Page 54 of The Question of Us (Fisher & Church #2)

“What the fu—” The rest of the sentence was lost to a scream as Lee spun and sank his teeth around Jack’s nose, producing a satisfying crunch of cartilage and bone. Lee jerked his head and Jack gave another guttural howl, both hands flying to cover his face, his gun skittering across the floor.

Gazza and I both scrambled to get it, but the crack of a gunshot stopped us in our tracks.

“Put your fucking hands where I can see them.” Ronnie swung his gun over the four of us, a disbelieving frown settling on his face when he spotted Gazza crouched on the floor, very much awake.

“Jesus Christ.” His gaze swept the concrete floor, which was littered with cable ties. “Fuck me. You okay, Jack?”

Jack staggered upright and lurched to retrieve his gun. “Do I look like I’m fucking okay?” He spun around and Ronnie gasped.

“Holy shit!”

“Holy shit is right.” Jack wiped his face with his shirt and went pale at the wash of blood that smeared the front. “The motherfucker bit my fucking nose.” He landed a heavy boot into Lee’s stomach and Lee grunted, his body almost folding in two.

But instead of crying out, Lee spat blood onto the concrete floor and grinned up at Jack. “Naughty, naughty, Jacko. Marty’s not gonna be happy with you.” He indicated the blood-stained spittle. “That’s yours, not mine, arsehole. I hope you know a good plastic surgeon.”

“Why, you little...” Jack drew his foot back for another strike and I saw Gazza readying to launch himself.

“Gazza,” I warned, watching him sway a little on his feet to keep his balance, the drugs still having an effect.

He scowled but didn’t move, and just for a second, I thought I caught movement in the open door over his shoulder. I blinked and looked again but the doorway was empty.

Ronnie’s attention swung slowly from Lee to Gazza and his eyes narrowed.

“You wanna be a hero, dickhead?” He took a step closer to Gazza.

“Unfortunately, Gray is right. We need to be careful with him. Marty’s pet and all that.

But you? ” He chuckled. “I’m thinking Marty won’t be too concerned about us messing up your pretty face. ”

“Don’t you fucking dare.” Lee scrambled to his feet with one arm still wrapped around his belly.

Jack wiped his face again and he looked between them.

“Well now, what do we have here?” He cracked a vicious smile.

“Ronnie, mate, I believe we have an answer to our dilemma. Hit one —” Jack’s arm flew out, his fist connecting with Gazza’s jaw in a sickening crunch that sent Gazza flying onto his back. “—and they both hurt.”

Lee howled in fury and Jack shot a victory smile Ronnie’s way. “Who knew?”

Lee made an ill-judged attempt to rush to Jack, only to be floored by Ronnie’s boot across his shin, which sent him sprawling at Jack’s feet.

In the midst of the kerfuffle, my attention was grabbed by a slender shape bolting along the wall on the far side of the pool.

Mads. My heart almost fucking stopped. I hadn’t been seeing things after all.

I wanted to race over and wrap him in my arms. I wanted to tell him to get the hell out of there.

I wanted to shout that I loved him. I wanted to string him up and peel his skin from his bones.

.. slowly... for being a crazy motherfucker taking a risk like that.

What the hell did he think he was doing?

If we survived this, the man had a life of bubble wrap ahead of him.

I looked back to find Jack and Ronnie caught in a staring game with Lee and Gazza, the four of them seemingly oblivious to Mads’ arrival. But Aaron sent me a wide-eyed nod that told me he’d seen what I had, even though he’d have no idea who it was.

“Get up.” Jack waved his gun wildly at Gazza’s head, blood coursing down his face from the partially severed flap of tissue clinging to his nose.

“I’m not done with—shit.” He spun at the sound of a vehicle racing down the road.

“Watch them.” He headed for the door, and I breathed a sigh of relief at the idea we’d somehow bought a little more time.

But it wasn’t enough.

Jack returned through the door a few seconds later.

He grabbed a grubby cloth hanging from a hook and pressed it to his nose.

“It’s Freddie’s Jeep and he’s in a hurry.

” He stabbed a finger at Lee. “You’re history, you hear me?

When this is all done, you’re mine. I don’t fucking care what anyone says. ”

Lee huffed in disgust at whatever he saw on Jack’s face. “Not in a million years. You lot are all a bunch of fucking pussies.”

“We’ll see about that.” Jack advanced menacingly on Lee.

While they were occupied, I stole a glance to the other side of the pool but saw nothing. Where are you, baby? And where are the damn police? With no option but to trust Mads, in the end, it was easy. Mads had my back; I had zero doubt about that.

