Chapter 15: Ending

Robbie had also been woken by Doug's shout. He was slightly slower in reacting than Amanda, but nonetheless was only fractionally behind her in the hall and was appalled to see Doug standing in Zoe's bedroom.

"How did he get here? He's in prison. How did he get into the house?" Were all thoughts that ran through his head.

Then he heard Doug shout at Amanda and he saw him unleash his mental assault. The sight of the black cloud made Robbie shiver at the memory of his last painful battle but, despite that, he didn't hesitate.

He knew he would never be able to intercept the cloud moving normally. Acting instinctively, he let his spirit self zip from his body and fly in between Amanda and the menacing blackness. His physical body simply collapsed in a heap on the hallway floor, unconscious now that his spirit had left it.

Robbie felt the black cloud gather around his head and he quickly re-merged with his body before he was overcome. He could immediately feel the cloud trying to invade his mind, insistent, buzzing angrily. He could also sense the existing black spot in his head pulsing, almost as if it was aware of the proximity of this new cloud.

He concentrated as hard as he could to stop the two black essences connecting, knowing that if that happened he would lose control altogether. On the periphery of his senses he could hear the girls crying and Doug's continued verbal assault on Amanda.

Amanda turned to briefly glance behind her when she heard a loud thud. She saw Robbie writhing on the floor but had little time to worry as Doug was in front of her, menacing.

Doug had once again experienced a feeling of dizziness when he had launched the mental attack on Amanda. Shaking his head to try and clear it, he was dismayed to see that, once more, Amanda seemed to be unaffected by his power. He had been very surprised by the appearance of the broad shouldered youngster and had thought for a second that he would need to use the gun until the boy inexplicably collapsed to the floor and began rolling around holding his head in both hands.

Still keeping one wary eye on the figure of the boy, he turned to Amanda once more.

"I've waited long enough slut. Now I'm going to take what's mine." He snarled at her, pointing the gun in her direction.

He was stunned when Zoe and Alison, shaken out of their fear induced paralysis by this clear threat to Amanda, leapt on him from behind, knocking him to the floor. The pain from his existing injuries shot through him, making him scream.

Deputy Richards was driving back to town from the scene of Doug Beckwith's escape. None of them had been able to figure out how the prisoner had managed to overcome their colleague and the ambulance driver, all while he was supposed to be strapped onto a gurney. Nevertheless he had managed it somehow and was now on the run, armed and dangerous.

Lee's next thought was that he needed to warn Amanda Gray and the girls that Doug was on the loose. He doubted very much that they had anything to really worry about, Beckwith would be trying to get as far away as possible. But he had promised to keep them informed as to how the investigation was proceeding.

Zoe hung on tightly to Doug; her arms wrapped round his throat as they both lay on their sides on the bedroom floor. Doug managed to get one leg under Alison and launched her across the bedroom with his foot. Zoe bent and sunk her teeth deeply into the flesh of his ear, biting down hard until she felt her teeth meet, tasted the iron of his blood in her mouth. Doug screamed once more as the pain shot through him from this new injury.

Amanda was torn between wanting to help the girls and Robbie, but seeing Doug launch Alison across the bedroom decided things for her. She leapt on Doug, driving her knee into his midriff, trying to wrestle the gun from his hand.

Robbie meanwhile felt himself tiring mentally. The cloud almost seemed to have wrapped his brain in a straight jacket and it was slowly tightening its hold, squeezing his mind painfully. He was almost at the point of losing consciousness, drifting, when strangely a memory of winning the Scottish Athletics Championship came into sharp focus.

He remembered this race, everything had slowed down for him in his head, time almost standing still, allowing him to analyse everything that was going on. He could feel the pain of the exertion from the pace he was going at but somehow knew he had more to give. He had been able to feel every stride and was able to adjust his breathing and rhythm so they delivered the maximum speed from his effort. He was able to review everything his coaches had told him, focus on the mental exercises he had practised with his father - the power of positive thought and affirmation - and he knew he would win. He saw himself dip on the line to take the trophy, a memorable achievement as he had broken the Scottish record for his age group.

Now he experienced a similar sensation. Time seemed to slow down and he was able to take everything in, could feel the blood pounding in his head, feel the inky blackness of the cloud squeezing him, feel the pulsing of the black spot in his head. In this detached but highly aware state, it occurred to him that it was strange that Doug had never been able to sense his spirit presence. He thought of the last times he had been in the room with Doug and he was sure this was true.

"It only works when I'm touching someone," he thought, "but surely if there's a piece of him already inside my head he would be able to tell I'm here?"

Robbie was able to look round and see Amanda and Zoe struggling with Doug on the bedroom floor.

"I promised Jason I would look after them both. I need to do something now but I'm losing strength and the cloud is winning. I'm going to be too late."

He remembered his father's words. "When you think you've given everything, look deep inside yourself and if you really need it, really need it, your body will always be able to give you just a little more."

He knew it was true. It had happened in the race when he thought he had nothing left, no more to give. He had looked inside himself, dug deep and found something extra. He knew he had to do the same now.

Robbie turned his heightened awareness to the black spot in his head, examining its pulsing surface.

Deputy Richards cruised up to the Gray household and took in that everything was in darkness.

"Tomorrow morning will be soon enough," he thought as he turned the car away.

Amanda was struggling to get possession of the gun but Doug was hanging onto it grimly. The pain from his wounds almost seemed to lend him extra strength and he was readying himself to try and dislodge the young slut from around his neck. He felt Amanda's finger alongside his own around the trigger and a loud bang let him know that the gun had gone off. He hadn't felt anything so it hadn't hit him, hopefully it had wounded one of the sluts he thought but there was no let up in their assault.

