Ransom

5

To Aaron's great relief he hadn't had to wait long before his captor returned, and when he switched on a light, Aaron had quickly looked around the room he was being held in. He wanted to know what he could about it, if it offered any chance of escape. There were no windows and just the one door, so it didn't look at all hopeful. The room was empty apart from an old mattress in one corner of the room, along side that was a metal bucket and some bottles of what looked to be water. Aaron hoped they were for him, he was desperate for a drink. He had spotted something else too, something he was pretty sure was meant for him, handcuffs!

"You calmed down now?"

The stranger's gravelly voice drew Aaron's attention and he nodded, he was as calm as he could be under the circumstances and he was in no hurry to antagonise the other man any further.

"Good, you best remember what happened the last time you gave me grief."

Aaron wasn't likely to forget, not as long as his side hurt the way it did. And so, just seconds later, he put up no fight as he was hauled over to the mattress. The rope binding his hands was then cut with one swift slice of the knife, the relief at having his arms freed was indescribable, his shoulders still ached agonisingly but Aaron knew the pain would begin to ease now. Before he realised it a handcuff had been snapped closed around his wrist, the other end already secured to a metal ring cemented into the floor. It was all done so quickly, with such practiced ease, that Aaron knew he wasn't the first person to have fallen victim to this nutter.

Next his feet were untied and finally the gag removed from his mouth. It was then he began to retch and cough uncontrollably, he couldn't quite believe it when a bottle of water was pressed into his free hand. All else was forgotten as he frantically unscrewed the lid and greedily drank the bottle's entire contents. Never had water tasted so good! He closed his eyes and let his head rest on the mattress, he needed a minute, just a minute to steady himself, to get himself together. But hearing movement he opened his eyes just in time to see the other man walk through the door, "Wait!" Aaron demanded, he wanted answers, "What's this about? Why are you doing this?"

As the door shut leaving Aaron alone in the darkness again his frustration found its voice, "Answer me you bastard! You fucking ugly shit! " Aaron ranted on hoping the name calling, the verbal abuse would draw the other man back, but no and Aaron eventually had to admit defeat. He was just going to have to wait for him to come back, and he would have to some time soon, wouldn't he? But what if he didn't? What if... No! He couldn't let himself think that way, he had to stay positive. As he snatched up another bottle of water he realised he still had another need to satisfy, that had to be why the bucket was here! After putting it to good use he started to wonder just how long he would be kept there, hours? Day's? Months? 'Don't!' Aaron told himself, 'You have to stop doing this, you have to stop having such negative thoughts.' That was easier said than done though wasn't it? If he knew what was going on and why he might be able to think positive, he might be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel. But right now he was completely in the dark and the not knowing was eating away at him. It wasn't him being weak was it? No, anyone who found themselves in such a situation would be the same. He was being too hard on himself, nowt new there though. He had to remember too that none of this was his doing... at least he didn't think it was. No of course it wasn't! He was doing it again, letting negative thoughts breathe life! He couldn't seem to help himself. He had to get his mind onto other things, good things, happy things, something, anything that would bolster his spirits. What made him happy? What put a smile on his face? The answer came instantaneously, Robert did! He wanted to lose himself in some memories of him and Robert, it's what he needed to do but all he could think about right now was how much he missed him, how much he needed him. He longed to hear his voice, to feel his arms around him, to feel his warmth, his love for him. He would see him again wouldn't he? Yeah of course he would... if he stayed positive! Yeah, Robert was the incentive needed to get him through this.

/

As DS Wise left the room, Robert turned to look at Chas. Shock was still visible on her face, her eyes stared unblinkingly, Robert had to take control of the situation not just for Chas' sake but for his own too. Catching hold of Chas' arm he steered her over to the sofa, insisting she sat down before saying "I'll be right back."

Robert hurried into the bar, taking Marlon aside to fill him in on Gordon's death, after requesting he kept the news to himself for now, he then asked him to cover for Chas. With Marlon now at the helm Robert had walked towards the optics, Chas was in need of a stiff drink, so was he for that matter, but again he couldn't take the chance of alcohol clouding his mind. He needed his wits about him more than ever now.

Returning to the living room Robert pressed a glass containing a double brandy into Chas' hand, he then sat down beside her. "Chas..."

