“Gerard Kerrell? Why are you talking about him?”
“He’s the one who arranged all this,” said Ryan.
“Hey, I’m the one giving the explanations here,” yelled Reid. “So you can shut the fuck up.”
Ryan held up his hands. “Sorry. Please continue.”
“I don’t need your permission,” he snapped before turning his attention back to Ashley. “Kerrell paid me to set all this up. My first job was to seduce your sweet daughters, which was absolutely no problem. In fact it was pathetically easy,” he said with a bark of laughter.
Ryan was heartened by the rage in Leah’s eyes. She hadn’t been broken. Even Bianca appeared defiant.
“That was supposed to make it easy for me to bring them here, as bait.” He glared at Leah. “Only that little cow wouldn’t play ball and she delayed my plans. Still, it all worked out in the end.” He looked back at Ryan and Ashley. “I never wanted the kids. It was the parents I was after.”
“And you’re going to risk going to prison for Gerard Kerrell?” said Ashley.
“Prison?” laughed Reid. “Jesus, don’t make me laugh. Before this night is over you three are going to be pushing up daisies, along with your brats.”
“Take it easy,” Brodie hissed at Ryan when he tensed, as though about to pounce.
Ryan fought to retain control over himself. He had to choose his moment wisely and not allow himself to be ruled by anger.
“Now we’re all here we can finally begin,” said Reid.
“Begin what?” said Rachel coldly.
“Me, you and the lovely Cass here are going through to the back room,” he said, jerking his head at a door in the far wall of the room. “When we’re done we’ll come back in here and move onto stage two.”
“And what’s stage two?” said Rachel, sounding bored when in truth she was desperately trying to see a way to fight out of this hell without getting the children hurt. She hoped the others made their move soon.
“You’ll see. Have some patience.” He looked back at Cass, stroking her face with one hand, making her start shaking all over again. “I’ll have you first, you’re not the big prize but I’m still looking forward to it.”
“B…but I don’t want to,” she rasped, eyes filling with tears.
“Like I give a shit,” he snarled.
At that moment there came a noise from outside.
“What the fuck was that?” demanded Reid.
“Sounded like an engine,” said Duncan.
He turned his furious gaze on Rachel, grabbed her hair and yanked her towards him, jamming the gun under her chin. “You weren’t supposed to bring anyone else.”
“We didn’t.”
“It’s true,” said Ryan when it looked like Reid might actually pull the trigger. “We didn’t tell anyone, we wouldn’t risk our daughter’s life like that.”
“Then who the fuck’s out there?”
“Maybe it’s someone going to one of the other units?” he offered.
He looked to Duncan. “Check it out. Take Keith and Finn with you.”
Three of the men ran outside, evening up the numbers. But Reid and one other man had guns. The other two didn’t.
“If you’ve lied to me I’ll shoot little Leah in the face, right now.”
“We haven’t,” cried Rachel. “Please don’t hurt her.”
“Have you any idea how good it sounds to have Rachel Law begging me for something?”
Her eyes turned black. “Don’t get used to it.”
Reid stared back at her, a little unnerved by that famous glare of hers.
Jules, Jez and Raven watched the three men run out of the back of the unit straight up to the latter’s car, which they’d left parked with the engine running.
“Oh this is too easy,” grinned Jules as the three men surrounded the car, pointing their guns at it and demanding whoever was inside to open up. They couldn’t see as the glass was tinted.
When nothing happened one of them opened the door, releasing the gas from the canisters Jules had left inside. The three were immediately surrounded in a smog and staggered about.
Jules and Raven raised the rifles they were holding and fired, the shots silent. Jules took down one while Raven took down two, the tranquiliser darts embedding themselves in the bodies of the men and down they went.
With astonishing speed, Raven ran down the knoll they’d concealed themselves behind, Jez and Jules following. After snatching Duncan’s gun from him she produced a syringe and jammed it into his arm, countering the effect of the tranquiliser.
“Wake up,” she hissed, slapping him.
