by Pryke, Helen
He breathed heavily into her face. ‘Mother told me I had to practice first, to make sure my plan would work, that everything was perfect.’
‘Practice?’ Maggie asked, her voice weak as she realised what he was going to tell her.
‘Thomas. The perfect son. He was a little shit, really, so arrogant, no respect for his elders. I soon beat that out of him. But then he tried to escape. I would’ve let him go, of course, once I’d worked everything out, but he ran off and I had to stop him. I just wanted to knock him out a bit, but I must’ve squeezed too much. I realised that when he went blue.’ He smirked, his fingers digging deeper into her shoulders.
Maggie forced back the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her, she had to hold it together right now.
The curtain crackled behind them, the flames hungrily eating the heavy material. She could feel the heat from where she was, and the smell of smoke reached her nostrils. She saw Andy stand up, staggering as he clutched his head, and wrenched herself out of James’s grip as Andy threw himself at him.
There was a moment’s confusion as limbs thrashed and soft thuds and grunts filled the air, then Andy gave James a shove and pushed him out onto the landing. Maggie screamed as they neared the top of the stairs.
The light of the flames behind her lit up the scene, and she saw James’s face contort with fear as his foot slipped off the top stair. He hung there in mid-air for a second or so before he lost his balance and fell with a crash to the bottom.
Andy turned to Maggie. ‘Come on, let’s get out of here.’ The fire was louder now, the whole bedroom in flames. Smoke billowed out onto the landing.
Maggie stared at him, her heart beating wildly. ‘Mike and Chloe are with the girls, they’re trapped, down in the cellar. The door’s locked. We’ve got to get them out!’
48
Andy stumbled as they made their way down the stairs, and Maggie caught him. ‘Put your arm round my shoulders and hold on,’ she ordered. He smiled weakly and did as he was told.
‘He must have hit me harder than I thought,’ he said.
‘It’d take a lot to break that head of yours,’ Maggie retorted, relieved he was all right.
Andy chuckled, then winced. ‘Bloody hurts though.’
‘Soon be over,’ Maggie said. ‘Last couple of steps…’ She gasped as a hand reached out of the shadows and grabbed her ankle, then screamed in pain as she fell awkwardly, her foot twisting beneath her. Andy fell against her with a grunt, hitting his head on her elbow.
‘The flames, Maggie, you can’t escape the cleansing.’ James struggled to raise himself onto his knees, coughing as smoke drifted over them.
‘Maggie, go and help the kids,’ Andy shouted, pushing her out from under him.
She looked at him, bewildered. Her ankle throbbed, unable to bear her weight.
‘Go! I’ll take care of things here!’ he yelled. He punched James in the face, then doubled over in a fit of coughing.
‘The door, it’s locked, we can’t get in,’ she cried.
‘I’ll be right behind you,’ Andy said, barely visible in the dark and smoke.
Maggie hobbled down the hallway towards the cellar door, pain shooting up her leg with every movement. She leaned against the wall for support, sobbing.
‘Chloe,’ she called, but there was no sound. She pulled the neck of her jumper up over her mouth, hoping it would filter some of the smoke, and plunged into the dark stairway of the cellar.
The smoke hadn’t yet reached down there, to Maggie’s relief. She limped down the stone steps, calling out to Mike and Chloe as she went.
‘In here, Maggie.’
She saw that the locked door stood open, a dull yellow light filtering out. She shuffled across. Chloe looked up, her face streaked with dirt and tears.
‘We found a key on a hook,’ she explained. ‘It’s them. But Charlotte’s unconscious, and Jane’s…’ Her voice trailed off.
Maggie took in the scene in the room: Mike knelt next to a girl lying motionless on a mattress on the floor, a nasty gash on her head, and another girl sat huddled next to Chloe, her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach. Maggie could see she was pregnant and gasped in shock, then her practical side took over.
‘Okay. You need to get Jane out of here right now,’ she said to Chloe.