Robbie heard the gunshot and knew his time was almost up. From within this heightened state, one single clear thought came to him.

"I'm not winning by fighting the cloud and the spot, I might as well embrace them and see what happens. I'm useless to Amanda and Zoe like this anyhow, in for a penny, in for a pound."

He focussed himself, gathering the extra reserves he knew his body could give him, and launched himself at the black spot in his head first. Rather than fighting it he opened himself to it mentally, trying to embrace it, to merge with it. Almost to his surprise it worked.

His total astonishment at what he found almost allowed the black cloud to engulf him but, just in time, he managed to hold it back.

"Jason, what are you doing in here?" He thought.

"I'm sorry Robbie, I couldn't just leave them. I needed to be around in case they needed my help. I hope you can forgive me for what I've done."

"Does that mean he knows what I've done with Amanda and Zoe?" Robbie thought in panic.

He felt a warm feeling suffuse his body, strengthening him, pulsing energy through him.

"I knew and I approved," he heard in his head, "now, don't you think it's about time we helped the girls?"

Robbie found the combined mental energy of himself and Jason was more than a match for Doug's black cloud. He was able to shake it off easily and did so. He rolled over and got to his knees.

"Amanda, Zoe roll away from him. Now!" Robbie said, not shouting but speaking steadily and firmly.

Amanda and Zoe heard Jason's voice, not Robbie's and instinctively obeyed, rolling off of and away from Doug. Doug struggled to his knees; pain nagging at him from his damaged rectum and now from his torn ear too. Blood washed down the side of his head and there was a maniacal gleam in his eyes. He brought the gun up and pointed it at Robbie.

"I don't know who you are son but, say goodnight to the sluts."

A shot exploded.

Amanda and Zoe gasped, looking from Doug to Robbie.

They watched as a red patch appeared, spreading outwards as Doug slumped to the carpet. Looking beyond Robbie they took in the sight of Deputy Richards, his service pistol still smoking from the barrel.

Richards had been turning the car when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a gunshot. It had seemed to come from the house. Slamming on his brakes he exited the car at a run, drawing his pistol as he went, holding it out in front of him in preparation for adopting the classic 'Weaver' stance if he had to.

He circled the house and when he found the kitchen door open, its glass broken, he knew he had miscalculated when he had thought Beckwith would be fleeing.

"Beckwith, you stupid bastard." He muttered to himself as he moved cautiously through the house. He could hear the commotion of a struggle upstairs and climbed the stairs quickly but quietly. He heard a voice order Amanda and Zoe to move away and then, just as he reached the top of the stairs, the chilling voice of Doug Beckwith telling someone to say goodnight.

The Deputy took in the situation and didn't pause for thought. He fired once, over the head of what he could now see was Robbie MacRae, hitting Doug in the chest. He was gratified to see the brutal bully slump to the floor.

Richards holstered his weapon and quickly knelt to feel for a pulse. Nothing. Beckwith was dead. He stood.

"Armed police, put down your weapon." He said loudly.

They all turned to look at the Deputy, confusion overwriting the shock on their faces.

"Just making sure I do things by the book." He looked at them calmly. "Now if you're asked if you heard me warning him, you can truthfully say you did. I think the best thing now folks would be to move downstairs."

They heard a groan and Zoe and Amanda only then remembered Alison being flung across the room. Zoe rushed over to help her friend; relieved to find her stunned but apparently only shaken, not badly hurt. Zoe hugged Alison; in the process turning her friend away from where her father's body was lying on the floor.

In turn, Robbie moved to comfort Amanda who was now shivering violently with the after shock and adrenaline of the whole episode. They moved together, slowly, downstairs.

Deputy Richards took charge. He lifted the phone and called in to his base, advising them that he had found and shot Doug Beckwith. They all heard the sound of cheering over the phone and Richards adopted a grim smile as he put the phone down. He asked Robbie where the makings were and put on a pot of coffee, lacing the mugs liberally with brandy before passing them round.

It wasn't long before several patrol cars screeched to a halt outside the house and Richards opened the door to allow four more officers to enter. This made up the entire complement of Glasgow's force, two of them indeed part-time.

"There's a mobile forensic unit on the way Lee. You know the procedure, we need to take and bag your weapon if that's the piece that fired the fatal shots. I'm sorry sir, but you know you'll be suspended pending an enquiry."

"I know the drill son."

The next few hours passed in a blur for all of them. The policemen separated them and took initial statements then informed Amanda that they would not be allowed to remain in the house that night as it was regarded as a crime scene. They were allowed to get some basic items but then escorted to Amanda's car after she had informed the officers where they would be going.

It was a very subdued and tired, both physically and emotionally, party that loaded into Amanda's vehicle and headed off to the nearest motel. Amanda booked a family room for the week, considering it would probably be that long until they would be allowed to return to the house.

They decided that they were too tired to talk, besides they had talked endlessly with the officers, so they simply got ready for bed. Zoe shared one bed with Alison and smiled tiredly as she heard her mother tell Robbie to get up off of the sofa and share the other bed with her.

The next morning none of them really felt up to eating breakfast but Amanda nagged them into going to the motel cafeteria for at least some tea and toast. When they returned to the room, Amanda thought it was time to find out from Robbie what had happened to him.

"Robbie, can you tell us what happened to you last night? All I remember is hearing a thud and turning to find you rolling on the floor?"