Wild Fiction

Genevieve moved ahead and opened the front door but Retir remained on the veranda looking around and making no effort to move inside. His eyes flicked from tree to tree in the forest and stared at the empty lane they had just come down. He placed his free hand on his hip and walked to the end of the veranda, behind Conrad, looking into the trees surrounding the house and then through the windows and into the sitting room.
At the sound of an engine, he turned and faced the lane. A navy blue Range Rover appeared and when it stopped, Corp and Hog got out. Retir pulled his hand out from inside his jacket and held up a mobile phone. ‘Amazing little piece of technology,’ he said with a smile on his face. ‘Not only a mobile but also a GPS tracking and transmitting device.’
Hog and Corp were half way to the veranda.
‘Everything clear?’ Retir shouted at them.
‘All clear. No tails,’ Corp said. Both he and Hog were wearing black overalls. In their hands, hanging at their sides, each man carried a pistol. Sticking out of their breast pockets were spare magazines.
Rebecca could feel drops of sweat running down the sides of her body. Her knees felt weak and butterflies fluttered about inside her stomach. This was not part of the plan. She looked at Genevieve and then at Conrad. Genevieve’s face had gone white and her arms were wrapped tightly across her chest. Conrad’s knuckles glowed white as he gripped the rail.
Retir strode over to the front door. ‘Wait out here,’ he shouted at Corp and Hog. ‘You,’ he said to Rebecca. ‘Come with me. You,’ he said pointing at Genevieve and then at Conrad, ‘both of you wait out here.’
Rebecca winced as Retir grabbed her by the arm. He pushed her through the door and into the sitting room.
‘Okay, where are the bonds?’ he barked at her.
This was not how it was supposed to happen. Rebecca could feel the sweat breaking out on the palms of her hands, making them clammy and wet. The plan was for the police to drive their van in behind Retir’s car and arrest him immediately. The bearer bonds were already in police custody.
‘I’m not a patient man and this is the second time I’m asking the question. Where are they?’
Rebecca could feel her stomach churn as he tightened his grip on her arm. She swallowed hard.
‘Let her go,’ James said walking into the room from the far door.