by Nell Grey
Sion nodded.
“I’ve gotta lay low for a bit, but as soon as I can, I will.”
Sion kissed her cheek.
“Look after him, Annie.”
Jac put his arm around Annie as Sion made to leave.
“And none of that stubborn bollocks, alright?”
His laugh cut through the melancholic air.
“‘Cos I won’t be here to sort it, so don’t go screwin’ it up. Either of you.”
Annie’s face reddened. Jac coughed and rubbed his face.
“Take care, bro. Send word.”
Sion gave them a wink.
“I’ll see you again. I promise.”
CHAPTER 24
-----------✸----------
Claire had been up all night. At four a.m., she’d made up her mind categorically that she wasn’t going. She didn’t know the guy. He’d consistently lied about himself. Plus, there was the teeny-weeny, microscopically-minuscule fact that he was a professional assassin. Even if he was working for the good guys.
No, Sion Edwards was not exactly ideal boyfriend material.
Yet, there was something between them that she couldn’t deny. It wasn’t just she could talk to him about stuff and he made her laugh. It was more than that. And more than an attraction. It was something visceral between them.
She’d felt it in their kiss. He’d held back at first, she could tell, and he’d let her kiss him. But then his guard dropped, and when she sensed his passion for her it had thrilled her to her core. No-one had ever made her feel like that before.
This enigma of a man was too confusing, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make up her mind.
So, in the middle of the night she’d dumped her things into her backpack anyway. She didn’t have a lot. But it was heavy enough; lying propped up against the wall, waiting. Waiting for her to finally settle on what to do.
She’d decide when she saw him, she told herself, as she parked her old two-door Suzuki in The Cross Keys car park.
Locking the car, she walked across the tarmac to the pub’s kitchen. Glenda, the cleaner, had finished mopping the floor in the bar and was carrying the bucket to empty down the drain outside.
“Is Kevin about?”
“Upstairs, chuck. If you see him, tell him I’m off now, will ya?”
“Yeah, no worries. See you soon.”
“Kevin?”
Claire called out his name again, then started up the stairs to the accommodation wing above the pub.
“Kevin?”
The door into the flat was ajar.
Slowly, she pushed it a little wider, opening into the kitchen area.
“Hiya? Kevin? You there? It’s Claire. I’ve come for my wages.”
◆◆◆
Sion spotted Claire at the back door of the pub as he drove into the car park. He was certain that she hadn’t caught sight of him before she quickly disappeared inside. And he didn’t want to look like he was stalking her, so he stayed in the car.
Turning on the radio, his stomach churned again. He’d been on tenterhooks all night wondering what she was going to do.
He couldn’t call it.
Her eyes had been clouded with doubt. And he didn’t blame her for that. He’d be the same too, in her situation.
But then, she’d put her soft lips shyly on his. And then more passionately. Wow! He’d been right about her. Claire had hidden depths he was desperate to explore. He’d have to accept it if she didn’t want to go with him. But it would be a damn shame, all the same.
Claire’s car was next to his. A battered old Suzuki one litre job. His heart sank. He couldn’t see any travel bags on the seat. They could be in the boot or back at her flat? Or, the sinking feeling returned; she was staying.
Something over by the pub suddenly grabbed his attention.
A middle-aged woman had come running out of the kitchen door and was now scanning the car park frantically, looking like she needed help.
Without hesitation, Sion rushed out of the car.
Something was up.
Jogging over, he called over to the woman. She was in a state.
“What’s up?”
“Help! He’s hurting her. I heard her scream.”
“Who?”
“Claire.”
Sion’s blood ran cold.
“She went to see Kevin. And I was puttin’ my mop bucket back and there was this loud thump on the ceiling. And then I heard her scream.”
“You got a phone?”
The cleaner nodded.
“Call the police.”
Squashing his instinct to race up there immediately, instead, he bolted back to the car. Grabbing his bag from the boot, he then raced swiftly across the car park, into the pub, to the door of the upstairs flat.
Why did Kevin want to harm Claire?
At the base of the stairs, he unzipped his bag and loaded his handgun. Checking the safety catch, he slipped it into the back of his jeans.
Grabbing a handful of cable ties, he shoved them into his front pocket.
Bag in one hand, gun in the other, there was no time to waste.
“Arghh! Please! Let go of me.”
The voice was unmistakably hers. And she wasn’t far away.
Another cry.
Fury rose up within him. If he touched her again, God help him!
He had to keep it together. He needed to stay calm. Focussed. For her sake.
Creeping soundlessly up the stairs, he stole forward and peeped in through the open door into the kitchen area. Kevin and Claire were both directly in front of Sion facing at ninety degrees away from him and about twelve steps towards the middle of the kitchen area.
Kevin had Claire pulled down onto her knees. He’d grabbed her from behind and was now holding her tight with her head yanked back by her ponytail, exposing the full length of her neck.
The bastard!
She was struggling to get free, trying to resist him but he could tell that she was wary too of the sharp, steely blade held firmly at her throat.
