Chapter 15 - Twist of fate

Racing over to his brother, Andy panicked.
“Drake,” he said while slapping his brother on the cheek. “Drake, can you hear me?”
Chris had woken up to the noise coming from downstairs. Throwing on his red fluffy dressing gown, he stumbled down the flight of wooden stairs, narrowly avoiding the loose nail that Andy had trodden on, and the noise got louder. It seemed like it was coming from the kitchen, but as he wandered through, he wasn’t expecting the sight he saw.
Andy spotted him entering the kitchen. “Grab the phone. Call an ambulance. It’s serious!” Andy’s words pierced through his skin giving him goosebumps. “If you’re not awake enough just get me the phone.”
Chris laboured into the sitting room.
“Every second counts,” cried Andy, a lot more vocal this time.
Violet, Jake and Lauren all leapt out of their beds as if they’d been bitten by something. Hearing the urgency in her brothers voice, Violet raced down as Jake and Lauren opened their door, nearly knocking Chris over as she reached the foot of the stairs.
“Watch it,” Chris said in a half-awake tone. “Nearly sent me flying you did.”
“What’s happened?” squealed Violet as she spun into the kitchen.
“I don’t know,” replied Andy, snatching the phone out of Chris’s hand. Pointing at Drake motionless on the floor, he continued. “You stay with him while I call an ambulance. Looks like he’s taken an overdose but washed it down too.”
Glancing on to the table, Violet saw what Andy had seen, three empty whiskey bottles and a number of empty boxes of medications. She fainted, but luckily for her, Chris caught her before she bashed her head on the worktop.
“Andy, she’s fainted in the shock,” Chris called to his brother-in-law.

By this time, Jake and Lauren were now both dressed and downstairs. They were all a little dishevelled and tired, but alert with everything going on.
“Has an ambulance been called?” Lauren was a little fearful. “Is he alright? What’s up with her?”
The questions came thick and fast.
“I’m calling an ambulance. I think Drake’s mixed alcohol with tablets,” Andy couldn’t even believe the words coming out of his mouth. “And Violet just fainted at the sight of it all.”
Lauren held tightly to Jake. Chris managed to flick a chair out from under the kitchen table and put Violet onto it. Free from the extra weight, he span to Drake, putting him in the recovery position.
“Ambulance please,” Andy’s voice was shaky.
Chris popped his head up above the table. “I need a couple of pillows, and a bowl of some sort. Jake, you sit with Violet. Lauren, can you make some coffee? I think we’re going to need some,” he said.
Lauren responded. “H-h-h-how strong?” Stuttering her words as if she was being shaken violently from beneath.
“Think it’ll all need to be strong and sweet,” Chris glanced at Andy who nodded before walking off to the sitting room while giving details of Drake’s misfortune. “Yes, make four of them. Set one extra for if she comes back round,” he said while raising a finger aimed at Violet.
Rushing up the stairs, he noticed the loose nail and somehow managed to avoid it.

A few hours had passed since Angela had left. Jackie was a little nervous as she had said she would be back by six-thirty. Was she ok? The last flicker of daylight receded, leaving the bedroom engulfed in purely artificial lighting. Hearing what seemed to be a key in a lock, she let a sigh of relief out. Surely this was Angela with her two girls. Casting a watchful eye over the clock, she noticed it was nearly nine in the evening. It was awfully quiet. Almost as if the two girls were asleep. But then she heard footsteps. They didn’t belong to one, or even three people. It sounded like a herd of elephants rampaging downstairs. Frightened, she closed the bedroom door as quietly as she could, but as the catch clicked into place, there was a silence, followed by a staircase bombardment. Being in the only room with a closed door, she heard a few whispered mutterings outside of it.
“We know there’s someone here,” came a soft, crisp, and deep voice. She had chosen to hide under the bed. “If you don’t come out, we’ll come in.”
The voice sent a piercing ripple through her skin. ‘Not again’ she thought. ‘Surely not again.’
“Ok, have it your way,” came the voice.
Nearly taking the door off its hinges with brute force, a tall and stocky figure sent a few splintered pieces of wood flying. Being underneath the bed she was relieved. None of the shards of wood were going to hit her. Within moments, however, someone had pulled back the covers that were overhanging, and peered under.
“We got one under here, boss,” came a familiar drone.
“Pull her out then,” said the piercing voice.
“There’s no escape luv,” the droning voice added, gazing straight down into her eyes. “And you’re all alone.”
A ripple of sniggers followed. “If you aren’t going to play nice, we’re going to have to use,” the soft voice deepened, pulling back the covers closest to her, grabbing at her legs, “Brute force.”
She was outnumbered, alone, and in a room which by now contained no fewer than eight men. “You again,” she screamed, looking directly at him. “Harry Davis.”

