Chapter 51 – Michael

I knew I was being watched in the house; there was a dodging looking battered car parked out the front with a man standing by it, and the second I turned into the street he ducked behind it. I could still see his fogged breath as he watched me though, but I pretended not to look. It was hard when he was being so obvious.

I unlocked the door, kicking it shut behind me before kicking off the useless frozen canvas shoes, whipping off my wet clothes – the denim jacket, the jeans, white tee and the weird scarf thing before carrying them all to the washing machine, throwing them in there and closing the door. I placed the travel mug in the sink as I had drained the whole thing, the warmth being a very welcome addition to my body.

Personally, I loved the way Ella thinks and even thinking about the travel mug in this situation would never have crossed my mind. However, I couldn't stay here long. Not with the car outside, recording my every move. I walked over to the window in the lounge and saw the man, with a thick coat with the hood up on the phone and I knew I would have to be out of here within the next ten minutes before he could call back up. I flicked the kettle on before running upstairs, grabbing a backpack from the bottom of the wardrobe, putting three shirts in there, a couple pairs of thermals, a few pairs of socks and a good book (as I would have to waste time where I'm going, may as well pack some travel reading) and I realised I was just in my boxers.

Quickly, I changed my underwear, putting on some thermal base layers before putting on a pair of jeans, a thick shirt and a jumper, before finding out one of the coats that had come for me in that delivery. Oh – and a wooly hat and some gloves. At least now I was prepared for the bitingly cold weather and was somewhat disguised.

I considered leaving a note for Sam but I knew it would be stupid so I left the room, running back downstairs, and filling my bag with food and drink; several snacky foods, including pouring some cereal into a zip lock bag, some fruit, a handful of nuts and some chocolate. A few bottles of water, and then a Coke in the top too. I managed to just about do the bag up, before realising there was still a front pocket – and I put some tea bags in the front. I'm British and I would never be parted from my supply of tea. The kettle had already boiled and I flicked it over again, finding a travel mug and a flask within the cupboard under the sink like he had at home.

Even though I was copying Ella's idea, I was very proud of myself.

I tipped some coffee granules into the flask and a few less into the mug – I think coffee when being kidnapped and on the run is a bit more productive, tea can be when I reach my temporary hiding place – before pouring a dash of milk into each of the containers, two teaspoons of sugar into the mug and six into the flask (I think it said the flask holds three cups when I bought it...) before filling them both of up with the boiling water. I screwed the lid in to the flash, clipping it onto my rucksack, before mixing my drink in the mug until it was completely dissolved, and I left the metal spoon in the mug. I had finally started to think logically and darted over to the front door, locking it and then double locking it, before jogging back into the kitchen.

Time to leave.

My rudimentary plan was rudimentary at best, but I knew I couldn't leave Wrickenridge but I had to stay sheltered until later in the day. But the place where I chose to shelter had to be nice and warm and very quiet so I didn't get recognised – and the place I had chose was the White Water Centre Saul owned. I knew the Benedict's would be so busy trying to find me that they wouldn't be at the centre, but if I was caught there by a member of staff they wouldn't think too much off it. There was also a shower facility there, as well as a common room for staff and a fully heated storage facility which I planned to break into and set up camp there. It was about a ten kilometre walk there and providing I didn't get abducted again walking up there, I should be there before sunrise at half six which would give me around ten or eleven hours to calm myself down, enjoy my book and the picnic, have a shower and get changed before leaving my bag in the changing room for them to find later and try and get myself back up onto the mountain to "Executioner's Point" which I guess is where I woke up.

Without a second look at the house, trying not to see Sam and Nic in everything, I opened the back door with my mug in my hand giving me shots of warmth, I opened the door and crept out, surveying the garden – sure enough no one was around the back. I locked the door telekinetically before darting across the garden, jumping the fence and landing on the other side before I was off into the woods behind.

It took me a few hours to find exactly where I was going, and by then it had started to be light – more cars were moving around the place and as I got to the road leading to the water school, there were a few high school aged children milling around. I kept my head down and a few feet into the woodland, hoping to bypass anyone and everyone who came this direction. A truck started to rumble down the road and I walked even further into the woods, hiding behind a tree slightly. The truck was actually a Jeep and one that belonged to the school. I only briefly saw who was in the car and nearly swallowed my own tongue when I saw Chris and Cameron – Chris in the driver's seat. What are they doing here?

Of course they work here but it made this a thousand times riskier. If they saw me, they would tell everyone which would then just ruin this plan and put everyone in danger. I had already dragged Sam into this dangerous life I live, and my daughter too, I couldn't put their lives in danger any more than I already have. I sighed, wondering what to do. I knew I had to rest, I was getting tired and the numbness in my bones was telling me I had to warm up too – so it was a risk I had to take. I skirted myself off into the woods at a wider girth – when the Jeep had gone out of view I ran across the path and headed down into the woods on the other side. Fifteen minutes later, I found the storage shed I was looking for, and I picked the lock.

Warmth encased me and it was only then I realised exactly how cold I was. I dropped my bag down, and sat on the floor and grinned. I never realised my winter training I had done a few years ago would ever be useful but not I just had to sit on my arse and wait.

\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\

I had been sitting around until the late afternoon – I didn't have any device on me that showed the time, nor was there a clock in my chosen room so I had to go based on the sun – until I decided it was time to make a move. I hard warmed up again, had some food, some water and two cups of tea and had read one of the books in my bag and debated about my life. I knew I was being harsh on myself but I wondered if I had done the right thing taking in Sam and Nic. They were only with me for a month and all this had happened and I knew the future wouldn't be easy either. If I never had met them, they would still be at Blakeley with a mediocre life and perhaps Tobias would have made a move on her by now? But the rational part of me pointed out time after time that actually Sam had told me relentless amount of times how much I've improved her life – I've given her freedom and stability and a sense of normality. I've given Nic a family, somewhere to grow up that isn't in a cramped student flat on Blakeley and even within that month I had seen her thrive. So I wasn't doing the wrong thing, but these series of events weren't fathomable. They weren't done by a rational man so we couldn't predict them and I had to stop blaming myself for this. I hope Sam wasn't blaming me for all of this though.

I got up, taking off my clothes and changing into my last set of dry clothes – a pair of thermal base layers which have turned out to be absolute life savers, over the top a pair of skinny jeans, a long sleeved burgundy jumper and a coat on top. I pulled a hat over to cover my ears and a pair of gloves, two pairs of wool socks, and then my mountain shoes back on again – thankfully they had dried out since earlier.

I surveyed the room I had stayed in for a good amount of time, with my clothes hanging up to dry and my backpack against the wall which was clearly noticeable whenever someone would come in within the future and sighed. It had done me well, this small room, and I knew it would be the last room I would be in before I was shot. I had now a six mile walk to "Executioner's Point," and I had to do it in a quick pace.

It would be so rude to be late for your down death.

Two hours later, I had come across the trees with the carvings which signalled I was nearing the Benedict's house and I was impressed with my mountaineering skills and noted to myself to add it to my CV when I was back home, but I gave the house a wide birth. I ran across the road, darting in between the trees until I was certain that if anyone saw me, they wouldn't have been able to keep up with me. The roads leading up here were well grounded down – not only had cars gone up and down but trucks, large heavy vehicles which didn't match the prints of any of the Benedict's cars. My executioners were here, then, they had arrived early. Perhaps to set up? I don't think they knew that I was prepared for this, and I had already said goodbye to those who mean the most to me, and had already left notes in case this doesn't go to plan but fingers crossed it would.

The thing that upset me the most was that Sam will never know how much she truly means to me. I tried to tell her time and time again but she doesn't comprehend what I'm on about fully. She doesn't understand that she is the World to me and I would give up this entire life – I would give up Maui, quit and call it a day – if it meant she would be happy. I would give up everything I knew to make sure she was safe. I would marry her in the blink of an eye and I considered proposing to her earlier in that shed but the only thing that stopped me was the fear of her saying no. It was both what we wanted, we had discussed it before how we wanted one day for us to be married and had children of our own and the domesticated life that both of us would benefit from, and not to mention that dream of us getting married, but Sam doesn't understand what I feel for her and that was enough to kill me.

I heard a scream and my head shot up, turning my head to try and figure out where it came from. It was from a young girl and my heart sunk but I didn't know where it was from. Did I make it up? I looked around but there was no one around. I closed my eyes and tried to find any minds nearby but there was nothing. Perhaps I did make it up? I still stood there for another few minutes, waiting for any other noises but apart from a bird, there was nothing and I started to make my way up the hill.

Ten minutes later, another scream and this time I knew I wasn't making it up. I started to run to where I thought I heard the noise.

