corriemad.2002, I'm sorry for the mean cliffhanger, especially as I didn't update it yesterday, but I'm glad you're still enjoying it. Thank you for your review.
ETWentHome, thank you for your review. I'm glad you think Ethan is responding as you'd expect, even though it's not a good idea at all! Cal's getting quite responsible, isn't he?
X-Sammii-X, Ethan has probably already done something stupid, but you're right: Nibbles is amazing! That's a good point: it's a big step for Cal to admit there are things he can't handle. Thank you for your review.
westlife4ever80, thank you for your review. Yes, Ethan is being the knight in shining armour for once! But I can't promise everything will be okay.
Tanith Panic, thank you for your review. The peanut joke was slightly gross, but having admitted to a weakness, I think Cal wanted some street cred back! I suppose he, Ethan and Kate were all brave in this chapter.
Is-there-somewhere-x, I'm glad you found the chapter tense - I find that kind of thing quite difficult to write so it's really good to know I managed it. Thank you for your review.
20BlueRoses, I'm glad you liked the cliffhanger! You're right about Ethan thinking he has nothing to live for, but perhaps this incident will help him. Thank you for your review.
Once Cal had finished extracting the peanut, he went in search of Ethan. To his delight, he wasn't in the staff room, which meant he must have gone to see Kate. Cal considered staying in the staff room and giving Ethan and Kate some time alone, but he regretfully decided they probably still needed his help. Ethan would never turn their friendship into something more if left to himself and Kate seemed to have given up the direct approach.
When Cal reached reception, he was surprised to see a group of security guards beside the desk. One of them was on the phone and Cal only had to hear a few words to realise he was calling the police. Cal edged around them and tried to catch Noel's attention. "What's going on?"
Noel's face was haggard. "There's a hold-up in the shop. Kate's in there. So's-" He stopped abruptly, but he'd said enough.
"Ethan's in there, isn't he?" Cal sounded panicky, but he didn't care. What did it matter if everyone knew he was terrified? His brother was in danger.
"I don't know," admitted Noel. "He was the one who told me and he left when I was calling security. I didn't see where he went."
Cal stood for a moment as the room blurred. He swayed slightly against the desk, but suddenly, his mind and his vision were clear.
He had to get to Ethan.
There were two men in the shop. One was standing by the door, looking down at Ethan with a chilling smile. The other was by the till, with Kate. He didn't look at Ethan.
"Oh my goodness. I am so sorry!" said Ethan. He pushed himself up onto his knees tried to hide his terror. His eyes sought Kate, but his view of her was blocked by the man. "I didn't realise you had customers." He tried to smile at the man. "We were going to have a tryst, you see. A romantic tryst. My girlfriend was going to close the shop to give me the signal. I thought it was a bit early, but I never thought… I'm so sorry for interrupting. Please: continue with your transaction. But perhaps I could give my girlfriend a hug first? I've been missing her terribly."
The man at the till remained with his back to Ethan. "Get him to shut the blind, then bring him over here."
"Oh… um… oh gosh… is there something going on?" said Ethan. He hoped he sounded convincingly confused. According to Cal, he quite often did. "Darling, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, sweetheart," said Kate. Her voice was shaking, but at least she'd accepted the tryst idea. "Don't worry. They won't hurt you if you do what they say. So please do as they say! I don't want anything to happen to you."
Ethan thought sadly that it was a bit late for that. It had been too late from the moment he was conceived.
The man by the door seized Ethan's arm roughly and took out a knife. "Close the blind. And don't try anything or you'll get this baby stuck in your throat and there's not a doctor in the hospital who'll be able to save you then. And just so you know, my mate over there has a knife too. And it's sharp. Ask your girlfriend."
Ethan gasped. "You've hurt her?" He tried to charge forward, but the man caught his wrist, holding the knife to Ethan's throat.
"Are you going to close that blind like I just asked you? Or am I going to make you regret not closing it? And I don't necessarily mean you'll be the one who gets hurt."
"I'll close it," whispered Ethan.
The man turned him around and pressed the tip of the knife into his back. "Go on then."
Ethan bent slowly, trying to keep his back straight so the knife wouldn't press further into him. He was shaking, but he managed to pull down the blind. "Please can I go to my girlfriend now? She must be terrified and to be perfectly honest, so am I."
Just not for myself.
The man smiled nastily. "Of you go then. Go to your precious girlfriend. Though what she sees in a coward like you is anybody's guess."
"Yes: I have often asked myself the same question," said Ethan shakily.
The knife remained in Ethan's back as he walked over to the counter. In less than a minute – through it seemed far longer – he was behind the counter and at Kate's side. "Darling, are you okay?" He reached out to hug her, knowing it would be expected of him, but then he saw the blood-soaked napkin she was holding against her arm. "Oh my goodness: have they hurt you?"
