MODS & ROCKERS - CHAPTER 34

Edward

"Get me an outside line, urgently," I yell as I skid to a halt in front of Jane's desk. Jane has the good sense not to question my instruction and pushes the phone towards me then looks askance at Jasper who's put his finger to his lips indicating for her not to say anything. My hands are shaking violently as I dial Bella's number at the Advertiser and wait for several agonising seconds for the call to be answered, then hear a voice bark…

"Johnson."

I knew instantly then that Bella wasn't at her desk and had already switched her phone through to her boss.

"Mr Johnson, this is Edward Cullen, Bella's boyfriend. I need to speak to her urgently. Is she still there?"

Johnson has obviously picked up the panic in my voice as he replies with no words of welcome.

"No, she left just before five o'clock to meet a DJ in a local coffee shop. Why, what's the matter?"

"You mean you let her go out and meet someone on her own, you fucking idiot. She's…."

"Hold on a minute, Cullen, don't you dare call me a fucking idiot. She's a journalist; she's doing her bloody job. Anyway, she took Keith with her. What's the big deal?"

"Because there's an armed maniac on the loose and he's specifically after Bella and me. The Evening Standard has just published where she works so he could be outside waiting for her. He could even be the DJ."

"Holy crap, Edward, I'll get someone to call the coffee shop and I'll get straight down there myself and make sure she stays put until you get there. You call the police from where you are and I'll hang on to Bella until you turn… oh shit!"

I hear a crash which is obviously Johnson dropping the phone.

"What! What the hell's happening?" I yell but no-one responds.

I can hear a commotion going on in the background and I'm nearly screaming in frustration as I can't see or hear what's going on. After about twenty seconds of agony I hear the phone being picked up from the desk.

"Edward, Keith's been attacked on the street. A member of the public has just brought him in and there's blood pouring from his head. He says a guy jumped him and knocked him to the ground but Bella has managed to run off. We're calling the police and an ambulance now but I think you'd better get down here fast."

I slam the phone down and turn to Jasper who's overheard the conversation.

"What do I do?" I choke. "He may already have her."

"She may have got away. Where would she go?"

"Home. She'll probably head straight for home. I'll call them."

My hands are shaking so much I can hardly dial the number that thankfully I've memorised. POP 1305. It rings three times before it's picked up.

"Bella!"

"No, Renee, this isn't Bella, its Edward. Something's happened and we think Bella may be heading home. Will you get her to call the Advertiser as soon as she gets in?"

"Edward, what's going on? Jake and Tyler have turned up here because they've seen a story in the evening papers about the man you're hiding from. Is Bella really in danger?"

"She could be, but could you put Jake on please."

I hear her shuffling about as she passes the phone to Jake.

"Who's the jerk now, Edward?" Jake hisses. "You and your fucking Rockers have put Bella at risk. If the newspaper is to be believed, there's a knife-wielding maniac after her. I'll kill you if something happens to her."

"Jake, just for once, can you put our differences to one side. Yes, there's an armed man after Bella and me and he may already have her, just don't tell her mother that. Bella is our only priority now, not some foolish Mods and Rocker feud. Jake, I need people out on the streets looking for her. She may be hiding somewhere near the Advertiser. Can you call whoever you can from your Mod pack and get them up there as soon as possible?"

"Okay, Edward. I'll start making some calls. But you and I have a score to settle."

"Jake…..for fuck's sake's will you grow up. This isn't a game anymore."

Then I slam the phone down.

"One more call," I say to Jane who is staring wide-eyed at me as I dial a number I know off by heart. It's answered straight away.

"Carol! I need to speak to Emmett urgently."

"Hi Eddie, hold on, I'll shout him. He's in the garage…Emmett…get in here quick, it's Eddie."

I hear Emmett coming through the front door.

"Hi Eddie, what's up?"

"James might already have Bella. Somebody was waiting for her outside the Advertiser and attacked the guy she was with. Bella's run off, but we don't know whether she got away. I need help. Can you call any of the boys on your list who are near this area and tell them to get up here? They know what James looks like and may recognise anyone who's with him. I need as many people on the streets as possible. If James is on his bike, he can't have got far with her if he's on his own so he must still be in the area."

