Ellen Blake Destined To Return

19 - The cobalt solution

Keith tried to hold his own inside the butcher's shop. He was no match for the three men, especially with two of them just as strong as he was. They barged their way into the shop and chased Keith as he ran into the back room. Feeling their breath on his collar Keith failed to negotiate the wet floor and his feet went from underneath him. He slid across the room into a side bench and chunks of meat and offal fell on to him.

Spotting that Keith was the only person in the back room and slightly incapacitated, the men wasted no time and made for the back door.

'They're coming,' Marianne shouted, as she saw the men run into the yard.

She wished she'd followed Keith's instruction and had not loitered. She tried to catch up with Ellen, Aaron and Billy the best she could, but her shoes weren't designed for running.

The dustbins that caught Aaron out had also delayed the pursuers, giving Marianne a small window of opportunity to catch up, but not enough.

Realising they were not easily going to outrun the men, Ellen turned to check on Marianne. It was too late. The first man with the long coat reached her and held her in a bear hug. Marianne let out a howl and struggled violently in his arms.

'He's got her!' Ellen shouted to the two boys and she turned and ran back towards danger. 'Marianne! Leave her alone!'

Unable to believe he now had to turn and face their foe, Aaron dropped his shoulders, took a deep breath and reluctantly ran back into the action carrying the suitcase against his chest. Billy was confused by the whole event, but was concerned for his sister so joined him.

'Get your hands off her!' Ellen screamed at the man with the long coat, which she could see was now a pale blue.

The second man, just as large, but wearing a shorter dark coloured coat and sporting a ginger goatee beard stormed past Marianne and her antagonist. He initially looked like he was heading for Ellen but then changed course when he spotted a suitcase on legs running towards him.

Aaron was finding it hard running with the suitcase bobbing in front of his face and decided to ditch it. After all what good was a suitcase now? Just as he lowered it into one hand the ginger-bearded man dived for him, grabbed him around the waist and rugby-tackled Aaron to the ground.

The suitcase went flying, straight into Billy's path and tripped him, sending him skidding on all fours. Aaron was flung in the other direction. He fell into a number of empty crates, stacked on the other side of the alley.

The ginger-bearded man got to his feet. Aaron was winded and Billy was on the floor, examining his grazed hands. The man ran back to help his associate, who was now under a barrage of abuse and blows from Ellen, yet maintaining his grip on Marianne.

Whilst making wild windmill slaps with her arms, Ellen caught the head of the man with the long coat and his hat was dislodged. Ellen was surprised to see the man was in fact a rather masculine woman, with messy black hair and no make-up other than mascara.

'Let her go you -' Ellen yelled at the woman, but she never got to finish her verbal attack.

She too was grabbed in a bear hug and lifted from behind by the strong arms of the ginger-bearded man. As her legs flew outwards, she kicked as though she was riding an invisible bicycle. The man swung her round, so she could now see down the alley towards Aaron and Billy, both still on the floor.

'Aaron! Aaron!' she shouted, but he didn't respond. He was moving but looking a little wobbly. 'Put me down, you moron.'

The butch woman looked back towards the gate of the butcher's shop and shouted at the third man, a smaller man, who was hobbling a little.