'Daddy!'

Nic. Who the Hell had Nic and what are they doing to her to make her panic and scream that much? I was furious and scared, adrenaline pumping through me as I ran faster than I have ever before. Where was she? Where was Nic? Why did they have to bring Nic into this?

'Daddy, help!'

She was closer, but I kept running towards her, noticing the trees as I ran up the hill – they had the same marking on as before and I knew I was heading to "Executioner's Point" and my heart sunk even further into my chest than I thought was possible. They had Nic at "Executioner's Point" – I needed to get her out of there before she gets hurt.

'Please,' I heard Nic shout in tears. Hang on, baby girl, I thought to her but I knew she hadn't learnt how to speak telepathically yet, or at least not well enough, and shouting back would risk injury to both her and myself so I kept running. I broke into the clearing, seeing both Lily and Nic standing together, hugging, both in tears. I picked them both up, hugging them tight.

'I'm here now, I'm here,' I told Nic as she sobbed into me, hugging me tight. Lily did the same and I tried to find someone in the trees. 'Where are they, Nic?' I muttered.

'They're just behind the trees, I can sense them, they made me call you,' Nic hiccupped back still sobbing.

'They'll shoot you if you make a run for it,' Lily said, crying into my shoulder.

I nodded, kissing both of their foreheads before putting them down on the floor, kneeling down.

'Is Mummy coming?' I asked Lily every so softly so no one could hear apart from her and she nodded, wiping her eyes.

'She's coming with Auntie Sam too,' Lily replied and I nodded.

'What about Jason?'

'They're coming up now,' Lily whispered and I grinned at her. She was an incredible good child.

'Nic, I need you to stand behind me and don't move and do whatever you think is correct, these men are very naughty, and whatever they say might be a lie, so if you want to use your gift of them, you can, but just stay behind me and I love you, okay?' I whispered to Nic and she nodded.

'I love you too Daddy,'

'I love you too, Lils,' I told my niece and she repeated it back to me but both of the kids were absolutely distraught.

'And here he is, the man himself,' I heard someone say and noticed a man coming out from the tree line. He was around five foot eleven, with a formal designer suit with a black tie pinned down with a silver clasp, and his formal shoes replaced with some mountain snow boots which didn't compliment the look. His greying hair detracted from his somewhat dodgy tan and falsely white teeth, but I knew straight away who he was. I could see a bit of Sam in him. Luman Carnes. He straightened his tie and I noticed a few people loitering in the tree line, all in black clothes but it stuck out against the white snow. 'I expect you to call me Dad, as I am your father in law, well; so to speak I am,'

'You're nothing to Sam,' I said, pushing the kids behind me softly.

'Haha, you're very protective over that slut,' He said.

'Don't you dare,' I protested immediately.

'You can't tell me what to do, Michael, you never have. Nor your parents. They tried, but let's see where that got them. They pushed me one step too far so of course I had to dispose of them. I didn't want to kill all of the kids, though, that was an accident. I wanted to acquire all seven of you and raise you in Kingdom,' My heart was racing. 'Two out of seven wasn't bad – and then those two fled when you got your kids back, two of my loyalist staff betrayed me. Guess betrayal runs in your blood steam, Mr. Evans,'

'What do you want,' I asked but not questioned and he frowned. I had enough listening to his bullshit.

'Where is your wife?'

'We're not married,'

'Not yet, I hear, but I'm sure it's a done deal. And this must be Nicole,' Luman said, addressing Nic where she was standing hugging my right leg. His eyes were drilling into the kid and I felt her cringe and put my hand down to her as she took it. 'I'm your grandfather,'

'Fuck off; you're nothing to her either,'

'Language around your kids,'

'Daddy?' Nic asked.

'I'm your Mummy's father,' Luman said to her sweetly and it made my stomach churn.

'You're no one's father – you can't claim that after what you did to the girls,'

'Girls? Sticking up for that slut too,' He said and I knew he was referring to Lucy. 'How is Lucy doing? Still sitting around grieving over Dixon's death, I hope, doing nothing productive. Doesn't surprise me - I always said I should have kept Sam, as you like to call her, not as good as the name I gave her but it will do, and ditched Lucy when I had the chance.'

He was a sick bastard who made my stomach churn. The way he just spoke so loosely about the girls, about my girlfriends and her sister killed me off and I knew if Jason was here, both of would be struggling to make a lid on it.