As she pulled up onto her driveway, she remembered she’d left someone inside. Angela had been delayed by her mums insistence on playing games, but she saw that her front door lock system had been breached. Panicking, she knocked on her neighbours door, Mr Jones. “Mr Jones,” she called, as she banged harder. “Mr Jones it’s urgent.”
Unlocking his door, Mr Jones looked out. Seeing the worried expression filling her face, he asked. “Why Angela, dear, whatever is the matter?”
“I need the police to be called. My house has been broken into, and there is a new friend I’ve made in there, alone,” she spoke a bit briskly, fear setting in.
“The phone is right there,” he pointed to the desk alongside his rather magnificent grandfather clock.
“My girls are asleep in the back of the car too, can you go and sit with them for me?” she was more fearful as she expected the worst. Only her neighbours, to her knowledge, and her mum, knew the exact whereabouts of where she lived. Unless someone had followed her when she’d picked up Jackie.
Mr Jones was quickly in the drivers side of the car. He wasn’t leaving it parked on her drive, so he moved it on to his own drive. Stepping back out, Angela popped her head out of the door. “They are on the way. Am I ok to stay here until they arrive?” she asked, adrenaline shaking through her veins.
“You certainly are my dear,” he replied.
At that moment she heard the scream from inside the house. She then knew exactly who one of the intruders were. ‘Oh no, not again’ she thought.

“You,” he barked, pointing at the stocky one who had broken through the doorframe. “Silence her.”
The tall figure dipped his hand into his pocket, and pulled out a roll of silver duct tape. Approaching her before peeling some off, he quoted a phrase he‘d once heard from a comedy novice. “Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver.”
Placing some over her mouth, she tried screaming but it was almost impossible to project any kind of distance.
Harry himself proceeded to put on some clear, white, rubber gloves. “Time, for phase two,” he smirked. Roughly throwing her on the bed, he barked at another one of the guys. “Ok, you hold her arms while I remove her clothes from her legs first. Then we’ll remove the top half, and, as discussed, tie her up.” Removing every item of clothing she had on so she was left naked once again, the group of guys all followed Harry’s lead and put on the rubber gloves. “Now, you there,” he barked at a third guy, the quickest of the rest to get the gloves on. “Gimme that bit of rope. I want this done right.”
Tying her arms and legs in an outstretched star, she was open to any invitation.
“Oh, my manners,” he cooed, in a simple power adjusted moment. “I nearly forgot. Where’s that pipe?”
Jackie shook her head violently.
He replied with sincere sarcasm, “Come now my dear, it won’t hurt. It didn’t the last time.”
Unable to reply, she struggled and struggled against the rope. Noticing it shredding some of her skin, she eventually gave up.
“Ok guys. Now we, sow the seed. She’s not going to be fully unconscious as she is going to enjoy every moment of this, aren’t you dear,” Harry looked Jackie in the eye with a mild hint of remorse.
Having forced her to take two puffs of the pipe by now, she agreed.
“Boss first,” he barked at one of the other guys, who had already removed his trousers. “You should know how this works, It’s been the same system for too long for you to have forgotten!”
Penetrating a little deeper than the last time, he began to forcefully ruin her insides once more.

