Chapter 20
Phoenix
It’s taken us a good few days to get to where Robert held Jake and Niamh captive for years, and it’s now nightfall. There’s no way we can fully explore the place without any light. It’s in the middle of a forest, a place to give anybody the creeps no matter who you are, so we head into the closest town and find a motel to stay in. Jake and I have remained distant, avoiding conversation at all costs. I’m sure my…our uncle is feeling really pleased to have come.
I’ve called Niamh and Lou, with my sister sharing her concerns over Niamh’s state of mind. My girl is depressed and beyond scared to be there without me. I feel alone without her too, but if we’re to have a future, I need to make sure Robert is gone once and for all. If that means I’m the one who needs to put a bullet through his skull, then so be it. He’s not the first piece of shit I’ve wiped away, but he sure as hell will be the one I get the most pleasure from.
“You want that?” Jake asks, pointing at the last nacho on the table. For a moment or two, I simply look at him without having anything to say. Eventually, when both he and my uncle quirk an eyebrow at me, I simply shake my head.
“Not that the whole sullen silence thing isn’t at all fun, but when are you two going to hash this out?” my uncle asks, blowing out a heavy sigh as he does so. “Phoenix, why don’t you go first?”
I simply look at him with an expression that says there’s no way in hell I’m going to begin. Call me immature, but I’m beyond caring.
“Ok, what about you, Jake?”
“I thought I was the younger brother here,” he says bitterly, to which I crack my knuckles in warning.
“Ok, I’ll go first,” Len says with frustration in his voice, “you two shits need to get over yourselves. You’ve both lost people who you love, both are parentless, but you’ve been given a second chance with each other. Not to mention Lou.”
“I don’t need second chances,” I grumble, “and if Dad were here, I’d ghost his ass too.”
“Do you think I asked to be related to you?” Jake spits with anger. “You’re a stubborn asshole who doesn’t realize what a much better life you had than me. I don’t know why you think you have reason to be the injured party here!”
“Better life?!” I scoff. “Having to watch my mother burn alive? Having to watch Dad wither away and die? Having to watch my sister go through what she did? All kick starting from the age of seven.”
“Oh yeah, try being brought up by a psychopath who kept me hostage in a Goddamn basement for his entire childhood. Who had to live with the fact that the only parent in his life had abducted a little girl. Who had to kill that parent in order to save the girl who you considered to be like your sister? To find out that the one guy who could have saved you, that could have offered some normalcy to your life, just abandoned you!”
“I’d hold up on the killing part,” I reply casually, purposely being a dick, “we don’t know if you managed to wipe out the bastard, do we?”
“Fuck you, Phoenix!” he shouts, getting to his feet with such a temper, other patrons begin looking our way. I merely stare back at him with a quirk of my brow just to really piss him off. There’s nothing more infuriating than trying to scare someone, only to find they couldn’t give a shit.
Before either my uncle or I can say a single word back to him, he storms away through the bar and out the other side. My uncle looks at me in such a way that I know he’s disappointed in me.
“Ah, shit,” I mutter before getting to my feet and going after the asshole.
Once outside, I catch him pacing before he goes up to one of the trash cans and begins beating it aggressively and noisily. I perch upon a beer keg and leave him to wear himself out. It’s the least I can do after I wound him up into this state. What I don’t expect him to do is break down sobbing on the filthy ground, punching at the dirt for good measure. As his shoulders shudder under the weight of his grief, I walk slowly and silently and offer my hand. Being smart, he looks at it with suspicion before finally giving in and taking it.
“I get it,” I concede, “I overstepped back there, I’m sorry.”
“The great badass, Phoenix, is apologizing?” he says while panting.
“It’s been known,” I huff, “ask our sister.”
“Our sister?” he asks with surprise.
“I can’t promise anything, Jake, I’m still mad as hell,” I level with him, “but I’ll admit, most of my anger isn’t your fault.”
“Phoenix, I always wanted an older sibling, a big brother,” he says, though he can’t look at me while he says it. “Someone badass like you who would come in and save me. Robert told me my father was dead so I never expected him to come and claim me or anything, but I might have had a big brother or a sister. When Niamh came along, I took on the role I so desperately wanted from somebody else. She made me stronger because I had to be. I loved every minute of it; being the strength for someone when I had always felt so weak and vulnerable. But it was also…”
“Hard,” I finish for him; I know exactly how he felt.
“Yeah,” he says sadly. “I’m not expecting you to save me anymore, but I still want you as my brother, my friend, my Yoda.”
“Jesus, Jake, I am pretty fucking far from being anyone’s Yoda,” I laugh, with which he joins in for a moment or two. “Though, I can be the other two, if you give me time to get there.”
“Really?” he asks, sounding as though he’s choking up.
“Don’t go getting mushy on me though,” I warn him before holding out my hand again.
He eyes it cautiously before taking hold and shaking. I guess the moment gets to me because I find myself pulling him against me so I can pat his back with affection.
