“Yes, the building work starts next week.”
“Is it isolated?”
“Very. The buildings either side are empty too.”
“He’s taken her there,” said Ryan, sticking his gun in his jacket pocket. “Let’s move.”
“Wait a minute, how can we be so sure?” said Riley.
“He took her to Moss Side originally, he feels comfortable there and it’s quiet.” He groaned inwardly and closed his eyes. Plenty of privacy to torture her. She could scream and scream and no one would hear her.
“What if he’s taken her back to the Maguire compound?” said Mikey.
“Too risky. He’ll want somewhere you don’t know about.” Ryan looked to Stephen. “You’d better take a nice long holiday until this is over. If he finds out you helped us he will come after you.”
“I’m not going until I know Laila is safe.”
“We’ll bring her to you.” Ryan was surprised to find himself softening towards his old rival. “Look, I know how you feel, believe me, but you’re no use to her dead.”
“If she helped Rachel she might already be dead.”
“It’s possible. I’m sorry.”
“If she is you will kill Alex?” said Stephen coldly.
“He’s already a dead man, I promise you that. Now go, we’ll be in touch.” Ryan looked to the other three. “Let’s move.”
When all the men strode out of the room Danielle sank to the floor, sobbing with relief.
“Who was that, your bit on the side?” Rachel asked Alex when he hung up. After witnessing Laila being executed she’d lapsed into a traumatised silence but she was slowly coming round again. They’d driven back into Moss Side, through streets she wasn’t familiar with, dilapidated red brick terraces giving way to large factories and warehouses.
“You’re back with us, are you?” said Alex.
“You’ve got a nerve accusing me of cheating on Danny when you’re having an affair yourself. Does Beth know you’ve knocked up your tart?”
“I couldn’t give a fuck what she thinks. She’ll come to heel or she’ll end up like Laila.”
Rachel thought she might burst into tears at the mere thought of what he’d done to her. “You evil bastard, you didn’t need to kill her.”
When she tried to punch him one big hand went around her throat and pushed her back onto the seat until she was lying beneath him.
“We can pick up where we left off if you like,” he leered.
Her tears dried up in an instant, rage gripping her like it never had before. She brought up her knee, which connected with his crotch, then head butted him. Before he could react she pushed him off her, rolling him into the space between the back seat and the front seats. A surprised Col sitting in the front passenger seat struggled to get his gun out of his inner jacket pocket with the seatbelt wrapped around him. Rachel grabbed hold of Gus’s right arm and pulled, causing the car to veer to the right. Col abandoned his grab for the gun and snatched at the steering wheel instead, attempting to steer it through the gates of a large abandoned warehouse. Rachel punched Gus in the side of the head, knocking him out and he slumped onto the wheel, his foot still on the accelerator. As it sped into the compound the car bounced off the metal gate, jolting everyone inside. Col hauled Gus backwards by the scruff of his shirt, allowing him to steer but he couldn’t reach the pedals. Rachel flung herself back in the seat and pulled on her seatbelt as the car accelerated into the compound at high speed, stomping on Alex to keep him in the footwell. Col turned the wheel but not far enough. The car clipped the side of the massive red brick building, the engine roared and Rachel screamed as the car left the ground and flipped onto its roof, the screaming of metal filling her head. She brought her arms up just in time to protect her face from Alex’s body as he was thrown out of the footwell and hit the roof. The screech of metal was deafening, sparks flying as it tore across the tarmac the wrong way up. Rachel screamed again when she saw a big brick wall getting closer and closer. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact. There was a sickening crunch, she was jolted back and forth in her seat then all went quiet.
Slowly she opened her eyes to find the world upside down and rocking slightly as the car tilted from side to side. The front end had completely concertinaed in with the force of the impact, but it said a lot for the car that it hadn’t folded in on the people up front. Gus and Col were both unconscious and Alex was crumpled on the seat beside her, unmoving. She felt sick and dizzy, her head thumping but she couldn’t afford to waste a single second. She unfastened her seatbelt and dropped, hitting the roof hard, landing on Alex, but he didn’t stir. Her head was spinning so much it took her a couple of attempts to grab the door handle. Still it refused to open.