Finishing their lunch, Anita turned to Emma. “So, he’s your new friend then,” she whispered in her ear. “A bit dashing isn’t he?”
“Well he was working,” Emma whispered back. “But I’ve kinda, hooked him because I liked him.”
Taking the glasses back to the bar, Stuart and Jason had a little conversation of their own. “I was a little pre-occupied last night,” Stuart said. “Was meant to have been working on a journalist apprentice course.”
“Really?” queried Jason. “So how did this come about then?”
“Well, after the press conference for the new film she stars in,” Stuart’s reply was more assured now he’d got a little confidence back. “I was one of the last to leave the room when I got a tap on my shoulder, inviting me to dinner.”
“I know she’s been on the prowl,” Jason chuckled. “So you best not let her down,” he winked.
“He seems nice enough,” said Anita. “Are you sure he’s up to the challenge of being with a celebrity?”
Emma paused for a second. “I think with him having done his journalist apprenticeship for a while he’d be used to what they’d do to get a story of any kind,” she replied.
“Useful knowledge, especially in this business,” admitted Anita.
The guys were soon back.
“Time for us to head off, we’ve got to get to Rome for this evening,” said Anita. “Was lovely to see you again Emma,” piped up Jason.
“Pleasure to meet you both,” Stuart was diplomatic.
“Likewise,” Jason winked again. Stuart understood what he meant.
Emma was the last to speak. “You have my number,” she said, before using her eyes to indicate Stuart. “Call me when you can, I’ll get back to you or at least have this one take care of things.”
Anita and Jason bid farewell and headed off with their bodyguards to where their car was parked.
“Got time for another?” enquired Steve, as the two of them stood together at the bar. Emma stole a glance at Jack, who nodded.
“Yeah, we got time,” she replied. Leaning over the counter, she whispered, “I could fill you in a little about this chap with me.” Turning back towards Stuart, she said, “I’ll bring these over, you go sit with Jack.”
Stuart looked at the table of four. “There’s not enough space, I don’t think,” he replied. “Unless I move that table we were sat on.”
Walking back to where they had been seated, he tried to lift the table but it was heavier than he had envisaged. Jack spotted this, and, excusing himself from his colleagues, he ambled over.
“Need a hand?” Jack was frequently helpful. “It looks like a two person job. Where you trying to move this to?”
Stuart was panting a little. “Just over to your table. Emma wants us to sit with you,” he gasped for air between words.
“All in the name of service,” Jack replied, taking most of the weight as they shifted the table over so they could all be seated together. “I’m sure she’s unearthed a gem in you,” he added, with a twinkle in his eyes.

“So, where would you like to start,” Keith asked.
“Ideally in the bathroom,” Grace replied. “Sitting on park benches has its drawbacks.”
Grace took off her overcoat, which had picked up a little dirt and debris over a number of weeks. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get this fully clean,” she added. “I might have to just get a new one.”
“We’ll have to see what we can do after eleven tomorrow then. I might be able to help you,” Keith answered.
He took her coat and hung it over the back of the kitchen chair. It was a relatively narrow space, but he’d managed to tuck a four seater patio table into the dining room end of the kitchen. At the back of the house, the kitchen sink sat directly below the bathroom, but there was a break in the counters as there was a side door to the staircase.
“Follow me,” he said. “I’ll show you the room you can call your own, at least for tonight, and the bathroom too. If you like it, I’m sure we can come to some agreement for you to stay on longer, or whenever you are in town.”
Grace was elegant with her reply. “That sounds lovely, but what if you have company when we run into each other?”
“Lets get through tonight and tomorrow first, and we’ll see where we stand,” he smiled affectionately.
They nipped up the stairs, and although the bathroom was a little more compact than the other places she had been staying in, it had a feeling of belonging. The bedroom she was also shown had a double bed in, for it had almost the same sizing as the master bedroom, a chest of drawers with a television on top, a wardrobe built in to a slightly set back side wall, and a little desk space. He had been house sharing with a couple of college friends, but they had decided to move on to have their own place.
“This is perfect,” Grace felt all warm inside. “It’s so welcoming. In a way it reminds me of my parents spare room that they rent out.”
Keith’s smile was infectious. “I do like to help where I can. I’ll leave you be so you can freshen yourself up. I’ll either be in the kitchen or in the lounge at my computer.”
“Ok, I’ll see you there in a while,” she answered. “It’ll do me some good I bet.”
Leaving her to prepare herself, Keith went back downstairs and made a cup of tea. He took a shine to her, he knew that, he just wasn’t quite sure how to actually approach saying anything. Perched up on his computer chair, he booted up his machine and the little buzz of the fan spinning away inside the base unit started humming its merry tune.

