Ruby Redfort: try not to scream

Chapter 10- What do you want?

The four of them walked inside to find a note from the Redfort's housekeeper, Mrs Digby.

Cousin Emily had a crisis and I've got to help her out. I'll be back in a week -Mrs D

"Great, no more club sandwiches!" sighed Ruby. Hitch smirked. He made his excuses and left the house swiftly. So the three kids made their way upstairs to watch Crazy Cops. They were about halfway through the batch of cookies they had brought up then the credits rolled.

"Wow," said Dan. "This is a good show," They sat on Ruby's bed, in between the mountains of books and telephone collection laughing at the humor of the TV show. They watched about ten episodes before Ruby noticed the time.
"Clancy, you might want to go home. It's nine o'clock,"
"Really? That went fast. I'll see you both at the diner tomorrow I guess,"
"Bye," Dan waved at him as Ruby got up to walk him to the door.

Clancy picked up his bag from downstairs and walked to the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow Ruby. And I'm sorry for being rude to Dan at first. He seems cool,"
Ruby smiled at him. There he was, stood in her doorway, as perfect as the day she met him. She pulled him into a hug and as she did she whispered "Goodnight, Clancy Crew."
He grinned and softly kissed her cheek.
"Goodnight, Ruby Redfort," He walked down the pathway and soon he was out of her sight. She closed the door and smiled ever so slightly. Just as she was about to walk upstairs, the phone rang.

"Hello?" she said as she picked up the phone.
"You two are awfully cute," came a voice Ruby knew all too well. The strange, dracula like speech of the man that romed her nightmares. Count Von Viscount.
"How are you... why are you calling me," Ruby's voice was shaking strangely.
"That's no way to treat an old friend, Miss Redfort," The simple effect of saying her name sent shivers through Ruby's blood worse than ice cold water.
"What do you want from me?"
The Count cackled, wickedly.
"The thing I want is you," he paused slightly. "Well, you, dead and buried six feet under,"
Ruby tried to put on a calm front.
"I regret to inform you that my agent friends, in particular Hitch, will never let that happen,"
Again came his laugh. Cold, cruel and almost as black as his heart.
"Well he's otherwise engaged and you and Master Zayn are home alone. Correct?"
Ruby's silence answered that question. Once again came that dark laugh.
"I'm watching you, Ruby Redfort,"

The call was cut. As soon as it did, the door lock clunked open. Ruby gasped and backed up against the wall waiting to see his black shark eyes.

"Kid?" said Hitch. It was just Hitch. Ruby made a mental note to thank the lord above that she had not come face to face with a psychotic murderer in her living room.
"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost,"
"Hitch," Ruby sighed. "Thank goodness it's just you," She ran into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"What did I do to deserve the affection, kid?" He was very confused.
"Show up right on time," Ruby said, pulling away and steadying herself.
"Did something happen?" Hitch knew Ruby well. So well, in fact, that he knew exactly what emotion she was feeling whenever he looked at her.

Ruby explained what had happened while Hitch fixed her a glass of banana milk.
"It's ok Ruby. He can't get in the house and he never will, alright?" Ruby sipped her beverage. She made sure to leave out the comment about her and Clancy. She wasn't ready to talk about it to anyone just yet.
"Ok," she replied and Hitch gave her a reassuring smile. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her. She was safe as long as he was around. Ruby went back upstairs and found Dan half asleep on her bed. She smirked at him. He was tucked up under her duvet and his eyes slowly shut. He looked so peaceful that she didn't want to wake him. She changed into an oversized hoodie, shorts and some fluffy socks and curled up next to him. Although it didn't feel like it, she had been talking to Hitch for a few hours. Ruby was quite tired so she fell asleep pretty quickly. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of Clancy and her friends. For some reason, she did not think of Victor Von Layden until the morning. She felt safe as long as Hitch was with her and even though he wasn't fully trained, she guessed Dan had to be pretty good at his job for him to be assigned to a case this important. When she woke up, her head was on Dan's chest and his arms were around her. She thought nothing of it. She wriggled out of his grasp and shuffled downstairs. Sat around her table was Hitch. Hitch, in a tux.

"That's not something I expected to see this morning," giggled Ruby.
"It's briefing day kid so you might wanna get ready,"
"Oh no." Ruby realised what he was saying. "You want me to wear a dress, don't you?"
"Don't worry kid. I got Spectrum to make you something," He told her that the outfit was in his room so Ruby trotted down to the below ground floor and into Hitch's room. Folded neatly on his chair was an electric blue dress. Ruby groaned so loud Hitch could still hear her.
"It's not that bad," yelled Hitch. Ruby Redfort was not a dress wearer. Girly was a word that was not even in the same dictionary as words you would use to describe Ruby.

She stomped back upstairs holding the outfit.
"Why Hitch? Why?" complained Ruby.
"Redfort, when I saw Spectrum made it, I mean they made installments,"
"Wait, so you mean it's like my jumpsuit," Ruby was more excited now.
"Yep exactly," grinned the butler and he sipped his coffee.
"So what does it do?"
"You will have to wait and see, kid. I thought it was about time we made you and outfit that would save you from bad guys and your mother's temper,"
"That is fair enough," laughed Ruby.
Hitch told her that they would be leaving in an hour and that she should wake Dan and start getting ready.

The work was about to begin.

Thanks for reading this chapter. New one coming soon xxx