Imagine There's No Heaven - 9. Chapter 9

They threw Sue across the floor of the basement, but she did not weep. Her emotions, numbed by the experience of being violated by several men, had left her fatigued and almost lifeless as she stumbled and rolled across the floor like a ragdoll.

Colton heard his heart. The crack of each beat, like the leather lash of a whip flaying across his chest. His eyes, once as warm as a soft baby blanket, clouded over and revealed the hardness of a lake iced over in winter.

Hate. Revenge.

There would be no redemption.

As much as he believed in Christ, and that forgiveness made men more than human, he would not find redemption. No. Peter’s downfall will place them in hell.

To burn. Forever.

And Peter’s day was about to arrive.

Cognitive appraisal of the situation? To hell with that.

Colton’s eyes closed. He choked and dropped his head just as Richard made a deep cut into the rope that bound his hands together.

The rope gave way.

The pressure on his wrists eased off.

He wiggled his fingers but kept his hands in place whilst Peter moved around them, hands behind his back, as though planning his next move of attack. He stopped in front of Bernard and held his gaze for a moment.

Bernard couldn’t hold the gaze.

He shifted his view and stared at his father.

Richard had to diffuse the situation somehow; move Peter’s attention away from his son. Peter stood before Bernard for a few moments and ran his fingers through his hair, then turned quickly and headed for the door.

‘Bring the boy to me, and gag them all.’

Paddy stepped towards Bernard, pushed the chair forward and slowly untied his hands while Richard’s mind raced with thoughts of what Peter wanted with his son.

‘Please. Please, I beg you don’t do this.’ Richard’s eyes glistened with tears.

‘Shut your face! Any more from you and it’s over.’

‘Please. He’s just a kid. He’s only eleven. He’s just a kid.’

Paddy jerked Bernard out of the chair and pushed him towards the door. A movement behind him caught his attention and by the time he looked around it was too late.

Richard had grabbed the chair and brought it down on his head with a cracking force.

One of the legs splintered and imbedded itself into Paddy’s skull.

He didn’t make a sound as he dropped to the floor.

‘Shut the door!’ Richard instructed Bernard and grabbed the table and shoved it in front of the door to give them extra time. His hands were swollen from the tightness of the rope and for a moment he struggled to set Colton free.

From beyond the room there was screaming and shouting as Peter rammed the door. The door rattled and banged against the table.

Richard grabbed the gun from under his black sock and passed it to Colton who immediately checked that it was loaded and ready to fire.

Sue stared at her son wide eyed as she realised what he was about to come; a killer. Her saviour. Their saviour. The killer.

Weakly, she stepped forward and tapped him on the shoulder.

‘Do you know how to use one of these?’

He threw a hand up. ‘Make yourself scarce, ma.’

‘You have never fired a shot in your life, Colton. How do you expect to overcome these vermin?’ she extended her hand ever so slowly, and gently removed the weapon from his hand.

‘Ma?’

‘I know what I’m doing. A baker’s mother I may be, but when the cookies drop, she’s not just a mother, but a mother protecting her son.’

The door thrust against the table and flew open.

Instinctively Sue squeezed the trigger and released two bullets. One of the men took a pot-shot as he entered the room but fell to his death the moment the round entered his brain. The other didn’t have time to lift his weapon let alone take aim. He fell to the floor with a gaping hole in his leg.

Sue stopped him with a bullet to the heart.

Peter was nowhere to be seen.

Silence.

Not the silence of a warm country day. A deathly silence.

And then

‘Jack!’ Colton’s voice echoed through the house.

Richard turned to face Jack lying on the floor.

Lifeless.

Blood oozing through a hole in his neck.

Colton scrambled along the floor and gripped Jack’s hand. Cradling his head, he rocked the limp corpse and begged him to breathe again. To hold him tight if he could hear him. To love him like they had only two days ago.

Richard gently laid a hand on Colton’s shoulder.

‘He’s gone, Richard,’ Colton muttered with a tinge of confusion in his voice. ‘He’s gone. What am I going to do now?’

Sue spun around. ‘Leave him alone, Colton. We have to get out of here. Get your wits about you. Let’s move. Leave him be.’

Richard helped Colton stand. For a moment Colton reeled and almost feinted but Richard caught him and allowed him to lean against him.

‘Everything’s going to be fine, Colton,’ Richard said, holding him tight. ‘Just stay with us. Jack can’t help us. Only we can.’