by E. Earle
I picked him up in answer and cuddled him. “Ben can go wherever he pleases.”
She smiled at me tiredly before stroking my hair. “I really am happy how far you’ve come,” she said. “But I really don’t want you going on your own, ok?”
Withholding a sigh had become an art as my eyes were drawn to Brynn coming down the stairs. He was wearing a faded red t shirt and his paint splattered jeans looking a bit worse for wear. I raised my eyebrow at him and then an accusing one at my dad sitting on the sofa.
He shrugged innocently. “What? He can’t hold his booze that one.”
Brynn shook his head and rubbed one eye as he walked over to me. “You ready?”
I nodded and allowed myself to be ushered out of Craggy’s as though I was walking glass.
My temper was twitching as I got into the car.
“Go on,” Brynn said, slamming his door shut. “Say it.”
“I’m sick of everyone treating me like a child,” I snapped, not even realising my mouth had opened. I glanced at him then, feeling guilty.
Ben looked up at me knowingly and shoved his head under my hands. Brynn stared at him oddly and then settled back in his seat.
“He was waiting for me that night,” he said.
Frowning, I searched Brynn’s face, seeing him stare out over the sea. The sun was out and it was really bright for a crisp winter’s day- not the sort of weather to discover that the body the police had found had in fact been Olivia’s aunt, Gabriella. My mother had been tiptoeing around me all morning when the police had come off the phone from Brynn, and my dad even asked me if I wanted to take a flight to Australia later on that night.
“I’m not running from life anymore,” I told them all, before storming up to my bedroom to change. Apparently a daisy print dress was no longer suiting my mood that day.
“Ben- he was waiting for me.” Brynn frowned, a mixture of emotions passing over his face like troubled water as he relieved the images he was seeing. “When I was swimming, all I could see was black. I had no idea what was rock, water or sky. I saw an orange dot bobbing up and down and focused on it.” His hand reached out and hesitantly touched Ben. “It was like a small fireball rolling up and down the shore, signalling me in.”
I swallowed, feeling a warm sensation spread through my stomach as my fingers buried into Ben’s velvety coat.
“I collapsed on the shore, and then realised the light was your cat.” Brynn laughed then, as if the idea was unheard of. “But it’s ridiculous, because how could he know?”
I shrugged innocently. “Maybe he was out hunting?”
Withdrawing his hand, Brynn tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “He knew I was in trouble,” he said, pointing his finger at the sea accusingly. “I wanted to sleep, but every time I failed in getting up, he kept scratching and biting me.” He rubbed his arm and neck as if in memory. “If it wasn’t for that, I think I would have just fallen asleep and died. And you…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but just gave me a half smile. “Well, that doesn’t matter. The point is- I’m obviously going mad.”
We both laughed half-heartedly, as Brynn switched on the engine and reversed into the road.
“He was hunting more than likely,” I repeatedly assured Brynn, giving his arm a playful mini punch.
“Either that or you’ve got a voodoo cat,” Brynn joked.
My fake laugh lasted three seconds.
The museum was a shining beacon of fresh paint and picket fencing when we pulled up. I breathed in the scent as soon as I stepped out of the car. We had only got the drive to clear and remove the skip- but apart from that and the delivery of exhibition cases, it was pretty much finished.
We were still sorting out the staffing situation- it being on hold since the recent incidents and we realised we would have to hire a couple of security guards. We had only gotten Old Marley’s artefacts back from his crook brother- we weren’t risking them on being taken again.
“Hold up, Ellena,” Brynn called as I started walking towards our new business. “Have you eaten today?”
“What?” Ben jumped from my arms and started sniffing the air.
“Have you eaten?” Brynn was leaning against his car with a no-nonsense look on his face.
“Yes, I had a cookie,” I said, shivering slightly. I was looking forward to seeing how our new heating was going to be- we had opened an old fireplace in the welcome area to give a more rustic feeling with a log burner, and I was dying to try it out.
