by J. D MCG
'I'll think about it,' Belle replied before turning around and exiting the restaurant.
For the second time, Kate rejoined her father at the table just as dessert arrived. Craig noticed something was wrong by the change in mood upon her face.
'Is everything alright?'
'I don't know,' she answered keeping her head bowed. 'She's mad at me.'
'Who was that?'
'Her name’s Belle. Jacob took her in when her friend was murdered last year. We've been quite close, up until the secrets anyway.'
'I feel like I've seen her before,' Craig muttered under his breath.
'Well, she does live with me.'
'Anyway...' he said, glancing downwards at his dessert. 'This looks delicious.'
Kate had a burning question to ask while watching him scoop his ice cream into his mouth.
'Why did my mum leave you?'
Craig choked on his dessert, wondering how he was going to answer her question.
'I'm going to be honest with you, Kate,' he started. 'I was an abusive husband. I'd come home drunk and off my face with drugs and alcohol, then I'd take it out on your mum and hit her. And I mean I hit her hard enough to send her to hospital on more than one occasion.'
'I guess that's why mum was always so skittish,' she recalled.
'And that's my fault,' he began to cry.
Kate placed her hand on his back and tried to console him. It was upsetting to her seeing him like this, even in the short space of time she knew him.
'I'm sure you're sorry for how you were in the past, and I'm sure mum would've forgiven you if she was still here.'
* * *
Sitting inside the car while Ally floored it back to the station, Jacob thought about the hidden uncle that he never knew existed. Is this how Kate feels? Betrayed? My family holds too many secrets. He was so angry that his father had a secret life that he never told his kids about as well as other secrets. He clenched his fist at his thoughts.
'Is everything alright?' Ally asked, noticing his fist.
'Yes,' he lied, turning his head to the window, not making any eye contact.
'You're lying,' she guessed.
'I don't want to bore you.'
'Jacob, whatever it is, you need to get it off your chest, otherwise, it will eat away at you.'
'I just don't know what to do.'
'What with? Is this about your secret uncle?'
'How'd you know?' he released a slight chuckle. 'He wants to talk to explain everything, but my father lied to us his entire life. My sister isn't my sister and my father isn't her dad. He kept that from us as well as his family and I don't know why. I want to get to know him, but I'm too angry with my dad right now.'
'How does Kate feel at the moment?' she asked.
'Betrayed and angry, and now...'
Ally interrupted. 'And now you know how she feels.'
'Yeah,' he lowered his head in shame.
His phone started to buzz in his hand. Seeing Kate's number, he couldn't bear to speak with her while Ally sat next to him, so he placed the phone back inside his pocket, silenced the buzzing and ignored it.
'Have you told your brother?' Ally continued.
'Not yet. I'll call him later, I just can't find the words right now.'
'When we get back to the station, I want it to be the first thing you do,' she demanded.
'Yes, boss,' he laughed.
Ally smiled along with him. Making him happy made her happy and she truly deep down, loved making him smile. She felt extremely carefree and relaxed around him and her love for him was growing by the day.
'Have you made your mind up yet?' he asked her, hoping she'd stay in Birmingham.
'On the job in Hawaii?' He nodded in response. 'Not yet. It sounds like a great opportunity. Sun, sea, sand...'
'...And murder,' he jumped in and finished with a giggle.
She laughed along with him. 'Everything inside is telling me to jump with both feet, but my heart is telling me to stay. I've just joined this incredible team who've made me feel so welcome, and then there's you.'
He turned his head in a quick motion, looking at her as she continued to keep her focus on driving, not wanting to look at him.
'Me?'
'Yes. Jacob, you must know by now how I feel about you?' He stayed quiet, not wanting to answer. 'If there is something between you and me, then I'll stay. I know we've only known each other for a short time, but I feel this strong connection between us and I don't want to leave knowing we could have been something.'
'I don't want you to give up a dream job because of me,' he lowered his head again.
'If you don't feel the same way as I do, then just tell me.'
The car stayed quiet as Ally pulled into the car park. The awkward silence made Ally feel upset and wanting to burst out in tears. She thought he didn't want to be with her.
As the car pulled into an empty space, Jacob jumped out of the car, quicker than he'd ever done before, and phoned his brother, trying to get out of answering Ally's question.
'Hi, Adam,' Jacob said to his brother, as Ally exited the car and entered the station. 'I've got something to tell you.'
'Jacob, I was just about to phone you.'
'Why? What's wrong?' Jacob asked concerned.
'I'm going through Dad's house as we agreed, and I've found something. Maria had hidden a few letters from Kate's father. I'm really worried about Kate if she's meeting this guy.'
'Why, Adam? What have you found?' Jacob kept asking, wanting his brother to get to the point.
'He abused Maria, but that's not why he went to prison. He killed someone, Jacob. He got angry and beat them to death,' Adam informed him.
'You don't think he'd do anything to Kate, do you?' he worried.
'I wouldn't rule it out. He's dangerous, Jacob.'
'I'll call her now,' Jacob said before hanging up on his brother.
Scrolling through his phone book, he stopped at Kate's number and called her, only to hear the beeping of an engaged tone. He tapped a text message to his brother explaining before he headed inside the station.