When he came round he attempted to punch her but she dodged his fist and slammed her own into his stomach. He went still when she drew a handgun.
“You’re going to go back in there and here’s what you’re going to say,” she told him.
After rhyming off her instructions, Jez said, “how can we be sure he’ll do as he’s told?”
“Because of this,” she said, slipping what appeared to be a metal bracelet onto his left wrist and clipping it shut. “You can’t remove it,” she told him. “It can only be unlocked with a key. If you don’t do as we say this will happen.”
She pressed the button and his body jumped and jerked, eyes bulging from his head.
“Electric shock,” said Jules. “Nice.”
“I’m doubling the volts,” said Raven. “If you fuck this up the pain will be doubly bad.” She dragged him to his feet. “Now get in there.”
Duncan staggered back to the unit, looking back over his shoulder at the three scary people standing in the dark. He winced when he walked back into the light.
“Well?” demanded Reid.
It took Duncan a moment to recover his speech. “It’s nothing. Just a car turning round. It’s gone now. I told Finn and Keith to stay out there to keep an eye out.”
“Good,” said Reid, relaxing. “Shut the roller then.”
Duncan did as he said, tempted to bring it all the way down but decided he didn’t want to risk experiencing that agony again, so he left it slightly open at the bottom. Fortunately Reid was too caught up with the two women to notice.
Reid pushed Cass towards the door at the back of the room. “Go on beautiful. We’re going to enjoy some special time.” He pointed the gun at Rachel’s face. “You’re coming too.”
Cass stumbled and fell onto all fours.
“Get up for God’s sake,” said Reid. He looked to one of his men. “Pull that daft cow up, will you?”
The man sighed and stepped forward, taking Cass by the arm and dragging her upright. Once she was on her feet she grabbed his arm, twisted and elbowed him in the face, snatching the gun from him and turning it on Reid, who was so stunned he took his eyes off Rachel, who ducked away from the gun, pulled out the lipstick Raven had given her, twisted the top and hurled it before her while running for the girls. While everyone disappeared in the smog, Rachel grabbed the backs of the girls’ chairs and pulled them backwards to the floor, out of the line of fire. She didn’t have the strength to drag them out of the building, nor did she have anything she could free them with so she laid herself over them, protecting them both with her body.
“Put the gun down,” Cass calmly told Reid, her hand perfectly steady.
Reid stared back at her in amazement. “You tricked me.”
“It wasn’t difficult. Put the gun down. Now.”
As she pressed the trigger the man she’d taken the gun from slammed into her from behind, knocking her forward, the bullet ploughing into the wall behind Reid and she dropped the weapon. She rolled, turned onto her back and kicked him in the face before jumping to her feet. Reid had vanished into the smog, as had everyone else, along with the gun she’d been holding.
CHAPTER 46
Brodie and Ryan nodded at each other and, keeping low, rushed forward, Brodie on the left, Ryan on the right. The smoke might not have been toxic but it was thick and cloying and he tried not
to cough, not wanting to give away his position. He couldn’t believe so much smoke had come out of that tiny tube. To his left he could hear the sound of gunfire and he was terrified for his family. He raced in the general direction Leah and Bianca had been but ended up bumping into someone. He came to a halt when a gun was aimed at him, Duncan’s grinning face looming out at him. Ryan threw himself to one side as he pressed the trigger, the bullet grazing his right arm. He knew he wouldn’t dodge a second attempt but Duncan suddenly started jumping and jerking, the weapon falling from his hand. Ryan snatched it up, ignoring the pain in his arm.
A figure stepped out of the smog, wearing a gasmask, arms covered in black feathers. In one hand she held a small device, her thumb pressed down on a red button, in the other a pistol. When she released the button Duncan slumped to the ground, unconscious. Raven quickly and efficiently patted him down for weapons, produced a knife from the back of his belt and held it out to Ryan.
“Thanks,” he said, accepting it from her and snatching up the gun Duncan had dropped.
Raven nodded and stepped back into the smog, which enveloped her.
