20 Days To Fall In Love

#24 - Goodbye, Matthew Campbell

Chapter 24 - Goodbye, Matthew Campbell
published: Tuesday, 12 May 2020

Disaster struck when Matthew reached the staircase going into the basement. One moment he was creeping down silently, the next moment, someone had tackled him, knocking the knife out of his hands as he tumbled down the staircase.

"Get up!" a vicious snarl broke through the haziness of his mind.

Bruises probably littered his body, from what Matthew could tell. His eyes opened blearily to see another two of the masked attackers standing over him. It was a woman who trained a gun at him, her black ponytail the only identifiable feature.

Struggling to his feet, Matthew felt the dizziness dissipate and the alarm set in. "Who are you?"

"Get to your feet," the woman repeated, the barrel of her rifle knocking into the back of Matthew's head. The cold metal sent a shiver own his spine, and he rapidly stumbled to his feet.

The woman shoved him forward, barrel constantly touching his skin. Matthew couldn't help the speeding up of his heartbeat.

If her finger moved even an inch, he would be dead. Bullet through his head. That had to be a horrible way to die.

Matthew closed his eyes as he was forced forward. There were so many things he hadn't done yet. The last week had been the best of his life, but he'd expected it to last longer.

He would never get the chance to tell Elizabeth how he really felt. Or make up with his parents. His biggest regrets.

"What are you doing?" Matthew demanded, still facing forward as they approached the door of the safe room. "What do you want? Is it money? I'll give you whatever you want."

The woman's accomplice chuckled lowly. "We're here to kill you," he said simply.

Matthew swallowed. Okay, so Elizabeth was right.

"But the people downstairs," he frowned. "They're still alive."  

"Not them," the woman scoffed. "You. The Campbells."

Matthew's eyes widened. His family—

"Mr Campbell! Mrs Campbell!" the woman yelled. "We have your son!"

Dread crept up on him as Matthew came to a horrific realisation; he was being used as leverage.

"We'll kill him if you don't come out!" the man sneered. "My friend here has a gun pressed to his head!"

"You're lying!" came his mother's voice. Anyone else would've thought she was stoic, calm, but Matthew sensed the undercurrent of panic in her voice. "He left! He wasn't here when you attacked!"

"Matthew," the woman ordered. "Say hello to your parents. Nice and loudly."

"Don't come out!" Matthew yelled. "Don't—they'll kill you—they'll kill—" His shout was cut off as the woman slammed the barrel of the gun into the back of his head.

Matthew crumpled to the ground, pain shooting up his legs as his knees hit the hard stone floor.

"Matthew?" his mother shouted. "Matthew?"

"If you even lay a finger on him, I'll make sure none of you live to see tomorrow," his father growled.

The man smirked. "Empty threats from someone who's stuck in a bunker."

"Leave him alone!" his father ordered. There was a pause. "We're coming out."

"No," Matthew murmured, temple throbbing with the previous blow to his head. The splitting headache was fading, but not quickly enough. "No, no—"