Encore (The Black Eagles Series Book 2) (26 page)

              Megan let out a sigh of relief and told Luke what they’d made Beth do, that it wasn’t her fault, and Dale shouldn’t be mad with her.

              ‘Hey, don’t you be worrying. We know, and he isn’t.’

              ‘I’m sorry. I bet you’re disappointed to find me and not Li—’

              ‘Shut up. Of course I’m happy to find you. Megan, you’re one of my best friends. I love you to bits,’ he said as he cradled her. ‘Toby, I’ve got her. I’ve got her,’ he shouted. Then the sounds shifted, changed direction and people emerged from the trees.

              Toby thundered forward and his eyes lit up. ‘Meg’s,’ he cried, then he was kissing her all over her face. ‘You’re OK?’

              Megan shook her head. ‘No. I’m hurt. I think I’ve broken something,’ she cried out as she moved trying to hug him.

              Without taking his eyes off her, Toby listened to Luke telling him what Aiden had done. He kissed her and held her tightly. When he did look at Luke, it was clear in his eyes what decision he had made before he even said it. ‘He’s dead. He’s fucking dead.’

              Megan was checked over at the base area that had been set up and a broken wrist and two ribs were confirmed. She refused to go to hospital, wanting to help find the others. Then she told them everything she knew, and they decided they couldn’t have got far. Megan told them about the tracks on the pathway and a team was sent off to investigate. The search was broadened, with tracker dogs, helicopters and all the manpower they could muster being brought in. It wasn’t the biggest tour bus in existence but it would stand out.

              ‘Thanks for finding her,’ Toby said. ‘But you’re not getting the money. You’re rich enough.’               Luke laughed. ‘I’m just glad she’s safe...’ he trailed off. Toby patted his shoulder. His girlfriend was back but the others’ were not. It wasn’t over.

              ‘They’re fighters. We will find them,’ he promised him.

*****

‘I guess this is it. Bet you never thought you’d die burning in a tour bus,’ Amber snarled in Melissa’s face.

              The strong fumes from the petrol burned the back of Melissa’s throat. She was soaked in it, and the fear had made her seize up. She couldn’t think straight as her eyes focused on the lighter in Amber’s hand. Beth was still struggling to get loose. It was useless but she wouldn’t give up.

              ‘I do know you’re thinking about Luke, never seeing him again. I’ll grant you one last phone call.’ She held Melissa’s phone against her ear. It was already ringing and Melissa prayed he would answer.

              ‘Liss. Liss,’ Luke answered. He sounded like he was going to cry with relief.

              ‘Luke. Listen to me. I won’t be coming home...’ she cried as she forced the words out. ‘She’s won, she’s won. I’m scared.’ Luke’s frantic voice tried to calm her but it wasn’t going to work this time. ‘I’m covered in petrol, the bus, all of us. She’s going to kill us all.’

              ‘Liss, where are you? Tell me where you are. Amber... please...’ Luke begged.

              ‘Luke, I love you. Thank you for being the perfect boyfriend. Be happy. I-I give you my blessing to move on, just make sure whoever is lucky enough to have you deserves you. Don’t ever give up on your dream. Maybe one day you can remember me like you did Chloe. Find the perfect guitar, name her after me and I’ll always be with you. Forever.’

              There was silence on the bus as they listened to Melissa’s final goodbye.

              On the other end, Luke was frantic, desperate to keep her on the line. ‘Lissa, stop. You’re coming home. Do you hear me? I’m not losing you. Fight back.’

              ‘I’m not Luke…not this time.’

              The heartbreaking sobs from Luke were harrowing. ‘Amber..!’

              Amber ended the call before he could say anything else. She leaned down and glared at Melissa. ‘I win.’ She picked up another container and soaked more of the bus before leaving. The rest she poured behind her leaving a trail, and giving her distance to light it and time to run. She could hear the screams from inside the bus and stood listening. Inside her, both personalities were at war, Amber who wanted to stop and Aleria who wouldn’t allow it.

*****

The storage compartment opened and Riley jumped down, then pulled a Stanley knife from his pocket. ‘It’s alright. I’ll get you all out.’

