Shaun Hutson: Captives

Shaun Hutson

Captives

***

'The man who writes what others are afraid even to imagine.'

-Sunday Times

'You can't read shaun hutson for more than a minute or two without starting to squirm.'

-Daily Express

'An expert in the art of keeping the reader turning the pages.'

-Time Out

***

Dedicated to Mr Wally Grove.

My most valued friend. From one unsociable bastard to another.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As with all my books, there now follows a list of everyone or everything that contributed to the writing and beyond. Even if it was only to try and keep yours truly something approaching sane. To everyone mentioned you have either my thanks or my admiration (some even have both).

Extra special thanks to Gary Farrow, my manager, for his continuing efforts to ensure that anyone but us pays for expenses (and, no, I'm still not wearing a bloody suit). Thanks, mate. Thanks also to Chris Page at 'the office' (despite his taste in football teams). Many thanks to Mr Damian Pulle, the Houdini of the VAT returns.

Very special thanks to Nick Webb for his faith and his matchless ability to find gut-busting restaurants. To John O'Connor, Don Hughes, Bob Macdonald, Terry Jackson and Dave Kent and, especially, all my sales team for hammering everyone into submission. You don't release this lot, you unleash them. Thanks also to everyone in publicity and marketing. Extra special thanks to Caroline Bishop who put up with me 'on the road' (I promise to wear a vest next time, C.B…). But to everyone who contributed to a superb campaign, I thank you. To Barbara Boote and to John 'I know that one' Jarrold, many thanks. In fact, to everyone at Little Brown/Warner I extend my thanks.

Special thanks, as ever, to Peter Williams and Ray Mudie. To Tom Jones (no, not that one) and UCI. To Steve Hobbs at Bletchley Library for his help and interest.

Very special thanks to Mr James 'this is how this one is going to end' Hale, editor par excellence (have I spelt that right, James?).

To Brian 'I've got two tickets here and by the way there's another one arriving soon' Pithers. To Graham Rogers at 'Late Night Late' (I always wanted to be on TV, Graham). Thanks also to 'Mad' Malcolm Dome and Phil Alexandar at RAW, to Jerry Ewing at METAL FORCES and to Krusher at KERRANG. (and GLR of course…) Thanks to Gareth James, John Gullidge, Nick Cairns and John Martin. To John Phillips, or should I say Rikki…

Massive, immeasurable thanks to David Galbraith (and to ROCK POWER) for the meat pie and the day of a lifetime and also to Dave 'can I have your autograph Mr Gilliam' Evans.

Extra Special thanks to the phenomenal Margaret Daly who tried to kill me in Dublin, but in the nicest possible way. Thank you for your amazing work.

Many thanks, as ever, to Broomhills Pistol Club, particularly to Bert and Anita. To Dave Holmes who sat and talked to me without giving a toss I'd only end up with three hours sleep. Thanks, mate… Keep the sick jokes coming.

Special thanks to all the staff and Management at The Holiday Inn, Mayfair, for their continued friendliness and kindness. Thanks also to everyone at Dromoland Castle in Ireland, to the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, the Barbados Hilton and to Bertorelli's in Notting Hill Gate.

Thanks are due, as ever, to Steve, Bruce, Dave, Nicko and Janick for allowing me to share their stage and re-live more dreams. I am eternally grateful. Thanks also to Rod Smallwood, Andy Taylor, everyone at Sanctuary Music and to Mr Merck 'sliced into fifteen pieces by lunchtime' Mercuriadis.

Many thanks to Mr Jack Taylor, Mr Amin Saleh and Mr Lewis Bloch for all their help and advice. Thanks also to Mr Brian Howard at Russells for removing a rather annoying stone from my boot.

Thanks, for different reasons, to Alison at EMI, Shonadh at Polydor, Georgie and Zena.

Many thanks to Ian Austin who deserves a line on his own and who, in fact, deserves much more. The man whose ability to talk is surpassed only by his value as a friend. Thanks.

Indirect thanks to Queensryche, Nevada Beach, Thunder, Harlow, Black Sabbath and Great White. Also to Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, Walter Hill and Michael Mann.

This novel was, as ever, written on Croxley Typing Paper, wearing Wrangler Jeans and Puma Trainers (I don't give up easily you know…) Also many thanks to Yamaha Drums, Zildjian cymbals and Pro-Mark sticks for helping me clear numerous mental blocks… (come on, if I can try for some jeans I can try for a cymbal or two…)

My greatest thanks, as always, go to my Mum and Dad for everything they've done and continue to do and for my long suffering, ever-patient wife, Belinda. For putting up with me through this and other novels and for enduring the ups and downs of yet another season of me worshipping Liverpool FC, you have, and always will have, my thanks and my love.

And to you, my readers, for still being there, for sticking with me, thanks. To those of you joining the ride for the first time, welcome. Thank you all.

Shaun Hutson

Revenge is a kind of wild justice…

- Francis Bacon

PART ONE

What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power, the will to power, power itself in man

- Nietzsche

I don't believe in Love,

I never have, I never will.

I don't believe in Love.

It's never worth the pain that you feel.

- Queensryche

ONE

He knew he was going to die.

Knew it.

He didn't think he might. Didn't wonder if he would.

Brian Ellis knew he was going to die.

The barrel of the shotgun was less than a foot from his face. It poked through the shattered remains of the safety glass partition, so close he could smell the oil and cordite from the yawning muzzle.

From that muzzle seconds earlier had come a thunderous blast which had ripped through the toughened glass as if it had been spun sugar.

It had been at that point that Brian Ellis had filled his pants. He stood there now, reeking. Standing there with a dark stain spreading across the front and back of his trousers. He couldn't think, couldn't move. All he was aware of was the sickening warmth around his lower body coated in his own excreta.

And he was aware that he would die.

He wanted to scream. Wanted to be sick. Wanted to pray. Wanted to bellow at the top of his lungs that he was only twenty-three and he didn't want to die. Please don't kill me. Please, Jesus Christ, God Almighty for fuck's sake don't make me die.

The barrel of the Spas wavered closer to him and he began shaking uncontrollably.

Alarm bells were ringing; somewhere else in the bank a child was crying. A baby. Someone was sobbing. Someone was moaning.

Brian heard the sounds but none registered in his mind.

All that registered was the sure and certain conviction that he would soon be dead.

The alarm had gone off automatically as soon as the safety glass had been blasted away. There had been no furtive attempts by one of the other cashiers to find the alarm button that linked the bank directly with Vine Street police station. There'd been no need. Besides, this wasn't a film where the cashiers and customers stood around calmly (if somewhat worried) while tills were rifled, lives were threatened and then masked men ran from the bank into the arms of the law, who had arrived in the nick of time after being alerted by that single, secret alarm. How comforting was fiction.

The man who stood in front of Brian Ellis wasn't wearing a mask; he hadn't warned everyone to be quiet, hadn't told them that if they did as they were told no one would be hurt.