Ryan belly-crawled forward, so relieved when his hand landed on a chair leg.
“Leah?” he said.
“Ryan,” replied Rachel.
The smoke was starting to dissipate and he saw his wife shielding both girls with her body. He hadn’t thought it possible but he fell in love with her even more.
“Are they okay?” he said, quickly sawing through Leah’s bindings with the knife.
“Scared but unhurt,” said Rachel, pulling Leah to her when she was free and untying the gag.
“Mum,” breathed Leah, falling into her arms.
“It’s okay sweetie, I’ve got you,” she said, rocking her.
Ryan cut Bianca’s bonds, who threw herself at Leah, the two girls hugging.
“Get them out of here,” Ryan told his wife.
“Stay on your hands and knees,” Rachel told the girls when more shots echoed around the room. Bianca squealed and shook but Leah was more stoic now she was free of her bonds.
“We can do this,” said Leah, taking Bianca’s hand.
Bianca calmed down and nodded. “Where’s my dad?”
“He’ll meet us outside,” said Rachel. “Now let’s go.”
Jules, gas mask over her face, seeing they were escaping produced another of the lipstick devices, unscrewed the lid, smoke pouring out of the top and hurled it behind them, obscuring their exit from the rest of the room, which filled with smoke again.
Leah looked back at her dad, but he’d already vanished back into the smog. “There’s the door,” she said, delighted to see the roller at the back of the room was part way up.
“Move,” said Rachel, ushering them forward.
As they frantically scrambled for the door, one of Reid’s men charged at them. He didn’t have a gun but he lashed out at Rachel with his foot, catching her in the ribs and she fell onto her side, grimacing when she felt a crack.
“Go,” she told Leah as she sprung to her feet, ignoring the ache in her side, certain she’d sustained a cracked rib. “Get Bianca out.”
Leah nodded as her mum started to fight with the man, grabbed Bianca’s hand and pulled her towards the door, both girls running, bent over.
“Bianca.”
She looked round and was delighted to see her dad charging his way towards them. “Dad,” she cried.
Ashley, his face bloodied and bruised caught her in his arms, picked her up and carried her to the door. “Come on Leah.”
She ran after them then paused to look back at her mum, who was still fighting with Reid’s friend Gibson. She’d been hurt, cradling her left side, her face tense with pain. She couldn’t leave her behind.
As Ashley ran out with Bianca, Leah turned back, rushing towards her mum, drawing back her fist. But she needn’t have bothered because Cass appeared out of nowhere, kicking the man in the chest before punching him repeatedly in the face, knocking him onto his back.
“Let’s get you out of here,” said Cass, taking Rachel’s arm and pulling her to the door.
“What are you still doing here?” demanded Rachel when she saw her daughter.
Leah spotted her dad fighting with Reid, blood running down his right arm, fending off Reid’s karate kicks. “Dad…”
“Leah, get down,” yelled Rachel.
Leah turned, spying a figure coming at her from her left. Brodie charged at the man, slamming into him and the two men fell. With a bellow of rage, Brodie grabbed a handful of his hair and repeatedly banged his head off the floor, bursting his nose, splattering blood across the concrete. When he was sure the man was unconscious he leapt up, bodily picked up Leah and ran with her to the door.
“Dad needs help,” she cried, wriggling in his arms.
“Your Dad told me my priority was getting you out and that’s what I’m doing, so hold still hen.”
Rachel was similarly protesting but, as she was injured, she was powerless to prevent Cass from dragging her outside by her arm.
Leah had to admit that it was a relief to be outside, away from the smoke and noise and horror.
Bianca and Ashley were there and the two girls hugged again.
“Are you okay?” Ashley asked Rachel.
“Cracked ribs,” she grimaced. “Ashley, get the girls out of here.”
He nodded and ushered Leah and Bianca to his car.
“You’re going too,” Cass told Rachel.
“My family are still in there,” she yelled at her.
“And you can’t help them in that state. Your daughter needs you.”