"Leave it with me, Eddie, I'll get on it now."

I give him the rough location of the Advertiser which Jasper has scribbled down and handed to me then I put the phone down. I'm trying to stay in control but I can feel fury building up inside of me. I can't think of anyone other than the police who would know what happened to her in Brighton and her personal details, like where she lives and works, so it must have been them who fed the story to the press. I do know if I encounter any of the police team handling this I'll probably end up being arrested myself because I won't be able to stop myself hurling abuse at them. Their unfathomable incompetency has put Bella in danger.

"Get a cab," I order Jasper then turn to Margaret and Jane plus all the other staff, including Mr Jenks, who are assembled on the stairs watching the drama unfold. They're all staring open-mouthed at the foul-mouthed guy they previously knew as polite, well-spoken Edward Cullen, and I realise they need an explanation, but I don't have time for more than one sentence.

"My girlfriend, Bella Swan, has possibly been kidnapped from outside her place of work, so there's a strong likelihood I may not be in work tomorrow."

With that I dash out the door and jump into the waiting taxi.

Jasper has already given the driver the address and the promise of a large tip if he can get us there as fast as possible. As I sink into the leather seat, I pay no regard to London as it flashes by; instead I put my head in my hands and promise myself that by the time this day is over, if Bella isn't safe and unscathed and in my arms again, I'll either have committed murder, or suicide.

Bella

My head is thumping and my stomach is in knots as I come to terms with the truly terrifying situation I'm in. I'm too scared to move from my hiding place because I'm sure James and his thugs are out there looking for me, and the thought of what James will do to me when he finds me is too frightening to contemplate. I'm hiding in a deserted yard that leads to some bomb-damaged Victorian industrial units and my place of refuge from whoever it was who attacked Keith is under a pile of damp cardboard boxes and random pieces of wood. Since I burrowed into my hidey-hole, I've cried so much the sleeves of my coat are soaking where I've wiped my eyes on them, and even though the temperature is warm outside, I'm shivering, which is probably due to shock.

All I can remember of the attack is seeing Keith being grabbed from behind then being punched in the head by a man wearing knuckle-dusters. It definitely wasn't James, but I'm certain he was one of the men who held on to me while James was fighting on the beach in Brighton. I never got a good look at either of those men as they grabbed me from behind; also my eyes were so blurred with tears while I was their prisoner that their faces were distorted. However there was something about this man that looked familiar, and then I realise I recognised his tattooed fingers which were distinctive.

Keith was putting up a valiant fight, which gave me the opportunity to get away, but I realise now I should have attempted to get back to the Advertiser. I didn't know how much time I had to escape before Keith was overpowered or worse, but I guessed the man would have been able to catch me if I headed in that direction as there was nowhere to hide on the way back, so I panicked and attempted to make it to the row of shops where the coffee bar is situated which was nearer. I ran around the next corner and kept running as fast as I could until I heard a motorbike in the distance behind me then I dived into an alleyway between two disused buildings and ran right to the end, which is where I've been hiding under the boxes ever since, too frightened to emerge in case they're out there looking for me.

If I knew for certain Keith had made it back to the Advertiser to alert Johnson, I would know he would have called the police by now. But Keith could have been knocked unconscious or worse and could still be lying in the street, or he could already be in an ambulance on the way to a hospital or the mortuary. The road we were attacked on is little used by pedestrians as there are no factories or businesses between the Advertiser and the shops, just deserted and abandoned ruins. For this reason I can't risk venturing out of my hiding place and onto the road to look for help until I'm positive the police are out there looking for me and will protect me from that man.

I've heard the siren of one police car, but it passed the top of the alleyway really quickly before disappearing in the distance. Since then I've heard no evidence that anyone out there is searching for me, so I know I've got to stay put. Luckily I went to the loo before leaving the building, so at least I'm not desperate for a pee. It's strange that I'm looking for positives in this frightening and surreal situation.