“That’s not breakfast,” Brynn pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest.
“You’re not my mother,” I snapped, losing my patience; so had Ben, because he was sauntering off towards the building.
“No, but your mum will kill me if I didn’t take you for something to eat now knowing you haven’t had anything.” He stared at me, his face brooking no argument. “You haven’t been well, Ellie, come on. Let’s go to my mum’s and grab a quick bite first.”
I waved him off. “Give it a break!” I groaned. “I don’t want to sit around in a place with people staring at me.” I took a deep breath and counted to five. “How about you grab us a couple of takeaway bacon batches and meet me inside? I’ll get the fire on.”
Brynn and I was learning the meaning of the word ‘compromise’ and I think we were both still finding it difficult when it came to my recovery. “Fine,” he said finally nodding. “I’ll be back in five.” He threw me the car keys and started to jog back towards the town.
I shook my head and started to grumble under my breath, fumbling with the cold metal until I found the museum key.
“Gotcha. Ben?” I shrugged, not seeing him anywhere. A cat had a right to pee in private- who was I to micro manage his little boy breaks?
The new oak door swung open easily, and as I stepped in I inhaled the heady scent of new wood and fresh paint. The windows had been donated by a local craftsman, the panes of class artfully depicting a ship in mid storm scene. I stared at the colours mixing on the floor from the sunlight breathing in, and all of a sudden, everything seemed to be ok.
“Ben?” I shouted again, from outside and still not seeing him. I decided to leave the door open slightly so he could let himself in.
The place looked huge compared to how we first found it. We had taken down a false partition wall that had originally been in the centre and pulled up the dodgy carpet from upstairs to reveal the original wooden flooring. It had been one discovery after another- not to mention a box of dirty magazines from the 90’s that had been hidden under the counter. Old Marley was an avid reader it appeared.
I tapped my fingernails on the front desk we had paid out to be specially made for us. Running my fingers along its engraved front, I smiled at the bronze plate dedication we had done in Old Marley’s memory.
Walking through, I made a mental note of getting some new light fittings before the big opening. I wanted a chandelier type, but Brynn was leaning more towards modern. The other side of the museum had been extended slightly with a small porch that overlooked the ocean. It was here we were musing on whether to have a coffee/tea stand hut outside where we could easily get various vendors to pull up if we decided on having a function.
Turning the key in the double doors, I opened them and stepped out onto the decking, crossing my arms as the chill air tickled the small hairs on my skin. The sun’s warmth soaked into my pores as I tried to imagine that winter was over and opened them again at the sound of floorboards creaking.
My stomach rumbled and I was suddenly glad at Brynn’s foresight of getting breakfast. I would never admit it, but sometimes he did know what was good for me.
“I hope you’ve brought me a cake as well,” I said turning around. “I’ve grown a bit of an appetite.
Rino smiled at me. “You’re not the only one, sweetheart,” he said.
Chapter Eight
My blood seemed to clog in my veins at the sight of a tall man standing before me. Dressed in a leather jacket, striped s
hirt and black jeans, the man was olive skinned and would have been handsome if it hadn’t been for the cruelness in his smile, the slight sneer in his face and the unmistakable light of madness in his eyes.
“It’s been a while,” Rino said stepping forward, his hands tucked in his pockets. His hair was gelled and slicked back, his shoes shined as if for a special occasion. The scent of strong aftershave overwhelmed me, making my stomach turn as the porch railings found the small of my back.
For a long while I stared at the man who had almost killed me. Nights spent in torture, the scenario playing over and over again in my head as the bullet of his gun ripped into my flesh.
He had destroyed the serenity of my family, their peaceful nights- he had torn my world upside down and stamped on it again for good measure.
Hatred boiled through me, turning my knees to shaking knobs of bone, the cartilage of my joints melting into an unstable mass. I had thought of this moment happening over and over again. Flashes of the news report of him escaping from the prison van flew bright before my eyes, Calloway’s voice echoing in my ears as I lay on the floor bleeding as he shouted at me to stay awake.
