Emma walked out of the station and right into Honey. They stopped and chatted for a few minutes before Emma looked down at her watch and realised that Paul would become suspicious if she was gone any longer. "Sorry Hon I've got to go…call you later yeah." She said as she quickly hugged her friend and began to walk off down the street.
Then just as she turned the corner into the next street she felt someone grab her from behind. They tugged and pulled her into a waiting car and pressed her flat again the backseat as the car sped off through Canley.
Emma's pulse was racing. She could feel the man's rough hands travelling slowly down her spine and her skin crawled as his hand came into contact with her bare flesh. Her stomach churned but she was pulled upright and out of the car as it slowed to a halt. She looked up at the familiar building…what were they doing at Will's flat?
The bigger of the two men busted the lock on the door and they pulled Emma into the house with them. She struggled violently but they merely laughed at her and pulled her hands tighter behind her back so she cried out in pain.
Through into the kitchen she was led and sat roughly on a chair. A rope was produced and her arms were bound to the chair. No matter how much she wriggled and struggled now, she couldn't get free. The smaller man took a step towards her, raising his fist.
"You can't hit 'er…she's just a girly!" The big man said grabbing his fist and holding it away from Emma's terrified face.
"Oh get a grip Josh the boss said to. Do you want to help me rearrange her pretty little face or do you want the boss to have someone do it to you?" Josh thought it over for a moment or two before he let the other man's hand go.
"Fine but it don't mean I like it or I want to do it Marco. I didn't sign up to become a woman beater. It ain't right." Josh said through gritted teeth.
"Oh quit being so moral. 'It's not right. It's against the law. We shouldn't be doing this!' God you sound like my mither!" Marco said mimicking Josh.
"Yeah well…shut up." Josh said lamely and he looked away as Marco sank his fist into Emma's jaw. She clamped her eyes tight shut as she felt Marco begin 'rearranging her face'. Blood dripped down her cheek and onto her lip. His hand came into contact with her bottom lip and then her mouth was filled with blood. The metallic taste made her gag and she bent over.
Marco pulled her up by the hair and gestured to Josh who booted her in the side, wincing as he did so. Emma screamed in pain as she heard two loud cracks from her side and an unbearable pain shot through her.
"Come on, lets go." Marco said dragging Josh from the room with him, leaving Emma slumped bloody and sobbing in the chair. She opened her eyes slowly but the room swam so she let the darkness engulf her again.
A while later – Emma had lost track of the time – she heard cursing and muttering from by the front door. She stiffened, bent over her knees as the footsteps came closer and closer to the kitchen. They paused in the doorway and then Emma felt hands on her shoulders, she let out a sob, terrified of what would happen next. "Emma? Oh Emma sweetheart don't worry I'll get you out of here." Will said soothingly and Emma instantly relaxed.
"I don't think so." A cold voice said from nearby and Will spun in the wrong direction as Paul stepped behind him bringing the large hard backed book crashing down upon his skull. Will dropped to the floor and Emma whimpered as she felt him being tied up back to back with her.
It was several minutes until Will came round from the heavy blow and when he tried to move his hands he found them bound tightly. He could feel the blood trickling down his forehead and the insides of his eyelids were a pale red. "Open your eyes." Paul's voice commanded. "Now!"
Both Emma and Will prised their eyelids open, the bright sunlight making their eyes water. "Good. Now I want you both to understand. I'm not a kind man, a patient man, a sympathetic man. You screw me over, and I'll silence you. I know that one of you at least is double-crossing me, the only question is…what to do about it?" Paul said in a soft voice, making the words even more threatening.
Emma's eyes locked with Paul's for a moment before they began to dart around the kitchen. No matter how hard she tried she could not avert her gaze from the drawer where Will's warrant card was kept. Then hastily she looked down at her lap, her own warrant card pressing against the inside of her jeans pocket.
Paul watched Emma with interest. He was confident that she'd lead him to some concrete answers but her gaze was now fixed upon her lap. That was it! She was looking at the evidence. Paul crouched down next to her and smirked as he saw her try to edge away from him. He put out a hand and rubbed it up and down her thigh, feeling her shudder. Then his hand ran over her pocket and he felt something flat press against his fingertips. Delving his hand into her pocket he brought out her warrant card and waved it triumphantly in front of her face.
"I knew you were scum from the moment I met you but did you really have to drag Jack down with you? You don't deserve him you worthless piece of sh…" Paul got no futher though as the sound of sirens could be heard approaching the house.
Paul drew a gun from out of his pocket and pressed it against Emma's temple. She began to shake and tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the blood still pouring from her cuts. Will's hands grasped Emma's behind their backs and he held them tight, his thumb gently circling the back of her hand. Emma took another shaky breath as CO19 stormed the kitchen. "You are surrounded. Put the weapon down. Put the weapon down or we'll be forced to shoot." The officers' voices rang through the room.
Paul's grip on the gun took a tighter hold and he squeezed the trigger, the gun clicking loudly. He looked down at it in disbelief. "I believe you're looking for these." Will said as he fished the three bullets from his jeans pocket and handed them to an officer who'd just untied him.
Emma was still in shock. Her eyes were closed and she was rocking back and forth, as much as the ropes allowed. Will untied her and let her fall forwards onto him, sobbing. "It's okay, I'm here." Will whispered in her ear, stroking her hair soothingly. "They want us to go into the ambulance, we need to be checked over." He added seeing Sam gesture from the door.
Will continued to hold Emma's hand as they were forced to lie back on the beds in the ambulance. Emma's breathing had slowed slightly and she gripped onto his hand, she wasn't letting him go now. Not after everything that had happened.
Thanks to Emz for reviewing the last chapter. I mean come on one out of TWENTY FIVE people who read it isn't bad is it? Come on guys I'm trying hard to finish a story here for those who read it...the least you can do is review isn't it. Fair enough if you've lost interest and stopped reading but if you are reading...can you give me a hint on how I'm doing? Please? xxxpip (next chapter is the last one...was going to write more but from the sufficient lack of interest I'm going to quit while I'm ahead)