I wrap my arms around myself and try to imagine Edward is with me and protecting me like he promised he would do. I'm hoping that somehow he's found out what's happened, but no-one at the Advertiser knows about Edward apart from Mike, but he's been out of the building all day on a job. So unless he calls in before the office empties for the night, he won't know what's going on. If Keith manages to get back to the office somehow then maybe Johnson will phone home, but then I remember I haven't given anyone our new telephone number yet so that's not going to happen either.

I'm sinking further and further into a pit of despair and I curl up in my den of cardboard boxes and start to cry again. I try to distract myself by recalling building dens in the garden with Mike when we were kids. We would use cardboard boxes, bits of wood, old blankets and tablecloths for the construction and we would pinch any food we could from the kitchen and have a picnic in our hidey-hole. We loved being under cover, especially when it rained. We would be all cosy in our little camp until the water finally seeped through and we'd have to run indoors when the roof finally collapsed on our heads. It's funny what you think about when your life's in danger.

My hearing is fine-tuning itself to the sounds around me so I'm able to pick out anything unusual or worrying, or hopeful. There's a continuous hum of traffic in the background and occasionally I can hear trains in the distance screeching along the railway tracks. The docks aren't far away either and ships sounding their horns as they pull away from their berths to start their journey towards the open sea, ring out clearly across the still air. Also I've quickly realised that the alley is the home of feral cats and there's obviously a territorial battle going on between some of them. Their howls make me jump at first but I'm used to them by now. I guess there're probably rats and mice in the area as well but I try and dismiss that troubling thought, hoping they would sense there's a human in the general area and would steer clear.

I can hear distant voices when someone passes the top of the alleyway but then they're instantly gone. I would catch one word or two before they're out of range and I'm tempted to run out and ask for help when I hear one of them, but I can't be sure it's not James or the man who attacked Keith searching for me so I can't risk it. Tears roll down my cheeks as I realise the world is still turning and life is still going on as normal for the people passing my alleyway, while I'm imagining mine is slipping away only a few feet from where they are walking.

As I lie as still as possible in my hidey-hole, my thoughts turn constantly to Edward and my family and I wonder whether I'll ever see any of them again. If James finds me I doubt it, but while I'm hidden I still have hope. I want Edward to know if the worst happens that I don't blame him at all. He mustn't take responsibility for James being a monster and a psychopath, but I know he will mentally shoulder the blame because he'll convince himself he let me down as he wasn't able to protect me. Most of all though, I want to tell him I love him again. I also want my parents and Mike to know how much I love them too, and they were the best family I could ever have wished for. I want to tell Alice she's been an amazing friend and to wish her well for her future with Jasper, but I have no means of telling any of them ... and then I remember my notepad.

Taking care to avoid shifting the boxes covering me, I open my bag and pull out the pen and pad I'd taken with me for the interview then carefully manoeuvre myself into position so I can start writing. My hands are shaking when I take the cap off my pen, so I use my left hand to steady my right hand and take some deep breaths. Even though I love my parents and Mike unreservedly, there's no question to whom my first letter will be directed.

Dear Edward,

I hope you never get to see this letter and soon I'll be safe in your arms again. If you are reading this, it means James got to me first and this note has been found in my belongings. If this is the case, please don't blame yourself for what happened as it is not your fault.

After you risked your life rescuing me from James in Brighton, you took me to a wonderful place I never knew existed. You made me the happiest girl in the world, and I've never regretted for one second what we did together. I love you, and I know that you love me. Even though I never thought myself worthy of being with someone like you, you convinced me we were equals in every way, and for this I thank you.

Please don't risk your life and liberty seeking revenge for what has happened. You are too important, and you must carry on the fight for justice for everyone who has not been given an equal opportunity to succeed.

These last two weeks have been the happiest days in my life. I consider myself blessed to have been loved by you and whatever happens to me, I know I will see you again one day.

I'll love you forever,

Bella.

