"What's this?" Damo breathed, though his face couldn't quite twist into anger as he looked upon Sian. Sian looked to Ella who looked from her to Damo.
"17" Ella breathed. Her words simply falling out of her mouth as her body had begun to drain of its energy.
Damo looked from Ella to Sian. He sighed and took out a knife. Sian's eyes widened and she looked to Ella, who nodded reassuringly. Suddenly Damo cut Sian free.
"You can't go...not yet...but that chair must be uncomfortable" Damo muttered. Sian stood up and slumped herself next to Ella.
"What 'bout me" Ella slurred lifting her cuffed left hand. Damo sighed and lowered his head "as if I'm goin' anywhere" Ella slurred again, her head dropping to which Sian attempted to steady her.
"Fine" Damo huffed under his breath. He unclasped the cuff and backed out of the room, locking it numerous times after shutting the door.
"Are you okay" Ella asked Sian. She lifted herself up against the wall and placed a caring arm around the girl.
"I'm fine, are you, no offence but you don't look so good" Sian whispered with concern.
"You don't need to whisper, he isn't going to do anything to you anyway" Ella laughed which turned to a cough.
"You're avoidin' ma question" Sian muttered looking down at her hands.
Ella sighed with a slight grimace and removed her arm from around Sian and placed her hands in her own lap were they slumped almost lifelessly "I'm fine" Ella mumbled. Sian looked up to her, eyes filled with fear, concern and caution.
"But you aren't though" Sian's voice was shaky as her voice began to fill with tears. Ella smiled slightly to herself and lowered her head. Sian took her hand and placed it across Ella's chest "ya heart's racin', ya slurrin' ya words, ya can barely hold yourself up.. and you're 'okay'?"
Ella looked up and sighed before looking at Sian "I'm fine and it won't matter anyway because I am getting us out of here soon, so..."
"You can't even stand up" Sian grunted crossing her arms. Ella looked at her and frowned before looking back down at her hands.
Milly, Sophie, Daniel, Ryan, Carla, Michelle and Sally stood outside of a long plot of warehouses.
"That one" Milly quitely spoke nodding to the one on the far left.
"You're sure?" Daniel asked grasping her shoulder. Milly nodded avoiding making eye contact.
Daniel went to walk in but Carla grabbed his shoulder.
"It's 'er he wants to see so let her go" Carla muttered looking at Milly. Milly looked up to her and then to Daniel before nodding slightly and walking off towards the warehouse.
Ella began to push against the wall behind her with her back and she lifted herself to her feet. Resting against the wall she found her balance and slowly found she had some strength within her legs to walk.
"What are you doin'?" Sian whispered standing up to readily catch Ella if she fell.
"Getting ready" Ella muttered. "Go and stand over there" Ella pointed to the corner facing the door.
"Why" Sian asked worriedly.
"Just do it" Ella calmly replied with a smile. Sian complied, glancing at Ella before she crossed the short distance to the corner. "You run okay? Run as fast and as far as you can and I will be close behind" Ella whispered. But before Sian could protest Ella began to scream at the top of her lungs.
It didn't take Damo long to arrive at the room. He quickly unlocked the doors and Sian took one last glance at Ella before focusing on the door. Damo pushed the door open, eyes instantly falling on Ella who was still screaming.
"SHUT UP" Damo yelled. Sian readied herself to run. Ella opened her eyes to him and carried on screaming. He placed his hand over her mouth and pressed her against the wall. Ella flashed her eyes to Sian who nodded and began to run. Damo caught on to what she was doing and turned just grabbing her shoulder, but Ella lunged at him and took him to the floor, landing loudly next to him. Sian had escaped and was now running down what looked like a factory hall. Ella smiled but quickly frowned as she heard a gun being fired. She turned to look at Damo who was holding the gun in the direction of Sian. Ella looked to see if he had hit her but could just see Sian stopped and staring back at them.
"RUN" Ella yelled. She quickly pushed herself off the floor and kept low so Damo couldn't grab her and began to run after Sian. Damo fired again. Sian looked behind her and saw Ella fall to the ground with a yelp. Every bone in her body told her to stop and go back for Ella but all she could think about was getting back to Sophie. Behind Ella she could see Damo's face twisting. At first his expression was filled with fear and shock, but it quickly became angry and Sian could see it in his eyes that he couldn't go back on what he had done...he could only go further. He began to step towards them. Ella lifted her head and mouthed to Sian 'run'. Horrified Sian backed away at first, but Damo's attention was based solely on Ella.
"I'll get help" Sian croaked as she began to lose control of the tears she had been holding in.
