Are We Out of The Woods Yet?

Part 32

"Not as pathetic as you look right now, all on your own. No mates." Robert remarked, wounded by being called the 'p' word. He wasn't one to let the wound sting for long before he bit back.

"And here we are, we're both alone. Who have we really got Robert, but each other?"

"I'm not alone."

"Did Andy come and see you? No and Aaron couldn't walk out of here quick enough!" Joe listed.

"Aaron?" Robert shuffled to sit sideways on the bed so he was facing Joe, looking straight at him. "If you've done anything to him..."

"Calmmm down Superman." Joe laughed breathily, "You obviously weren't listening. I said my nose is broken and so I had to come in here, in to hospital, to get it sorted out. I've been here for hours, just happened to see him leave that's all. You know..." Joe backed up a bit, standing at his full height. "I told 'em you'd lied, said I'd never be a queer. But...they didn't believe me. Called me all sorts of things. So then...they beat me up." He paused.

"Yeah, join the club."

"They took all the money we'd earned, together. They took the van too, fucking cunts claimed it was rightfully theirs. All they ever did with it was chauffer me around. They said the kids were my business now and mine alone."

"Well now it's over, you can give them back."

"Over?!" Joe laughed at his naivety. "No no Robert, no no." He leaned back down on to the bed. "I want my money. I want the money I've been, may I add, very nicely asking for."

"I haven't got it." Robert prepared himself for what might come next. Joe let out a growl and a gasp all in one as he reached up to the top of his head, pushing the hood down. He then used the same hand to reach in to his back pocket, and pull out an object. He seemed to press his thumb on it and in a flash second, in one swish movement, a small put pointy shape whipped out of the top of whatever he was holding. The light from the phone reflected off it, causing it to gleam as Joe held in up next to his face.

It was a knife.

Robert couldn't scramble backwards, nothing could have prepared him for that. He was already sitting before the edge so instead he backed down towards the bottom end of the bed, keeping on the right. "Joe..." Robert breathed, his eyes wide and fixed on the sharp object. "Please..." The monitor made a horrifically loud beeping noise once again as his heart rate picked up.

"It'll be our second time in bed together." Joe announced, placing one knee on the mattress. "Only this time we'll be leaving a different kind of stain."

"I'll get you the...I'll get you the money." Robert stuttered, more concentrated on watching Joe and the knife than on what was coming out of his mouth.

"I've given you enough time." It was time to think and time to think fast. Robert's mind raced against time. The urgency to find the right thing to say, breaking through cells and tearing through memories. Searching all files. Looking for something, for anything. Joes' knees were now both on the bed.

"Wait! Wait. I can get you the money, tomorrow, yes, yes I can. I'm going to be discharged in a couple of hours and..." Joe moved one knees forwards. "and...Chrissie, she, she's vulnerable now. She's desperate to get Lachlan back. I can get her to write a cheque." Then he added quickly, knowing he wouldn't want a cheque with his victims' signature on it. It was a burden and evidence for the Police if they should come knocking before you had time to cash it out: "I can go to a bank, get the money out and give it to you. Yeah?" Joe had paused, on his knees above him. If there was one thing that Robert was good at, it was negotiation.

"Bit of a cruel thing to do, drag your poor ex wife in to this."

"You already did that yourself." Wrong move, Joe slammed down over Robert, his free hand landing next to Robert's arm, Robert's back fell back completely against the bed, he watched Joes face above his and the clenched fist around the knife. Now it was closer to him, he could see how extremely sharp it was. He glanced back and forth between the knife and Joes face.

"I've had enough of waiting for you to deliver it to me. If we're going to do this, I want to come with you when you do it."

"What? You can't? Chrissie might recognise you."

"Mm alright. I'll wait outside in the car then."

"Won't they ask who's in the car with me?"

"I'll wear my hoodie, hide my face, you can tell them it's Aaron. I'm sure that will make Chrissie sign the cheque even quicker. She'll want to get rid of you both."

"So do we have a deal or?" Robert asked.

"Yes, we have a deal." Joe sat back on to his calves. Robert tried to hide his heavy breath of relief, just in case he prompted Joe to stab him by doing so. "Well then..." Joe made the blade disappear back in to its handle, then stuffed it back in to his pocket. Robert breathed too heavy a breath and choked, coughing violently as he lifted himself up. "Oops, careful." Joe patted Robert's back as though to clear the airways, although to Robert it felt like a tonne of bricks. He cried out, bruises pulsing. Joe removed his hand after two 'pats'. "I'll be waiting for you at Keepers Cottage tomorrow morning."

"Whwhat no. No you can't. Stay away from Vic and Adam." Yes Adam was an idiot, but he was Aaron's best friend so he mattered too. Joe placed a warning hand on his back pocket. Robert froze. "I'm in charge now Robert. I'm in charge." Robert nodded, willing for Joe to move his hand. Joe grinned, raising his knees one by one off from the bed, his feet returning to the floor. He picked up his phone, turning the screen on and turning the flashlight off. The room became consumed in darkness, just as it had been when Joe had first come in. Without another word, with just a quick glance back through the dark, Joe slipped silently out of the door to the room, looking left and right before shiftily going down the corridor to his own room for the night. Robert watched the door for a while afterwards, still cautious of feeling Joe's presence in the room.

More chapters coming today, possibly the rest of the story.