The End Of The Road | HEROPHINE

Chapter 25

Hero's Pov:
When I wake, my head is pounding and my vision is a blur. I'm in a chair with my arms locked down and it's almost totally dark.
Then an ache rips through my lower leg and I look down to see blood trickling down my leg.
The gunshot. I almost black out again from the sight of so much blood mixed with the fear and pain. Then I hear something move and my head spins to my left. Fuck.
It's dark but I make out her body shape. Her perfect hair despite not having been tended to in weeks. The shoes I bought for her 25th birthday. It's her. My wife. She's here.
'Jo!'
She doesn't speak, nor move or make any sound.
'Hey, Jo! Jo, wake up!'
I wish I could reach over to shake her awake, or just hold her hand. Is she drugged or something?
It's not until I hear footsteps that I realise we are no longer alone, and a figure emerges from the shadows.
I make eye contact with him and almost choke on thin air.
What the fuck?
'Roger?'
'Surprised to see me?' He asks, stepping forward into the light, confirming that I'm not hallucinating and it really is him. A supposed friend of our family, who kidnapped my wife.
'What the fuck, man?'
He just smiles evilly, smoothing over his shitty gelled hair.
'You wanna know what happened? Really?!'
'Oh, sure!' I say sarcastically, biting my lip as to not yell at this sicko.

Roger's pov:
'Well, you see. My wife, Clara was having a little affair with a guy.. Derek. But she never told me herself, oh no. She came to me and confessed she'd been raped, and so of course, being the caring guy that I am, I went to find him myself. I could've killed him there and then, but he showed me photos of them together.'
'Right, so this is all because your poor little ego got bruised?' Hero asks, and I slap him across the face to shut him up.
'No. It's because I saw an opportunity to take care of two problems.'
'Two?'
'Yes, my liar and cheat of a wife, and the prick who she cheated with. So I made him trust me, set up a whole plan with him. He told Clara that he would tell me what was going on unless she paid him off. But of course, what my poor little wife didn't know is, I already knew what she was up to.' I explain my genius ways, pacing up and down as I do.
'But why Jo?! Huh? How is she linked to any of this?'
'Oh, she's not. But I needed a distraction, so while I was plotting my wife's murder from my own home, the attention was elsewhere.. in miss Josephine here.' I say, stroking her hair. Hero physically snarls at me so I withdraw my hand from her head and hold them up in a mocking way.
'But Roger, you weren't the one in the security video.'
'HAVE YOU EVEN BEEN LISTENING? Derek was completely loyal to me. He was the one who did it. He'd do anything I'd ask him'..

The night of the kidnapping..
Roger's pov:
'Okay Derek, I'm looking at the tracking system and my wife has just arrived at the pub. Go now.' I say down the phone, cracking my neck at the same time.
'I don't understand why I need to take Josephine.'
'No questions asked, remember! But don't forget to ask Clara for the money first. I saw her packing some into her bag before she left. Pathetic bitch.'
'Okay. I'm on my way there now.'

...

Derek's pov:
'Okay Clara, where's the money?'
'It's right here!' She says, digging around in her handbag.
She hands it over and I count it.
'Not enough. We can do this the hard way if you like?' I ask in a threatening tone, stepping closer to her.
'Clara, are you okay?' A voice asks, and I look up to see who I'm really here for.
'What's going on?' Josephine asks, walking towards us.
'She has it!' Clara shouts, pointing at Jo.
'She's got the money?'
'Yeah, I saw her poking around in my bag while I was at the bar.' Clara says.
'What the hell? I never!' Josephine protests.
I take her bag off of her despite her efforts to stop me and find the money, just as Clara said. I don't remember this being part of Roger's plans.
'Come here!'
She tries to scream but I cover her mouth with my hand and pull her into the alley.
'Listen, you get quietly into this cab. Or else I'm gonna pay a little visit to your husband and son.'
A few moments later the cab arrives, and I walk her into the vehicle, watching Clara return to the pub as we drive away.

'I used him to do the dirty work. But now I don't need him anymore.' I smile at my own intelligence.

Hero's Pov:
With Roger's last psychotic statement, Jo begins to stir.
When her eyes open she sees Roger stood there, still armed with his gun that I should have been more suspicious about in the first place. Fuck my trusting nature.
She starts almost hyperventilating and I wish I wasn't restricted. She needs me. Her mouth is blocked with a thick rope and her words are just distressed sounds.
'Jo.. baby! Listen to me okay, it's gonna be fine. I'm here. You're okay.'
She turns to face me, her eyes filling with tears and then they widen when she notices my leg, still bleeding.
'Jo I promise you, we're gonna be okay.'
'Yeah that's right. You'll be just fine.' Roger says, touching her cheek.
She shakes her head in triumph.
'Get your fucking hands off her!' I yell.