I forced my breathing to steady inside my shaking lungs as my hands held onto the railing.
But I had survived.
From the look on Rino’s face, he was astounded and hateful of that fact. His lip glistened where he had bitten it hard at the sight of me, drinking in my sight as though he was savouring every moment.
“Did you miss me?” he purred.
His words swam over me as my eyes scanned the area. I could run, but I would never make it without him catching up to me. I bit my tongue angrily, knowing my frail body had betrayed me yet again.
Rino looked well fed, well rested, and determined. He came forward again, and I jerked away. He was there immediately, pinning me against the wood, his scent burning my nostrils.
He hushed me as if I was a frightened animal, his hand reaching out to touch a strand of my hair. “You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this,” he whispered.
The tone in his voice terrified me more than anything else and suddenly I shoved him back as hard as I could. He stepped back in surprise more than anything else, but it was enough for me to swing under the porch railing and run.
I heard him growl behind me and fell as he was upon me in seconds.
“You think you can run from me, little girl?” he snarled, half laughing as he grabbing the scruff of my coat, pulling up my weight by it alone. “You think you can get away from me?” He was shouting now, strands of spit flying on my face as I brought up my knee and allowed it to crunch home.
He yelled out in pain as I scrambled to my feet, shards of rock and pebbles scratching and slicing as I went. A cold hand grasped my ankle and pulled me back, my fingernails tearing as they fought through the dirt to escape.
“Get off me!” I screamed, grabbing a rock as I twisted onto my back and hurling it as hard as I could.
It cracked against Rino’s skull enough to dazzle him as I pushed him off me and stood up for the second time.
That was when he pulled it out, screaming as blood poured from his temple. “One more step and I’ll blow your pretty face off!”
I froze as the cold metal shone in the sunlight. A knowing smile sliced Rino’s face in two as he unsteadily got to his feet. The waves roared behind us until I suddenly realised we were at the spot overlooking Pirate’s Peak. My eyes gazed at the place where I had seen my Granddad before they snapped back to Rino.
“I am sick and tired of people pointing guns at me!” I growled between my teeth, furious tears brimming in my eyes.
Rino laughed. “Oh yes, the sexy Olivia and Gabriella,” he said, delight spreading across his features of the horror on my face as he spoke their names. “I know all about them.”
I refused to ask how, but it seemed I didn’t need to.
“You know, there’s not much for a man on the run to do in London but to go to the theatre, visit a strip club…” His eyes lit up as he stepped towards me. “Sometimes I may even take a lady friend to an art gallery.” He shrugged then as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, all the while still pointing that hated gun at me.
“What about Sabrina?” I asked.
He laughed. “That mardy cow?” His eyes burnt with a dark intent. “A man has needs, darling.” His lit his cigarette and took a long drag as he shoved his lighter back in his pocket. “So… you think you could start a nice life out here, did you?” He took a step forward and peered over the edge of the cliff and made a whistling sound. “Long drop, isn’t it?”
My breath caught and I clenched my fists. If I was going to die it wasn’t going to be like this. Then, it hit me. “You saw the pictures in the art gallery…”
“Sure did!” Rino manically yipped. “Very nice work. Very nice. The art dealer was very helpful in letting me know where the artist lived and who the muse was.” His smile was hateful. I wanted to rip it off his face and make him eat it.
Vincent.
“You were the one who bought the works,” I said, suddenly feeling very calm.
Rino’s laughter was almost a bark. “Now why would I waste my hard earned cash,” he said with a wink, “buying pictures of the mug I’m about to blow a bullet into?”
I don’t know what I was more shocked at- the fact that someone actually had bought pictures of me, or the fact that I was going to die very soon.
