While I appreciate ALL of the feed back I decided to post this version as I also felt the chapter lacked something. Many thanks to the loyal readers who have followed this story for their comments.
I am currently working on a story line for Brad but it will be his story and I must warn that any appearances of Janey and Ren will be GUEST appearances only.
MYGYPSY
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James watched as Janey carefully scraped the last of her ice cream from around the plate. She had really enjoyed the ice cream he thought with a smile. He felt his mobile vibrate in his hip pocket but with a glance at his watch ignored it. They still had another quarter of an hour before they had to head back to the courthouse.
"Had enough ice cream?" James asked as Janey lowered one hand to her stomach.
"It'll do for now. Maybe I can have more later?" She asked hopefully as she rubbed her hand over her stomach.
"Everything okay?" James asked with a nod at her hand where it still soothed her stomach.
"What? Oh! Yes, it just felt as if there was an ant crawling on my skin or something." Janey said with a shrug. She glanced around the shop with interest.
* * * * *
Hawk moved between the cars in the car park as he made his way along the river bank, he realised he needed somewhere he could stop and get his bearings.
The brief encounter with the police officer as he had stepped outside the brick building that housed the police cells had shaken him for a few moments. The feel of the recoil from the gun was still a shock, he couldn't remember firing at the officer. But he had heard the shot and felt the recoil against his wrist as he saw the man fall.
He had planned on going after Sky but now all he wanted was to get clear.
The thought of Jake still sitting in the cell ate at his stomach like acid and a sick feeling rose in his throat.
"None of this was Jake's fault," Hawk muttered to himself, "I'm the one who wanted a woman." It had taken Hawk two days to talk him into helping him in the first place.
The sounds of a siren drew his attention and he quickly moved to one of the trees that provided shade on the outer edges of the car park. He stood beside the tree where he hoped he would blend into the shadows and not stick out like a bump on a log.
He watched in relief as the police vehicle sped along the street adjacent to the car park without turning in. Soon it was out of sight and Hawk looked around the surrounding area uneasily.
If Ren had kept a proper eye on Sky she would never have gotten away to go to the cops. His friends in the gang would never have turned against him and Jake wouldn't be sitting in jail.
"It had been Ren who started the trouble," Hawk thought with a frown, "he had gotten soft when he taken a liking to Sky. The bitch was to blame for everything!"
For a few moments he looked across the park beside the car park and at the shops beyond. Was she over there in one of those shops strutting around with her new boyfriend?
Were the police still looking for him?
They'd expect him to run and hide wouldn't they? Not walk around shops in broad daylight ... Maybe hiding in plain sight was the smartest thing Hawk thought as he made sure the gun was hidden in his waistband.
* * * * *
James frowned in annoyance as he felt his phone begin to vibrate once again and reached for it. He snapped it open and held it up to his ear, "Yeah, what do you want?" he demanded gruffly.
"Where are you?" Robby demanded on the other end of the phone.
"We're at the ice cream shop, just finished two large sundaes," James answered his brother's' abrupt tone.
"Get away from any windows and the door, anywhere you might be seen from the street," Robby started.
"What the hell are you talking about?" James asked sternly.
"I just got word that Hawkings, one of the ones who abducted Janey, has escaped custody, got his hands on a gun and is planning on hunting Janey. He shot an officer on his way out of the holding cells at the police station. Get Janey to the back of the shop where she's not easily visible from the street," Robby warned.
"Will do, we'll be waiting for you." James said as he got to his feet hurriedly as he looked out the window scanning the street.
"What's going on?" Janey asked at the intense look on her brother's face.
"Come on, you need to come with me." James said firmly as he took hold of her by the upper arm.
Janey froze; she had an uneasy feeling rising in her stomach at the tone of his voice. "James?"
"Janey, you need to move," James said levelly trying not to alarm her.
"What's going on?" Janey asked suspiciously.
Realising it was best to be honest with Janey and let her know what they may be facing he took a deep breath, "Hawkings has escaped custody. He has a gun, has shot a policeman and is looking for you." James said as gently as possible.
He watched as every vestige of colour left his sister's face. She got to her feet woodenly and allowed him to lead her to the back of the shop away from the windows.
The minutes ticked by with agonising slowness as they waited quietly in the dim interior of the shop. James could feel slight tremors quaking through Janey as he kept his hand on her back between her shoulder blades in silent support.
