Part 114
Sang's POV
I watched as Gabriel moved the coffee table four inches to the left and gave a satisfied nod of his head.
"Done," he said and turned to look at me, his head tilted to one side. "What do you think, Trouble?"
"I think you have a good eye," I told him and I meant it. The furniture he had picked was beautiful, classic lines and elegant, just like Mr Blackbourne. The colour scheme was muted greys and duck egg blue and I had to say it looked perfect. There was a corner sofa that could sit six, two matching armchairs were placed in front of a glass cabinet that was still empty. The coffee table sat on a rug that covered the new carpet. The curtains at the windows were held back by ties that matched the sofa and I knew they had been custom made. The whole room made me want to hold my breath and levitate incase I mucked anything up.
"Do you like it?" Kota asked from where he had sank into the corner of the sofa.
"Yes, I do, I can't believe how much you managed to get done," I said.
"The carpet fitters came just after the last of the furniture was removed," Mr Blackbourne said as he came into the room behind me. "Once they left the rest of the furniture was delivered and we got stuck in. It helps that there was eight of us."
"I should have helped," I murmured and he shrugged.
"I was debating leaving it for you to say where you wanted things, but it was getting late. If something feels wrong, or if you want to change any of it, just ask if you can't move it, or move it yourself."
"No, it's perfect," I said and meant it. It was a far cry from the living room I remembered my father sitting in as he watched TV on the old shabby sofa. I had a sudden realisation as to how Marie was feeling. The furniture might have been old and shabby, but it had been familiar. Everything was changing here and changing fast. It no longer looked like the home we were used to and I realised how displaced she felt.
"Come and see the family room, Trouble," Gabriel said and grabbing me by the hand he dragged me out of the room and into the family room. I stopped short. Where the other room had been cool perfection, this room was warm and cosy. The carpet was a deep maroon, the sofas and chair that were scattered around the room were mismatched, the coffee table was wooden and had two drawers underneath it. There was an oak sideboard running under the window, with a hi fi system on it. There was a writing desk in the corner with a empty bookcase next to it. An office chair sat in front of it. It was odd how nothing matched but it worked, it worked really well.
There was an upright piano against the wall next to the writing desk, Victor was sat at the seat watching me look around. I gave him a wave and a smile and he winked at me.
I spotted a TV with a DVD player and an Xbox on a unit on the far side of the wall.
"More comfortable," Gabriel said and passed me to kick at where a pile of bean bags in the corner made up the number of seats we would all need if we were in here.
"The writing desk and bookcase will be handy for your school work," Kota said and crossing to it, he pulled the flap down and I saw the laptop inside. He opened the door underneath and I saw a wireless printer. On the other shelf was the scrapbook that I had started.
"When we wrap things up at the school," Mr Blackbourne spoke up from where he was in the doorway. "It's somewhere you can work when you're here."
A sense of excitement filled me, I was sure that they would make good on their word. Mr Blackbourne had told me that I was not going back to that school if they were not there and I believed him, but seeing this, hearing what he had said, made it even more real. I looked at Nathan and grinned at him and I think he saw some of the excitement in my face because his smile was wide.
"Thank you," I turned to face Mr Blackbourne.
"Miss Sorenson..."
A huge bang sounded from further in the house and all the lights went out leaving us in darkness. I gasped and stumbled slightly in surprise, my heart hammering in my chest. I reached out but Nathan was already reaching for me and he pulled me against him.
"You fucking moron!!" I heard North roaring from down the corridor.
As serious of phones were lit and I was able to see a bit better, and then Kota was producing a miniature flashlight from a keychain and I heard Victor chuckle.
"You said turn it on!" Luke shouted angrily.
"I said DON't turn it on!" came the answering roar. I sniffed, I could smell burning. I drew my phone out to use the back light.
I could hear the others moving around and then a flashlight was switched on and Kota was moving towards me.
"What's burning?" I asked.
"He's only gone and fried the whole fucking fuse box!" North shouted as he came into the room.
"You said switch it on!" Luke shouted at him as he came into the room behind him.
"North, calm down, it was a mistake," Silas spoke up but I couldn't see him in the depth of the gloom of the hallway.
