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"Bye darling, get, don't forget that it's our anniversary as well and I want a present too!" I grinned as Nicky shut the door to his Mercedes. Jess waved at me and Nicky blew me a kiss, "Show time." I smiled at Shane and hopped in the passenger seat of his red spider four by four. "What sort of thing are you looking to buy her?" I asked as Shane accelerated on to the motor way at seventy-five miles an hour. He shrugged, "Dunno." I sighed, "How much are you prepared to spend?" I demanded as the sunroof slid down behind us and the wind caught my hair. He shrugged again and the car sped up, "Shane slow down a little." I had to practically scream to hear my own voice. He slowed to a safe sixty miles an hour then turned to me and smiled, "You have to live a little, just 'cos Nicky never drives above the speed limit!" I shook my head. He was hopeless.
"What about that black scarf?" Shane asked, pointing to a fluffy black boa with pink glitter streamers on either end. "Not in this life!" I laughed, "She would rather die before wearing one of them!" I giggled and shoved him playfully. He nodded and looked in through another shop window, "What about a china ornamental plate for the bedroom?" he asked excitedly. I bit my lip, thinking how I could word my reply without sounding mean, "Ergh…no they are all unattractive and Jess will hate having china plates with pictures of fairy tales all over your bedroom walls." I let out a deep breath. Shane looked hurt, "No offence Shane but do you seriously want to make love with a picture of a golden goose and a princess with a frog looking at you?!" I whispered trying not to laugh. "Fair enough." Shane muttered and began to walk towards the jewellers. "What about jewellery?" he asked dreading my answer. I nodded, Shane looked relieved and I led him through the lacy beaded curtains and in to the dimly lit store.
"How can I help you my dear?" a friendly looking woman flirtatiously asked Shane whilst he pressed his face up against a glass cabinet. "Im looking for something for my wife on our five-year anniversary." He replied not taking his eyes off the sparkling golden hoop earrings. I cringed as he asked the curvy blonde if she could take out the hoops for him to take a closer look at. "Shane." I whispered when the woman was out of ear shot, "Jess hates gold and those hoops are almost as large as her head!" Shane grinned cheekily and whispered in to my ear, "I know but their really horny and I wanna get her a costume to go with them." He giggled and I sighed, "What do you mean by costume?" now I was dreading his answer. "You know like your cat suit or something." I gasped, "How do you know about that?!" I demanded overcome with anger and embarrassment, "Nicky told me in great detail about that outfit and what you did to him in it…" he lowered his voice, "You must be soo flexible!" I slapped him playfully on his cheek as the sales woman came back in from the storeroom. "Here are your earrings pet." She breathed and handed Shane the earrings.
Just as Shane was purchasing the huge loops two men dressed in tight leather trousers and biker jackets trudged in to the store. Something about the way they were walking made me uneasy. Or maybe it was the fact that both men were wearing sunglasses even though the store was dimly lit. Jamie shuddered in my arms as if he could read my thoughts.
Shane lifted him from my arms and we began to walk towards the door. As we past the two men I instinctively inched closer to Shane. Just as we were past them one of the men grabbed my arm and pulled my back in to his chest, "Alright Blondie, hand me all the money in the till and little-miss-leggy over here won't get hurt." He bellowed and I felt something cold up against my temple. I realised that it was a gun. I looked at Shane helplessly as the other biker man went and snatched the money from the curvy woman who was now at the till. Shane gasped as the man firmly gripping me swung his other arm, the one with the gun, under my legs and hoisted me over his shoulder. I started to kick his chest and with my hands, pull his ponytail and hit his back. "Let me go, you got the money!" I shrieked. Shane clutched Jamie tightly and started to reason with the men. They weren't listening. A few seconds later I heard a police siren. The man carrying me groaned and yelled to his partner in crime, "Stay calm, we have a hostage." Referring to me, "Now Blondie, do you or do you not, have a back exit?" he asked as if the woman was a stereotypical blonde. She nodded and before I knew it I was being carried in to the store room and out of the fire exit, round the back of the shopping mall and then harshly shoved in to the back seat of an old battered up green and brown beetle.
