by Karen Clow
Shaking, she broke down in tears.
“Tell me their still alive Mickey!”
“They’re still alive babe, these people want money and the girls are no good to them dead.”
CHAPTER 5
The twins were huddled together as Madeline looked at the woman and said she needed to use the toilet. Without saying anything, the woman picked up the bucket and tossed it over to her. Madeline just looked at it.
“Well do you want a piss or not?” said the woman with aggressive tone.
The terrified child shook her head.
“Suit yourself,” snarled the woman “but you’re going to be here for a couple of days.”
Both girls started to cry. Several minutes passed then Madeline pulled the bucket over next to them. Waiting until the kidnappers were looking the other way, she pulled the blanket round her and sat on the bucket. When she’d finished, she sat back down with Melanie and pulled the blanket over them. They had no concept of time and they were hungry.
The gang leader looked at the woman and told her to stay there with the kids, the two men had business to sort out.
Protesting she asked why she had to stay. She wanted to go with them.
“Shut up moaning, it’s only for one night,” shouted Spider “we’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
As they got up to leave he told her to lock the door behind them and keep the kids quiet.
“And what am I supposed to eat tonight?” she replied sarcastically.
Telling her there were sandwiches in the fridge and he’d bring her something back in the morning.
As they left, the second man told her to give the kids something to eat and drink and not to frighten them!
When they had gone, she took an MP3 player from her jacket pocket and after placing the ear pieces in each ear, listened to the music. It was so loud, Madeline could hear it playing. When she thought the woman couldn’t hear her, she told Melanie that mummy and daddy would come for them and take them home. Her sister just looked at her with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Although the twins were identical in looks that was where the similarity between them ended; Madeline was the dare devil, inquisitive, chatty, cheeky and at just four and a half, she was well above average intelligence. Her sister by contrast was shy, far quieter, not so chatty with unfamiliar people, but like her sister she was also very bright.
Madeline asked her if she wanted to go to the toilet. She shook her head. Madeline could feel that the mattress was wet; she knew her sister had wet herself, but she didn’t mention it. Melanie just sat quietly huddled up to her. Finally she dropped off to sleep. It seemed like a long time since the woman had started listening to her music. Occasionally she glanced over at the twins just to check on them. Eventually Madeline fell asleep, but was woken by a train passing. Since the man had explained to them about the trains, the noise never really frightened them, it just kept waking them up.
The woman went over to the fridge and took out some sandwiches; they were wrapped in tin foil. Unwrapping one, she began eating it. The twins watched her. Finally, she looked at them and said, “Do ya want one?”
Madeline nodded. The woman passed her half a ham sandwich and smirked as Madeline thanked her then tore it in half and passed some to Melanie.
Her sister just looked at her as she took the sandwich. She never spoke, she just ate. Madeline asked her if she wanted a drink as there was still some coke left from earlier. Her sister shook her head. They noticed as they ate the woman just stared at them, making them feel uneasy.
“So your dad’s rich then” snarled the woman, “well I hope he thinks you’re worth a million!”
“My Dad will pay and then you’ll be sorry,” said Madeline with an air of defiance, which in truth resembled Jimmy.
“Shut the fuck up you little brat, or you’ll be sorry!”
Melanie started to cry, the woman ordered her to stop. Madeline put her arm around her and asked her to stop crying before she looked at the woman and told her to leave her sister alone.
“Don’t fucking tell me what to do; I fucking hate little rich kids!”
“Well we hate you too,” said Madeline despite her fear “you’re nasty and our Auntie Monica will beat you up!”
“Fuck you! What makes you think I’d be afraid of your fucking Aunt Monica! Is it because she’s a detective?”
“Yes and so is our Uncle George!”
“Well,” shouted the woman in an arrogant tone that frightened the twins “little miss fucking know-it-all! We know all about your aunt Monica and uncle George and if your dad’s told them, then we’ll have no choice but to leave you two locked up down here forever!”
Both girls started to cry.
“Not so fucking cocky now are you brat!”
Madeline felt afraid but angry; her temper would not allow her to remain silent.
“My Dad will find us and then he’ll find you!”
“He’s not even your real dad! Your real dad is dead and he was a fucking psycho called Jimmy Dixon!”
Madeline didn’t understand what psycho meant, so she refrained from answering back. The woman seemed to be enjoying the fact that she was upsetting them; especially Madeline. She was just about to say something else when her mobile rang.
Madeline told her sister to lie down and go back to sleep. They must have slept for several hours because they were woken by the two men returning. The woman instantly started arguing with them over how long they had been gone. Spider handed her a paper bag and a plastic cup with a lid on and told her to eat and then get some kip in the van. The second man passed Madeline the same type of paper bag. She could smell it was food. Thanking him she opened the bag. Inside were two warm sausage rolls. She passed one to her sister, they were hungry. When they finished eating the same man passed them a bottle of fruit juice each, again she thanked him.
Smiling at her he said, “You’ll be going home soon.”
Melanie started to cry.