‘But…’
‘There’s no time to lose. Upstairs is on fire, you’ve got to get out.’
‘On fire? What about Mike and Jane? And the petrol–’
Maggie shook her head, frowning. ‘We’ll all be okay, Andy’s on his way too. Listen, there’s lots of smoke up there, so cover your faces and inhale as little as possible. When you get to the top of the stairs, turn right to the kitchen and go out of the back door. Get outside. Do you understand, Chloe?’
The girl nodded, her face white with fear. ‘What about Charlotte? We tried to move her, but we couldn’t do it, and Jane can’t help.’
‘You two go, I’ll help Mike,’ Maggie said. She watched as they went through the door, then turned to the girl on the floor. ‘Mike, we need to wake her up.’ She put her arms under one of the girl’s armpits, Mike took the other, and together they hauled her up to a sitting position. Maggie suffocated a scream as she put weight on her injured ankle.
Charlotte mumbled something, and tried to lift her head.
‘Oh, good girl,’ Maggie exclaimed. ‘That’s it, come on now. We can do this, Mike.’ She gave him an encouraging smile, then they bent over and helped Charlotte stand up. The girl slowly came to, staggering as she swayed in their arms. ‘Okay, lean on us. We’re going to get you out of here.’
They half carried Charlotte over to the stairs, the girl leaning heavily on them. Maggie prayed she was only concussed, and nothing worse, but they had to move her, they couldn’t leave her there. She stopped and placed the ends of Charlotte’s cardigan over the girl’s mouth, then placed her hand firmly over the fabric. ‘Hold that there, it’ll help you breathe.’
The stairs were never-ending. The darkness and smoke made it feel like a journey through hell, and every inch forward was torture. Maggie could feel sweat trickling down her face, her neck, her back, her body screaming in pain and exhaustion as they slowly made their way up. The smoke was thick now, so thick she couldn’t see the doorway at the top, and she lost track of time. All her being was concentrated on the next step forward, the pain in her ankle, her aching muscles.
A hand reached out through the smoke. Before Maggie had time to react, she heard Andy’s voice.
‘Maggie, did you get them?’
‘Andy? Yes, we’ve got Charlotte here. Chloe’s already gone with Jane.’
‘Charlotte? Here, let me take her.’ Maggie let go in relief as he took the girl’s weight off her.
‘She’s hurt. Help Mike get her outside, and call an ambulance.’ The two started off, supporting Charlotte between them. Maggie sighed with relief, only to start coughing as she got a mouthful of smoke. ‘What about James?’ she said, spluttering.
‘He’s still back there,’ Andy replied. They were already going down the hall, heading towards the kitchen.
Maggie peered into the gloom. ‘James?’
‘Maggie, get your arse out of there!’ Andy shouted.
She ignored him and turned left.
* * *
The fire had reached almost halfway down the stairs by now. Eerie shadows flickered on the walls, and thick grey smoke swirled around her. She saw James standing at the bottom of the stairs, his face turned towards the flames as he looked with adoration at the inferno he had created.
‘Isn’t it wonderful, Maggie?’ he shouted above the roar of the fire. ‘It’s coming to cleanse us. Stay here with me and be purified. Be a part of our family. Mother says you’re welcome.’ He turned, his eyes wide as he smiled at her. ‘I’m going to be with my sisters again.’
Maggie hobbled forwards, anger raging through her with every step she took. Four years ago she’d promised Sally she’
d put Thomas’s killer in the cemetery if she ever had the chance, and now here he was, standing before her. Just one shove was all it would take. No one would ever know, it was just him and her in a house that was becoming a blazing inferno. She forgot about her ankle, her tiredness, her aches and pains; all she could think of was killing James.
Tears streamed down her face as an image of her nephew appeared in her mind, his cheeky face grinning as he played some joke on her. She sagged against the wall, her hands leaving sooty streaks on the white paint, and the heart-wrenching anguish of the last four years hit her with a vengeance. A scream tore from her throat, already raw from the smoke, and the pain cut through the hate and anger. Her emotions dissipated, leaving her full of despair.
