Hostage

Ferguson panicked and took a few steps back. I was just starting to feel hopeful again when one of Ferguson’s thugs scrambled to his feet and whipped out something from behind him. It was a gun. ‘Don’t move, you motherfucker!’ He was pointing the gun at Kieran’s head. Ferguson stopped cowering. He straightened up, picked up his jacket from the floor and produced another handgun. ‘Almost forgot I had this.’ He glanced at Kieran, then back at me. I saw the look in his eyes and tried to back away. But he moved fast and closed the distance between us with two quick steps. The next thing I knew, he was standing behind me, using me as a shield. The black muzzle of his handgun was pressing into my right temple. Ferguson cocked the hammer. ‘Give it up, Mr Valentine. You can’t fight a bullet.’ Kieran stood where he was. His face was shrouded in darkness. My heart was pounding so fast in my chest, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Blood roared in my ears. I took a deep breath and for