Fractured (Dividing Line #4) (17 page)

“Sounds like you’re talking from experience.”

Something rippled through Riley’s eyes, a past trauma disturbing his cool. “I am. One day I’ll tell you about it but not yet. Right now we have to decide what we’re going to do before Pinky and Perky come back.”

“We? Trust me Riley, you don’t want to get involved in this.”

“I already am involved.”

“It’s going to get really nasty. I’m going to kill Alex Maguire.”

“I know. You have to because he’s not going to stop until you and Rachel are dead. Men like that don’t give up if they’re beaten, they only come back at you harder. I still have plenty of leave, I can help.”

“This is going to be very illegal. If you get caught up in it you could lose everything.”

“Lose what? I don’t have anything, except the army. I’ve just found you all and I’m not going to let that prick kill you. I’m staying.”

Ryan had never met anyone he felt he couldn’t say no to before, except Rachel. No matter how many times he told Riley to stay out of it he’d never back down. Rachel was right, they could be twins.

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Rachel came back into the kitchen looking tired and worried. “Mikey’s coming down in the morning, apparently he’s got a lot to tell us. He tried to warn us Alex was on his way here, he’d left a few messages, unfortunately I didn’t bother to check the machine. He’s bringing Battler and Bruiser.” She felt much better knowing they would be here. Together she thought Ryan and Riley would be unstoppable but with the back-up of the others Alex wouldn’t be able to get near. “I told them not to tell Jez yet, I thought you’d like to speak to him yourself.”

“You’re right, I do. I’d better make the call now. The sooner we can rally the troops the better.” Ryan took her hands. “I want you to take the kids and go away for a while, preferably abroad.”

“No. I want to be in on this.”

“I understand how you feel but he came here intent on killing us, possibly the boys too. I think he would have taken Leah back to Manchester with him. I need you to protect Ethan and Aaron.”

“Don’t patronise me Ryan.”

“I’m not. You’re a tigress when it comes to our kids,” he smiled, managing to elicit a small smile in response. “I want Battler and Bruiser to go with you, that’s if they’ll support us over Alex.”

“They will,” she said without hesitation. “Okay, I’ll go.”

“That was surprisingly easy.”

“After what just happened I don’t want to let the kids out of my sight.”

“Thank you,” he said, holding her tight.

CHAPTER 19

Beth was curled up on the couch with Nick before the log fire, completely content. They were in the cottage Nick had arranged near Plymouth. Tomorrow they were catching the ferry to Roscoff in Brittany and from there they’d go on to Paris. Holly was fast asleep after the drive and the two boys were playing on the X-Box.

“I can’t wait, I’ve never been to Paris before,” said Beth. She felt safer now she knew tomorrow they would be out of the country. Alex would have no chance of finding them. He might be king of the north but he had no influence in France.

“It’s beautiful,” smiled Nick, kissing the top of her head. He’d never felt so satisfied in his life, the future stretching out long and happy before him. He’d been worried the boys wouldn’t be able to accept him but he’d always got along with Alfie and once the boy saw how happy he made his mum he’d willingly accepted him and Archie had simply followed his lead. He hoped Holly grew up calling him dad like Leah did Ryan.

“Robbie’s meeting us here in the morning. Are you sure you don’t mind him tagging along?” said Nick a little anxiously.

“Of course not. We owe him after he helped us get away in the first place. We wouldn’t have been ready in time if it hadn’t been for him.” Robbie had helped them with the travel arrangements and Beth would be eternally grateful.

“He can’t wait either, he hates Alex after he treated us like gofers. He’s staying with some friends tonight who he wants to say goodbye to.”

“He won’t tell them what’s going on, will he?”

“No, he’s not stupid. He’ll keep it to himself.” He gazed down at her and stroked her cheek. “Then all my family will be together. I can’t wait.”

She smiled up at him. “Me neither.”

From across the room Alfie watched them together and smiled. It was a relief to see his mum smile again.

When Rachel heard the beeping her arm automatically shot out from under the duvet and hunted around for the alarm clock. She whacked it and her arm retreated back under the covers, but the noise didn’t stop.

“What’s that?” she yawned, trying to figure it out. “Is it one of the cars?”

Ryan sat bolt upright. “It’s the smoke alarm.”

Rachel sat up too, able to smell the smoke. “Shit,” she cried, leaping out of bed and snatching up her robe. “The kids.”

“Ryan,” yelled a distant voice.

“Riley,” he yelled back, pulling on a t-shirt and jogging bottoms then yanking open the bedroom door. They both started to cough as the acrid smoke filled their lungs, the corridor thick with it.