“Come on now don’t cry,” he said in a kind voice. “Like I said, you’ll be going home soon.”
“Stop fucking talking to them” snapped Spider “I told you yesterday, now shut the fuck up!”
“And I told you yesterday their only fucking kids!”
The twins were aware that Spider was angry and felt afraid he would hurt them. They were relieved when he stopped shouting and said perhaps it was time to call their old man.
Their parents had stayed up all night. Maria had spent most of the time crying, while Mickey had gone over everything in the hope of finding out who the kidnappers were. Desperately, he tried to remember every dodgy deal that he and Jimmy had ever made, but he couldn’t think of anyone that he owed money too and even if he had, none of them would dare to kidnap his children.
He was just about to ask Maria if she wanted something to eat when the phone rang. They both jumped to attention and Maria started shaking. They had already discussed that when the man rang back, Mickey would put him onto speaker phone so she could hear what he said. He answered the call.
“You’ve got twelve hours to get the money,” said Spider “then we’ll give you one of the kids.”
“I’m not giving you one fucking penny,” said Mickey “unless I speak to my kids first!”
The line went quiet for a few seconds and then he heard Madeline’s voice.
“Daddy please come and get us,” her voice sounded desperate, she was crying.
“Daddy’s coming for you baby,” said Mickey holding back his tears, “be brave we love you both.”
“Bring the money in sealed plastic bags and then put it in a carrier bag” said Spider, “at nine o’clock tonight drive to the Thames just past the bridge. I’ll call you when you get there and tell you what to do. Make sure you’re alone or one of your kids gets a bullet! Once you’ve done what I tell you, get back in your car and drive away. Go to your club, we will call you there in two hours and tell you were the kid is. Don’t try anythin
g or the kid dies!”
Maria was so hysterical; she vomited all over the floor. Mickey passed her some tissues and told her to get ready they were going to London.
They drove to his parent’s house. When Mary opened the door she knew immediately that something was wrong.
“This is a surprise love, where are the girls,” she asked.
Mickey said Maria would explain, but he needed to speak to his dad.
Den was upstairs in the bathroom. As Mickey called up the stairs, his voice sounded urgent. His dad appeared on the landing within moments and asked what was up. Mickey looked shattered as he told him someone had taken the girls and he needed five hundred grand by that night.
Having heard what had been said, Mary cried out, “Oh God no!”
Maria began to sway, Mickey grabbed her just as she was about to pass out.
Carrying her through to the lounge, he laid her on the sofa while Mary rummaged through her bag for her smelling salts. Gently waving them under Maria’s nose; slowly she began to come round. Holding her hand, he kissed her and said he’d be back later. He left the house with his dad.
As he drove, Mickey explained what had happened.
“Fuck me son, this is serious!”
“I know Dad, that’s why I need cash. I’ve got more than enough to pay the ransom, but I can’t access that much in cash in twelve hours.”
Den could probably get his hands on two hundred grand, if they drove to his bank.
“We only need to get half a million today, they’ve asked for the ransom to be paid in two lots.”
Everyone knew Mickey was good for the money and Den knew they’d have no trouble getting it. Mickey went over what the kidnappers had said about putting the money into bags and taking it to the Thames.
“Clever,” said Den “is someone going to meet you there? Big river the Thames son easy to see if you’ve been followed, have you got any idea who they are?”
Mickey shook his head; they’d told Maria that he owed them money.
Den could sense that his son was beginning to feel the impact of what had happened. Patting his arm, he said they’d get the girls back and then they’d deal with the low lives that had done this.
Mickey felt so angry and vulnerable as he replied, “Maria won’t survive this Dad if anything happens to the girls. That’s why I got out of the business. It would be the end of us; she’s almost cracked under the strain of the last few hours. I want these people dead for what they’ve done!”
“Make no mistake about it son, they will be!”
At the bank, Den talked privately to the manager. They were friends and Den regularly played golf with him. He managed to withdraw one hundred and fifty grand despite the bank’s policy on only being able to withdraw a few grand without prior notice.
Mickey called at the club and took a hundred grand from the safe; he had bought seventy grand from his house safe. Then just like his dad, he had managed to convince his bank to let him have one hundred and fifty grand.
Back in the car, he called Tony and asked him to meet him at Dixie’s within the next hour.
Tony was waiting as they pulled up, he could tell something was wrong as soon as he looked at them. Inside; there was a couple of staff working stocking the bar. Making sure no one could hear him, Mickey told Tony that he needed thirty grand in cash. He trusted Tony enough to tell him what had happened. Without hesitation Tony said it was no problem. He could get him the rest as well if he needed him too. Mickey thanked him; he would pay him back with interest within a week. Mickey explained that most of his money was in off shore accounts which were tax havens and it would take time to get it, time he didn’t have. Tony smiled; he didn’t have to explain anything to him. He knew his money was tied up; after all, they had been in business together, he also knew he was good for it. His advice was they could worry about it later, but now they needed to get his kids back.
Tony left the club and told them he would return within two hours. Mickey was close to tears as he shook his hand and thanked him. Den poured them both a drink as they waited for Tony to return.
