Fight For Your Life, Catherine Holland [the two towers ebook .txt] 📗

in his eyes.
He was slightly amused that the teenagers didn’t seem to have a clue that they were being watched, they were laughing and joking and had started to play a game of soccer in the large expanse of grass a few feet from the front porch. They seemed to think themselves safe out here, even though he’d sent them a warning note telling them he knew where they were.
Taunting them was something he took in pleasure in, and he had shattered their illusion of being safe. He had seen the trucks come and go, containing equipment to build some sort of course as well as the two men who seemed to arrive every few days and stay for a few hours each time. The first man appeared to be somewhat skilled in defensive techniques whereas the second man merely ran with them around a wide circuit of the land.
The thought of the teenagers learning to defend themselves seemed pointless to him, after all what good would it do them? Hand-to-hand combat would prove useless against his 9mm on the passenger seat of his jeep and you couldn’t out run a bullet. But he found it amusing that the teenagers thought taking those extra measures would help keep them safe; he’d already proven to them once that nowhere was safe, and he would take pleasure in reminding them again soon.
Picking up the binoculars once again, the killer watched as the two girls gave up on the game and sat on the porch, he saw the girl with the silvery hair called Poppy go inside the ranch and return a few moments later with a pair of binoculars, she then started looking around the property. The killer had his eyes trained on her and knew the instant she’d spotted him.
He started the engine and drove off with a cold and cruel smile on his face, knowing that the next time he returned it would be to take their lives.

* * * *

Poppy and Thea knew they didn’t stand a chance against Jamie and Sean in the game of soccer, and they gave up shortly after the game started, choosing instead to sit on the porch steps and watch the boys play. Poppy’s eyes searched the area around her as she did often with the feeling of being watched.
She knew it was silly to have that feeling, but she still couldn’t shake it. Poppy went inside briefly and grabbed a pair of binoculars, she returned to the porch and started to take a closer look around her. Something shiny reflected off of the binocular lens and her eyes locked on to the jeep; she knew without a doubt that the person behind the wheel was the killer.
She abruptly stood up and watched as the jeep drive off, “No.” She breathed the word but it was enough to get Thea’s attention. “Sean? Jamie? Poppy’s seen something.” Jamie and Sean stopped playing and returned to the porch. “What is it Poppy?” Sean asked, but Poppy couldn’t answer as she was still staring at the retreating jeep. Jamie took the binoculars from Poppy as she said, “We’re in deep trouble, and I have a feeling that that was the killer.” Jamie lowered the binoculars and replied grimly. “I think you’re right.”
Thea panicked “What do we do? He knows where we live! He’s going to come back and kill us all!” She then started crying, Sean took her into his arms and glanced at Poppy, “Is there any chance you can call Mr Nagati and ask for extra sessions in self defence?” Poppy nodded slowly, “Yes, I’ll go and give him a call and see what he says, but it should be OK.”
Jamie added “We’ve had the barn re-furbished so we could always offer him a place to stay while he teaches us, and the same goes for that personal trainer, give him a call as well, the last time he was here he mentioned investing in bullet proof vests but I think he was joking. When you phone him ask if there’s any possible way to get hold of them.”
Poppy nodded again but still remained where she stood on the porch; Jamie took her by the arm and led her inside the ranch and onto the sofa next to the cordless phone, “OK Poppy talk to me, what’s going on?” Poppy looked at him and a tear rolled down her face, “I thought that we would be safe her Jamie, I really did! But now I’m thinking that nowhere is safe, at least not from him.”
Jamie wrapped his arms around Poppy’s waist and she leaned into him grateful for the support, after a few moments she pulled away from him and reached for the phone, to make the first of two calls.