Rachel looked helplessly back at the entrance into the warehouse but the pain in her side precluded her from any more fighting. But she was going nowhere without Ryan.
“Drive,” she told Ashley, who nodded, started the engine and sped off.
“You are one stubborn woman hen,” said Brodie. “But you wait here. You go back in there like that you’ll be a liability.”
“Fair enough,” she sighed as her strength gave way, sinking onto the grass, cradling her side.
Brodie and Cass ran back into the warehouse but they could see nothing except vague figures amid the smoke.
“I wish they’d stop setting those bloody things off,” said Cass.
“It’s clever,” said Brodie. “It means they can’t use the guns.”
“Yeah but neither can we.”
He shrugged. “Better that than getting shot. Woah, it’s us,” he said, holding up his hands when a masked figure in black emerged from the smoke before them, bloodied blades clutched in each hand.
Jules lifted the gasmask and grinned, eyes bright with battle. “Oh, it’s you two. Come on then, let’s finish this shit.”
Brodie couldn’t help but admire her. For a gangster she wasn’t half bad.
Together they walked deeper into the room, Brodie knocked onto his back when a man was thrown into him, landing on him and pinning him down.
“Oh ya bastard,” he groaned, winded.
Jez stepped forward, holding a gun in one hand while pulling off his gasmask with the other. “Sorry about that. Didn’t see you there.”
Jez and Jules hauled the unconscious man off Brodie, who dragged himself to his feet. “You prick,” he told Jez.
“Like I said, I didn’t see you there.”
“Aye, I’m no’ so sure about that,” he glowered, rubbing his stomach.
“Where are the girls?” said Jules.
“Ashley got them out,” replied Cass. “Rachel’s outside too, she’s got cracked ribs.”
Jez raised his gun when another figure emerged, sighing with relief and lowering it when Raven pulled off her gasmask.
“I’ve located the air-conditioning and turned it on,” she announced. As she spoke they all felt the cool air wash over them and the smoke began to clear, revealing bodies lying on the floor. Whether they were alive or dead, no one could tell. “They’re all down,
except for Reid. I can’t find him.”
“That just leaves Ryan unaccounted for,” said Jules, anxiously scanning the bodies, none of whom appeared to be her older brother. She glanced at Jez with worried eyes.
“And where are Battler and Bruiser?” said Jez.
“Maybe they did one?” said Brodie.
“No fucking way,” he said. “They’re old hands at this shit.”
“Maybe they’re too old for it now?”
“One more word against them and I’ll throw someone else at you,” he yelled.
“Looking for us?”
They all looked round to see the brothers stride in, marching in two quivering men, shotguns aimed at their backs.
“Who the fuck are they?” said Jez.
“More of Reid’s men,” said Battler. “They were guarding the perimeter. They were going to shoot into Ashley’s car with the girls inside. Luckily we were there to stop them.”
“You fucking bastards,” said Jez, aiming his gun at the men, one of whom wet himself, legs trembling.
“Forget them,” said Jules. “We need to find Ryan. Me, Jez and Raven will take that door there,” she said, pointing to the one in the west wall. “Brodie and Cass, you take that door there,” she added, indicating the one Reid had been intent on taking Cass and Rachel through. “Battler, Bruiser, you keep an eye on this shower of shite,” she ended, gesturing to the men lying on the floor as well as the two still conscious.
“Will do,” said Battler, thinking how much like her older brother she was, slipping into the role of leader so easily. Jez seemed content to let her, who was more business than war-minded.
They all split off in different directions, Raven tossing Brodie a gun as she went.
Ryan delved deeper into the warehouse, chasing his quarry. He’d managed to stop his arm from bleeding by tearing off a strip of his shirt and using it as a makeshift bandage. Fortunately it wasn’t a deep wound.
This part of the warehouse appeared older and was cluttered with cardboard boxes. Reid was up ahead of him. He’d heard his running footsteps but now they’d gone silent. The worm was cowering, somewhere.
Slowly he crept through the maze of boxes, gun in one hand, straining to listen.
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