TWENTY-FIVE – Hibernate (Nowhere to hide)
Michelle hadn’t been home long and as she curled up under the duvet she didn’t know how she was coping with all this stress that she was under. The threatening phone calls didn’t leave much to the imagination as to what was planed for her and she really didn’t have anyone she could turn to. Tyrese had been great about the whole situation as she had told him everything about what she had got up to with the Hoe Lane Crew and being the person that he was, he didn’t castrate or condone her actions but reassured her that it could be anyone who was making the threatening calls. She didn’t actually believe that but it was a light relief just believing that possibility even though the amount of hints that the caller made, made it obvious that it had something to do with Marcus and Tony being killed. So as she lay there contemplating her options she considered actually leaving the ends and going to stay with her dad in South West London, but the very thought of being around her step mum and half brothers and sister made her even more depressed if that was even possible, she knew that going over there would be her very last option because she really couldn’t stand her step mum and she knew that the feeling was mutual. As for her half siblings they were no better as she found them to be very spoilt and disrespectful towards their parents but she knew it was the way they were brought up but even still she couldn’t help but feel rejected every time she was around them. So she put that idea to one side and tried to think of somewhere else where she could lay low for a couple of weeks but since she had spent most of the money she had gained from the robbery she couldn’t really just turn up anywhere as most of her so called friends couldn’t afford to put her up without her contributing to her living expenses. It was then that she could have kicked herself for not being able to save, that was one thing that she had never been able do as she loved to spend, spend, spend. Suddenly her phone started to ring and automatically she clammed up, she nearly didn’t answer it but out of habit she looked to see who it was that was calling her. Seeing that the caller had withheld its number she slung the phone across her bed, refusing to answer any calls whom she didn’t have a clue who was calling. Starting to tremble with fear, she jumped out of the bed and scurried across to her window and peeping behind the heavy curtains through the net ones she looked all around to see if she could see anything out of the ordinary but for the life of her she couldn’t see anyone out of place or loitering around her block of flats. Feeling a little better she headed back o her bed but she still couldn’t refrain from bursting into tears as she sat there crying uncontrollably for a very long time. When she had finally finished sobbing, when there wasn’t any more tears left she wiped her face with the sleeve of her jumper until it was dried and tear free. Her mind then ran on Maryanne and she wondered if she too had been experiencing the same calls as she was, so getting up and picking her phone off the shelving on her wall she searched until she came across Maryanne’s number. She then dialled it and waited for it to be answered and she became very annoyed when it just rang out. This wasn’t the first call that had gone unanswered since she had been trying to get hold of Maryanne to advise her of the situation unfolding, she wanted to know if she too had been receiving these calls but it was very obvious that Maryanne was avoiding her. But instead of getting irate it had the opposite effect as this only made her cry and as the tears flowed rapidly from her eyes she hadn’t felt this awful ever. For the first time in her life she was not in control and to make matters worse her life seemed to be on the brink of ending sometime soon. She thought back on her friendship with Maryanne and a sharp pang shot right through her chest, she placed her hand where the pain was coming from and started to cry even harder. She was in a very pitiful way and the only person she wanted by her side was the one person who seemed to have abandon her. The pain in her chest wasn’t nowhere as painful as how she felt every time she thought about how much the relationship between she and Maryanne had deteriorated. So she lay there in tears, crying silently now and taking all her strength from refraining from calling Maryanne again. After awhile she managed to fall asleep and slept very deeply for a couple of hours, when she finally awoke it was late evening and she felt quite hungry as she hadn’t been eating properly for a few days now. Dragging herself up and out of bed she slowly walked to the kitchen to see what she could rumble up quickly to eat. Flicking the switch on the kettle she opened up the fridge and saw that she had a quiche in there. Deciding to have that instead of the other option which was an egg sandwich she pulled it out and dropped it onto the table and then she turned on the oven to pre-heat it up. Pulling out a chair she sat down and could feel a headache coming on and this didn’t surprise her after all the crying she had gone through today. Suddenly her buzzer went at her door which made her jump as she wasn’t expecting any visitors, feeling on edge as the thought had crossed her mind that it could be her mysterious caller behind that door, so she sat rooted to the spot not moving a muscle in case they heard her, even though that was impossible as there was no way she could be heard from that distance. Then her buzzer went again and this time it rang much longer so getting up slowly she crept out of the kitchen and continued towards the front door. Upon approaching she leaned forward with her heart beat thudding she looked through the peep hole ensuring not to make any noise as she did so and she sighed with relief when she saw Tyrese standing there. He was about to press the buzzer again when she said quietly through the door “Okay...hold up, I’m gonna open up the door Ty...” She then turned the key which was chub locked before turning the latch and then before she even had the chance to open up the door herself it was pushed forward with such force that she fell backwards onto her arse. Before she had a chance to acknowledge what the hell was going on Tyrese came flying in through the door and nearly falling on top of her. Straight away she could see that he’s face was bloodied real badly and when he hit the floor he was wincing in what seemed excruciating pain. Then in came a tall black guy who was holding a gun and she recognised him instantly as Dennis’s friend who also got hurt that night. It was then that she scurried away as quickly as she could on her bum until she had backed up against a wall. In all that time she hadn’t made a sound as she was completely scared out of her wits. She watched as he shut the door behind him and his evil smirk made her even more petrified than she already was. Her wide eyes followed him as he walked over to where Tyrese lay and casually bent over him and brought the gun down with such speed and force onto Tyrese head that it knock Tyrese out cold instantly. Now she found her voice and started to scream loudly, a piercing scream that even scared her but it didn’t last long when he started nodding his head and with the gun pressed against his lips he insinuated that he wanted silence and she got the hint instantly as she stopped screaming. He then walked over to where she was squashed up against the wall with her knees cupped in her hands and said “So young lady do you know who I am...and before you answer I only what yes and no replies okay?”
