Encore (The Black Eagles Series Book 2) (24 page)

              Beth let out a sob and placed her daughter under the tree, choosing to face her towards the road. She wrapped another blanket around her, then messed with her seat, and placed several toys in the car seat with her.

              ‘She’ll be hungry soon. Let me get her bottle. Please...’ Aiden thought about it, checked his watch and agreed but told her to hurry up. Beth wouldn’t do anything stupid now: he was in charge of the most precious thing to her.

              Beth returned with her bottle and another teddy. ‘It’s her favourite, she’ll need it.’ Aiden shrugged. Like he cared. Beth kissed her and whispered in her ear. ‘I’m sorry. Mummy loves you and help will come. I know it. Daddy will find you.’

              She screamed and sobbed as Aiden pulled her back onto the bus where she fell at Melissa’s feet. Melissa’s arms automatically embraced her distraught friend as each girl cried and screamed for Ebony.

              Aiden disappeared to take the wheel and a minute later they were moving again.

              Ebony began to cry, alone in the dark. Nobody, not a sound. Only her desperate cries for her mother.

The room bustled with activity. Fox was in charge of yet another abduction, only this time on a much bigger scale. It hadn’t taken long to set up a crime room where Luke, Dale and the others watched screens and people on phones talking frantically.

              It had been several hours since the bus, with its precious cargo, had been stolen. It wouldn’t be hard to spot the tour bus – it had The Black Eagles plastered all over it. They
had
to find it soon. But so far they had found nothing. There had been traces placed on all the girls’ phones but they were switched off and they were working with the phone companies to try anything to track them.

              Suddenly, there were excited murmurings and people crowded round a screen. Fox turned and looked over at Dale. ‘Beth’s phone has just been switched on. We have a location.’

              Dale ran to the screen. He didn’t understand what they were looking at, only that the red blob was where they all hoped their girls would be. They were told to stay where they were and let the police do their jobs.

              ‘Not a chance,’ Dale snapped. ‘I’m going. Come on, I just want my girls back. I won’t cause any trouble. I swear.’

              Surprisingly, Fox agreed. Through all their problems these young people had shown how strong they were, and deep down he had hoped if he found them all, Luke being with them might actually help catch Amber. Luke was her obsession: all she wanted was for Luke to notice her again. He changed tactics and briefed Luke and Ray. Luke agreed to do whatever it took to end this. He would declare his love for the girl if it helped get Melissa back safely. He would do it.

              Aiden was a different matter. Toby had bagged that problem. He knew why Aiden was involved, knew it was Megan he was planning on hurting. Ian had been too late to warn them of Aiden’s deluded plan with Amber, having stumbled across it by pure chance. He’d gone to Aiden’s house to pick up some money that was owed to him. And also to tell Aiden that no matter how many times he apologised or tried to make amends the damage was done. He had turned up at Aiden’s unannounced, and seeing his car in the drive, but getting no answer, had decided to go round the back. Aiden was in his living room with a girl. He’d waited to see if the girl left quickly, not wanting to have the conversation with anyone other than Aiden. She had seemed familiar, and it took a few minutes for it to click who she was. He’d been totally thrown and not known what to do. They had never met Amber. Why was she here? He had kept out of sight and listened at the back door. Their conversation had travelled, being so close to the door, and he had picked up on small bits of what they were saying. It was enough to know that Aiden was not letting Megan get away with ruining him. Amber was still hell bent on getting to Melissa and they were teaming up. He’d left quickly and quietly, heading home to decide what to do. He had tried to warn Megan. If only she had picked up, if only he hadn’t made the stupid play for her before finding out.

              Toby wished Megan had now picked up when Ian had been trying to call, but how was she to have known. The scary part was Toby hadn’t uttered a word since Ian had shown up. That was when you really had to worry. His expression showed absolutely nothing as he watched the screens, but listened to the conversations that were going on between the officers in the room.

              Tom stood close to Toby, watching. He turned to look at Luke and mouthed, ‘He’s unstoppable. Ticking time bomb.’ Tom knew him more than the others. He’d seen this behaviour before, on a smaller scale. There had been trouble in their previous band, but it had meant Toby had finally had enough of playing by the rules or listening to reason. This time it wasn’t other band members treating him like nothing or abusing his good nature. This was Megan. If she was hurt once more he would lose it completely.