‘No, I won’t let you make me into that person,’ she shouted, pulling herself upright. ‘You can bloody well go to prison, where you’ll get exactly what you deserve.’ She lunged towards him, then noticed that the carpet where he was standing was soaked with petrol. The fire was getting closer.
‘James, you’re going to burn to death,’ she cried, coughing and choking on the smoke. ‘Take my hand, and we can get out of here. You can save yourself if you come now, before the fire reaches the petrol.’ She hesitated. ‘Your mother and sisters are outside, waiting for you.’
His smile faltered as he stared at the fire, creeping ever closer. She reached out for his hand, willing him to take it. His fingertips touched hers and she leaned forward, determined to drag him away. Then his body jerked back, and she saw fear on his face.
‘Mother,’ he whispered, his voice barely audible in the confusion. ‘I don’t want to…’
‘No!’ Maggie looked on helplessly as he crouched down, back against the wall, tears streaming down his face as he begged his mother to help him, coughing and crying at the same time.
The flames were at the bottom of the stairs now, hungry flames licking the carpet and the wall, curling along the banister. He shrieked as they reached his feet and tucked his legs close to his body, but his petrol-soaked clothes caught alight. He started to writhe, his face contorted in agony, and an endless scream filled the air.
Weeping, the sounds of his agonised screams ringing in her ears, Maggie turned and lurched back along the hallway. Smoke hung heavy about her, making her eyes stream and her throat squeeze shut, debris from the stairs fell all around, and glowing crimson embers swirled in and out of the haze. A crash came from above as something fell, barely audible above the noise of the fire.
Terrified, Maggie hobbled into the kitchen, the open door promising salvation. She longed to feel the cool rain on her skin, breathe deep lungfuls of fresh air. Just a few more steps. Then a whooshing boom came from behind her as the petrol ignited, and she flew forwards into the black night.
49
Maggie slowly came to, her head pulsing in time with the flashing blue lights all around her. Three anxious faces peered down, grimy with smoke and soot. The rain had become a light drizzle by now, the thunderstorm passed.
‘She’s awake!’
‘Don’t shout, Mike, we’re right here.’ Chloe shoved him out of the way and leaned over her. ‘Mags, are you okay? You just flew through the air, literally.’
From the tone of her voice, Maggie could tell she was impressed. She tried to sit up, her head spinning.
‘Hey, Maggie.’ Andy peered down at her, a relieved look on his face. ‘Don’t you ever do anything like that again.’ He brushed some hair out of her eyes.
‘Now why don’t you lie back down and take it easy?’ a calm voice said. She moved her head, wincing with pain, and saw a paramedic hovering at her side.
‘Am I going to be all right?’ she croaked, her throat hoarse from the smoke.
‘You took a bit of a tumble, but you’ll be fine. Apart from a badly sprained ankle, there are no broken bones, you didn’t even hit your head. That bush over there broke your fall.’ The paramedic grinned at her. ‘You’re quite the heroine with these kids.’
‘A bit of a tumble?’ Chloe exclaimed. ‘She flew through the air like Superwoman!’
‘See?’ He chuckled. ‘I’ll be over here if you need me.’
Maggie turned to the others. ‘What the hell happened? How did the police get here so fast?’
‘They’d just arrived when we got out,’ Andy said. He pointed to a group nearby. ‘Ollie managed to convince them to come and check out the farmhouse. They were on their way when they saw the fire, and got the fire brigade and ambulance here too.’
The boy heard his name and trotted over. ‘Sorry we got here too late, Miss Turner,’ he said, his face glum. ‘They wouldn’t believe me at first; me, Kayleigh and Doug had a hell of a time convincing them we were telling the truth. It wasn’t until I persuaded them to phone your friend Sally, like you told me to do, that they started to listen to us.’
‘You did a good job, Ollie,’ Maggie said. ‘Thank you.’ She lifted her head and looked around. ‘The girls? Are they all right?’