“Forget him,” Ronnie snapped. “I’m more concerned about Freddie. If he sees these guys untied, we’re in big fucking trouble.” He pulled a bag of cable ties from his pocket and handed them to Jack. Then he waved his gun at us. “Face down on the floor, all of you.”

This was it. This was the moment. If they got us tied up again, we were done for.

I caught Lee’s and Gazza’s eye, then stiffened my spine and turned to Ronnie.

“Now why the fuck would we do that?” I took a couple of steps back and the other three followed suit, even Aaron, whose tied ankles meant he had to drag himself across the floor.

We spread out across the space, making it harder for the guards to focus on us all at once.

They could shoot us, even kill us, but with Freddie so close, I was banking on them waiting for instructions.

Panic flickered briefly over Ronnie’s face. He glanced toward the open door, then back to us. “I said get down! Now!”

“Or what?” I taunted as Freddie’s Jeep roared close by.

Play for time. Play for time. For the police to get there.

For Mads to do whatever the hell he had planned.

“You gonna shoot us all just as your boss is set to arrive? You might get two of us before we rush you, but I’ll take those odds.

Then there’s all the blood and mess to clean up before the cops get here.

Because they are coming, Jack. Maybe they’re already here.

Maybe that’s why Freddie’s in such a hurry. ”

I hoped to fuck I was right.

Jack and Ronnie exchanged a panicked look and I pressed a little harder. “Didn’t Freddie explain that’s why we’re down here and not at the house? Then Marty can blame everything on you guys. Poor discipline. Things getting out of control. Boys will be boys. Right?”

It was plausible enough and I had their attention. But that was all I had, and it wouldn’t be enough with Freddie only seconds away. I flicked a glance toward the far end of the pool. Your turn, sweetheart. Anytime now would be good.

But nothing happened.

Instead, Freddie’s Jeep powered to a stop outside the shed and a cloud of dust blew into the barn.

A second vehicle, bigger and louder than the Jeep, pulled in straight after.

Doors slammed and seconds later, Freddie and Marty appeared in the doorway.

One look at the four of us uncuffed and defiant and all hell broke loose.

“What the fuck’s going on?” Freddie raised his shotgun our direction and shoved Jack aside. “Imbeciles. How the fuck did this happen?” He stared at Jack. “What’s wrong with your face?”

“We didn’t... I mean... it wasn’t our fault. We don’t know how they got free. They must have something on them,” Jack rushed to explain. “And he fucking bit me.” He indicated Lee.

“Lee bit you?” Marty’s eyebrows climbed into his hairline, and he glanced at Lee’s bloody mouth with almost amusement in his eyes.

Lee shrugged. “He was being an arsehole.”

Ronnie jumped in, “We were watching them, I swear?—”

“Shut up,” Marty roared in Ronnie’s face and the man’s mouth snapped shut so fast he was lucky he didn’t sever his tongue. “Did you find what they used?”

Ronnie shook his head.

Marty looked about to burst a blood vessel. “For fuck’s sake.” He shook his head. “Just get them recuffed and loaded into the horse truck.”

Horse truck?

Marty’s gaze locked on Gazza and he frowned. “Not so unconscious after all, it appears.”

Gazza huffed. “Crappy champagne will do that.”

Marty snorted, then turned away. “Clarence is running interference with the cops as we speak. I need these guys out of here, now. Take them the back way through Littleman’s farm and then north.”

Oh, hell fucking no. There was no way we were leaving the property.

Ronnie frowned. “Where are we going?”

Marty ran his gaze over the four of us, then settled on Lee, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Malleck’s farm. He’s expecting them.”

Lee blanched at the name, which I took as a very bad omen. He had so far been surprisingly unflappable, so if this guy worried him, then...

Marty smirked. “You remember Malleck, don’t you, baby?”

Lee all but growled.

Marty huffed in amusement. “I can assure you the feeling is mutual. When Malleck heard you were coming, he was very excited.”

Lee swallowed hard. “You bastard.”

And oh yeah. I had a bad, bad feeling about this Malleck guy.

“Gray?” Aaron turned to his brother. “What does he mean? Who is this guy?”

Marty walked over to Aaron and cupped his face. “He’s a friend, my pretty boy, a close friend. And he’s gonna love you, I just know it.” He patted Aaron’s cheek and Ronnie had to hold Lee back from launching himself Marty’s direction.

“Gray?” Aaron shot his brother a frightened look as Marty returned to Freddie’s side.

Lee shook his head. “Later, A.”