I tear the page out of the pad and fold it up then put in in my bag. Before starting the next one to my parents, I carefully shuffle around to make myself more comfortable and start writing.

Dear Mum and Dad,

And then I hear the sound of a motorbike stopping at the top of the alley, followed by the voice I'd been dreading, and I accept it's only a matter of time before I'm in the hands and at the mercy of a maniac.

Edward

I spring out the cab as soon as it reaches the Advertiser's building leaving Jasper to settle the fare. A man who I guess correctly is Johnson is waiting for me by the door and after he ushers me in he blurts out what happened in rapid-fire sentences but I interrupt him.

"Have you called the police?" I unintentionally growl.

"They're on their way," he replies. "An ambulance has been called as well but they're taking an age. Keith is in the office if you want to talk to him before they get here. Also, we know that Bella didn't make it to the coffee shop because the DJ called us to say he was still waiting for her."

I stride through the building in the direction of where Johnson is pointing and spot a huddle of people around one of the desks. I barrel my way through and see the guy who is obviously Bella's colleague, Keith, being tended to by one of the female staff. He has blood seeping from a nasty wound on the back of his head and it looks to me as though his nose is broken. I can plainly see stud marks on one cheekbone so it's obvious the attacker has used knuckle-dusters.

"Keith!" I say loudly to get his attention. "I'm Edward, Bella's boyfriend. I need to know what happened and who attacked you. For a start, did he stink?"

Keith shakes his head automatically and then winces when he realises that was a stupid thing to do. "No… I had hold of him most of the time so we were quite close; I would've noticed."

"Okay, did he have long hair and a ponytail?"

"No, this guy had very short hair; I would guess it was dark brown or black. The only thing I did notice was he had tattoos on his neck and hands but I couldn't see what they were."

"Was there only one of them?"

"Only one guy attacked me, but after he knocked me to the ground there was another guy on a motorbike who was yelling abuse at him; calling him a fucking idiot for not waiting until he got there, or something like that."

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"When the guy attacked me first, I shouted at Bella to get away and she ran off in the direction of the shops, which was before the other guy turned up. I do Judo, so I managed to hang on to the guy's jacket as long as possible so he couldn't follow her but he managed to wriggle free then he punched me really hard in the face and I fell backwards banging my head on the pavement. The last thing I remember is seeing him running in the direction of the shops which is where Bella went, then getting on the pillion of a black and green motorbike that pulled up next to him and then zooming off. I couldn't see the other guy who was shouting at him because they were too far away by then and there was blood in my eyes; sorry."

As he finished speaking the police appear in the office doorway followed by the ambulance crew. I immediately spot Detective Rogers by the door and my supressed anger bursts out of me like a volcano.

"You stupid, fucking idiot," I yell across the room. "Because of your fucking incompetence, this guy's been beaten senseless and my girlfriend is possibly being raped and murdered as we speak."

I let the Medics get to Keith and stride over to where Rogers is standing with his hands on hips and an aggressive look on his face, which doesn't deter me one bit as I'm going to give it to him with both barrels.

"What possessed you to inform the newspapers where she worked and she was my girlfriend? Haven't you got an ounce of common sense in your head? You knew James Pearce was after her, you fucking imbecile."

"Don't speak to me like you know everything, Cullen," Rogers retorts angrily. "You public school boys are all the same; you think you're something special don't you? I'm warning you, if you speak to me like that again, I'll have you arrested."

"What for? Tell me what laws I've broken? Remember I'm a lawyer so don't you dare threaten me. All I've done is show you up to be a negligent prick who doesn't know what the hell he's doing."

"I've flushed Pearce into the open; you should be thanking me."

I nearly hit him when he said that. How I restrained myself I don't know.

"By using Bella as bait; is that what this is all about? You've risked my girlfriend's life to catch James Pearce, haven't you? You don't actually care what happens to her. In fact if she is raped and murdered, he'll be worth arresting in your eyes. If the heroic Detective Rogers catches a murderer, he'll get a bigger pat on the head than if he's just caught a guy with a knife who threatens Mods and young girls."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Rogers interrupts angrily but I haven't finished.

