his element. If he died‚ I believed he would die doing what he loved most. One brave soul came at him from behind‚ pulled his arm tightly around Khan’s thick neck. Khan dealt with that with a forceful backward head-butt‚ breaking his nose. He then spun on his heel to face him and brought the butt of the blade down‚ striking him again on his already busted nose. Blood and mucus fountained out as the chump fell to his knees. But this gave the others a small window to step in closer‚ and they took it. I saw a beer bottle bounce brutally off Khan’s head and it