"You need your fucking hearing checked out!" North boomed at Luke.
"Ok, ok, ok, calm down," Kota spoke up. "Is anyone hurt?"
"No, although had I been touching the fucking live wire you'd be sweeping me up now," North grunted and a wave of horror went through me.
"Oh god," I saw Luke move towards North, the anger draining out of him. "North, I am so sorry, I should have double checked, you had your head under the machine and I..." He lifted his hands and covered his face. North slung his arm around his shoulder.
"No harm," he mumbled and looked up at Mr Blackbourne who was tapping on his phone.
"You're gonna need a proper electrician for this one, Mr B, took out the whole fucking sockets on both floors."
"What were you doing?" Kota asked them.
"Trying to wire in the fucking washing machine, but something wasn't right with the plug wiring. It blew a component in the machine. Si and I changed that and I was just wiring it back in when Luke misheard me.
"You should have had the whole house electrics switched off," Kota spoke up.
"I wasn't expecting the earth to be live," North said. "I switched off the ring that controls the sockets throughout the house..."
"I've texted Mr Poole," Mr Blackbourne spoke up. "He's an electrician by trade and he has said he will come in first thing tomorrow."
"Mr Poole?" I asked Nathan, still in his arms.
"He's Academy" he said and I looked back at Mr Blackbourne.
"Yes, he is, but it won't be done through the Academy, but it will still be best if you stay out of sight, Miss Sorenson. I trust him, but he will ask questions."
"She can stay with me tonight," Nathan spoke up and Mr Blackbourne nodded.
"Who was supposed to be staying here?" asked Victor, his fingers were running over the key on the piano.
"Me," North and Silas spoke up at the same time.
"That's fine, you can all fit into the spare bedroom," Nathan said and I kissed his jaw line.
"Thank you, Honey,"
The front door opened and I saw Kota and North move towards the hallway. I heard a scream and then I saw Marie coming in with her hand up.
"What the everloving fuck are you doing in the dark?" she said, standing in the doorway.
"Hey, Maz, who the fuck are they?"
"Friends of my sister," she said over her shoulder and I knew it was her boyfriend behind her.
"The electricity has gone off in the house and we can't fix it till tomorrow," Dr Green spoke up. "We have flashlights you can use, Marie."
"No lights in your bedroom?" the voice spoke again and I moved forwards to try and see his face, but he was stood in the dark. "Come on, Maz, you can stay with me again tonight."
"It'll be all right," she said turning to him.
"No, not in the dark," he said.
I heard the subtle change of tone in his voice and I stepped forward again, Nathan moved with me, his hand on my shoulder now.
"Ok," Marie nodded and looked back at me before turning and going back out.
"Marie," I called her name but she kept going, shutting the door behind her. I breathed out and shrugged, turning to Victor.
"Did you find anything about him?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary," he said and I saw him shrugged. "Graduated last year, works in a hardware store, never been in trouble with the law."
"Let her go," Nathan murmured in my ear and I shuddered. He was right, I just had to let her go and hope that he would treat her well.
"We might as well all go now," Mr Blackbourne said and he came towards me.
I stepped into his arms, my hands on the back of his neck as I kissed him.
"Thank you for... everything," I murmured.
"I know it's overwhelming," he replied quietly. "A lot of changes, but this is your home, Sang, yours."
"I think I like ours better," I whispered into his ear and he tightened his hold on me.
"So do I," he replied and kissed me. He stepped back and Dr Green pulled me towards him.
"I'll get what we talked about in the car for you tomorrow," he said and kissed me, hugging me into him.
"Yes, I'll write her a note and I'll leave them in the bathroom cabinet."
"See you tomorrow, Pookie, sweet dreams," he chuckled and kissed me.
I was taken from him by Victor and he kissed me, keeping his lips on mine.
"I want to sit at that piano and play just for you," he murmured against my lips. I smiled and slid my hands into hair.
"I would love that," I murmured back and then he kissed me properly and stood back.
Luke came towards me and I reached for him, pulling him to me.