As he made his way through the grey hallways and walked into the CID, Jacob's eyes were met with a huge group of officers, buzzing around the office.
'What's going on here?' he asked as he approached Ally.
'The terror threat has become real. We've been given more officers, resources and equipment in helping us track Esther down,' Ally explained.
'Wouldn't this be a job for counter-terrorism?'
'Yes, we're working with them. Barnes demanded us to work with them as it ties in with our case. After all, this was our case first.'
Jacob marched over to Barnes, who sat alone inside his office, watching everyone running around, and slammed the door shut.
'Boss, what on earth is going on? Ally's just told me counter-terrorism is here and we're working with them?' He started to rub his hands over his head in panic.
'That's correct,' Barnes replied calmly. 'Just take a second to calm down.'
He placed himself in the chair opposite Barnes. 'So this is a real terror threat? I can't believe this case has gone from a simple domestic murder to people with a personality disorder, to then being a terror threat.'
'I know, it's a lot to take in.'
A knock at the door reminded Jacob of the busyness outside of Barnes' office. It was the lead officer from the counter-terrorism unit, Steven Hemmings.
'I'm calling a briefing in a few minutes, Joe. Just to update everyone and I need you there too,' Hemmings said.
'No problem,' he replied, still sitting in his chair. 'I'll be there in a minute.' Steven Hemmings nodded and shut the door behind him. 'Jacob, I know you've got a lot going on at home. You don't have to be here.'
'I'll be fine. I do have one thing to ask you though.'
'Fire away.'
'Did you know my father had a twin brother?' he asked and noticed a straight look upon his face.
'Look, Jacob. I'm not going to lie to you. I knew,' he revealed.
'You knew? You knew this whole time and never said anything?'
'There's a lot about your father you don't want to know.'
Barnes noticed Hemmings giving him a wave through the window and shot out of his seat. He opened the door and left Jacob still sitting in his chair.
'Are you coming?' he asked Jacob.
Jacob snapped back to reality from thinking about what Barnes had said. Once he jumped out of the seat, he caught up with Barnes.
'We'll discuss this later,' Jacob whispered upon entering the briefing room.
Barnes joined Hemmings at the front of the room, while Jacob sat between Ally and Sarah at the table. The room was full with both teams filling every centimetre. This was a huge case to the team and it frightened most, though Jacob noticed how calm Ally was, like it wasn't the first time she'd been involved in a case this big.
'How are you so calm?' he whispered in Ally's ear.
'This isn't my first rodeo, kid,' she whispered back, then started giggling.
'Good afternoon,' Hemmings started. 'If you don't already know me, my name’s Steven Hemmings. The counter-terrorism team are now working with DCI Barnes' team in finding our assailant called Esther. We believe her real name is Jenny Reynolds and she is suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. She could be armed and dangerous so I need everyone to be on their guard.'
Barnes began to give some information, taking over from Hemmings. 'Jenny has got her hands on a man-made disease which she is intending to use. We believe it has been altered since she last used it. We also have no idea how many hostages she's got, if she even has any, who she plans on using this virus on. I know it's not much to go on, but she's linked to other murders and suspects. She's a dangerous woman and we need to find her as soon as possible.'
'Any questions or new information, please see myself or DCI Barnes,' Hemmings finished before dispersing the team.
Barnes left and walked back into his office, sat at his desk and sighed loudly. It had been a long couple of weeks and he was feeling incredibly drained. Not giving him a minutes peace, the phone on his desk rang. It was the prison in which Lily was being housed, informing Barnes that she wanted to speak to Jacob. He’d kept the calls a secret for days, not wanting to bring Lily back into his life, but he'd seen what his father’s secrets had done to him as of late.
Barnes put the phone back down, denying Lily the right to speak to Jacob. He glanced out the window and saw Jacob and Ally giggling together, making Barnes realise that Jacob had moved on. He was stuck in a dilemma. He rose up and called Jacob into his office. Barnes' hands were sweaty. He was feeling nervous and worried about how Jacob would take it.
'Sit down, Jacob,' he insisted. 'I've just had a call... Well, I've had calls all week from the prison...'
'I don't want to see her,' Jacob jumped in.
'Are you sure? You need to get answers from her to get closure.'
'I've already put her behind me,' he replied. 'I'm not about to reopen old wounds, boss.' Jacob got off the chair once again. 'Is that all?'
Barnes nodded and Jacob left with thoughts of Lily and the questions he sought. Lily was all he could think about all afternoon. As he sat at his desk, Jacob blurred the sounds out around him, staring into space and clicking his pen.
'Jacob, are you okay?' Ally asked him.
He snapped back to reality. 'Yes, sorry, Ally. I'm fine.'
'No, you're not.'
He sighed. 'Barnes has just told me that the prison keeps calling. Lily is requesting to see me.'
'And are you going to go?' she enquired.
'Part of me wants to stay away from her and let her rot, but the other half of me wants all my questions answered. Plus I want to know why she sent me those photos.'
'Then go, Jacob. Otherwise, you'll never get the answers you seek.'
'You're right,' he replied.
