The sunlight was fading fast. It had been hours since she had arrived and Charlie was desperatly trying to figure out how she was going to get them both out of this mess safe and sound. Ruby was in desperate need of medical attention. With no proper food lying around there was nothing to feed her with to keep her levels in check and she couldn't just survive on an insulin injection. Charlie wasn't sure how much longer Ruby could keep going without crashing out.
Sitting on the matress both Buckton women sat in silence. Ruby leaned her head against Charlie's shoulder, fighting the urge she had to close her eyes. She felt light headed but she couldn't bring herself to tell Charlie. It was bad enough they were being held captive in this place, she didn't want to worry Charlie by telling her just how awful she felt. She placed her rope bound hands on her mothers knees and Charlie placed her hand on top of them, stroking them in a comforting manner.
She looked at her daughter. Her wavy hair know a greasy mess. Her once bronze tinted skin faded into pale white. Her face was expressionless and when she looked Ruby in the eyes she saw fear. A fear she had never seen before. It hurt her seeing Ruby this way. Even though Ruby was 16, when Charlie looked at her at that moment, she saw the little 5 year old girl who used to snuggle up to Charlie when she had a nightmare. Just then she was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the phone in her pocket vibrate. She looked at the screen, 'one new text message'.
Charlie opened her message inbox and read the name of the sender. It was her voicemail. She dialled up the number to her voicemail inbox and listentened to the message. It was Angelo.
"Charlie it's Angelo. I found the note at Leah's and I'm sending police back up to help you. I know it says not to but this is too dangerous for you to sort out by youself. Please don't do anything stupid!"
The message ended and Charlie hung up. A sense of dread taking hold of her. What was she going to do? Angelo read the note yet he still sent back up. Although she fought the urge she found herself contemplating all the possible scenarios of what could happen when Derrick realised the police were closing in on him. Charlie looked down, Ruby was drifting in and out of consiousness. She gently shook her.
"Ruby...Ruby!", she said, gently tapping the side of her face to get her to open her eyes.
Ruby opened her eyes and looked up at Charlie, a look of confusion on her face. She was sweating profusely and her head was still spinning.
"Whhhhhat is it.....", Ruby's speech was slurred and she saw the worried look on Charlie's face.
"You were dropping out on me", she said stroking Ruby's cheek. "I need you to stay awake. I know it's hard but I need you to try".
Blue and Red lights flickered through the gaps in the boarded up windows. Charlie looked up, her heart pounding out of her chest. "oh no" she thought to herself. It was too late. The police were outside.
"Derrick, come out with your hands up", a voice rang out from outside.
Footsteps sounded like thunder coming towards Charlie and Ruby from down the hallway. Derrick kicked in the door and it flung open, smacking off the wall causing the two girls to jump. Charlie's grip on her daughter intensified as she saw the menacing look on Derricks face. She knew that something terrible was going to happen and she couldn't keep her eyes off the gun that Derrick was wielding in his hands.
"I told you no cops", he shouted into Charlie's face.
"I didn't call them", Charlie replied, the fear evident in her voice.
"Then why the hell are they here?" he asked.
Derrick stepped up to the boarded window and peered through the gaps. Three cop cars were outside. There were four regular duty cops and two marine command officers. He scratched the top of his head with his gun. He turned and looked at the two girls. Charlie was comforting a distraught Ruby, whispering words of encouragement. Derrick bounded towards them. He tore them apart and lifted Ruby up, flinging her over his shoulder.
"NO!!!", Charlie shouted trying to stop Derrick as he made his way towards the door.
As she clung to his arm, Derrick flung Charlie sending her crashing against the wall.
"I warned you, if you called the coppers your daughter would pay for it", he roared with rage building in his voice.
He stormed out of the room and made his way for the back door. Charlie got up off the ground and raced after them. As she got outside she found Derrick flinging Ruby into the back of his get away car. Charlie lunged for him to free Ruby. But he struck out and sent her crashing to the ground. Derrick ran to the far side of the car and jumped into the drivers seat. He put the key in the ignition and started up the engine. He pressed the door lock button on the side panal and locked the back doors and began to accelerate. Charlie pulled herself up off the ground and and raced along side the car trying to open the back door to get to Ruby but she couldn't.
Derrick stepped it up a gear and sped off past the cop cars parked and at the front of the house. Charlie running after it as fast as she could. When she looked at the police officers she spotted Angelo with his marine command partner jumping into their squad car and speeding after them. She panicked. On one hand she wanted Ruby back safe and sound. But on the other hand she feared that if Derrick found himself being chased, it would put Ruby in a dangerous situation. She watched on as both cars sped off until they were out of sight. With that she ran for her own car and jumped in.
"Charlie don't....", Watson called after her as she saw Charlie get in her car, but before she could finish Charlie was already speeding off after Derrick and Angelo. She hopped into her squad car and the other poloce officers followed suit.
Charlie wiped a tear from her cheek as she gripped the steering wheel. Ruby had been through so much, she didn't know how much more she could take. And Charlie didn't know how she would survive if anything happened to her. Her daughter was the most prcious thing in her life. As she rounded the corner she spotted Angelo's squad car stopped on the side of the road, the doors opened and the lights flashing. She pulled over and hopped out of the car running towards the squad car. Then she looked ahead and her heart sank.
Derricks car lay in an upside down heap in the enbankment on the side of the road. Charlie looked down and saw Angelo pulling Ruby out from the wreckage and laying her on the ground just a few feet away from the wreckage. She ran down towards the enbankment and her heart broke as she heard Ruby scream in pain. She knelt to the ground beside her daughter and grabbed her hand.
"Shhhhh, it's ok, everything's going to be ok", she said trying to ease her daughters pain.
"Ambulance is on it's way", Angelo's partner shouted down to them.
Ruby lay in the ground crying out in agony, tears streaming down her face. She gripped Charlie's hand tightly and looked at her.
"Mum....I can't...I can't feel my legs", Ruby said through her tears.
Charlie looked up at Angelo and she could see his face turn to concern. She turned back to her daughter and kissed her on the forehead and a tear slid down her cheek...........................
Preview: Will Ruby be alright?? How will Charlie cope?? Is their trouble ahead for Angelo and Charlie?
