Page 132 of Retribution

Her screams are all I can hear as I bolt out of the office, gripping the phone to my ear tight enough to break it. Something has happened and it’s something unintelligible, something unimaginable. I’ve never heard those sounds erupt from anyone like what I heard in that moment.

The torture.

The fear.

The agony.

I have no idea where she is, but she mentioned something about Lottie. I flip my car into drive and fly out of the office car park, blitzing the streets and swerving traffic. I use my in-car call system to dial Lottie, but she doesn’t answer.

What the fuck is going on?

I try her again and she doesn’t pick up.

I call Harry.

“Hey, how are–”

“Have you seen Indie?” I bark, not caring to have any sort of introduction right now. The Adrenalin courses my veins and I grip the steering wheel tightly, my windscreen wipers on full power as a storm brews above.

“No, what’s happened?” He asks, his voice dripping with anticipation.

“I don’t fucking know.” I can’t contain my sob as I let out an excruciating cry.

I can’t explain it but I just know, something awful, something terrible has happened. She mentioned Willow, and she just went silent for a while. And then, it was like her body had been coated in gasoline and she was set alight, her body being consumed by flames as she screamed out at the insufferable pain.

I accelerate harder, the need to get to her completely overtaking my instincts.

“I’m heading over to your place now, I’ll be there in five.” He ends the phone call and I’m left with the sound of the rain hammering my car as the darkness rolls in.

I shake my head to try and clear my vision, the tears threatening to spill at any moment.

I call Indie again, but this time she picks up.

“Where are you?” I choke, utterly distraught.

“They’ve taken her.” Her voice is quiet, broken.

“Taken who?” I try my best not to come across as being angry at her, but it’s difficult to conceal my emotions.

“Willow,” she cries, the sound of her name causing her to erupt back into turmoil.

I blink slowly, my lips thin and my breathing heavy. My nostrils flare as I stare through the windscreen, watching the raindrops pound against the glass, seeing the way they erupt on it, the way they bloom and spread across to the next droplet and then they’re wiped away with the plastic wiper as if they never existed.

“Baby, tell me where you are.” I manage to regain the ability to form words.

I need to see her; I need her to tell me exactly what has happened. She isn’t making sense and is talking about things that have already happened.

I’m praying to God that she isn’t broken to the point she needs serious help. It seems as if everything dawned on her all at once, I know she isn’t at home because of the volume of the rain, it sounded like she was in her car.

“Barnaby’s Convenience,” she sniffles.

I check the road signs and see the turn off coming up.

“Baby, I’ll be there soon, hang on my love, I’m coming for you.” I end the phone call and dial Harry, in case he’s closer than I am.

“Harry, she’s at Barnaby’s on ninety-first,” I say and flick on my indicator. I check my rear view mirror and there’s a car behind me, pretty darn close.

“I’m about a mile away,” he says, and I feel a slight release in the tension of my shoulders.

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