“Shit,” she whispered, afraid of waking them.
She leaned forwards, reaching down the side of Col, straining to reach the door release. Her shaking fingers brushed it and there was a loud click. This time when she tried the door it opened and she scrabbled out. Once outside she staggered to her feet and managed to take three steps before falling over. Looking back over her shoulder she saw the car rocking, as though something inside was moving. She couldn’t tell who through the cracks in the windscreen then Alex’s head emerged, blood trickling from a cut to the side of his head. “Get back here you fucking bitch.”
She dragged herself to her feet and stumbled forwards, her legs refusing to cooperate. She could hear Alex talking into his mobile phone and the panic surging through her forced her on towards the gates, one of which hung limply from the wall, buckled from the impact.
“You walk through that gate and Beth is dead,” he yelled.
Rachel hesitated, looking towards the gates and freedom. “You won’t do that, you need her.”
“Look up.”
She scanned the massive frontage of the building and saw Beth pressed up to a window on the first floor, Gavin Sugar holding a gun to her head.
“You leave and she will die. You’ve already killed one woman today, do you want to make it two?”
Rachel slumped to her knees with exhaustion and despair, thinking of Ryan and her kids. So close.
There was a grinding noise and the large metal door leading into the warehouse rolled up to reveal two more of the Sugar brothers and the three goons she’d seen at the wake. All had their guns drawn. Alex finally managed to crawl out of the car and wrenched open the front passenger door. Col slid out sideways and lay on the ground blinking up at him.
“You alright Mate?” said Alex.
“I will be when Rachel Law is dead. I really hate her.”
“Not long now. Listen, if this all goes tits up I want you to go to Katia. You’re to protect her no matter what happens to me.”
“You want me to leave you behind?”
“Yes. Frankie knows I tried to have him done over, he and Ryan will be coming for me. I know I can fight them off, this is just a precaution. I don’t trust anyone else to do this Col.”
“I’ll do it. She’ll be safe with me.”
“Thanks mate,” said Alex, helping Col to his feet and shaking his hand. He glanced into the car. “How’s Gus?”
It took both of them to get his door open and he fell out of the car too, face covered in blood. Col had to help him to his feet and together they staggered inside.
Alex stood over Rachel and glared down at her. “Nice try but face it, you’re not going to get away and Ryan isn’t going to find you.”
She let him pull her into the building. What was the point in fighting? If she did he’d kill Beth. He had his pregnant mistress, he didn’t need her anymore.
A series of images flicked through Rachel’s head; Leah riding her pony, the boys tucked up in bed sleeping peacefully, Ryan smiling down at her, his warm naked body pressed against hers.
“Goodbye,” she whispered to those faces.
CHAPTER 30
Alex shoved Rachel inside the warehouse and she landed at Beth’s feet. Her friend thre
w off her captor, helped Rachel up and hugged her tightly.
“Where are the kids?” said Rachel.
“They’ve locked them in the office in there,” she replied, pointing inside.
“Are they okay?”
“Yeah, physically anyway.”
The two women attempted to cling onto each other but they were pulled apart, Col dragging Rachel inside and kicking her to the floor. She stared up at him as he aimed his gun at her head. Rachel took the opportunity to scan the vast empty room, which had obviously been a warehouse at one time and was in serious need of renovation, the floor bare wood, massive stone pillars supporting the high ceiling. She could feel the dust and grime of years beneath her palms. A stack of huge metal containers were off to one side.
It seemed Alex had mustered most of his muscle; Col and three of his brothers, the three heavies she’d seen at the wake, Gus, who was wiping the blood off his face with a handkerchief while swaying on his feet and some faces she didn’t recognise. Two of them were big and burly and wore leather jackets, Lucifer’s Shadow MC patches stitched to the back. She’d heard of this club and knew them to be savage and ruthless. If Alex had banded with them they really were in trouble.
