“Or they’ve found Kate and think they have found you.”
“I don’t know… What are you doing?” Adam had swung his legs out of bed.
“I am not staying here if there is a risk Kate could be in trouble.”
“No Adam, you’re not well.”
“No… If your drug dealer boyfriend has taken my girlfriend I need to do something.” He stopped, I had told Adam everything. He hugged me. “I don’t blame you… For anything.”
“But what if she’s been hurt, or worse?” I sobbed.
“Come on, draw the curtain. I need to get out of this place.”
28
Darkness
Pain…
Darkness…
Pain…
Every part of my body hurts. If I try to move my head I am hit with waves of dizzy pain. I cannot move, stuck in stuffy darkness where my limbs are trapped, have I been buried alive?
Confused…
Pain…
Darkness…
Another thump, the movement is sickening, my head slammed into a wall of solid darkness. I just wish it would stop. Trapped and in agony, I sob, feeling the tears flow down my face but I can’t wipe them away, my hands refusing to work for me. Another movement and my head slammed into the darkness which overtakes me.
29
Reunion
Adam looks unwell, I shouldn’t have allowed him to leave the hospital however he wouldn’t stay once he thought Kate might be in trouble. He’d argued with doctors asking if they could force him to stay, their brief pause was enough for him to demand that he was leaving. They looked at me, but I was in no fit state to argue with the firebrand that was my baby brother. The doctor took me aside, telling me that this was irresponsible madness and that concussion could strike at any time. He reiterated what I should look out for and I told him I was a riding instructor and could tell the signs. He had just said ‘Oh I see. Bloody equestrians’ and walked out of the room.
Adam had wanted to drive, but I had refused, point-blank to give him the car keys. We sat silently until we left the hospital car park.
“So…”
I glanced towards Adam. “I’m sorry, I’ve brought you and Kate into this, I know I should have just run away but now I have caused-.”
“Shut up!” He snapped at me. “Have you finished your pity party? Good! Okay, shit is happening, but we won’t get anywhere with you apologising and us arguing. You had little or no control over what happened, all I care is that we get Kate back safely.”
“Thank you… I wish I’d known you sooner you know, you’ve grown up to be an amazing man.” I looked across to see him blushing. “Okay, this can only be Edwin’s people.”
“I thought he was in prison?”
“He is, but the money which was taken was from his organisation. Although he was at the top there must have been others who would take charge, and especially others who would want to get that money back. But, what the hell do we do?”
“Have they killed her?” Adam spoke softly.
“No!” I pulled the car over. “Look, they need me to tell them where the money is, I bet they think that they have me…”
“And when they realise they don’t…”
I took out my phone, after a quick search I dialled a number. As it connected I spoke quickly. “Put me on to whoever wants Edwin’s money.”
“No!” Adam reached for the phone. I opened the car door and walked round to his side of the vehicle. Wrenching the door open, I pulled him out, dropping him on the pavement.
“No one else gets hurt!” I leapt back in the car, locking the doors. “Yes, do you have her? No, shut up… Redhead girl, do you?… Oh, that got your attention. She’s the wrong one, you want me, I took his money. You can have me in exchange, but only if you don’t hurt her… I’m coming to you now.” Adam was screaming and slamming his fists on the window. “Sorry…” I glanced quickly in the rear-view mirror and quickly drove away in the car. I could see him standing by the side of the road yelling abuse at me.
I had one chance, one way to get Kate back and to try to solve the mess I had created. Now, as I started the long drive down the motorway to London I knew that this was to be a one-way trip.
***
“Wake up!” The water was flung in her face. Kate cried out as the man slapped her.
“Who are you?”
“Kate, Kate Gibbs…” Her voice was broken, croaking as she had not drunk anything for so long. She looked at the blond-haired man before her, desperate to escape but trapped by the rope which lashed her to the hard wooden chair.
“So, she is the wrong one… Do you think she really will just come to us? Okay. Bye.” Laughing, he put the phone back in his pocket. “Looks like we may have a friend of yours coming to join us.”
***
Adam stood watching Amanda’s car becoming smaller as she accelerated away. She was so bloody-minded. He snarled to himself. But there was nothing he could do.
***
I’d been driving for hours, my eyes were tired but I couldn’t stop. I had crammed my phone onto the dashboard for directions and it showed that I had just one more hour to meet my fate. I was scared. No, I was bloody terrified, but I loved my brother enough to at least try to save his girlfriend and I had hurt so many other people.
This, I decided was my fate, I had survived the crash but now, my time had played out and it was time to take a bow, I’d had a good life.
The last hour passed with me struggling to find my way through the busy streets of London, then worrying about finding a parking place before laughing, I was more worried about a parking ticket than my potential death.
I looked down the road,