“Oh, Jeez, you guys? I’m getting a lump in my throat!” Uncle Len teases from behind us. I simply turn around to flick him the bird. “Can I join in the family hug?”
“Fuck off,” I mutter before walking back inside to finish my drink.
_____
Phoenix
Stepping outside of the truck, I take in our surroundings, shaking my head over the eeriness of this place. To think my poor girl was kept here when she was still a child has me clenching every muscle inside of me. For the first time during this trip, I’m beyond glad that she’s not here. Jake, however, is, and I can’t help but walk over to give him a reassuring pat on the back. This is difficult for him, even if he is trying to hide how much.
The trees are turning brown, the end of summer is upon us already. The forest floor is carpeted with crispy brown leaves, making the derelict buildings in front of us appear as if they are shooting up out of the earth. Two side buildings are virtually dilapidated, the rooves caved in, and windows smashed to smithereens. The one in the middle, however, the one in which Robert kept Jake and Niamh prisoner, looks virtually liveable, apart from the creepy ivy that is steadily strangling it to a sad death. Even I shudder when my eyes take it all in.
“You ok?” I mutter to Jake, to which he simply nods. “Let’s do this then.”
Reaching into the glove compartment inside of my truck, I retrieve a handgun. Once upon a time, this would have felt natural, like an extension of my hand, however, now it feels cold, weighty, and uncomfortable. This life isn’t for me anymore. This life isn’t enough; I want more.
When Jake sees the gun gripped inside of my hand, his eyes grow wide, and his mouth drops open in shock. I offer him nothing, just continue walking up to the front door, ready to find out what happened once and for all.
“Anything you know that might give us an unwelcome surprise?” I ask Jake. He shakes his head, so I continue by reaching for the handle. It’s locked.
“No worries,” I tell them before giving the door one hard kick. The thing practically falls apart as it drops to the floor with a creak. “If he is alive, I doubt he’s been living here.”
Neither of them answers me so I walk inside first. They’re scared, rightly so, for this is not an ordinary life one leads. Looking for targets to take out is a life for a certain type of person, not my uncle or Jake. Dad would agree with me on that.
They follow behind with barely there footsteps as I hold my gun out in front of me. I’ve had it for years, but I make myself a promise to put it into retirement as soon as Robert is declared officially dead. Jake steps to my side and points toward a door, one that likely leads to the basement where Robert had kept them. Hopefully, where Robert still is, nothing more than bones and bad memories.
I push the door open, which creaks like one from a horror movie. The fact it’s still open fills me with confidence. Niamh and Jake wouldn’t have closed it when they fled, just shoved at it as they ran for their freedom. I step inside the cold, dark room, which smells of damp and neglect. The staircase appears rotten and unsafe, but I think nothing of it when I put my booted foot on the first step, anxious to see if the bastard is down here rotting.
The first thing that hits me is the double bed where Niamh and Jake must have slept. The sheets have turned black with spots of mold, the pillows are out of place, and the top comforter is lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. I look up at Jake to see that he’s covered his mouth with his trembling hand and is now staring at it all like it was only yesterday that he was forced to live in here. My uncle looks at me, then juts out his chin toward the room, silently telling me to go ahead while he attends to my brother.
The next step breaks beneath my boot, causing us all to gasp. I shout out a curse before lifting myself up and shaking off the shock of it. When I’ve regained my composure, I give up on the softly, softly approach, and pace down the staircase like any normal person would in their home. If anyone was going to come and attack us, they would have done so by now – we’ve made ourselves loud enough.
Pipes still run around the tops of the walls, but otherwise, there’s nothing but grey and a few thin windows running underneath them. Most are covered up by the fallen leaves from outside, but a slither of light does allow me to see a dark stain on the concrete floor, together with the weapon Jake must have used to hit Robert. However, what is decidedly missing is a body. Robert isn’t here, and seeing as there’s no police tape because Niamh couldn’t give any clues as to where she had been held captive, it can only mean one thing – Robert survived.
_____
Niamh
“Niamh?” I hear Izzy shouting at the same time as she runs out into the backyard. Stella is still barking and growling at where the shadow had been. “Niamh, is everything ok? What’s happened?”
I open and close my eyes several times, just to make sure the shadow isn’t there anymore. I’m still unconvinced, even when my eyes tell me otherwise. Stella has finally stopped barking and growling and is now trying to lick my fears away, but even she can’t stop the trembling in my hands. By the time Izzy and Lou reach me, I’m a quivering wreck with streams of tears falling over my cheeks.
“Jesus, what the hell happened?” Lou gasps when she sees the state of me.
“Th-there was a m-man,” I whimper, “th-there, in the bushes.”
“What? Where?” Izzy asks with concern in her voice. She stands up straight and begins to walk toward where I just pointed. “Stella, come here, girl.”
They slowly wander over, only now, Stella’s tail is wagging quite happily. She sniffs around the foliage while Izzy cautiously peers through the branches from a safe distance. By the looks of Stella’s now placid, happy face, as well as Izzy’s confused expression, either it was all in my head, or whoever was there has now gone. When the fear begins to ebb away, I suddenly have a desperate need to empty my stomach.