Outside Sophie had begun to step closer to the building with Daniel and the rest. A gunshot could be heard echoing out of the building. They froze where they stood in shock, and then a second followed. A pain struck through Sophie's chest and she couldn't contain the scream that escaped her. "SIAN" she shouted as the tears began to roll down her face. Sally rushed towards her and placed her hands on her shoulders. Carla, Michelle and Ryan all stood with their hands over their mouths. Daniel stood still.
Milly was stepping silently through the main part of the warehouse, heading toward the offices at the back. She stopped dead in her tracks as she heard the first shot, and covered her mouth as she heard the second. Two shots, two people. Milly stood for a moment, then she heard a yell. It sounded like 'run'. Moments later a blonde girl, crying uncontrollably ran from a corridor. The girl stopped when she saw Milly.
"Sian?" Milly asked quietly. Sian nodded "your family are outside" Milly swallowed "is she..."
"She's hurt" Sian managed through tears.
"Go on, go, go get help" Milly instructed walking quickly toward and past Sian. Sian nodded and carried on running out.
Damo picked Ella up on one side and carried her through the upstairs of the warehouse. He slumped her down in an empty room and began to pace.
"Why couldn't you wait?" he said over and over as Ella attempted to look at the damage the bullet had done to her right side.
Sophie looked up as she heard Carla mutter something. She saw Sian running towards her, eyes red and puffy from tears.
"Sophie" Sian croaked as she found the other girl and wrapped herself around her.
"Sian" Sophie cried back.
Daniel looked at Sian then to where she came from.
"Sian" Daniel asked, his voice thick with worry. "Sian" he asked again. Sian looked to him, wiping her eyes. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Daniel asked concerned. Sian shook her head "is my wife?"
"Um" Sian spluttered through her tears "he er drugged her but he er he shot a gun an she got hit but I don't know where...I wanted to help am sorreh but she wouldn't let meh am sorreh"
"Don't be" Daniel reassured though his mind was buzzing "it was the right thing to do" he turned and began to walk towards the factory "I'm going in" he called behind himself.
"Am goin' too" Ryan muttered and chased after him.
"RYAN!" Michelle screamed.
"RYAN HE's GOT A GUN NO!" Carla yelled.
"I'll be careful" he shouted back as he followed Daniel.
Carla grabbed Michelle and wrapped her arms around her, Michelle hugged her back. Daniel turned down the side of the warehouse.
"Why we goin' this way?" Ryan asked Daniel, confused at why he hadn't gone through the entrance.
"He won't be expecting us this way" Daniel replied, still in a trance.
"Oh" Ryan said quietly as they raced to the back of the warehouse.
Milly stepped carefully and quietly through the warehouse. She found her way to the stairs.
Upstairs Damo lifted his phone out "where's your sister?" he hissed. He dialled her number and placed the phone to his head.
Milly jumped as her phone began to ring. Damo's eyes shot to the door as he heard the phone ringing just out the door.
"Don't go anywhere" he warned Ella pointing at her. Ella rolled onto her back as she tried to breathe barely acknowledging his words.
Damo pushed through the door and walked the short distance to the top of the stairs were he saw Milly with her head in her hands halfway down.
"Ah the recluse, finally here to join the party" he whispered, though loud enough for her to hear.
"This is sick" Milly growled to Damo scowling up to him. Damo shrugged his shoulders. "Where's my sister?" Milly hissed. Damo nodded his head over to the door where Ella had come from. "If she's dead I'm going to fucking kill you" Milly said calmly, quietly, coldly. Damo nodded and smiled.
"She's quite alive...and kicking" Damo replied with a smirk. Milly nodded slightly and began to climb the stairs. Damo walked on without her. She followed him to the room where Ella was.
"Oi" she heard him yell and so ran in to see what was happening. As she entered she saw Damo pulling Ella away from the window which she had opened. "Bit high to be jumping out of that darlin'" Damo calmly said. He turned her in his arms so Milly could see her.
Milly gasped at the sight of her sister. First her eyes fell upon her sister's eyes rolling in her head, then to the fact that her sister could barely hold her own weight, then to the huge blood stain on her sister's right side.
"What have you done?" Milly howled.
"She tried to escape" Damo explained with a shrug of his shoulders as he struggled to hold Ella up.
"Give her to me, you've had your fun, you can have me back, I'm yours" Milly yelled as she rushed over to him. She took Ella into her own arms but Damo shook his head.
"You can have her...but I don't want you...I don't want anything..." Damo thoughtfully sighed with a smile.
