you’ll be all right my darling.” Turning her head she gave another frantic shout, “OVER HERE… SHE’S HURT… HURRY… PLEASE HURRY!!”
“Go from here.” Alice’s voice was almost inaudible, gasping. “No more contact with
him
…” Slipping fast away, she could hardly make herself heard. “
Promise me
.” When she now took a breath, it was a rasping, frightening thing for Maddy to hear.
“Be still,” the younger woman pleaded. “Be still, be still.”
But Alice would not be still. With a huge surge of strength, she had slightly raised her head and was looking the girl straight in the eye.
“
Promise
,” she said, then fell back again.
Desperate, Maddy shouted again, this time her voice charged with anger. “Hurry! For God’s sake, hurry!”
In that moment, one of the ambulancemen looked up from treating Jack and spoke to his colleague before making his way over to them.
With Alice’s flickering gaze trained on her, Maddy gave her her word. “I promise,” she whispered, holding her close. “I’ll never come back… I swear it. Just hold on, please, Alice. Help is on its way. Don’t die, please don’t leave me all on my own. I can’t bear it.”
As the medics took over, Maddy clambered up on shaky legs, and looked
straight into the face of the devil himself.
Two policemen had arrested Drayton. Handcuffed, he was being marched toward the waiting squad car. Before they managed to get him inside, however, he turned and spat a message at Maddy, the words of which would haunt her for the rest of her days.
“Your card is marked, you bitch. Keep looking over your shoulder. Day and night, wherever you try to hide, I’ll find you.”
When the officer yanked him forward to stuff him into the vehicle, the dark and sinister smile he gave Maddy was a testament to his evil — and it flooded her bruised and battered heart with fear.
While Alice was being tended to, Maddy stated to walk over to the place where Jack was being cared for.
Her heart sank when the medic there prevented her approaching, and informed her that his patient was beyond help.
Maddy began to sob again, but then Ellen appeared out of nowhere, swooped on her and stole her away. “There’s nothing you or anyone can do for him now,” she said. “As for your other friend, she’s in good hands. They said they are taking her to UCH,” she told Maddy.
University College Hospital, where she had been only last night. Maddy was stunned — she could barely take it all in.
Eager to get herself and Maddy as far away as possible, Ellen took charge, sneaking them through the kitchens of the Chinese restaurant next door. “Luckily, the police are all so busy dealing with everyone else, they haven’t had time to catch up with us,” she said.”
And so, the two of them made their escape from this nightmare scene, their ears ringing with the sounds of gunshots, screams, sirens and loudhailers, their minds grappling with the dreadful sights they had witnessed.
Seven
Ellen hustled Maddy along the pavement. “Let’s get a cab and go back to my place.”
“What did you say your name was?” Maddy had taken a liking to this young woman. She seemed strong and sensible.
“Ellen Drew.”
“All right then, Ellen — where are you taking me?” Maddy limped along beside her, cold, bedraggled and bleeding.
“I live in Bethnal Green — in the East End. It’s not too far.” The younger girl flagged down a taxi. “Once we get home, we’ll have a cup of tea, fix you up, and sort out what to do.” As the cab drew to a halt, she helped Maddy in before climbing in beside her. “Bethnal Green please, mate,” she instructed the cabbie. “Drop us off at the corner of Wilmot Street.”
Safely installed in the cab, Maddy took a sideways glance at her companion. She had been wrong about her, she thought. When she overheard her and Drayton talking in the alley, Maddy had believed the girl to be naïve and innocent. Now,
“Go from here.” Alice’s voice was almost inaudible, gasping. “No more contact with
him
…” Slipping fast away, she could hardly make herself heard. “
Promise me
.” When she now took a breath, it was a rasping, frightening thing for Maddy to hear.
“Be still,” the younger woman pleaded. “Be still, be still.”
But Alice would not be still. With a huge surge of strength, she had slightly raised her head and was looking the girl straight in the eye.
“
Promise
,” she said, then fell back again.
Desperate, Maddy shouted again, this time her voice charged with anger. “Hurry! For God’s sake, hurry!”
In that moment, one of the ambulancemen looked up from treating Jack and spoke to his colleague before making his way over to them.
With Alice’s flickering gaze trained on her, Maddy gave her her word. “I promise,” she whispered, holding her close. “I’ll never come back… I swear it. Just hold on, please, Alice. Help is on its way. Don’t die, please don’t leave me all on my own. I can’t bear it.”
As the medics took over, Maddy clambered up on shaky legs, and looked
straight into the face of the devil himself.
Two policemen had arrested Drayton. Handcuffed, he was being marched toward the waiting squad car. Before they managed to get him inside, however, he turned and spat a message at Maddy, the words of which would haunt her for the rest of her days.
“Your card is marked, you bitch. Keep looking over your shoulder. Day and night, wherever you try to hide, I’ll find you.”
When the officer yanked him forward to stuff him into the vehicle, the dark and sinister smile he gave Maddy was a testament to his evil — and it flooded her bruised and battered heart with fear.
While Alice was being tended to, Maddy stated to walk over to the place where Jack was being cared for.
Her heart sank when the medic there prevented her approaching, and informed her that his patient was beyond help.
Maddy began to sob again, but then Ellen appeared out of nowhere, swooped on her and stole her away. “There’s nothing you or anyone can do for him now,” she said. “As for your other friend, she’s in good hands. They said they are taking her to UCH,” she told Maddy.
University College Hospital, where she had been only last night. Maddy was stunned — she could barely take it all in.
Eager to get herself and Maddy as far away as possible, Ellen took charge, sneaking them through the kitchens of the Chinese restaurant next door. “Luckily, the police are all so busy dealing with everyone else, they haven’t had time to catch up with us,” she said.”
And so, the two of them made their escape from this nightmare scene, their ears ringing with the sounds of gunshots, screams, sirens and loudhailers, their minds grappling with the dreadful sights they had witnessed.
Seven
Ellen hustled Maddy along the pavement. “Let’s get a cab and go back to my place.”
“What did you say your name was?” Maddy had taken a liking to this young woman. She seemed strong and sensible.
“Ellen Drew.”
“All right then, Ellen — where are you taking me?” Maddy limped along beside her, cold, bedraggled and bleeding.
“I live in Bethnal Green — in the East End. It’s not too far.” The younger girl flagged down a taxi. “Once we get home, we’ll have a cup of tea, fix you up, and sort out what to do.” As the cab drew to a halt, she helped Maddy in before climbing in beside her. “Bethnal Green please, mate,” she instructed the cabbie. “Drop us off at the corner of Wilmot Street.”
Safely installed in the cab, Maddy took a sideways glance at her companion. She had been wrong about her, she thought. When she overheard her and Drayton talking in the alley, Maddy had believed the girl to be naïve and innocent. Now,
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