"Did you ever consider giving Bella a choice, or warning her she was going to be used in this way? Where's her bodyguard then? Where are the policemen lying in wait to spring out and catch James in the act? At best you released Bella's details before you arranged the ambush, didn't you?"

I was incandescent with rage but Rogers doesn't respond. His silence convinces me one of these scenarios is definitely what has happened. I carry on yelling at him.

"If she's been attacked, in your eyes she'll just be collateral damage. You'll be expecting a medal and a promotion for getting a maniac off the streets while her family are left to grieve and pick up the pieces. But you're so wrong. Whether or not we find Bella alive, Rogers, when I'm finished with you you'll be out of job, even if I have to call in every favour from my considerable arsenal of contacts to finish you."

"You wouldn't dare….."

"Oh I will dare, Detective. My father's a close personal friend of Sir Joseph Simpson, the current Head of the Metropolitan Police, in other words, your boss's boss's boss. Sir Joseph was at my parent's house less than two months ago and he's going to get the full story from me, so I suggest you get on that phone and get more police up here or I'm holding you criminally responsible for whatever happens to Bella."

Rogers' face drains of colour but I wasn't finished with him yet, however I needed to be outside on the street not wasting my time taking my frustrations out on an incompetent imbecile.

"I'm going out to look for my girlfriend now. The young man who's been beaten up has told me to look for two men on a motorbike and I've no doubt one of them is James Pearce."

"I'm coming with you," Johnson offers.

"Yeah, we are too," some of the other guys say, so we head for the exit and out onto the street. The first people I see outside are Jake and Tyler who are talking to Jasper.

"Any more news?" Jake asks in a voice trembling with emotion.

"Only that she ran off in that direction." I point left. "There are two guys on a motorbike after her but we've no idea whether they've found her yet. I've called a Rocker friend who's phoning round to get some of our pack up here to join the search. They know what James looks like and if they spot him they'll be able to chase him through the streets faster than any police car or scooter. The guy we're looking for has a long ponytail and stinks to high-heaven. He rides a Norton motorbike with a green petrol tank so that should be easy to spot. But be careful if you see him or the other guy. He carries a lethal flick knife and he's not afraid to use it. The other guy probably has a knife as well, so tell everyone to be wary and not to approach either of them unless they've got back-up."

As we're talking, several more scooters roar up and I recognise some of the faces from The Roxy. Jake passes on to his friends what I've said then he jumps on the back of Tyler's scooter and sets off in the direction of where I pointed.

I go back indoors and overhear Rogers yelling down the phone, telling whoever it was on the other end to get as many uniformed officers off their arses so they could join in the search for Isabella Swan. I pick up another phone and dial Bella's home again to see whether she's turned up there. This time I get her father and he's seething with anger. I tell him to send someone up to the bus stop just in case she's managed to get the bus home and James is following it. I don't want her snatched within sight of her own front door.

"You'll get this bastard, won't you, Edward?" Charlie stammers. "You won't let him do anything to my little girl?"

"I'll do my best, Charlie," I reply. "When I find her, I'll never let her out of my sight again until he's caught. I promise you that."

I slam the phone down and go outside to where Jasper is surrounded by another wave of Mods plus a few guys I know from the Ace who've turned up on their motorbikes along with some other Rockers who I don't recognise at all. Emmett has obviously been calling everyone he knows and they have in turn called other friends with bikes before setting off. Jasper is directing operations by shouting out James' description, plus a description of Bella and what she was wearing, then he sends the guys off to search in several different directions, instructing them to report back to the Advertiser every ten minutes.

Rogers comes storming out of the Advertiser and he's fuming.

"I'm in charge here, Cullen," he yells. "If anyone's going to be giving orders it's me."

"Too little, too late," I shout back at him with venom. "One thing this public schoolboy learned on the playing fields of Eton is how to take control in a crisis. You couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery."

I march over to where Rogers is standing and put my face close to his.