'You know, giving up Melissa was tricky,' I frowned – who was Melissa? 'Oh, Sam, Sam's birth name is Melissa,' I tried not to care, but it got to me. I don't know why, Sam would always be Sam to me. Luman smiled at me like he knew the impact. 'So, giving up Melissa was tricky but it wasn't a hard decision. Twins are always a bitch to raise – not that you would know – so when Lucy was born, I had to dispose of one of them. Of course, the only boy in my family was her brother, and there was no way I would give up Lukas, so Melissa had to go, be disposed off?'

'You were going to kill her?' I asked, my nose flaring. This son of a bitch was pushing all kinds of buttons.

'I'm a business man, Michael, not a murderer –'

'And those murders last year, the eighteen cases? Dixon? And before that – you tried to kill my sister, for God's sake,'

'Keep a lid on your volatile anger,' Luman warned me, 'We have to wait for the others to make a deal anyway, but those were necessary murders. I was never going to murder a child, no; I removed her memories and left her at Blakeley. It was new, and it didn't have good security. Of course she was my gene pool so I had to keep her safe enough that if I needed her back, I could, and close enough to keep an eye on. I would never have guessed she would be what she is today. I heard that removing kid's memories and making them blank slates fucked them over. I was okay with that. Melissa being the runt of the litter. But no, look at her now. She even has a PhD,' He shook his head. 'I want her back at Kingdom,'

'Not a chance,'

'Oh, yeah, and what do you want her for? To be a house wife? Raise your children? Get a grip, Michael,' Luman said sneering. He opened his mouth to say something but I heard running close by – the sound of boots in the snow crunching on every foot print and twigs snapping underfoot. I turned around to see Joe and Jason just making it into the clearing, and they both gave me a look as if asking if I was okay and the situation at hand was okay. I nodded slightly as Joe continued to run towards me but stopped to kneel beside me, making sure the kids were okay. I heard him mutter something to Nic, so quiet I could barely hear, but she nodded straight away and hugged my leg a bit tighter but I could sense that my daughter was doing something beside me and I wondered if somehow, Joe had set her up to do something when this had happened. I wouldn't be surprised. He picked up Lily who had started to cry and hugged her tight. Jason stood to the left of me, back a bit, and I knew he was here for medical reasons but both Joe and Jason had come in bulletproof vests – damn that would have been logical for me – and they both had weapons of some sort.

'Oh, part of you cavalry has arrived. I was sure there would be more. Of course I'm familiar with this one,' He gestured to Joe who gave him the dirtiest look known to man as he hugged Lily tight to him, hand on the back of her head. 'But this one, I have no idea who he is,' He referred to Jason and it hit me. He had no idea who Jason was – he has lost track of Lucy completely and had no idea the link between Lucy and Jason or didn't match Jason up to him.

'There's more coming,' Jason sneered already wanting to throttle him. Jason had a more impulsive attitude – a do it now and thinks about the consequences later and was more than likely to try and beat the shit out of him. 'You're surrounded; you and you're posse,'

'Your friend has been watching too many action movies,' He told me, pointing to Jason and I heard in the background someone else walking up to the clearing but I didn't make an effort to turn. 'Where was I? Oh, yeah, how useless girls are. I apologise for you both for having daughters, not worth it. I prefer boys,'

'It's because you're a narrow minded dick,' Jason muttered. He was still extremely angry for all he had done to his fiancé and I was joining him on that boat now, but I knew there was no point poking the bear before the time had come. I turned around and shook my head at him and he clenched his jaw. However, I looked down slightly and noticed there was footprints appearing on the floor by no one and knew that Lucy was among us too, using her invisibility shield which meant, when Jason said that they were surrounded, it was true an all of them would be invisible.

'Keep it together,' Luman told him, 'We all know who would win in a head to head between us so save yourself the embarrassment, what I was saying was sons are so much more loyal, they know the true meaning of family loyalty unlike the other two, don't they, Lukas?'

Another man in a suit came out from the trees – with bright blue eyes and brown hair, a smug appearance as he looked down as all but the splitting appearance was there between him and Sam and I took a juddered breath. This is what she was related too and what she was so scared of me finding out about. She had barely looked into it herself from the fear of it and in all honesty I don't blame her. She had been living in too much fear and soon, she wouldn't have too. If they were going to shoot me, I would make sure I wouldn't go down alone.