* * * * *
Hawk hurried along the sidewalk ignoring the people who brushed past him as he kept a look out for Sky or any of the others who had been with her in the courtroom that morning.
He kept hoping he would find her with the new boyfriend, rumour had it he was a cop. He'd teach the little bitch to crawl into bed with some other guy.
It was bad enough she had let Ren fuck her while he had owned her. But that bastard would claim he had given him permission to fuck his slut.
The wail of a police siren had Hawk turning to a shop window and hunching his shoulders as they sped past. He watched the reflection of the vehicle until it was out of sight before he turned and hurried across the street. Maybe he would be smarter to get out of sight for the moment.
"Damn I wish Jake was with me! Jake would know what to do!" Hawk though worriedly as he headed down towards the road sign that said "Riverside Carpark".
* * * * *
After what seemed like an immeasurable length of time both Robby and Adam came hurrying into the shop. Robby had his mobile phone to his ear and was listening intently.
Adam hurried over to where James and Janey stood in a back corner of the shop. He went to embrace Janey but she flinched away from him with a haunted look in her eyes.
"You okay Janey Darling?" Adam asked quietly.
Janey didn't utter a word as she moved closer to James who put an arm around her shoulders.
"What do we do now?" James asked.
Robby raised one hand for silence as he listened intently to who ever was speaking to him on the mobile, "...okay, keep me updated." Robby said before hanging up the phone. He turned his attention to James and Janey; it wrenched his heart to see how pale she was. The only colour in her face was the blue of her eyes but there was not much of that visible as her pupils were overly dilated.
"Hey sis, how you doing?" Robby asked gently.
Janey turned her face towards him blankly but did not respond any further. Robby realised Janey was trembling and in all probability needed James support to stay on her feet.
"They think they have Hawkings cornered down near the bridge in the park. He headed the wrong way looking," Robby said quietly as he looked around for a chair for his sister to sit on.
Grabbing an empty chair from one of the tables he sat it beside Janey and patted the seat. "Would you like to sit down Janey?" he asked quietly.
A visible tremor went through Janey and she clung to James. James gently steered her to sit on the chair and then stayed close so she could keep a hold of his arm.
Janey was aware of her heartbeat loud in her ears as she sat in the chair. All other noise seemed to be filtering through deep water barely reaching her as she sat alone in her terror. An overwhelming sense of hopelessness enveloped her sending her spiralling ever down wards. Time lost all meaning as she became lost in the surreal world of mind numbing terror.
She was dimly aware of Robby squatting in front of her and talking to her but the sounds that managed to filter through the rush of blood in her ears made no sense. When she was urged to her feet and guided towards the door of the shop a sense of impending doom had her breath catching in her throat.
As Janey stepped out onto the street a weight seemed to settle on her chest making breathing impossible. Her throat hurt and felt dry as dust as she struggled to get air to her starving lungs. She was dimly aware of her legs buckling beneath her as her vision darkened and bright specks of light floated before her eyes. The distant tangle of voices tried to filter into her brain but Janey's mind had endured all it could handle.
The knowledge that she was where death could find her was too much; she had so much to live for... the baby... Adam ... their future... Ren? Stressed beyond her ability to cope Janey's mind took control and she slipped into unconsciousness.
* * * * *
Hawk cursed his luck as he pressed his back against the concrete bridge pillar while he tried to get out of sight of the police car that was driving along the dirt road of the riverbank park. Fearing he had been seen he pulled the handgun from his waistband and checked where the car was.
Glass shattered as the first shot hit the driver's side rear window and the car fishtailed as it accelerated rapidly on the gravel road.
"Damn!" Hawk swore as he pressed his back against the concrete pillar once more. Hurriedly he checked where the car was, seeing it was out of sight he sprinted for the tall reeds that grew along the riverbank.
It was hot and humid in the reeds as he walked through them trying to remain out of sight. There was no breeze as he crouched motionless as he heard the faint sounds of vehicles pulling to hurried stops.
He wiped his forehead on his upper arm as he gripped the gun nervously in both hands.
"Where the hell are you Jake? And why did you have to take her side over me?" Hawk muttered almost incoherently.
Jake was gone, he'd turned against him. Damn he loved him! His life had been hell until he'd met Jake and learnt to love another human being.
He only dimly remembered his father, the drunken rages and iron fists. He had disappeared from his life when he was about five. His mother had been around longer; a small fragile creature whose only pleasure in life had been her son, the image of his father.
