“Okay, so do you think this is it this time?” I ask everyone wearily. “We’ve been driving about everywhere all fucking long evening. This has to be the place, right? I mean look at it.”

It’s a massive abandoned warehouse, perfect for a kidnapping. It’s in the middle of nowhere too, so not too close to the city for anyone to find this place. I’m getting to the end of my tether which I think means it has to be it. I can’t fucking take more driving anywhere. Bryan is fucking killing me here, I hate him.

“Bryan sounded weary the last time we spoke to him. I think he’s gotten to the end of his game now,” Pippa confirms. “I don’t claim to know the man too well, but I think this is it. I really do. The game is ending.”

“Right, so I think it’s time to call the cops. And not the local cops. This place can be classed as in another area anyway, so I’m pretty sure it’ll be okay to call someone else.” I feel like I’m talking to myself since no one is really listening to me. It doesn’t matter, I need to talk my feelings out aloud. “We can’t do this without a back-up, we don’t know what’s going on in there. I’ll feel so much better knowing that we have support.”

Pippa rests her hands on my shoulder. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I’m scared now.”

I turn to face her. “Which part? Calling the cops or going in and killing the bastard?”

She flinches at the threat of violence, but I think she can tell I’m not totally serious. I don’t intend to kill Bryan because we need to work out what he’s done all of this for. He needs to face justice. Also, it doesn’t matter what he’s done, he’s Savannah’s husband and it’s up to her what she wants done with him. I’m here for her and Peter.

“I don’t know.” The color drains from her cheeks. “All of it. Can we trust any cops by this point?”

“I don’t know, I think we’re going to have to try.” I shrug. “It makes sense, don’t you think?”

“Okay then. I see that point. But what about going in there? That’s pretty crazy. What if you get hurt?”

“I might get hurt, but Savannah might already be hurt. I can’t sit back and let that happen. Especially not while we’re here. We are right outside this building and she might be inside. I have to help her.”

“But Bryan might have a weapon… He could have loads of weapons. He might have a gang of people inside.”

“My point still stands. I would sacrifice myself for Savannah in a heartbeat. I can’t just leave her in there.”

“I’ll be going in there too,” Tommy joins in. “So, you’ll have some back up. You won’t be alone.”

“I will come too…”

“No, you won’t Mr. Donald.” I shake my head emphatically. “That’s just asking for trouble. You will be more hassle than you’re worth. You can’t do anything to help and we’ll have to watch out for you. No, you stay here and look after Pippa. I don’t know what you can do, but make sure no harm comes to her.”

“I can call the cops if you want to?” Pippa offers. “Save you a bit of time, you know if you want to go now.”

“And I’ll keep watch of the car. I know I can’t help much but I’m Savannah’s father. I want to help.”

I nod slowly, knowing that’s the best way forward. We need to get inside that building and quick. I can’t stand the images flickering through my brain that might well be happening to Savannah right now. My brain is torturing me, seeing the worst and I’m just hanging on the hope that what’s really happening cannot be as bad. If Pippa calls the police while we’re in the middle of things then at least we’ll know that we have back-up coming.

“You don’t have to come in if you don’t want, Tommy, he might have a gun or something. Pippa’s right.”

I know that freaked him out last time, seeing the barrel of a gun pointed at him when it wasn’t expected and since this isn’t his fight I don’t expect him to dive into it with me. I can do this by myself. I’m okay with it. Even if I have nothing to defend myself and I’m at a disadvantage, I don’t mind. It’s better than doing nothing.

“I’m coming,” he tells me firmly. “I know what the risks are and I’m coming anyway. So, let’s go.”

I flick my eyes towards the building and I feel my heart racing at a million miles an hour. Anticipation course through my veins, batting away my fears. All I can think about right now is Savannah’s face. I slowly unclick the door and slide out with the other three behind me. We have to be the worst set of super heroes going, but we’re all Savannah has. I inhale deeply, feeling her inside of there. We’re in the right place, I just know it.

“Okay, Tommy, it’s time.” I nod in his direction. “Are you ready? Let’s do this.”

“Please.” Mr. Donald grabs my arm. “Please look after my daughter and my grandson.”

I peel his fingers off me and nod. “Yes, I will. Don’t worry about it. I’m going to make your mistakes right.”

Guilt flashes across his face and I’m glad. He deserves that guilt. I hope all of this makes him realize just what he’s done. I hope it changes things in the future. Lessons need to be learned from all of this. I hope he sees that his reputation and company isn’t worth more than his family. He needs to know that. Even if his intentions weren’t the worst with whatever he’s done, the outcome has been absolutely horrible.

