Just as I spoke, Tim appeared with Joe and Lydia. They crawled in front of us. Lydia and Joe untied our legs, whilst Tim freed the rope from my wrists. Joe was just about to free Nick's wrists, when someone came running.
I saw Tim tackle the girl, but then a gun fired.
"Come on... let's get out of here." I heard Joe speak. He seemed anxious.
I got up and pulled Nick up. We both ran ahead. Tim, Joe and Lydia followed behind us. It seemed like we were getting out of here until we heard more shots being fired from behind us.
"Keep going!" I heard Tim shout.
We ran around the corner and straight out of the castle gates pulling them shut behind us, but then we heard guns firing. Tim stopped and fired back. Joe knelt down and fired too, but myself, Lydia and Nick kept on going until Nick fell.
"Nick... what's wrong?" I asked frantically.
"I think... I think... I've been hurt." He said weakly.
"Where?" I asked.
I looked at his body and felt for a wound on his stomach, but he was okay there. Then I realised he'd been either shot in the leg or grazed. I didn't know, because it was too dark to see. I managed to pull him up and then, Lydia saw what had happened. She held Nick up on his right side, whilst I helped him stand by holding his left arm.
Eventually, we could see the caravan in the distance. When we got to it, I turned to see Tim and Joe running towards us. I felt relieved to see them alive. I thought they might have been killed.
Once at the caravan, Lydia banged hard on it until the door was opened. Ellie came to our aid and helped Nick inside. I stood outside with Lydia, as we waited for Tim and Joe to arrive.
When they finally made it, I could see more than four or five people chasing them. I couldn't believe it.
"Quick get inside Aiden!" Tim shouted hysterically.
Lydia and I rushed inside, as Tim and Joe went to the van. Lydia started the ignition and began to turn the caravan around so she could follow Tim.
I sighed with relief, as I watched the men with guns getting smaller in the distance. Of course, they started firing again. Shots missed the vehicle by inches. I hoped we would survive their attack, but we hadn't got away yet. Everything was happening so quickly that I panicked.
I saw Alan cover his face with his hands as he crouched on the floor trying to avoid the bullets.
The kids were terrified and sat huddled up with their mums on the floor as the caravan began to move slowly away.
Finally, we were moving ahead, but then, a shot hit something and I could see blood gradually flowing to the floor of the caravan. Someone had been shot.
14. Lydia Brown - Fear of Dying
I drove away as fast as I could. Everyone screamed. I could see Alan sitting next to me in the passenger seat. He covered his ears. He seemed to be in shock.
I heard Ellie shout and I turned to look over at her. Everything was happening so quickly.
"Lydia... Lydia... you have to stop. Nick has been shot. I need to see where, but we're moving so fast that it's stopping me from seeing straight!" Ellie screamed.
"I can't yet until we're out of sight and away from those people... lay him down and cover the wound with towels. Do it now!" I shouted, fearing the worst.
I wanted to get us as far as possible. I was feeling sick. I was hyperventilating too. My mind couldn't take much more of this life. It was getting too hard to keep everyone safe and now Nick had been shot. What next? Or who would be next?
We travelled for another ten minutes and then I saw Tim stop ahead of us. I slowed down and parked behind Tim's van.
Tim appeared just as I opened the door of the caravan.
"Nick has been shot." I said as I rubbed my eyes.
"What... oh no..." He yelled.
Tim rushed inside and then shouted at me.
"Lydia get me my rucksack... it's in the van, and tell Joe to come here," he yelled.
I nodded and ran out to the van. I wondered why he needed his bag, but I didn't want to ask.
I quickly ran back and gave him his bag and I watched as he opened it. He took out a small bottle of whiskey and then some pills.
"What are you going to do?" I asked him.
"I'm going to stop the bleeding and give him some painkillers for the pain."
I watched as Tim looked at the wound in Nick's stomach. It was bad I thought. I wasn't sure if he would make it either, because he was severely bleeding out. Poor Nick. He didn't look too well.
I looked up to see everyone watching. Nick's two kids looked terrified and so did Ellie, his poor wife.
"Ellie, why don't you take the kids in the back. I don't think they should watch this." I said as I saw her nod.
It was obvious that she was in shock. Her face was pale and she trembled violently.
Tim bandaged Nick's stomach and then stood up to face me.
"Is he going to be okay Tim?" I asked dreading his answer.
"The bullet has got in too deep I think... I don't know what else I can do. He needs a doctor not me. I don't know anything about this sort of thing Lydia. Do you?"
"Let me look." I said.
I bent down and removed the bandage from Nick so
