* * *
The following hours passed in a blur. Rather than being returned to my cell, I was ushered from the interview room and returned my clothes and belongings. It was strange to be dressed in my own clothing again, my breeches and boots still dusty with arena sand. I was escorted out towards the main gate where a car was waiting to take me back home to Cumbria. I questioned the late hour. The prison governor had laughed telling me, as far as he was aware, the Yorkshire police force was so deeply embarrassed by the situation they wanted me moved before the press found out and were waiting outside the prison ready to take photos and footage, deepening the humiliation of the whole situation. I was told I should expect a very grovelling visit from the Chief Constable in the coming days. He shook me by the hand and wished me luck.
The journey was uneventful and I slept most of the way, I had to be woken by the driver as we arrived back at the stables.
The farmhouse was cold and empty, it was only then that I was truly struck by the fact Kate wasn’t here. I didn’t have time to dwell as the kitchen door flew open and Jacqueline ran towards me taking me in her arms, she was followed by the rest of the staff who jostled around me.
“Adam? What the hell are you doing here? Oh, shit! Have you escaped from prison? Are you an escaped fugitive?”
I had to laugh as she went from overjoyed to serious in a moment. I assured her I had been released, not that I was too sure why myself. My barrister had tried to explain but it was all beyond me.
I allowed myself a moment amongst the happy crying. I knew Kate would come back. Things could only get better, couldn’t they?
* * *
The fire was spreading. I yelled at Kate to get herself out, but she instead lunged at me with a knife she had found on the counter. Cutting the twine, she set me free, we tried to make it towards the door but the heat was too great. There was nothing we could do, we cowered in the corner of the tack room desperate to escape the inferno. The tack room door was reinforced with steel and we were locked in, trapped with flames becoming closer by the second.
I hugged hold of Kate, tears running down my face. I was about to speak when there was an explosion and our world went white.
34
Rush
I woke from my deep sleep to the sound of people in the kitchen below. Confused, I pulled on my dressing gown and crept down the stairs grabbing a riding crop as some form of protection. As I turned the corner, I saw the staff gathered in the kitchen. I was about to question what they were doing when I saw him. I gasped.
“Adam?” I rushed towards him, grabbing him in my arms. Suddenly a thought struck me. “Shit! Have you broken out of jail?”
“You know what sis, you’re not the first person to accuse me of that, but no. I’m sorry to destroy the obvious kudos of being an escaped convict, but, I’ve been released without charge.”
“You’ve been what? Sorry, did I hear you right?”
“Your hearing is as impeccable as ever, I’ve been released.”
“What? What’s happened?”
“To be totally honest, I’m not sure… They woke me up in the middle of the night, my barrister was there and they rushed me out the door. Apparently to make sure the press didn’t get wind of it. I’ll find out later as he’s coming over. But Amanda, for Christ’s, sake, where’s Kate?”
* * *
I opened my eyes. Everything was brilliant white, including my body and Hilary who was clutched in my arms. I looked up at the sound which seemed to be coming from a far distance, there was slamming and a crashing noise then suddenly everything became bathed in an eerie blue light. I felt firm, muscular arms grabbing me I was lifted and dragged away out into the cold air.
Outside the tack room, reality hit home. I looked up to see I was in the arms of a fireman, I struggled, confused as he tried to put a mask on my face. He was telling me I’d inhaled some sort of powder; this would help me catch my breath.
It took some time and a lot of explaining before I finally understood what had happened. Unbeknownst to Sally, the tack room not only had loud and annoying fire alarms, but also a state-of-the-art fire suppression system. The fireman explained the whole stables were alarmed and protected. So much so that, as soon as the system had detected smoke the alarm had sounded in Sally’s cottage, as the alarm had not been cancelled within two minutes it had automatically dialled the fire brigade and when the flames had burst out, the tack room had been doused with high-pressure extinguishing powder to put out the flames. He told me using water-based sprinklers would cause damage to the expensive leather. I guess I was nodding but this was all going over my head.
It was at that moment, he allowed me to slither from his arms as I doubled over in pain. Screaming in agony. I felt my jeans become soaking wet. “My waters have broken… It’s too soon…” I was sobbing, now hysterical. This was far too soon. Oh, God, I was about to lose my baby. A paramedic grabbed me laying me on a stretcher. She tried to calm me, but I was beyond words, desperate, clutching at my stomach. They loaded me into