"If she doesn't come back to me in one piece, it's all on you, understand?" I hiss. "So I suggest you do something useful and coordinate your Bobbies while Jasper and I concentrate on our own search party."

I don't bother waiting for his reply but turn away and run over to Sam who's just arrived on his bike.

"Can I ride pillion?" I ask but before I have a chance to slide on, Alice's dad turns up in his car with Alice in the passenger seat. I didn't know that he'd arranged to pick Bella up at the end of the day so I tell Sam to wait while I sprint over to tell him what's going on. Alice shrieks and jumps out of the car straight into Jasper's arms while Alice's dad roars off to look for Bella.

I run back to Sam and we set off in the direction of the shops. Being on a bike in a business suit rather than my leathers feels very strange plus I very rarely ride pillion, but at least I can concentrate on looking around me rather than watching the road like Sam is doing.

As we're careering along the local roads between the Advertiser and the shops, I spot more and more scooters and motorbikes driving past us and they're obviously heading to the Advertiser for instructions. Word has got out, and Mods and Rockers from all over the city are descending on this part of London to help in the search for Bella. All rivalries and previous conflicts have been forgotten. Finding the Mod girlfriend of a Rocker is what has brought them together as one non-partisan team, and even though the situation for me is desperate, I feel a strange thrill inside me as I'm reminded that the human desire to do good overshadows everything else when the cards are on the table.

The area between the Advertiser's office and the shops is a wasteland of neglected buildings and litter-strewn streets. East London is gradually being rebuilt after the war, but investors have yet to turn their attention to this unattractive part of the City. The abandoned and bombed out industrial sites are a warren of unnamed streets and dark, overgrown alleyways and I hope and pray Bella has found somewhere safe to hide and isn't already in the back of a van being taken far away from here or being assaulted in one of these derelict warehouses.

I indicate to Sam we should turn back to check whether anyone has any news and we arrive at the Advertiser to find the road in front of the building packed with bikes and police cars.

"Anything?" I shout to Jasper.

"Nothing?" he calls back over the din of revving engines and a solitary police siren.

As Sam is turning the bike around to set off once again, Tyler comes roaring up and I notice Jake isn't on the back of his scooter anymore.

"Jake thinks he spotted James and another guy in the industrial estate," Tyler shouts. "He's following them at a distance and needs some back-up."

Tyler spins his scooter around and heads back the way he came. Sam revs his engine and we're soon following Tyler's lead along with about thirty other motorbikes and scooters. We're now travelling through a part of the estate that is totally deserted and not in a direct line to the shops, which surprises me as I presumed Bella would make a bee-line for the coffee shop. We've only been moving for about a minute when Tyler puts his arm up to indicate he's pulling over. The pack comes to a halt behind him and I jump off and run over to him.

"Why are we stopping?" I ask.

"Because this is roughly where we saw the guy that fitted James's description. He was coming out of one of these alleyways with another guy. They were on a bike but they didn't see us watching. There's some old industrial units around here that back onto the railway and she could be hiding in any of them. If we roar up in a pack, the noise of the bikes might freak him out and he could do Bella some damage if he's already got her. Best to go on foot."

I take my jacket off and sling it over Sam's handlebars then follow Tyler along the street. The pack are behind us, but they roll their bikes silently along the quiet road. Occasionally a solitary car or lorry would pass us and the driver would give us a strange look which was only to be expected. It's not every day you see Mods and Rockers wandering the streets together.

My heart is pounding in my chest as we approach the first abandoned factory. As we creep closer, I can just see the back wheel of a motorbike protruding from a gap between the buildings. I turn towards Sam meaning to point out to him what I've spotted, but before I have a chance to speak, I hear a high-pitched scream and then another more anguished wail coming from somewhere around us.

At that precise moment I knew we'd found what we were looking for, but that pitiful sound meant we were probably too late and my blood ran cold.

Bella

I curl myself into a ball and start praying. I can hear heavy footsteps coming down the alleyway; their thuds echoing against the walls of the stone and brick buildings either side which makes them sound even more terrifying. Then James starts shouting.

