Hunted (29 page)

CHAPTER 30

It was with great reluctance that Mikey let himself into his own house. He used to look forward to coming back here and seeing his family again but now it was cold and unwelcoming and he wasn’t sure how he’d handle Joyce. The mood he was in he would either simply ignore her or throw her bodily out the door. Everything he’d seen in Devon had been so fucked up, Rachel’s and Ryan’s lives thrown into turmoil again. It was far from over, there would be a court case. He and Jez had made sure they’d stay out of that but no doubt Rachel and Ryan’s pasts would be raked up in court by the defence to make them look less credible. Everyone in their new lives would know who they really were, what they’d done. All the nice, respectable people in their nice, respectable new lives would know they were drug dealers and killers, although to be fair Rachel had never actually killed anyone herself, but she had ordered it. What would happen to them then? It wasn’t fair, despite the dark deeds they’d done they were both good people at heart, the best.

“Hello, I’m back,” he called through the house, which looked and felt empty.

He was wrong. A squeal of excitement from somewhere in the house was followed by running footsteps and Jamie tore out of the lounge and straight to him, arms outstretched. With a grin Mikey scooped up his son and cuddled him tight. He’d given no warning he was on his way home, he’d wanted to take them by surprise.

“I missed you,” he said into the boy’s dark hair. Here was another reason to sort out his relationship with Amber. The last thing he wanted was for Jamie to suffer.

Mikey moved Jamie onto his hip when Amber appeared before him, looking radiant as usual, if a little sad.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hello,” she quietly replied. Unusually for her she wore no make-up, not that she needed to. Her skin was like flawless. “Is Ryan okay?”

“Physically yes but he was kept chained up for over twenty four hours by two serial killers, so he’s not exactly jumping for joy.”

“I’m glad he’s okay. Really,” she added when he appeared doubtful. “And Rachel?”

“Just relieved Ryan’s home. You were out of order saying what you did Amber.”

“I know and I’m so sorry. Rachel’s my friend. She helped get us together, she was matron of honour at our wedding. She’s shown me nothing but kindness and I forgot all that. I won’t again.”

“Good. Where’s Joyce?” he said, unable to keep the derision out of his voice.

“She left. I told her to go home to Dad.”

“Just hold it there a second,” he interrupted. He didn’t want Jamie to hear this. He took him into the living room and placed him in his little play pen. He was quite happy to sit down with his toys, banging two cars together. He returned to the hallway, trying to ignore his guilt about that kiss with Jules when his wife looked up at him with her big, beautiful green eyes.

“That is a surprise,” he said coolly.

“After you’d gone I realised she was coming between us. She kept saying mean things about you, telling me you were cheating on me, that you’d probably been sleeping with Rachel, if you still weren’t.”

“That is ridiculous,” he growled, trying to keep his voice low for Jamie’s sake. “Rachel’s like my sister, I would never…”

“It was stupid of me. I know how in love she is with Ryan, she’d never look at anyone else.”

“Me and Rachel are close but it always has been and always will be platonic.”

She nodded and looked down at her hands sheepishly.

“I meant it when I said I’ve never slept with another woman,” said Mikey, praying she didn’t recognise the distinction between
slept
and
cheated.

Fortunately she didn’t. “I know that too,” she said, looking up at him, eyes filling with tears. “I’ve been looking through our wedding photos, we were so happy, so in love. It all seems to have gone wrong so fast and I don’t understand.”

He took her hands. “It’s not gone wrong, it’s just a glitch, that’s all. Every couple has them.”

“I love you so much Mikey but I let Mum come between us so easily.”

“Why do you think she did that?”

“I spoke to Dad. You were right Mikey, she was greedy and she wanted more, even though you already give her so much. I suppose I suspected it all along but I didn’t want to think the worst of her, after all she is my mum.”

He kissed her forehead. “It’s okay, I understand.”

“I told her to stay away for a while, let everything calm down and that if she ever said anything mean about you again I’d disown her.”

This was his Amber, the sweet innocent woman who hated to say a bad word about anyone.

“I want us to work Mikey, I really do,” she continued. “I won’t let anyone come between us again, I promise, that’s if you’ll have me back?”

“Babe, I never let you go in the first place. You’re my girl, you always will be and if I don’t tell you things it is to keep you safe. You know the nature of my work, we have to be so careful and there’s no other woman, I promise you.” That was true, he thought he’d finally got Jules out of his system.

