Chapter one

Brit's point of view

Some people say that after they have gone through a traumatic experience, it becomes a distant memory, those are the lucky ones. Then you have the unlucky people, i.e. me, the people who can remember every tiny detail, every problem that arose from them coming into our lives and ripping it to shreds or "saving me" as he so kindly likes to call it. The reality is I have never forgotten the day he came and ruined my perfect life. I don't think I'll get the chance to forget him leaving, if that day ever comes.

I had gone on a date with this social outcast Max. When he asked me I felt sorry for him, I mean come on he had no friends and every girl he asked out turned him down, which to the old me just seemed really sad, anyways he seemed like a nice enough guy a bit weird and distant at times but not that bad, and that's probably the point where I stopped trusting my views of people, due to the slight fact, that I am always wrong. Though I am pretty sure, 99.999999% sure, that I can classify almost all of the people I have seen around for the last two years as evil annoying blithering idiots, that view is most definitely correct.

Back to point, I decided to give him a chance; it was a bad choice on my part, and believe me I have made a lot of those. When he came to pick me up he looked nice and was on time, but he kept on checking his phone, almost as if he was expecting a text, a call or that he was maybe checking the time for our dinner reservations or something I thought he may just be shy, you know like me. He took me to this small restaurant for dinner; we were going to watch a film afterwards. He said it did the best food you could get. Sadly, I never got to taste any of the food, because about five minutes after we had ordered, around 8 men stormed in with guns and balaclavas on, yelling at everyone to get down on the ground.

I did, oh the so lovely Max didn't. He walked right up to them dragging me with him and started talking to the one at the front, the one who seemed to be in charge. I later found out his name was Paul but that's a different matter. He was telling them what a good job they had done and things like that. There was no hitting, no violence whatsoever well not until later but that's a story I don't want to go into. They all seemed to be listening to him, hanging off his every word. He could have got me out of there, instead, like the true gentleman he is, he kidnapped me (sarcasm most definitely intended).

"Darling come here," Max yells pulling me out of my reverie. His tone sounds caring, always does, if you based it purely on words he would seem like a great catch, but some things that you catch can look great on the outside and are rotten on the inside just like Max. With Max you can always tell it's not a question: it's a demand one that has to be obeyed. I trot through like the good little girl I am, well, most of the time.

At least he seems to be in a good mood today. I learnt it is much easier to follow orders than to resist, it only makes him angry and no good comes from him being annoyed. "Police, don't move" someone yells, as men and women in uniforms flood through the doors, into our living room. Well there goes all the time I spent cleaning the carpet so it looked pristine. I spent hours on that thing; they could've at least taken off their disgusting shoes, so much mud and dirt and just yuck, why does this have to happen only a few hours before Max's dinner, oh god I've still got to finish the roast and clean the table and now I have to clean the floor as well. D****t I forgot to order the nice wine, oh fudgecakes I'll have someone out for it.

Wait hang on a second, what if they're here for me? No, it's probably just a prank one of Max's mates is pulling on us. They do look real though. If it is a joke would they have proper guns? No, no they're probably just really realistic fakes. Yes, that's it. It's all just a fake. But what if it's not a joke? No it's a joke just a big joke it's not real okay, Di none of it is real so Max is not going to kill you, because it is not real and I did not tip anyone off, it's not real, it can't be real, it can't.

Max would have known if it was real he always does, he's got someone in the police or something like that, he always knows when they are coming, especially when they are coming for me, they never have enough evidence for a search warrant, and anyways It's never done without military precision and perfect timings on Max's part, I'm always out of sight, hidden in the soundproof basement so nobody can hear a word I say.

He always gets out of trouble, even when they take him in for questioning, or he is their main suspect. It always ends up that he was in a different place at that time, or there is a film of him at a bar, at the exact time that the crime was committed. It's quite funny actually to think that if the police had gotten their act together and tried harder to get some evidence that I wouldn't be here, I'd still be living my perfect life in oblivion to the world, so many lives could have been saved, so much pain could have been prevented.