Fierce, primal anger welled up again, and he battled hard to quell it. It pained him beyond words to see her like this. But losing his temper would do more harm.
He stood out of their sight by the open door. He needed to bide his time.
“Where is he?”
Kevin sounded revved up. His movements were agitated too.
“Who?”
“Don’t gimme that, you dumb bitch.”
Kevin pressed again.
“Where is he? You got your phone? Call him. Get him to come here. Now.”
Yanking her hair harder.
“Oww!”
Sion watched silently. So that was it. He was one of them. He’d seen the Scouser’s wanted post. He was trying to get hold of the reward money.
A wave of nausea washed over him as he saw the back of Claire’s head pulled back. He’d told her last night he’d keep her safe. And here she was, with a knife to her neck because of him.
Kevin had definitely been sniffing something. Coke or Meth? If he sprang the gun on him, he was wound up so tight, he could easily slash Claire’s throat. And that could be fatal. His only chance was surprise.
He crept up further to the door jamb.
“Why d’ya want Sion?” he heard Claire say through gritted teeth.
“Friends of mine wanna word with him.”
Taking a deep breath, he stole forward into the middle of the room, stepping soundlessly behind Kevin’s back.
Claire hadn’t seen him, either.
The closer he was, the easier it would be to spring himself on him and get the knife.
“Sion’s a computer geek. He works in an office.”
“Don’t gimme that, sugar-tits. There’s a finder’s fee out on him for twenty big ones.”
“You’ve got the wrong man.”
“He’s a grass. And I’m the lucky son of a bitch who gets to cash him in. Now where’s your phone?”
He ki
cked at her legs, spurring her to check her pockets, get out her phone.
“I’d hate to spoil that pretty face of yours. So for the last time, where the fuck is it?”
“It’s in the car,” Claire screamed at him.
He had to stop him, but he couldn’t get any closer. If he jumped him, she’d be scarred for life.
He had no choice.
“You looking for me?”
The pig-eyed manager spinned around, Claire with him.
Sion was five steps away, towering over them.
The gun was in the back of his trousers. Could he grab it? Shoot him at close range?
“Let her go and then we’ll speak.”
He was trying to be as calm as he could be, taking in the man’s amphetamine-wired state, and the sharp blade that was still hovering by the side of Claire’s face.
“Why do you want me, Kevin?”
“Friends of mine wanna speak with you.”
“So, you’d like me to wait here for them, with you. Is that it?”
He stepped closer and Kevin grabbed onto Claire hard.
Sion froze.
“Let her go.”
Kevin ignored him, clinging onto her hair.
“Are they on their way? These mates of yours?”
Beads of sweat began forming on Kevin’s brow and Sion noticed his hand by Claire’s nose beginning to twitch. He was cracking.
But the blade was a proper bit of kit. The flick knife would cut deep if it sliced into her skin.
He tried again.
“I promise to stay with you and wait for them. Might take a while, though, to get here from Liverpool. This is between me and you. Let Claire go.”
Kevin shifted nervously, looking down at Claire, considering it.
“She’s going nowhere.”
He uttered finally; and held onto Claire with renewed determination.
Sion shrugged. He’d had the choice.
He’d just taken the hard way.
One hand behind his back, he eased his hand towards the gun in his belt until he could feel the metal of the handle. With the knife so close to her he couldn’t afford any sudden movements, so he inched his fingers discreetly until finally he had the gun securely in his hand.
“Give it up, Kevin. No one’s coming. The cleaner’s called the police.”
Kevin’s eyes darted towards the door.
“They’re outside right now and they’ll be treating this as a hostage situation. The only reward you’ll be getting is free lodgings in a twelve by eight cell, courtesy of her majesty.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“Did ya not hear the sirens?”
He was agitated now. His pupils like black saucers.
Frantically, he looked around and checked the door. Then, over in Sion’s direction. Then, the space around them.
He was about to crack.
Sion took his chance.
“There’s blue lights all over the car park, Kev. You can see from the window. Go see for yourself.”
Pulling her up with him, knife at her neck, Kevin started to move; dragging Claire across the room towards the window.
Sion pulled the gun from behind his back and pointed it, trigger poised, ready to shoot.
But Claire hadn’t seen that.
She took her chance too.
Slamming her elbows back, she drove them fiercely into Kevin’s solar plexus. Snapping herself upwards. Coming right between Kevin and Sion’s clear line of fire.
“Claire!”
“Argh!”
A vicious slice.
Sion stashed the gun quickly back in his belt and leapt into the air, but it was too late to stop the line of crimson beading up behind the knife as it sliced its way angrily down Claire’s neck.
No!
Grabbing Kevin’s fist, Sion smashed it down to the ground.
The knife bounced free and scuttled across the floor, out of their reach.
Claire flung herself after it, scrambling clear of the two men wrestling on the ground. Grabbing the knife tightly, she brandished it at them in self-defence.
“Claire? Honey? You alright?”
Taking advantage of Sion’s momentary distraction, Kevin, wriggling an arm and fist free, slammed a punch with force into Sion’s face, sending him reeling.
