Part Three

Gilbert returned to the house later that evening riding on the delivery bike. It was a Gilera Runner 125cc in a shiny pristine red with a clean black seat that was only slightly dented from previous use. He could get it easily to sixty miles per hour and found it ran well even on the bumpy country roads. Although, he did bounce around a little bit too much for his own liking and felt like he could have flown right into the bushes. It ran perfectly, he actually spent little while travelling around through town and the back roads. The little bit of freedom it offered him made him feel less caged. He switched off the engine and was left with his rear end feeling a bit numb, he pulled the key out of the bike and pushed down the bike stand. He grinned and pulled off the helmet the owners had leant him and swung his leg over the bike. He put the chain around the front wheel, the chain clinking and clanging against the metal of the spokes, clicking the large lock closed. He grinned at it and pocketed the keys before jogging up to the front door for the evening.

They all spent the rest of the night doing typical family stuff. They ate together, Gilbert a beacon of cheeriness, which helped to light the whole room. They played games and they talked about their news of the day, mostly there wasn't much to talk about as it had been a quiet Sunday but they talked nonetheless. When Gilbert was happy, it seeped into everyone. He sparked smiles in people. It was one of the reasons Ludwig and their father adored him, because he helped them to cope with the loss of their mother. However, lately he had lost much of his light. Felicia had been grinning at Ludwig often throughout the night, happy to see the brother-in-law she had known come back to them. No matter if it was a short time. It was a positively lovely evening with food, games and plenty of laughs.

Ludwig hoped his unease would drift away now his brother was trying to look forwards.

Gilbert was called the next day at seven thirty in the evening. He was to head straight to the store to pick up the order, it was his first one so he had to prove to himself and his boss that he was capable. He was told not to forget anything, check the order and check the payment needed. He quickly dressed in thick jeans with boots that went over his ankles and a thick raincoat to keep him warm whilst riding. He also found some thick winter gloves they has used for skiing the night before to protect his hands. He had a warm fleece under his jacket, riding a bike got so cold, especially late in the evening. He gave Felicia a kiss on the cheek and punched his brother in the arm with a grin before running out the door before he could retaliate. He was already driving away when Ludwig got to the door and softly closed it.

"I'm worried" Ludwig told his wife. Felicia came up next to him and leaned heavily against his arm, her ankles were swollen and uncomfortable. She wrapped and arm around his and pulled his face down so she was looking into his eyes. She then put her hands on each side of his face and smiled.

"You're always worried. He is happy at least for now. It's good for him to go out" She said trying to ease the tension she could feel in his body.

"I know. But something doesn't feel right to me" He replied, he closed his eyes and put his hands over hers. "Something's wrong" He added, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. Felicia frowned too, Ludwig had always been a worrier but not without good reason. She let her hands slip away from his face and she cocked her head to the side a little, looking at him carefully. His icy blue eyes opened and looked back at her, with such caring that her stomach fluttered. She looked out the way Gilbert had left and an unsettled feeling brewed inside her too, her husband had sparked a new worry inside her.

It wasn't much of a distance to the store on the bike so he arrived pretty sharp-ish and hurried in to pick up the order. They seemed happy he had arrived so fast and nearly threw the order at him, and pushed the address into his hand. He greeted Gilbert warmly and never once questioned his appearance. He was a breath of fresh air that eased Gilbert's usual unease when meeting new people. "Go, hurry hurry Gilbert, they don't like to wait" He said, a little nervousness in his voice.

"You got it!"

He was only given one order, and one address. That was all they had for him at the moment as anyone else ordering food was eating in the restaurant. He grinned and thanked the man again before heading out. When he got google maps on his phone he realised it was quite a distance away. Which perplexed him, why would they take an order for something this far away. He shrugged and put the sat-nav on his bike then started it up. It would take him forty minutes to get to his destination so he better get headed off if he wanted to get paid.

The drive was long and his butt was a little bit achy when he arrived but he tried to walk it off, and rubbed a little bit of blood back into his behind. He grabbed the food and wandered over to the building. It had gotten dark in his journey over, there was a small light on in the building but the rest of the place was pitch black. It was in a rural area and old farmhouse that was being refurbished. The house honestly looked abandoned, it was run down and half the roof was missing. But, there was a light on. So surely they must be staying in the house whilst they were fixing it up. Gilbert shrugged and hopped off his bike before walking with a slight skip to the door. He banged on the door and waited. It was silent. "Hello?" He called.

"Come in" A voice called from somewhere in the house. Gilbert's eyebrows furrowed and he glanced back towards the bike, his stomach feeling nervous. He opened the door. It made no noise at all. In the darkness and with a spooky voice in the distance Gilbert was expecting a creaky door.

"Hello, I have your food?" He called out again. He wandered into the dark and damp house and followed the distant light where the voice had emanated from. He found the source of the light, but there was no one around. He saw something move quickly behind and turned towards it only to be greeted by the butt of a gun. His body fell into a messy heap on the floor, his head smashing against a coffee table and the food emptying on top of his unconscious body.

Ludwig started to feel sick.