"Love…you okay love?" I opened my eyes to see a tall black man towering over me with a wet dishcloth and a pack of ice, "What happened to me?" I asked him and tried to sit up. "You were knocked out because you were making one hell of a fuckin' loud noise!" he smiled in a friendly manner then realised that I was struggling to get up, "Can't im afraid, Jeffrey and Howard tied you up." He pulled me upright again. "Are they the men that held up the jewellery store?" I asked still very confused and headachy. The tall man nodded and stood up, "Do you want some squash or a biscuit?" he asked. I shook my head, "Can I have some water?" I whispered my throat sore from all the shouting. "Oh by the way my name is Chris, im a friend of Jay and Howey." I nodded, "My name is Sarah." I replied politely and let him feed me my water. A couple of minutes later the two men from the store came in. "Chris!" the one with the H sewed in to his jacked shrieked as he got through the door, "I told you not to talk to missy longlegs!" he scold. Chris stood up, "Actually her name is Sarah and I think you two should let her go, people will be looking for her!" he protested as Howard smiled at me with a sleazy look that told me I was not getting out alive.
Shane sat in his jeep banging his head against the window screen. What a time to run out of petrol, he could have kicked himself for not filling up before he left. He had no choice he had to ring Jess. She would be really upset but not as heartbroken as Nicky would be. Shane realised that he couldn't bring himself to tell Nicky so he rang Jessi's mobile. "Hi Jess, I've broken down." He muttered as Jess picked up the phone. Shane gave her directions to the where abouts of his car and hung up. He would tell her when she arrived with the petrol.
"Are you comfortable?" Chris asked me gently whilst Howard and Jeffery tucked in to their lunches in front of the television. I shrugged, "I need the loo." I whispered truthfully. He nodded, "Howey, Jeff, Sarah needs the bog." He yelled Jeff looked at me, "Who legs needs the loo?" he asked as if I was a robot without the body parts to physically go to the toilet. Chris nodded. "Well she can't go or she'll escape." Howey yelled. "But I really need." I wined. Chris smiled apologetically, made his excuses and went home. I was so frightened that I couldn't even cry all I wanted was to be at home in my bed with my husband. That wasn't likely, I would have settled with being allowed to pee! "Shane what's wrong?" Jess asked Shane a she helped him to fill the jeep with petrol Shane took a deep breath, "Sarah got stolen." He whispered. Jess laughed, "What do you mean?" he looked down at his shoes, "Two men were holding up the jewellery shop where I bought your present and they took off so I followed them then my car broke down." He explained quickly. Jessi's eyes sprung open, "Ohmygod! What about Jamie?!" she asked suddenly remembering her son. "He's in the jeep, fast asleep." Shane replied and leapt back into the car. Before he could protest Jess jumped in to the passenger seat next to him. "Alright already stop winging, go to the god damned shit hole!" Jeff yelled and untied me. I got up and almost collapsed, I had lost the feeling in my feet, Jeff pulled me upright and escorted me to a small room with a dirty toilet and a small sink inside. He shut the door and locked it from the outside, "Yell when your done." He called as I looked up to the ceiling were a window was open. I shook my head miserably. I couldn't get up there.
