A New Beginning • Emmerdale

Chapter 24: The Final Hours

10 hours remaining

Ross sat staring at Kennedy's lifeless form. Connor's hit surely couldn't of killed her. He was praying she'd at least regain consciousness before this timer was up. He looked over at the timer that stood next to camera. It read 10 hours. Ross was beginning to loose hope, not knowing police had already found her car.

With Joe

"They found her car" Joe said to Graham and Debbie.

"Where?" Debbie croaked out

"Around the corner from Ross's" Joe shrugged, Debbie's eyebrows frowned as she looked at both the men. "You okay?" Joe prompted.

"Has anyone seen Ross at all?" Debbie asked suspiciously.

"No actually" Joe also frowned, then his face grew angry "Kennedy saw something Ross did a while ago, he threatened to kill her" Joe said grabbing his keys.

"Wait what, Ross would-" Joe cuts Debbie off.

"Are you coming?" He asked, she quickly nodded. They all got into the car as Graham drive to Ross's place.  Joe knocked on the door of the Barton household.

"Kennedy?! Ross?! Open this door now!" He shouted.

Ross, inside, so nearly wanted to shout out for help, knowing he couldn't, he kept his mouth shut shaking his head, letting a small tear drop from his eye.

8 hours remaining.

Is this what dying is like? Kennedy thought to herself. Not knowing exactly what was happening. Was she dead? Knocked out? Or even in limbo, what ever that was. It was killing her inside not knowing about Joe, or Debbie or any of her family and what they were going through. What broke her heart, was hearing the desperate cries of her other half that were coming from the door. Ross not saying anything, she knew he couldn't.

7 hours remaining

I think Ross Barton might be involved. You found her car around the corner from his place, he hasn't been seen either since she's been missing, please just look into it" Joe begged at the cops down at the station. Knowing Ross was involved or knew something.

After the police had agreed, they headed down to search the area. Not being able to receive a search warrant until sufficient evidence came up. Joe knew they were running out of time.

Not long after a search of the outside premises, they discovered Kennedy's phone that she purposely dropped. After no answer at the door they returned to station, with the phone in an evidence bag.

4 hours remaining

"Where. Is. Simon" Connor gave Ross a hit with every word.

"I don't know!" He yelled at Connor.

"Keep your voice down, you don't want me to hurt this lovely young lass anymore do ya" Connor walked over to where Kennedy sat, still lifeless, his hand traced her cheek "maybe I may just take her, to work for me, like Dawn"

"Don't you dare!" Ross spat

"Time will tell" he motioned to the timer giving a sick laugh.

3 hours remaining

"Come on! You found her phone outside his house! How haven't you got the warrant yet!" Joe was yelling across the station, warning him a lot a glares. "He could've killed her!"

"Joe, calm down please" Debbie said, pulling him back down so he was seated.

"We are working on it, we should be able to get one soon, it's not that easy" A cop said to Joe before walking through a set of double doors.

"I've told them, I want to go with them. I want to see her so bad" Debbie smiled at him.

"I think you'd be the first person she'd want to see, don't get your hopes up though, she may not be there" Debbie said sadly.

In the meantime, the main two cops on the case, were fighting and fighting to get this warrant.

1 hour remaining

"Wow, this really is the final countdown" Connor and his mate laughed.

"You won't get away with this" Ross growled toward the two. They just laughed and wandered around the upstairs of Ross's home.

Kennedy's eyes slowly fluttered open, she let out a sigh.

"Great, thought someone would've found us by now" she croaked out, stifling a laugh.

"We less then an hour Kennedy. Now is not the time to be joking around" Ross whispered.

"God sorry" she rolled her eyes. "What are we going t-" she closed her eyes gritting her teeth at the pain, she looked down seeing cuts on her thighs and up her arm.

"You okay?" Ross questioned concerned.

"Yeah, just fab thanks Ross" she said sarcastically.

"Where's your knight in shining armour? Maybe he hasn't realised" he shrugged.

"Shut up Ross" I rolled my eyes at him.

15 minutes remaining.

"Well this is it, better start talking" they both waited, both holding a knife.

"We have 15 more minutes" Kennedy speaks up.

"Don't make me knock ya round ya head again lass, or I may even cut your tongue out" he spat in her face. Not wanting to risk anything, she decided it was best to keep her mouth shut.

"Tick-tock" Connor sat on the longer sofa, repeating himself every now and again for a whole 10 minutes.

His friend, started to lay plastic sheets over the floor around Kennedy and Ross.

"This May get messy, wouldn't want to ruin ya carpet now would we?" Connor said sarcastically, while chuckling to himself. "Someone killed Simon, and I recon it was you my boy" he pointed the knife to Ross's throat. Both Kennedy and Ross staying silent. Connor nodded to the tall guy, as they both held their knifes up as if to get ready to kill them, her head flew the other way and her eyes quickly shut, waiting to feel the impact. It never came.

KENNEDY'S POV

I opened my eyes to find police tackling both the men to the ground, slapping handcuffs on their wrists, while over officers cut myself and Ross free, paramedics instantly ran in wrapping up any wounds. The two men were taken outside by some officers, then Ross was walked out, followed by me. I limped my way outside, struggling to walk. As soon as I got outside, the fresh air hit my face and I started crying. The tears came more as soon as I laid my eyes on him. No matter how much I couldn't really walk, and no matter how bad the pain, I ran to him. Wrapping my arms around him so tight like if I let go, that would be it.

"Oh my god" Joe cried into my shoulder "I love you so damn much" he hugged me tightly, pulling away when he felt me wince, he examined my body his hand goes to his mouth as he can see the state of me. He goes to speak but gets cut off by a paramedic, the doctor takes me into the back of the ambulance shutting the doors before I could say anything to or see Joe.

I felt a buzz go off in my hoodie pocket, I reached in to find my phone, Joe must've put it there. I look down to see a text from Joe saying 'I'll meet you there, I'm not leaving your side again' I let a happy tear escape my ear as I close my eyes for the rest of the journey thinking about what would've happened if they were a few seconds late.