I'll Help You Hide From Them

Negotiation

I force myself to move when I come to. Even though I've been blindfolded as well, I know that I'm still in the car. I force myself to rely on my other senses, smelling a familiar aftershave. I'm reassured that O'Malley is sitting next to me, working out that my head is leaning on his shoulder. The thought that we're both eventually going to die begins to eat at me but I still take comfort in the thought that I'm not alone this time.

I try to see if I can work out who on the other side is in the car with us. I'm not as successful with this on the grounds that my interactions with this gang are usually scattered and there's no dialogue for me to overhear.

I can hear O'Malley grunting in pain when he comes to from the possible internal bleeding and bruising from being shot at without restraint.

I grunt to alert him that I'm here, guessing that he'll be blindfolded too.

He leans into me to reassure me, struggling substantially. I assume he probably has been trained to deal with scenarios like this.

Something being methodically pressed against my left breast stops my struggle, knowing that it's a gun and if it's being held to my chest it is possible that one is also being held to my O'Malley's.

"That's right baby snake, you don't want to use up your first chance already." One of Leonardo's men chuckles.

I am slightly gutted at how they deliberately put someone I don't know all that well in the car with me. It's logical though.

They chuckle. "You know, I had your father like this. If it had been up to me I would've put my gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger but I didn't want to stain the car. You see, your father and I were never close. He took what was mine to inherit." He tells me, chuckling as he tilts up my chin. "That's right, I was meant to marry your mother. She was officially going to be mine the second she had her monthly blood for the first time." He taunts.

She was too smart for you! They both were!

"I imagine you were trying to keep this secret, that you're the son of two criminals." He adds, knowing that the security guard didn't know any of this.

I tense up as he strokes my neck with his hand. "You have your mother's skin, I bet you didn't know that." He taunts. "I really just want to strangle you so that when I find her I can get her to myself." He adds.

I feel a little sick at the thought of this man getting my mother but know that she's too smart to be found by any of these thugs.

Jake, did you seriously just set me up? You idiot!

"I don't think anyone told you this but your partner, the dead one, actually came to see us before he was shot." I can hear the venomous smirk in his voice. "You're done. The more people know of your bloodline, the less likely you'll be able to keep your job. I don't think anybody would really want you with your handicap. Out of work at 26, I thought that only happened to footballers."

I fantasize about punching this man in the mouth.

"I wish I knew what drugs your partner was on, he honestly believed that there was something making your father tell the police the information which led to the occupation of the Tower estate. I don't know if I should admire the man for sticking to his guns or laugh at his insanity." He continues.

He's deliberately trying to provoke me. He wants to kill my security guard to have me shattered. I need to stay calm. The security guard's and Kier's life depend on it.

He doesn't seem aware that I've clocked on to what he's doing so he continues trying to push things further. I flinch at his gun being pressed between my legs.

"I always knew their kids would come out wrong. You and your old partner were lovers, weren't you?" He challenges. "The way he spoke of you was something else. I could hear his lust for your body. You must've done a good job fucking him right." He mocks. "I really want to shoot your little appendage but I think I'll be able to get something better out of it." He presses it uncomfortably tighter into me. "You're going to tell me when I remove the gag where your mother is." He decides.

He yanks the gag to be under my chin. "I'll be honest, I haven't had time to look into her location. If I die, your chance at finding her dies with me. My parents are the people who raised me, not the people who fled during Hill Fort." I tell him as calmly as possible, ignoring the whine from the security guard.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He murmurs, loading his gun and is just about to shoot O'Malley in the head when I interrupt.

"But, if you really want to find her, you can treat us both to a glass of water and provide me with all the information I need and I'll find her right now for you. The water is a necessity since it's tough thinking clearly while being dehydrated. If you shoot any of my friends or colleagues, I will keep my mouth shut and you won't hear a peep on where my mother is." I warn.

"You're a real brat but you said you don't want us to shoot them, even on this one's bulletproof vest?" He counters.

"If you're going to have a bullet leave a gun, the gun better be aimed at me because I won't be speaking regardless." I clarify.

A groan in pain alerts me that O'Malley has been punched. My lip twitches into a snarl for a moment but know that it's too late to change the rules.

"No bullets right, expect that drink once we get to where the trap is being set." He chuckles.

"That's fine." I murmur, not too happy about the fact that he's still going to hurt the security guard to get what he wants out of me but I manage to reassure myself with the knowledge that I'll be giving him false information, confident that he won't be able to tell when I'm lying.