Encore (The Black Eagles Series Book 2) (23 page)

*****

As the band and their manager left the venue all smiles and laughter, there was a feeling of calmness surrounding them as a group. They felt safe, and having everyone together gave them a sense of unity. Luke didn’t have to worry about keeping everything together via phone calls and emails. Everything he needed was right here with him. Even if Ebony made any kind of sleep impossible. They were used to her causing chaos now. Dale just saw her as one of the boys, living the tour life. ‘She’s a party animal. She doesn’t do sleep. Unless it’s on her terms.’ Dale walked ahead of Luke, looking at his phone. Luke was about to throw his empty coke can at Dale’s head, as boys do, when he saw the window of the bus open. It took a second to register the barrel of the gun pointing in Dale’s direction.

              ‘Dale,’ Luke shouted. The sound of gunshots echoed around them. Several security men crumpled to the floor. Luke threw himself at his best friend and pulled him down. They both looked up, and saw the wheels of the bus turn as it sped off.

              ‘No!’ Dale yelled pushing Luke off him to run after the bus. ‘Beth! Ebony! No!’

              ‘Luke. D . Tom. You hurt?’ Toby checked, before turning to his manager who was completely stunned and was just getting up from the floor. ‘Ray. You OK?’ Ray nodded and collected his band who were thankfully all OK. Their crew were frantically checking everyone to make sure there were no injured friends. Two of the security team were badly injured after putting themselves in front of the band members. Thankfully it wasn’t fatal. Luke’s heart sank at the thought of more people being hurt for doing their job. Then panic set in as he heard Dale’s hysterical shouts for his family. Toby was stopping him from running after the bus.

              ‘Get off me. I don’t care. She’s a baby. My baby. My little girl.’ Dale wasn’t a musician or a rock star at that moment. He was a dad, a terrified and angry one. ‘I’ll kill her, whoever it is. I will. They touch my girls, I will kill them.’

              Luke stood rooted to the spot. He didn’t know what to do. Ray told him to calm Dale down and he would sort the rest. Ray pushed away the shock he was feeling and went back into manager mode. This was his job and he’d better get on with it. He was just thankful the area was clear of fans as due to the security lock down their exit had been private. Although he wondered how this had happened. Who had got on the bus and how?

*****

Jo-Jo was flung backwards as the bus increased its speed and lost her balance. She hit her head on a table as she fell and lay motionless. Cassie screamed and tried to get to her. The girls had heard the gunshots but couldn’t see anything. The bus was on the move and they had no idea what was happening.

              ‘Luke!’ Melissa cried as she held onto the chair.

              ‘Who fired? Who was shot? Toby!’ Megan shrieked.

              Beth was the only one who was quiet. She wasn’t calm on the inside but her focus was on her daughter. She had to seem calm. She patted Ebony with one hand and gripped the car seat with the other. It was strapped in but she felt the need to hold it in place herself. She fought to hold back the tears. What if it was Dale who was hit?

              ‘What is the driver doing?’ Melissa yelled.

              ‘Getting us away, maybe,’ Megan suggested. Maybe in the panic he had put his foot down to get them to safety.

              ‘What, and leave the boys behind? We have to go back,’ Melissa screamed.

              Megan crawled to Cassie and helped get Jo-Jo off the floor and onto a chair where they strapped her in. She was breathing but the blow to her head had knocked her out.

              ‘Jo-Jo, please wake up. Don’t you fucking leave me too,’ Cassie begged and held her friend’s head against her. There was blood on the back of her head and it covered Cassie’s hand. ‘Oh, god. Tell him to stop the bus. We must be out of the way by now. Jo-Jo needs help.’

              Melissa got up from her crouching position and made her way towards the front of the bus. There was an intercom to communicate with the driver and Melissa headed for it. She placed her hand on the walls and stumbled forward. There was a door just before the intercom, the toilet. She stumbled a little and knocked against it. A second later she heard another sound, a thud from inside.

