© Jojo B 2016
All rights including those in copyright in the content of this story are owned by Jojo B. It's Illegal to steal and/or copy.
______________________________________________________________________
*N.E.V* The Seven Deadly Simpson Brothers
36
(Picture is Walter)
Eli was silent with fury.
"We have to go back," Severn was wide awake now, looking around at us with round eyes.
I myself was struggling to keep my food down and I squeezed Walter's hand as my stomach tightened uncomfortably. He was holding my hand just as tight.
"They could be bluffing," Phoenix said with consideration. "It could be an ambush they want us to walk into."
"It's not a bloody bluff," Eli burst angrily. "They have her, otherwise they wouldn't know her name. Yeah, they've probably seen me and her around, or her and Coral, but that doesn't mean they know who she is. Seeing her with us only confirms that they can use her as hostage. They got her to tell them her name, meaning they have her."
"Eli's right," I said reluctantly, wishing so much that he hadn't been. "Hayley's never introduced herself to the Santiagos and neither have I or Eli. She must have told them herself, meaning she's with them right now."
Eli bent his head, gripping his hair with both his hands so tight that it must have hurt. He was trying not to fall apart. The Santiagos couldn't have had better timing, a massive blow to the Simpsons when they were already down over the date of their sister's death.
"Why are they doing this? What do they want?" I raised the question.
"It's payback for our ambush after they tried to take Melody," Walter explained.
"But this seems a little extreme," I creased my brows.
From as far as I knew, the gangs counteracted each move with an equally similar one. Kidnapping Hayley was not the same as a fight outside the pub. It didn't make sense.
"I can't fight in this," Gomez said, trying to fully rotate his arms in his slim fitting white shirt.
"Neither," Giovanni agreed, attempting to flex his arm.
"We have to go home first anyway," Landon said with a frown. "We don't have weapons."
"Shit yeah," Gomez realised in annoyance. "Okay we change when we get home."
"This is going to take too long," Eli was shaking his head, his eyes full of worry.
"Should we try texting back?" I asked. "Maybe he'll tell us where they are, where Hayley is."
"Leave them in the dark," Giovanni muttered. "So they don't expect a thing."
"But saying nothing might cause them to hurt her," Eli looked at him sharply.
If they hadn't already...
"Let's ask for proof that they have her first of all," Walter said lowly. "If they give the phone to her, we could tell her what to do."
"I doubt they'd be that dumb," Landon said.
"They've played dumb before," Phoenix said with a scowl. "Pretending they didn't know the Dartfish was working for us, or that Coral was with us either. They'd probably use whatever we tell her against us."
"That's when we decide to be smarter than them," Landon put his hand down on the table. "We tell her some phony shit that they might take as credible. It would throw them off what we will really be planning."
"Which is?" Eli demanded. "We're wasting time."
"No," Phoenix argued. "Running in there blind will make things worse. We need to plan properly. They won't hurt her in the meantime."
"When did you receive the text?" Eli fixed me with his green eyes.
I quickly unlocked my phone again with shaking hands and widened my eyes when I saw Ario had sent me another text.
"The first one was seven minutes ago. He sent another one just three minutes ago," I said, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. "It says that...their boss is back."
I had to leave the table then, rushing to the toilet to throw up. Everything tasted like acid and hot tears sprang to my eyes as I retched again and again until I was empty. Sitting back I tried to breathe slowly, to not let my feelings cloud my mind. I needed to help Hayley. She didn't deserve to be taken by the Santiagos. She had nothing to do with any of the rivalry between the gangs, I felt like I was responsible.
"Coral," Walter was knocking on the door. "Let me in, please."
"Coming," I said weakly, climbing to my feet and washing my face and hands in the sink before opening the door.
Walter cupped my face, searching my eyes, "Do you want me to take you to the hospital? You could stay there until this is all over. I promise you we'll get Hayley back safe."
I shook my head, "I can't wait this out alone. Please Walter, don't make me."
"I don't want you hurt," he creased his brows. "You're already so pale and weak Coral, you won't get any better if you come with us."