"I know you're in here, bitch," he bellows then laughs evilly. "I'll soon find you and then the fun'll start."

I clamp my hand over my mouth to stop myself from whimpering then close my eyes tightly, hoping against hope that he'll by-pass my cardboard shelter and just concentrate his search in the abandoned buildings that surround me.

Closing my eyes only makes my ears more acutely aware of my surroundings. I can hear police sirens in the distance and the occasional car or motorbike passing the top of the alleyway, but nothing that will give me any real hope of rescue.

The footsteps are coming closer and then they stop dead.

"Go after him!" James yells and I hear running feet getting fainter with every second. I catch my breath as there's a chance James and the other man have been spotted so help could be on its way.

"It's just you and me now," James laughs, "but you're tiny, Isabella Swan, no match for a strong man like me. It'll make a change for you to have a real man fucking you; not some upper-class wimp who hasn't got a clue what he's doing. You'll be begging for more when I'm finished with you."

I can hear him moving around the yard, kicking pieces of junk out the way and overturning anything that could potentially hide a terrified human. Every crash is accompanied by a curse word and I can tell he's getting more and more agitated as time goes by. I'm guessing he knows his window of opportunity is limited and he's determined to get his revenge on me and Edward before he's discovered. In my mind this makes him even more dangerous than before and I'm shaking in fear.

After a couple of minutes the other guy comes running back down the alleyway shouting, "I got him, Jimbo. Let's just say he's sleeping peacefully and won't bother us anymore."

James laughs evilly and sets about ransacking the yard again.

"I know she's in here," he spits. "She couldn't have got any further than the first alley or this one. There's nowhere else she can hide so I'm not leaving 'til we've found her. She's all mine now."

I can tell he's on the other side of the yard by now as his cursing is getting fainter. I'm still listening out for any chance of help when I hear the sound of scooters or motorbikes in the distance and then they stop abruptly. It's obvious James hasn't heard them as he's still cursing but he's definitely coming closer to me and I know it's only a matter of time before he turns his attention to the boxes.

As I curl up even tighter than before to make myself as small as possible, I feel something move under the cardboard and I freeze. I open my eyes to see what it is just as a huge rat runs past my face. I can't help my reaction which is instinctive.

I fling my hands up to cover my eyes which makes the boxes piled on top of me shift noisily. As daylight appears above me I hear the sound of running feet coming towards my hiding place, and I know from the triumphant shouts and yells from James and the man who's with him that I've been discovered.

I curl into a ball and pray and pray. My eyes are tightly shut as I can't bear to see the face of the man from my nightmares again and I clamp my arms around my body in a futile attempt to protect myself as I pray for someone to help me. But this time my prayers haven't been answered like before and Edward isn't here to rescue me.

As the sound of James' heavy boots stop right in front of me, I know that in the next few seconds I'll be dragged from my hiding place into the terrible light of day to endure all the horrors that are awaiting me.

We all know that Edward and the combined pack of Mods and Rockers are not far away, but will they get to Bella in time before James has a chance to exact his revenge?

FYI

This part of the East End was one of the last areas of London to be rebuilt after the war. It was heavily bombarded by the Luftwaffe because of the proximity of the Docks, and much of the land wasn't redeveloped for decades. Since the introduction of container ships, London has ceased to be an important Port with most of the business moving to places like Harwich and Tilbury. The old docks have been redeveloped and are now some of the most expensive pieces of land in the Capital. Canary Wharf being a prime example. The place where Bella is hiding is where Victorian workshops and factories that used to supply the London Docks were situated.

There is a famous quote that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the 'Playing Fields of Eton'. No-one is 100% sure who originally thought up this quote, even though some people credit it to George Orwell, but what I believe it means is that so many British leaders, both political and military, went to Eton, and they learned the skills of team work and strategy whilst playing sports or taking part in the military exercises on their playing fields. (By the way, Churchill went to Harrow, so not all great leaders went to Eton).

Joan x (Sorry again about the cliffy) x