Chapter Three Hundred and Forty Five

Joey was out of the car before Tony had even stopped driving. She left the back door open and flung herself out into the night, immediately charging towards the open door of the farm. Xavier, Gina, Tony and Rachel were hot on her heels.

"Joey!" Charlie exclaimed when her girlfriend appeared, breathless and anxious in the room where she and Martha were trying to stem Hugo's bleeding.

"Hugo!" Gina said desperately, hurrying forward and catching hold of her son's hand.

Charlie took Joey's hand, leading her away from the group now crowding round Hugo.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"I found out you were in danger," Joey informed her.

"But you didn't have to…"

"Of course I came, Charlie," Joey interrupted. "What else would you expect me to do?"

Charlie pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"Angelo's out there somewhere trying to find Eaves," she said when they parted. "I need to go out and help him bring him down."

"Let me come with you," Joey begged.

"No way," Charlie said. "You can't protect yourself out there. I need you to stay inside and keep an eye on this lot. Don't let Little Miss Brain Dead try and take Hugo away."

"Little Miss…?"

"I'll explain later," Charlie said, nodding in Martha's direction.

"I really don't want you going out there," Joey said.

Charlie kissed her again.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I swear."

Taking the safety back off her gun, she headed out into the night.


Eaves moved from his hiding place, inching closer to the house. He'd seen five people charge in and now Charlie was stood on the doorstep with a gun and a torch, searching for him. He willed her to step further from the safety of her friends. She did. As soon as she was far enough outside, Eaves launched his attack.


"Shit!" Angelo muttered to himself.

He'd been creeping up on Eaves from behind when he'd sprung from his position and tackled Charlie. Breaking into a run, Angelo charged forward in a bid to save his colleague's life. Tackling the rogue Detective to the ground, Angelo landed on top of him, winded. He glanced at Charlie, struggling to get up after being knocked down. Angelo and Eaves continued to scuffle. Another gunshot was fired.


Without even pausing to consider their options, Tony and Joey hurried outside the moment they heard gunfire. They immediately located three people fighting on the ground, all trying to overpower each other. Knowing, even in the dark that one of them was Charlie, Joey lurched forward. Her every instinct told her to protect the woman she loved.

"Charlie!" she said when the police officer was kicked roughly in the stomach, pushing her out of the fray.

Eaves then overpowered Angelo, pinning him to the ground. Joey grabbed the first thing she could think of, a fallen fence post, charged forward and hit Eaves hard over the head. He immediately landed on top of Angelo, unconscious.

"Joey…" Charlie murmured, forcing herself to her feet.

Joey stared at Eaves' body and dropped the fence post. Tony stepped up behind her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Can someone help me?" Angelo mumbled from beneath the Detective.

Tony moved forward, dragged Eaves off of Angelo and laid him face up on the floor. He knelt beside him, checking his vital signs.

"He's still alive," he said.

"We should bring him in," Angelo added.

Charlie nodded, taking hold of Joey's hand. When she realised that her girlfriend was trembling, she drew her into her arms.

"You just saved our lives," she whispered.

Joey nodded, still a little shaken as she and Charlie followed Tony and Angelo dragging Eaves into the house.


It didn't take Eaves long to come round. His vision was blurry, his head hurt and he was very confused.

"I wouldn't try to get up," a voice warned.

He blinked a few times until everything came back into focus. He was handcuffed on the floor of the farm house. Across the room, a woman was dressing Hugo's wounded leg. He was conscious and in pain. There was a lot of blood. Three other women, a man and a teenage boy were all milling around, as if trying to figure out what to do.

"We should call this in," Charlie said to Angelo, still clutching Joey's hand.

"I'll take Hugo and Martha to the station in the patrol car," Angelo suggested. "You wait here with Eaves until the cavalry arrive. Rachel said he'll need to go to the hospital for scans and stuff but don't leave yourself vulnerable."

"Will you be okay with them?" Charlie asked. "I mean, they're not exactly placid."

"I'll be fine," Angelo said. "Rachel said Hugo will have to rest and take care of his leg but she removed the bullet and fixed him as well as she would have at the hospital. I can take him right into custody and get this case closed at last."

Charlie nodded, permitting him to lead Hugo and Martha to the car. At the door, he turned back.

"Joey," he called.

She looked up, a little startled.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

"No sweat," Joey replied, offering a smile.

Everyone watched Angelo haul Hugo and Martha into the back of the car. Nobody had the energy to protest. Gina stepped up quietly beside Charlie.

"What happens now?" she asked quietly.

"Now, Hugo will be charged with all his original crimes and Martha will be charged for harbouring a known criminal," the police officer explained. "I've got to call the station to get Eaves transported to the hospital."

"What will happen to Hugo?" Gina asked.

"He'll go to jail for a very long time," Charlie said.

She felt bad for Gina but she was convinced that this was the right thing to do. The law had been far too kind to Hugo Austin so far and things needed to change.


Angelo pulled over on the side of the road, part way between the farm and the police station.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked fearfully.

"Get out of the car," Angelo instructed. "Both of you."

For a moment, Martha was convinced that he was about to kill them both. He'd been playing cat and mouse with them for far too long. Obediently, she climbed out of the vehicle and helped Hugo do the same.

"Can you walk?" Angelo asked.

"Sort of," Hugo replied. "It hurts a bit but the bullet didn't go all the way in. Rachel said I should be right as rain in a couple of weeks."

Angelo nodded.

"Punch me in the face," he said.

Hugo just stared at him.

"Excuse me?" he said.

"Punch me in the face and make it good," Angelo repeated.

"Why?" Hugo asked. "Do you just want to make me happy before I spend the rest of my life in jail? Because it would make me happy. I feel like we've been enemies from the start."

"We have," Angelo said. "And now is my chance to make things right."

"What are you talking about?" Martha asked.

"Martha, I am so, so sorry for everything that's happened between us," Angelo said. "I'm sorry for Jack, I'm sorry for hitting on you, I'm sorry for everything. This is my last chance to make things right."

"Are you… letting us go?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Yes," Angelo said.

He took a key from his pocket and undid Hugo's handcuffs.

"I'm doing this for Martha," he told Hugo. "I'm not doing it for you."

"What about your case?" Hugo asked. "I thought this was the mission of your life or something pathetic like that."

He couldn't keep the venom from his voice.

"Do you want me to change my mind?" Angelo asked coldly.

"No," Hugo admitted.

"Now that we've got Eaves, he can take your place as the person to roll over on the rest of the group," Angelo explained. "So punch me in the face and make it believable. I'll give you a ten minute head start before I call it in."

Hugo and Martha both nodded eagerly. Hugo punched Angelo with all his might. Without pausing to say goodbye to anyone, Hugo and Martha ran for their lives, eager to escape Summer Bay forever.


Next time… Charlie suspects that Angelo isn't telling the whole truth as news of the night at the farm spreads around the Bay…