“Here,” said Riley, emerging from the fog, thrusting two damp towels at them while keeping one clamped over his nose and mouth. “I’ve called the fire brigade.”

Rachel ran straight across the hallway to the boys’ room.

“Mummy,” said Ethan, climbing out of bed.

She was horrified to see a haze of smoke hanging in the room.

“Don’t like the noise,” wailed the boy over the sound of the alarm, clamping his hands down on his ears.

“Riley, get them out, I’ll get Leah,” said Ryan before plunging deeper into the darkened hallway.

Rachel’s heart was in her mouth as she watched the smoke envelop him.

“Come on boys, let’s go,” said Riley, picking up Ethan while Rachel scooped Aaron out of bed, the terrified boy clinging to her neck.

“You can’t get out that way, the whole ground floor is on fire,” Riley told her when she moved towards the stairs.

She looked down the stairs, appalled to see the orange glow of flames. She could hear the loud cracks and bangs as it ate through their home.

“There’s a fire escape down here,” she said, heading back towards the bedrooms, continually studying the smoke-filled corridor stretching out before her, hoping to see Ryan and Leah appear but they didn’t. “Here,” she called, opening the door of one of the spare bedrooms before launching into a fit of coughing. The smoke was inside her, choking her and she feared what it was doing to her little boys. She rushed to the door at the opposite end of the room, drew back the deadbolt and pushed, but it refused to budge.

“It won’t open,” she cried before launching into another coughing fit.

“Take him,” said Riley, handing her Ethan.

The two boys clung onto her, sobbing and coughing, as Riley threw himself at the door but not even his considerable strength could move it. Instead he picked up a chair and hurled it through the window beside the door. He wrapped the damp towel he’d used to cover his mouth around his hand and banged out the rest of the sharp shards still stuck in the frame.

Looking back Rachel saw smoke billowing under the door they’d just come through and she was frightened by how hard it was getting to breathe. The whole house groaned as the supporting timbers snapped, destabilising the entire upper floor. Movement beneath her feet made it seem like the house was alive and the boys screamed and clung onto her tighter.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” said Riley, having to shout over the increasing noise. “I’ll climb out and you pass me the boys.”

“What about the drop?”

Even though they were only two floors up the blackness yawned beneath them.

“I will catch them, I promise, then I’ll get you out. Ready?”

She nodded, feeling the house shift beneath her feet. There was no choice.

Riley clambered through the window, pausing on the sill. Rachel held her breath as he leapt into the darkness, just managing to grab onto the edge of the metal staircase before swinging himself up and landing on the gantry with a bang.

“Alright, pass them over.”

“Go to Uncle Riley,” she said, lifting Aaron up. Ensuring her grip was firm she leaned out of the window. Riley had to sit with one leg over the safety bar - for a moment both him and Aaron hanging over the black void below - before his arms wrapped around the boy and pulled him to safety. He put him down and the boy hung onto his leg, shaking with fear, face streaked with soot and tears.

“Okay, now Ethan.”

“No, I want Mummy,” he wailed, throwing his arms around her and refusing to let go.

The creaking was growing alarming, the floor threatening to give way at any moment, the room black with smoke. “Ethan, I’ll be right behind you, I promise. You must be brave, please, my big boy.”

He nodded, lower lip wobbling.

“Thank you,” she said, picking him up and kissing him. As she leaned out of the window he cried out in fright and wriggled in her arms. She screamed when she felt him start to slip. Riley just managed to grab him by one arm and heaved him up over the rail.

“Oh thank God,” she breathed.

“Right, your turn,” Riley told Rachel.

“What about Ryan and Leah?”

“He will get her out, now come on.”

She looked back over her shoulder, hoping to see Ryan burst in with Leah in his arms, but the door remained shut.

“I can’t leave them.”

When she tried to go back inside she found herself being dragged backwards out of the window, Riley’s arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her out.

“What are you doing?” she demanded as he hauled her over the metal gantry to safety.

“I promised to get you out and that’s what I’m going to do. You go back in there and you’ll kill yourself. Now get down those stairs.”

Rachel thought better of arguing when there was an almighty groan from inside the house followed by the rumble of falling masonry as the upper floor finally gave way.

“Ryan,” she screamed. Panic threatened to overwhelm her at the thought of her daughter and husband trapped inside. In the distance they heard the wail of approaching sirens.

“Get down the stairs now,” yelled Riley, picking up Ethan while Rachel grabbed Aaron and they hurried down the metal stairs. At the bottom Rachel glanced back up and saw the room they’d just exited was glowing orange.

“Stay close to me, this could all be a trick to flush you out,” said Riley.

“You mean it was started on purpose?” Rachel was astonished, she’d not even had time to consider how the fire had started, she’d been too busy concentrating on getting everyone out.