'Yes, of course I am loyal unlike my two sluts that genetics refers to as my sisters, I thought Lucy would have known better, being under my tuition at all times, but it shows how the real world can influence you, what bitter effects it has on an individual, and now she's living alone in a flat in Bournemouth with no family, no husband, no children, nothing she was promised in Kingdom,' Lukas said in a very formal tone, before heading back into the tree line – still visible compared to before but keeping a distance.

'I beg to differ,' I heard Lucy say from somewhere but I didn't turn around, not wanting to break her guard. 'The real world is a place, unfalsified and pure unlike the sex workshop you're running, father mine, but you need to hire some better spies. I moved out of Bournemouth months ago, perhaps even years ago. Seems like even your standards are dropping,'

I saw the surprised look on Luman's face for a second, but he hid it well. Lukas didn't and remained opened mouth looking in surprise. Lucy had dropped her shield then, and I turned around to see her in her Maui wear – in fabric that helped aid her gift that was incredibly tight fitting so it was almost another layer of skin – but it emphasised her figure incredibly well. She was holding Tyler, who was decked out in a ski suit, before she handed him over to Jason.

'I had everything you promise, but I had it all on my own free will – not forced into marriage, brainwashed into believing the work you did was good and humane, not forced into the hospital beds and impregnated and forced to lie there for two months. You're not running a utopian society, you're running a living hell with a breeding stock,' Lucy spat at him.

'My youngest daughter, they say rebellion hits hard with the youngest,' Luman said, eyeing her up. 'You caused so many heartbreaks, but we would still welcome you back,' He made a move forward.

'Don't touch her,' Jason shouted and Lucy turned around and gave him a look and he took a step back, gently bouncing around Tyler who must have woken up.

Luman looked between those two.

'Oh, I thought someone like you would have standards,' He said directing the comment towards Jason as Lucy took a step towards him, almost sizing up, before slapping him full force. I heard a click of a gun and immediately pulled Lucy back, slightly harshly but I immediately mouthed an apology to her and she nodded, before walking back over to Jason who put an arm around her waist as Luman held his face, eyes blazing, before straightening up and looking at the trio.

'Who's the Christmas ornament,' He said addressing the lump of cloths Jason looked like he was carrying. I sensed another body has shown up and turned to the other side, seeing Ella coming out of the woods silently and up behind Joe, gently whispering something to Lily before standing next to Joe. Luman didn't even notice her slick appearance and I wouldn't have either if I wasn't trying to read brain patterns.

'Oh, that's my son,' Lucy said.

'Son?'

'Yeah, you know, like I said, you need better surveillance,' Lucy said, rubbing Tyler's cheek.

'My second grandchild, first to carry my bloodline,' Luman said walking towards Lucy but the look she gave him even made me freeze.

'He's nothing to you,' Lucy told him and he froze.

'See, your "Sam" is like this too, I bet,' Luman said, using air apostrophes for her name, 'Oh, when did you appear?' He snarled at Ella but Ella didn't reply. Sam was the last one here to show up. A part of me hoped she would stay away, safe, so she didn't see this. Ella looked at him like she was mentally hanging, drawing and quartering him mentally.

'Very stroppy and disrespectful. So much like your parents, mainly your mother. God, she used to sulk so much when she didn't get her way,' He sneered and Ella must have reacted as I noticed a small grin on Luman's face, 'I knew your parents well, you two, very well indeed,'

'Before you murdered them?' Ella asked.

'It was a necessary means,'

'Murdering is never –'

'Let me speak, disrespectful bitch,'

'Don't you dare,' Joe shouted back at him.

'I knew your Mum from a young age, Karilyn. She was the rebellious one in her family strangely enough – but she was the youngest one. She flew over to England the second she finished High School, enrolled for university, and when she was over there for the first four weeks she decided to stay with some family friends in Norfolk. They were in the middle of Government negotiation to set up an organisation to work alongside secret services within the UK but to deal with the rise within Savant crime. They called the initial paperwork project Maui. They asked Karilyn to help with her unique set of gifts but she decided to help but in free time whilst she attended Cambridge university. She was smart and we were in the same class together. She sat at the front, notepad in hand when I walked in. She was beautiful – the splitting image of you, Ella, but taller, but I suppose even legalised midgets are taller than you. I met her in a bar, kicked it off. We were together for quite a few months.'