They knew from the start that he took me, well I think they did it was quite easy to guess, considering he disappeared with me and he was apparently, according to a few of the officers I by accident over heard, without eavesdropping, no never, it's not like I sat there with my ear against the door trying to hear everything or anything they were saying. Well they said that he was on a police awareness database, but it seems like they forgot to tell me about that, it would have been nice to know you know before the whole kidnapping thing that I was going on a date with a psychopath, even a little note would have been nice. What's wrong with sending a postcard saying 'Hey it's the police here, the guy who you're about to go on a date with is a psycho maniac have fun' ok so maybe the note isn't my best idea but it still would have been nice to know that I was on a date with a guy who they couldn't convict or even catch not even after me because without me in person or a shred of actual evidence they couldn't charge him it was all just speculation to them, that would have been amazing to know.

"Put your hands up," one of them yells at Max. It's just a big joke, that's all, walking over to Max's empty glass with my head down I pick it up ready to go get him a refill, one thing with Max is that he never likes his glass to be empty. "Miss stop right there," Someone shouts, are they talking to me? No if Max doesn't say it I can't listen, just keep walking Di. Max is going to be so annoyed when they stop this he hates people other than him ordering me around, I'm his property not anyone else's. "I said stop," The person shouts again, what? I didn't do anything.

"Brittany listen to them," Max yells, oh god this is real isn't it? They're here for me aren't they? Stopping dead I turn towards the shouty person. "Max Carmichael you are under arrest for the abduction of Brittany Matthews, along with the attempted murder of Taylor Simmons and the murder of Kathy Simmons" the room starts to spin the making my stomach turn.

He tried to kill Taylor. He said he wouldn't if I was good enough. I haven't tried anything else just so she could be safe. He promised me. He promised. He said that she was only moving away to be closer to some family member. Why did I believe him? Why am I so stupid? When has he ever been truthful to me? Wait what's happened to Taylor? Kathy was the only member of the family that could look after her. Her mum died when she was tiny and well, her dad, he died a few years ago and that's all I am going to say. The rest of her family are either dead or near enough to dead that they don't count.

"Who are you?" I ask as people run towards me, backing up slightly I reach for the gun hidden in the vase on the mantelpiece, what can I say? Max is security conscious, he even put a gun in the bathroom, and that really was not a pleasant thing to find in the shower. "Huh, who are you? Answer me," I scream holding up the gun making them all stop.

"Brittany, it's okay we are here to take you somewhere safe," one of them says walking closer, I wave the gun at her making her stop. "I said who are you?" I snap pushing myself further into the wall. They could be Max's rivals or someone else, how do I know that they're safe? "Hey, hey Brittany look at me, you're okay we're the police, we are going to take you somewhere safe okay?" She says holding her hands up, she looks okay.

Nodding at her I lower the gun, I'm not letting it go; people don't have to always tell the truth. "Okay well done Brittany now if you just want to come with us we can leave now," She says walking closer again making me raise the gun up. She looks nice but looks can be deceiving can't they? I mean look at Max. I thought he was a good guy, a kind hearted person who just needed a chance but he needs more than just a chance, he needs psychological help. I gave him plenty of chances, I somehow thought that he would release me, maybe leave me alone for a little while. Well that never happened did it, but I was stupid enough to think it would.

"No I'm not leaving yet, I can help you I know where everything is, I knew him, I've been here for long enough to know my own home, please," I plead putting the gun back down. I think I at least deserve to be able to help them lock him up, he took advantage of the chances I offered him, the times I overlooked what he did to me in the hopes that I would be able to appeal to the miniscule kind side of him, and I can at last get him back for it all without any repercussions.

"Okay there's some stuff in the top drawer, in the third room to the left upstairs, there is a silver box in it, I think the keys are in the bed knob, just unscrew it, in the downstairs bathroom, there should be a loose tile by the sink there's nothing really major in there though, just some files I think. Most of its in his office I'll show you," I state walking out and into the corridor leading to Max's office, they can't be that bad, well they haven't tried to kill me yet so that seems like a good sign.

Max's office is always locked, unless I'm specifically asked I'm usually not allowed in there. There's a key lock and a passcode with lasers inside, a bit extreme if you ask me. Why didn't he just buy a crocodile? At least I can outrun a crocodile. I think. Note to self, do not try that, but that could be fun, no Di being chased and possibly eaten by a crocodile would not be fun. Kneeling down, I pull out the paperclips I nicked from Max last month, it's rather easy to learn how to pick a lock, well it kind of helped that Mase taught me. I spent about a week practising on the bathroom door when Max was out, before I mastered it.

