My two fathers- a phanfic

My two fathers - part 50

Authors note - sorry in advance guys, just.... Yeah, I'm sorry.

Dans POV - the phone call
"Mum why are you ringing me?" Phil asked joyfully, my laughter heard in the background. There was a short silence then I heard the grumbly voice.
"Listen. If you want to stay with your family and live you must do as I say. Act normal or they will die."
"Yes mum." Phil managed to choke, making it sound as normal as possible to me who was sitting next to him. I hadn't noticed.
"Dan and Lucy's life depend on you. You must kill yourself." Phil gasped then answered back.
"No Mum." His voice sounding more scared than before. Why hadn't it clicked with me at the time?

"At precisely 3 in the afternoon tomorrow, you must meet us at the town centre where we will give you more instructions..."
"But.."
"And remember, don't tell anyone."
"Okay."
"Do you understand?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Don't bring anyone with you. And don't try to run Phil. We know where you'll be and we will make sure that you and everyone else will suffer the consequences."
"Right." Me and Lucy exchanged glances and listened for any noise upstairs. The pacing had started again.

"This is payback for the two lives taken: Chris Kendall and Mr Smith."
"I see."
"Can you tell anyone?"
"I can't." Phil gave short answers, complying with the voice.
"Now, end the call as you normally would and we will see you tomorrow."
"I'll ring you tomorrow." He repeated, my whispers heard next to him as I tried to make him end the call. I wish I hadn't and just listened closer when I was next to him in bed.

"Yeah, bye. Good. Goodbye." Phil said to the silent line, acting as if he was getting responses back. Then he put down the phone.
"Oh my god." Lucy managed to whisper, burying her head into my chest. All I could think about was the voice. Who could it have been? And why were they doing it to Phil?

I had a quick glance at the clock whilst me and Lucy were embracing. 2:55.
"Shit, no." I ran back up the stairs, missing a few as I reached the door.
"Phil!" I shouted, banging the door against the wall as it opened. He wasn't there. The only trace of him was the crease in the bed sheets. That's when we heard the slam of the door from downstairs. He had gone.

Phil's POV
I tried not to look back as I ran. Ran as fast as I could, watching the path in front of me. My breathing got faster and faster, my heart was beating from the speed and from my terrified nerves. I was getting close to the town centre, the water fountain in the middle of the shops in the distance. That's where I needed to be. The busy shoppers past me with strange glances as I didn't give them a second look. I couldn't. I had this to do and nothing else.

Dans POV
"Get your coat, quick." I shouted at Lucy, trying to put on one of my shoes as I hopped around the house. I grabbed my phone off the table and we left, shutting the door quickly behind us. I kept checking the time as we ran, 2:59. We weren't going to make it.

Phil's POV
I walked around the fountain but there was nobody around or anyone looking like they were stopping. Maybe this was it. They weren't going to do anything. Nobody was going to turn up and I would go back home. Safe. I didn't have to...

Then I saw the package. I looked around and again, recalling if I had seen it before as I had looked around. It was labelled with my name and a message : "Don't react. Your family are probably on their way. Open the package."
With my hands shaking, I fumbled with the paper surrounding what was inside.

It was a small gun. I gasped and tried to hide it from plain sight as I checked the clock. It had gone past 3. What was I meant to do now? Suddenly, my phone rang again.
"Hello?" I said, sitting down on the bench.
"Phil. You must wait until Dan and Lucy get here. They are near." The edited voice said as I looked around, searching for them.
"Who are you?" I asked as I saw Dan running through a group of buskers a few yards away.
"Do not react." They warned on the phone as I went to stand up and wave to them. I lowered my hand and sat back down.

Dans POV
"Excuse me!" I tripped over a lady's shopping suitcase in front of me and dragged Lucy with me. The lady wafted me out of the way with her arms as I ran ahead of her, not even looking back to see if she was alright. We stopped at the opening of the town centre and faced the water fountain. There he was. Phil sat listening to his phone facing us. His eyes widened as we slowed to a walk and got closer. He reached into his pocket and lifted the top of what looked like a gun.
"No." Lucy whispered next to me, but I pulled her back and we stopped and watched.

Phil's POV
I wanted to tell him. I wanted to run to him. I wanted to escape this but the voice told me to stay.
"Now, stand up slowly." It demanded and I did so as quick as I could, keeping my eye contact with my husband and my daughter.
I'm sorry. Was all I could mouth to Dan.

"Take the gun out of your pocket..."
"No."
"TAKE IT OUT!"
I did so.
"Hold it to your face." The voice said slowly and I watched Dans face as I held it against my forehead. Tears ran down my cheeks.

Lucys POV
I watched my Dads face turn to me, his eyes wanting us to help. We didn't know what to do. When he put the gun to his face, I felt like running up to him but Dan had a firm grip of me. He told me if we went to him, he might shoot. At us or himself.

Phil's POV
"You have 10 seconds to talk to them." The voice said. People were starting to notice, a group of policemen on one side talking into their radios and a little girl with her mum was pointing at us.

"Please, " I whimpered, "somebody, help me."
"10..."
"I need help, anyone!"
"9..."
"Please!" I screamed, falling to my knees but keeping the gun pointing at my head.

Then I turned to Dan and Lucy again.
"5...."
"I love you. Don't you forget that." Dan looked at me and sniffed, nodding.
"4..."
"Lucy, you are the best daughter I could ever have asked for..."
"3..."
"Remember, you are always loved."
"2..."
"You two are my best friends."
"1..." Someone screamed behind me as the countdown finished.

There was a short pause then they said what I was dreading.
"Pull the trigger."
I looked around to the large crowd that was now gathering. One policeman was trying to speak to me but I wasn't listening.

"NOW!"

Dans POV
And he dropped to the floor as the gun shot went off.
"Dad!" Lucy screamed breaking out of my arms and running to Phil, trying to pull me too but I was frozen to the spot, the noise of the shot still ringing in my ears.

She squatted down and cradled his head in her arms, wailing as the police came and gathered closer.
"Excuse me?" A policewoman walked up to me and tried to comfort me and take me closer. I shivered and pushed away her arms, keeping my legs where they were as they began to sway. The crowd were going crazy, a group of shopping women screaming and crying into each other arms, school children being hurried along by their parents, police blocking their view and some teenagers were even trying to take photos and videos with their phones.

My knees buckled under me and I fell as I looked back at Phil. His dead body. His lifeless body. His, his...
"It's okay. It's okay..." The policewoman comforted me as I realised I was now crying. I had no reason to say anything but cry. He was dead. Phil was dead. My husband was dead!

I threw up. In front of everyone. My eyes continuing to water. More police came to help me up, talking to me but my head was too dizzy and I couldn't focus on the conversations. They held my arms as I threw up again, shouting out Phil's name as they took him away to an ambulance that had arrived. Lucy stood watching me, her eyes red and watery also. An emergency doctor went to help her into the van but she shook her head and walked to me.

My eyes focused in and out and my throat burned as they kept me facing the floor, Lucy rubbed circles into my back and they left us alone. Just the two of us. In silence. Phil was never coming back. We couldn't live without him. But it was too late. He was gone. Forever.