ASBO: A Novel of Extreme Terror(74)

Most likely the Brockhill estate.

Andrew knew that the large Manor on the edge of town was roadside. If he headed for the building and it did turn out to be Brockhill Estate then he could get back onto a main road and head back into town. He could reach the hospital in fifteen minutes.

Andrew put his foot down and the car careened faster down the hill. As the house below became clearer, it revealed itself to be just the building he was hoping for. Andrew wouldn’t have to cover the entire distance to Brockhill Manor because there was a steel gate about fifty-metres up from it at the edge of the field. The gate was hanging open, obviously left that way by Dom. Beyond it: the main road.

Andrew gripped the steering wheel tighter and sped up. I’m coming, Bex. Just hold on.





Chapter Twenty-Eight


Davie tried calling his brother’s mobile several times but there was no answer. Same thing when he made a call to Dom. He began to worry. Frankie had been unstable before all the shit that had happened, but now he was border-line insane. Still, Davie forgave his brother’s faults even if he could not fully come to terms with them. He was determined to put a stop to the situation before it could escalate further. There was still a chance for Frankie to retain some shred of humanity if he were to just stop now.

No one else needs to get hurt.

Davie’s biggest concern was that Frankie would try to finish what he had started by going after Andrew and his family again. He had already made suggestions that he needed to deal with any loose ends.

The first place Davie visited was Andrew’s home. It was a possibility that Frankie would return there to resume his beef with the man. But as Davie rounded the corner, he saw that the house’s lights were out and that – even more tellingly – Andrew’s Mercedes was gone from its space at the side of the road. No one was there – neither his brother nor the man he may have been looking to kill. Davie started thinking about plan B.

Where else could they be? If Frankie’s still looking for trouble then he’ll be going wherever Andrew is. So where would Andrew be?

There was of course only one place Andrew would be. Davie had seen how much the man loved his family. There was little doubt that he would be at the hospital at his daughter’s bedside.

Which means Frankie will most likely be there too.

Davie jingled the change in his pocket. There was a bus stop nearby that went not too far from the hospital. If a bus came soon then Davie could be there within the next half an hour. He just hoped it would be soon enough.

He reached the bus stop at the end of the road and waited. The act of doing nothing was frustrating. Every part of his body urged for action but, with no other way of getting to the hospital, Davie had no choice but to wait. He concentrated on the noise of the heavy rain hitting the curved, tin roof of the shelter and sliding off in sheets. Somehow, the sound managed to calm him slightly – enough that when the bus finally arrived, Davie didn’t even notice.

“You getting in or what?” asked the bus driver, pulling Davie out of his daze.

Davie looked up, startled. “Sorry. Had my mind on other things.”

“Nothing bad I hope?”

Davie stepped onto the bus and gave the driver his change. “I would settle for bad, right now. Things are way beyond that.”

The driver frowned at him. “Well, keep your chin up lad. Got your whole life to look forward to.”

Davie moved to take a seat as the hydraulic doors pumped closed behind him. The bus was completely empty save for a couple of homosexual Black men on the back seat. They weren’t doing anything to draw attention to themselves – at least nothing that bothered Davie – but he could tell they were a couple by the way they were sat close and cuddling. One of the men, older, with short black hair and grey sideburns, nodded at Davie warily as he moved down the aisle. Davie nodded back to him and took a seat midway down. Maybe being gay was wrong – Davie knew plenty of people who would certainly think so – but there just seemed like so many other things to worry about in life than that. He didn’t know what could be offensive about something that caused him no harm at all. People were entitled to do whatever they wanted as long as they didn’t hurt anybody else, at least in his opinion.

I just wish my brother felt the same way, thought Davie as the bus headed towards the hospital.





Chapter Twenty-Nine


Andrew parked his car at the very back of the hospital. It would take longer to reach Bex, but he couldn’t risk running into any police that might be at the entrance. Wardsley and Dalton may have been on his side, but they were not the only officers likely to be at the hospital and, as a man wanted for murder, Andrew was certain that a description of both him and his car would have been issued to the entire local force.