It was just before five when he arrived back at the club. Handing Mickey a holdall, inside was all the money, five hundred and thirty grand in total. They took out the thirty grand, leaving the rest in the holdall which they put in the club safe.
Then the three of them sealed the money into bags which they placed in a carrier bag. The time was almost eight o’clock, Mickey was becoming anxious. Looking fraught what if something went wrong with the drop and someone else took the money?
“They won’t, so stop worrying” replied Tony, “whoever these people are, they’ll be watching you every step of the way. We could place a few of the lads at different places along the Thames.”
“I can’t do that Tony, I can’t risk my girls. They can have the money; I just want the girls back safe and unharmed. I’ll find the bastards who are responsible afterwards if it’s the last thing I do!”
“We’ll find them Mickey, you won’t be on your own in this.”
Mickey thanked him, he really appreciated his help. He was indebted to him. “Just pay back what you’ve borrowed Mickey; you don’t owe me anything else.”
Kevin and Billy arrived at the club for work. The bar staff told them that Mickey was in the office. Billy knocked on the office door. Tony got up to answer it and walking out into the club with Billy, told him and Kevin what was happening. He asked them to make sure that no one came to the office while they were in there.
As the time passed, Mickey felt nervous. Terrible thoughts kept going through his mind, what if they didn’t phone, what if they took the money and still kept the kids. Then at ten minutes past eight his phone rang; his hands were shaking as he answered it.
“Mickey Mann?” said a man’s voice.
“Yes I’m Mickey Mann.”
“Have you got the money?”
“Yes.”
“Good, now drive to the river. Under the bridge you’ll see a small model boat, drop the money into it and then return to your club. I’ll call you later to tell you where the kid is.”
“Wait, I want both the kids tonight, I’ve got all the money.”
“That wasn’t the deal; you get the other kid tomorrow.” Then he hung up.
Mickey picked up the money bag and told the others he would be straight back after dropping it off. They never said anything as he left, they just nodded.
Mickey was back at the club by quarter to nine. Den was the first one to ask what happened.
“I did what he said Dad; I didn’t see anyone except a couple of homeless tramps.”
Back at the room with the kidnappers, Melanie hadn’t spoken for hours; she just held on to her sister. Spider had left some time earlier. Later when he returned, he was carrying a bag. Tipping it upside down, he emptied the contents onto the table. Madeline could see plastic bags full of money. As the men spoke about it, the second man pointed to Melanie and said she should be the one to go first.
Spider nodded.
They counted the money and boasted about how easy it had been and that perhaps they should have asked for more.
A couple of hours passed then Spider grabbed hold of Melanie’s arm and ordering her to get up said he was taking her to her dad. Terrified she started screaming and clung to her sister.
Shouting at her, he told her to fucking shut up, she was going first then her sister! Madeline screamed she wanted to go with her.
“Well you can’t, you go tomorrow!” he snapped, tearing Melanie away from her. She was kicking and screaming as he picked her up and carried her out.
When Madeline heard the van engine start up, she started crying. The nicer man tried to calm her down by telling her that her dad had paid the money and that she would be going the following day. She just sobbed as he continued talking and asked what her pony was called?
Madeline stopped crying and asked how he knew she had a pony. Looking surprised, he smiled and said he just knew.
Madeline told him the pony was a mare called Lucy.
“That’s a nice name, now why don’t you try and get some sleep, you can dream about tomorrow when you’ll see Lucy and your family again.”
Madeline nodded and lay down.
The woman reminded the man that Spider had told him not to talk to the kid. Madeline listened as he replied, “Fuck off you old dog, I’ll do what I like. We’ve got the money; tomorrow she’ll be gone, so just fuck off!”
Back at the club, Den’s mobile rang it was Mary. She asked if Mickey could talk to Maria as she becoming hysterical. Throughout the day she had tried to comfort her, but she needed Mickey. His dad passed the phone to him.
“Hi babe,” he said taking the phone “I’ve delivered the money. I’m just waiting for them to call.”
Maria could barely talk; he could tell that she was in terrible physical and mental pain as she begged him to get her babies back. Failing to hold back his tears, he said he would. Then he heard his mum’s voice as she took the phone from Maria and said, “Please son call us the minute you know anything, I’m so worried about her.”
Unable to answer her because he was almost at breaking point, he passed the phone to his dad.
As the time reached ten, he kept asking Tony and his dad why they hadn’t heard anything. Then at quarter past ten, the phone rang. Mickey grabbed it; his heart was racing as the same man’s voice said he’d call him tomorrow at the club at six and for him to have the money ready in a holdall.
“I want my kids!” shouted Mickey.
“She’s in the car park,” the caller hung up.
Mickey rushed to the door telling the others that she was in the car park. The fire door at the back of the office led outside. Moments later they were looking for one of the twins. Mickey walked between the parked cars, calling both the girls names as he didn’t know which child had been left.
Just as he was beginning to lose hope, he heard a little voice say, “Daddy.”