Rattling Snakes Cage Ch 11

All the characters have their part to play in this romantic crime thriller.

Will Patrick escape from Snake and will Rachel go with him?

As with all my stories there is not always a nice tidy happy ending for everyone -- life is just not like that.

*

Rachel stared up at the man standing over her, the empty wine bottle in his hand. He was like her worst nightmare come true. Dark black eyes stared down at her with a mad kind of enjoyment; a cruel parody of a smile on his face did nothing to reassure her. His open black shirt under his well cut suit showed the lurid tattoo of a snakes head on the left side of his neck, the hissing tongue of the snake curling up towards his ear. The fingers of the man that held her still bit into the upper part of her arms, and she knew in that moment that she and Patrick were not going to get out of this alive.

And before that this evil looking man was going to rape her and hand her over to the other two men.

She glanced over at Patrick where he lay on his side on the floor, blood flowing from the cut on his lip, curled clutching his stomach where the mans foot had connected and tears started to flow in earnest from her eyes.

"Want to watch Patrick whilst I fuck your woman. Show her what a real cock can do to her?"

Laughing Snake walked over to the table and turning the bottle in his hand so that he held the top of it, smashed it suddenly so that it broke leaving a jagged sharp end to the piece left in his hand.

The sudden violence of the move made Rachel's body shudder and she stared at him with a cold dread.

*

Jerry stood nervously outside the block of flats, his heart pounding in his chest, staring up the road waiting for the arrival of Darwin and his men. Every minute that he waited he knew that Snake was handing out retribution to Patrick and the girl, and each and every minute seemed to be taking an hour.

Suddenly a car screeched around the corner and to a halt in front of him. Four black men climbed out almost as it stopped, and Darwin shouted, "Where is the fucker, let me at him.....I've waited two years to get the bastard.....just let me at him."

Shouting out and pointing to the entrance to the flats, Jerry told him, "Second floor, flat on the right.....there are three of them...."

The men swarmed as one towards the entrance of the flats, leaving the doors open on the car, and Jerry raced up after them, hoping they weren't too late.

*

Snake held Rachel over the back of the couch; her face was hanging over face down, her skirt hiked up around her waist, Snakes hands pulling down her panties. Patrick's scream mingled with the screams coming from Rachel as she was held down and he lurched from his place on the floor towards the man holding the woman he loved in position to fuck her.

The henchman both made a grab for him just as he got to Snake and he felt a punch in his side, bruising his already bruised ribs, but he still struggled, roaring his anger as he watched Snake unzip his flies and pull out his cock.

"Nice arse love, lets see how much of my cock it can take....." and he started to move forward to push it into the squirming and screaming woman.

*

Darwin's men swarmed into the flat, taking in the scene in front of them, knives already drawn, and Jerry took in the sight of Patrick held by the two henchmen and Snake standing behind a bent over Rachel, ready to rape her.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD." And he launched himself at his old employer, jumping on his back, pulling him off a sobbing Rachel. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD, YOU FUCKING BASTARD." he kept screaming as he held on for dear life around Snakes neck.

Snakes hand reached out for the broken bottle that lay next to him on the back of the couch, and then Darwin was in front of him with a knife and finally dislodging Jerry from his back Snake and Darwin squared up, one holding a knife out, the other the broken lethal sharp glass remains of the bottle.

Jerry leant over and helped the sobbing Rachel up as the fight between the two gangs went on, pulling down her skirt. There were screams and blood and lots of noise and movement as Jerry guided the dazed and shaking Rachel towards the broken front door. Patrick lurched to his feet following whilst holding his stomach that throbbed with pain, and then catching up with Jerry and Rachel snaked his arm around her waist, as Rachel turned and hugged him.

"Its ok babe.....everything is going to be ok." He murmured as they stood arms wrapped around each other on the top landing, the noise of the intense fight emanating from the flat behind them.

"Get a fucking move on." Jerry urged, looking behind them, "let's get going."

The two lovers, holding hands, ran down the stairwell behind Jerry and out the entrance into the daylight, a stream of evening rush hour traffic started to wend its way down the street, past the trio of dishevelled looking people, one with blood streaming down his chin, another with a tear stained face.

"Where's your car Jerry....?"

"Over there...." and they started to move as one towards the parked car. "Wait.....I'm not going without the money....." and Jerry trotted over to Darwin's car, the door still hanging open and popped the boot to find the briefcase. Picking it up he turned, a smile on his face, "Let's get this show on the road."

Climbing into his car, Patrick and Rachel hugging each other in the back seat, the briefcase of money on the passenger seat beside him, Jerry turned in his seat and asked Patrick where to go next.

"Make for my rented garage.....my passport and papers are under the car in the safe.....we can split the cash up there and then I'll drive straight down to Dover from there."

*

The redhead listened as Johnny bragged to her about how he had been the one to find out where Patrick Curtis was hiding out and how he had told Snake where to find him. He had drunk another couple of pints of beer and was feeling good, in full flow, spilling the information to her. Listening, her anger at both this man and Snake burning inside her for what they had done to her she stood up and walked out the pub whilst Johnny was in full flow.