“Watch her closely while Gavin gets Beth’s surprise,” Alex told Col. He moved behind his wife and wrapped an arm around her waist. “You have to learn that you can never leave me and what will happen to those who try to take you from me.”
A door banged open and a battered Nick was marched in at gunpoint by Gavin.
“No, Nick,” cried Beth. She tried to run to him but Alex maintained his hold on her. “Let him go you evil bastard. Let him go.”
“He tried to take my wife and kids away from me. Why do you think I would show him any mercy?” he yelled, voice bouncing off the bare brick walls. “You and Rachel are whores, the pair of you, worming your way into my family. We gave you everything you’d never had before; money, a nice place to live, security and you both repay our kindness by sleeping around behind our backs.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, I didn’t cheat on Danny,” cried Rachel in exasperation.
“Shut the fuck up and wait your turn. I’m dealing with Beth now.”
Rachel was elated when Beth welled up with fury. “Typical Alex Maguire, blame everyone else. Is it any wonder I cheated on you? You hit me, treated me and the kids like shit and slept around behind my back. In what fucked-up universe did you think this marriage was a success? I used to love you so much but you killed that when you started abusing me. Then a wonderful man came along and I fell in love with him,” she said, gesturing to Nick. “He’s ten times the man you are.”
Alex backhanded her, knocking her flying.
“Beth,” said Nick, running towards her.
“Don’t fucking move,” said Alex, pressing his gun to the top of her head.
Nick went still, looking like he could tear out his hair with helplessness. “How did you find us?”
“I had a little help,” said Alex, gesturing to the door.
Nick’s mouth fell open when Robbie walked in. “Let him go, he’s nothing to do with this.”
“Robbie’s here voluntarily. He was the one who told me where you were hiding.”
The shock and hurt on Nick’s face brought a lump to Rachel’s throat.
“You betrayed me,” he told his younger brother.
“No, you betrayed me and our entire family,” retorted Robbie. “You sold us out and that led to them all getting slaughtered.”
“I did that because they had to be stopped and to save your life. They were out of control.”
“You shot our mum.”
“If I hadn’t we would have been killed too. I did it all to save you. Have you forgotten that evil woman murdered our dad and brother and was plotting to kill us too?”
“Bullshit,” he said, aiming his gun at his brother. “You’re just a coward who sacrificed his entire family to save himself.”
Rachel felt she must interject. When the Jordans abducted her Nick did everything he could to protect her and she had to return the favour. “Nick’s telling the truth Robbie. She killed your dad and brother and if he hadn’t done what he did you would be dead now.”
Nick nodded her his thanks and she nodded back.
“See?” Nick said to Robbie.
“Do you think I believe a word she says? I watched that sick twisted bitch chop off my mum’s hand.”
“She killed my son, that’s the sort of person your precious mummy was,” she retorted.
“Shut up Rachel, you’re getting on my tits,” said Alex. “The point is Nick tried to run off with my family and now he’s a dead man.”
“No Alex, I’m your wife, I’m the one who did wrong. Take it out on me,” said Beth.
“I fully intend to,” he replied, “But he has to pay for taking what’s mine.”
“I am not yours. Jesus Christ Alex what’s happened to you? You’re a monster. You’ve even turned your own kids against you, they’re terrified of you. You’ll never get them back.”
Alex glared down at her. “You will pay for that,” he said before striding up to Nick and pulling out his gun.
Nick, resigned to his fate, looked to Beth. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she cried back passionately.
Nick smiled at her words seconds before Alex pulled the trigger. Nick’s head snapped back, blood and brain matter spraying the floor and he was pitched backwards.
Beth stared at his prone form in mute horror. “Oh my God, oh my God,” she whispered over and over. “Nick?” she whimpered. She screamed out his name when he failed to respond, tears streaming down her face.
“You’re mine and you can never escape,” Alex told her.
But Beth wasn’t listening, her eyes riveted to her dead lover.
