The Ultimate Gentleman (Part 2)

Fifty Eight

"I'll think I'll start with you. You're rather feisty. I like that." Joe lunged at Lily and Holly pushed him away. "You'll do no such thing." She said spitting fury. "You forget missy, I'm in charge." He picked up the gun and Frank pulled him back. "No!!! You know the boss man doesn't want to clear up any mess!" He yelled. "Still, she deserves it." Joe said slapping Holly and letting her fall back onto the couch into Hannah's embrace, as Lily trembled beside them. "I'll take her whether you like it or not." Joe spat. Holly held her face and took a deep breath. Closing her eyes she resounded to the fact, she had to do this, for her step daughter. "I'll go with you." She said quietly. "What?" Joe spat out. "Take me. I'll go with you. Isn't this what it's all about? Me? Not them? You've said that yourself." She said almost throwing up at her words. Joe lent down into her personal space. "Maybe I'll have a go when the boss man is finished." He said quietly before waving his arm out and smashing a lamp off the nearby side table making Lily scream.

Moments later, Grace came rushing down the stairs in her dressing gown over a modest night gown. "What is going on?" She half giggled rubbing her head before spotting the situation. "Who are you?!" Frank yelled in shock. "More importantly WHO ARE YOU?" Grace yelled back spotting the three trembling women. "Awww Granny is here too is she?" Joe said pointing his gun at her and making her move to the couch, where she sat down beside a trembling Lily. "Is there anyone else in this house?!" Joe lent in to Holly once more, she opened her mouth slowly. "NO." "Frank go upstairs and check, she could have anyone up there looking at the size of this gaff." Frank went running off and Holly silently prayed that Tara kept the children occupied, she knew the cinema room was sound profiled and prayed that they were never found by these sick men and their "boss man."

"It's all clear mate, decent clobber upstairs. You guys aren't shy of a few quid are you?" Frank came bouncing down the stairs and said to Joe who had been taunting Holly again about what her future entailed with the "boss man." "You can take whatever you want, have as much of it as you want, please just leave." Grace begged. "Nope.. she knows what we want." Joe said sadistically. He lunged for Lily, before Holly grabbed his arm. "I've already told you, I will go with you."

The silence was broken by Holly's cell phone ringing in her pocket. Her eyes widened, and Joe held the gun closer to her face. "You better get that. Wouldn't want anyone worrying would we?" She slowly slid the phone out her pocket and Joe snatched it out her hands.

Johnny

"Ahh looky here. It's lover boy. Not a word you hear. You tell him you're fine and not to rush home. Ok?" Holly bit her lip looking at her mother and the worried look on Lily's face as Joe answered the call.

"Darling?"
"Hi Johnny."
"Just thought I would check in, how are things?"
"Umm, yes everything is fine, we are having a quiet afternoon."
"Quiet?" Johnny chuckled wondering what on earth the children were up to in order to give the adults a quiet afternoon.
"Well we won't be long, just one more sample of whiskey to taste then we'll hit the road."
Holly's eyes filled with tears as Joe pushed the gun into her skull.
"Oh really? Well, there's um, no need to rush back is there" Holly barely believe the words she was saying, she hoped Johnny would be here in seconds, and this horrendous ordeal would be over.
"Ok doll.." Joe once again nodded and pushed the gun into Holly. "Wrap it up." He mouthed.
"I umm I really have to go. Lily needs me. She's umm playing guitar."
"Oh umm, ok."
"Bye Bye Blackbird." Holly said slowly as she closed her eyes awaiting a response.
"Love you darling." She heard Johnny's voice and the call end. Had he picked up on her signal? It was the first thing she could think of that was subtle but still meant something. It was a line from one of his gangsta movies and she sincerely hoped he got the meaning.

Johnny hung up the phone. "That's odd." "What is?" Asked Sean. "She essentially hung up on me because Lily was playing guitar." "Guitar? Lily doesn't play guitar." Jack said knowingly. "No you're right, she doesn't." Johnny said slowly trying to work something out. "Bye bye black bird." He repeated before his eyes widened and he jumped out his seat. "Sean.. Travis. We should get back. I'm worried about the girls at the house."

Tara had slowly opened the basement cinema room door ready to shout up, when she heard a scream that sounded like Lily. She then heard Holly shouting, and a huge smash. Tara couldn't believe what she was hearing, she quickly shut the door, running for her phone. She stupidly didn't know the number for the French police but dialled her husband as quickly as she could. It rang and rang and rang, Tara could feel her palms sweating and her heart racing. "Travis please.." she whispered. "Mum!! Shhhhh!" Theo turned round from the movie and stared at his mother. Finally the call went to voicemail, and Tara silently swore before jumping up. She pushed the lazy boy she had been sat on with all her might, the heavy piece of furniture eventually and painfully slowly started moving. In that split second that Travis hadn't answered her phone, she had known what she needed to do. Protect the children at all costs. Holly would never forgive her if she put them in danger. The chair banged up against the door and she jumped up, cringing and praying the noise hadn't been heard upstairs. Yanking the next one up and blocking the door even further from opening, she got the chair where she wanted it and stood up, wiping the sweat from her forehead, she yanked at her cardigan and threw it on the ground. As she turned she saw the children all staring at her, the film had ended and they all had very confused looks on their faces. "Where's Mummy?!" Billy asked. He was Ben and Hannah's eldest, and was 5 years old, his little sister Millie who was 2 stood beside him holding her blanky. "Mummy is a little busy right now, but we are going to stay here and be really quiet and wait patiently for them ok?" Tara said shaking before asking Lottie. "How about we play a game Lottie? Can you get everyone lying down on their cushions?" The 7 year old proudly nodded before Tara grabbed her phone again.

12% battery remaining.

It rang and rang, Tara prayed to every available god that her husband answered. "Darling... I promise we are just about to leave, literally getting into the vehicles now." He said jovially. "Travis. It's not that. We're in trouble." Tara said almost crying, knowing she had to be strong for the children present. "I don't have long. My battery is about to die, there's something going on upstairs, I think the girls are being held hostage. I'm in the basement with the children. We were watching movies and I don't know, Hols and Hannah went upstairs and now please. Help." "What?! Ok. Breathe baby breathe, stay there. Barricade the door. The room is sound proof. Do not leave it. Do you hear me?? Tara, tell me you're listening. DO NOT LEAVE THAT ROOM."  "I'm listening..." and then the phone died and left a deathly silence in the room.