JAKE'S PUNISHMENT

Chapter 38 - AN HOUR OF FREEDOM

Danny brought Jake up from the basement and let him eat Spag Bol at the table with them. He was even allowed a couple of glasses of wine; he and Danny shared a bottle between them while Chloe had Lemonade because of the baby. The conversation was a bit awkward and stilted, none of them really sure what to say. Jake asked Chloe how her studies were going and she replied they were going well and Chloe asked Jake about his amputation and if he was coping ok and he said he wasn't but he had to try and be brave. Eventually Jake asked Danny about Mandy''i hope you don't mind if I ask how she is'' he said to him sheepishly. ''I haven't seen her around for a while and I wondered how she and Ellie are doing''

''They are doing ok Jake'' Danny replied ''But she hates you because she feels that you let her down and abandoned her when she needed you''

''Yes, I understand that but I really am very sorry'' Jake meant it, he knew he had treated Mandy badly and had not stepped up to his responsibilities as a father. ''it was a bit of a shock when she first came here and told me that she was engaged to you and that you were going to be Ellie's stepdad''

''I really love Mandy and I am prepared to be a father to her baby, I'm just sorry that you are missing out on seeing her Jake, she is a great baby''

''Maybe Mandy might let me see her some time, could you ask her for me?''

''I can ask but I don't think it's very likely that she will say yes Jake, I'm sorry. She really hates you and doesn't want you to see her because she regards me as Ellie's dad now''

Jake bowed his head and felt very sad, but he knew he had only himself to blame for losing the right to see Ellie

''Sorry man but I think it's time you went back to the basement now'' Danny told Jake after a while, the regret evident in his voice. Jake looked out the window and saw that it was a nice evening outside. ''can't I sit in the garden just for a little while please?'' he pleaded

''Or better still why don't the three of us go outside somewhere, a drive in the car?'' Chloe said Both Jake and Danny were stunned by this ''Are you out of your mind?'' Danny asked her in disbelief ''the others will go mad if they knew we took Jake outside''

''Just for an hour or so'' Chloe said ''I want a walk and some fresh air and I'm sure Jake is dying for one after all these months''

''I know you must be joking right?'' Danny said attempting a laugh ''I know you can't be serious''

''Oh but I am serious, I want the three of us to go out for a walk, just for an hour. We'll be back here before any of the others get back and they will never even know about it. The three of us can keep it to ourselves and there won't be a problem, right Jake?''

Jake nodded his head. Danny looked at the hopeful looks on both Chloe and Jake's faces and gave in

Danny drove the three of them to the nearby woods and they walked around in the late evening sunshine. Jake was stunned by everything; it had been the first time he had been out of the house and his first taste of freedom in many months. It felt like decades since he had last been outside. He was often in the garden of the house, that was true. He got to see the sun and the clouds and feel the breeze on his face, but his view was always obscured by those ugly walls around the garden, the secret garden.

For months he had dreamed about being free and going for a walk in nature and now at last here he was and it felt great and he didn't want to go back to his prison, he wanted to stay free

''What made you change your mind about me?'' he asked Danny while they walked, ''you hated me as much as the others do at first then you started to be nicer to me''

''Honestly, it gets tiring being angry and being full of hate all the time'' Danny replied ''it doesn't make me feel better and it doesn't change what happened. Anyway I have forgiven you, I know it was an accident and we all make mistakes''

''I am sorry for what I did, honest I am''

''I know you are and I'm sorry too, sorry I helped my family to get you as our prisoner. That night when I saw you in the pub I really hated you and I wanted you to be punished but now I think your punishment should end, I think it's enough''

''Maybe we should just let Jake go, right now?'' Chloe said suddenly, making the other two gasp with shock ''I'm pretty sick of this now too, I want it to end''

''But how can we?'' Danny said ''I mean if it was down to me I'd let Jake go but the others will go crazy if he gets away, we just can't do it''

''Jake, just run now, just go'' Chloe urged him. Jake was tempted to do it, right now. Just run and be free.

''Chloe stop it'' Danny said ''I'm sorry Jake but you can't go, I wish I could let you go but I can't''

''I'm sorry too'' Jake told him ''I know your family will be angry but I have to do this, now is my only chance''

Jake suddenly ran for it, into the trees ''that's right Jake, run'' Chloe called after him with delight''JAKE STOP IT, COME BACK AT ONCE!'' Danny yelled and chased after him in a panic. If Jake got away the others would kill him and Chloe. He had to catch him again. Jake was determined, he had to escape and be free. He looked back and saw Danny wasn't willing to make things easy for him. Danny was a fast runner and fitter than Jake and he was catching up to Jake fast, Jake had to keep running fast to escape

''Please Jake, stop running'' Danny said to him, out of breath ''I have to take you back I have no choice''

Jake turned to call back to Danny and tripped and fell, twisting his ankle. Danny pounced on him quickly ''I trusted you and you let me down'' Danny told him as he pulled him up and started to march him back towards Chloe and the car ''maybe I would have taken you out again sometime if you hadn't done this, but now there is no way I can trust you again and risk it''

''Please man, just let me go'' Jake begged, in tears now ''one hour of freedom isn't enough, I need to be free for good, I can't go back to that house and be a prisoner forever it's killing me''

They arrived back to Chloe and she was disappointed to see that Jake had been caught ''Ah Jake I'm so sorry'' she told him sadly ''I really wanted you to get away''

''Yeah I know'' Jake said ''I could have made, it, I tried to but I tripped on something''

'' I'm very disappointed in you'' Chloe told Danny ''I know you want to let Jake go but you haven't the guts to do it and this disappoints me a lot''

''Just get back to the car and shut up the pair of you'' Danny said, glancing anxiously at his watch ''we've been gone for an hour and we need to get back before the others do otherwise there will be hell to pay if they get back before we do and realize Jake was taken outside''

They went back to the car and Danny drove off in a hurry. They sat in silence the entire way back. Danny concentrated on his driving and was anxious to get back fast. Jake sat in the back with head bowed, quietly sobbing, his chance of freedom had been so close and had been snatched from him. Chloe sat next to Jake in the back and tried to comfort him. Jake thought about trying the doors to escape from the car. But he knew that Danny had locked them so there was no point. He had one hour of freedom and now he was going back to prison and that was that, he knew when he was well and truly defeated.

When they arrived back, Danny got out of the car and froze with horror ''SHIT!'' he exclaimed. Chloe and Jake got out of the car wondering what Danny was so bothered about. It only took them a moment to realize. Someone else had returned to the house before them. Alex's car was in the driveway.