“Now it’s time to deal with your best friend.”
Beth fell to her knees, a wail of despair and grief tearing from her throat. Unlike Rachel she had never been around violence on such a scale and she couldn’t handle it.
Rachel coldly stared up at Alex as he loomed over her. It was a relief when he holstered the gun.
“Before I put you out of your misery you’re going to admit that you made a fool of my brother. How long did it go on for with Ryan?”
“Are you stupid? I’ve already told you. I admit that one time in Martina’s Bar but that’s it, end of story.”
“Fine. Looks like I’m going to have to force it out of you,” he said, pulling a knife from his belt.
Alfie cuddled his little brother and sister to him, all three faces stained with tears as they listened to the horrible noises from the next room. They could hear their Aunty Rachel screaming in pain and their mummy sobbing and pleading with their daddy to stop.
Alfie knew he had to do something. Someone had been guarding them but they were gone now so he looked around the room, seeking escape. They were in a small office containing only a desk with a telephone that didn’t work - he’d already tried it - and a dead plant. However there was a window.
“Hold Holly,” he told Archie, who nodded and pulled his little sister to him.
Alfie jumped up onto the desk and from there scrabbled onto the windowsill. He tried opening the window but it refused to budge. Eventually he figured out that he had to press a button on the handle first and it opened outwards but not very far and he hoped it was enough for him to pass through.
“Archie, I need your help.”
“Don’t leave us,” he whispered.
“I have to get Uncle Mikey. If I don’t Mum and Aunty Rachel are going to get really hurt. I’ll come back I promise but you need to look after Holly for me. Please Archie.”
The little boy nodded, tears shining in his eyes. “Okay.”
Alfie jumped down to hug his brother, both boys struggling not to cry. “Just stay here and keep quiet, alright? Don’t do anything to make Dad angry. I’ll get Uncle Mikey, he’ll help us.”
Alfie clim
bed back onto the windowsill then hauled himself through the gap. He panicked when he thought he was going to get stuck but he wriggled and slid out, dropping to the ground with a thud. He could still hear his Aunty Rachel’s cries of pain even out here. Tears blinded him as he ran.
“We are not fucking stopping,” bellowed Ryan, making them all wince in the confines of the car.
“We’re going to need Frankie’s back-up,” said Mikey. “If just the four of us go in there we’re going to be seriously outnumbered. A psychopathic Scotsman with a hatchet is one hell of an ally.”
“He’s also one hell of an enemy. What if he turns against us? Frankie’s on no one’s side but Frankie’s.”
“We need a decision now,” said Jez.
Ryan threw his hands in the air. “Fine, pick the bastard up but if he’s not ready and waiting he’ll be left behind.”
“He’ll be there, he’s as keen to get his hands on Alex as we are.”
Frankie was indeed waiting for them on the side of a quiet road on the outskirts of Moss Side, just like he’d promised. He jumped into the back of the car with Riley and Jez, Riley feeling a little awkward about being in such a confined space with a man who hated him and a stranger who’d already been labelled a psychopath.
“Who the fuck are you?” was Frankie’s first question when he saw Riley. “Hold on, I’ve got it, you’re Riley Cutter. I knew your dad, he was a great man.”
Riley decided not to comment, merely acknowledging the compliment with a nod as Mikey pulled the car back into the flow of traffic.
“So what are you doing here? Getting back into the business?”
Riley finally recalled exactly who this man was. Frankie McVay was a living legend but not the type you’d ever want to meet and for some reason he seemed almost glad to see him. “No, I’m not in the business. I’m in the army.”
“Riley’s just here to help us get Rachel back,” Ryan called from the front. “He has invaluable skills.”
“Do we know where he’s holding her?” said Frankie.
“We think he’s got her at a warehouse he recently bought,” replied Ryan, gazing straight ahead, wanting Frankie to shut up and Mikey to put his foot down, but the traffic was quite dense leading back into Moss Side. He’d no choice but to take it easy.
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