“Y...yes” she stuttered not taking her eyes of the gun that was now hanging by his side.
“Good...so it’s inevitable that payback was coming to you in it?” he smirked at her as he enjoyed seeing her squirm.
“Yes.” She now felt like sobbing as she continued answering but she thought that would only antagonise him more so, so instead she took deep breaths to control herself.
“Must say Michelle, looking at you now you don’t look so hot like you did all dolled up when you done one over on Dennis...but you picked on the wrong dude pretty little thing...I hope you got paid well for your wrong doings because after tonight bitch no man will ever be conned by your so called looks...do you understand?”
But this time she was unable to answer him as she digested what he had just said to her and as the realisation hit home she knew that no amount of money would have been worth what she was going through. She also realised that there was more to come and she just hoped that she lived through the night. He then walked away from her backwards and said sternly as he ordered “Stay put, don’t make a sound...otherwise I will fucking kill you...do you understand me?”
“Yes...”she blurted out with terror in her eyes, she then watched him as he calmly walked back across to the front door and picked up a sports bag that she hadn’t even noticed was there before. He then dropped the bag down beside Tyrese who was still unconscious and then as he unzipped it he took out some cable. She then watched as he tied Tyrese up like an expert and when Tyrese started to stir she couldn’t believe it when he gun whipped Tyrese knocking him out again. After he had dragged Tyrese to one corner of the room he turned to her pointing and asked “Where’s the bedroom...dat room in front there?”
“Plea...” she started to say when he interrupted as he rushed forward towards her and shouted “What did I tell you bitch...only yes or no...Don’t let me tell you again cah I will not be talking trust...so I will ask de question one more time, is dat de bedroom deh?”
“Yes!” she answered deflated; she had only concluded one outcome from his request to know where her bedroom was at.
“Good...get up and lets go...hurry the fuck up bitch I aint got all day and if you don’t co-operate I will kill you!” he said winking at her and then he smirked again when she started to rise until she was finally standing. He then grabbed her by the hair and she screamed out in agony but she shut up when he shouted at her to be quiet. He then proceeded to drag her by her hair into the bedroom. Once inside he pushed her down onto her bed and he then closed the bedroom door. She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer and she started to cry and this only seemed to amuse him further as he started to laugh at her as he quickly took off his trouser and boxers. He then pounced on her like a dog on heat. He tore at her clothing as he dragged off her jogging bottoms and he then pulled her knickers so hard to one side that they came away in his hand and she felt instant pain when the fabric from the knickers dragged across her vaginal before it snapped. Within seconds he had shoved himself roughly inside of her as he held her down by her hands. She didn’t even try to struggle as she knew that it would only be a waste of her strength so she lay there motionless as he raped her violently. After he had finished violating her body she had her eyes closed shut as she had throughout her ordeal so she didn’t even see it coming when he brought the knife down swiftly down into her flesh as he sliced her from one side to the other across her face. Now she screamed as the blood started to pour from her opened wounds and but she wasn’t screaming for long because just like Tyrese, he picked up the gun that he had rested on her bedside tables and hit her very hard across the forehead. This act brought yet another wound to her newly scared face but it did what he wanted and that was to shut her up. He then put back on his boxers and trousers as she lay unconscious and he then left the room without even looking back at his handy work. When he walked out the room he saw that Tyrese had regained consciousness even though he was still lying in the same position that he was placed into when he was out cold. When he started to approach Tyrese he started to say “No...No please no...This has nothing to do with me...oh God!”
“Shut up niggar...stop your whining nuh...just a warning to you and your little friend in there...I’m gonna let you live...but I don’t want to ever have to deal with either one of you again and make sure you let her know that if she call the police...well she’s dead and so are you, so you had better make sure that don’t happen...you understand TYRESE?” he said callously as he scowled down at Tyrese, as he was now standing right over him threateningly.
“Yes I understand...I don’t know anything at all...trust me...I will make sure she don’t know anything as well...I will make sure.” Tyrese repeated as he knew that he was begging for his life right now and he would do just about anything to stay alive even if it meant betraying his close friendship with Michelle.
“Good! Well I reckon your friend is gonna need some medical attention when she wakes up. Make sure she only gets her face looked about at the hospital and nothing else mind...I will start shoot up everybody if I as much as sniff any Police round me!” he said as he step away from Tyrese and went to leave. When he had walked out of the flat and closed the door firmly behind him he started to smile as he went to leave the building. Taking the stairs as he didn’t want to be hanging around with his tool bag and his gun, he quickly ran down all the flights of stairs until he had reached the ground floor. He then walked out the building briskly and headed towards his parked car. Once inside Frank checked his rear view mirror and caught a glimpse of the small specks of blood on his collar. Raising his eyebrow as he dismissed the significance of where the blood had come from and instead he was miffed that he had to change his plans. He was now going to head home to change his clothes and he then thought it would probably be a good idea to hide his things away as well so going home he could kills two birds with one stone.