"Well if you hear anything call me..yeah, thanks"
Gerrard hung up the phone and went to find his wife. Ever since Mercedes' kidnapping, Renee had not talked to anyone and kept herself locked up in their bedroom. Reaching their bedroom door, Gerrard knocked, "Renee, please unlock this door"
When he didn't get a response he knocked harder, "Renee please open the fucking door now!"
A couple of seconds later the locked clicked and the door pushed open. Gerrard took in the fraught sight of his wife, she had a baseball cap covering her messy hair, her eyes were now red and swollen, and the vibrant color of her brown skin was now a couple of shades duller. Gerrard pulled her into a hug and she let her tears fall again.
"I'm going to find her, alive"
Renee pushed herself out of his grasp and wiped her eyes, "You can say that all you want, but whoever has her hasn't even fucking called yet! If all they wanted was money they would have called, but they don't want money right?! I want my baby back!" Renee broke down again and dropped to the floor, "I just want her back!"
Gerrard had to wipe his eyes before the tears appeared. He needed to be strong enough for his wife and everyone else around. If he broke, and he was so close to breaking, that would only make everyone else lose their minds and right now Gerrard needed to keep his mind right. He had been living on only a couple of hours of sleep and made calls to his colleagues and associates all over the country daily. Gerrard picked his wife up bridal style and set her back on the bed. He kissed her tear stained cheek and promised her that he would find their daughter alive. Gerrard went back into his study and made a phone call to Mary and asked her to come over and comfort his wife. As soon as he ended the call his phone rang and the incoming call was not a number he recognized. He answered it and was about to ask who it was when he heard a voice he didn't recognize. He then heard the voice that made his heart drop, his baby girl was alive!
"...honestly you Jones' are all the same"
There was a bit of shuffling on the phone and then silence. you Jones' are all the same.... where had he heard that before? It sounded so familiar but he couldn't fucking remember where and when he heard it. Gerrard called the number back and waited for a response.
"Hello?"
"Someone from the number called me, who am I speaking to?"
"I haven't called anyone but I think someone tried to steal my phone because I just found it in a different spot"
"Really..."
"Yeah, I think this girl lifted it, but this other woman came in and grabbed her so I think that woman might've stopped her from taking my phone"
"Well, thank God for the good samaritans. You have a good day Miss"
"Thanks Sir you too"
Gerrard knew the number was a Jersey area code, so he called his associates in New Jersey and told them to keep their eyes open and ask around. He was still trying to figure out where he had heard that voice and statement before. He went to his kitchen to get a bottle of red wine and saw the current bottle was nearly empty. He had more in his cellar so he made his way down to the basement, but stopped short on the stairs when he heard someone speaking.
"He knows you guys are in Jersey...no! You need to do it soon...listen he has his goons in Jersey looking for her now!"
The person was speaking in a harsh whisper but Gerrard heard it all. Gerrard silently walked down to the man who had on one of the house staff uniforms. The man hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket. He never heard Gerrad coming but it was too late. Gerrard bashed his head into the wall hard enough to knock him out.
"If it means anything, I'm sorry it has to be you going through this"
Mercedes didn't bother looking at Noah. Since arriving to the Cabin in a very woodsy area, Mercedes had secluded herself in her own mind. This is where I am going to die. The thought made her sick to her stomach and she couldn't hold the bile in her throat. Jumping to her feet, Mercedes ran to the nearest bathroom and vomited into the toilet. Noah ran after her and ran a rag under warm water. Mercedes flushed the toilet and rinsed her mouth with the sink water. Noah tried to dab the rag on her forehead but Mercedes pushed his hand away.
"You have a lot of nerve trying to help me"
Noah exhaled and crossed his arms, "Mercedes, I.."
"Shut up! Do you have any idea how I feel knowing that this is where I'm going to die?! I am sincerely sorry about your father but that is where my sympathy ends for you! You and your mother can rot in hell!"
Mercedes pushed passed Noah and ran right into Sheila.
"After all the trouble I went through to get you here, you can't even say a simple thank you. Ty! Come escort our guest to the couch please."
Sheila walked away and retrieved her purse. Ty, one of lackeys, gripped Mercedes' arm and dragged her harshly to the living room couch. He shoved her to the seat and held her in place by her shoulders. Mercedes tried to mentally prepare herself for whatever was about to happen. She couldn't cry, she had done enough of that in front of these people. Sheila walked up and sat on the table in front of her. She pulled out a handgun and pointed the gun right at Mercedes' head.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't put a new hole in your head"
Mercedes' pulse quickened, she started to feel the room spin, and the rapid beats of her heart echoed in her ears. This was it.
"Because you're a better person than that. My boyfriend's actions hurt you and your family, but killing me won't make it right"
Noah ran to his mom's side, "Ma, not yet! Don't do this yet!"
"Shut up Noah" Sheila pulled back the hammer on the gun.
Mercedes closed her eyes tightly and Noah yelled, "Ma don't!"
Sheila pulled the trigger.
Mercedes heard the click of the gun but she was still breathing. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the amused expression on Sheila's face. Noah stole the gun from Sheila's hand and looked as if he was about to use the gun on her instead of Mercedes.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Sheila started laughing, "It was a joke! Where's your sense of humor?"