Jacob had too much going on in his life right now and couldn't concentrate on the case at hand. Barnes is right. I need to step away from the case, he thought as he traipsed nearer to Barnes' office. He knocked on the door and entered slowly, not wanting to leave the team during this difficult time.
'What is it, DS Wright?'
'Boss, I've been thinking about what you said. I know it's not a good time with what's going on right now but...'
'Jacob, you can have some leave. With everything that's happened in your life, your dad's death, my disappearance, you stuck by the team. Now you need to sort your life out, go and sort it. We'll be fine,' he comforted him.
Jacob replied with a smile as he rose to his feet and left. Walking to his desk, he grabbed his coat and left without saying a word. Ally and Ethan lifted their heads from their work and watched Jacob stroll out of the station.
'Where's he going?' Ethan asked Ally.
'To get some answers,' she replied.
Chapter 22
Jacob arrived outside his apartment. Worrying if Kate was inside, he slowly opened the door. Hearing talking and laughter, he thought Kate and Belle had made up but got a shock as he entered to see a strange man sat opposite Kate.
'Oh, Jacob. I didn't think you'd be home yet,' Kate said surprised as she turned her head to see who was entering.
'Who's this?' he asked, worrying about the answer.
'This is my father, Craig Ross.'
'Nice to meet you,' Craig said, holding out his hand for Jacob to shake it.
Jacob ignored him and looked at Kate. 'What's he doing here?'
Craig sat back down quietly and upset.
'He's my Dad, Jacob. You can't just ignore him and hope he'll go away,' she yelled.
'I know who he is and I don't want him in my home,' he shouted back.
'Look, I'm not here to tear you away from one another. I just want to get to know my little girl. I've already lost out on so much of her life because of my wrongdoing. ' He turned his eyes to Kate. 'I'm going to go. I'll see you soon.'
'Okay,' she replied.
Craig walked to the door before turning back to Jacob. 'It was nice to meet you, Jacob. Thanks for looking after my girl.'
Kate shut the door behind him, then gave her brother an angry glare. 'How dare you!' she continued yelling.
'How dare I? This is my place, Kate, and if I don't want him here then you should respect my wishes,' he continued the shouting match.
She huffed before going inside her bedroom and slamming the door behind her. Jacob headed to the kitchen, grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass. He calmed down once he'd taken a sip. Belle walked in as he released a sigh.
'Is everything alright?' she asked.
'No. I don't think it'll ever be alright,' Jacob started to break down.
'What happened?'
'She brought him here.'
'Her dad?'
'Yes.'
'What happened?' she asked.
'Not much. He left without a fuss.' Belle grabbed the whiskey bottle from his hands and grabbed herself a glass. 'What do you think you're doing?'
'Drowning my sorrows,' Belle explained.
'What sorrows?'
'All of this. I'm fed up with it all.'
'Me too, and now I'm told that Lily wants to see me,' he explained.
'And are you going to?'
'I have so many questions about everything, but I don't want to see her. She hurt me, Belle. I can never forgive her for what she's done, so if it's forgiveness she wants, she won't find any from me.'
No words were spoken, they just stood in the kitchen with nothing but their thoughts and whiskey glasses.
'How's it going with Ben?' Jacob broke the silence.
'Great. He makes me so happy.'
'
I'm glad. Seems like your life is on the up,' Jacob smiled.
'I know and it's all because of your kindness,' she replied the smile.
She kissed Jacob on the cheek before making her way to her bedroom. Jacob remained in the kitchen, sad and alone, before deciding it was also time for him to go to bed. He had a big day ahead of him, full of questions and hopefully some answers. He lay his head on the pillow and drifted off quickly.
* * *
The station was flooded with officers, making Barnes feel overwhelmed and needing some fresh air. He swung his coat over his back and placed his arms through before leaving his office.
'Where are you going, sir,' Ally questioned as she watched him leave with his coat on.
'Just stepping out to get some fresh air,' Barnes answered as he left the CID.
Once he made it out to the car park, Barnes felt the cold nights breeze against his skin. His warm breath released, creating a cloud of smoke. A chill made him shiver as he glanced up to the sky.
Ally stood alongside him. 'What's on your mind?'
'Everything,' Barnes smiled.
Ally chuckled. They both stood silent for a moment, not knowing what the future was going to hold.
'It's been a strange couple of cases. Witches, Horsemen of the apocalypse, are we ever going to have any normal cases?' Ally said.
'I do hope so,' he replied. 'I'm getting a bit fed up of this supernatural crap.'
Ally laughed. 'So you do believe they could be telling the truth?'
'Maybe. I don't know. It all sounds a bit crazy.' There was another slight pause of silence before Barnes turned to walk back inside. 'Think we should get back to work.'
Ally followed him back inside the bustling station. No new information had been found, neither did they have any new phone calls from Esther. Officers were trying their hardest, backtracking the horsemen's last movements. Barnes entered his office, shut his blinds and removed the bottle of vodka from his drawer. After taking a swig, Barnes took a deep breath and took another mouthful. His life had gotten crazy and become a living nightmare the more he thought about their cases. Witches and Possession? I must be going mad.