Chapter Forty-One
Amelie
Monty walks up onto the stage as the crowd claps for the guy who just finished his speech. My head must still be scrambled, I turn to watch whatever the UK’s version of valedictorian is walk from the stage. He seems vaguely familiar.
That’s because you go to school with him, Amelie.
“I would like to start my speech by thanking everyone who has come out today. Teachers and faculty, for the dedication and time that you have spent with each and every one of these students.”
I watch as his brows furrow and he looks to Laura’s empty seat but quickly turns his attention back to the crowd.
“And to parents and caregivers, for allowing your children to come here and be nurtured and reformed into well adjusted young men and women. My students, so much has happened here in your time at Knox Academy, some good and some bad, but I know you are all better off from your time here and I’m confident that each and every one of you have a bright future ahead of you. ”
I’m seated towards the back of my cohort, and I look around as Monty continues on with his speech.
I gaze around for familiar faces, yet I hardly recognise anyone, I close my eyes and try to bring myself together.
Time blurs until I’m not sure how long I’ve been sitting here and for the first time since being in this country I’m hot, sweat rolls down my forehead and I can see Elsie’s face in my mind chastising me for ruining my makeup on a day that is perfect for wearing makeup.
“Amelie Rossi.”
I hear my name called but why? Who is talking to me? That's right, I'm graduating. I stand and start to move across the row of empty seats beside me, where everyone has moved to get their certificates. How did so much time pass? I swear Monty was just talking.
I take the steps one at a time, voices morph together and cheers echo through my mind. Monty looks at me with concern etched across his face. Does he know? Surely no one has found her yet.
My hands visibly shake as I approach, he hands me my certificate and whispers.
“Are you okay?”
I nod but turn to the audience and smile, as I look over the crowd from this angle I don’t really recognise anyone.
A helicopter sounds in the near distance. Almost everyone has their heads down but one person raises their head to look to the sky. Taco? I recognise him. Why is he here, he doesn’t go to school here, does he? Maybe he recently transferred…no, that’s not right, is it?
No one transfers in their second year.
I follow his line of sight and see not one, not two, but five helicopters. They must have approached quickly while I’ve been distracted and people are dropping out of them as military-style vehicles come barrelling through the trees.
Monty grabs my arm and starts to pull me.
“Amelie, you need to run!” he yells but I look down to see my father blocking Chelsea with his body and I see red. My senses return as if nothing had happened and awareness slams back into my body.
I’m here.
I rip my arm from Monty and run towards the front of the stage. Gun shots ring out around me, but I have to block them out. I need to get to Chelsea; she shouldn’t have to be part of this.
I whip my head around as I land on the ground but she’s gone. Gowns are thrown to the ground and everyone around me reveals military combat clothing.
This was a set up.
This was a set up, a fake graduation, and everyone here knew about it. But me.
I crouch down beside a huge speaker box and scan the area for anyone I know to make sure they are safe. The deafening sound of my heart beating through my ears causes a wave of pain through my body.
This can’t be happening again.
I step out from behind the speaker box and a single bullet hits the ground right in front of my feet. Looking up, I see the guy who shot at me: a meat head looking man, all in green, with fucking war paint on his face. Is he bloody ten playing with his mates in their backyard?
He takes a step towards me, and I run. One thing I know I can do well is run and hide, but this time I won’t be hiding. I have to find my family.
I see Bex in the distance, she is on someone’s back, holding them in a choke hold.
Their face turns red. The man runs backwards, slamming her into the brick wall of the outer school building.
I’m racing to help her when Aadi steps out holding a gun to the man’s head from the side.
Bex drops from his back as my brother pulls the trigger, and the man slumps to the floor.
Bex smirks and winks at him before they go their separate ways.
I charge towards Bex now that Aadi is out of sight.
I need to find my guys and my father. Shots are fired at me as I sprint.
Bex has taken cover beside the school building and is out of sight.
I dart around to find her but I run straight into a rock-hard body, which knocks the wind out of me.
The man wraps his arms around me and a bag is thrown over my head.
I thrash my body around to try and escape, but it’s no use as handcuffs are slipped over my wrists.
“The bird is in the nest,” one of them says.
“I’m no bird, you mother fuckers! Let me go or I will fuck you all in the ass with these handcuffs.”
“Bex?”
“Amelie?! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Just take me! Let her go! I promise I won’t fuck you in the ass unless you want me to.”
“Shut up,” one of them grumbles as I’m lifted from my feet and thrown over a shoulder.
After a few minutes of Bex throwing out expletives that would make anyone’s grandmother blush – well, probably not mine but a normal gran – we’re thrown into the back of a car.
“Omph, the bitch kicked me.”
“Serves you right for being a cock muncher,” she throws back.
“Bex!” I chastise. “Not smart to antagonise the kidnappers. Let’s wait and see what they want, and if it’s just to kill us then you can cuss them out to your heart’s content.”
“Fine,” she huffs.
The vehicle roars to life and we’re thrown around with the bumpy terrain. We must be cutting through the woods. It doesn’t exactly feel like we’re taking the official driveway route out of the school. Where the fuck are they taking us? And why grab Bex?