Within the Shadows by J.D MCG (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

concerned, thinking Jack might have paranoia. The pair of them went back inside the house, locked the door behind them and set foot in the living room. Jack was still pacing around the room, terrified of the mystery man that only he had seen.

'Mr Roberts, the forensics have come back on Mr Hussain's home and yours. They've found matching fingerprints at both scenes,' Jacob informed him.

'Do you have a match?' he asked, concerned.

'Not yet, but we'll keep you updated. I just wanted to tell you in person.'

Jacob noticed Jack had a strange, gazed look upon his face.

'Mr Roberts, are you alright?' Jacob asked.

But Jack didn't move, he didn't even flinch. His eyelids remained open, gazing straight ahead of him. There was no movement, not one slight bit. Seconds passed before Jack snapped back, changing the way he acted. Jacob noticed the difference between when he arrived, to how he was at that moment.

'Sorry, DS Wright,' he apologised. 'I don't know what came over me.'

'Are you okay?' he repeated, noticing the calmness Jack had upon him now.

'Yes. I think I'll be absolutely fine.'

'Are you sure? You seemed nervous as hell before I arrived,' he recalled.

'You said there was no sign that anyone had been out there, so I think I'll be fine. I'm probably just paranoid,' he joked and laughed.

'You can come back to the station with me if you want?'

Jacob gave him the option for his safety, even though he wanted to keep a close eye on Jack as his behaviour had become unusual. But Jack just smiled a creep half smile towards him. Jacob felt apprehensive about his change in behaviour. Maybe this man did kill his wife and her lover? he began to think.

'Okay, I should be going,' Jacob said while heading for the door fast.

But Jack had other ideas, knowing Jacob had noticed he'd changed and grabbed one of his wife's ornaments. He never liked them, and always thought they took up too much space. With the ornament held tightly in his grasp, he smacked it over the back of Jacob's head, knocking him to the floor.

Jacob lay unconscious. Nobody had any idea where he was. His head slightly cut and bleeding over Jack's carpet. Jacob was now in a dangerous situation, just like his DCI.

Barnes stood in the hallway of his ex-wife's house, glancing between Vanessa and Lily, worried about the gun Lily held tight in her grasp. Vanessa's eyes were watery from the tears which streamed down her cheeks. Barnes was in agony but held back the pain, trying to remain strong. His knees were getting weaker, but he needed Lily to see he was still able to fight.

'So, I know what you want, Lily, as we've been over it a few times. But what do you think's going to happen to you after you leave this house? You think you're just going to walk out of here?'

She laughed, but she didn't have an answer.

'Just let my wife and kids go, Lily. They are not part of this,' he begged.

'What have I told you, Joe? Don't beg, it doesn't suit you.'

'What do you want me to do?' he yelled. 'You want the answer to something I don't know. You've held me hostage for days and now you're holding my family hostage. I'm begging you, Lily. Just let them go.'

Barnes started to cry. He had become physically and mentally broken and was at his lowest, just the way Lily wanted him to be. She began to get impatient and wanted the answer to her question.

'Well, none of this would be happening to your family right now, if you left what wasn't yours. You would be dead and your wife and kids would have moved on, and I would have what was mine,' she stood up shouting, approaching and pointing the gun at Barnes.

Joe suddenly heard a noise coming from the stairs to the right of him. His two daughters had awoken from their slumber.

'Daddy,' April said, rubbing her eyes. 'What's going on?'

April and Bonnie turned six just before Christmas. They were identical twins with the same personalities, but their curiosity they inherited from their father.

'Nothing sweetie. You and your sister go back upstairs to bed,' he told her, with tears in his eyes.

April and Bonnie held hands as they turned around and took themselves back to bed. Barnes couldn't help but think of Jacob and Adam when they were younger, in the same circumstance that his daughters were in now.

'Is this how it went with your sister and John's wife and children?' he demanded her to answer, raising his voice slightly. 'Jacob and his mother? Were you there to witness his mother’s murder? You know, the man you promised to spend your life with before you killed his father,' he explained.

Vanessa stared at Barnes shocked, not knowing any information on who this woman was until Barnes revealed her true identity.

'Oh my God! You're Lily!' she shouted.

'Live in the flesh,' Lily giggled, pointing the gun back in Vanessa's direction. 'No, I wasn't there, Joe. I spent most of my time alone while my sister took care of her plans.'

'Why don't you just get out of here, Lily,' he pleaded. 'Just sneak out the back and disappear.'

'Do you really think I'm that stupid? I'm in the endgame now. The only way I'm leaving here is in a body bag or in handcuffs.'

'But if you really do love Jacob, like you say you do, then you'd surrender yourself.'

'Not till I get what's mine!' she shouted back at him.

Lily knew there was no way out of the house. She was trapped. There was no escape other than captured or dead, but she wouldn't surrender until he told her where the diamonds were.

'It doesn't matter. You'll never get to them