2. HERE COMES GEORGE AND THE GANG AGAIN

Chapter 15 - BROKEN HEART

George rushed over to Darren. ''We thought you were dead'' he said ''There were two bodies in there, we assumed one of them was you''

Darren was white in the face with a look of terror on his face ''Someone wanted it to be me, someone wanted to kill me. I have to go, I have to go now''

Darren turned and ran. George chased him

''DARREN WAIT! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED. WHO TRIED TO KILL YOU?'' 

Darren ran to his car and got in. George got in the passenger seat

''Please get  out of my car, I have to leave now'' Darren pleaded, clearly terrified ''George you don't understand, my life is in danger and I have to go''

''Drive then I'm not stopping you but I'm staying here so we can talk''

Darren quickly drove away from the caravan site and drove along a road for five minutes until he found some woods where he could drive and hide the car out of sight. When he was sure they were well hidden. he stopped the car and relaxed a bit

''You don't give up once you want something do you?'' he said

''No, I don't. Anyway I know it was Ryan and Arnie who tried to kill you, I just don't know why''

''Do you ever wonder how they can afford expensive clothes, watches, that car Arnie drives? They are loaded, I assume you noticed that''

''Yes and I did wonder''

''Every time they come down here they are coming down to collect drugs smuggled over from mainland Europe. The drugs come over by boat and they collect them down by the beach. They make a lot of money out of it. I found out what they were doing and tried to blackmail them into giving me a share of their profits. That was why we were fighting when you saw us, they told me they will shut me up permanently, I didn't think they would actually try to kill me. You see that's why I have to go now, all the time I stay here I am in grave danger''

''You have to come to the police with me and tell them'' George said ''Just tell them and they will protect you''

''No I can't do that, I just have to go away somewhere far away so they will never find me. Please get out of my car and let me go now, you can make your own way back to the caravan site from here''

George gave Darren a look of contempt ''You're a weak coward'' he told him scornfully ''You tried to blackmail two ruthless criminals instead of turning them in. Now you haven't the guts to go to the police when they are trying to kill you. Do you know that they found two bodies in the caravan right? I have no idea who it was, but I assume you know who was there. Doesn't it even bother you that two of your friends are dead?''

Darren suddenly looked very guilty and turned his face away from George.

''There is something I should tell you'' he said his voice shaky

George suddenly got a very bad feeling, Darren did seem very nervous now.

''Tell me, what?''  

''Oh god, this isn't easy...Look the people in the caravan were your brother Dick and that girl he was seeing Sam''

George took several seconds to process what Darren was telling him. This couldn't be right, surely

''No you are mistaken there'' He said at last ''Dick and Sam went camping up on the clifftop''

''Yes, they did plan that but when they got there Sam changed her mind, she got scared of staying outside overnight or something. When they were heading back they bumped into me and told me. I was heading out for the night to go to a nightclub so I told them they could have my van for the night if they wanted some time to themselves. They said they would. Ryan and Arnie wouldn't have known they were in there, when they saw a light on inside they would have just assumed it was me in there. I'm so sorry I really am but I have to go now, please get out of my car''

''No, you listen to me, Darren. At least drop me off at the police station so I can tell them that my brother is one of the bodies they found. Please at least do that, even if you won't stay and talk to them just have the decency to drop me there. I have to go right now''

Darren looked at George. George was trying to be calm and brave, he could see that. But the pain and horror in his eyes were clear to see; Darren felt terrible guilt knowing that George's brother was dead and it was supposed to be him. At that moment the cowardly blackmailer Darren decided he had to at least do that one simple thing and drive George to the police station.

''Ok I'll drop you off'' he said ''but I can't stay''

He drove George to the police station and George tried one more time to get him to come in and talk to the police but he refused. George got out of the car and Darren drove off very fast. George, walking around in a trance-like state now with shock, calmly walked into the police station and explained everything. Explained that Ryan and Arnie were drug smugglers. Explained that Darren was blackmailing Ryan and Arnie and that they were trying to kill him and killed Dick and Sam instead. Explained that Darren was too terrified to come and talk to them

''We can use dental records to confirm whether your brother and the girl Sam really were the victims'' the police inspector told George

George was given a tasteless cup of tea in a plastic cup while he waited for the police to have the dental records checked. After what seemed like hours the inspector returned grim-faced

''The dental checks confirm that your brother and Samantha were the victims'' he said solemnly and George let out the most agonizing scream and sobbed uncontrollably. Dick had always been the sibling he felt closest to and had a special bond with. Dick had been the one who supported George against Roland and the one who did the most to rescue George and Quentin when they were Roland's prisoners. Now he was dead and he'd never see that cheeky smile ever again. He was dead and Ryan and Arnie had killed him.

''An officer will run you back to the caravan site'' George was told when he had eventually calmed down enough to talk ''I need to ask you because you're a minor where are your parents? They will need to be informed asap''

''They are on holiday in Europe'' George said suddenly realizing that he was the only one who knew that Dick was dead at this point and who was going to tell the others? George supposed he would have to be the one to tell Julian and Anne, but what about his parents, and grandparents? How do you phone them and tell them this news over the phone? His parents were abroad, how do you phone them in the middle of a trip up the Eiffel tower or whatever they were doing at the time and then just tell them on the phone that their son was dead? This was a complete nightmare.

George was taken back to the caravan site

''You have to arrest those murderers'' he said to the inspector

''It's a shame this boy Darren wouldn't stay and speak to us'' the inspector replied.

''I begged him too but he was too scared. He is a coward and if he hadn't blackmailed them my brother wouldn't be dead now''

George went back to the caravan and was delighted to see Timmy. He hugged him and wept ''oh Timmy I need you more than ever now boy. This is the darkest moment in my life and having you here is the one thing I know can help me get through this'' The dog was always such a comfort.

Jake came in from having a nap and noticed that George was extremely upset

''George has something happened? You look terrible''

''Dick's dead..I need to tell Julian and Anne. Where are they?''

Jake just stared at George in shock and shook his head ''Dick's dead? How?''

''I will explain everything Jake, I just need you to tell me where Julian and Anne are first. I have to tell them too''

''They've gone off with Ryan and Arnie. Ryan and Arnie took them out for a ride on their motorboat. Becky went too''

George threw up at that moment and felt complete terror. These murdering drug dealers had taken his remaining brother and sister out on their boat. He had to contact Julian at once, he grabbed his smartphone to call Julian  But he couldn't do it, he couldn't do anything now. 

He felt numb.

He felt like he had a broken heart.

He wanted Dick to come back, but he was never coming back.