* * * *

Sean held Thea in his arms while she cried, he was close to tears himself but refused to let them fall needing to be strong for his friend. “Listen to me Thea, Poppy’s inside right now making calls to try and keep us safe, and we’ll do everything we can to help her including taking those extra lessons.”
Thea looked up at him, “What if all of this is for nothing Sean? We can’t stay awake all the time and the killer will probably come back when we’re all sleeping.” Sean sighed and took a step backwards, “come for a walk with me?” Thea nodded and accepted the hand that Sean held out for her, they then started walking towards the lake.
Sean knew that Thea needed to be distracted and he thought that a walk just might do the trick and buy Poppy enough time to make the calls, he led Thea to a willow tree and they sat down in the shade, Thea started playing with the pendants on her chain and said “I miss her so much Sean, sometimes I can barely stand it; Rashel was always so much stronger than me and I wish that I could rewind time and trade places with her.”
Sean drew her into his arms and said “Don’t talk like that Thea, we can’t change the past and we have the future to look forwards to. I know it seems that every time we make some progress towards becoming safe the killer shows up, but we have to hold on to hope and take it one day at a time. Have you thought about talking to another councillor about the nightmares? It might do you some good.”
Thea shook her head, “No Sean it won’t, the last councillor I spoke to, it just seemed as though she wasn’t listening to anything I said and then when I asked her what I should or could do about the nightmares she just gave me this look as though I was crazy. I know that I wouldn’t be able to handle that again, I told the woman everything and it didn’t make a difference, if anything the nightmares are worse than before.”
Sean stayed silent for a few moments then said “Not every councillor is the same, once we get out of this mess try again. I’ll even come with you if you want?” Thea shook her head, “No that’s OK Sean, thanks though but I couldn’t put you through that. Lately it’s not just Rashel’s body I’ve been seeing, and I’m terrified to sleep at night.”
Sean rubbed her arms and said “Why don’t you tell me about your nightmares? After all what are friends for? Maybe I could help you put the demons to rest so to speak.” Thea looked at him and shook her head, “No, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you started having nightmares of your own because of me.” Thea stood up and shook the leaves from her clothes, “Come on lets head back, maybe Poppy made some progress.” Sean nodded and then stood up, he took Thea’s hand and they started walking back towards the ranch.

* * * *

Poppy put the phone down and sighed, she shook her head then stood up and walked into the spacious kitchen where she put the kettle on; Jamie followed behind her and said “What did they say?” Poppy looked him in the eye and said, “Mr Nagati has agreed to the extra sessions and will be here in about two hours, but as for that useless trainer...”
Jamie put a hand on her shoulder, “What did he say? I couldn’t really hear him properly and then you hung up on the rest of what he was saying.” Poppy touched his hand with her own, “He wanted me to triple his salary for the extra sessions and then when I asked about the vests he said I was totally paranoid and suggested that maybe I should see a shrink.
“Needless to say he quit when I refused to give him what he wanted on his salary and there’s no way I was going to listen to him swearing down the phone at me, hence why I hung up.” Jamie squeezed her shoulder then replied “So we have extra self defence lessons but no longer have a trainer, that’s OK the dude ran a little too slowly for my liking.” Jamie then winked at her and Poppy smiled in return.
The front door opened and then closed and Poppy and Jamie heard Thea and Sean move into the kitchen with them, “What did they say?” Sean asked, Poppy grimaced and Jamie said “Well on the good side of things we have extra self defence lessons but we no longer have a trainer.” Sean arched an eyebrow questioningly and Poppy said “He wanted me to triple his salary and when I refused he said some really nasty things and was swearing, but in between all of that he quit.”
“That’s a shame, he was cute.” Thea said, Poppy looked at her and replied, “Cute? The man was like thirty something years old and a grouch, to be honest I’m glad to be shot of him. But Mr Nagati will be here in about an hour and a half so we’d better get changed and ready ourselves.” “How many extra lessons are we getting? And what about the price?” Sean asked.
“The extra lessons we have to work out when he gets here, and I’m doubling what I would normally pay him as well as making a donation to his Do-Jo.” Poppy replied, “Well I can help with the donation-.” Sean started to say but Poppy cut him off. “No, that’s alright Sean I’ve got this covered, after all I said that I’d do everything I can to keep us safe.”
Thea shifted guiltily as though it was her fault but Poppy ignored her, no-one was to blame for the killer finding them but Poppy had made a promise and she intended to keep it. The kettle had long since boiled but Poppy instead went to the fridge and took out an energy shake and then retreated upstairs to get ready for Mr Nagati’s arrival. Thea stood up and shook her head, “I’ve got to make this right.” Sean and Jamie looked at her so she said, “I told Poppy this was her fault, and she promised me that she’d do everything she could to keep us safe.
“I was a bitch when I said that and now that she’s actually going forwards with this, and taking it far more seriously than I thought she would I feel really bad for making her feel guilty.” Thea went to walk out of the room when Jamie said “It’s not your