I got to the car-park at seven o’clock,

A long while before we’d agreed,

I had to have time to come up with a plan,

And a chance for that plan to succeed,

Well the meeting was scheduled for ten twenty five,

On the top level of that parking lot,

And I knew that Denoy planned to murder us both,

Whether I did what he told me or not,

So I loaded the luger, and took it along,

Though praying I’d not need to use it,

Then worried that it might fall out of my belt,

And when I needed it most, I would lose it.

It’s amazing the thoughts that go through your mind,

When you’re certain that you’re going to die,

When it seems like the whole world has turned against you,

And you’ve genuinely no idea why.

Then just as I’m thinking, I hear tyres squeal,

From a car racing up from below,

It seems that Denoy had the same great idea,

Of making an earlier show,

I hid in the shadows as the limo appeared,

And screeched to a shuddering halt,

My brother was dragged from the boot of the car,

Looking beaten and awfully distraught,

Then Denoy’s chauffeur kicked him so hard in the ribs,

That it lifted him clean off the ground,

My brother rolled over, clutching his chest,

And making a whimpering sound,

All thoughts of planning went out of my head,

And were replaced by a blood boiling rage,

I grabbed at the pistol I had in my belt,

And fired without bothering to aim,

The shot that I fired, missed by a mile,

But the chauffeur had heard the report,

He looked round at me with a strange kind of smile,

Not frightened, the way I’d have thought.

Then as he walked towards me, he pulled his own gun,

While I was desperately trying to keep calm,

But he let go of his pistol and cursed a I fired,

And my bullet ripped right through his arm.

Then jumping into the limo, he spun it around,

Smoke billowing out from the tyres,

He drove it at me, at the greatest of speed,

But I stood where I was and I fired.

Emptying my pistol,

 Into that limousine,

Saw blood gush from the chauffeur,

Onto his window-screen,

The car lost control and hit a curb,

Then shot into the air,

Landing on its side,

Where sparks and glass flew everywhere,

Then skidding like a skate on ice,

Till it crashed on through the wall,

And teetered on the very edge,

A strong breeze would make it fall.

With Denoy in fits of terror,

Calling from inside,

“Save me, someone save me,

Oh God, I don’t want to die,

The car door was partially open,

And that’s where Denoy had found his grip,

Hanging from the vehicle,

Almost by his fingertips,

Screaming, “You fool, why won’t you help me?

You know that I can pay”,

I kicked the door shut on his fingers,

Then turned and walked away,

As the vehicle went over,

Five stories to the ground,

Erupting in a ball of flame,

and a loud exploding sound,

People started screaming,

Sirens filled the air,

But I smiled as I walked away,

Because I really didn’t care,

This nightmare was finally over,

My family, safe and sound,

I walked to where my brother lay,

And helped him from the ground,

He thanked me so sincerely,

As we got into my car,

But I couldn’t help but think about,

That young woman in the bar,

Where this nightmare had started,

All those weeks ago,

Tears began to fill my eyes,

And I could not stem the flow,

As I thought of what they’d put her through,

The tears fell onto my shirt,

How wrong I’d been that night to think,

Just one drink wouldn’t hurt,

For that one drink was responsible

For changing many lives,

My brother’s, mine, the chauffeur’s,

Denoy’s, and of course his trophy wife.

(The End)

By S.E.Ralph

29-7-2019