Daddy's Here(21)

Inside was a dart gun, the perfect silent weapon for what I had planned.  With that jammed in my pocket, I stepped out of the car and moved  towards the street on foot. I knew the blindspots well enough to get  past the external cameras on his wall without being seen, moving up the  pavement under the protection of the leafy trees, timing my movements  with the turn of the cameras.

I reached the corner of his wall seconds later, glancing around me to  make sure no one was watching. Once I was sure, I took a run up then  jumped, catching the top of the stonework, lifting myself up onto it.

I was only on top for a brief second before dropping down the other  side, landing behind the rose bushes in the dead space that had a thin  gap leading through the bushes out onto the lawn. Above me to the right  was another camera, this one pointing onto the lawn.

Reaching up, I snapped the camera off its mooring, twisting it so it  pointed up at the sky. By the time they sent someone out to work out  what had happened, I'd be in. I moved to the edge of the lawn and took a  quick glance to make sure the coast was clear. I could hear a quiet  conversation over by the house.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out, not running, just walking. Without  the camera looking my way, someone would have to be right on top of me  to realise I wasn't just another guard on patrol. I crossed to the  house, forcing myself to still walk slowly.

Once I got to the wall of the house, I peered round the corner, seeing  two guards in conversation. I pulled out the gun and aimed. With a  squeeze of the trigger, the first man went down, the tip of the dart  visible in his neck. The second barely had time to make the first squawk  of alarm before I took him out, his body falling on top of the first.  They wouldn't wake for at least ten minutes and by then I should be long  gone with Isabel.

I got past their sprawled forms and was just about to pull open the  kitchen window when I heard an engine starting. Running on, I avoided  the next camera by hugging the wall for the few seconds it took to get  past it, then I was able to see out onto the driveway.

A convoy of cars was heading out onto the street and I cursed as I saw  Isabel's face peering out from the rearmost car. There were white  ribbons across the bonnet, Tony was clearly wasting no time in getting  the wedding over with. Then she'd be locked in the basement while he  went to work on her until she was willing to be Kingsley's submissive  little wife. It was sickening to think of it.

I shook my head. No time for emotions. Deal with them later. For now,  focus on getting her away from him. Everything else can wait.

The garage was still open and his second favourite red sports car was  just sitting there, as if it was ready for me. The key was hanging on  the hook by the door same as always and it was the work of seconds for  me to join the back of the convoy, hoping Tony was too stupid to look  behind him out the rear window. If he did, he'd see my blank face  staring back at him.

They drove for twenty minutes and all the time, I could see Isabel,  still staring out of the side window. I wanted to race in front of his  car, force it to a stop and grab her. I kept driving though, knowing  there was no way I could handle that many people at once, I'd be dead  before I even got to her. Then she'd have no one to protect her from  Kingsley.

When the cars pulled up outside a church, I drove on past, pulling up  around the next corner before climbing out, looking for a back entrance.  I found it a few seconds later, a wooden door in the side of the church  that clearly entered a sideroom of some kind. I prayed that it wouldn't  be locked. Not sure exactly what my plan was, I tried the handle and it  swung open, allowing me into the church.





THIRTY-ONE


ISABEL





I climbed out of the car and looked up at the church, the spire blocking  out the sunlight. The doors were open but I didn't feel welcomed by the  place, I felt as if I was walking along the path to my own demise, a  feeling that grew stronger when I saw the gravestones lining the path.

I tried to turn away at the last second but Tony gripped my arm, still  smiling but with a vice-like hold of me as we walked inside. People  lined the pews, all of them looking perfectly respectable. Did they know  I was here against my will? Did they care?

I walked slowly forwards, dragging my feet as a man at the front by the  altar turned to look at me. That was Kingsley then, the man I was  supposed to marry. He looked more miserable than me.         

     



 

Behind him was the vicar, looking more like a monk than anything else.  He had a cowl covering his head, a long robe that brushed the floor. In  his hands was a small black book which he opened as I approached.

"Before we begin," he said, still looking downwards. Was he feeling  guilty about doing this? Was that why he wouldn't even look at me? "I  must speak to the bride and groom to be in my chambers."

He turned and shuffled off, Kingsley following him. "I'll be right  here," Tony said, letting go of my arm at last. "Don't try anything  stupid."

I didn't reply. There was no need. He knew I wasn't going to do  anything. I walked through the door into the vicar's private room.  "Close the door," the vicar said, moving behind a low wooden table.

I did as he asked and turned round to see him pulling open an  intricately carved wardrobe. Reaching inside, he then spun round and  lifted what looked like a gun. "No, wait," Kingsley began but he got no  further. The vicar pulled the trigger and Kingsley collapsed to the  ground a second later.

"What the … ?" I managed to say as he pulled down his hood to reveal his face. "Jake? What the hell? What are you doing here?"

"I came to get my little girl," he said. "Come on, we better go."

He grabbed my hand and pushed open the door to the churchyard. As we ran  out, I glanced to my left, seeing the slumped body of Kingsley next to  that of the vicar who'd been hidden behind the table. "Don't worry," he  said, noticing my look. "They'll be right as rain in ten minutes and by  then we'll be long gone."

He stopped by a red sports car at the edge of the churchyard. We both  climbed in and he revved the engine, setting off a second later.

"Shit," he said, glancing in the rear view mirror. "I guess he noticed."

"What?" I looked behind me in time to see a car accelerating towards us. "What do we do now?"

"Go faster," he replied, putting his foot to the floor.

If it was an action movie, we'd probably have raced out of the city,  headed into the sunset and lived happily ever after. But instead we  ended up weaving our way through traffic with Tony's car following close  behind, getting closer all the time.

"Hold on," Jake said, yanking the steering wheel to the side just before  Redfern Bridge. We turned onto the bridge just as a car appeared at the  far end, heading towards us. "That's not good," I said, pointing at it.

"No," Jake said, bringing the car to a halt. "It's not."

The two chasing cars drew closer before coming to a halt. The bridge ran  over a deep valley, a river far below. There was no chance of escaping  on foot. The road was quiet enough that the only vehicles on it were  ours and Tony's.

The car in front of us stopped about fifty yards away, the one behind  did the same. Tony got out as I turned to look at his car. He walked  slowly towards us, two men getting out of the rear seats. They stood  together and just watched their boss.

"All right," Jake said, as Tony came to a halt a couple of feet away. "You win."

"I always win," Tony replied. "Come with me, Isabel."

"No," I said, shaking my head and stepping slowly backwards until I was pressed against the railings. "I won't marry him."

"The hell you won't," Tony snapped, lunging for me, his arms outstretched.

I screamed as Jake shoved me in my side, knocking me to the floor. Tony  grabbed hold of empty space, his momentum keeping him moving forwards,  his body tipping over the railing.

He screamed, grabbing hold of the bottom of the railing, dangling down  off the edge, his feet kicking at nothing. "Help me," he said, looking  up at me with eyes wild.

I ran to grab him, catching his flailing hand and gripping it tightly.  "Hold on," I said, trying to pull him upwards. His men were running over  but they were too far away to help. His hand slipped through mine as  Jake reached past me, stretching towards him with longer arms than mine.

"No," Tony muttered, "please, no."

I tightened my grip but his weight was too much. His fingers slid free  of my hand then he was falling, his men reaching us a second too late.  We all watched him go, his body hitting the river far below and  vanishing from sight.

"Fuck," one of his men said, turning to look at me. "The boss is dead."

"Good riddance," a voice said behind me and I turned to find myself  looking at a very pale Kingsley. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it.  "He never liked me smoking."