Her three other lackeys started to laugh uncomfortably and Noah pushed Ty away from the shocked Mercedes. He pulled Mercedes up by her arm and lead her to a bedroom. Her breaths became shallow and she started to shake uncontrollably. Noah held her on the bed as she cried.
Johnny awoke with an intense headache. He groaned in pain and quickly realized he wasn't in the Jones household anymore. The room was lowly lit and he saw what looked to be a dark body bag some feet away. He tried to move his hands but they were tied behind his back. He felt the acute feelings of fright, and started to shake himself from the binds when he heard the rustling of the plastic sheet under him.
Without warning, a door burst opened halting his movements. Gerrard Jones, Sam Evans, Gage, and two of Gerrard's bodyguards walked in. The three bodyguards went to separate corners of the room and Sam put on some latex gloves. Gerrard, who had on black leather gloves prowled to Johnny and pulled out a switchblade from his back pocket.
"Before you bullshit me with that cliche 'Where am i?' 'I don't know what you're talking about' or 'You have the wrong guy', just know that I heard your entire phone call in my cellar"
Johnny's eyes widened.
"So with that said, where is my daughter and who has her?"
Johnny stuttered with his response, "I...I...honestly Sir..this is just a big misunderstand-FUCK!"
Johnny's rambling was cut short by the bullet Sam shot in his kneecap. Sam charged to Johnny and put the tip of the gun roughly to his temple. "Where. Is. She?"
"Shit! Shit! Alright! I'll make a deal! I'll make a deal!"
"Go on", Gerrard said calmly.
"Its Sheila Puckerman! She has her! She and her kid wanted revenge for Tommy's death, she's the mastermind in all of this I swear!"
Sam put the gun down and the memory of killing Tommy was slowly coming back to him. Gerrard's eyebrows furrowed than raised seconds after. Why hadn't he put two and two together? The voice on the other line, you Jones' are all the same...
"That crazy bitch...Gage go call my brother and tell him to get a bag ready, after we're done here we're taking a trip to Jersey."
Gage nodded and left the room.
Gerrard asked Johnny, "Where are they exactly"
"Lakewood, New Jersey. At her Cabin in the Ridge Woods! They should be driving a black van"
"How many people are with her?"
"Her son Noah, and four other hired guards, I..I think they're family friends"
Gerrard nodded and put the knife back into his pocket. Johnny sighed relieved and slumped forward. Gerrard walked to the door and said, "Sam make it quick"
Johnny's eyes broadened as he gave a petrified look to Sam, "I thought we had a deal?!"
Sam's lips quirked and he said, "You thought wrong"
He cocked the gun and pointed it to Johnny's head and fired.
Mercedes awoke to to feel arms around her, for a moment she thought that last couple of days had been a nightmare, and that she was safely tucked in Sam's arms. Yawning, she looked up, but she didn't see Sam. "Get your hands off me!"
She sprung from the bed and backed away from Noah. Noah held up his hands in surrender and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't do anything other than hold you"
"Just get out"
He nodded and left the room, closing the door after him. Mercedes climbed back onto the bed and hugged her pillow. She said a prayer and silently cried.
Sheila was having a cup of tea when Noah came down the stairs with his coat on, "I'm going for a drive, don't do anything until I get back. I mean it"
He took the keys and left. Sheila rolled her eyes at her son. It would be better to kill the girl when he was not there. Sheila could tell her son was having some serious doubts about this whole thing. Dumping the rest of her tea into the kitchen sink, Sheila retrieved her gun and walked to Mercedes' room. Killing her in the house would be too messy so Sheila would take her outside in the backyard. Not bothering to knock, Sheila opened the door and walked in. Mercedes wiped her tears from her face and looked straight at the gun.
"Noah isn't here, and as long as he is here you will be alive", she cocked her gun, "Come on, this is the only chance I'll get"
Mercedes, defeated and broken, got out of bed. Just then they heard the front cabin door being barged open and Sheila's men all yelling. Gunshots followed soon after and Sheila grabbed Mercedes and placed the gun to her head.
Mercedes whimpered and Sheila said, "Don't you make a fucking sound"
They heard various footsteps going all through the house and Mercedes heard her father's voice, "Check down there!"
Gage appeared in the room and yelled, "Sir!"
Mercedes saw her father, Sam, and three other men come into the room. They all had their guns pointed at Sheila.
Gerrard spoke first, "Sheila Puckerman"
Sheila said, "Gerrard"
Sam looked as if he was going to charge at her any minute.
"All I have to do is pull the trigger, I die then she dies"
Junior Jones came into the room and saw Sheila holding a gun to his niece's head. Sheila's hold on Mercedes immediately tightened at the sight of him.
Junior pleaded with Sheila, "Sheila please just let my niece go, she's innocent in all of this"
Sheila chuckled bitterly at him, "You know you have an eighteen year old son. His name is Jake. He is such a good kid"
"And I'm sure Jake wouldn't want his mom to kill his cousin"
"Fuck you!"
"Sheila please!"
A gunshot was heard seconds later.