"Aaron's going to take it badly. I know he is. He'll question what he did. Blame himself, punish himself..."

Robert was determined to set a more positive note, "Yes he'll run the gauntlet of emotions but he won't be doing it alone, we'll be with him every step of the way and he'll come out of it even stronger."

Chas nodded, Robert's words had managed to soothe her concerns a little, and helped form another thought, "It really will be over then won't it?"

"Yeah, I think it'll prove to be the closure Aaron needs." Gordon would be a spectre in Aaron's life for as long as he was alive, so his death would free Aaron, at least that's what Robert wanted to believe.

"He needs to come home Robert." To hell with Hazel, Aaron needed to come back to them,

"Yes but we'd have to tell him why we want him home and we can't tell him over the phone, not when he's on his own and so far away. Wise said the police wouldn't release Gordon's name until Aaron had been told, so he wont find out until he gets back. Let's give him a bit of time with Hazel..."

"But he'd want to know now." Chas reasoned.

"I think he'd put Hazel before Gordon don't you? She needs him, and he'd want to be with her should anything happen to her."

"Yes but...no you're right. It can wait a day or two." Chas wasn't at all happy about keeping the news from Aaron, but under the circumstances it seemed they had little choice.

"And I'm sure it will be just a couple of days." Robert said trying to convince himself of the fact just as much as he was Chas.

"Have you heard from him yet?" Chas had been waiting on a call all evening but true to form Aaron was yet to get in touch with her. It was getting late surely Aaron should have phoned one of them by now.

"No not yet." He had placed Aaron's sim card in an old phone he'd found in his room, he had planned on sending a message to Chas from it last thing that night.

"Maybe we should ring him, check he's ok..."

"No, this has shook us both up, he'll sense something's wrong, he'll hear it in your voice." The lies were coming so easily to him, he wouldn't have cared once but he did now, guilt was starting to weigh him down. It was too late to come clean now though even if he wanted to.

"But I can text him? Ask about Hazel?" She was desperate for some contact with her son, a text was better than nothing at all.

"Yeah of course." Robert knew he couldn't stop Chas and that she'd only get suspicious if he tried to. "And I think that's all we can do tonight so why don't you go to bed, I'll help Marlon close up."

Chas didn't think she'd sleep but she liked the idea of escaping to the solitude of her bedroom. There was so much going on in her head right now she needed some space to process it all. "Sounds like a good idea to me." She gave Robert a half smile as she got to her feet. She really was grateful to him for talking her through this, she could so easily have done the wrong thing, it wouldn't be the first time she'd got it wrong where Aaron was concerned.

Once Chas had left the room Robert's composure slipped. He flopped back against the cushions and blew out a shaky breath. He'd just dug an even deeper hole for himself. If Aaron ever found out the extent of his lies and deceit he'd... but he would find out! It was inevitable wasn't it? He hadn't thought that far ahead, he hadn't let himself but now he had and his thoughts were already torturing him with the unwelcome truth. He couldn't explain it all to Aaron without losing him. Robert shook his head in despair, Aaron would hate him, despise him...

His phone was ringing! He yanked it out of his pocket hoping against hope that it was Shields. Seeing the words 'Private number' emblazoned on its screen he knew for sure it was. "I'll have the money for you tomorrow." He wasn't going to waste any time, not when it came to Aaron's life, he'd already transferred funds and paid for a next day withdrawal.

"What?" Robert didn't want to believe his ears. Shields had wanted fifty thousand when he'd rang him earlier that day, now he was demanding two hundred and fifty to ensure Aaron's safe return! As Shields repeated the figure panic rose in Robert's chest. He'd expected the bastard to ask for more, to up the ante, but not by that much. It was an exorbitant amount and one he couldn't get his hands on as quickly and nowhere near so easily. He had secretly squirrelled away money all the time he was with Chrissy, he hadn't stolen it, he'd worked for it, earned it and then invested it wisely. Then there was the cheque the Whites had paid him off with. He was worth a small fortune but the vast majority of it was tied up. He might even have to borrow some! It would take days, weeks even to release the funds he needed...but he couldn't leave Aaron in Shields' hands for that length of time, it could well break him emotionally...

tbc