A tear slid down her cheek. “I don’t deserve you.”

He held her tight. “It’s me who doesn’t deserve you.”

“Let’s never fight again, please, I can’t stand it.”

He kissed her. “Me neither babe.”

He took her up against the wall in the hallway, gently and quietly so Jamie, playing obliviously in the lounge, wouldn’t overhear. When she came around him he buried his face in her beautiful hair.

“I love you Amber,” he groaned.

“Love you too,” she gasped, nails digging into his shoulders.

He smiled into her red locks and planted a kiss on her neck. Finally they were back on track and he would do everything in his power to ensure they stayed there.

“Mum,” cried Alfie, throwing himself into Beth’s arms.

“Hello sweetheart. I missed you,” she said, cuddling her eldest boy.

“Is Uncle Ryan okay?”

“He’s fine and they got the bad men who took him. Don’t you worry about that.”

Beth looked to her parents hovering in the background, disapproving that she’d been anywhere near the Laws. Fortunately they didn’t say anything in front of the children. “Hello Holly,” she said, cuddling her daughter. The little girl cooed and giggled and hugged her tight. At least two of her children had missed her.

She put Holly down and turned to Archie standing sulkily in the corner. “I missed you too Archie. Did you miss me?”

He just shrugged and went to stand by his grandparents.

Beth swallowed down the lump in her throat. She had thought giving him a break from her would do their relationship some good, make him miss her, but she’d never felt further from him. “There’s someone I want you to meet,” she said.

Her parents’ jaws fell open when Riley walked into the room, both convinced their daughter had lost her mind and brought Ryan Law home with her.

“This is Riley Cutter, Ryan’s half brother.”

They were still appalled. “You’re related to Ryan Law?”

“We only found out recently that we share the same dad,” he said politely, unaware of their loathing for the Laws. Beth had told him they weren’t their biggest fans but she hadn’t explained how much they despised them.

“Riley’s in the army,” said Beth.

Just as she’d hoped this relaxed them. “So you’re not in the same business as your brother?” said her mum.

“No, I never have been,” he said, quickly catching onto what was wrong. “I’m leaving the army soon and branching out into the security business, all completely legitimate,” he hastily added.

“I see, well there’s some good money to be made in that,” said Beth’s dad. “So you’re on leave at the moment?”

“I’ve only got a couple of days left but I’m working out my notice.”

“He’s an SAS trooper,” said Beth, brimming over with pride. “Oh dear, is that a secret?”

“I do need to keep it quiet but I’m sure we can trust your parents with it,” he smiled.

Realising he was nothing like his brother, Beth’s parents began to warm to him.

“You’re a soldier?” said Alfie. “Cool. what’s it like?”

“Sometimes it’s very long and boring, waiting for something to happen, sometimes it’s exciting.”

“Have you ever killed anyone?” said Archie with genuine interest.

The room went silent and they all turned to look at the boy.

“Archie, that’s not a nice question,” said Beth.

“Why not? That’s what soldiers do.”

Riley knelt before him and the boy glared back at him with challenge in his eyes, which quickly wilted beneath the force of Riley’s gaze. “Actually what we do is protect those who can’t protect themselves,” he patiently explained. “And we protect our country too. It’s a very important job.”

“Have you shot anyone?”

“Archie, please,” said Beth, hating the despair in her own voice.

“I can’t talk about what I do in the army,” replied Riley, to Beth’s relief.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s top secret.”

“Like James Bond?” offered Alfie.

“A bit like that I suppose,” smiled Riley.

“Are you Mum’s new boyfriend?” said Archie.

“We’re good friends and I like your mum very much,” said Riley while Beth looked on in silence, hardly daring to breathe.

“She was good friends with Nick too and Dad killed him.”

“What do you think about that?” he said, looking Archie straight in the eye.

Beth released a small gasp and clung onto her mum’s arm, who was staring at the scene with her mouth hanging open. Beth was glad she had broken down one evening when the strain had got too much and told her parents everything. They hated Rachel, who they’d once loved like a second daughter, because they blamed her for introducing Beth to Alex in the first place. In their minds every ill that had befallen Beth and the kids was her fault. The fact that Rachel had almost been killed seemed to make no odds to them, which Beth thought desperately unfair.

