Archie but stopped just short and turned away.
‘Get over there.’ Gold pointed at her brother who was now clearly in a state of shock staring blankly at the body of his son.
Alice then ran from the house and Sarah Hardcastle broke ranks and grabbed the girl before she could see her dead cousin lying in his own fractured skull and blood.
‘Where is Mummy?’ She looked around but a few of the women crouched down around her to comfort her but most importantly block her view.
Lonny Gold walked over to Janet who was now hugging her brother. ‘Now it’s your turn Missy.’
Janet stroked her brother’s hair and turned to Gold. ‘What have you done?’
‘Where did the woman and the girl go?’
Janet not privy to the earlier altercation grimaced. ‘What woman?’
Gold was losing patience and now drew a hand gun from the back of his belt and pointed it straight at her. ‘The woman called Angel and the little girl with her. Where have they gone?’
Janet stuttered slightly. ‘They, they went this morning, early.’
‘Where?’
Janet now stared down the barrel of a gun, she swallowed hard. She didn’t care too much about living, she missed her husband and life without him had become tortuous and hard, but she had Alice to think about and it was her little girl that had kept her alive. ‘I honestly don’t know but by the men’s accents I would say south, Bristol or Somerset.’ Her bleary eyes then focused back to her brother Charles.
‘What do you reckon boss?’ Archie tried to brush the boy’s blood off his arms but all he managed to do was smear it and now it looked as though he had dipped his hands in red paint.
‘Truss these two up like chickens.’ He waved his gun at Janet and Charles Rossiter.
‘Throw them in the barn and then we will burn this place to the ground. No one fucks with Lonny Gold.’ He then searched for Harry James. ‘Get those women back in the truck.’ He blasted. ‘We move south shortly.’
Before the young boy could do so Sarah Hardcastle stepped out of the crowd and challenged Lonny.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ She barked. ‘You can’t just go around killing children and burning buildings. We may have lost the lives that we once knew but we must keep some order, some morality.’
‘Are you questioning me?’ Gold sneered, his eyes growing in size the vein in his neck rising once more.
‘You are acting like a law unto yourself, it’s wrong and you have no right, we need to maintain ethics, integrity.’
Gold grabbed Sarah Hardcastle by the throat and dragged her towards Archie.
The women started to front up and Harry James stepped back, his hands out.
‘Get them in the truck Harry or I will kill this bitch.’
The warning had some effect and the women stopped. Naomi Hardcastle started crying and screaming though. ‘Leave my mother alone.’
Harry James, who was now holding his air rifle with both hands pushed the small band of women back towards the truck.
Iris looked on and shielded Alice from the horror that was unveiling. ‘Get her.’ She said to the thin woman with the narrow eyes. ‘Get Sarah’s daughter.’
The thin woman ushered Naomi back to the group, they were then forced back inside the orangery.
Lonny Gold swung Sarah Hardcastle around like a rag doll and then marched her back across the courtyard and into the barn. He then pushed her to the floor.
‘Who the fuck do you think you are?’ The red blood vessels in his eyes were now swelling, his anger exploding as if bursting over the top of an already boiling pan. ‘Archie!’ He yelled. ‘Have you finished tying those fuckers up?’ He looked around for the youngster.
Archie called back and a few seconds later he was in the barn next to his mentor. ‘All bound and gagged boss. Trussed up like hens as you asked.’
‘Do you want a little fun?’ Lonny Gold grinned at the boy. ‘You earned it.’
Archie looked at Lonny and then at the woman lying injured and fighting for her
‘Get over there.’ Gold pointed at her brother who was now clearly in a state of shock staring blankly at the body of his son.
Alice then ran from the house and Sarah Hardcastle broke ranks and grabbed the girl before she could see her dead cousin lying in his own fractured skull and blood.
‘Where is Mummy?’ She looked around but a few of the women crouched down around her to comfort her but most importantly block her view.
Lonny Gold walked over to Janet who was now hugging her brother. ‘Now it’s your turn Missy.’
Janet stroked her brother’s hair and turned to Gold. ‘What have you done?’
‘Where did the woman and the girl go?’
Janet not privy to the earlier altercation grimaced. ‘What woman?’
Gold was losing patience and now drew a hand gun from the back of his belt and pointed it straight at her. ‘The woman called Angel and the little girl with her. Where have they gone?’
Janet stuttered slightly. ‘They, they went this morning, early.’
‘Where?’
Janet now stared down the barrel of a gun, she swallowed hard. She didn’t care too much about living, she missed her husband and life without him had become tortuous and hard, but she had Alice to think about and it was her little girl that had kept her alive. ‘I honestly don’t know but by the men’s accents I would say south, Bristol or Somerset.’ Her bleary eyes then focused back to her brother Charles.
‘What do you reckon boss?’ Archie tried to brush the boy’s blood off his arms but all he managed to do was smear it and now it looked as though he had dipped his hands in red paint.
‘Truss these two up like chickens.’ He waved his gun at Janet and Charles Rossiter.
‘Throw them in the barn and then we will burn this place to the ground. No one fucks with Lonny Gold.’ He then searched for Harry James. ‘Get those women back in the truck.’ He blasted. ‘We move south shortly.’
Before the young boy could do so Sarah Hardcastle stepped out of the crowd and challenged Lonny.
‘What the hell are you doing?’ She barked. ‘You can’t just go around killing children and burning buildings. We may have lost the lives that we once knew but we must keep some order, some morality.’
‘Are you questioning me?’ Gold sneered, his eyes growing in size the vein in his neck rising once more.
‘You are acting like a law unto yourself, it’s wrong and you have no right, we need to maintain ethics, integrity.’
Gold grabbed Sarah Hardcastle by the throat and dragged her towards Archie.
The women started to front up and Harry James stepped back, his hands out.
‘Get them in the truck Harry or I will kill this bitch.’
The warning had some effect and the women stopped. Naomi Hardcastle started crying and screaming though. ‘Leave my mother alone.’
Harry James, who was now holding his air rifle with both hands pushed the small band of women back towards the truck.
Iris looked on and shielded Alice from the horror that was unveiling. ‘Get her.’ She said to the thin woman with the narrow eyes. ‘Get Sarah’s daughter.’
The thin woman ushered Naomi back to the group, they were then forced back inside the orangery.
Lonny Gold swung Sarah Hardcastle around like a rag doll and then marched her back across the courtyard and into the barn. He then pushed her to the floor.
‘Who the fuck do you think you are?’ The red blood vessels in his eyes were now swelling, his anger exploding as if bursting over the top of an already boiling pan. ‘Archie!’ He yelled. ‘Have you finished tying those fuckers up?’ He looked around for the youngster.
Archie called back and a few seconds later he was in the barn next to his mentor. ‘All bound and gagged boss. Trussed up like hens as you asked.’
‘Do you want a little fun?’ Lonny Gold grinned at the boy. ‘You earned it.’
Archie looked at Lonny and then at the woman lying injured and fighting for her
Similar Books