‘They’re being checked over now,’ Chloe said. ‘The paramedics told us to wait with you until they finish.’
‘How are they?’ Maggie glanced from Chloe to Mike.
‘Charlotte’s got concussion from hitting her head on the floor. Apparently, the bastard threw her down the cellar stairs. But she’s conscious now, at least.’ Mike clenched his fists.
Maggie shuddered as she remembered the bloodstain she’d found. ‘And what about you, Andy? Didn’t he hit you as well?’
‘Yeah.’ He rubbed the back of his head and winced. ‘I’ve got a bump, but I’ll survive. I’ve got a tough skull.’
‘And Jane?’
‘She was groggy for a while, he knocked her out as well, but she’s fine now. Let’s just say my parents are going to have quite a shock when they get here,’ Chloe said. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.
‘Haven’t you told them?’
‘She won’t let me, says she’ll explain everything when they arrive.’ Chloe twisted her hands together, shuffling her feet. ‘Maggie, she keeps asking about James, what happened in there. It’s as if…’ She paused, hesitant to continue.
‘Go on.’
‘It’s as if she’s worried about him, like she cares what happened to him.’
Maggie reached out her hand to Chloe. ‘Four years is a long time, she obviously created a bond with him. Give her time.’
Chloe nodded, her eyes shining with tears. ‘She’d like to meet you, though, come and say thanks for rescuing them.’
‘I’d like that,’ Maggie said, smiling as she dashed away to get her sister.
‘I’m going back to Charlotte, I want to stay with her until my parents get here,’ Mike said. ‘I’m glad you’re okay, Mags. You gave us a scare, going back in there like that.’
‘Probably not one of my best ideas,’ Maggie said, then started coughing again.
‘Probably not?’ Andy said, with raised eyebrows.
Maggie held her hand up, coughing too much to speak, and gestured to Mike to go.
‘We did it, eh?’ she said when she got her breath back.
Andy squeezed her hand. ‘You did it,’ he replied. ‘If it hadn’t been for you, not giving up, those girls would have…’ He stopped and glanced at the burning farmhouse.
‘Hey, don’t think like that,’ Maggie said. Her throat felt as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper, and every word brought tears to her eyes. ‘We make a good team.’
‘Well, I keep telling you that,’ he said, winking at her.
She tried to slap his arm but gave up, too weak to lift her hand. ‘You’re flirting with me at a time like this?’ she whispered.
‘Why not?’ He shrugged. ‘You’re so weak, you might say yes.’
‘Sorry to disappoint you.’
‘Never mind.’ He gave a deep sigh, then bent over to whisper in her ear. ‘Make sure you phone a certain policewoman tomorrow. If you’re lucky, she won’t have given up on you.’ He stood up and grinned. ‘A
nd if she has, I’m here.’
Maggie was still chuckling when Chloe came back with her sister.
‘Jane, this is Maggie, who helped us find you. Mags, this is Jane.’
Maggie raised her hand and waved weakly. ‘Pleased to meet you at long last. I’m sorry it took us so long to find you.’
‘Thank you, for everything. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to tell you how much this means to us.’ Jane wiped away a tear.
‘You just did,’ Maggie said gently.
‘Did he…?’ Jane looked down at the ground, avoiding Maggie’s eyes.
‘Go on.’
‘Did he mention me? Or Charlotte? Before…’
Maggie thought about telling her the truth, but her heart melted at the sight of the girl’s pale face and bewildered expression. ‘I’m sorry, it all happened so quickly,’ was all she said.
‘Okay.’ Jane’s shoulders slumped.
Maggie wondered how the two girls would cope with being back in the real world, hounded by the media. She thought about her own newspaper and her heart sank as she realised she’d be in for a tongue-lashing from Roger for putting everyone in a dangerous situation. Then she thought of Carol and Anne, and how she’d promised them she wouldn’t involve Chloe and Mike. She groaned, and decided to worry about all that tomorrow. She could only think about the present for the moment.