              ‘Jo-Jo first,’ Melissa screamed. She was their weakest and they needed to get her out first. The bus had an emergency exit which they could escape through without Amber even knowing, if they were quick. Riley quickly cut Jo-Jo and Cassie free, and kicked the emergency door open. Cassie dragged Jo-Jo to the door, torn between getting her out and getting Melissa and Beth out.

              ‘Cassie, go. Please get out,’ Melissa screamed. ‘And Ted, I’m not leaving him to burn in here too.’ A few seconds later they disappeared through the exit, Cassie dragging Jo-Jo first and then the driver. Riley was cutting at Beth’s ties and eventually she was free. She leapt from the chair and yelled at him to hurry up and free Melissa. But Melissa’s were tied tighter and stronger and he couldn’t cut them as easily.

              ‘Leave me. Get out. Please…I don’t want you in here when it goes up.’

              ‘Melissa, I’m not leaving you,’ Riley said, the sweat pouring from his forehead and panic in his eyes. But determination too. Beth wasn’t going anywhere either. The seconds felt like minutes as Riley roared with frustration. But then they came loose. They all screamed with relief and turned to the exit. The barrel of the gun stopped them. Amber had come back.

              ‘No. No. No,’ she screamed. ‘You can’t get away, not this time. And who the hell are you…?’               The gun was knocked from her hand by Beth’s punch. It bounced off the wall and disappeared under a seat. It had been a dangerous move but had paid off. Then Beth landed another blow to Amber’s face. Riley yanked Melissa backwards out of the way.

              ‘You’re fucked,’ Beth roared. ‘Your first mistake was terrorising my best friend, your second was threatening my daughter. Nobody can help you now. I’m done letting you get away with it. Riley, get Melissa out, now.’

              Amber threw a punch of her own, knocking Beth to her knees then threw herself at Melissa.
‘
Argghhhh. Won’t you just die,’ Amber screamed at Melissa.

              Melissa sidestepped as Riley caught Amber and threw her to the floor. ‘Run,’ he shouted, and they made for the exit.

              Beth was last to leave but Amber clawed at her ankle dragging her down. Beth turned and kicked out, catching Amber on her temple, dazing her, and Beth knew she could have finished her then. Beth let her fury control her. She knew they would never be free as long as Amber was breathing. Amber focused again and launched at Beth, but was knocked back by another kick and the fight carried on. The floor was soaked with petrol and their clothes were heavy with it.               Beth rolled next to Chloe and grabbing it, she lifted it up. ‘Call this Chloe’s encore,’ she said and swung it fast into the side of Amber’s head. Three times. Melissa rushed back in to see what was happening.

              ‘Beth. Let’s go. She’s down, she’s down. Run.’

              Beth turned and made her way towards freedom as Amber groaned behind her. ‘Help me. Please,’ she croaked. Beth stopped and saw the blood trickling down Amber’s face. But she still had a smirk on her face and in her hand she held the lighter. Her fingers struggled to flick it.

              Beth went back and snatched the lighter from her hand then jumped out. The others had already disappeared into the trees, their legs burning with the force.

              Riley was pulling Melissa with him. ‘Keep running,’ he told her. Melissa tripped but he steadied her and they kept running.

              As Beth looked back she saw Amber was still on the floor of the bus, struggling to get up. ‘Please help me.’ But her cries fell on deaf ears. Beth wasn’t going to help her. Instead she walked calmly round the bus, finding the trail of petrol that Amber had created as her getaway. Then she began to run. She had to get back to Ebony and make sure she was safe.

              The explosion sent out a ripple of noise and a wave of force that would be heard for miles around.

*****

‘No!’ Luke screamed as they heard  the explosion and the night was lit up like bonfire night.

              Dale covered Ebony as he sat inside a police car, cradling her and sobbing, knowing Beth could be dead. Tom took off in the direction of the explosion screaming out his girlfriend’s name. Everyone made for the explosion, in cars and on foot, and emergency crews raced to the scene.

              The destruction they arrived at was catastrophic. Fire crews were fighting to put out the fires to prevent the entire wooded area going up in flames.