"Walter," I leaned my forehead against his chest. "I have to be there. Waiting alone in the hospital would be hell, not knowing what's going on or if any of you are okay."
"Okay," Walter sighed and then he kissed my head. "You stay by my side, alright?"
I nodded, "Alright."
We went to join the boys who had already paid the bill and were getting up to leave the restaurant. Outside, the sun was setting and we needed to get a move on.
"Do we have a proper plan then?" Gomez was the first to ask as we walked to where we'd parked the cars.
"Well their boss is back," Gio said. "This is probably something they've been planning for a while."
"So?" Severn scowled. "That shouldn't put us off. They wanted our attention so bad that they had to abduct a human being? Then we'll give it to them, full force."
"That's it Severn," Walter nodded in agreement. "We don't give a damn about their boss, we'll fight to the death if we have to."
"Don't say that," I said immediately.
"Too soon man," Gio murmured, rubbing his hair.
"Listen," Phoenix said as we came to stop by the cars. "This is what Carlos was talking about, the end of the small fights and the start to the Santiagos taking over our territory. It's not going to happen. When we get back, we'll have Coral call the police from a phone box and report threatening gang activity in the location Ario gives us. That'll probably set them in a panic and Hayley will manage to get away. The police take her in and she's fine. Maybe a couple of the splinters will get arrested, that would be a bonus. In the eyes of the police, we were never involved and so they get nothing on us."
We thought about Phoenix's idea. It could definitely work, all without a proper fight. That sounded like the best option.
"Let's do that," I said, leaning against Walter.
"Yeah," the triplets nodded.
"What if they don't give us a location?" Eli asked.
"Of course they will," Landon said. "Otherwise it would all be pointless."
"Text him," Phoenix said to me.
I took my phone out and opened up Ario's messages. My hands were shaking so much that Walter texted him for me.
"'Where are you?'" he asked the group. "That okay?"
We nodded and Walter typed it in and sent it.
"Let's hurry and go already," Giovanni opened Landon's car door.
We were five minutes into our journey home when Ario replied.
"Do you know Fountain Skate Park?" I asked Walter.
"Yeah," Walter nodded. "It's in their territory, East side."
"Great," I sighed. "Of course they'd pick unfamiliar place."
"We know they turf just as much as they know ours," Walter told me. "It won't be a problem. Tell him we'll be there."
"Okay," I texted Ario back.
***
Arriving home a painful forty minutes later, we ran into the house, the boys stripping as they went to get changed into comfortable, warm wear. The boys also stocked up on weapons, including various knives, guns and aluminium bats. Walter gave me his smallest knife, which was a three inch switch blade. He taught me how to reveal the sharp metal by turning the safety switch off and pressing the button on the hilt. I didn't want to have to use it, but at least I knew how to.
I couldn't stop thinking about Hayley. She had been in the hands of the Santiagos for more than an hour and from her side, she hadn't heard back from us at all. She must have been so scared.
"Come on," Phoenix barked, from downstairs. "We're going."
Driving through the night, we came to a stop in neutral territory. It was my turn to help, to play my part as an accomplice to the Simpson gang.
"Coral," Phoenix said to me, his eyes boring into mine. "You tell the police that you were on your way back from the shopping complex and you've just seen a gang heading East from there, they were talking about a fight in a skate park and shouting threats. They were very intimidating and were carrying weapons. They won't ask your name or anything like that. They know gangs are a problem and it's rare to get a tip, so they'll make you anonymous and they can't trace the call to us in any way."
I was nodding, trying to take in all that Phoenix was telling me. I was shaking, partly from the cold and partly from the nerves. Walter gave my shoulder an encouraging squeeze and I walked into the phone box, picking up the phone and holding it to my ear as I dialled 999.
The dial only rang for a few seconds before it was answered with, "Hello, 999 what is your emergency?"
I didn't even need to act scared. I was terrified. My voice caught in my throat before I managed to get my first words out, and after that, they just kept tumbling. At one point I even started crying, thinking about what Hayley could possibly be going through. The operator told me to calm down and take deep breaths, to describe the situation and how many gang members there were. I said about six or seven and described them all as aged between fifteen to early twenties, dark haired and dark eyed. They were making all sorts of horrible threats in both English and Spanish, and I'd seen them holding knives and maybe guns too. She told me that the police was on their way and thanked me for the tip, saying that my call may prevent the fight and even save some lives.