"What's wrong with you?" Milly mumbled to him. "I'm taking her, I'm taking her out and I'm coming back" Milly assured him. She turned on her heels and quickly crossed the room and hurried along the corridor to the stairs. Damo stood and smiled to himself before tearing after her.
"No...you aren't going anywhere, and neither is she" Damo yelled as he caught up with her.
Milly turned as she got to the top of the stairs to face him "she has a KID!"
"Why is that my problem" Damo replied calmly. Milly's eyes widened with anger and shock. He grabbed her and she smacked him off to which he slapped her and smacked her to the ground. However Ella tumbled down the stairs.
"EEELLLLAAAA" Milly screamed, tears immediately filling in her eyes "LET ME GO LET ME GO" she yelled as Damo picked her up and slammed her back down to the ground. He wrapped his hands around her neck and lifted her up before slamming her back down and knocking her unconscious. When he looked down the stairs though he couldn't see Ella.
"What the f..." he muttered to himself. Taking the gun out of his jacket Damo began to slowly walk down the stairs, careful not to make a noise. To the left he saw the door that leads to the front entrance open and smiled to himself. He slowly walked towards it.
Carla and Michelle both stood with tears streaming down their face. Sally was on the phone to Rosie while Sian and Sophie sat on the ground, Sophie cradling and rocking Sian.
"They've been gone ages" Michelle muttered shakily.
"Milly's been in there ages, they might be alright" Carla replied.
"Where are the police" Michelle looked around.
Suddenly Sally stopped and looked to the warehouse "who's that?" she called to Carla.
Carla looked and saw someone on the floor near the entrance. The crawled out a bit further then slumped down again and then further.
"It's Ella" Sian called, she stood up and went to run over to her but Sophie grabbed her.
"ELLA" Carla yelled as she went to run over to her, she stopped suddenly.
Damo stepped out slowly holding his arm out facing Ella. He held the gun firmly facing her and stepped slowly. Looking up he spotted Carla and the rest stood staring at him, mouth agape. He looked back to Ella and picked her up against him then waved before backing up and taking her back in the warehouse. But before he reached the door there was a gunshot and he stopped in his tracks. Damo suddenly dropped Ella and clutched his back. Damo dropped to his knees. Suddenly Ryan and Daniel ran around the side.
"ELLA" Daniel screamed as he saw his wife on the floor. Daniel stopped in his tracks and watched as Damo lifted his gun to face him. Daniel pushed Ryan out of the way and closed his eyes. Damo's finger tensed on the trigger and Daniel fell to the ground.
Another gunshot came from inside the warehouse and suddenly Damo fell to the floor, he was motionless. Ryan looked him, mouth agape before swallowing and grabbing his gun before throwing it away. Milly emerged from the warehouse, hand extending holding a gun firmly. Her hand was shaking and her eyes were streaming with tears though her face was expressionless. Carla appeared next to her.
"Mills" she said quietly. Milly didn't move. "Put the gun down" she didn't move "Mills give me the gun" Carla placed her hand on Milly's making Milly look up to her.
"I just" Milly gasped. Carla took the gun from her hand and placed it on the floor. Carla looked at Milly with concern but Milly looked down to Ella, eyes filled with shock as Ryan and Michelle attempted to wake her, though too afraid to move her. Sian and Sophie stood nearby as did Sally and Daniel had moved himself near Ella, eyes red and face pale white as he clutched at his stomach. Milly turned and walked off past Carla.
"Where are you going?" Carla screamed after her, but she just carried on walking. Carla looked back down to Ella before walking round to Daniel. "Are you alright"
"Yeah" Daniel breathed. "She's going to be alright isn't she?" he breathed not taking his eyes off of Ella.
"Dunno" Carla replied dryly as she looked over her lifeless niece. Daniel moved himself closer to Ella and put one of his hands over one of hers.
Sirens suddenly came blaring down the roads and blue lights suddenly appeared everywhere.
Sophie grabbed Sian and held her.
"It's all gonna be okay babe" she promised through tears. "They're here now, and everyone's gonna get fixed up and we're gonna go home and cuddle up in beds with cups of tea and am never ever not ever letting you out of my sight again, you hear?" Sian nodded as her face continued to fill with tears and she fell into Sophie.
"I love you so so much, you're everything to me and when I thought I wouldn't see you I-" Sian blubbered as she nestled her head into Sophie's neck.
"Sh sh don't talk like that Sian, don't" Sophie rubbed Sian's back and rocked her.
Sally watched them as she spoke to Rosie over the phone and allowed a small smile to cross her face.