"It's fine," I told him. "In a couple years we'll be laughing about how you almost fried your brother."
He sagged against me and then chuckled, his hands going to my hips.
"I'm fine, Luke, don't get all girly on me," North said from where he was beside me.
"Scared me," Luke said and North reached out and pulled him into a hug,
"Right then, Trouble, see you tomorrow," Gabriel caught me to him in a hug and slid his fingers through my hair.
"Meanie," I murmured and kissed him. We all left the house together and I waved them all away and then turned to where Kota had locked the house up.
"Are you coming over for a bit?" I asked him, but he shook his head pushing his glasses up his nose.
"I have to go back anyway," he said and then he was pulling me into a hug. "Mom wants you to come over soon, she's complaining that she doesn't see you enough."
"When?" I asked him.
"Friday after school?" he asked and I nodded. Today was Monday, normally school would have started tomorrow, but they were having a pupil less day, and we'd all go back on Wednesday. I wondered if Mr Blackbourne and Dr Green would have to go in.
"Ok," I said nodding.
"I'll be round after lunch," he said and leaning down he kissed me. I brought my hands to his shoulders and kissed him goodbye. I waved as he broke into a jog, waved at the others and disappeared round around the corner.
"Come on, Peanut, it's freezing out here," Nathan called and I ran over to them.
"Freezing," I laughed. "This is balmy, Honey."
"No, you're barmy," North said and shivered exaggeratingly.
I went into the house and stopped short in the hallway. This was the first time I had been in Nathan's house since his dad had come back. I lifted my fingers to my throat and made myself move forward. He was not here now, the doors were repaired, the alarm system was working. We were all safe. I knew we were, but it didn't stop me checking each room as we passed them.
North caught me around my waist and pulled me up, turning me easily in his hold until I was in his arms.
"No one is here but us, Sang baby," he murmured. I slid my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.
"I know," I whispered.
Silas looked back at me over his shoulder and winked.
"Hey Aggele mou, why did the poor man sell yeast?"
I shook my head at him, waiting for the punch line.
"To raise some dough," he laughed and I giggled.
"Hey, I heard one the other day for you two!" Nathan said. North had carried me into the living room and I expected him to put me down, but he just sat on the sofa and kept me on his lap.
"Go on then," I said, as Silas sat down next to North and drew my legs onto his.
"What did the football coach say to the broken vending machine?" he asked. "Hey, give me my quarterback!"
I giggled and I felt North's chest rumble as he chuckled under me. Nathan plopped down next to Silas and drew my boots from my feet and then between them they worked my socks off.
"Let's watch a movie," Nathan announced and palmed the remote. Silas started to work the muscles in my calves as Nathan rubbed my feet. I was in heaven. I sunk into North and closed my eyes; they were going through the film list, arguing over what to watch, but I found myself drifting, especially when North's hand found my lower back and started to work at where I had pain.
"That is so good," I moaned and they all laughed.
"Forget a movie, let's just listen to Peanut moaning," Nathan said with a chuckle.
"Keep this up and I think it'll be snores you'll be listening too," I said with a sleepy smile at him. He lifted one of my feet and kissed the top of it.
"Go to sleep then, Sang baby," North rumbled. "We'll wake you for bed later."
I snuggled deeper and let sleep wash over me as they decided on a film and set it to play.
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It was well after ten when Mr Blackbourne came into the house the following morning. He did not look happy when he came into where we were sat at the dining room table playing a cards.
"Hello," I said with a big smile, but it dropped when I saw his expression. He gave me a millimetre smile and then it was dropping from his face to leave it stern and controlled.
"Good morning," he said and sat down at the end of the table and clasped his hands together.
"What's up, Mr B?" asked Nathan with a frown.
"Miss Sorenson, to your knowledge did your father ever have any electrical work done on the house?"
I blinked as I thought over his question and then I shook my head.
"No, it was one of the reasons he went for that place, it was a new build and he knew the electrics would be modern. Why?"
"The earthing rod was disconnected," he said and North swore fluently. I looked at him in alarm, I didn't know much about electronics, but I did know things had to be earthed and that all houses were earthed.