"That was good," Walter hugged me when I put the phone down.
I clung onto him, sniffing.
"I'm glad I could help," I replied after a couple deep breaths.
"It's not over yet," Landon gave my arm a rub. "You're doing well."
"Thanks," I said. "Let's go."
Back in the cars again, we drove Eastwards, searching for a place where we could observe the outcome without being spotted by the Santiagos or by the police themselves. The Simpsons could easily fit the same description I gave of the Santiagos. It wasn't impossible for people to pretend they couldn't speak Spanish.
We parked in a residential area a short walk away from the skate park. The boys said that there was a block of flats that overlooked the park that we could hopefully get into. Walking in the bitter cold we soon arrived at a large, plain grey, story building that rose high into the sky.
"The skate park is on the other side," Landon explained in a low voice. "We wait for someone to come out the back door, I'll slip in and hold the door open for all of you."
Nodding in agreement, we stayed in the shadows in an alley across the road whilst Landon went and leant against the wall near the back door. Time passed agonisingly slowly and my heart rate picked up when someone finally left the building through the back entrance. Landon slipped his foot in before the door closed and motioned for us to come over as soon as the street was quiet again.
It was dark and dingy inside the building, smelling faintly of urine. The lights were either blown or flickering and we climbed quietly to the fourth or fifth floor, where we looked out a window in the stairway. From the window, we could see the concrete skate park across the road at the front of the building.
"It's empty," Gomez whispered.
"Damn splinters," Walter hissed under his breath.
"Shh," Phoenix quietened them, if any of the residents saw us crowded in the building with visible baseball bats, I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to call the police unless the boys threatened them to keep their mouths shut.
The police themselves showed up within seconds as we were stood watching from above, and they got out of their cars with torches to search the scene. After a couple of minutes, the officers were on their walky-talkies and probably deciding to move on.
"They're leaving," my shoulders sank in disappointment; there went our chance to end this without a confrontation.
"Of course they wouldn't have showed," Landon muttered in anger.
Phoenix cursed with a sigh, "We wait until the police had left the area, then we go out there. They're probably hiding somewhere close by."
Ten minutes later, when we were sure the police had left, we descended the stairs and left the building through the front. Across the road I saw a few figures sitting on a concrete block in the corner of the park.
"The blockheads," Severn recognised them.
Eli shook his head in anger, growling out curses. I searched for Hayley, but I didn't see her.
The twins, Miguel and Manuel got to their feet when they saw us coming. They grinned and I felt like hitting them, anything to knock those stupid smug looks off their faces.
"Where is she?" Eli demanded, marching up to them with a knife in his hand.
"Ask nicely and we might tell you," Miguel smirked, not even flinching.
"Cut the bull," Phoenix snapped, walking up to them. "Take us to wherever you lot are hiding out."
"You called the police," Manuel said. "Do you think we're going to forgive that?"
"I don't give a damn," Phoenix replied. "You're worth nothing to me."
Eli lost patience and held his knife right up to Miguel's throat, causing Manuel to whip out his own knife and point it towards Eli's gut.
"Cut him and you die," Manuel said in a low voice and then he looked at Phoenix. "If you move, your brother dies."
"You forgot," Landon said, appearing from the dark behind Manuel with a gun aimed at the base of his spine. "You're outnumbered over here."
The twins shared a look and then Manuel put his knife away before raising his hands. Phoenix lowered Eli's hand, freeing Miguel's throat.
"Take us," Landon said, prodding Manuel in the back with his gun. "Now."
The boys scowled and muttered insults in Spanish before turning and leading us out the back of the skate park and into the darker, back alleys of their territory.
"Carlos it's us," Miguel called when we reached one large looking alley between a closed antique shop and a dry cleaners.
Walking into the darkness, my eyes took a couple seconds to adjust and Walter held onto my hand so as not to lose me in the gloom.
The first person I saw was Hayley.
