Against Orders

Prologue: Emlyn

Author's Note:

This is the first decent book I've ever written, so please go easy on me. Tell me what you think and how I could improve it. God bless.

Prologue

 The buildings flew past as the bus picked up speed, going along the freeway. The skyscrapers and office buildings outnumbered any of the smaller businesses, but it was the designs on the buildings that caused Emlyn to pause. The geometric patterns climbing up the sides of the buildings, was like the structures along the sides of the road coming in from the airport.

“So this is Melbourne, huh?” she asked, turning back to Noah. He nodded, “We’re not in the city, yet, but you can see a lot already,” his voice was pleasant to listen to, “So how was your flight? You know I’m still mad at you ‘cos you didn’t let me pick you up.” His made an angry face but it just made her laugh. “There was no way I was going to ask you to pick me up at 2am.” His eyes still held concern for her, though.

She looked him over again and this time couldn’t help but smile and ask, “What are you wearing?” but Noah didn’t get a chance to respond because there was a gunshot. The bus swerved causing Emlyn and Noah to fall into the aisle. Once the bus had stopped, Emlyn looked up and saw most of the passengers on the floor. Climbing off Noah, she knelt to help an elderly lady off the floor and back to her seat.

“Everyone, stay where you are and listen up!” Emlyn glanced back to see the gunman holding a little girl 5 maybe 6 years old. He also held the bus’ radio and yelled into it, “If I don’t get the 500 grand owed to me in 30 minutes, this kid is going to die. You hear me?! And if any of you,” he said pointing the gun at the passengers, “try anything funny, the kid dies.”

Emlyn sat down right where she was, met Noah’s gaze and shook her head. His eyes told her everything. He was going to try and take out the gunman. Crawling over to him, she took his hand, “Please don’t do anything,” she whispered, begging him. At his nod, relief swept through her and she dropped her head against his shoulder. “Don’t worry, everything will be alright. They’ll get the money,” Noah murmured and kissed her temple.

15 minutes passed and there was no sign of the money, but the police had surrounded the bus, so the gunman made people get up and stand in front of the windows, to protect himself. No sniper could make the shot without hurting an innocent. And everyone knew it.

Another 10 minutes passed and there was no money. Counting down from three, the gunman took aim at the little girl. The kid’s mother was sobbing, crying for her baby, the girl was crying for her mummy. It was all over very quickly.

He didn’t get the chance to pull the trigger because Emlyn shot to her feet. “Wait!” the word exploded from her mouth, “Sir, just…please just wait. Hear me out. I can get you your money,” when he gestured for her to continue she said, “My parents are very rich. They’re lawyers and, personally, I think they got rich by defending scum. Anyway, if you ransom me, you’ll get your money. You’ll get it quick.”

“Okay, let’s go,” his voice so conversational that it creeped her out. “Everyone else will remain seated until we are long gone, you hear me?” Then he took her hand, holding her in front of him till they were off the bus and in a car that had come out of nowhere.

They drove for what felt like hours, but was probably minutes, with no one chasing after them. Emlyn didn’t know how they managed to evade the police, but they did.

The car stopped at some point and she was escorted into a building and seated at a table. Another man joined them, sat down across from her and asked, “Where is the money”

And Kerensa was forced to tell them there was no money. That she had lied. So they were forced, they said, to make her pay.

And pay she did.