Aaron blinked at the obvious nickname and a soft smile crept over his face like he hadn’t heard it in a while.

“Malleck will keep them on ice until I can get up there in a day or two,” Marty explained. “Keep to the speed limit and don’t fuck this up. You won’t get another chance.”

Both guards nodded and Freddie cast Jack a disgusted look. “We’ve loaded Jumping Jen in the truck. It’ll look more legit, and she’s feisty enough to deter closer inspection if you get stopped. You can ride in the back with the others to make sure they behave.”

Jack looked confused. “In the back?”

Marty’s lip curled. “You can hardly sit up front looking like that, can you? Now get going before I change my mind about your usefulness.”

Jack paled and left without another word.

Freddie waved Ronnie over. “Get them cuffed and search them head to toe. I want no more surprises, understand?”

Ronnie hauled Aaron to his feet and spun him to face the wall. But with his feet still tied, Aaron lost his balance and fell back into Ronnie, sending the cable ties flying.

“Jesus Christ,” Marty growled, turning to Freddie. “Where the fuck did you get these guys? Keep an eye on the rest of them. I’ll handle Lee.”

But Lee had other plans.

The second Marty tried to shove him against the wall, Lee lunged to the side, his arm slicing through the air in front of Marty’s face. An arc of blood splattered up the white wall as the blade in Lee’s hand carved a clean, deep line through Marty’s cheek.

Marty screamed and lurched back, both hands covering his face as he stumbled and went down. Ronnie spun to see what was happening while Freddie rushed to Marty’s side.

Aaron gave Ronnie a shove, sending the guard stumbling sideways to the floor. Lee raced to his brother and made quick work of the ankle tie, then gave Aaron a push. “Get out of here.”

Aaron took off.

With Ronnie still getting to his feet and left with a choice between following Aaron or protecting his boss, Freddie straddled Marty’s legs and raised the shotgun barrel Lee’s way. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long, long time.”

“No!” I roared, racing toward Freddie. The shotgun swung my way and a blast reverberated around the barn as we collided.

Somebody cried out and I hoped like hell it wasn’t me.

The force of the hit sent both of us flying backward, stumbling over Marty’s body as we half-fell, half-lurched our way closer to the pool.

The shotgun clattered to the concrete floor and a few seconds later we staggered to a stop.

For a frozen moment, Freddie and I stood a short distance apart, eyes locked. I thought about running but the next second he was right there, fisting my shirt. “Oh no, sweetheart,” he all but spat into my face. “You’re not going anywhere.”

I tried to shove him away but his grip only tightened, and I cursed all those fucking muscles.

He yanked me closer, his sour breath washing over my face.

“Stupid, stupid man. Why didn’t you just let it go?

” He released my shirt and wrapped his huge hands around my throat.

I bucked in his hold, clawing at his hands, and he continued to growl, “Your husband’s dead, you idiot.

” His dark eyes hovered just centimetres from mine. “Was he really worth all of this?”

“Yes,” I managed, my words hoarse and broken.

I had to distract him. It was my only chance.

I shot a deliberate look over Freddie’s shoulder to where Marty sat on the floor, holding a towel to his face with Ronnie standing guard.

“You’re too late,” I managed, hoping my words would unsettle Freddie enough for him to look.

It worked.

Freddie turned just enough to check behind him and I rammed my good knee up into his balls. He roared with pain and his hold loosened but he didn’t let go. I was about to try again when the sudden sound of sirens pierced the fog in my brain and the barn’s interior flashed blue and red.

Someone shouted, “No!” and the interior lights snapped off. The voice sounded like Gazza’s, but all I could see were vague shapes moving in the eerie greyness.

Using Freddie’s grip on my throat as leverage, I grabbed his wrists and spun us both around, putting his back to the pool. Flashlights criss-crossed the floor and Freddie’s eyes went wide as pandemonium broke out.

“Drop the gun and put your hands in the air,” a woman shouted. “Now, Mister Klein.”

At the sound of his boss’s name, Freddie froze and his grip eased enough for me to turn and see a man standing in the middle of the barn with a shotgun in his hands. Marty.

The woman issued another warning, which Marty presumably ignored. Two shots rang out, one after the other—the shotgun and a second smaller weapon. My heart tumbled in my chest.

Silence followed the rounds and then the lights flicked back on, blinding me to the chaos erupting around us.

Freddie’s grip on my throat tightened.

“Let him go!” the woman ordered.

But Freddie only smiled.

Then the ground disappeared from under my feet as he fell back into the pool and dragged me under.