Missing Martha

82

After a long and meaningful goodbye to Natasha Devangie and her team; the band walked outside the back entrance into the dark black night.
Zoe had wrapped herself in a black coat and continuously remained close to Martin.
There were two taxis waiting outside the doors for them.
"I'll see you at the hotel." He told her, slowly taking her hands and letting them fall again before pulling out his phone and checking the time. "Twenty past twelve.." he told her, holding up his phone to show Zoe. "Happy birthday."
Zoe laughed, "shit I'm thirty!"
Martin burst into a smile and wrapped his arms around her neck, kissing her cheek, "see you in twenty minutes."
"Not a second later." She replied, gleaming back at him before they walked towards two separate cabs.
"Right- who's coming with me?" Called Martin,
Cloda, Lucy and Ollie followed Martin and climbed into the back seats of the taxi, while Ryan and Jemma sat in the back of the car in front with Zoe in the front.

"Where we going?" Asked the tanned, Italian taxi driver to Martin.
"Just follow the taxi in front, it's about a twenty minute drive." He replied, fastening his seatbelt.
"Okie dokie young man!" Was the taxi man's jolly response, making Martin laugh and look back at the other three in the back.
"My name is Bruno! What is yours?" Asked the rather boisterous man,
"Martin." He replied,
"Oh Martini! You're an alcoholic drink!" Exclaimed Bruno,
Martin chuckled, "that's me!"
"-and are these your children?" Bruno continued, looking in the rear view mirror.
"Assuredly not!" Laughed Martin, hearing the chuckles from the seats behind, "they're my students."
"Students?" Asked Bruno, adjusting his mirror, "is Mr Martini a good teacher?"
"Not really." They responded, driving Bruno into a fit of laughter as Martin turned around in his seat to face them,
"The stuff I've done for you!" He complained, being evermore amused by the band.
"Sorry Mr Martini!" Replied Ollie, patting Martin's shoulder from behind.
"Martini- you have a girlfriend, right?" Asked Bruno, indicating into a smaller road, continuously following the taxi in front where Zoe, Ryan and Jemma were.
"Yes he does!" Intruded Ollie,
"He definitely does!" Added Lucy.
Martin covered his face with his hands.
"That beautiful blonde lady- in the taxi in front?" Bruno proceeded.
Martin removed his hands and nodded, blushing as he replied, "yep."

Zoe found herself very on edge in the front seat of the taxi.
From her brief glances at the driver, she felt as though she recognised him, though she couldn't put her finger on where.
"You know Martin McCafferson?" Asked the apparently welsh taxi driver, out of the blue.
Zoe's blood suddenly went cold, as she looked straight at him.
"Who are you?" She asked, her heart beating faster.
Ryan and Jemma looked at each other silently in the back seats with wide eyes before Jemma subtly took out her phone and phoned Mr McCafferson, immediately pressing the mute button.

Martin was, in his opinion, saved by his phone ringing from the awkward questions about his relationship by a phone call from Jemma.
"Hi Jemma, you alright?" He answered, looking carefully at the car in front.
There was no response, so he turned up the volume until he heard what sounded like a conversation.
"I asked you a question! Do you know Martin McCafferson?!" Shouted a Welsh man. Martin's face turned white, that was George.. that was Emily's father.
"Oh my god.. somebody call the police." He burst out. Sitting up straight and looking into the taxi in front which was driving significantly faster now.
"What's happening?" Asked Cloda, while Martin took Ollie's phone to take pictures of the taxi in front.

The taxi driver took hold of Zoe's neck,
"Get off me!" Yelled Zoe, reaching her hands around and slapping him away.
"Do you know him?!" He yelled, suddenly taking out a gun and barely looking outside the windscreen.
Zoe leant right back against the door, "Ryan, Jemma, dont move." She gasped as he pressed the gun right against her forehead.
Ryan and Jemma felt absolutely helpless, but had no idea what they could do to help her.
"Answer me!" Yelled George,
"Yes! I know him!" She cried,
"Do they know him?!" He yelled,
"He's their teacher." She responded, not blinking.
"And what is your relationship with him?
"Who are you?" She pleaded, her chest rising and falling and her heart beat resembling that of a drum.
"What is your relationship with Martin McCafferson or I swear I will kill everyone in this car!" He yelled, pushing the gun deeper into her forehead, to the extent that it was painful for Zoe.
"He's a colleague." She told him, her eyes fixed on his piercing dark eyes. He looked old, mid-sixties, she had so many unanswered questions for him, she wanted Martin. She wanted him right now.
"Is he any more than a colleague to you?!" He growled,
Zoe contemplated saying no, but concluded that, as he probably witnessed their embrace before entering the taxis, she was better to tell the truth.
"Yes." She responded. Her eyes watering in the fear that this could be it; and that if she wasn't shot he was sure to crash the car.
"For how long?!" He interrogated,
"A-about a week.." she breathed, her jaw shaking as she leant far back against the car door, her hand sliding down the back of the seat till it was joined with Jemma's who sat directly behind her.
To her ultimate relief, she heard the sound of police sirens in the distance, and regarded the taxi with Martin in it in the wing mirror.
"So he'd be upset if he lost you." He grumbled.
Ryan immediately looked at Jemma, he knew that this was breaking point. Something had to be done.
"Please! What's has he done?!" She cried.
The taxi driver immediately took his hands off the steering wheel and pressed the gun right into the side of her temple with his other hand on her throat.
"What has he done?!" He screamed, his face turning red with fury.
Panicking, Ryan leaned forwards immediately and pulled the handbrake suddenly. Causing the driver to smash his head against the windscreen.
The moment they stopped, Jemma and Ryan exited the car, running to Zoe's side to open her door and drag her out onto the hard shoulder. The police crowded round along with the other taxi. Before the car had even stopped Martin ran out straight towards Zoe, who was sitting down on the ground with her hands covering her mouth.
He immediately crouched down beside her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, panicked.
Zoe nodded, "Yeah.. yeah just get the kids home." She replied.
Martin kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "I'm gonna keep you safe whatever happens."
He stood up, and walked over to Ryan and Jemma, hugging them both individually.
"Are you okay?" He repeated to them. They both nodded, their faces pale and their eyes wide.
"Did you pull the handbrake?" Asked Martin, looking at Ryan.
"Yeah. I didn't think there was another way." He replied,
"I don't think there was." Replied Martin, patting Ryan's shoulder, "right you guys get into that taxi, here's the key to the room.. we'll be right behind you."
Martin passed Jemma the key before running back to Zoë, before he was blocked off by about ten police officers surrounding her with revolvers at the ready.
"Let me get to her!" He yelled, before he caught a glimpse of Zoe, who had a gun planted against her head, George being the executor.