Feral!

Chapter 6

6

"Tony, come and take a squiz at this, will you?" Hannah stood at her window watching teenagers approach a car parked on the other side of the road. They were not the only ones she'd seen this morning.

Her brother joined her at the window, keeping his head down. "What's the matter, curtain twitcher? You'd best not be eyeing up Benji, Han. I meant what I said—he's bad news."

Instead of arguing, she made a funny noise in her throat. "Relax! Benji's so yesterday. I like someone else now; he's at college." She sensed her brother's growing unease. "But you don't want to talk about that. Watch Pip's car. A different group of kids are coming up now."

She watched four hoodie-wearing teenagers approach Pip's Nissan Skyline. They waited by the passenger's door, stooped over, and seemed to chat with the occupant of the passenger seat. They all dug into the pockets and took out their wallets, handing the money to the kid nearest the door. "Are they doing what I think they are? Is Pip selling drugs out of his car?"

"Uh-huh! And not very subtly either," her brother replied. "I can't believe this. It's one thing off-loading a bit of w**d, but this, outside his house, to kids. That's something else. Dad! Come here! Take a butchers at this."

Hannah budged over for her old man. "More brats are walking this way. That group's already got theirs, and they're looking pleased with themselves."

"Right, what am I looking at?" her dad asked, elbows on the windowsill.

She pointed at the hoodies approaching the Skyline. "There! They're stopping to have a chat with Pip's mate in the passenger seat. Here we go! Hands in pockets, bring out wallets, collect money, hand it to Pip's crew, who then gives them the drugs."

The group of four teenagers crossed to their side of the road and walked back on themselves, carrying their bag of drugs, laughing and joking together.

Hannah's mouth hung open at Pip's brazenness. How could he think he'd get away with it? Surely, Callum must see what Pip's doing? "Why doesn't Callum say something?"

Her brother and dad shared a stare. "What?"

"What's going on in here? You're not spying on our neighbours again, are you? Han, we've spoken about this before. You can't keep doing this." Her mum walked up to the window, looked out. "What are you watching, anyway?"

"Oh nothing, just Pip and his mate dealing drugs outside our house. Nothing major. Here comes another group of kids. And the same thing happens, wallets out, walk away, cross over road, and go back on yourself. Look, mum, what they're carrying."

Expecting her mum to go off on one, Hannah was surprised when she didn't. "Aren't you going to say something? They're dealing drugs openly, in the street, outside our house."

"Your dad and I will handle this." Her mum took her dad's arm and pulled him away. "And stop curtain twitching, Hannah."

"Looks like everyone's been served," Tony said, scanning left and right for more teenagers. "Pip had quite a little conveyor belt going for a while. s**t! How can he be so obvious?"

"Someone needs to tell Callum." When Tony shook his head, she said, "What?"

"You don't get it, do you? He's dealing for his dad. Pip and Rob, they both deal for Callum. Rob's bright enough to do it away from the house, though. I've no idea what Pip's thinking, or maybe he and Callum think no one's going to grass on them."

Hannah noticed Tony hadn’t mentioned Benji pushing drugs on kids. Perhaps that was his destiny, too? Callum would force him to deal when he finished school. It still beggared belief that Pip could do it so close to home. She would have to be careful walking around here, given the clients the Bowmans attracted.

It was a rare Saturday when Tony wasn't working. Hannah had college work to be getting on with, and she had to be at KFC on Commercial Road for six o'clock. With a sigh, she turned and sat on her bed. Her dad was getting ready for work, ticketing people for parking violations. It was a crap job, but her dad didn't seem to mind.

Her mobile beeped. Party tonight. Fancy coming? She smiled. Naomi knew everyone at college and where all the parties were at.

I'm working until ten, Hannah typed, but I'll take a change of clothes. She hadn't been to a decent party in ages. Lying on her bed, she started feeling excited.