              ‘OK...you will follow in one of the vans behind us. Please leave things to us though,’ Fox said. They all nodded because reacting any other way would result in being banned from going. They didn’t know what would happen. It would all depend on what they found.

              Less than half an hour later they were on their way to Beth’s, or at least what they hoped was her location.

*****

‘Please take me back!’ Beth begged.

              Amber just sat in the middle of the bus laughing. The hatred Beth had for this girl had just escalated. Mental illness was no longer a part of Amber that Beth cared about. They had made her abandon her daughter. A promise she had made and had never considered ever breaking.

              ‘She’ll be fine,’ Melissa said. She wanted to hold her best friend and make her feel better but she couldn’t. They were all tied to chairs and unable to move. The bus bounced and rattled as Aiden drove it erratically. Out the windows was darkness. They were not in the open. It seemed secluded and Melissa thought they were in the countryside. Her heart skipped a beat as it seemed familiar. If she wasn’t mistaken it felt very much like the same place Amber had dumped her the first time.

              Beth sobbed in the seat opposite, her face panic stricken. ‘Dale won’t forgive me. He won’t—’

              ‘You had no choice,’ Melissa interrupted her.

              ‘Amber, I’m begging you. She’s so tiny and innocent…’ Beth begged again. It was sheer torture to her and her heart felt like it was going to explode. She felt empty without her. She also knew that once she got the opportunity, Amber would pay for this, for everything. Beth was going to end this, somehow.

              Amber walked the bus, gun in hand, confident and clearly enjoying herself. She stopped at a chair and leaned down, and picked something up. Chloe. She smirked. ‘I hate that he called it her name,’ Amber muttered to herself.

              ‘Don’t touch it,’ Melissa warned.

              ‘Or you’ll do what, Lissa?’ Amber responded. ‘Kick my ass while tied to a chair? I doubt it.’

*****

‘Why are we stopping?’ Dale asked.

              The convoy was slowing down, the reason why being obvious as the answer came over the radio. ‘We have visual of something up ahead, not the bus. We think we hear crying’

              Dale was kicking at the door. ‘Ebony.’ Something in his gut told him it was her. The van stopped and the officer advised them to stay in the vehicle. But that was never going to happen. As the door opened they heard Ebony’s cries. Dale was out of the door in a flash and charged forward ignoring the instructions from police officers.

              As Dale approached, Fox was crouched over something. His heart lurched as Fox turned and he saw his baby girl, alone in the dark and crying so much she was almost inconsolable. Fox let him through: this little girl needed her father.

              ‘Oh, baby. Don’t cry. Daddy’s here now.’ He took her from her seat and wrapped her in her blankets as she shivered from the cold and distress. He scanned the area, and realised she had been abandoned. Beth wouldn’t do this without being forced, he thought. Every nerve burned with fear.

              ‘Clever girl,’ Fox commented to another officer.

              ‘What?’ Dale demanded. Luke was beside him, hands on Ebony and filled with utter disgust. How could they have made them leave a defenceless baby? This was bad. They wouldn’t have done it, none of them without reason.

              ‘Your girlfriend somehow managed to leave her phone in the car seat, switched on.’ Fox explained that all the other phones were off. Beth had left a message, an unsent text.

              ‘Dale, I’m sorry. You know I’d never leave her but he made me. It was either leave her or shoot her. Please forgive me. If I don’t make it home I love you both so much. Take care of her BUT fucking find me. Jo-Jo hurt…’ It was all she’d had time to write.

              Tom went pale. What did she mean? How badly hurt was Jo-Jo?

              Dale was numb at the words that had said, ‘Shoot her’, and now he knew why.

*****

‘You know, there is something about you,’ Aiden sneered. His finger brushed Megan’s cheek and she flinched at his touch. She tried not to breathe in as he stank of sweat, cigarettes and stale beer. He’d made her sit in the driver’s compartment and now she stood to the side of his seat, her hands tied to the hand rail above his head. Her arms ached as she was bent over, too tall to stand straight in the cramped space. ‘I was stupid. You’re not ugly, I would have had you. But, well, you know I have a reputation to keep, or did have. You were just not…cool, I suppose, back then.’