I laughed out loud. As if my mum would have such low standards.

'Michael,' He said in a warning tone. I looked over my left shoulder and saw Lucy standing next to Jason, with Tyler in her arm and over my right shoulder Ella was giving him the death glare but it looked like parts of it made sense to her. I knew Saul had told her a lot about her mother, whilst I went for a distancing technique with the less information I know, the less I had to confront my childhood of no love, no family, and a sister half way across the world that I knew had survived the crash but apart from that I had no idea how she was. Whilst both of us blamed each other for the years of silence, I blame myself. My foster parents never allowed me to contact Ella and when I was old enough to have my own phone and make the decision for myself I was too scared to call her. She was my hurt kid sister and I gave up on her and if someone happened in that time it would have been my fault but because my foster parents didn't overly want me when I grew up, or want any mentions of the crash within the house, that I was in a way conditioned into not wanting to know anything about the past. Which is why I found the information about Mum so hard to digest whilst Ella was annoyed but she was understand it. Joe was focused on calming Lily down.

I gritted my teeth and he nodded slightly.

'You can try and argue however much you fancy, Michael, but it happened. We were close, me and Karilyn, really close but she used to disappear every weekend from campus told me she goes to live with some family, even during the reading week she left. My parents weren't good people in her books, they used their gifts to corrupt people but it was for the right reason; they were trying to weedle out any people who tried to control out gifts as Savant's, constrain them. They are gifts from God's and why should we control them when we are the greater species, the future of humanity,'

Okay, this guy was delusional and has watched way too many futuristic movies.

'They filed through the leaked paperwork to me about project Maui and on the fourth sheet in, of backers with Savant genetics, Karilyn's name was on there, quite high up, and her entire family was listed too. I wasn't angry or upset; I just wanted to know why she never told me. I found out the last day of term before the Christmas semester break, and went around and her dorm mates said she left the night previous back to her family house. She called me up Christmas Eve breaking up with me, I asked her why and she didn't reply, just apologised,'

I could predict what happened but I just continued to breathe heavily.

'She never came back to university the semester after, we got told she dropped out but she loved the work she was doing there, she had gained extra funding through the year too, and she was a transfer student and everyone loved her. She had no reason to drop out but no one thought it was odd as much as I did. I kept an eye on Project Maui hoping it would explain something and in the end of September, it did. The last lot of initiation paperwork came through, approving the new service called Maui, and along the leaders was Karilyn, and however she was on maternity leave and married. She just left me straight up without an explanation and got married and had Christopher.'

I thought for a moment – was there a chance that Chris was his son? I mean, he looked like both Ella and I did but we took after out mother for a lot of our traits but was there a chance that Chris could be Luman's son? That would throw a spanner in this works but I hoped he wasn't. I looked over at Ella and it was clear this was all new information to her and she looked back at me having the same doubts. I quickly checked on Nic, who was still hugging my leg, her forehead pressed against it as she hugged it but the way she was gently whispering words that were barely audible I knew she was using her gift. I don't know what for, but she was.

'And do you want to know what her first job was when she came back from maternity leave? To shut my parents down. After all I had done for her that was her first move. It carried on for twelve years and I had enough with her, after all I had done for her this was how she treated me. I took over my parents businesses, I made them successful and I made them what they are today, we decided to build a shelter from Maui and their demanding rules and ways to live life. We called it Kingdom and we only took the elite at the beginning. I wanted to hurt her God damn family, destroy them, I never wanted to murder anyone, and I stilled loved Karilyn. I planned the car crash so that both Karilyn and her husband lived but I got control of all of her seven children. I had fake ambulances a few miles behind them, so when it happened we could take the children and get out. We had men on the inside to fake death certificates. We wanted you all to grow up in Kingdom and then go back when you're twenty one and prove that her work was wrong. I never wanted to destroy her, I just wanted to hurt her and destroy her work.'

'The car crash went wrong. The lorry was told to stop but it didn't, it killed both Karilyn and her husband, and the kids, but we got out Chris and Cameron and took them with us, but some rat had called the real paramedics and they already had hold of both you and Ella so we had to take the two boys and hope you two weren't do gooders,' He said before rolling his eyes,

'Of course you were, so we went to kill Ella with the whole bomb thing and you outsmarted that, I then kidnapped you lot and you outsmarted that. You have Karilyn's resilience, you know that? So then I had to focus on killing you off instead,' He looked over to me.