She now had her means to get her revenge. Taking out her mobile she dialled 999 and when the voice on the end asked if they could help her she told them, "I'd like to report where the man that kidnapped that girl is hiding out. If you go there now you'll also find Nick 'Snake' Armstrong who is probably killing Curtis about now."

The voice on the phone asked for her name and more information from the redhead but she refused to give her name, but told them the name of the road in West Dulwich that the police could find the two men and hung up.

*

In the back of the car Rachel used a handkerchief that Jerry passed back to wipe Patrick's blood from his face, and the two people sat holding each other, the shock of what had happened in the flat still running through them. Patrick stroked Rachel's face and kept telling her he was so sorry for what she went through and that it was alright now, whilst Rachel kept asking him if he was hurting and telling him he should go to the hospital Accident and Emergency to have himself checked out.

Kissing her gently he told her, "I love you....I need you....come with me....we can swing by your place, you can pack up some stuff and we can leave all of this behind us....be together....say yes."

Kissing him she started to cry, "I can't....."

Wiping away her tears with his fingers he whispered, "You can....."

"No Patrick I can't....I can't live your way of life....this last few days have been a moment out of time....but I don't want to have to always look over my shoulder to check to see who is behind me, and worry about you slipping back to old ways....we would end up hating each other...and I don't want......"

"Shhh...I understand." and he pulled her into his body tight, his arms holding her as she cried into his shoulder, the car making its way to his spare vehicle and his means of escape.

"At least come with me as far as Dover.....see me off.....give me that much."

Nodding she agreed.

*

Snake lunged at Darwin with the broken bottle in one hand, his knife in the other, the Black man's wicked looking knife flashing high near his face. He already had received a cut to his left arm, the jacket he was wearing cut but deflecting the worst of the swipe, so that the wound on his arm was not as deep or as vicious as it could have been. The bottle end missed Darwin by a fraction of an inch on the downward swipe and Snake raised his arm back upwards, catching the man's cheek, slicing open the skin and blood spurted out of the wounded man as he howled with pain and rage.

Moving his left hand up the flick knife in it entered the Manchurians stomach and Snake watched as he dropped down, satisfied that he had won.

Turning his back to the fallen opponent he made for the door, past the fighting men rolling around the small flats lounge, the chaos and noise of the fight loud and brutal, and out of the door just as the bullet entered his shoulder from behind. Staggering forward with the pain and momentum from the small metal missile that had hit him he hit the wall opposite the doorway, barely holding himself up, turned to see Darwin pointing the shooter at him for another shot, the man holding his belly, blood pouring from between his fingers where his hand clutched.

In what looked like slow motion Snake watched Darwin take a shaking second aim on him, then two of the fighting henchmen fell across the bloody aiming man, and the explosive noise of the gun went off. The wall beside Snakes head seemed to explode, plaster and debris hitting the side of his head, and then Snake lurched off down the stairs running as fast as he could and made his escape, leaving behind the fighting men and a mortally wounded Darwin.

Climbing into the car, blood oozing down his arm from the cut and his back from his wound, Snake drove like a madman in the evening traffic to the safety of his home leaving his men to their fate.

*

The Police searching the park received the call and within minutes police cars, their blue lights flashing, made their way to the road that the tip off had given, and arrived in time to find one of the bloodied and wounded men running up the street. Stopping him they found out the true address in the road and rushed up there to find a dying Darwin bleeding out onto the carpet from the deep knife wound to his stomach and a mixture of badly wounded gang members around the flat.

*

They arrived at the garage and Jerry stopped the car near the end of the line of old decrepit structures. Getting out he ran over to retrieve Patrick's key from under its hiding place, the stone pavement slab that he had replaced it under when he was here before.

Patrick was sliding out of the back of the car when he returned, a grimace on his face from the pain of movement from his bruised stomach muscles. "Here......need any help?" Jerry asked him.

"Nah.....the exercise will do me good."

Patrick walked over to the garage door and unlocked the padlock, opening wide the doors with the light blue peeling paint. Inside was a ten year old, non-descript unregistered car. Rachel who by now had gotten out of the car watched as Patrick lent down and retrieved a set of keys from inside an old paint pot laying on its side amongst a small pile of paint pots and got in the car, and using the key started it and backed out of the garage. As soon as the car was completely clear of the garage he stepped out of the car and went back in pulling aside the flattened out cardboard box that was covered in oil stains and dirt and had been under the car on the floor to reveal a safe recessed into the concrete. Taking the key that Jerry had gotten from his flat and given to him from his jeans pocket he opened the safe door that faced up towards him, and putting in his hand, pulled out a plastic folder full of papers, documents, a couple of credit cards and two distinct passports.

During this time Jerry had retrieved the last packet of cocaine from his car and bending over dropped it in the safe, which Patrick re locked. Putting down the carpet of cardboard to hide the safe, Patrick looked at Jerry. "Time to split the payload." and the two men walked over to Jerry's car, opened the boot and then the briefcase. "No time to count it," Patrick told Jerry, "We'll just split the bundles evenly between us."