No one had ever asked Archie that question before, they’d never dared.

“Sad,” Archie eventually said after some pondering. “I liked Nick. He took us on holiday, he bought us toys.”

“Nick was a good guy.” Riley had never met him, everything he knew about the man had come from Beth, but it had all been very positive.

“If you’re a soldier then Dad won’t be able to kill you, will he?”

“Oh Archie,” said Beth, starting to cry.

“No, he can’t,” said Riley, thinking it strange that Archie spoke as though Alex was still alive.

“Dad tried to hurt Aunty Rachel, I saw him,” said the boy, lowering his voice to a whisper so only Riley could hear.

“I know Archie, but she’s okay now, she’s safe.”

“I like Aunty Rachel. She’s always nice to me.”

“She’s a nice lady. She’s married to my brother.”

“So she’s like your sister?”

“My sister-in-law, yes.”

When Archie studied him thoughtfully Riley realised he was being assessed and tested. It was tough going because he needed this boy’s approval if he was ever going to make a life with Beth.

“Do you like X-Box games?” Archie eventually said.

“Yes but I don’t get the chance to play very often.”

“I’ve got a new one, do you want to see?”

“Yes please.”

Beth watched in astonishment as Archie led Riley to the games console set up in front of the television and sat down on the floor with him. He handed Riley a controller and they started to play as though they’d known each other for years.

“Oh my God, that’s amazing,” whispered Beth.

Her mum put her arm around her shoulders and hugged her. “For the first time in your life I think you’ve picked a good ‘un.”

“I have, haven’t I?” she said, watching them together with tears in her eyes. Alfie sat on the other side of Riley and picked up the third controller while Holly looked on, sucking her thumb. Beth started to cry softly but for once her tears were happy. Her family.

CHAPTER 31

Katia woke, a cry on her lips.

“My babies,” she screamed.

Robbie Jordan and Jared jumped in their seats. Both had been on the point of dozing off by her bedside. Katia had been unconscious, on the brink of death, so this reaction was extremely unexpected.

“Katia, it’s okay, calm down,” said Robbie, taking her hand.

Her eyes were open but she saw nothing, not Robbie’s face, nor her hospital room. All she could see was that man walking away with her children. “Where are they? Where are my babies?” she wailed.

“I don’t know,” said Robbie helplessly. He looked to Jared, who held out his hands and shrugged. “We’re looking, we’ll find them.”

“The man who took them said Mikey Maguire was taking them to Manchester, to be with their family.
I’m
their family.” She clutched at Robbie, tears rolling down her face, eyes wild. He was the person closest to her in the whole world. He’d worked for Alex and when he’d died he’d become her protector, brokering the deal with Jared that meant they could stay in Essex. She’d never needed him more than she did right now.

“Just take it easy, lie down, you’re still weak,” he said, gently pushing her back into the pillows.

Katia’s soul screamed for her children, she wanted to leap off the bed and race up to Manchester, kill every single last Maguire and bring her babies home, but she was incapable of anything, her body was too frail.

“You almost died,” continued Robbie. “You were injected with Lanoxin, it’s a Digoxin injection. Digoxin’s a form of digitalis, a poison. You had a heart attack but luckily a nurse was passing by when you collapsed. She managed to get your heart going again.”

“I don’t care what happened to me, I have to get my babies back.”

“We’re working on it, aren’t we Jared?”

“Fucking right we are. Cheeky bastards come up here onto my turf and do this. They’re dead.”

“Kill them all and get my children back, please,” said Katia, grabbing onto the sleeve of Jared’s shirt. “If you do you will have my loyalty forever, I will do anything you want.”

“Alright, calm down,” he said, removing her hand from his sleeve. “I’ve told you, I’m working on it. We know they’re in Manchester so it’ll be a piece of piss. We’ve put it out that you’re dead, that will give us an advantage.”

Katia’s green eyes gleamed at the prospect of turning up on Mikey Maguire’s doorstep like a vengeful ghost, his surprise as she raised the gun and blew his fucking head off his shoulders. “This is good,” she whispered, drifting into silence, eyes wide and maniacal.

“The Maguires have really done it now,” said Jared. “I can take my retaliation for this and no one will say a fucking word against it, not even Glasgow. They’ve pissed on their own chips.”

