Shoot me down

chapter 12

Chloe anxiously locked the front door and then stood staring at it, wondering how else she could lock it. Beca stood in the kitchen holding a mug of coffee and watching Chloe, having learnt already that it was pointless trying to stop her. Besides, if it made her feel safe then she could bolt the door all she wanted. However when Chloe got behind the sofa and tried to drag it in front of the door, Beca decided to intervene. "Chloe you don't have to block the door that much. It's locked; so are all the windows and no one is getting in." It was as if Chloe didn't hear a word of what she said as she continued to pull the sofa, but to no avail. Beca took her by the arm and led her round to sit on the couch that refused to move, and said, "Look, I don't get why they've let your dad out either but it's not for long. He's just been released on bail until his trial, and then he'll be locked away for years. Besides, if he even comes near you it will break his bail and he'll go straight back to prison, so I doubt he'll be risking it."

Not finding any comfort in Beca's words, Chloe sighed. "I just... I'm worried. And I can't keep my mind off him." Beca put her arm around Chloe and pulled her head towards her as she placed a kiss on top of her forehead. Chloe tilted her head up and made their lips meet, bringing Beca in for a deeper kiss. Slowly she eased Beca on top of her, not letting their lips part for one moment. She ran her hands through the brunette's hair and arched her back, moving their bodies closer as she felt a pair of hands run down her sides. Just as Beca was about to lift off Chloe's shirt, they were interrupted by Aubrey walking out of her room. "Whoa! I know you're trying to distract yourself from other things Chloe but can you at least take your distractions into the bedroom?" Chloe laughed as she pulled Beca to her feet, but just as they reached her bedroom there was a knock at the front door.

Instantly Chloe froze and tightened her grip on Beca's arm. "It's fine, it won't be him," Beca comforted, trying to convince herself as well as Chloe. Even Aubrey felt her chest tighten as she walked towards the door and turned the key to unlock it. She opened the door, but no one was there. Chloe and Beca watched, holding their breath as Aubrey stepped out into the hallway to see who knocked. Just as they thought they were safe and probably imagined the noise, a pair of arms grabbed Aubrey and threw her to the floor. "Stay out here princess," a low voice said, and Chloe knew it all too well as her fathers.

"Get in your room," Beca urged as she pushed Chloe into her bedroom. Chloe shook her head, never feeling so afraid in her life, but Beca was too strong for her. Before she knew it she was standing inside her room alone, and Beca was barricading the door from the other side. "You need to leave," Beca said with a shaky voice and not too much conviction. She could feel her breath shorten as the well-built man began to walk towards her after locking the front door, keeping Aubrey outside. "I just want to talk to my daughter and find out why she was lying about me," he said in a calm voice, "You've met me. Beca, wasn't it? I showed you my music collection. Do you really think an old man like me could hurt Chloe like that?" Beca nodded timidly, and his attitude changed completely.

He stormed into the kitchen and began shouting about how he's a good man, and he just needed to get Chloe to tell the police it wasn't him. "You need to leave, Mr Beale," Beca said a little louder. He turned around and looked at her as if she just said the most stupid thing in the world. Her breath caught in her throat as he grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and held it up. "You don't tell me what to do! You get out of my way and let me talk to my daughter!" he screamed at her, and Beca stood there shaking. Behind her she heard the door gently click open, and Chloe appeared next to her. Beca looked at her, urging her to go back inside, but she stayed put.

"Baby," her father said, sounding like a completely different person to a few seconds ago. "You know that I'm not a bad person. Only bad people go to jail, and I'm not one of them. You need to go back to the police and tell them what a nice father I am." Chloe shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. All she could say was, "You make me sick." His face went bright red with anger and he tightened his grip on the knife. He took two steps forward and Beca protectively put up an arm shielding Chloe. "Change your fucking statement!" he yelled, making both the girls jump out of their skin. Chloe shook her head as tears fell down her face, and her dad ran one hand through his hair before walking towards her.

Beca kept her arm up the whole time as Mr Beale shouted and spat in Chloe's face. For a third time he demanded that she changed her statement, and for a third time Chloe refused. "You worthless piece of shit," he said and lunged forwards. Beca shoved Chloe to the floor and felt an immense pain in the left side of her stomach. Chloe turned round in time to see her dad storming out of the apartment, and felt a sense of joy rush through her. Seconds later sirens started up and Aubrey ran into the apartment saying, "I called the police and they literally just caught him on his way out. Oh my... Beca..." Chloe followed Aubrey's gaze and hurriedly stood up when she saw Beca clutching her side.

The amount of blood staining her shirt and dripping onto the floor shocked Chloe that so much could come from such a small girl. Becoming paler by the second, Beca dropped to the floor and her hands fell to her sides. Aubrey was already on the phone for a second time to the emergency services and requesting an ambulance, whilst Chloe sat next to Beca trying to put pressure on the wound. As warm blood soaked her hands, she began to sob and cried desperately, "Come on Beca! Stay with me!" Aubrey grabbed a towel from the kitchen and ran over to Beca's side before pressing the material into the wound, taking over from Chloe. Grateful for the release, Chloe let Aubrey attempt to take care of the gaping wound as she wrapped her arms around Beca's body.

She picked up one of Beca's hands and held it to her own heart, and then placed one of her hands on Beca's heart. "Remember this?" Chloe said, her voice breaking slightly. "I can feel your heartbeat and you can feel mine, and it has to stay that way. Okay?" Beca struggled to hold her gaze with Chloe, and soon her eyes drifted shut. Chloe shook her awake, pleading for her to keep her eyes open. "I can't lose you," she kept repeating. As the paramedics ran into the apartment Beca's eyes opened slightly as she breathed out, "I'll still look after you." The paramedics shoved Chloe and Aubrey out the way as Beca's eyes closed for a second time, and no matter how much she was shaken she didn't open them again.

"What does she mean that she'll still look after you?" Aubrey asked curiously as they stood next to one another, letting the paramedics do their job. Chloe wiped away the tears streaming down her face and said, "She believes in heaven. So she means that even if... even if she..." she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"She'll look after you from heaven?" Aubrey asked, and found herself begin to cry as Chloe nodded shakily. "That won't happen," she said, pulling Chloe into a hug. But both of them came to doubt that sentence as the paramedics loaded Beca onto a stretcher and one of them said, "I don't have a pulse. She's gone."