“Oh, Niamh!” Lou gasps when I lean over to throw up inside of Stella’s water bowl. “I’m calling Phoenix.”
“No!” I cry out while wiping the puke from my chin.
“Niamh, this is serious, you haven’t been right for the entire time he’s been away,” she argues.
“But—"
“No buts, I’m taking you home and we’re calling him,” she says before leaning in to wrap her arms around me. I instantly melt my resolve and nod, letting her make this decision for me.
“I’m going to call Theo, just in case,” Izzy says before walking over to give me a hug. “Niamh, you can come back any time. I think you’ll make Stella mope if you don’t.”
“Thank you.”
_____
Niamh
“Oh, thank God,” I hear Lou whisper at the same time as she pulls into the driveway.
I look up to see a sight that literally makes my heart soar and my tear ducts fill up all over again. Sitting in the middle of the turning circle is Warren’s bike with him straddling the saddle and his back to me. Before the car has even stopped, I’ve unbuckled my seatbelt and have gripped hold of the handle to let myself out. The car screeches to a stop and I burst out of the car with Lou shouting after me. Her cries prompt Warren to finally turn around to face us. He’s barely dismounted his bike before I lunge for him and wrap myself so tightly around his waist that he grips hold of me just as hard.
“Warren,” I whimper, “Warren, please don’t ever leave me again!”
He lets go for just a moment to remove his helmet. He then grips hold of me again to deliver kisses to the top of my head.
“Baby,” he whispers, “I don’t ever plan to. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Phoenix,” Lou says from behind us, “you ok?”
“I’m fine, Lou,” he says with a laugh, “apart from being dependent on this one for my eternal happiness.”
“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” she teases. “Niamh, you need to tell him what you saw.”
“What?” he says with a hint of fear in his voice, pushing me back to look into my eyes. “What’s going on, Niamh?”
“I thought I was going mad,” I whisper ashamedly, “I’m used to seeing the shadow of a man when I’m anxious; I saw him all the time back home…well, my parents’ home.”
I watch as his expression morphs into one of deep concern, as though the idea of this man being real isn’t so far-fetched, and perhaps I’m not mad. My heart rate picks up rapidly and I can already feel my hands beginning to tremble.
“I thought it was just my imagination again, but then Stella began to growl and bark at it.” I notice him momentarily flicking his gaze over to his sister, telling me that what he’s discovered isn’t good news. “He wasn’t there, was he?”
“Phoenix, what happened?” Lou asks, stepping toward us with her own fear. “Is Jake ok?”
“He’s fine,” he says after swallowing hard, “he’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Warren, answer me,” I demand of him.
“No, Niamh,” he says seriously, gripping hold of my arms for fear I’ll bolt, “Robert wasn’t there. No one was there. I’m getting you back to the bar now.”
“Take me home, Warren,” I whimper, watching as a flicker of a smile kicks up at the corner of his mouth. It doesn’t honestly matter where I go, as long as it’s with Warren. He’s given me what I haven’t had since before I was taken – a home. He is my home.
_____
Phoenix
“I’ve already called Daniel,” I tell Lou while Niamh goes to grab her bag, “I don’t want you here on your own at night, just in case. He’s on his way now.”
“What are you going to do, Phoenix?” she asks with worry etched all over her face. I feel it too; I can’t lose another important woman in my life. If it wasn’t for the fact Niamh’s been seeing this shadow man, I’d feel a little more at ease over the fact he hasn’t tried to contact her in all these years.
“I don’t know for sure yet, but I’ve called Javier and Len has gone to do some research in town,” I tell her with a tired sigh. “Jake has made contact with some old relatives of his, but so far, nothing.”
“Do you think he’s after her again?”
“It depends if this shadow is real or not.”
“I hate to say it, Phoenix, but Stella was really freaked out,” she tells me, wincing over the prospect of who that shadow likely was. “I don’t think she would have reacted like that if it was just Niamh’s imagination.”
“She’s coming, keep smiling,” I tell her, to which she does, a little too much. “Lou, not like an insane person.”
I laugh when she punches my arm, but at least it makes Niamh smile a little. Anything to keep her as calm as possible is good in my book, even if my sister has just given me a dead arm.
“I’m ready for you to take me home, Warren, and to leave Lou and Daniel in peace,” she says with a smile that speaks of how desperate she is to get on that bike with me. “I can’t thank you enough, Lou, and I’m sorry if I’ve been hard work with my fears and everything.”
“Niamh,” Lou says softly before wrapping her arms around her, “you are family now, you do not need to ever apologize.”
When she finally lets go, I can see how much Lou’s words mean to her; she’s been looking for this for virtually her whole life, and now she’s found it, and with us of all people. Lou, Jake, and I have been through hell and back, and so has she. But whatever fucked up family we are, she is now part of it, and we are never letting go of her.