              ‘What was that noise?’ Beth wasn’t far from the door and had heard it too. Melissa opened the door: it was stuck at first. She yanked it open and felt the weight of the obstruction first, then she screamed as the lifeless body of their driver fell on top of her, his throat cut.

              ‘No!’ Melissa screamed hysterically as she untangled herself from the body. Then she looked at the rest of the group. Their screams had subsided as they all looked at each other.

              ‘If he’s dead, who’s driving the bus?’ Megan queried timidly.

              ‘There’s only one person crazy enough to be doing this,’ Beth hissed. She told Megan to sit with Ebony, fire and fury in her eyes. Ebony was screaming but Megan did as she was asked and Beth took to the intercom.

              ‘Amber, I know this is you. Stop the bus. We have a baby on here. You’re scaring her. If you have any humanity in you, please stop the damn bus.’ Silence. ‘Amber,’ Beth said again. ‘Amber.’

              There was more silence as the bus continued on its mystery journey, and after what seemed like a lifetime it began to slow down and eventually stopped. They waited as they heard the sounds of movement  – the driver’s door opening and then footsteps outside approaching the door. Melissa suddenly felt uneasy, and her heart flipped. She didn’t want to see Amber again, didn’t want to see those evil eyes.

              Beth lifted Ebony out of her seat and held her against her. She still cried but calmed a little in her mother’s arms. Beth backed against the wall, fear building up inside her. If they had guns she couldn’t protect her, but she would die trying. She wasn’t scared for herself, dying to protect Ebony would be automatic. Ebony being hurt or worse did scare her. Every part of her prepared to fight. She kicked at the cupboard that was built into the wall, big enough to fit several guitars. But only Chloe was taking up space, so she removed the guitar. Melissa latched onto what she was doing and grabbed blankets and padded it out. Beth kissed Ebony, and made her every promise in the world. ‘Stay calm, Mummy won’t let anything happen to you,’ she said then placed her inside. She clicked on a night light and put it inside with her. It always kept her calm at night.

              ‘I meant what I said, Liss. Nobody does this to Ebony.’ Her eyes screamed with something more than rage. Determination. No, it wasn’t that, Melissa thought. She wasn’t looking at her best friend, she was looking at a mother ready to fight for her child’s life – it was animal mother instinct. The gloves were off. Beth had only ever backed down to her dad, and she had overcome him. Amber didn’t scare Beth, and Melissa was now terrified for Beth. She would do whatever it took to protect her child, anything. That was clear on her face.

*****

‘I don’t fucking know where the bus might be. You find it!’ Luke yelled at the police officer. Ray placed a hand on his shoulder. Luke wasn’t going to calm down, and Ray knew it.

              Dale was shouting at another officer. ‘Why are we all standing here? That nutter has my baby. Go find the damn bus.’

              Nobody could get any of the girls via phone. It just kept saying the numbers were out of range. Wherever they were they had no signal. The tight-knit crew rallied around and did all they could to help, even if it was just keeping people away from the band. Naturally, the media had taken no time in getting involved, but that was the least of their problems.

              Suddenly, there was a commotion within the crowd and people were pushed out of the way.

              ‘What’s he doing here?’ Toby asked fiercely as Ian pushed his way through the line of police. He seemed to be arguing with them but his focus was on Toby. There was something about his expression that made Toby wave to allow him forward, or maybe it was that he heard him say ‘Megan’ as he ran towards him.

              ‘Toby, don’t kick off.’

              Toby grabbed him by the throat and held him against the wall. He gasped for breath and kicked out.

              Ray moved in and firmly instructed his drummer to let him go. ‘Toby. Cameras.’ Toby let go of his throat but held him by the shoulders instead.

              ‘I’m here to help, you idiot.’

              ‘In what way?’

              Ian caught his breath and composed himself. ‘The girls are in danger.’

              Luke charged forward and leaned into him. ‘Oh. Thanks for pointing that out to us. The dead security, the missing bus. Oh, yeah, didn’t realise missing girlfriends and baby was a mystery. Now what are you doing here, apart from annoying us? We have a crazy woman on the loose and god knows what’s happening...’