I was five months pregnant and I had been told by doctors just to rest. I sighed and went to the toilet. After washing my hands I called out to Jeff that I was finished. I heard the lock click and he swung the door open violently. "C'mon." he groaned and dragged me back to the little wooden chair again and tied me up. This time tighter than before. I cried out as he pulled the rope over my tummy. "What's wrong precious, too tight?" he laughed evilly and went back to the lump of bedraggled material that he called a couch. That night I dreamt about a date I had had with Nicky, years and years ago before we were married. This was a special date, on this date I realised that I loved Nicky. It had all started on a warm July evening, I was rushing around the house I shared with Jess when the doorbell rang. Nicky came in and dropped the box of chocolates that he had been clutching to his chest. "Sarah I really like your dress." He had gushed as he hurriedly gathered up the crushed chocolates and scooped them back in to the box. "Theses are for you." He laughed nervously. I looked at him, his eyes were not on my face but my chest. I smiled to myself. The blue silk dress I was wearing was very tight, very small and had very little neck to it. I had also worn my drawstring bra on the tightest I could, I was almost busting out of the dress. "Im pleased you like it." I had whispered casually before walking provocatively out of the door and signalling for him to follow. That night he had taken me to the theatre and then to an exquisite French restaurant where he ordered over five hundred pounds worth of food. We had then gone for a long moonlight walk along then quiet streets of London. He then pulled me in to a dark alleyway and kissed me so passionately that I was positive I would burst. He then walked me back home. I remember thinking that since he had picked me up from my house he had only stared at my chest once. That was when I knew that he loved me. Sure he had said it to me so many times before but for some reason this time was different. "I love you." He had said but I couldn't answer. He had then led me to a battered dilapidated old building and opened the doors, one of which broke off in his hands. We climbed the stairs up seven floors. By the time we reached the door that led to the roof we were both panting and our hands were dirty from touching the dusty banisters. "Nicky why are we going on to the roof? Are you sure it's safe?" I had questioned when Nicky gingerly opened the door. I gasped when I saw the view. I could see for miles and miles, London was stretched out underneath us, the lights lit up the sky and the stars shone down on the nearby Thames. I remember that I was once again lost for words and was suddenly overcome with a weakness in my knees like never before. Nicky was staring at my face and smiling, "That's not all." He had grinned as he walked over to the edge and took out a box of matches from his pocket. He lit ten candles and turned on a small stereo. "Our song!" I had shrieked as "Wonderful Tonight" rang through the air. He nodded and reached for my hand, "May I have this dance?" He had chuckled as he led me on to a small wooden platform in the middle of the roof. "I love you to." I had whispered in to his warm neck. He had nodded and sighed, "I know." You see that night I had realised that it doesn't matter where you are or what you are wearing it's the person your with that will make the memory special. We had danced for hours until sunrise repeating the words "I love you" over and over like two lovesick parrots. I took a deep breath and realised I was crying. I tutted at myself, memories this nice aren't supposed to make you cry. I missed Nicky and I wanted to be back with him. I hated this garage of a house and I hated being tied to this chair all night long.
"Ok Jess we must be quiet." Shane whispered to his wife. "Duh!" she muttered under her breath. "You can't come in with me." He told her. She winced. "This is such a silly idea, why can't we call the blinking police? Must you always do everything yourself?!" she demanded angrily. "If you go in there I'm calling Nicky." She threatened. Shane's eye's grew wide, "No!" He moaned. Jess raised an eyebrow, "Are you scared of your best friend?" she teased. Shane sighed, "He will kill me!" Jess laughed then bit her lip realising she was making a lot of noise, "It wasn't your fault." She reasoned. Shane shrugged and jumped out the jeep, "Stay here with Jamie okay?" he pleaded, Jess reluctantly gave in and nodded. As Shane approached the rundown shack Jess took her mobile out and first dialled the police then, hands shaking, rang Nicky.
As I sat alone in the living room, thoughts rushing through my mind I became aware of a tip toeing noise from out side. I looked towards the windows but they had been boarded off with cardboard. "Sarah?" I heard a familiar voice whisper. It was Shane, I had no way of responding, if I called back Jeff and Howey would surely hear me. I sighed, I was trapped. I heard footsteps on the stairs and Jeff trudged in. "Im gonna hide you so no one can ever find you okay my little lovely?!" he chortled to himself and bent down to lift up first the old tatty rug and then the floor boards. He pulled the wood away from the ground and lifted my chair in to the hole. Gently he lay the chair on its back and slowly put the floorboards back in to place, "No please no." I begged in vain as he laughed and informed me that the oxygen would only last a few days at the most and tomorrow before he left this house would be burnt down…with me still in it. I howled as he slid the last plank of wood over my head and I was left in complete darkness.
