Sleight of Hand [Show 'em Who's Boss #1]

25: Claustrophobia

     The high street was busy, full of people on their way to New Year’s Eve parties. Lots of them were lined up outside of clubs waiting to get in. Already the streets were filled with broken glass, used party-poppers and pounding music. As I walked through the crowds I couldn’t help but think how well this plan was going to work on the busiest night of the year. It was hard to contain my excitement.

     I’d contacted Jakob and Jamie to tell them about the slight change of plan. They’d agreed to it immediately and soon rearranged everything accordingly. So I pushed through crowds, showing my face to as many witnesses as possible.

    Jakob was on his way to supposedly meet me at one of the nearby clubs to celebrate the New Year, and my birthday the next day, together. The story was that he was going to meet me at my house and we’d walk to the club together but I’d grown impatient and had set out alone.

     I checked the time on my watch. Two minutes until the plan must start. I quickened my pace. It was crucial that I got to the end of the specific alleyway before the guys turned up to kidnap me. If they turned up early then it would be a little too suspicious, as though they somehow knew I was going to take that route to the club. It was simple flaws like that which could jeopardise our plot. It had to run as smoothly as possible or it could all be ruined.

     As soon as I reached the alley I surveyed the area. It could be seen by a few people passing by as well as several people lined up outside a club opposite. There were plenty of witnesses, but not too many, and most of them looked unlikely to try to intervene. They were busy talking to friends, so preoccupied in their own little bubbles.

     I started to walk casually down the alley, shoving my hands in my coat pockets to keep them warm. Suddenly a black van rushed down the thin road, screeching to a stop and blocking my path in the process. Immediately I backed away, acting cautious and slightly scared.

     Three men jumped out of the van, two from the front and one who had been sitting in the back. They didn’t look prepared for a kidnapping as they were just dressed in their usual clothes, their faces shown to the whole world. Our intention was for this kidnapping to look slightly spontaneous, as though one of my father’s rivals had been on the lookout for me and conveniently some of his men had found me wandering the streets. We hoped that witnesses would remember their faces and report that to the police because my father knew most of the men who worked for Jamie, so he’d make the connection straightaway. My hope was that he’d fall to pieces as soon as he understood that one of his rivals had taken me, just as they had with my mother. It was all part of my plan to hurt him.

     The three men charged at me and my first reaction was to run. I might always act tough, but I can be realistic too. There was no way I was going to immediately try to take on three bulky men, it wouldn’t end well. So the first goal was escape. If that failed then I was going to fight, (which was, of course, all part of the plan).

     I didn’t even get out of the alleyway before one of them grabbed me from behind, an action that wasn’t supposed to happen yet. The idiot was breaking away from our carefully planned script, and that wasn’t good! He put one hand over my mouth so that I couldn’t scream. So I bit into his hand as hard as I could, until I tasted blood. With that one little change to our plan, the whole thing came tumbling apart. He let go, crying out in both annoyance and pain. I saw the chance and kicked him wherever I could reach. Unfortunately my foot only hit his knee but it was hard enough for him to loosen his grip on me for a second. I escaped from his grasp and started to run once again, shouting at the top of my lungs for someone to help me.

     The scene hadn’t gone unnoticed though. There were already two young men running over but before they could get any closer I heard the familiar click of a gun from behind me. I froze on the spot and slowly spun around to see Derek pointing the gun at one of the men who had been coming to my rescue.