“You think I am the same predictable, naïve young girl you worked with well, I’m not. I’m a stronger, wiser and braver person now thanks to that man sitting there. You honestly doubt that I came without a plan?”
Jane had been buying herself time. Although she was strapped to a chair they had obviously done it very quickly as she was completely unconscious after her blow to the head, she had been managing to untie her wrists from behind her with a twist and a wiggle motion. They had just loosened enough that Jane was able to pull them free and stand up. Jane couldn’t help but let out a cocky smile at the look of shock on all their faces. Jane wrenched free a loose piece of wood and charged at Gregory and swung with all her might. The make shift weapon struck his upper left arm as he let out a groan as he collapsed clutching it. Jane guessed it might have broken. At the sound of commotion the Superintendent, Ian, Eric and Joanne rushed in. Eddie, Charlie, Tony and Mark were quick to follow. Peter Ray was soon rugby tackled to the floor by Ian and the Superintendent and Eric cornered Charlene at gunpoint. Eddie and his comrades were making quick work of untying Perry who was just able to stand. He had taken several severe beatings over the last few days and was even missing a couple of teeth. Jane couldn’t help but smile and almost nearly laughed to the surprise of everyone. Perry limped over with the aid of Eddie, who both was not ashamed or trying to hide the fact that there were tears streaming down both their faces. It had been a wrought few days of high emotions. Charlene, Peter and Gregory had all been handcuffed.
“Can I ask my sweet little skirt what the big grin and little laugh is all about?”
“Well I can honestly say I have missed you but I had to laugh at the fact that you are going to have one toothless grin at our wedding.”
“You’re still going to marry me?”
“Of course. Like I said I’m still your sweet little skirt. You had nothing to do with this.”
“But what I did to Charlene for Parker…”
“Perry were discuss those details later. None of that matters now. You’re alive.”
Jane was aware that everything in the background had gone quiet all of a sudden. The commotion and the complaining had all stopped. Jane had to pull herself away from looking at the much-missed Perry Fierce’s face looking up with a weary apprehension with a feeling that something was not right. Once again Jane was shocked. Eddie and Charlie helped Tony turn around to see what was happening as Mark and Tony had finished untying and waking Frank from his stupor. Jane was glad to see he was alive but was flabbergasted to find that Joanne was holding a gun on them all.
“Joanne what are you doing?”
“My father give me my father and you can all live.”
“Joanne?”
“Detective Gregory Brown is my father let him go he is coming with me and we are both leaving. If you don’t I will shoot one of you.”
“You helped them. You fed them information.”
“Oh how slow your cogs turn in your brain it honestly has been painful watching. Yes I helped them. You ruined my father’s career. So I infiltrated your team and fed my dad, Charlene and Peter information to help them win. But they all failed. I don’t care what you do with the other two but give me my dad.”
“Joanne you know I can’t do that.”
Joanne fired a warning shot at Jane’s feet just missing her foot. Jane had never seen this look in Joanne’s eyes before. She was completely wild in one aspect but had this eerily calm composed exterior that was conveying a deadly seriousness that she would not miss the next time.
“No excuses Detective. My father or the next one wont miss.”
“Just take him and go Joanne.”
“Superintendent?”
“It’s not worth the risk Jane. Let them go.”
Jane nodded and Ian chucked the keys to Joanne who lifted her father and slowly began backing out of the house.
“I wouldn’t even think about following. I have many friends any of them could shoot the unprotected pregnant Amy or how about losing your son Parker as well as your mum Perry?”
The colour drained from everyone’s faces at the threat. Joanne knew exactly where to hit them all. None of them were going to risk it. They all stood in a horrified silence as they listened to Joanne and her father backing down the stairs and slowly making off in a car.
“Detective you may want to get an ambulance here for your man Frank he is not doing so good.”
“Detective, Perry Ian gets going. Go check in with Amy and Parker. Take them somewhere safe just in case and then Perry gets you both off to the hospital. That means you to Detective you need that head of yours checked it took a nasty blow. Eric and me can handle everything here. Were stays with Frank until the ambulance comes.”
“Frank is you going to be all ok?”
“Don’t worry about me Detective I’m a tough old cookie and it could have been a lot worse for me. It’s only three fingers. Your Perry here kept distracting them otherwise it would have been a whole hand.”
“I’m sorry you got caught up in all of it Frank. I owe you big time.”
“Don’t worry about standing here apologizing to me you can do that later. Go check your boy and Amy. I’ll see you both at the hospital anyhow.”
With that Jane, Ian and Perry rushed out as quickly as they could and loaded into a car. Ian drove as Jane frantically dialed Amy.
Chapter 19
A lifetime felt like it passed as Jane listened to the sound of the phone ringing down the line, praying and waiting for someone to answer. Thankfully her mum did.