A little while later, refreshed and rejuvenated, Grace glided seamlessly down the stairs. Seeing that he wasn’t in the kitchen, she silently made her way through to the lounge. He was typing something on the screen, in a word processor, but she couldn’t quite make out what it was. Inching closer, she noticed a few words.
Would you like to go on a date with me?
Making him jump as he was oblivious to her presence, she said, “Why not. It could be fun.”
Embarrassed, he hurriedly closed that particular window down and turned around. “No need to be nervous,” she noticed his cheeks had gone red. “Or shy.”
Taking his hand in hers, she added, “I’m pleasantly surprised, but also feeling something inside. It feels right, but should we act on this?”
He managed to get a couple of words out. “It may help tomorrow,” he kept it brief and direct. Here he was, in the presence of a pretty young woman who had more musical talent than he did, and she was accepting his rather insecure approach to asking her out, which had taken them both by surprise.

It was five minutes to five. Gary was stood, anxiously waiting for John to arrive. A few last minute stragglers heading off to the pub around the corner from the church for the football match bypassed him, laughing and joking as they went. Other than that, it was eerily silent. Lighting up a cigarette, he barely had time to take two pulls when a red car pulled up. In the drivers seat, sat John, winding down his window. “You’ve made it then,” he laughed. “For a moment I thought you weren’t going to turn up.”
As they got out the car, John introduced each one in turn. Almost like it had been rehearsed. Out of the passenger side jumped a six foot three, thick brown hair of neck length, green eyed lad, who, at twenty six years old, was the eldest of the quartet. “This one is Eric. He’s the bass guitarist,” said John.
The rear passenger door opened next, and the second lad popped his head out. A ginger haired twenty four year old, he was a little stockier of build than the Eric, and he had his hair long and wavy. He was six foot one when he wasn’t slouched. “And this would be Henry,” John continued. “He’s the drummer. Sure mean with a set of sticks in his hands.”
Out of the drivers side rear door, stepped a rather skinny fellow, twenty five years old, blonde hair, a hint of a trimmed goatee, and rich, brown eyes. This skinny lad was six foot six in height, towering above everyone else. “This is the lead guitarist, Benny,” John had deliberately planned the guys were to get out first. “He is almost as good as the all time greats.”
The last person to step out of the car, other than John himself, was a taller than average woman at five foot ten. At twenty three, she was the youngest from the group, but she was the most vocal, quite literally. She had jet black hair, just below her shoulders in length. Like Gary, she wore glasses, but she had a gorgeous smile which beamed at him. She recognised him from the encounter earlier in the day, but he had been blown away, so he was rather distracted. “And this young lady, is Kerry,” John finished up with a swift introduction to the band. “This young man is Gary. He’s going to hopefully help us record you guys.”
A quick handshake followed with all the members as John went to open the boot.
“Right kids, get your kit out and I’ll open the door,” John had a senior authority about the way he occasionally spoke to them, in order to get anywhere they needed a little guidance and steady leadership. Gary’s laptop was in his bag that was slung across his shoulders. “You wait here for them to get in, close the door and make sure it’s locked. They’ll know where to go, so you can follow them up,” John handed a little responsibility to him. The trio of guys brought in the equipment, and Kerry took Gary’s hand. “You didn’t call,” she mused, a little downhearted. “But you’re here, so that’s better than nothing.”
“I am indeed,” Gary replied. “I had a little trouble which I had to sort out first. Someone had broken into my place while I was out meeting John.”
“Oh no!” exclaimed Kerry. “Did they take anything?”
Gary’s face dropped a little. “Only my most precious framed picture of me and my son. Haven’t seen him in five years, but that was a memorable moment.”
Kerry felt a wave of sympathy. “Throw yourself into this, we can chat after,” she advised. “And who knows what may happen,” she added with a raised eyebrow.