Page 77 of Close Protection

We walk into the house, going in and out of every room with speed and finding them all empty and completely trashed.

In the snug, all the sofas have been torn apart, the carpets raised and all the artwork ripped off the walls. In the kitchen, all the food cupboards are open and non-perishable items lie strewn all over the tiles. A few plates are broken and one of the taps is running. In Daddy’s study it’s hard to make out the floor through all the ripped books and artwork. His computer is completely smashed and his paperwork is everywhere.

My lip quivers as we pass through the eerily silent house that no longer feels like a home. But then we get to my room.

When Milosh opens my door, I gasp.

Everything’s ruined, from my mattress to my bathroom mirrors. Whoever did this left no stone unturned. We walk into my dressing room to find most of my clothes on the floor, crumpled and dirty with footprints embedded in them.

‘I know this is hard to look at but I need you to focus right now.’ Milosh tugs on my arm, bringing my attention to him. ‘I need you to lock your bedroom door behind me and pack a bag of non-ruined clothes. I’m gonna quickly go and check the rest of the house and pack a bag myself.I’ll be back in five minutes and I’ll knock four times. If you don’t hear a knock after six minutes I want you to call the police and stay in here until they arrive. Can you do all of that?’

‘Yes,’ I choke out. My sadness now replaced with anger as I take in what they’ve done.

‘I’m working on downloading the security feed but that’ll take a while. So we don’t know who did this, where everyone is or why this happened. Right now we’re fully blind so we need to get out and leave as quickly as possible.’

He places a chaste kiss on my cheek then leaves. I follow his instructions, locking the door behind him and packing a bag. I tip out a week’s worth of knickers and socks from their drawers and add them in, along with a few bras. I find a clean pink gym set, three dresses still on their hangers, a pair of linen trousers with the matching shirt and a pair of loafers. I go to zip up my bag, but my eyes coast over to the dresser where I keep my make-up and perfume. I grab my make-up bag and the first perfume I can find and stuff them into the duffel, then move into the bathroom. I gather the bare essential toiletries and place them into my bag as well, just in time to hear four strong knocks at the door. I unlock it, luggage in hand, and once Milosh sees the duffel he takes it and grabs me, moving us down the stairs and out of the house with haste.

The wind howls around us as we climb into the car and he throws the bags in the back as he waits for the gates to open.

‘We need to ditch this vehicle as soon as possible, so I’m just warning you now, I will be stealing a car. It’s not ideal but it needs to be done.’

‘That’s fine.’ Stealing a car is the least of my worries right now.

‘When I went to the top floor there was no one there,’ Milosh continues. ‘My guess is they took your father and all the staff. Why, I’m not too sure, but by the looks of it they didn’t go willingly.’

‘How do you know it wasn’t willing?’

‘There were bloodstains on the floor of Charlotte’s bedroom and in your father’s study.’

I feel numb.

I feel sick.

I feel too many emotions yet nothing at all at the same time.

Daddy’s gone.

So are Josh, Bethany, Charlotte and the rest of the staff.

All of my family.

‘We need to tell Amelia and Henry.’

‘Yes, but not now.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Right now they’re safe and in their own little bubble. No one knows exactly where they’re going in Italy because Henry wanted it to be a surprise for Amelia so no one can track them. They’re safe where they are.’

Henry and Amelia are safe.

Daddy’s gonna be okay.

This is all gonna be okay.

We stop at a red light and I haul the door open, vomiting onto the road. Once I’m done, I close it and pull out a tissue from the glove compartment. Milosh rubs my back as I tip my head over my knees.

‘Where are we going now?’ I cough out after a few minutes.

---