Shane paced around out side the shack for a few minutes, this was the place, he had heard Sarah's shouts just moments before. Shane waited until he heard the footsteps go back up the stairs before pushing open the door and letting himself in to the darkness.
I managed to loosen my arm enough to be able to reach down and stroke my stomach. My unborn child was kicking and I realised that it would also be running out of oxygen. I didn't have enough energy left to shout for help. All that was left to do now was wait. Wait to be found or…or wait until tomorrow when this whole place would be burnt. I could vaguely hear one of the men tip toeing around above me but I didn't even try to plea, I had given up.
Shane walked around the inside of the wooden hut. He could hear two sets of loud snoring from the upstairs so he was careful not to wake them. As he tip toed carefully around what appeared to be the front room he tripped over a tatty old rug he let out an involuntary grunt and he then noticed a piece of old floorboard was sticking up slightly. He put the rug back over the wooden floor and concentrated on finding Sarah.
Just as everything was getting hazy I heard a thump on top of the floorboards above me then a grunt. I rolled my eyes Jeff and Howey were so big and clumsy. I then realised that the grunt sounded very familiar. It was Shane, he had come to look for me, I tried to call out but my voice was too weak and I found myself gagging from lack of air.
As Shane got ready to leave the building and retreat back to the car a thought hit him. Sarah was here, he knew it, he had a feeling about this, he ran in to the front room and searched it again, this time when he tripped over the rug he lifted it up and pulled the floorboards from the floor. He gasped and his hand flew to his mouth, Sarah was lying, tied to a chair completely unconscious and straining for breath. Shane lifted the chair out of the hole whilst supporting Sarah's head. He looked at her hand tied behind her back and covered in blood, he let out a small cry when he saw her other hand protectively sheltering her stomach. "Sarah, Sarah wake up." Shane whispered and gently shook the chair. As I opened my eyes and focused I saw a handsome face smiling down on me, it was Shane, I was just about to shriek for joy when I remembered where I was. Shane kissed my forehead and got out a penknife from his back pocket. He started to cut the rope first from my hands then my feet. Just as he was working his way through the last piece of rope Jeff stormed in, "Who the fuck are you?!" he demanded and grabbed the gun from the mantle piece. Shane gasped, "Im…im…" he couldn't say what he wanted to say, that he was there to save his wife's best friend so he just winced and stood protectively over me. A tear sprouted from my eye and rolled down my cheek as Jeff aimed the gun at Shane. He stared right in to Shane's brown eyes and suprisingly Shane out-stared him. he then knelt down and pulled my left foot out of the rope and helped me to my feet. "What the? You can't just march in here and take her!" Jeff bellowed. Howard came down the stairs rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "Oh going so soon?" he asked giving me a friendly smile. Jeff thumped Howey round the back of the neck, "What was that for?" Howey demanded and glared at his partner in crime. Jeff rolled his eyes and pointed the gun at my stomach. Shane gasped and said, "Leave her alone she's pregnant, let her go and then keep me, I don't whine so much." Jeff slowly lowered the gun, "Pregnant hey?!" he laughed sinisterly and lifted the gun back on to his shoulder, aiming directly at my stomach again. "Nooooooooo!" Shane yelled as the trigger was pulled, he leapt in front of me and pushed me in to the wall. He cried out as the bullet hit him and he rolled across the floor. "Shane!" I heard Jess shriek from the doorway. Next to her Nicky was clutching both children under one arm and holding Jess by the collar with all the strength he had in the other. Howey let out a groan, "Very good boss, you've killed one." As soon as he had said the word killed Jess broke free of Nicky's grasp and flew across the room to where I sat on the floor next to Shane. I heard a siren in the distance Jeff let out a huge moan and threw his gun across the room in our vague direction. Nicky had now joined us. He handed Lolly and Jamie to Jess and helped me to my feet. He pulled me in to him and held me tightly in his strong arms. I sobbed as the police arrived and handcuffed Jeff and Howey together then whilst one of the officers escorted the criminals to the awaiting police car the other called the paramedics. "She's pregnant." Nicky cried and begged the officer to make sure I was okay. The paramedics arrived and rushed to Shane who was pale as a sheet with only a very slow pulse to assure us that he was still alive. I sobbed loudly as both me and Shane were lifted on to stretchers and taken in to the ambulance. Nicky and Jess weren't allowed with us because there was not enough room left in the ambulance with two stretchers. They followed behind. As we drove to the hospital I cried and cried until I couldn't cry any more. Shane had been so brave, taking a bullet for me just to save me and my unborn child. I felt overcome with love for him and when the paramedics took us out at the hospital I told her to look after him, as he was a very special man. She had looked intrigued but had not commented as she pulled his stretcher in to the operating room to remove the bullet.
