Empty Hand

For three years the Grebe Vale estate in Liverpool has enjoyed a calmness not experienced since being built in the ‘70’s because of one man, Jack Brannon. Jack, a former forces specialist in silent operations, had returned home for his father’s funeral to find his parents’ letters had hidden the truth of their lives. Their pub, The Last Drop Inn, was overrun by thieves, drug-pushers and prostitutes, all controlled by Lenny Brannon, a man obsessed with blades, and a relative from the dark side of the family. After the funeral Jack stayed on and with help, cleaned up the estate, but the price was the death of an army friend for which Lenny was convicted.

Now Lenny has been released from prison after his sentence was quashed on appeal and he wants his estate back. Lenny has waited for Jack’s wedding day to return and has sent a message to the wedding breakfast that he will be on the morning ferry from Ireland carrying a blade that will not be used to cut any wedding cake. With three of Lenny’s old gang waiting for him at the docks, Jack is persuaded to leave with his new bride, Doe, before Lenny arrives. Jack gets no further than Crosby beach before accepting that he cannot run forever.
Jack returns to rally his old supporters, but one by one they turn away. Even his new bride, having lost her brother in a knife attack in Manchester’s Levenshulme district, will not stand by him.

Jack faces the men alone and unarmed, determined to show how empty hands can defeat blades. The climax is the fight to the death with Lenny. Jack wins, but it is a hollow victory, tainted by the reluctance of the community to stand by him in his hour of need.

Empty Hand is an urban cowboy feature set against the backdrop of soaring knife crime in Britain.