"It's fine," said Kate. "It was my fault. Something made me jump and I jumped into the knife.."
Ethan took her arm gently and examined it.
"Get on with it!" hissed the man at the counter.
"Please can I just try to stop the bleeding first," said Ethan meekly. "It will be far worse for you if there's blood all over the floor."
"Okay. But be quick."
Ethan got some more napkins and applied pressure. "Don't worry." He winced. "I'm sorry: that's the stupidest thing I could possibly have said. But the cut isn't deep."
It was still a concern, of course. - Ethan had no way of knowing how clean the knife was - but that was wasn't a worry he wanted to share with Kate.
The knife was thrust towards them again. "Get on with it! We haven't got all day."
Cal struggled, but the security men were stronger than he was. At least when there were three of them.
"Please let me go. My little brother's in there and he's ill."
"I know you're worried, Cal, but if we go bursting in, the guys doing the hold-up might panic and hurt someone. We just can't take the risk."
"I won't try to stop them," said Cal. "I won't try to do anything. I just need to make sure Ethan's safe and stop him from doing something stupid. He's not himself at the moment. The fact he went in there at all shows that. Ethan has an incurable disease and he thinks he isn't worth anything. I'm scared he's going to risk his life because he doesn't care." His voice shook. "I'm so scared I'm going to lose him."
Kate took in a shaky breath and turned back to the till. With only one hand, she would have to use the till more slowly, but perhaps that would buy them some time.
Ethan put his free arm around her, applying pressure to the wound. Kate smiled at him gratefully, though her feelings about his presence were mixed. There was obviously no romantic tryst (if only!), which made it more than likely that Ethan had been the one who'd phoned her.
She loved him for coming to help her (along with the many other reasons she had to love him), but she was worried. She had no way of knowing if Ethan had told anyone what had happened. She couldn't help thinking that if he had told security, he would have been prevented from entering the shop.
"It's going to be okay," said Ethan softly. He looked terrified, but he was trying to smile. "I'm sure we'll get out of this."
The man laughed. "If you do as you're told, yes, you will get out of it. But if you don't…"
Kate's trembling hands hit a key and the screen went blank. She made a small whimper of fear and felt Ethan's hand tighten on her shoulder.
"It's okay. Just take a moment. You'll be fine."
"What's the delay?" snarled the man.
Kate's voice shook. "I'm sorry. My hands were shaking and I accidentally pressed cancel. But as there are four of now, shall I do four teas?"
"Fine," said the man. "Four teas it is. Anyone can hit cancel accidentally once." He moved the knife marginally closer. "But I don't expect it to happen twice."
Kate gulped slightly and her eyes filled with tears. She knew they might not get out of this alive.
Ethan held her more tightly. His voice was gentle. "I'm here, sweetheart. I'm not leaving you."
It was strange, but it didn't feel like he was playing a role. He sounded as though he really cared.
Kate blinked her tears away and turned back to the till. As slowly as she dared, she typed in the information for four cups of tea. She tried not to look at the man or the knife. She concentrated on the till and Ethan's supporting arm.
Time moved so slowly. Kate finished entering the information. The till gave the total price. Kate repeated it in a trembling voice. "Though, of course it's on the house."
She pressed another key. The drawer shot open with a ringing sound. Kate lifted the flap holding the twenty pound notes in place, took them out and laid them on the counter. It was slow and awkward with onehand, but she managed it. The ten and five pound notes followed. Then the coins.
Ethan was standing so close to Kate, she could feel his breath against her cheek. He seemed quite calm, but Kate was sure he must be terrified. Anyone would be. Their lives were in danger.
But perhaps Ethan had no fear for his own life.
The drawer was empty now. Kate closed it and looked pleadingly at the man.
"Do you think you might be able to let Kate go now, please?" said Ethan politely. "I'm very happy to go with you as a hostage and I'm sure Kate will be happy not to mention this to anyone until I'm back safely, but you don't need both of us."
"If you go, I go," whispered Kate. Nothing would make her leave him now.
The man laughed at Ethan. "You really are pathetic, aren't you? I almost begin to disbelieve in your romantic tryst. Why a girl like this would look twice at you…"
"Ethan is the bravest man I know and I love him!" declared Kate. She put her arms around Ethan and pressed her mouth lightly to his.
Ethan's lips were unresponsive at first, his face frozen into shock, but as Kate tried to deepen the kiss (what was she doing? Why now?), this seemed to coax him into life. His kiss was sweet and gentle, but somehow full of strength.
They both jumped as the man slammed his fist onto the counter.
"Enough! We have to go soon." He nodded at Kate. "Make our drinks." He turned to Ethan. "We're all going on a little drive together. On the way out, you will not attempt to attract attention. If you do, your girlfriend will suffer."