Target (An erotic romantic novella) (13 page)

“Bloody brilliant shot,” he praised
, glancing at her.

“Why thank you my love,” she replied, leaning over and giving him a kiss.

“There he goes,” Rick whispered, as the last man made a run for it.  He fired, and the man went down.  Rick rolled over onto his back and sighed.

“You know this was not quite the date I had in mind,” he said, taki
ng her in his arms as she crawled on top of him.

“Rick, I do not care where we are so long as we are together,” she said,
as she kissed his neck and inhaled him.  He gave a chortle.

“Why are you laughing?” she asked, and he shrugged.

“I don’t know it’s just there are dead bodies everywhere, you have killed three men, and it does not faze you at all.”  She shrugged back at him.

“They are all bastards so what does it matter,” she replied.  “Besides, I would kill a hundred more if it ensured we would be together.”

“Well, let’s hope it does not take that many.  I cannot believe he has many more men at his beckoned call.  Come on, we should get out of here.”

“What about the bodies, we do
not want the police to find them,” she reminded him.

“Right, of course, come on there is a hollow not far from here,
with a really deep hole, it goes way down into the earth.  We’ll shove them in there and then cover the hole with a boulder.”

“That sounds like a plan,” she said, rising to her feet.

An hour later, Rick heaved the giant boulder over the hole, sealing it.

“There that should do it,” he sai
d, brushing his hands down his combats.

“Now what?” she asked.

“Now we need to find him.  That first guy you killed said he was waiting back at the house.”  He frowned in thought.

“What’s wrong,” she asked, placing a hand on him.

“Mary and Fred live with me; I did ring her to warn her, I hope they got out.”

“I a
m sure they did Rick,” she tried to comfort.  He nodded and reloading his gun, he stuck it in his back pocket.  Sarah reloaded the rifle, and put a spare clip into her pocket, before pulling the strap over her neck and shoulder.  Grabbing his holdall with one hand, Rick held out his other to her and she took it with a smile.  Together they headed back towards the house.

He
held her hand tightly as they edged along the wall of the house, he could see a light on, and he twitched his nose worriedly.  Letting go of her hand, he dropped his holdall and he pulled out the gun.

“Wait here,” he said to her, she nodded, watchi
ng as he approached the window.  Standing with his back tight against the wall, he cautiously peered around, snatching a quick glance.  Pulling back to the wall, he frowned, and cursed and then edged back to her.

“Sarah, I
have to go in.  Mary’s tied to a chair, she.... I don’t know if she is alive.”  Her hand flew to his arm.

“Oh god Rick, I am so sorry,” she whispered, this was her fault she had brought them here.

“Stay here, okay,” he requested.

“Please be careful Rick,” she begged, her eyes tearful as she watched him go.

Going to the front door, he pushed it was open.  He slipped inside and made his way to the front room.  He could not hear anyone, holding his gun forward he pushed open the door to the room.  Mary lifted her head, her face bloody and beaten.

“Oh dear god,” Rick cried, as he rushed
to her.  “Mary, are you okay?”  He put the gun down, and pulled the gag from her mouth.

“Rick, thank god
you’re alive,” she wept, and then she shook her head as he untied her.  “I am so sorry, Rick, I told him where she was.  He was going to kill Fred, I could not…”

“Sh
ush,” he hushed gently, as he pulled her into his arms and held her.  He kissed the top of her head.  “Of course you did, it does not matter.  How long ago?” he asked.  She snivelled.

“A
n hour, maybe two,” she replied.  “Rick he took Fred, so he could show him where the hospital was.”  He nodded ruefully.

“Mary I have to go, will you be okay, do you want me to call the doctor?” he asked concerned,
as he lifted a hand to her battered face.  She shook her head.

“No darling, I’ll be fine, just go, get Fred back please,” she begged.

“Don’t worry I will,” he promised, giving her cheek a kiss.

Picking up his gun, he looked at her one more time, before running out of the room.

“Sarah,” he yelled, slamming the house door behind him.

“Rick,” she called, venturing out of the darkness.  He grabbed her, embracing her.

“Is she okay?” she asked.

“Yes
, she will be alright, but they have taken Fred, her partner and..” he hesitated, stroking her face with the back of his fingers.  “She told him about Skye, where she is.  We have to go now,” he said urgently, grabbing his holdall.

“Oh my god, Skye,” she muttered, her breathing perching on panic.

“We will get to her, she will be okay Sarah.”  Grabbing her hand, he ran to his Landrover.

“Rick the tyres,” she said, pointing at them
, all of them slashed.

“Shit,” he
cursed.  “Come on,” he then urged, dragging her around the back of the house.  “For fuck’s sake,” he groaned, as he looked at his Jag, the tyres had been slashed too.

“What now Rick
?” she cried, with worry for a little sister.

“
Now we take my baby out,” he said, with a smile.

“Your baby?” she questioned, with a raise of her eyebrow.

Taking her hand and walking towards a large double garage, he stopped, and let go of her hand. He reached down to a small black box on the wall and opened it, inside was a security pad.  Rick quickly punched in a code and within seconds, the garage door began to open.  Shutting the box, he took up her hand and waited.

“My baby,” he said, with a smile and a gleam in his eyes as he looked at her.

“Wow,” she said.

“
Aventador, in stealth black,” he said, with a deep sigh.  “I love this car.”  Going to a box on the wall, he entered yet another code and then took out the keys.

“Give me you
r gun, and the spare clip,” he said, holding out his hand.  Pulling the rifle off her shoulder, she delved into her pocket and gave him the clip.  Going to the bonnet, he opened it and pulling a couple of levers, he revealed a secret bottom.  He put their weapons inside, and wedged in his holdall, before locking it back up.