              The boys were fighting with police to get in there to find their girlfriends but were held back. ‘Lissa!’ Luke screamed, but he knew she’d never have survived that. His heart shattered, and his mind broke. Tom was on his knees, shell-shocked as he watched the flames destroy what was left of the tour bus. Just a few feet from where he knelt, Jo-Jo’s bass guitar, or parts of it, lay. Destroyed, like his heart. Megan screamed into Toby’s chest as he held her, and they both sank to the floor. Toby cried for the first time since he was a kid. He couldn’t save them this time.

              ‘Riley,’ Ken shouted. The crew stood motionless as the flames licked up into sky. Dale didn’t move from the police car. He couldn’t panic. Ebony cried in his arms and he knew how she felt. How do you process the feeling of loss? In that destruction his future wife, his Beth, was burning and he couldn’t do anything. He’d lost his love and Ebony had lost her mother. It was a double heartache for him.

*****

‘Melissa, wake up.’ Riley’s voice seemed distant as Melissa forced her eyes open. Once they had focused, he was looking down at her. He looked younger than eighteen, and his short blonde hair was thick with petrol and dirt. He had a cut across his forehead, and blood ran into his eyes.

              ‘Riley. Are you OK? You’re bleeding,’ Melissa said. Her voice was hoarse and her throat was dry.

              ‘I’m fine. We need to get up, find the others and get help.’ He helped her to her feet and they noticed the smell of petrol still surrounding them. Melissa’s T-shirt stuck to her and she began to feel her skin tingling from the liquid that layered her skin.

              ‘Take this.’ Riley took off his jumper and handed it to her. He told her to take off her shirt and he turned to allow her a little privacy as she did it. It was still awkward. Despite what they had just been through, this was Luke Black’s girlfriend he’d just told to undress. It felt weird, but she needed dry clothes.

              ‘Thanks,’ Melissa said once she was warm and a little drier. Her hair was soaked and felt heavy and stank. ‘I could really do with a fag, but that wouldn’t be smart.’

              ‘No. Please don’t,’ Riley said and laughed. Melissa was shaking as the shock began to creep in and Riley pulled her against him. She’s so tiny, he thought as they walked through the woods. His jumper looked like a tent on her. How they had made it still in one piece was a mystery. It was chaos around them.

              ‘Liss!’ a voice called. They headed towards it and Melissa fell to the floor next to Beth who was sitting in the middle of a bush, Chloe in her hand. Beth couldn’t even remember taking it with her in her panic but she had.

              ‘In a bus explosion I still managed to save his goddamn guitar,’ Beth said.

              ‘Beth. You’re OK!’

              ‘Yeah. Bus isn’t though. Think it might be a little broken.’ The shock was making Beth resort to jokes, trying to keep it together. The girls hugged and cried and then laughed hysterically. ‘A fucking exploding tour bus. I’ve seen it all now.’ She took Melissa’s hand and her expression changed to a serious one. ‘Was Amber still on the bus?’ Melissa shrugged. Harshly, at that very moment, she hoped she had been still on the bus.

              Then they heard voices and shouts, distracting them from their conversation. Beth dropped the lighter she still held tightly in her hand, and seeing her do it Melissa felt a small sense of dread in her stomach, but quickly erased it. Cassie appeared out of the trees with Jo-Jo hanging around her shoulders, conscious but very confused, and they fell into a group hug. They had all made it.

              ‘What the hell did I miss?’ Jo-Jo asked, still groggy.

              ‘Oh, nothing much. Just exploding tour buses. No biggie,’ Cassie joked. She kissed her friend on the cheek. ‘We’re alive. That’s all you need to know.’

              ‘Megan!’ Melissa suddenly remembered. ‘How do we tell Toby? Did she even survive? Could she?’ Nobody answered her because it was unlikely. Melissa told herself that Megan would be OK, she had to be.

              ‘Come on. Let’s get you lot back to your boys. They’ll be frantic,’ Riley said.

              Beth helped Cassie steady Jo-Jo who still wasn’t fully with it. They walked ahead a little and Melissa leaned against her saviour. ‘I feel like something from a horror movie,’ she commented.