Chapter Forty-Two
Tommy
“Fuuuuck!” I yell. My fingers wrap around the strands of my hair. “We need to find her!”
That fucking little cunt.
I feel like I can’t breathe. My girl has been taken, ripped away from me when I least expected it. He was meant to be on a fucking plane to Menorca. What the fuck happened? My heart pounds as rage and desperation consumes my whole being.
The thought of Maya being in danger, terrified and alone sends chills up my spine. What does he actually want with her? To be with her? Because I know for a fact she won’t go for that. Hurt her again? Kill her?
My brain keeps coming up with horrific scenarios of what could be happening to her right now.
It’s like a cinema reel, repeating over and over again.
I scrape my hands down my face as my breathe comes in sharp gasps.
Now is not the time to be having a panic attack, I need to focus.
My head needs to be in the game, to find her.
“Tommy,” Jenson barks from over near the window.
We’ve set up base in a hotel room facing the airport, there’s no point heading home until we know a destination to head to. I glance over at Jenson, his face impassive as always but the difference right now is the darkness behind his eyes. I know that if anyone can help to find my girl, it’s him.
“The bastard high jacked the cameras, making us think he boarded a plane. He was never planning to leave the UK, we walked right into his plan,” He growls.
“Between the five of us, we’ve reached out to all of our contacts.
A few are doing their own thing but Samuel’s friends are using facial recognition CCTV on the roads.
We’re assuming he is still on the move right now but honestly, we’re going in blind. ”
I start to pace the room, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
“Listen man, I promise you that I will use everything I can, legal or not, to find her and when I do I’ll make sure that bastard never sees the light of day again.” The look of unfiltered hatred on his face actually makes me feel more at ease. If anyone can find her, I know it will be him.
“Thank you mate,” Is all I can muster to reply.
I wish I could do something, anything, to help. Fallon, Lucy, Blair and Gracie have gone into the bedroom after I had a shouting fit listening to them cry. The noise was overstimulating. I can’t fucking cope as it is, never mind listening to them too.
“Jen!” Samuel shouts. “I think I have a possible hit!”
Jenson and I run over to stand behind him as he types away furiously at his laptop. Pictures flashing on the screen of an all-black Ford Ranger. The images are shaking, like they’ve come from whoever is driving the car behind.
“I don’t get it,” I say, studying the photo even harder.
“Look here,” He replies, zooming in on the tail light.
Holy shit.
“Is that..” Jenson starts, but I finish.
“It’s a hand,” I finish, feeling sick to my stomach. “How did you find this? Do you know where it is?”
“They are heading north, towards Liverpool. I can’t tell you how but it’s live footage,” Samuel says quickly. He doesn’t even lift his head from the screen as he carries on working.
God, I’ve never felt so conflicted in my life, on one hand I hope to fucking god it is her but on the other, I really hope she’s not locked in a car boot. Please baby, be okay.
“Have you found the drivers face yet?” Jenson asks.
“That’s where I’m up to right now. Give me one second… there.” Another image comes over the screen from a motorway camera.
That fucking arsehole.
It is him! He has a hat covering the majority of his face but I would recognise any part of that face anywhere.
“We’ve got him. Boys, go and get the cars!” Samuel shouts.
The girls and Max have stayed in the room. Jenson tried to make me stay put too but the fucker knew he would get a punch to the balls if he even attempted to leave me behind.
We’re racing against the clock, the thought of losing her fuels my determination to stay calm and collected.
If my mind isn’t clear we have no chance of getting to her.
I’m driving one of the cars so the boys can carry on with their work.
I drive faster, harder. Obstacles blur past us as we try to catch up with the car but we are so far behind, him having almost an hour on us.
“Guys, listen to this,” Samuel speaks up for the first time in ages.
“…don’t let him know you’re trailing him. We’re almost there to take over, you’re doing an amazing job.” Someone says in a calm voice. Assumedly the call operator.
“I’m scared, what if they know what I’m doing? My kid is in the car.” A woman replies in a high-pitched scared voice.
“Don’t do anything that might put yourself in harms way, just stay back but keep an eye on the car. I’m right here on the other end of the phone. What you’re doing for this person is amazing.”
“Mummy, What’s going on? You’re scaring me,” a small child’s voice says, sounding far away.
“Don’t worry baby, mummy is just helping someone who has got stuck.”
The child laughs a little. “Well, that’s silly, how did they get in there?”
“Who knows but we have to help them don’t we.” She’s trying to sound cheerful.
“Yes, let’s be the heroes!” The child announces, clearly made up with themselves.
The call handler chimes in then, talking to the child. “Yes, you’re being such a hero helping, aren’t you? Isabella, we’re approximately five minutes away now, hold tight, okay.”
“Will you stay on the phone though?” She asks, worry creeping back into her voice.
“Of course I will.”
Fuck me.
If it wasn’t for this woman we wouldn’t have a clue where Maya is right now. I make a mental note to thank her personally when I get chance.
I feel like I’ve been driving for an eternity, my fingers hurting from how hard I’ve been clutching the steering wheel. I flex my fingers, trying to ease the strain.
“We’re going to get her, Tommy,” Jenson says sincerely.
I believe him.
I just hope we’re there before he tries anything. Every ounce of my will power is pushing me forward. If he lays one more finger on her head I’ll chop them the fuck off. My one mission is to get to Maya and make sure she is safe, nothing else matters.