"Sarah wake up." I heard Nicky's gentle voice next to me. I opened my eye's to see that I was in a room with Shane in the bed next to me but with both Jess and Nicky perched on either side of mine. "Shane?" I mumbled. Nicky looked offended then realised that I was asking if he was okay, "He hasn't come round yet but he's stable and he will recover quickly." Jess grinned at me. I noticed that Lolly was sitting on Jessi's lap. "Mummy are you okay? Uncle Shaney won't wake up and I want to hug him and kiss his boo boo better." she sobbed and reached forward to give me a hug. I laughed softly, "He will wake up soon I promise." Jess took Lolly from me and handed her a lollypop. She thanked her and went to the far end of the room and sucked on it lovingly. "Sarah!" Shane yelled from the bed next to me. "Okay now im annoyed, both of you woke up asking after the other one!" Nicky joked and went over to Shane's bedside. "She's okay now." Jess whispered and kissed him tenderly on the forehead. Shane painfully sat up and turned his head to face me. "Shane thank you for doing that but one question, why?" I asked even though I wasn't sure if I wanted the answer. "When I took you out from under the floor boards I noticed you were holding your stomach that was when I realised that you were pregnant. I noticed it before but your tummy did look slightly larger but I couldn't mention it just in case you weren't pregnant just fatter." I smiled and nodded at Nicky who came and held my hand, "Yeah we're pregnant!" he announced happily. "Im pregnant." I corrected and laughed. "But why, I still don't get it, you could have died!" I was still very confused even though I would take a bullet for any of my friends, "Well, I love you don't I? I couldn't let him shoot you. I would have taken that bullet even if I hadn't worked out that you were pregnant." My eyes welled up with tears, Nicky let go of my hand and went over to Shane's bed, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart." He whispered and embraced his best friend. By now we were all crying. Lolly climbed carefully on to Shane's bed, "You saved my mummy so I want to share my lollypop with you." She smiled innocently and stuffed what was left of her lollypop in to Shane's mouth. He pulled it out, "I think I will have it later, I feel a little sick at the moment." He kissed her on the cheek as Jess lifted her up and hugged her tightly.
"Can I have some cocoa?" Shane yelled from the living room two days later when we were all back home. The bell we had given him had been ringing constantly and each time he had a different command. I was the only one at home. Jess had taken the kids out for the day and Nicky had to go to work. I stalked into the living room. "Shane we have no more cocoa left." I groaned. "Okay then I will have some freshly squeezed lemonade." He replied. I didn't move, "C'mon, chop chop." He signalled for me to scurry along in to the kitchen. I shook my head. "No." I replied simply and sat down on the chair next to him. "Im the one that saved your life, I took a bullet for you and you can't even make me a drink well that's just lovely." He muttered. That was it, I had had enough, "Shane thank you once again for saving my life but may I just remind you that the bullet only just hit you." I cried exasperated. "Yeah but I was unconscious with the pain of it!" I sighed. "Shane the bullet hit your small toe nail! You have a very low pain threshold that's why you collapsed. May I remind you that you also collapsed when Nicky gave you a high five!" I smiled. "Nicky's very strong!" Shane protested and got up and went in to the kitchen to make himself a drink.