by J. D MCG
* * *
Jacob woke the next morning, had breakfast, showered and hit the road to visit Lily in the slammer. His heart pounded as he drove closer to the prison, not wanting to see the woman who lied to him before killing his father. His life would never be the same again because of that woman.
Jacob pulled into the car park and reminisced about their good times together before the memories of the night he found his father dead, came flooding back. His hand clenched tight around the steering wheel. He exited his car with angry thoughts on his mind as he entered the building.
As he approached the entrance, the prison officers did the usual checks before letting him near the inmate. Once that was out of the way, they sat him in an open room while he waited for Lily to enter. His hands were full of sweat as he began to panic.
Minutes passed before she finally entered the room. Her appearance wasn't quite the same as the last time Jacob locked eyes on her. Her hair was messy and her skin pale. She shuffled along with her hands cuffed together for his safety.
'Jacob, it's good to see you,' she greeted him while the officer sat her down.
'I wish I could say the same,' he replied angrily. 'So, what was so important that you wanted to speak to me?'
'I wanted to explain.'
'Explain? You killed my father!' he shouted.
'Because he killed my sister!' she yelled back at him. 'Look, I didn't call you here for a shouting match. I just want you to hear the reasons for my actions.'
'Go ahead then, I'm listening,’ he folded his arms and leant back in his chair.
'As you know, my mother went missing. My sister took care of me when we were younger until that night your father... Well, let's just say that was the night I was put into care. I spent many years trying to find out what happened to my mum, but she found me.'
Jacob leaned in, interested in her story. 'What do you mean she found you?'
'You wouldn't believe me. You'd think I've gone crazy,' she leaned back, turning away from any eye contact with him.
'Try me,' he replied, knowing how crazy his past experiences had been.
'She spoke to me in my dreams, gave me instructions to bring her back.'
Jacob interrupted. 'Back from where?'
'She's trapped somewhere, Jacob. Somewhere she can't get out of.'
'Is that why you had all those women killed?'
Lily released a tear from her eye. 'Yes. I thought it would bring her back, but then she came to me again in my dreams while I was on the run, telling me that wasn't going to bring me back, but the diamonds would.'
'Diamonds?'
'Yes. Barnes knows all about them, which is the reason why I kidnapped him and tortured him, hoping he'd tell me where they were.'
'And did he?'
'Yes.'
'So where are they?'
'Somewhere safe.'
'In evidence?'
'You'd think so, but no. I think you need to ask your boss that question,' she answered.
'Why kill my father? Did he know something more about your mother?'
'He killed my sister. It was nothing more than revenge.'
'But why? He treated you like a daughter. Did that mean nothing to you?'
'I couldn't just let him get away with what he had done just because of my feelings for you.'
'Did you enter our relationship, knowing what you were planning to do to my father?' he asked.
'Yes, but I fell deeply in love with you and still am,' she answered, trying to grab his hand, but he pulled away.
'Then why? You could have just let him live and got over what happened to your sister.'
'You can say that because it's not your family member. If it was the other way around...'
'I wouldn't have killed someone!' he shouted at her again.
'Are you sure about that?'
He stayed silent, thinking about what she'd said. He was so angry and wanted to kill her for what she'd done to him and his family, that he knew she was right. He would’ve killed someone.
'Why the photographs?' he continued to question her.
'What photographs?' She was confused.
'The one's you've been sending to the station and the apartment,' he answered.
'Jacob, I don't know what you're talking about.'
'Don't give me that rubbish.'
'I think you've got another admirer because I didn't send them,' she replied.
Jacob sat quiet, reviewing her answer. If she didn't send them, then who did? Who's been watching me?
'Something wrong?' she asked.
'I'm done here,' Jacob replied, lifting himself off his seat and walking towards the door.
'I'll be seeing you soon, Jacob,' she said calmly as he carried on walking.
Jacob was searched again upon leaving. He exited the building shortly after, entered his car and sighed, not wanting to believe Lily. She must be the one that sent the photos. Jacob started hitting the rim of the steering wheel as hard as he could out of anger. He was so angry, he screamed out loud before he started to cry.
He'd had enough of all the problems he faced. His sister, his ex, and his hidden uncle. Not to mention the crazy case he'd been trying to solve with his team. He was a broken man. Minutes later, Jacob wiped his tears, took a deep breath and started the ignition, driving home with nothing but the thought that someone had been watching his every move.
Upon arriving home, Jacob felt the sudden urge for another drink, not realising Kate was still home. Pouring the whiskey into a glass, he noticed her sat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. He grabbed his glass and sat in the armchair beside the sofa, then took a swig from the glass.
'Kate. I'm really sorry about yesterday.' She glanced up from her phone. 'I know you want to get to know your father and I just want you to know I have no problem with that. I'm sorry for my behaviour last night. I was totally out of order. I've just got a lot going on at the moment,' he said before tears started to roll down his face.
Kate just stared, then moved over to him and gave him a hug. 'I'm sorry too. I've acted so childishly and spoilt. All you tried to do was look after me and I threw it back in your face. Can we move past this?' she asked, trying to comfort him.