“Oh hi Elsie is everything ok there?”
“Yes, yes my dear its just well Ian should hurry home Amy has gone into labour.”
“Really hold on… Ian you might want to step on it Amy has gone into labour. Ok there is nobody else there and Parker is all fine?”
“Yes of course dear Parker is more than fine such a lovely lad he is playing with Lilly-Anne. But there is nobody else here why what is going on?”
“Don’t tell Amy a threat was made were rushing back to make sure you are all safe and were head off to the hospital together. Tell her Perry is safe and back and were all be there with her soon.”
“I will, just hurry.”
“Were nearly there Elsie just stay calm for us and keep Amy calm? Were less than five minutes away.”
“I will do, see you in a minute.”
With that Jane hung up the phone. Ian had a look of fear mixed with a tad of excitement on his face. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. Perry who was staying quite silent looked in immense pain but Jane feared it was more out of pain for the loss of his mum and fright for Parker. Jane reached back and tried to squeeze his hand gently as a sign of encouragement but both of his hands looked like they had been broken, with one hand missing a small finger. Jane had not taken stock of Perry’s injuries because of the entire dilemma. When Perry caught Jane’s expression as she began studying every inch of him Perry tried to smile.
“Don’t think about it too much Jane. Let’s just get Amy to the hospital and make sure everyone is ok. Then were deals with me.”
Perry was trying to be brave Jane knew but it did little to console her ache. Ian also began checking the rearview mirror to see the extent of Perry he gave Jane a weary look but continued to drive they were just going round the last corner to his and Amy’s house.
When they walked through the front door Parker rushed over to see his dad and hug Jane. While Ian rushed off to check on Amy, he had Lilly-Anne in his arms, and Elsie fussing at his side.
“Dad your hurt real bad is you going to be ok?”
“Yeah Parker you know me I’m hard as nails I’m going to be just fine.”
“Thank you, you said you would bring my dad home and you did.”
“Of course kiddo. I couldn’t have him missing out on all our fun now could we?”
Parker swung his arms around Jane and hugged her tightly.
“Thanks mum.”
; Perry raised his eyebrow at the last comment with a content smile as Jane kissed Parker’s forehead.
Amy, Ian, Elsie and Lilly-Anne came into the corridor with Amy’s go bag clutched in hand.
“Jane has you got your keys?”
“Yes why?”
“Elsie this key is to a secure flat take the kids and go there it will be safe.”
“Thank you I will take good care of Parker and Lilly-Anne while you are all at the hospital. Keep me informed though with all news.”
“We will do mum thanks.”
With that Elsie loaded the kids into one car while the four of them got into Ian’s car and dashed to the hospital. Amy seemed to be coping well with her contractions but Perry was loosing colour by the second. Ian did not hold about. He put his sirens on and dashed to the nearest hospital. Jane called ahead to let the hospital know they had one woman in labour with contractions every ten minutes and one man severely injured with multiple injuries sustained.
“How you feeling Amy?”
“Oh don’t worry about me the searing pain in my belly as a baby tries to push its way out is nothing. All in a days work. How Perry holding up?”
“Perry?”
“Still here you just concentrate on your breathing Amy were all good.”
Ian pulled up at the hospital in record time. The hospital was well prepared with one team on standby for Amy with a wheelchair and one team with a bed for Perry.
“Go Ian I’ll come find you to check in. Good luck Amy love you girl.”
“Love you to Jane I hope Perry is ok.”
With that the foursome were separated in opposite directions as Perry was being wheeled off to be assessed and Amy went to the maternity ward. Jane had to smile it was a kind of bittersweet ending. Amy was about to give birth to a new member of her and Ian’s little family and Jane had Perry back and had gained a son. Jane just hoped Perry would be fine from all his injuries.
“Mam will you wait outside the cubicle while we assess your partners condition.”
“But I’m his fiancé.”
“That’s not the issue mam its just so we have more room. It won’t take us long and then were invite you back in. Try not to worry. There is a coffee machine down the hall. By the time you have got one were be finished the initial assessment.”
“Ok thank you.”
Jane paced the hall way waiting, impatience and anxiousness building inside. There was still so much Jane was confused about but one thing was for certain Jane needed to know Perry was going to be ok. Jane continued to pace and was eventually found by her Superintendent and Eric who had obviously arrived at the hospital with Frank.
“What’s happening Detective?”
“Ian is with Amy she has gone into labour the kids are with Amy’s mum at one of Perry’s flat so they should be all safe and sound. The doctors are just looking over Perry now I’m waiting.”
“Don’t worry Detective I am sure he will be fine. Now that I know for definite that the children and Amy are safe I will put an APB out for Joanne and Gregory they wont have got far.”
