on either side of the road have stopped walking.
The beating lasts for less than a minute. They surround him and batter him from every side and every angle kicking his face, his kidneys, his chest and his bollocks and stamping on his head, his kneecaps and his outstretched hands. Once the frenzied attack is over the man's breathless assailants step back, leaving the twitching body on the ground in full view. The wail of approaching sirens shatters the heavy and ominous silence. I look back down the road and see that a police motorbike is weaving through the stationary traffic. By the time the police officer reaches the body all but one of the attackers have disappeared into the crowds. The one who remains stands his ground and shouts and screams at the officer and points accusingly at the helpless, broken man on the road before turning and running after the others. With a bizarre lack of urgency, interest and care the police officer drags the body away from the middle of the road and leaves it in the gutter before signalling to the traffic to start moving again.
The world slowly starts to crank itself back into action.
Lizzie is holding onto my arm, gripping me so tight that it hurts. I can't take my eyes off the dark mound at the side of the road. Who was it? What had he done? If he really was a Hater then he deserved everything he got.
It seems like every time we go out now something happens.
I think back to the television programme we watched last night, and then I think about the other attacks I've seen and those I've heard about. All that bullshit I came out with last night suddenly seems to count for nothing. There is something more to this. This isn't just paranoia or people exploiting the situation.
I feel sick with nerves and fear.
Who is it going to happen to next? Me? Lizzie? Harry or one of the kids? Someone at work? It could be anyone.
Chapter Thirteen
It's late by the time we finally get home. We'd expected to be back by five. There were more traffic delays on the way out of town. It's now almost eight.
'Someone's in a hurry,' one of the men from the flat upstairs says as we pass him on his way out of the apartment block. I think this is Gary. He has another man with him who I've never seen before.
'Sorry,' I mumble as I struggle to get through the entrance door with Josh's pushchair.
'You all right?' he asks, appearing genuinely concerned.
'We're fine, thanks,' I answer quickly, not interested in talking. I gently push Lizzie towards the flat. The two men leave.
'Everything okay?' Harry asks as I open our front door. He's halfway down the hall as soon as he hears the key in the lock. 'I've been worried sick about you. You could have phoned me again.'
'Sorry, Dad,' Lizzie says.
'There was some trouble,' I explain.
'What kind of trouble?'
Liz takes off her coat and shakes her head. She wipes her eyes.
'I don't know what's going on out there,' she sighs, her voice quiet and emotional. 'It feels like the whole world's going mad.'
'So what happened?' he asks, looking from Lizzie to me and then back again for an answer. 'Are you both all right? Did you...?'
'We're okay,' she says wearily as she gently pushes him back down the corridor towards the living room. Josh is still asleep. I carefully unbuckle his straps, take off his coat and pick him up out of the pushchair.
'What happened?' Harry asks again as I follow him and Liz into the living room. I stop and quickly look into the children's bedrooms. Ed's lying on his bed reading. Ellis' room is empty.
'We walked down to Pedmore Row to catch the bus,' I tell him. 'Group of blokes came out of nowhere and started kicking hell out of this guy. He was a Hater. Where's Ellis?'
Harry nods towards the living room. I peer over the back of the sofa and I'm relieved to see her curled up in a ball asleep with her grandad's jumper draped over her shoulders. She looks peaceful and relaxed. The room is quiet and dark and the only light comes from the flickering TV in the corner.
'She wouldn't go to bed,' he explains, standing and watching her with me. 'Kept asking where you two were. I let her stay with me for a while. I knew she'd fall asleep eventually.'
Liz crouches down in