Jacob nodded. 'Yes. Just promise me one thing?' She nodded in response. 'Just be careful.'
She nodded again. The pair of them hugged one another again, letting go of their anger and issues, throwing them away and forgiving each other as Belle entered witnessing them embraced in their hug.
'I see you two have made up?'
The pair turned their attention to Belle and smiled at her. Kate approached Belle and threw her arms around her.
'What's this for?' Belle asked.
'Because I've been a bitch. I'm really sorry for how I've treated you,' Kate apologised, then let go of Belle.
'Apology accepted,' Belle smiled with joy. 'We good now then?'
'Yes, we're good,' Kate answered. She turned back to Jacob. 'Why the change of heart anyway?'
'A similar situation. Just found out Dad didn't just keep a secret about your father, but also kept his past hidden from us. Just found out we've got an uncle and that Dad was a twin.'
'How did you find out?' she asked.
'He found me. I thought I was seeing things but I approached him and he told me who he was. He wants to explain everything, but I don't know if I want to know.'
'Wow, and I thought my family was screwed up,' Belle smirked and they all laughed along.
'Are you going to meet him?' asked Kate.
'I want to but I don't know if I should. I know nothing about the man and it seems like I know nothing about Dad now either.'
'But if you don't take the chance, you'll be sat forever wondering what if,' Kate said. 'I took that chance with my Dad and I knew nothing about him. He says he's sorry for his past and he wants to be a part of my f
uture. Take the chance, Jacob, otherwise you might regret it.'
'I think Kate's right. You should get to know him and see what he has to say,' Belle agreed with her.
'Okay,' he replied, standing to his feet. 'I'll give him a call.'
Jacob strolled towards the kitchen, pulled his phone out and dialled the number his uncle had given him.
'Hello,' a voice answered.
'Hi, it's Jacob.'
'You ready to talk?' his uncle asked.
'Yes. Meet me at the cafe on Martineau Way in an hour,' he gave him a time and place, before ending the call.
* * *
Jacob arrived just after 3 pm and saw his uncle sat inside, holding a cup of coffee. Standing outside the cafe looking in, Jacob stared at his uncle while thinking about his father. Why did my Dad keep him a secret? Did my Dad even know anything about his family? Jacob couldn't delay a minute longer. Too many questions ran through his thoughts as he entered the cafe.
'Hi,' Jacob greeted him as he sat down at the table.
'I'm glad you came,' Dan replied.
'I need answers and right now you're the only one who can give them to me,' Jacob got straight to the point.
'I'll tell you anything you need to know,' he smiled.
'Did my father know he had a brother?'
'Yes. He also knew your grandmother before she passed away. You also have another uncle, but he doesn't know about me, you or anybody else. Your great grandfather kept him when he was a baby and your great grandmother helped my mother escape after she had me and your father. We're triplets and it's only me and your father who look alike.'
'My other uncle, why does he not know about the family?'
'He was poisoned by your great grandfather, inheriting the family company, his wealth and beliefs. Now he's as corrupt as him,' he explained.
'Why did my father keep you all a secret?' Jacob continued asking questions.
Dan started to laugh. 'What is this? An interrogation?’ He stopped laughing after seeing Jacob’s serious face. ‘He wanted to keep you safe. Your uncle is a dangerous man, Jacob and so was your great grandfather.'
'Why? Who is he?'
'His name is Malcolm Harrington. He runs Harrington Labs. Stay away from him, Jacob. He's not the type of person you want to approach.'
'Why did your mum run away?'
'Because my grandfather wasn't her father, he was my Dad's. My father has been missing since before I was born. My mum always said he was trapped in another world, but me and John always thought she was crazy until we got older and did some digging. Which is one of the reasons your father joined the police force. We found information on Harrington Labs. People were going missing and still are.'
'Missing?'
'Yes. Went to work and never came home. We're still investigating it.'
'We?'
'I work for an organisation called S.T.O.R.M.'
'I've never heard of them,' Jacob told him.
'That's because they're off the radar,' he explained.
'What's the meaning behind S.T.O.R.M?'
'Don't laugh,' he smiled. 'It stands for Supernatural Tactical Operational Response Military.'
'Supernatural?' he smiled, though he didn't want to explain what he'd been through the past year, seeing ghosts that helped solve his case.
'I told you not to laugh,' he replied with a smile.
'I don't think it sounds crazy,' Jacob said, making Dan give him a strange look.
'What makes you say that?'
'Last year I started seeing the ghosts of my victims. I know that sounds nuts, but it's true. And then there's Lily.'
'Elizabeth Blackwood? We know all about her,' he admitted.
'You do?'
'Yes. Her family have been on our watch list for a while,' Dan continued.
'What do you mean?'
'Her mother went missing when she was younger, am I correct?'
'Yes,' Jacob answered, unsure of where this conversation was going.
'Her sister started a cult and began ritual killings when your father was an active police officer. Your father was given the order to kill her.'