“Thank you Superintendent. How is Frank?”
“He will be fine they are prepping him for surgery on his hand.”
“Good.”
Jane went back to pacing it helped with the anxiousness and the nausea feeling that was growing inside her stomachs. The Doctors seemed to be taking forever to assess Perry. It felt like hours were ticking by when in reality it was mere minutes but Jane had spent nearly three days without Perry so to spend any more time away from him now that she had found him was sheer agony.
The relief Jane felt when she saw the Doctors and nurses’ coming back out of Perry’s cubicle was beyond compare. Now Jane just had to hope for good news.
“Perry Fierce?”
“Yes that’s me I’m his fiancé.”
“I remember. He is going to be fine. We are going to need to do some x-rays to be clear and some scans to check. He has suffered some severe burns to his abdomen, some fractures to his ribs and face. His hands have suffered severe damage, we have managed to straighten his fingers and they will have to be supported but were need to check to make sure. He is going to need surgery to clean and stitch the missing finger. His breathing is going to stay labored for a few days. His lungs we are going to need to check, we are hopeful for no permanent damage but the constant choking on water and the regurgitation of the water off his chest has obviously irritated them. Once we have the scan and x-rays we can be clearer. We have made him comfortable why don’t you go sit with him.”
Jane just about managed to choke out a thank you passed the lump building in her throat and the tears welling in her eyes. Her poor man he had been put through so much.
“Eric where did Eddie and that go?”
“They are checking on some of the businesses and staff particularly the casino. I think Eddie wants to give Perry one less thing to worry about. He is trying to assure that they still have their empire.”
“Oh good. Eric wills you go check on Parker and Lily-Anne with Amy’s mum? It will make me feel better to know that there is one of us there.”
“Of course I’ll call you when I get there to let you know that they are safe still. You just concentrate on Perry.”
As Jane was about to step round the curtain to check on Perry she spotted the Superintendent coming along the corridor. The fast pace to his walk and the aggrieved look on his face told Jane before he could even speak that he was not bearing good news. Jane just hoped it wasn’t pertaining to Frank.
“Superintendent what’s wrong? Is Frank ok?”
“Frank is in surgery and as far as I know he is perfectly fine still. No the problem lies with Joanne and Gregory. A unit caught up to them. Joanne was dead. A gunshot wound to the head. Execution style. He killed his own daughter. Gregory is in custody. He is in the process of being booked at the station now.”
“Poor Joanne. I feel for her as much as she deceived us it’s hard when parents are involved. No doubt she would have done anything to please him.”
“Yeah and it cost her life. I’m sorry that I did not pick up on it.”
“Not your fault Superintendent and for the record you have my trust.”
“Good because I have one more thing. Detective Russell, you mentioned he was snooping and asking questions. Well I looked into it; he was a not only good friend with Superintendent Andrew Walden but also your old Detective Gregory Brown. He was also feeding them information. He has been suspended pending on a full enquiry into his behavior.”
“Thank you. I seem to have a habit of picking up enemies.”
“All the best people do, especially exceptional Detectives. Now go be with Perry. I’ll check in soon.”
With a smile and a nod Jane had to try and recall her emotions as she slid into the cubicle with Perry not wanting to disturb him. The new information she had just had to process, not only what had been exchanged between her and the Superintendent but also the extent of Perry’s injuries had caused her mind to go into an exhaustive overload. Jane was relieved to see Perry lying there so peaceful and breathing. His eyes were closed and he looked like he needed the rest, Jane just wanted to sit with him, to see him to make sure he was still there.
“I can feel you staring at me.”
“Sorry just checking your not going to disappear again.”
“Jane I am so sorry.”
“Perry do not even begin to apologize or worry about what I have been through. Hey I disappeared on you twice. That doesn’t mean you have carte blanche to do it again. The doctor told me some of your injuries. I can’t believe what they did to you. What you have been through. I’m so sorry it took me so long to get to you.”
“Then no apologies from you either. I will get better. I just need to hear you say that you know I had nothing to do with any of this. I don’t blame you for doubting but I swear Jane on Parker I played no hand in this.”
“I know I’m sorry I ever doubted but I know you
didn’t Perry. Just relax. We have everything under control we have Peter Ray and Charlene in custody and we have already caught up with Joanne and Gregory. There is absolutely nothing to worry about apart from you getting better.”
“I know it’s just everything that happened. Blake…”
“Shh Perry its ok. Like you once told me we got forever baby to talk about it. And when you need to I’m here. But for now get some rest.”
With that Perry drifted off to sleep as Jane relaxed back in the chair next to him listening to his chest go up and down as he inhaled and exhaled. Letting the calming noise of his breathing soothe her nerves Jane’s mind wandered. What could life possibly throw at her next?
The Taken (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 3) Page 16