Katia didn’t really understand this last statement but she didn’t care. She’d thought she’d needed revenge before for Alex but what she felt now transcended everything. She feared she’d literally split in two if she didn’t get her sons back. The Maguires had tried to kill her to shut her up, to stop her telling Jared anything, but they were too late. He already knew it all.

Robbie and Jared frowned at each other when Katia closed her eyes and started to mumble to herself in Slovakian. They thought it was a prayer but in fact Katia was reciting every single punishment she was going to inflict on Mikey Maguire. They leaned away from her when her eyes flew open and regarded them with the madness of grief.

“Robbie, give me my bag.”

He looked to Jared, who nodded, then reached into the cabinet by her bed and handed it to her. She snatched it from him and delved inside, pulling out her wallet. She snapped it open and tears filled her eyes as she gazed at the photo of her babies, taken in the hospital just after they were born. She touched their tiny faces with her fingertips, the longing in her heart worse than the agony of the poison.

Unable to bear it, she tore at her hair, tugging out golden strands as another scream ripped from her throat.

“Alright, take it easy,” said Jared, but for once she didn’t listen to him.

“I will kill you Mikey, I will kill you,” she screeched over and over until the doctor came in and sedated her.

It had finally happened. The national newspapers had landed, blocking the end of Rachel and Ryan’s driveway. To both their astonishment Leah wanted to go to school on Monday morning, eager to get back to normal. Rachel didn’t want her to go, she was terrified of what the other children would say to her about her parents. All the other parents would have read the lurid stories about them in the morning papers over breakfast. Their kids might have overheard them discussing it and Leah might get teased, bullied even, and that broke her heart. Leah also carried the burden of certain truths that might come to light if she was put under any more pressure. The boys were going into nursery, thank God still too young to understand it all.

Rachel felt sick as she pulled up outside the school, which swarmed with parents. She had insisted Ryan stay at home when he’d said he was coming with them. The last thing he needed while he was still dealing with what had happened to him was to see everyone judging him.

She got out of the car and ducked into the back to unbuckle the boys, giving herself another few seconds before she had to face everyone.

“Don’t let the bastards grind you down,” she muttered to herself.

“What Mummy?” said Ethan.

“Nothing sweetie,” she said, helping him out of the car.

Rachel held onto the boys’ hands as they walked through the school gates. Leah skipped on slightly ahead quite happily. One of her friends was waiting for her.

“Bye Mum,” she called.

“Leah, wait.”

Puzzled, Leah turned back. Usually Rachel just let her run into the playground while she took the boys through to nursery. Not today.

“You’re okay sweetheart?” Rachel asked her.

“Fine Mum, honest.”

“If you don’t feel okay make sure you tell your teacher, won’t you?”

“I won’t feel bad. Dad’s safe again, so everything’s alright.”

Rachel watched her run off, wishing she shared her naïve optimism.

“Morning,” she said as chirpily as she could muster to a passing mum. The woman, who usually spoke to her perfectly nicely, just gave her a funny look before continuing on her way.

Fucking marvellous,
thought Rachel.

She strode up to the nursery doors with her head held high, painfully aware of the odd glances she was receiving. When she’d made it inside she sucked in a breath as the doors closed behind her, blocking out all those cold gazes.

As she walked into the cloakroom everyone went silent. Rachel had had enough. Her husband had almost been murdered, they’d endured absolute hell and they didn’t deserve to be treated like this. This had happened to her in Manchester when Leah was at nursery and she was buggered if she was going to go through it again. Time to tackle them all head on.

“Problem anyone?” she said loudly.

They all hastily looked away.

“Didn’t think so,” she added before turning to help Aaron off with his coat.

She watched the boys run into nursery, straight to the toys, a lump forming in her throat.
Please don’t let them suffer for our sins,
she silently prayed.

Rachel wanted to run out of the school gates and home to Ryan but she refused to give anyone the satisfaction. So she walked out of the gates confidently, chin up, looking everyone in the eye.

“Rachel wait.”

She was just a few feet from her car when the voice called out to her. She stopped and a short, dumpy woman hurried up to her. Rachel recognised her as the mother of one of Leah’s classmates. “Hello Jane.”

“I just wanted to ask how Ryan’s doing after his terrible ordeal.”

Finally someone was concerned. “Oh you know, as well as can be expected.”