“Possibly. Do not leave my side. Where’s Leah’s bedroom?”

“The far side of the house,” she replied as she scanned the surrounding area but all she could see was darkened woods and fields, hundreds of hiding places for would-be assassins.

They ran the length of the house, Rachel dismayed to see black smoke pouring out of every window, the entire building ablaze, not one part of it escaping the fire’s wrath. Usually at this time of night the surrounding countryside was pitch black but now everywhere was lit up bright orange with the intensity of the fire. The strong breeze fanned the flames from the house to the outbuildings, the flat and stables catching light. From inside the stable came the sound of Sophia whinnying in distress but she would have to wait.

“There’s Leah’s room,” said Rachel, pointing to a window on the upper floor. There was no sign of either her husband or her daughter. “Leah,” she screamed, on the verge of tears. She almost collapsed with relief when the window was thrown open to reveal two soot-covered faces.

“Riley, catch her,” called Ryan, lifting Leah in his arms.

Riley reached up as Ryan dangled her out of the window by her hands. He let go and her uncle caught her. Rachel rushed to her daughter, wrapped her in her arms and pulled her back as Riley helped Ryan down next.

“Are you okay?” Rachel asked her, taking her face in her hands and wiping some of the soot from her cheeks. Leah launched into a bout of coughing but seemed otherwise unharmed. Ryan however was lying on the ground grimacing with pain. “Watch the kids,” she told Riley, rushing to Ryan’s side. She couldn’t stop herself from showering him with kisses before turning her attention to his injury. There was a large nasty burn covering his entire left upper arm, sections of his t-shirt fused to the injury.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“We tried for the fire escape but we got cut off. We had to go back into Leah’s room,” he said, voice hoarse. He screwed his eyes tight shut. “Aw Jesus,” he groaned with pain.

Rachel couldn’t help him with no medical supplies. The sirens were close and she guessed they were on the main road cutting across the access road leading up to their house. “The ambulance is nearly here, okay Babe,” she soothed, stroking his hair.

“The boys?”

“Fine, thanks to Riley.”

“Mum, what about Sophia?” cried Leah.

The entire stable roof was on fire, the distressed sounds of the pony truly heartbreaking.

Leaving Ryan with the children, Rachel and Riley ran into the stable, the heat intense. Sophia was throwing herself against the door of her stall in an hysterical attempt to escape. Rachel warily opened the door, afraid of getting kicked and stroked the pony’s nose, whispering soothing words and she started to calm down.

“Pass me the blinkers,” she said, pointing to them hanging on a hook behind Riley.

“Hurry,” he said as he passed them over, indicating the roof that was on the verge of collapse.

She slid them over the pony’s head, but when Rachel tried to lead her out she refused to budge. Riley solved the problem by smacking the animal on the backside and she took off out of the stable, Rachel running after her, struggling to maintain her grip on the reins.

With Sophia safely outside Rachel freed the goats, who went racing off into the fields. Leah let the chickens out and the daft things ran around in circles, frantically squawking.

The six of them formed themselves into a tight circle a safe distance from the house, Leah holding Sophia’s reins and stroking her to keep her calm, watching their home burn to the ground. The old timbers had been obliterated beneath the ferocity of the flames. Rachel had no doubt everything inside was destroyed. She thought of the things that couldn’t be replaced; photos, mementos, reminders of those she’d lost. Most upsetting of all was the thought of her photo of Thomas being burnt. She had copies on her computer, which was also inside the house and was no doubt a melted lump of plastic by now. She crouched beside Ryan, who slumped into her arms as he fought with the intense pain.

“God I’m sorry,” said Riley as he watched it burn to the ground.

The sorrow in his voice brought tears to Rachel’s eyes but at least they were all okay. It could have been much worse.

As the fire engine roared into the yard it unfortunately ran over one of the chickens, which exploded in a mush beneath the massive wheels, sending up a cloud of feathers and Aaron burst into fresh tears.

Two ambulances pulled up behind the fire engine and the fire-fighters jumped out and set to work. Rachel’s heart leapt into her mouth when a large Land Rover drove in, wondering if Alex had come back to finish them off, but it was only the Marsh’s, the family from the next farm. They’d seen the fire from their house, heard the sirens and offered to take Sophia and whatever other animals they could round up back to their farm. Their generosity touched Rachel and she hugged them. They brushed off her apologies for covering them in soot.

Ryan was the only one of them injured so he was taken away in an ambulance, Leah going with him because she refused to leave his side. Rachel and the boys got in the second ambulance, Riley accompanying them at Ryan’s insistence, having already come to the same conclusion as his brother for the reason for the fire.