And that's what they did.

Patrick took his and stuffed them around the spare wheel under the carpet trim in the boot of the car.

The two men manfully hugged each other, a smile on Jerry's face, "Look after yourself Patrick......have a good life."

"Yeah...you too.....look after Megan....and thanks for everything....especially saving my life."

Laughing Jerry replied, "Don't mention it. It was a pleasure working with you." Then turned and got in his car, and drove off without a second glance.

After locking up the garage again Patrick turned to Rachel who stood there a strange look on her face watching him.

"I told you it's what I did......"

"I know....its just....."

Stepping forward he kissed her hard before she could finish the sentence, then drew back, "Come with me to Dover and see me off....give me time to get over to France, off the ferry and well on my way and then contact the police to come and get you. Give me a chance to get away."

She nodded and the two of them climbed into his car and started the journey down the M20 to Dover. Once they hit the motorway Patrick rolled down the window and threw out the safe key and the garage door key onto the fast lane.

He held Rachel's hand all the way down to Dover not wanting to let go of her for a second.

*

Jerry drove to Megan's parking the car as close to the flats as he could. Running up the stairs two at a time he opened the door and called out, "Megan babe, you ready?" Emerging from the bedroom she threw herself at him, "I'm ready."

"No regrets leaving here?"

"No Jerry no regrets....lets go." and together they started to heft the three suitcases full of things down to the car. Once they were sitting inside of the car Megan gave one last look at her home that she had lived in all her life, blowing a kiss to the memory of her mother and then they swung out into the traffic, Jerry asking, "Did you remember to bring our passports?"

"There in here," patting the large handbag on her lap, "Along with a couple of rounds of sandwiches for us in case you're hungry."

Leaning over Jerry kissed her cheek, "That's my girl."

Megan smiled and said, "Damn right Jerry." a twinkle in her eye, and a smile on her lips.

*

Down at the ferry terminal Patrick parked the car out front and they walked into the terminal and up to the window to purchase the ticket on the next ferry to Calais. Rachel stood next to him, her heart beating in her chest, aware of the sight they probably made, Patrick still with the bruise by his eye, and the split lip, her looking dishevelled, her eyes red from crying.

The girl behind the counter looked at them as she prepared the ticket for the ferry, telling him they had half an hour to wait for the next one. Last night she had watched the news and had seen the photos of the missing woman and the man that the police were looking for, and these two people looked suspiciously like them. The man had bought the ticket under the name of Phil Stewart, and only a single one. Wondering what to do as she didn't want to look silly if she was wrong she handed over the tickets and then watched as the two people stood close together, the woman with her arms around the mans waist, his around her neck, and then saw them kiss and hug.

Maybe they weren't the two wanted people.

She watched them as they walked further into the terminal hand in hand towards the café and then turned to her colleague sitting at the desk behind her. "Hey Patricia can you come here a moment? I need you to have a look at something."

The young woman, her very pregnant belly preceding her, walked up to stand next to her, "Did you see the news last night on TV."

"Mmmm."

"Can you go over to the café and have a look at the couple sitting down at that table there." And she pointed to where Patrick and Rachel sat, holding hands and talking. The pregnant woman stepped out of the ticket office through the security door and over to the café, trying not to be too obvious she looked at the couple that Melissa had asked her to look at. A hot flush ran over her as she recognised the couple, and she rushed back to look over the counter and excitedly told Melissa, "It's them....its definitely them.....what should we do....do you have the hotline number to call....we should call it."

Melissa bit her lip, "By the time the Police get here he'll be on the ferry. Strange thing is he bought a single ticket in the name of Phil Stewart. The woman is not going with him, and look at them, they're kissing and cuddling. She doesn't look like she's frightened of him."

"Let's tell the security people, let them sort it out. If we're wrong, so what. If we're right......"

Melissa picked up the phone and dialled security, explaining the situation.

*

Patrick looked into Rachel's eyes as she told him, "You should get a move on....."

"Just five more minutes....let me hold you for five more minutes....it's got to last me a lifetime." and he reached for her, holding her fiercely his face buried in the crook of her neck, "I love you.....life without you will never be right.....there will always be a empty space in my heart that is yours."

Holding her he felt her body go rigid and still, a deep gasp left her and he sat back looking at her eyes which were staring up behind him, the look of shock on her face. Turning around he saw the two security men and a Customs Officer who stepped forward and said, "Patrick Curtis, please will you come with me." And he leant down to take hold of Patrick's arm, the handcuffs in the other. "Miss McCormack please can you come as well."

With the whole terminal staring at them Patrick was handcuffed and escorted across the wide terminal floor to a door that said Private -- Staff Only. Behind him he could hear Rachel crying.

He knew he was looking down the dark tunnel of a long jail sentence and he closed his eyes as the door opened and he stepped through to face the rest of his life.

To be continued.......Epilogue to follow