“It was almost too easy finding you,” Rino said coming closer to me, his gun still pointing steadily towards my chest. “As soon as I found the name of the artist, a whole load of news reports came flooding out. New pub opens, new museum rises from the ashes!” He wiggled his fingers in the air dramatically and then smiled evilly. “Fire. Just who else have you pissed off, Blackwell?”
He was going to shoot me, I knew that. I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. People I loved floated into my mind, my parents, little chubby Rowan- Jack and Jessica’s blossoming romance and…
Brynn.
All these people had changed my life so much.
I had fought so hard all this time.
I gritted my teeth and clenched my jaw. I wasn’t going down without a fight.
“Rino?” I said, mindful that he was now too close for comfort, staring at my chest, a sea of ideas rolling around in his disgusting brain of his. “You don’t half talk a load of crap.”
My fist flew hard through the freezing air as I punched him in the face as hard as I could. My hand cracked but I didn’t care. Rino staggered back and with a scream grabbed a handful of my hair.
Pain wrenched through my scalp as rocks by the cliff face rolled beneath out feet. The foam spit up from below, its rocky claws reaching upwards hungry for man-flesh.
“I’m the last person you’re going to piss off in this lifetime, Blackwell,” Rino spat into my face.
My head was pulled back so far that I could see the birds circling above my head, my vision full of the murky white clouds overriding the beautiful blue morning we were having.
A shadow fell over my face as something jumped up onto Rino. A deep animal scream was pulled from my throat until I realised that it wasn’t even mine. The unmistakable sensation of fur brushed my cheek as I was suddenly released and fell to the floor.
Twisting round, I saw Rino wrestling with an orange ball of claws and teeth. He was screaming, trying to wrench the animal from his face, rivers of blood already twisting his features into a mask of hate.
I scrambled to my feet, and fell down again at the sound of Rino’s gun going off, as he frantically waved his arms around to be free of the animal refusing to let go.
“Ben!” My throat was hoarse until it clicked that I had been screaming his name over and over again as soon as I had seen his orange coat. The gun went off again, shards of rock flying in the air as Rino took another step back, finally throwing Ben to the floor.
He landed on his paws near me and stared at me with his
burning orange eyes. I sobbed his name and he licked my salty cheek.
“Forever,” he purred.
Rino smiled sickly and then slowly raised his arm, the gun pointing directly at Benedict and me. “Demon cat!”
Ben was a flash of sun as he pounced through the air, the sound of the gun like a thunderclap as it ripped through the atmosphere. He landed on Rino and raged war on his face, ripping, biting and scratching as Rino took another step back.
It was his undoing.
His balance lost, Rino waved his arms and in that moment, our gazes locked. The whites of his eyes showed the true terror of a man knowing he was about to die as he fell, taking Benedict, my truest friend, with him.
Chapter Nine
It took the longest moments of my life to realise that I was being held back by Brynn. His voice thundered through my eardrums as I screamed and bit at him to let me go. His arms held me tight around the waist as my nails ripped through the cliff top attempting to get to the edge.
“Ben!” I screamed. “Ben!” And over and over again.
Suddenly there wasn’t enough air- there would never be enough air. My ribs threatened to break as my vocal chords stretched and expanded, willing someone to help me.
Brynn held me to him as he called the police, our sandwiches discarded on the floor as he gave them our location.
“Ellena, he’s gone,” Brynn was hushing in my ear, slowly rocking me. “He’s gone.”
I shook my head, not believing it. I had lost him once; I couldn’t survive losing him again. Not Ben.
Police flooded the area within minutes, an ambulance pulling up and paramedics attempting to pull me away from Brynn. I refused to be seen by anyone.
“Please Miss, it’s ok now,” a blonde woman in her forties said to me, her eyes crinkling in sympathy. “Let us clean you up.”
But I didn’t care. I didn’t want to be cleaned up. I wanted someone to bring Ben back.
“I should have grabbed him,” I sobbed into my hands. A policewoman rubbed my back, misunderstanding me.