'Killing wasn't what I wanted though, I wanted to destroy you. Bit by bit, tear you apart. At least your sister was smart enough to outsmart me – twice – but you? Nah, you couldn't do it once. I had one of my recruits – she had just graduated from Blakeley - come and work with you for a while to plan you out but she failed that. I say failed, but I heard you and Brooklyn had a bit of fun... shall we say,' He looked down at Nic and I immediately put a hand out to protect her. 'I'm not a child murderer, calm down, we have already discussed that.'

I clenched my jaw.

'So when she said she was pregnant with your child, it was perfect. But she gave the child up and we knew we could do so much more with this child than just raise it to obey my rules; we were going to raise her to be a weapon for you. A personalised grenade to blow up in your face - so to speak. I was amazed when she requested for Nic to be handed over to Sam. I didn't realise who she was until I researched into her. Brooklyn and she had been good friends at school and she trusted her to raise Nic. I agreed, but I had to make sure Nic would be safe first. She wasn't in the best medical states, had a chest infection, Chris looked after he and she shipped her out to Sam, knowing she would eventually be taken back in and taught to hate you, but you got to her before me,'

'And who could have predicted that Sam would like you? It's a punch in the face, Michael, it really is, that you love my disowned daughter,' He sucked his teeth. 'You got to Nic and you taught her right from wrong before we could get to her. Didn't stop us trying. We took both of them, as you know, and we were in the process of shipping them to a secret location to get them trained to hate both of you, to reject you when they see you, but no, you got there before us. And two of my most loyal staff aided you? Bastards. I'll kill them if I ever see them,'

'You won't touch them.'

'Protective of your brothers? You barely know them,' Luman said.

'Michael!' I heard Sam yell and I turned around trying to find her, and turned back around to watch Luman instead – the shock on his face. Sam must have cleared the area because his mouth dropped slightly, and this must have been the first time he saw his eldest daughter since he gave her up when she was just a child. I turned around again, seeing Lucy hold onto her arm, shaking her head slightly at coming any closer to me than she was. She was horribly distressed, her hair flowing all over her face and her eyes wild. She looked at me with such a burning passion that I urged to run over and hold her, tell her everything would be okay and we're both safe but I swore to her I wouldn't lie to her. She covered her mouth in shock and stood back into Lucy who put her hand around her waist.

'Hello, daughter mine,'

'You're nothing to me, you filthy scum,' Sam spat out.

I grinned hearing the words come out of Sam's mouth. Considering how shy she had always been, how she would never bad mouth anyone, the words were dripping with venom and I loved it.

'I made a mistake giving you up, I admit that, but I would take you back any day. The same applies for you Lucy, you've both seen how bitter this World is, and I can protect you from that,'

'You giving me up was the best thing to even happen to me, and there is no way in Hell I would ever "come back" to you,' Sam snarled and I turned around and smiled at her and she met my glance but it was full of sadness. I nodded slightly at her before turning around.

I turned back around to see Luman with his gun out pointing directly at me.

'So, I want to make a deal,'

'What kind of deal?' I sighed; making sure Nic was behind me and doing okay. She didn't notice that Sam had joined us. I looked back over at Sam and she was had tear running down her face already.

'I want my safety back, the same court deal as before, no one can touch me or my property, my wealth or anything in my name, a lump sum of several million pounds from the Government in cash, and the added benefit that Maui cannot search into me or even mention my name,' He said, 'You don't agree, you get shot,'

'Not happening,' I said.

'Oh, you don't think I will,'

'I think you will, but it's not happening,' I replied back and heard Sam sob behind me.

'Your girlfriend seems to think you should take it,' Luman said.

'Well it's not going to happen, so stop putting up your hopes and dreams,' I said and he shook his head, his finger on the trigger.

'You seem certain,'

'It's. Not. Happening.'

'Fine, I'll deal with someone else then,'

And without even thinking, he pulled the trigger and everything went to black.

\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\/\\/\\/\\

Hello!

I am so sorry this has been so late; I said around Christmas when I break up but I currently have eight assignments outstanding, and have to go work still over the Christmas period and I'm working a lot in a retail shop doing 6am starts and so on - so here's a slightly longer than normal chapter.

Thank you so much to everyone over the last year who has reviewed and continued this story and are invested in the characters, it really does mean so much to me! Have a great christmas! :)