              Ian was shaking his head and seemed to be struggling to concentrate under the glare and hold of the giant whose girlfriend he’d tried to steal. ‘Amber isn’t your only problem.’

*****

They all stared at the door of the bus as it opened. Melissa saw the top of the hooded head appear first and as the figure moved into view she realised it was broader, taller and male. Her heart sank as she saw his face. ‘Aiden,’ Melissa spat.

              ‘Hello, girls. Well, isn’t this just peachy. A nice little catch up,’ Aiden sneered. He looked worn down and he smelt of alcohol. He held the gun in front him and reaching out he grabbed Megan by the hair and lifted her from her seat, holding the gun to her cheek. ‘My fave,’ he whispered in her ear. ‘And to think I nearly changed my mind about you.’ He turned to the others. ‘I only really have a problem with Miss May, after what she did.’              

              Melissa pointed out that it was all of them. Megan hadn’t acted alone. Aiden nodded. He knew that but he’d focused his anger on her. Megan cried out as he yanked her hair as he pulled her back towards the door. He looked through the door and smiled as his partner joined him. Her hair was tied back under a red cap, and she was dressed in black leggings and an oversized black hoody with Luke’s face on it.

              ‘Hi, did you miss me?’ Amber cackled at her own joke. ‘You’ve met my new friend. Of course, that’s right, you have...history.’

              ‘I missed you like a hole in the head,’ Melissa snapped.

              Amber smiled, wickedly and waved her gun at her. ‘Careful. I could arrange that.’

              Megan gave a little yelp from behind Amber. Aiden still had her by the hair. He pushed her forward, still holding the gun to her head, and looked at Beth.

              ‘Where’s the kid?’

              ‘Don’t tell him, no matter what?’ Megan begged.

              Aiden bent down and screamed in her face. ‘Shut up! You’re the reason I’m here. You ruined me. I’m going to make you pay.’ He looked at Beth and repeated himself. Beth held herself and glared at him. Then the noise Beth had dreaded echoed from behind her.

              ‘Ah, looks like Ebony’s more obedient than her mother,’ he sneered.

              Beth held herself against the cupboard, blocking his access. ‘Stay away from her,’ Beth screamed.

              ‘If you don’t open it and get her out, I will shoot through you and the door.’ Aiden smirked. Beth was now in a no win situation. Getting shot didn’t worry her but she was in line with Ebony; it would hit her too. She had no choice but to do as she was told.

              ‘See, wasn’t that hard was it?’ Aiden gestured with the gun and made her follow, telling her to secure Ebony in her seat and wrap her in blankets.

              ‘What are you going to do with her?’

              ‘Shut it. Now pick her up and follow.’

              Beth had never felt such terror. Aiden stood at the door of the bus and pointed outside, then instructed Beth to go and place Ebony under a large tree. They were going to leave her there.

              ‘No!’ Beth yelled. ‘Are you insane?’

              ‘Yes, insanely pissed off.’

              Amber laughed and looked proudly at her partner then turned to a panic-stricken Melissa. Ebony alone was all Melissa could think about.

              ‘Isn’t he just…insanely attractive? Shame we don’t actually like each other, like that. We’d be perfect. But you know there’s only one man I want,’ she said creepily.

              Aiden pulled Beth from the bus. Melissa moved forward but was tripped and Amber was on her, holding the barrel of the gun between Melissa’s eyes.

              ‘Don’t move a muscle,’ Amber warned.

              Melissa heard Beth shout for her to stay where she was. Megan whimpered in the corner. Cassie,  paralysed with fear, was holding Jo-Jo who was still unconscious.

******

‘Listen to me. You have a choice, leave her as instructed or...’ he wiggled the gun in Ebony’s direction and Beth felt every part of her being collapse and shatter.

              ‘You evil fucking…’

              ‘Careful. Don’t annoy me...it’s better this way. Consider it the better option for her. You don’t want her with you for the final song. If you get my meaning,’ Aiden said then laughed.