Takedown by Heather Atkinson (latest books to read txt) 📕

his face, knocking him sideways, pulled the door closed and locked it. Thank God the mechanism still worked. Reaching around behind Vance, she hit the button that locked all four doors.

“Vance, wake up,” she cried when she saw masked figures attempting to pull open his door, failing to realise it was locked. Even if it had been unlocked it wouldn’t have got them anywhere because the impact had crushed the door shut.

There was the sound of the boot lid being prised open. Looking round, she saw Adam being hauled out. Two of the figures had to hold him upright as he staggered towards the transit van. She cried out when the window of the rear door behind Vance was smashed.

“No you don’t you bastards,” she yelled when another masked figure snaked their torso in through the gap and wrapped their arms around Vance in an attempt to drag him out of his seat. As he still had his seatbelt on their attempt was in vain. Faith whacked the man in the arm with the baton, aiming for his elbow joint. He screamed and backtracked out of the car.

While she was distracted, the rear passenger door was pulled opened and a large muscular figure jumped in and attempted to grab her.

“Hello Ben,” she said.

His eyes widened with surprise but the shock didn’t slow him down. When she tried to hit him with the baton, he grabbed her arm and twisted, forcing her to drop it. But he was too slow to stop her other fist from smashing into his face and he fell back into the seat.

Faith tore open the glove box, took out a can of de-icer and sprayed it in his face. With a cry he scrambled out of the car, hands to his eyes. One of the other figures helped him up and back to the van where another one got out clutching a bottle of water to irrigate Ben’s eyes.

When she saw the crowbar being swung at her window, she turned her back and shielded Vance with her body. The window smashed, showering her with glass. A thick arm wrapped around her neck and started to pull her backwards out of the car.

“Vance,” she yelled. “Wake up.”

His eyes snapped open, gaze dazed and distant. When he saw her being dragged out of the car he reached for her, wincing when his seatbelt tightened across him.

“Faith,” he breathed, unfastening the seatbelt and grabbing her legs but his grip was weak and the upper half of her body was pulled out of the car.

Faith reached up to jam her thumbs into her attacker’s eyes, his scream piercing her ears and she was dropped, her body half-in, half-out of the car. Vance took her hands and helped pull her back inside, holding her to him.

“They’re leaving,” she breathed as they watched their attackers rush back to the van and climb inside. For one awful second it occurred to her that they could ram the car again and there would be nothing they could do but the van drove off. “At least we fucked some of them up.”

“You mean you did.”

“They took Adam.”

“Right now I’m glad the little bastard’s gone.”

“Are you hurt?” she asked, taking his face in her hands.

“My right arm hurts,” he groaned.

“Let me see.”

He turned slightly in his seat so she could examine it.

“The skin isn’t broken and it’s not dislocated,” she said. “But it is badly bruised.”

“Then I got off lightly. Thank Christ the van wasn’t going fast when it hit us.” He tried to start the engine but it just whined before spluttering away. “Bugger. I liked this car.”

“Should we call Young?”

“I don’t think that would be wise after what Adam said. We can call Kingston to tow the car to his garage. He won’t ask questions.”

“And you’re going to hospital.”

“I don’t need a hospital.”

“Yes you do, you’ve got a cut to the side of your head. You need to be careful with head injuries. This isn’t up for debate Vance,” she added, taking out her phone.

“Wow, someone really had it in for you,” whistled Kingston as he studied the car.

“Can it be fixed?” said Faith, who was sat on the grass verge beside Vance. A couple of passers-by had stopped to ask if they needed help but they’d waved them on telling them help was on the way.

“I won’t know until I get it back to the garage,” replied Kingston. “But I wouldn’t hold out much hope.” He indicated his secretary, the delectable Sharon, who was sat behind the wheel of the Mercedes that had followed Kingston in his tow truck. “She’ll take you to hospital.”

“Thanks so much,” said Faith as she and Vance slowly got to their feet. “Let us know the damage.”

“Will do and watch yourselves. Whoever did this will be back.”

“I’ve got the horrible feeling you’re right.”

They climbed into the back of the car and, to their relief, Sharon remained silent as she drove them to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where Vance was checked over in A&E. His head wound was only minor and his shoulder was just bruised, so he was discharged a few hours later with some Paracetamol and they were both told to rest.

Caleb collected them from hospital. They found him in the waiting room, looking frantic.

“What the hell happened?” he demanded.

“Not here,” Faith told him.

They headed out to the car, Faith and Vance slowly limping along, feeling exhausted. When they were in the car, Faith relayed what had happened as Vance was struggling to stay awake. Naturally she missed out the part about Adam finding out about their relationship. She just told Caleb that he’d been following her, photographed her meeting Young and spotted the two of them sneaking into Lenny’s garden the night he’d vanished.

“So Adam’s working with Ben