Sever - A Wattpad Featured Story

Blue - Chapter 13 - Then

I run like a bat out of hell. Away from the service station where behind, the police car's siren kicks into gear. Ahead there's an old train —non-pendolina with only two carriages behind a grunting engine— tucked into the entrance to the station. It has handles on the outside of its doors and a lowered window so passengers can reach out to release the latch when they disembark. I wouldn't be surprised if its rudimentary station didn't have a working phone line, though the tannoy system announcing that the next train for London will be leaving shortly, shatters any hope of that.

I tease the key into my handcuffs which is disconcertingly difficult whilst wearing them. Eventually they unclasp and fall away.

I'm weighing up how best to slip aboard my new ride when I hear it.

'Oy.' The noise again. 

I crouch automatically behind the bushes I'm nestled in, my body as rigid as a pole. I wish I'd taken a breath for now I've come to the end of exhaling I start to shake. The voice was female, but not sharp or laced with ulterior motive like the Detective's.

'Hey, we're not going to rat you out,' a guy's voice says.

When I lean forward, the young couple from the petrol station in their green Ford Fiesta are looking at me, and their back door is hanging open. It's tantalising.

'We sent the cops the other way. Figured you might need a ride,' the guy says.

Though their accents are as estuary as mine, I can't help but wonder which Hollywood movie they've seen to make them think helping a prisoner will save the world.

'You know how much trouble that will get you in?' I mutter, emerging from the foliage. Their eyes are giddy with excitement. It's the stupidest offer they've made all day. Perhaps I'm not the only one who can't make a good decision to save my life.

We drive at an alarming speed, hurtling through the lanes that I'd cruised along when I was wrapped in silence and shackles. I lean in, close enough that I could whisper and still be heard, though when I try my voice has gone croaky. It takes a cough before I can say, 'thanks,' with any conviction.

The girl smiles and introduces herself as Leanne and her fella as Guy. Guy the guy. It fits.

'What do they want with you?' Guy says.

I sigh. This is the part I can't answer. Murder doesn't have the right kind of ring to it.

'Burglary,' I say, wincing. 'Well, that's what they think. I was just trying to get some stuff I'd left at my girlfriend's.'

A look of scepticism crosses his face. Stupid lie.

'See the thing is, she's the best thing that ever happened to me. Her mother wanted a lord or something for her, always looked down on me like I was nothing. I wanted to set her room up with candles and petals and stuff.' I bow my head. The lie must blanket the embarrassment. 'I wanted to propose.'

At that, Leanne smiles and looks at Guy lovingly. I've won her over.

'Shame, her mother caught me right in the middle. She was less horrified about me climbing up the drainpipe and more concerned her school-going daughter —seventeen okay, nearly eighteen— would not be a princess, I guess. Like Prince Harry is waiting on tender hooks or something. Now Jade thinks I'm a common thief because her mother brainwashed her and badmouthed me and... well she'll send me to jail before she'll have her daughter see me. I have to get to her house to tell her the truth. If I end up in that cell where they were taking me, I've lost her forever.'

Guy, with a newfound sense of heroism turns from the wheel.

'Lets get you to your girl.'

Doesn't everyone love a fairytale.

We cross the M25 and make it to Radlett without fuss. For once the traffic is on my side, which I take to be a sign from the heavens, or perhaps it's just because it's not raining, half term, and the middle of the working day. It's only when I start to give directions to Jade's house that Leanne glosses her lips, ties her hair into a bun and pipes up.

'Didn't you hear the news this morning?'

I tense. She's seen my father's funeral in the papers. She's piecing the dots together. Very soon she'll remember the son who owned up, in self-defence. My mugshot was probably printed in every paper. Very soon they'll pull the car over right in front of the nearest police station and feed me to the bulls.

'They called all schools back in,' she continues. 'My little sister was planning to go to Alton Towers before the season ends, and the whole thing was cancelled. I don't think they'll get their money back now.'

'Why would they do that?' I say. 'It's the holidays.'

'Something about the baby crisis,' she says, turning to look at me.

I freeze, reddening all the way to my collar bone. They know about Dover. Goosebumps rise up my neck.

Leanne has very arched eyebrows, plucked to within an inch of their life. I don't know why I thought she reminded me of Jade back at the station, in one innocent glance over a tank of diesel.

'See it's all over the news.' She leans forward to the CD player which has been playing Take That on low level repeat since I got in, and flicks it to the radio.

'It's okay, I don't need to hear it.'

'The 1 o'clock news is coming on any minute,' she replies ignoring me. 'Where did you say her school was? Guy, lets head there.' When she sees his frown she puts her hand on his knuckes which have been resting on the gearstick since I jumped in. 'He's in love,' she adds.

He sighs and asks where Westmore is. A good way from Radlett into the West end. I'm surprised when after some glances and eyebrow lifting between them, he indicates for the A1. Guy and Leanne continue to prattle on whilst the news starts. It's theme tune sounds more and more like a funeral march.

'Look we don't need to hear it,' I say, my hand on the door handle. Even though we're going at a healthy forty, I'm keeping my options wide open. 'Thank you so much for the ride. I really can't thank you enough. In my wedding speech I'm going to make a special mention for you two for changing my life but I can get out here. I'll go to the school myself. It's not far. You've done more than enough, and I'm forever indebted...'

But they're not listening to me.

The newsreader has announced that an unnamed (for legal reasons) murderer escaped from police custody on the B435 between Pebmarsh and Sudbury.

Their mouths drop open. I unlatch the door, and run.

Thanks for reading Chapter Thirteen of Sever where Blue escapes police custody (hurray!) but where's he running to? Keep reading, the next chapter is now LIVE!

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CAST LIST (so far)

Leanne  - car passenger

Guy - car driver

Jade Lively - Lilly Collins (the protagonist)

Belinda - Lindsay Lohan (fellow kidnappee)

Adrian Lively - Alex Pettyfer (Jade's husband)

Marcus Lively - William Fichtner aka Alex from Prison Break (Adrian's father)

Blue - Liam Hemsworth (the protagonist / anti-hero and Jade's ex-boyfriend)

Mikey Drosner - Jack Black (Blue's lawyer)

Detective Pike - Viola Davis (Blue's prosecutor)

Prime Minister Christopher Seaford - Gary Oldman

Terrence Ridley - Mackenzie Crook (one of the pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean)