‘Where’s the money?’ shouted a man wearing a black balaclava. He marched up to Ruby and pointed his gun directly in her face.
CHAPTER 46
Time stood still.
Ruby turned to face the intruder, staring down the barrel of his gun.
‘Tell us and you live,’ the gunman said menacingly. His accent was Middle Eastern, his eyes coal black behind the mask.
A jolt of pure fear and adrenaline surged through Ruby’s body.
‘Give them nuthin’. Open the safe and we’re all dead!’ yelled Archie from the other side of the room.
Her eyes flicked over to where he was straining against the ties that bound him to a chair. Another balaclava-clad robber held a gun to his head.
The seconds ticked past. Ruby tried to swallow but her throat was dry.
How had the robbers got past the security guards she knew had been there earlier in the day? Surely Archie would never have let them go to the festival, not after what happened with the Albanians? Someone else must’ve betrayed them – of that she was now sure – but there was no time to speculate. Her life, and that of her daughter and husband, were on the line. One mistake and they were all dead.
As if to make his point, the second gunman slammed his fist into Archie’s face. Her husband’s nose exploded; blood sprayed across the white marble floor.
‘Dad!’ Cathy shrieked.
Ruby wanted to scream, to run to her beloved husband, but she was rooted to the spot with fear.
Stay calm, stay calm Ruby, she thought to herself. She mustn’t show her panic. If there was anything she’d learnt from the life she’d led up until now, it was that.
‘Give. Us. The. Money.’ The man stepped closer. The gun was almost touching her face. Her ears strained for any other noise, the sound of other possible assailants, but the villa was silent. She guessed these two were working alone. They’d probably bribed the guards to let them in, a simple trick but effective.
Ruby realised they were all alone. No staff would rescue them. She had to face this herself. The thought, strangely, gave her strength. She was best when her back was against the wall. Throughout her life she’d taken chances, taken risks most others wouldn’t. This was the ultimate test. She had to pass it.
She made a decision.
‘All right,’ she said. Somehow she kept her voice steady, though her heart pounded and she could feel sweat trickling down her back. ‘I’ll give you the money.’
‘NO! Ruby they’ll KILL us, d’ya hear me?’ Archie dissolved into coughing. He spat blood onto the floor.
Hold still, Ruby, keep it together, she repeated in her mind like a mantra. She couldn’t look at her husband in his blood-soaked clothes, tied up and brutalised, or she would break. An angry fly banged against the glass window and the sun shone on the azure sea far below the cliff. She gazed at the view, steeling herself.
‘I’ll do what you tell me but you don’t touch him – or my daughter,’ Ruby commanded, drawing herself up tall and holding her assailant’s gaze.
The gunman turned to his associate and nodded. The other robber raised his arm as if to strike again.
‘You. Don’t. Touch. Him,’ Ruby said. Her voice was low but there was no denying her authority.
The robbers exchanged a glance and the first one gestured for the other to hold back. It was a small victory but it gave Ruby hope she could get through this – if she held her nerve.
By now, she’d realised that these men could just shoot them all and escape with the paintings. There were several masterpieces on the walls, and it would’ve been a worthwhile haul. It was their focus on money that made Ruby think these gunmen were nobodies, just two chancers who got lucky. If they were professional crooks they’d know the value of the pieces, which far exceeded the contents of the safes in the villa. The fact they didn’t seem to be interested in the pictures gave Ruby hope, but the fact they must have had the funds to bribe the guards left her worried there might be someone behind these crooks.
Their hesitation had also given her time to appraise them. Both wore scruffy clothes and scuffed trainers. They seemed agitated now, rattled. Perhaps they’d expected a woman to scream or faint.
As calmly as she could, she said, ‘Gentlemen, I’ll get you the money but put yer guns down. You’re makin’ me nervous and I might forget the combination.’ Even as she said the words, she prayed that Archie would stay quiet. She wanted them focused on her.
She smiled, knowing the effect this would have on them. She sensed confusion amid the urgency. Their gazes were darting between each other, and like an animal hunting its prey, she sensed they were unsure now. This was her moment to take the lead. She’d faced down bigger villains than these two gun-wielding amateurs. She felt a surge of adrenaline again.
Both men pointed their guns at the floor.
‘Thank you.’ Every second that passed gave her the advantage. She turned her back to the men, praying they wouldn’t seize their chance and grab her from behind. Nothing happened and so she walked, slowly, across the floor, her heels clicking on the cold, hard surface as she went.
She walked to the back of the room where a large abstract painting hung on the wall. The gunmen were now between her and her family. Sound was amplified. She heard Cathy moaning, the two men breathing heavily inside their balaclavas and Archie quietly straining against his bindings. Ruby willed herself to keep going, to keep calm.
The painting rolled back to reveal a large safe, one of several in the villa, but she guessed they didn’t know about the others. It didn’t matter anyway. A plan had formed inside Ruby’s mind. She had mere seconds left, seconds which would decide all of their fates.