We walk rapidly towards the building, mine and Tommy’s feet move in unison. I hope our actions remain as in sync once we’re inside the building. We’re going to have to work together to survive this.

“Do we knock?” Tommy asks me quietly. “Or should we just go in? What is the etiquette here?”

“I don’t exactly know. I haven’t been in this situation before.” I shove my shoulder into the door and much to my surprise it flies open easily. Too easily in fact, that makes me nervous. “I say we just go in.”

We slip inside, just to find the building empty. Too empty for my liking, but I’m not going to give up easily. I still have the feeling that this is the place, which might be more desperate hope than anything else, and I’m not ready to give up on anything yet. My shoulders bunch up around my ears and I call out.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” I strain my ears, but it’s just silence. “Bryan, are you here?”

“Dude, I hate to tell you this, but I think this might be another dead end. I think Bryan is still giving us the run around. It might be better for us to get out of here and to call him again.”

I shake my head, but deep down I think he might be right. I just can’t accept that we have to go somewhere else because each new place that we travel to leaves us with too much time away from Savannah. It means that not only could anything be happening to her, but also that we might never see her again. I can’t stand that.

“Bryan!” I call out louder. “Whatever the fuck you’re playing at, just stop it now.”

I hear a muffled reply. I don’t know if it’s Bryan, I don’t know if it’s someone else. It might even be Savannah. It fills me with intense glee to know that someone is here. I rush forwards, about to investigate further…

“Oh, I don’t think you want to do that right now…” I turn to see a man who I presume is Bryan staring at me with a nasty smirk. “Not unless you want her to die. My wife, that is. The woman I am married to.”

“She’s in there then?” I demand. “Savannah is here? Peter too?”

Bryan steps closer to me, completely ignoring Tommy as if he isn’t here. I suppose I’m the one he wants. “You are awfully concerned about my family. That troubles me a lot.”

“You don’t have anything to be concerned about, I only want to take care of them.”

“I don’t need you to take care of them. You are poking your nose into my business and to be honest, my business has been going pretty well up until recently. I don’t want you to stop that.”

“Mr. Donald has no money for you, you do know that, don’t you?”

“I know more than you think. You’ve only just turned up here, I’ve been doing this for twelve years.”

“You’ve never done this, right? The kidnapping, I mean. This is a step too far.”

“This is none of your business. I don’t even know who you are.”

I take a step to him now, closing the gap. I’m winding him up and that’s what I want. I know it’ll be more dangerous if he’s angry but it’ll be easier to take him down as well. Emotions have no place in battle, that’s the first thing we’re taught in the army. I can use that to my advantage right now. I have to.

“Everything to do with Savannah is my business, soon it won’t be yours. Soon, you will be locked away and unable to control anything. You’ll lose your business, your blackmailing plot, your wife, your family, your heavies… although a couple of them are locked away already, right? You got them thrown in jail?”

Bryan’s blood boils, I can see it in his red face. He spits out as if he’s trying to find the right words but they aren’t quite there. “You… fuck… you’re… I cannot believe that you…”

Tommy creeps behind him, ready to attack. I just need to keep his attention on me for a little while longer. If all of this goes to plan, then Tommy will have him knocked out in a second and I can race to Savannah’s side.

But it doesn’t go to plan. Bryan senses him and he spins rapidly, elbowing Tommy in the face. Blood spurts from his nose and he staggers back swearing. Bryan takes advantage of Tommy’s bewilderment and he punches him again, hard. As Tommy falls backwards I race towards Bryan with my fists flying and I lash out. I hit him hard and everywhere which causes him to turn back to fight me too.

We both punch, we kick, we slam body parts against the walls. My vision becomes blurry, I feel darts of pain shooting throughout my body, but I don’t stop. This is it, my moment to really save Savannah.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” I call out as I punch hard. Every time I connect with his skin I feel a bolt of satisfaction. Every time I hit him, it’s just more pain that he deserves. Every punch is for everything that he’s done to Savannah. “You scum bag. You fucking evil scum bag.”

Eventually, he slumps to the ground, but I don’t stop. I continue to kick him until he’s pretty much in a pool of his own blood. He cries out, sounding like a wounded animal.

“When this is over,” I growl. “You will never go near Savannah and Peter again. Do you understand me? Never.”

“Stop,” Tommy coughs out before I kick again. “Don’t do it again, you’ll kill him. I know you want that, but we need him alive. We need evidence.”

I clutch down onto my knees and I pant heavily, relishing Tommy’s words. He’s right, I have to listen, whether I want it or not.

As soon as I get distracted for a second and turn myself towards Tommy, Bryan is back on his knees and gets hold of my neck. Even with all the blood coming from his body, he is still strong and punches me hard. There is nowhere near I can see this tussle ending.