I pick the lock as quickly as I can. Voila, one unlocked door, now only the password and the lasers to go. Fun (Sarcasm intended once again) The passcode pad appears from one off the door panels, so I type in Dreamweaver, the name of his favourite dog at the track, apparently it always wins. Max was drunk when he told me all this, so I'm seriously hoping he was not so drunk that he was talking rubbish. If he was, we are so screwed, but hey that could be fun, she says sarcastically smiling like a madwoman. There is an alarm, which if the password is entered wrong, alerts Paul to check it out.

Bingo, like stealing sweets from a sleeping baby, which is actually kind of mean, that saying has a hidden evilness to it. The door swings open the blood red lights emitting from the room. Ninja time Oooh I love doing stuff like this. Jumping up I grab hold of the overhead beam that runs the whole way across the room. I pull my feet up so that I'm clinging to the beam like a monkey. When you have nothing to do with only an empty house and a big garden for company you practise old skills the only things that interested me were climbing and running, well fighting, gymnastics and shooting as well but they're not exactly skills nor are they old.

I slide along to the end and let go with my hands so I'm hanging upside down, right in front of the button that turns off the lasers. You either have to use a control or push the button. Pushing the button I let go of the beam completely and flip, so I don't land on my head, because that would really hurt. I think. I haven't really tried it and I don't really want to, I kind of like my head not caved in. The laser lights disappear and the lights go back to normal, Holy flippers that hurt, god my foot, owwwww Ow, Ow. Grabbing hold of my foot I squeeze it tight, ow I think I broke my toe, who puts a stupid bin there for innocent people who are breaking into a certain person's office to hit their poor foot on? My toe is killing me, like seriously killing me.

A slow, sinister clapping comes from the study bathroom. Swivelling round I grab Max's gun. He loves it. I swear if he could marry it he would seriously I'm not joking he would but if he did I would feel sorry for the gun. Being married to Max now that would be excruciatingly painful. Standing in the bathroom doorway, is the lovely Paul. No weapon. No nothing, I swear he gets stranger every time I see him. God help me, but if he makes a single joke or a comment I may actually kill him.

"Why are you in here? Max is gonna flip when I tell him," Paul says smirking at me. He really is thick isn't he? Does he really think I would've even tried this if Max was here? When you are picking a right hand man you pick someone with brains, or someone who can scare away your opponent, right? Not Paul, he once asked me why I wasn't eating lunch. Considering it was around 2am in the morning I think it would be quite obvious, why I wasn't eating lunch, stupid person.

I walk over to the door, so I'm standing in front of Paul. Putting my hands on his shoulder I kick his feet out from under him, you would think considering he's meant to be the right hand man that he would have quicker reactions? He really needs to up his game, like I said, he's an idiot.

"This is Paul Limpton. He is Max's right hand man he does all the jobs Max can't do if you ever have to guard him I recommend you gag him he just goes on and on and on. I swear he could talk for years without stopping," I state smirking at Paul as some officers come and Handcuff him. Ha karma for eating my cookie last week. No one should touch the biscuits, biscuits are sacred, they are saints, and well they should be. Well one good thing has come of this, I can successfully say my toe is not broken and that is a very good thing.

For a room with such high security, it is quite simply designed. The main items in it are the big desk, the dark brown leather chairs scattered around a mahogany coffee table, a few bookcases reaching the ceiling, full of nameless folders and the toilet. I'm guessing the protection is for the files this room holds, if not is that an over-reaction or what?

Turning around, I walk over to the desk and plonk myself down in the chair. This chair is like heaven but in chair form. It's black and exactly like the chairs from the films, which the evil guy or girl sits in and that turns round stroking their cat Mr McFluffingtons, just the name has me quaking in fear, not, Who names their cat Mr McFluffingtons? Who names anything Mr McFluffingtons? He must be so embarrassed, what if all of the other cats make fun of him because he is called Mr McFluffingtons, poor boy, animal cruelty right there. Okay let's just stop this here before I start creating a sob story for a cat. I have no idea why, because in general cats hate me, apparently they don't like being hugged super tight and kissed repeatedly whilst you profess your love for them, weird unsociable animals.