              Megan cringed at the thought and her annoyance broke through. ‘Don’t flatter yourself. I had no intention of letting you have me.’

              Aiden laughed. ‘Why did you agree to meet me?’

              ‘I don’t know. Stupidity, curiosity, boredom.’

              ‘Liar. You were happy I asked you out.’

              ‘OK. You got me, I swooned all day afterwards. If that makes you feel any better.’ Megan suddenly had a rush of bravery. If he was going to kill her, she was going down fighting. Toby had taught her to stand up for herself and his face in her mind gave her some fire. If she was to see him again she had to stay strong.

              ‘So, how are things with the wonderful Toby Maxwell?’ Megan ignored him. ‘That good, huh?’

              ‘Why? Jealous?’

              ‘You know, maybe I am a little. Right little fire cracker you turned out to be.’

              Megan suddenly wanted to know why he was so cruel to her. She didn’t know if it would make her feel any better about it, but she wanted to know. ‘Why so cruel Aiden? What did I do that was so bad it warranted that?’

              Aiden went quiet and looked out at the road ahead. He took a deep breath. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know why I did any of it. I’ve paid the price for my actions. Let’s leave it there. I’m more interested in who gave you those pictures,’ he said changing the subject.

              ‘Well, you’ll be waiting until hell freezes over.’

              ‘Who?’ Aiden yelled.

              ‘Guess.’

              ‘I’m not in the mood for games. Tell me now!’

              ‘No.’

              Aiden snapped his head round and reached into his pocket. He flicked the penknife then reached up, one hand on the wheel, and cut the rope that tied her. She fell forward. He pulled her over his lap and opened the driver’s door, holding her head out. Her bravery evaporated as the wind whipped her hair around her face and she could see the road beneath her. ‘Tell me!’ he roared over the wind.

              Megan screamed as he pushed her head downwards. There was nothing for her to grip onto. If he let go, she was dead. She had no choice: her life was more important than protecting someone who wasn’t really a friend. Aiden screamed at her again, pushing her further. He didn’t hear her shout out the name before he lost his grip on her. She screamed as she fell from his lap, the force of the wind whipping her out of the door, and was gone.

              ‘Fuck. No!’ Aiden cried. He hadn’t meant to let her go, only scare her. He let out a desperate cry knowing she couldn’t have survived that. His selfishness didn’t let him stop, and he kept going. He couldn’t help her now anyway.

*****

‘No. I’m not letting her out of my sight, let alone my arms,’ Dale snapped at the female officer who offered to take Ebony to be checked over. She backed off but insisted she was looked over, just to be sure. He agreed but he wasn’t letting her go. Ebony was calmer and safely in her father’s arms. She was assessed and found to be unharmed. All she needed was her daddy.

              ‘Can I give her a hug,’ Luke asked. He wanted to hold her and let her know she was perfectly safe. Dale had no problem with Luke having her and smiled even though his fury was at its peak. Luke rocked her in his arms when she started to cry but it didn’t last long. It seemed like it was just the two of them as everyone else focused on the job in hand. Toby was comforting Tom, and constantly trying Megan’s phone. Luke could see Dale shaking and his eyes were wet with tears he couldn’t hold back.

              ‘What’s happening to them?’ Dale asked, looking at Luke who broke eye contact and couldn’t answer him. ‘What if we hadn’t found her? Anything could have happened. Animals could have…someone could have seen her and taken her. You’ve no idea what being a parent is like. When I see those fucking pricks I’m not holding back…’ He stopped but Luke knew what he was thinking and he didn’t blame him.

              ‘We did find her. Focus on that, mate,’ Luke said in an attempt to calm Dale down. Luke kissed the little girl on the nose and thought she smiled just for a second. She was warm and safe, and with her dad and her uncles, nothing would get to her now.

              Toby came over to check everyone was OK. His eyes settled on Ebony and his expression was soft and then full of fury. ‘How could anyone do that to a defenceless baby?’  They were numb with disbelief at the evil act and that it was their little fledgling. They were gutted inside and thankful she was young enough to hopefully forget it ever happened.              

              Dale on the other hand would never forget.