“Come on let’s go, it will not take long to catch up in this,” he said,
opening the door and sliding into the driver’s side.  Sarah lifted the door and jumped into the passenger side, closing it down she watched as Rick flicked a switch and pushed a red button.  The engine roared into life, revving it Rick smiled, he loved that sound.

An hour later, he was bombing it up the M5.  Sarah sat in silence, tears edging her eyes as she thought of her si
ster.  She had mourned her once; she did not want to do it again.

“Dial,
Beckenham,” he said, pushing the call button on his hands free.  Sarah glanced at him, listening as the phone rang.

“Staff nurse
Gregor,” the voice answered.

“Ellen, it’s Rick,” he said.

“Hello Mr Hemmingway,” she replied.

“The girl I sent you, Skye
is she okay?” he asked.

“Yes Sir,
there was a little change, she is responding.”  Sarah wiped her tears from her cheeks.  Rick glanced at her.

“Ellen, listen this is urgent, my
step-father is on his way, Skye is in great danger, he is going to try and kill her.”  The line went quiet.

“Ellen,” he said.

“I am here Mr Hemmingway; I just don’t know what you want me to do?”

“Get security to lock down the hospital now, we are on our way, god willing we will get there first.”

“And if you don’t?” she asked concerned.

“Just get the place lock
ed down Ellen.”

“Yes Sir,” she replied and the line went dead.

“Rick,” Sarah said, in a low whisper.  “What kind of hospital is it?” she asked.

“It’s a rehabilitation centre of sorts,” he replied.  He placed a hand on her knee.  “She will be okay, I promise. Who knows we may have overtaken them already.”  She nodded, looking at his spee
dometer, he had be driving at 130 miles an hour most of the way.  Being late, the motorway was clear, and he was not bothered about the police, he had reflective plates, and besides, they would have to catch him first. At Bristol, Rick switched motorways and bombed down the M4 towards London.

Rick dialled his phone.

Sarah watched him, he was biting on his lower lip nervously, and as it answered, he took a deep breath.

“Mr Eserbon?” Rick queried.

“And you are?” the voice asked back.  Rick cleared his throat.

“Rick Hemmingway,” he replied.

“Never heard of you,” he said.

“
Er no, I am Zeb’s step-son,” he replied, warily.  The line went quiet for a moment

“I see, and what do you want, Rick Hemmingway.”

“Mr Eserbon, I hate my step-father and have done since he married and murdered my mother and father.”  The line remained quiet.  “Now he is trying to kill me and his step-daughters for our money.  I believe he owes you twenty seven million?” he said.

“Yes, Mr Hemmingway, he does,” the voice replied.  “What do you want?”

“I would like to make a deal with you,” he asked.  Sarah stared at him; she could feel herself shaking as she looked at Rick’s worried face.

“What kind of a deal?”

“If I pay you his debt today, plus another three million, will you meet me at my hospital and dispose of my step-father?”  The line went quiet again.

“Dispose of him in what way?” he asked.

“I want it to look like he killed himself.”

“When and where,” he asked. 

“As soon as possible, he is heading to my hospital now to kill one of his step-daughters.  I am on my way but he had a head start.”  Rick gave him the address.

“And the money?” he asked.  Rick swallowed, hoping he was not going to push his luck.

“When it is done, I will transfer it wherever you want it,” he confirmed.

“You mess with me Rick Hemmingway and you are dead.”

“I know,” he replied, and the line went dead.

“Rick, can you do it, thirty
million?” she asked her voice shaky.  Rick nodded.

“Yes, the money is no issue.  Sarah we need all the help we can get, the last thing we want is the police thinking we joined forces and killed our step-father.”  She nodded.  “The Eserbon brothers are notorious, but
they are honourable, if we abide by the bargain they will not come after us.”

The
y cruised into London at three thirty am, it was not too busy, and Rick headed straight to Beckenham.

Sarah stared at the hospital; you would never have known what it was, as the façade was the same as the rest of the street, a typical turn of the century
London building.  As he pulled outside some wrought iron gates, Rick could see Ellen had done as he asked as the place was locked down.  Picking up a remote, he pushed the button, and the gates began to open, he drove down underneath the old building and into a car park.

Getting out of the car, Rick opened the
bonnet and pulled out the Rifle and clip, passing them to Sarah.  Opening his holdall, he grabbed a couple of guns, tucking one it in the back of his trousers, along with some spare clips in his pockets, he held the other in his hand.

“Rick I am scared,” Sarah
confessed, her hands trembling as she watched him arm himself.

“You don’t have to do this, you can wait here Sarah,” he offered, his eyes lifting to hers, but she shook her head.

“No, Skye needs me, I will be okay,” she said.  Rick smiled at her, leaning towards her he cupped her face with his hand and kissed her.

“It will all be over soon,” he promised, she
gave a nod back.  Gun held ready in front of him, they headed towards a door.  He took out his mobile and dialled the front desk, but no one answered, it just rang continuously.  Rick swallowed; he did not like this.

“Sarah, I think he may already be here,” he said, turning to her.

“Rick hurry then please,” she begged, thinking of her sister.  Opening the door, he glanced into the corridor and then slipped out, Sarah followed close behind him.  Reaching the main reception Rick looked worried, as it was empty.  They moved along a corridor, Rick glanced into a couple of private rooms, and he nodded hello to the patients.

“Shit where are they all?” he whispered.

“Where is my sister Rick?” Sarah asked, grabbing his arm.

“She is in the basement
,” he replied.