Chapter 17

"You've got a mean right hook there kid.." Cain groaned, struggling to stand to his feet. He felt something heavy connect with his stomach and he fell to the floor, gasping. He saw Aaron looking down on him, Anger boiling over in his sapphire-blue eyes.

"That is for leaving me! For walking away when I needed you! Adam died and you were nowhere to be found! Call yourself family?" Aaron screamed, ready to deliver another blow. Cain took the teen by surprise and grabbed Aaron's leg and pulled sharply, sending the young mechanic crashing to the ground.

"You listen to me, I had no intentions of walking out you Aaron! That call out you told me to go to? The yellow Ferrari? Who do you know that owns a yellow Ferrari? Who do you know that would be able to afford something like that?"

"No..."

"It's damn lucky he's not the sharpest tool in the box, I'll tell you that much."

"What did he do?"

"Chucked me into his Ferrari, tied some rope around the hand brake and got out and locked me inside. Sent me and the car careering into the lake. Thinks he's fucking James Bond."

"So how did you get out?"

"007 forgot to take his weight equipment out of the car. Thought It would make me sink faster. I tell you the windows on Ferrari's aren't as strong as I thought. I take it you and Jackson are ok now?"

"No. For reasons I don't really want to talk about. He's not even here. Haven't seen him for days. Neither has his neighbours and his van is still here. Shit Cain... You don't think..."

"Get in the car. Now."

Hearing the sound of screeching tyres, the door of Jackson's house was pulled open. Ed stood on the doorstep, smiling as the car sped out of sight. He glanced at Jackson's van and smiled, before shutting the door and locking it again.

Ed walked back up the stairs and up to the attic and smiled at Jackson.

"Sounded a bit worried didn't he?"

"Look if you're gonna kill me just do it, get it over with."

"And have me miss out on all the fun? Can't do that.."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, We were going out, weren't we?" Ed smiled, covering Jackson's mouth with more duct tape and placing a pillowcase over his head. Ed grabbed the rope that was tying Jackson's wrists together and pulled hard, yanking the builder to his feet. Jackson felt himself being dragged out of the room and down the stairs.

"Think we'll go on a little road trip eh?" Ed laughed as he opened the front door. Jackson soon felt himself being bundled into the back of what he assumed was his van and heard the doors slam behind him. It wasn't long before the engine burst into life and pulled away from the house.

eeee

"Cain he's not here!" Aaron sobbed as he and his Uncle desperately searched every room in Ed's flat.

"We'll find him kid. I promise you we will find him."

"I can't lose him too..."

"You're not going to! We'll find Jackson and then you'll never see Ed again."

"Yeah well forgive me if I don't jump for joy at that. Considering he's already supposed to be dead. Fell down the stairs did he?.. what a pile of shit."

"Aaron you getting all mardy isn't going to help is it? Do you not think I already know that if I had finished the job Adam would still be alive? Jackson would be with you, that he'd be safe?"

"What do you mean by "Finished the job" Cain?"

Cain sighed and dropped his head "When Adam and Jackson told me about him threatening you, I followed him home from the hospital..He told me everything he did to you and the sick fuck felt some kind of pride for what he'd done. I tried to show him who he was dealing with, Thought I'd done him in. I left soon after, and then Jackson came round to check on things and that's when he noticed Ed was gone."

Aaron sighed and nodded "I just wish you hadn't lied to me. You knew he wasn't dead when you came to see me. You told me he was dead when you knew he wasn't. Cain it means everything to me that you tried to get him off my back, but what really hurts is the fact you lied. If you told me you'd roughed him up a bit and he did a runner, Fair enough I would have been pissed off, but I would have known there was always a chance that he would come back and I would've reported him to the pigs. and because you didn't, Adam died, You nearly died, another lad got raped and Jackson.. God knows if he's still alive now."

"Hey, you listen to me kid, Jackson's stronger than he looks. That lad can handle himself. He'll be ok. I promise you."

eeee

Ed drove slowly through the sleepy village, It was just nearing midnight, and most of the village would be in bed by now. He came to a stop outside the garage and got out of the van. He quietly opened the doors of the garage and smiled as he saw the car in the corner. He walked back out to the van and opened the double doors. Jackson lay on the floor, pillowcase still covering his head.

"We're here." Ed whispered, grabbing Jackson's legs and pulling him out of the van.

"Now, you need to listen to me carefully, ok? Don't want you getting hurt."

Jackson nodded and Ed began to guide him into the garage. He pulled Jackson round to the back of the car and opened the boot.

"Now Jackson, Crouch down...Now move forward..." Jackson felt his legs connect with something cold and metallic. He felt an almighty shove and fell forward. Ed reached over and pulled the pillowcase from Jackson's head. Jackson gasped and found himself lying down, looking up at Ed.

"What did you say you were Jackson? Claustrophobic wasn't it?"

Jackson fought to speak against the gag.

"Yeah. I thought you were. Looks like you'll have fun in here won't you? Nice knowing you kid."

Ed slammed the boot shut and walked back out of the garage, locking back it up. He looked up Main Street and fixed his gaze onto the pub. "See you in the morning, Aaron."

TBC