"You mean, her house was live?" Nathan said and his face went white. "How long? I mean... fucking hell..."
"We don't know how long it's been disconnected or even if it was connected in the first place. I didn't have anyone look over the house as it would just take to long too complete and I was prepared to take anything on," Mr Blackbourne looked between North and Silas.
"Yesterday, when you said the wiring was wrong for the machine, what exactly was wrong?"
"The wire was too short," North said immediately. "They kept touching and shorting out. The old machine had older electric cables and were much longer... thinking about it, whoever installed your washing machine would have had to switch off all the electrics... but it wouldn't require disconnecting the earth cable unless he was a moron and didn't really know what he was doing."
"You mean that every time, Peanut switched on the taps, she was running the risk of electrocuting herself?" Nathan blanched and he looked at Silas, who looked just as serious.
"Mr Poole is sorting it now," Mr Blackbourne said, he sat back and drew his phone from his pocket and answered it.
"Mr Poole," he said and then he was listening. I watched as his face went white and he looked at me and then at North.
"I understand, I'll be right over, Thank you, goodbye," he said and hung up.
"Mr B?" Nathan looked at him worry on his face.
"He found the connections that were removed. It would appear by their general cleanliness and lack of rust that they have been removed recently."
"Fucking hell!" North roared and jumped to his feet. "She is not going back there!"
"I don't understand, what are you saying?" I asked him.
"Someone has deliberately removed the earth connection from your house," he said looking at me. I blinked, why would someone do that.
"What we need to know is if she's the target, or if anyone else has been tampered with."
"Sometimes thieves nick the copper cables," Silas said and Mr Blackbourne nodded.
"Yes, Silas, North, check everyone's houses in the street, see if anyone else has been targeted. See if anyone has seen anything odd," Mr Blackbourne said. "Nathan, we need to check your place and then Kota's. Let's look now before I go back."
I got up and followed them out of the house and around to the side. Mr Blackbourne showed me the earthing rod that was stuck into the ground and then the wire which was attached to the top that ran into the house.
"Nathan, take Sang and go down to Kota's house. I need to go back to Mr Poole," Mr Blackbourne said and we split up on the main road.
"Who would do something like this?" I asked him as I got my coat and then we started towards Kota.
"Copper is extremely expensive and the price is rising. I'm really hoping that it's a gang that is stealing the copper cable to sell on."
"And if it's not?" I asked, but I was already there. It meant someone had deliberately put my house in danger. My thoughts went to Volto, but I really didn't think he would do that, would he? So far he had kept his promise to stay away from me, and I saw no reason why he would start doing something like that now.
We arrived at Kota's and when Nathan explained to Kota what had happened, his face had gone white and we had looked down the side of the house and sure enough, his cable was missing.
Kota raced back inside shouting for his mom and Erica while Nathan rang Mr Blackbourne.
"Mr B, Kota's cable is gone completely," he spoke rapidly and I walked away towards the front of the house as Erica and Jessica came out. Jessica looked scared and when she saw me she came over.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"People have been taking the cables that make the house safe," I told her. "We just need to be outside the house, until someone can come and make it safe again."
"Why would they do that?" she asked and I saw fear in her eyes.
"Because they can make a lot of money by selling it on," I said to her and put my hand on her shoulder. "It will be alright."
Erica came over with Kota and they stopped beside us as Nathan came up.
"North and Silas think the street has been hit. They must have started up the end and worked their way down, they must have got spooked before they could finish at yours," he said to me. "Four houses have had it disconnected and two of them the cable is missing completely."
"Which houses?" I asked him and he blinked at me.
"I don't know, Mr B didn't say," he replied with a shrug and then looked at Erica, "Mr B has an electrician at Sang's at the moment andi he had a new cable that he's going to install for yours, mine and Sang's, It's a steel core with a copper plate, worthless to thieves," he said and Erica nodded. "Come down to mine until the place is safe again. He's just finishing Sang's and then he'll come and do your place."
"Yes, thank you, Nathan," Erica said and we began to walk back up to Nathan's. As we were getting there, my phone vibrated in my pocket and I drew it out.