'So, he did kill her,' Jacob said, beginning to get angry, banging a clenched fist on the table.
'No. He disobeyed his orders.'
'Why?'
'He couldn't go through with it. He kept saying something about trying to bring her in for questioning, but it was too dangerous. She was too dangerous.'
'Was my father working for S.T.O.R.M?' Jacob kept the questions coming.
'Yes, on the side.'
'What about my boss?'
'Joe Barnes? He doesn't work with S.T.O.R.M but knows of us because of John. Your father told him all about me and about our operation. I think it was him that stopped your father from completing his orders on Daisy Blackwood,' Dan explained.
'What about Lily? If her sister was so dangerous, then why is Lily still alive? She completed her sister’s plan, so why is she still in prison and not on the slab?'
'Because we might need her. The night you caught her accomplices, did you notice any lights flicker?' Jacob thought for a moment. 'What about the slight earthquake? You ignored the signs of her plan completing.'
'When I went to see Lily earlier today, she mentioned something about diamonds. She mentioned Barnes had put them somewhere safe, but not in evidence. Do you have these diamonds?' Jacob asked as he began to piece things together.
'That's confidential,' Dan answered.
'I take that as a yes then,' Jacob smiled, knowing he'd got the answer he wanted.
'Jacob, there's another reason I asked to meet you. I want you to be a part of our operation at S.T.O.R.M.'
'What? Do what my father was doing? No, thank you,' he replied.
'Just have a think about it. We're on the same team, and after all, we are family.' Dan got up off his seat after finishing the last of his coffee. 'Just sleep on it, okay?' He tapped Jacob on the shoulder before leaving the cafe.
Jacob didn't know what to do. His uncle had another motive, but he'd come away with more questions than answers. Something positive had come out of this meeting. At least he knew he wasn't going insane and what he saw could be real. But if the supernatural exists, that means our suspects could be telling the truth, and Barnes would know that, he thought.
He wanted to phone Barnes and shout at him. He knew more than he said about everything. Why'd he stay silent? Jacob decided to speak to him face to face. He left the cafe, entered his vehicle and drove back to the CID.
Chapter 23
Barnes' office was surrounded by phones ringing, people talking and busybodies running all over the place. His head was pounding with an ungodly pain. He opened his desk drawer and grabbed the paracetamol that lay beside his bottle of vodka. He popped two tablets out of the plastic wrap, chucked them inside his mouth, then washed them down with the half bottle of vodka. His head rested on the back of the chair as he closed his eyes, trying his best to block out the constant ringing in the background.
There was nothing but silence as he sat resting with his eyes closed, nearly drifting off to sleep. Then a sudden knock on the door brought him out of his slumber and back to the annoying ringing of phones. Goddamn it, he thought silently.
'Come in,' he shouted above the noise. Jacob entered and sat opposite him, red-faced, staring at him angrily. 'I thought I told you to take some time off?'
'Oh, I am. Guess who I've had the pleasure of meeting today?'
'I knew this was coming,' Barnes sighed, knowing his headache was about to become much worse.
'Why'd you keep it all from me? You knew about Elizabeth Blackwood this whole time. Why didn't you say something?'
'I didn't know she was Lily, plus I didn't know about Elizabeth Blackwood until we discovered that information. I don't work for S.T.O.R.M, only your father did,' he explained.
'That was your father’s place to tell you. Remember, I'm your DCI, a family friend. I'm not a part of your family, so it was up to them to tell you, not me.'
Jacob thought about his words for a moment. He's right. I expect too much from him.
'What about the diamonds?' he continued his line of questioning.
'What are you talking about?'
'The diamonds from the crime scene. They're not in evidence, are they? Lily kidnapped and interrogated you because she wanted to know what you'd done with them.'
'You already know where they are, don't you? That's why you've come in here asking me all these questions.'
'Well, I wasn't going to get the answers from you. You're just as bad as my father.' Jacob rose from the chair. 'Just tell me one thing.' Barnes nodded. 'You know about S.T.O.R.M and that they deal with the supernatural. Do you believe our suspects are who they say they are?' Jacob asked.
'A part of me does, but so many people get out of jail time by pleading insanity. I've seen it loads of times, whether or not they're telling the truth,' Barnes answered.
Jacob gave a slight disconcerting smile, before leaving his office. He had a choice to make. Join S.T.O.R.M and have joint intel on his case, or carry on as normal, always knowing that his cases might not always be normal. It was a hard decision for him to make.
Barnes remained seated, trying to rid himself of his headache. The CID was flooded with detectives and counter-terrorism officers, bouncing from desk to desk, collaborating their information with each other.
Another knock on the door. For goodness sake, he thought as he sat up in his chair.
'What!' he yelled as Steven Hemmings entered.
'Just want to know if you've got any new information to share? My teams come up blank,' Hemmings asked.
'No, nothing.'
'What did he want?' Hemmings referred to Jacob.
'Oh, nothing. Unrelated to the case,' Barnes answered truthfully.