Her hands and feet were tied with thick layers of duck tape and her mouth had also been taped over. She looked so pale and her hair was tangled. I wanted to crush all the Santiagos, take all that stuff off of her and get her home, safe and warm. Phoenix was holding the back of Eli's hoodie, stopping him from doing the exact same, it seemed.
Carlos was standing next to Hayley, who wouldn't have been able to run without falling to the ground. Diego was near Carlos, looking at us in disgust. I dreaded to think that he'd tried to mess around with Hayley. It made me furious knowing that it could have been very possible.
"Miguel, come over here," Ario said, standing to the side with Paulo.
Miguel gave Manuel a glance and walked over to join the rest of his gang. Landon held onto Manuel with his arm around the boy's neck and the gun pressed against his side.
"Give her back and I won't shoot him," Landon said.
Diegos seized Hayley roughly and held her in the same position but with a gun to her head.
"Hand him over and I won't kill the bitch," he growled mercilessly.
"Landon," Eli said lowly.
Landon sighed and clenched his jaw, releasing Manuel and pushing him forwards so that he went to join his side, casting us a dark look.
"Good," Diego said, smiling as he let go of Hayley who was shaking in fear and fright.
"Now let's get to business," Carlos smirked, his cheekbones looking very prominent.
"What do you want?" Phoenix said calmly.
"It's not for me to say," Carlos said, turning his head to look at a person I hadn't noticed, hanging back in the dark. "Meet our true leader and my father..."
A dark haired man walked into view and as soon as he did so, a foul, familiar scent worked its way into my nose. I inched closer into Walter's side, my eyes wide with the fear of something simply impossible happening right before me.
"...Pedro," Carlos spoke.
Pedro's sinister eyes looked right at me and he smiled. My legs gave out and Walter grabbed me, holding me tight with a frightened face.
"Coral," he searched my face with wide eyes.
I couldn't speak. He...he...
"Nice to see you again, Coral," my father spoke.
Carlos frowned sharply, abruptly looking at Pedro, "You already know her?"
By their facial expressions, all the Santiagos were thinking the same thing, and my guess was that the Simpsons were thinking that too.
Pedro smirked, his eyes never leaving mine.
"She's my daughter."
Everyone's eyes were round with shock and I felt Walter stiffen with absolute rage. I didn't expect anything different after finding out that this was the man who had abused me from the age of seven to ten.
"No," I tried to deny it even though I knew it was pointless. "My father's name was Paul Sanger. Not...not Pedro Santiago. He didn't even speak Spanish."
"Anyone can make fake documents," the man only laughed.
"Papi...what?" Carlos murmured, looking between Pedro and me with disbelief.
"If that was really true," Diego was shaking his head to himself. "Then why haven't we heard about it until now?"
"Muchachos," Pedro said to his gang. "There are a lot of things I don't tell you. She was one of them. I didn't know I had a daughter, not until she was about seven or eight I believe. I was with her for three years..."
"We thought you were up North," Ario interrupted with a stunned look.
"I lied," my father smirked without a single care. "I was being a dad to my gringa daughter right here in London up until I got eight years for armed robbery and assault. Today is my third day out and I didn't think she'd still be in the area, what a sweet reunion. I guess this means a change of plans muchachos."
Walter launched himself at him and it was Phoenix who grabbed him last minute before he could do anything rash without thinking.
"I'll kill you!" Walter was shouting and swearing. "I swear, I'll kill you!"
Landon had to grab a hold of Walter too, or Walter would have surely gotten the gun out of this pocket. Walter stopped struggling and stood there, his chest rising and falling quickly as he looked at my father with hatred. Landon held onto his arms.
"We will trade Hayley for Coral," Pedro said with amusement in his features, making Hayley flinch when he put his hands down on her shoulders.
I could tell by the faces of Carlos, Diego, Ario, the twins and Paulo, that that was not the original plan, but they had to go along with their boss' wants...and he wanted me.
"Never," Walter spat on the floor and raised his middle finger at him. "You give Hayley back, and we won't kill you all."
Pedro's words struck pure fear in my heart, "She's a Santiago by blood and we want her back."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well damn, your comments please?!
J
X