The password pad comes up from the chair arm, so I type in Winter Winner, the horse Max bets on at the races, that also wins every race. Please be right, please be right. Max really needs to stop getting drunk so often, he is really bad at keeping secrets when he's drunk. Actually thinking about it, how was Max in charge of a large group of criminals if he can't even keep a secret when he's drunk? I mean I learnt a lot from the times he was drunk. Paul really shouldn't have talked about his personal life with Max so often, I learnt a lot and I mean a lot of interesting things, Mwahahaha.

Hallelujah. The tray holding all of Max's most secretive information comes up from its compartment. Max puts his records of what his people have done for him, what they have to do,  what he needs to do and his address book all in this tray. Let's just say he isn't that big on filing. Most of his "employees" shall we say, are criminals or have a previous record so in the records their nicknames are used. Max only writes down their full names, addresses and nicknames in the address book and then if he needs them he just calls them or sends someone to get the info or tell them about the mission, like today Mase and John got sent out to collect a sub teams information because there was no one else to do it and Max thought that as he was home all day I couldn't get into too much trouble or try to escape again, well that shows how wrong he was and the best part is I didn't have to put any effort in usually I have to jump  out of some window or shimmy down the drainpipe, I did that once, never again it is extremely painful and really not as graceful as in the movies I couldn't walk properly for weeks I had to waddle around, most of the time I have to try to outrun the guards which never works, probably the reason I'm still here.

Flipping through the records and papers, I grab his to do list. How he can find anything in this draw is a miracle in itself. He always said about how if I ever did go into his office I was to never touch this draw, and then one night about a month ago, he came back from one of his meetings drunk and told me how to get to the draw and how to get into the room as well. I still don't understand how a person can get drunk at a criminal meeting. You're meant to be more criminalish and discuss criminal stuff and talk about criminal things not drink whiskey and vodka and play pool (another drunken declaration). Well might as well see what he had planned.

To Do

December

Buy Brit a birthday gift for 3rd

Get someone to re-paint fence

January

Get rid of Brit

How kind of him he was planning on killing me after Christmas. What a true gentleman, not. It would've been nice to have some notice. If he had to plan it the least he could do was warn me. I mean I know that the police couldn't send me a note about how Max is a psychopath, but Max could've said something. I hate being the last to know, I mean he wrote it on his to do list for goodness sake the least he could do is give me some notice, it wasn't exactly going to be a spur of the moment type thing so a tinsy tiny bit of notice or even a post it note would have been nice. I didn't really expect him to keep me this long. I guess it was luck of the draw.

Looking further up to next month I see something that makes my heart almost stop beating completely.

September

Find little brat

I promised Tony I would look after her, he asked me to. I told him I would keep her safe; I told him no one would hurt her, not even Max. Why couldn't he have had his meeting? Why did he have to come home early? Why couldn't I have told Tay to leave earlier? If she's in danger it's all my fault I told him nothing would ever happen to her , that I was going to keep an eye on her for him. Why do I always end up ruining everything? I can never keep anyone safe, I'm useless.

"Brittany do you want to go pack" a female officer asks looking nervous. What? It's not like I'm going to have a breakdown or burst out crying or something. No I am much more refined and as I am so refined I shall use Biscuits and food in general to get over my totally screwed up life. "Do I really have to go?" I ask. What? I seriously like this place. Ok maybe not the people who occupy it as much because the majority i.e. all but two of them need humour transplants but I became an actual person here, I learnt lessons about the real life, that to get what you want you have to fight for it until the very end.  The officer nods her head still looking wary of me. It's not like I'm that mean. Way to make a girl feel insecure. "I'll just go pack then" I state, wait this means I'm going home, I'm going back, I'm free, I can see Andy and Jacob and Mike I can go back to normal again. 

The officer opens my bedroom door for me. Either she's really polite or for some reason she thinks that I am incapable of opening a door. She kind of reminds me of my aunt Julie she always had this crazy notion that I was still 7 she bought me the birthday cards and all. I always did wonder how she never seemed to realise that she bought a happy 7th birthday card every year for me but then again everyone did tell me that she forgot certain things like age, names, how many siblings she had? She always remembered how many animals she had though which I found rather offensive I mean she couldn't even remember my name but ask her how old her cat roger was she could tell you the exact year he was born and the name of his mother.

I grab the suitcases max bought me he never let me use them but I didn't really expect him to. In some ways he was an ok person I mean he bought me everything he wanted me to use like clothes, shoes, bags, but I could've done without them, I would've traded it all in for everyone's safety, to know that they could live and not have to think that Max could ruin their lives just because of me. He bought me everything but all I ever wanted was freedom. I had everything that most girls could only dream of.

