Page 66 of Captive Hearts
‘Fine, we’ll slow down,’ Gina said between gritted teeth. Not that she was in any hurry to get down to that plane.
‘No, we fucking won’t,’ Pete growled. ‘We’re nearly at the bottom of the steps. We get there soon, orI’llbe the one to break your neck, alright?’
‘Leanne, just keep going, it’ll be fine,’ Ashley said with a patience that blew Gina’s mind. After all she’d done, Ashley was still trying to help that silly mare. Gina’s admiration for Ashley soared even higher. She was quick to tuck it aside, however. She needed to focus. ‘One! Two!’ They were moving again, shuffling down the stairs.
But then Leanne’s prophecy came true. She fell. ‘Shit!’ she cried as the circle was broken. Gina wasn’t holding onto Leanne, she was linking arms with Ashley and Sam, but she felt the circle break. ‘Freeze!’ she cried. The group locked into statues immediately.
Gina looked out at the police line to see if this was going to have consequences. But no one moved a muscle. Leanne was at the side of the circle, and Pete was still fairly protected from the police for the time being. But he wasn’t pleased. ‘Get up, you stupid bitch!’ Pete hissed. Gina felt the gun removed from her back, and she had a pretty good idea where it was pointing now. ‘I’m trying!’ Leanne said, ‘But I hurt my ankle.’
‘I don’t care if your foot’s fallen off,’ Pete said. ‘Move.’
‘Leanne, it’s alright, I’ve got you,’ said Tina, and Gina listened to the sound of Leanne being pulled to her feet. ‘Lean on me,’ Tina told her. Gina was deeply thankful for Tina. But Leanne wasn’t. ‘Fine,’ she said sulkily. ‘But don’t think this means you’re forgiven.’
‘But I’m helping you!’ Tina said, shocked.
‘Don’t care. You’re a backstabbing bitch, and I’ll never forget it.’
‘Leanne, please, can’t you just…’
‘Stop it!’ Sam hissed from somewhere at the back. ‘Let’s just go.’
‘Iam,’ Leanne said. ‘I’m justsaying-’
‘Jesus,’ Pete screamed. ‘If I hear one more fucking word out of you lot, I’m gonna start firing. Have you got that?!’
It was the first part of this debate that hadn’t been whispered, and DI Conway called over, ‘Is everything OK?’
‘Shut up! I’m busy!’ Pete yelled at her behind Gina.
DI Conway didn’t say anything further. No one did for a few seconds, so Gina decided that someone needed to move things forward. ‘Is everyone ready to go?’
There were several mumbled yeses. ‘Right. One, two,’ she said, and they were moving down the steps as gradually as Gina could manage.
Eventually, they reached the final stair. Gina thought it had been the most dramatic ten steps of her life, but she had a feeling the record was about to be broken because now they were headed for the plane, a few metres away. Destiny awaited.