“I heard you rescued him yourself.”

“Not just me, I had some help.”

“What they’re saying in the papers about you and Ryan…is it true?”

Rachel already knew exactly what was in the papers, she and Ryan had gone through them that morning. “Some of it is, some of it’s rubbish.”

“You were married to Danny Maguire?”

She nodded.

“Even I’ve heard of the Maguires, they’re infamous,” she said excitedly. “You’ve certainly led an adventurous life, haven’t you?” Jane’s eyes flicked to the black choker hiding the scar on her neck.

“That’s one word for it.”

“Give Ryan my best, I hope he feels better soon. You’ve done us all a big favour catching that evil pair, I know a lot of people feel the same way. Don’t let the snobby gits around here get to you.”

“I won’t. Thank you Jane.”

“You’re welcome,” she said cheerily before walking to her own car.

Rachel had never thought much of Jane before, never really considered her. She’d done her a disservice. Thanks to her she felt a bit more optimistic about their futures in Devon. There was a possibility they could ride out the storm.

The flock of journalists were waiting for her at the bottom of the drive to the house, surrounding her car, refusing to get out of her way.

“Move,” she yelled, banging on the horn, but they refused to budge, shouting their questions at her through the glass. She recognised Gayle Westerly, a reporter from Manchester who had hassled them after The Slasher had attacked Rachel in her own nightclub. Her over made-up face bobbed about the driver’s side window while she ruthlessly elbowed her competitors out of the way.

The gates started to open inwards and Ryan was there, glowering at the assembled crowd. He shoved two reporters aside who were mainly responsible for blocking Rachel’s access to the house and she drove in, Ryan blocking the way of any reporter who tried to sneak through after her. He stood sentinel with his arms folded across his chest. When one reporter raised his camera he said, “take one photo and you’ll be eating that camera.” The man lowered it and Ryan shut the gate in his face.

He and Rachel hurried inside together. “Thank God that’s over,” she breathed.

“How were the kids?”

“Fine. Leah was happy to go in.”

“And how were the other parents?”

She shrugged. “A few cold shoulders but Jane, one of the mums, said a lot of people were grateful to us for bringing the killers down and not to worry. She made me feel better.”

He kissed her. “Good.”

“She asked after you too, she seemed genuinely concerned.”

“At least someone’s on our side.”

“Maybe everything will be alright for us after all here?” she said hopefully.

Ryan gave her a smile that belied what he truly felt. He couldn’t bear to shatter her hopes.

The crowd of reporters refused to go. Friends and family called on the phone to ask after them in between the nuisance calls - her parents, Dolores and Vince, Battler and Bruiser - just to make sure they were okay. When they offered to come over she told them no, they’d only be swamped with journalists. It was only a matter of time before they were landing on their doorsteps too.

The only visitor they received was Ashley, the photographers frantically snapping him as his car made its way up the drive, retreating to their own cars in disappointment when he walked inside without uttering a word.

Rachel ushered him into the lounge.

“What’s happened?” demanded Ryan the second he came through the door.

“We’ve had to release Eddie Cope,” he said.

Ryan’s expression was thunderous. “What?”

“He insists he was just doing some innocent hunting in the forest, that he’s nothing to do with Gerard and Brian.”

“Bollocks,” yelled Ryan.

“And we’ve found nothing so far to prove he was ever in the hide.”

“He admitted it in front of all of us,” countered Ryan.

“Apparently he only did that because you put a rifle to his head.”

“He was telling the truth and revelling in it.”

“It doesn’t matter what he said, it’s inadmissible because he was under duress at the time.”

“Gerard said he killed three of the men and Brian killed two, which leaves another three victims unaccounted for because Eddie killed them.”

“There’s more,” said Ashley. “He’s decided to sue you.”

“Sue me?” cried Ryan.

“Both of you actually as well as your friends, for emotional distress. He says he was assaulted and tied up then you put a gun to his head. He’s arranging a press conference to put forward his version of events, he’s going to try and destroy your reputations to make you look less credible.”

“Bastard,” Ryan exploded. “Not only does he help kidnap and murder eight men but he wants to sue the people who stopped him. Well if you won’t do something about it I will.”

“Where are you going?” said Rachel when he snatched up his car keys.

“To find Cope,” he replied, storming to the door.