Chapter 7
It takes me a few minutes to work out where I am. My shoulder is in hurt even more and can’t move it. I must have dosed off. Its pitch black, quiet and the air is cold. I slowly shimmy back down the pipe and climb out into the moonlit forest. There’s a large gap in the trees above me and I can see the moon which gives me complete utopia, I close my eyes and take in a long deep breath of fresh air. We go through our lives and take many things for granted. I never thought I’d ever feel like this at the sight of the moon and the air I'm breathing.
Having no idea where I am, I slowly move through the forest in a random direction to at least get me moving. A few days ago I would have been terrified walking through a forest in the middle of the night but going through what I recently have this is just a mere walk in the park. On my travels I see Polly's little face, how would she feel about all this if she could understand? I hope my poor little sister is ok.
I here water, I stop walking for a few seconds to work out where it's coming from as my mouth is dry and must admit I could do with a drink. I come across a small river with a rope swing next to it. I kneel down next to the water and take a taste – it's cool but tastes like mud. I slurp a few handfuls enough to wet the back of my throat and mouth and to temporality satisfy my thirst.
I sit on the bank and rest, watching the moonlit water run by thinking of Karl, my mum and my lovely little sister. These overwhelming thoughts of the people I love give me a boost, give me faith to want to continue and make it home safe. But, is home safe? My mum shot me but why would she do such a thing?
I push the thoughts down inside for now and decide to follow the river, making my way through the branches, debris etc… when I hear voices, I crouch down behind a fallen log and wait. It’s my mum and Ray. I’m surprised they’re still looking for me after all this time. Now they are only thirty yards from me, I can just about make out what they’re saying.
‘Ray, we have got to find James if this gets out I'm a dead women and you all will be going down with me.’
‘Jean taking us down with you will go against the code?’
‘Do you think I give a fuck about the code?'
'You should Jean, you set this whole thing up.'
'Don't you dare get smart with me Ray, remember who you're talking to!'
‘Sorry Jean my bad!'
My head starts to spin, what have I got myself into and who on earth is my mum? I have so many questions to ask her, appears I finally found out who my real dad was too and now he’s dead. I have an urge to stand and give myself up, but something inside me holds me back. My mum and Ray are still chatting but their voices begin to rise. There’s a loud bang and I hear a thud, I peer up over the log and see my mum standing there holding a gun with Ray lying on the floor.
‘Your time is up Ray.’ My mum then brutally fires another three to four shots into Ray, the sound echoes through the trees, she then casually walks off. I wait patiently until she’s a good distance away and then quietly approach Ray’s body. I pat him down like I’ve seen in the films finding a gun down the back of his trousers. The smell of the blood makes me feel sick, my hands are sticky and find it hard not to heave. I check the gun, again like I've seen on TV and managed to quickly check to ensure it was loaded and cocked it with a round in the chamber – I then make chase.
Darting through the trees slowly gaining on my mother, I have no idea what I'm going to do. I don’t care about the consequences or that I’m risking my life but just need answers and want to make sure Polly is safe.
I spot her in the distance causing my heart to race further. I take aim, but she’s still too far away and my guess is I only get one shot before she kills me. I scramble through the bushes, trees and brambles and mange to get closer without her hearing me. I take aim and shout out.
'Mum! What is all this about?' she spins round gun first pointing straight at my head.
'James I'm sorry you've been caught up in all this.'
'All of what?'
'Look James, I'm sorry but I've not been honest with you!'
'I know.' starring straight into her eyes.
'You know I do love you James!'
'You shot me?'
'I had to, I'm sorry.'
'Who are you?'
'I can't tell you, sorry!'
'Where's Polly?'
'She's with her dad tonight.' Knowing Polly is at her dads in comforting.
'Was Dem my father?' still aiming the gun at her.
'Yes, sorry!'
'Why didn’t I ever meet him?'
'Because he's not a good man!'
'Makes you a hypocrite then!' she beings to walk towards me slowly, with her gun still raised.
'Don’t disrespect me James I'm still your mother!'
'No, no you're not, you gave that role up the moment you shot me!' her lips twist with anger from my words. 'I don’t even know who you are, my best friend is dead!'
'Karl wasn’t meant to die James!' I look at her forcefully in the eyes and mouth the words - 'I hate you.' I then fire a shot into the air causing her to flitch and use the opportunity to leg it.
I run, still holding the gun I hear shots being fired. I take a hit in the back of my leg throwing me to the floor instantly. I scream out in pain, I try to stand to make a run for it but fail falling back to the floor. I lay there holding my leg screaming in agony, I notice the sound of police sirens in the distance and decide to fire shots in the direction of my mum in an attempt to deter her and not kill.
I wait patiently, the sirens are becoming louder the closer they get they must know I'm here. I see my mum pop her head up about 100 yards away from me, she takes aim straight at me and pulls the trigger. I close my eyes as tight as I can, my whole body tenses up as I prepare for the hit. Nothing happens apart from the click from her gun, she's out of ammo - I'm in luck. I scramble onto my front and begin to crawl on the forest floor towards a moonlit opening about ten yards from me. I fail miserably as my leg is messed up bad. I flip onto my back and my mum is nowhere to be seen.
After starring into her direction for a few seconds she bursts out from behind a tree to my left hitting me across my head with a log. The impact was hard causing me to scream in pain. I use the strength and energy I have left to swing my right arm round towards her and again take aim straight at her face. She stops instantly raising her hands in the air.
'James dear we don’t have to do this, I'm your mum I love you!' Tears start rolling down my cheeks from her words.
'I love you too mum but why? I don’t understand!'
'I can't tell you James, you're better off not knowing.'
'Tell me now!' I scream at the top of my voice filled with anger, firing a shot into the air at the same time.
'No James, I won't ever tell you, it's because I love you.' She slowly moves towards me, I can still hear the police sirens in the background and voices shouting.
'Let me hold you James please?' she moves closer, my heartaches as she wraps her arms around me.
'I love you mum.' I sob into her shoulder. Suddenly she takes the gun from my hands and points it straight at me.
'What are you doing?' Feeling terrified and trying to move back from her, which was proving extremely difficult.
'James, I'm sorry I have to do this!' tears flood her eyes then roll down her face.
'Mum who are you? Please don’t kill me?'
'I have to, sorry James.' Her gun is only two foot from my face, I hear a loud crack and a flash that lights up the whole forest.
I slowly open my eyes to find my mum is missing, I scan the floor and spot her lying there, I then hear voices.
'It's a hit!' shouts a man. I see a group of armed police running towards me, I hold up my hands shouting.
'Help me, please help!' Police officers swam me.
'James Young?'
'Yes sir that’s me.' The first officer to me checks me over and lays me on the floor in the recovery position and then asks fo
r a chopper on his radio.
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