Mr Blackbourne: Come over please. Xx
Sang: On my way. Xx
I showed the text to Nathan and he nodded. I left them at Nathan's doorway and carried on towards my house.
"Hello?" I called out as I came into the house. Mr Blackbourne came out of the kitchen and beckoned me towards him, disappearing back in. I shrugged out of my coat and hung it on the hat stand and then went towards the kitchen. North and Silas were sitting at the table, a rough drawing of Sunnyvale Court on the table with all the houses marked. They had put an x in four of the houses, and then mine was marked and so was Kota's.
"They're fucking stupid," North snorted. "Why start to disconnect a cable and then leave it."
Mr Blackbourne pulled out a chair for me and I sat down with a thank you.
"These houses," Mr Blackbourne pointed at Kota's and the next two on either side of the street up from his. "The copper wire was missing completely."
"They were working in pairs," Silas said. "One would go ahead, unclip the wires and then the other one comes around behind and takes it."
"We think that it was the night Nathan's father caused all the commotion," North told me. "We think they were working when you both disturbed them. Do you remember seeing or hearing anything else that night?"
I shook my head, trying to think.
"I don't remember seeing anything, other than him," I said and North nodded.
"Well, this new wire will fucking trip them up," he snorted and ran a hand through his hair.
"The police are going to be informed because of the other houses," Mr Blackbourne spoke up.
"Will they be able to do anything?" I asked, Silas snorted and shook his head.
"No, they'll just put it on on record. They might send a cruiser around at night for a few days and then something else will take up the unit and they won't be back."
I nodded, I didn't really want a police car hanging around to be honest.
"It just reinforces that I don't want you here alone at night anymore," Mr Blackbourne said to me. "Whoever is here with you won't be called in for a job unless it's an emergency. And if there is an emergency you will be taken somewhere else, either mine, Victor, Nathan, or whoever is available, ok?"
"What about Marie?" I asked him and he nodded.
"She will be given the opportunity to go with you, but we can't make her if she refuses," he said. "Sang, you are my priority. It is highly unlikely they will try and come back to this neighbourhood, but I just want to cover my bases."
"With the new steel wires, even if they did come back, they'll move on pretty quickly," Silas said. "Mr Poole is offering a discount to all the other neighbours who will let him replace their copper wires with the anti theft ones."
"It's just as well Luke nearly blew the house up, or we'd never know..." North said, leaving it unsaid that it would probably have been found out in tragedy.
Mr B sighed heavily and came around the back of my chair and put his hands on my shoulders.
"I don't even want to think of what could have happened," he said and dropped a kiss on top of my head. I shivered, neither did I.
"You are perfectly safe in here now though," Silas said and reaching forward he gripped my hand. "Mr Poole went over the whole house."
"I'm going to go across to Erica and Kota," Mr Blackbourne said, stepping away from me.
"I'll make a start on some lunch, shall I?" I asked, seeing from the clock on the wall that it was gone midday.
"That would be very welcome," Mr Blackbourne said, kissing my cheek and then he left the room.
"We want to stay again tonight," North spoke up and reaching over he took my other hand. "I know it was supposed to be Gabriel and Victor and we won't stop them staying with you, but we want to stay just for tonight."
"You think they might come back?" I asked him. "Isn't there a camera that covers the back?"
"Not that angle, only the access points," Silas said with a shake of his head. "I don't think they will be back, but we just want to be sure."
"Where will you sleep?" I asked them.
"We'll bed down in the living room. Luke will be here too, I don't want him back at the house on his own."
"Is your father here yet?" I asked him.
"No, not yet, but I don't want any surprises."
"Shame the bedroom isn't set up yet," Silas said and I looked over at where there was still a lot of work to be done.
"We've slept in worse places," North snorted and then he was standing up. "We can finish in the laundry room now," he said.
"I'll get something together. What would you like?"
"Something hot," Silas said and gave me a kiss. North leant over the table and kissed me and then they were leaving the room. I looked down at where they had marked the houses. It was so random, but I wasn't sure how gangs of thieves worked. I sighed and got up to put together a stew, I had to get on and not dwell on the close shave we had all had.
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