I just wish I could've actually decided when I wanted to use them. It was like I was in a computer game constantly being controlled, there being nowhere to go, them always having the final say of what happens, in an essence your whole future being planned out for you. But you don't get a say, you aren't asked for an opinion. You are there to agree, and that is your one and only purpose. Your opinion and views are no longer important, you are their chess piece, but they get to decide which piece to take, which square to go to. You are there for the journey, but you are only the passenger. It isn't right, you should be the player, you should be able to decide what you want, not someone else.

"Miss, are you going to pack?" the officer says interrupting my thoughts how rude I mean it I thought she was polite. No manners what so ever. Shooting her a glare I walk to the wardrobe. It's all so neat it suffocating almost nothing is out of place. Actually it's kind of strange, his desk is a complete tip but everything else is overly neat. He was such a neat freak one sock out of place and he basically had a mental breakdown. I could never decide whether it was funny or creepy.  A bit of both I think. Well, it's now or never so I better start packing.

Never again am I going to go through that, I swear if I have to spend any more time in this room I will fry. Skinny jeans and jumpers are not for summer, especially when inside.  I grab the dress and shoes I set aside while I was packing. The dress is a sleeveless midnight black skater dress, with a plaited tan belt and studded cream stilettos. It feels amazing to be able to choose what to wear at last I can look through my wardrobe and decide what to wear tomorrow not have it set out for me each and every morning. It's the small things that I used to take advantage of that I miss the most like making decisions, going out, and going to school. "I'm just going to go change if that's alright with you" I ask she didn't help me at all with my packing, so kind. I mean she could have at least asked if I wanted help.

Before I walk out I give my outfit the once over. It's not like I'm that special. I have brown hair which is slightly wavy but not majorly curly or ringlets. My eyes are grey with tiny brown specs. So there's nothing really special about my appearance. Why I'm the one he chose is still a mystery to me, probably because I was the only one stupid enough to say yes. "We need to go now," the annoying lady yells through to me as I walk out of the bathroom. Nabbing my leather jacket from on top of my suitcases I tell the gaping officer "Ok can you take the small suitcase and the duffle bag? I'll take the other two," It's not like I've had a major makeover I only changed my clothes there's no need to stare, drama queen or what.

I grab my bags and strut out of the room and down the stairs to see a police officer going through my handbag. Never go through a woman's handbag, ever. "What do you think you are doing?" I snap angrily snatching my bag from his hands. Who does he think he is, going through my personal belongings? "I was just checking it to make sure there was nothing important in it," He responds smirking at me seriously not the moment to be smug. "Constable Ryan's I think you are needed in the office," the lady who first spoke to me hints walking up behind me, You know when you have that huge urge to slap someone, well I may actually kill him.

The constable walks off in the direction of the study, at long last. "I'm sorry for Constable Ryan's he's new and thinks he always knows best. Some officers will take you to the hospital so we can get you checked out. Here's my number. Work and mobile if there is ever a problem call me. Now remember I'm only a call away. You are the bravest girl I've ever met goodbye," She says giving me a card and enveloping me in a bear hug. I pull back quickly, in my situation you trust no one and nobody trusts you, they especially never trust me. "You probably want to get going. Remember if there's a problem call me. Goodbye Brittany," She says as I'm lead out of the front door.

Author's Note

Any comments are welcome, I really need opinions, thank you

Reviews

[Tbear]

Its late so am unable to finish reading. I will definitely come back though and give you some better feedback. Cheers

[Marlene]

The story is interesting, but to be honest I found it difficult to read. Grammar, punctuation, major run on sentences and fragmented. These made it difficult to follow your story. The narration/inner thoughts/storyline seem to interrupt each other all the time. I'd maybe try presenting it a different way and see if it flows easier for the reader. Just an opinion, of course. I am not a fan of first person stories. Good luck in your writing adventures.

[RT]

Interesting concept... The one thing I wasn't sure if it was a way to convey the main character or if it is just because this is a rough draft - is there are quite a few run on sentences that bogged me down as a reader. But I wasn't sure if that was part of the narration of the main character... Wasn't sure if it was meant to give the main character a certain feel...