Seeing Kevin coming at him again, Sion snatched for his gun in the back of his jeans. Flicking free the safety catch, he fired a deafening shot upwards into the air, flinging Kevin backwards.
Smack.
The handgun came crashing down into Kevin’s face, shattering his nose and stunning him.
That one was for Claire.
Like a bear catching a salmon, Sion expertly flipped him over onto the floor. His face covered the carpet tile in a pool of dark blood. In one swift move, Sion then skilfully had the barman tied up securely, with his hands and ankles secured tightly with the plastic ties.
“Claire?”
She was behind him cowering in a corner, frozen from shock. Her knees were hunched tightly into her body, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. And he saw too, the steady stream of blood running freely down her neck onto her collar bone and into her hair.
She snapped out of her daze and touched her neck; her hands becoming covered in blood too.
“Oh my God! Help!”
“Shh. It’s okay.”
She began shaking with shock. Kneeling beside her, he took her in his arms and held her tightly.
“Let me see it, Claire.”
Pulling back her hair for him, he could see that the gash was deeper than he realised, and there was a fair bit of blood coming from it. It ran from the base of her ear right down the side of her neck and she was damn lucky that it had missed an artery.
Still, it was bad enough.
Sion found her a tea towel and sat her down on a chair.
“You need to get that stitched. Keep pressing on it to try and stop the flow.”
“They’ll have you sooner or later,” Kevin growled into the carpet. “Watch yer back, ‘cos this ain’t over yet. Not by a long shot.”
“One more peep and it will be for you,” Sion snarled.
Claire was still shaking a little, but she held the towel firm as Sion quickly retrieved the rope out of his bag.
Hauling Kevin to the other chair, far enough away from Claire, he bound him up fast. If he heard another peep out of him, he’d gag him too.
Then, after storing his gun back in the bag, he phoned the farm. Annie was on her way to take Claire to hospital while he waited with Kevin for the police to arrive.
CHAPTER 25
-----------✸----------
“What d’you mean, I can’t go in?”
“There are reports of gunfire. It’s an armed siege. You need to shift your vehicle from here, Miss, and stay behind the tape.”
The whole of the car park is crowded with police and a black BMW is blocking the road behind me, trying to turn around too. Sunday city tourists in big, flashy cars that are far too big for our narrow country lanes.
“Annie!”
Detective Ellis Roberts recognises me and comes over.
“What you doin’ here?”
“I got a call from Sion. He’s in there, with my friend, Claire.”
“Is Sion who the cleaner said ran in there?”
“All I know is Claire’s got a knife wound. He phoned and asked me to take her to hospital. It’s not serious but she needs stitches.”
Ellis gives the uniformed officer a nod.
“Park up.”
I swing Trusty Rusty into the back of the car park, while Ellis waits for me.
“What’s going on?” I ask him breathlessly.
“There’s been gunshot. We’re waiting for the armed response unit. So, tell me what Sion said to you?”
I repeat the phone call word for word.
“And is this the same Sion who was staying with your mam’s tenant?”
“You mean Jac? Yes, it is. You d
o know Mam passed away?”
Ellis stares at me.
“I’m sorry. No I didn’t. How did…?”
“Cancer,” I cut in, “A couple of weeks after Dad. She was dying and hadn’t told us.”
There’s an awkward pause; and the way his eyes bore into me, makes me feel uncomfortable.
“Sorry to hear that. How you managing with the farm?”
“Jac’s been a big help.”
“Jac and Sion? They were in the army together, right?”
“Yeah. They’re both ex-special forces. Look, can you let me go in and see what’s going on? What’s the worst that can happen, eh?”
“You could get shot and killed.”
“There is that… But Sion’s a friend. He called for me to come, so it must be safe.”
Ellis rubs his face.
“It goes against all our protocols.”
“Please, detective. I can phone him?”
It sounds reasonable and he’s considering it.
“Alright, but if we do this, you need to stay behind me and do exactly what I say. Understood?”
“Absolutely.”
He shakes his head and goes over to clear it with a uniformed officer who’s speaking into his walkie talkie.
I can tell that they’re disagreeing about it.
Eventually, Ellis beckons me over.
“Give him a call.”
He answers immediately.
“Sion? It’s Annie. The police are here, they’ve heard shots. Is it safe for us to come in?”
He tells me it is. I pass the phone to the detective, and afterwards he’s happier with the situation and we get the green light.
I follow him towards the kitchen door. Then, moving into the pub behind Ellis, he checks out each room first before we go further inside. I can sense that he’s not convinced that this isn’t a trap.
Near the bar, we approach the open door and see the stairs up to the flat.
“Sion? You up there?”
There’s a movement of feet above us.
“Is that Detective Roberts?”.
“Yes. And Annie’s here too.”
“Hi Sion. How’s Claire?” I call.
“She’s shook up.”
He appears at the top of the stairs.
“She’s a bit sore. Gonna a need a fair few stitches down her neck”
