Free Blood Tribute (The Lucas Gedge Thrillers Book 1) by Andy Emery Page A

look forward to such things and then… well, that doesn’t matter. Hannah was feeling a bit tired and I wanted to get us home quicker, so we took a shortcut.’
    ‘Wait!’ said Gedge. ‘Some people use the word “tired” to mean drunk. I hope that’s not the case with Hannah tonight?’
    ‘Well, she’d had a bit to drink, sir, but she wasn’t drunk at all. She spent a lot of time in the intermission with a group of other girls. She said she had a lot in common with them. They’d also come to London from the provinces.’
    ‘Lucas, let him get on with it. Our daughter’s been kidnapped. What difference does it make if she was a little merry beforehand? Carry on, Sean.’
    ‘We were halfway down this street when some men jumped out at us. They must have been waiting in an alley. They were on top of us in a flash. One of them put a bag over Hannah’s head and then two of them were either side of her, holding her. Another one pushed me away. I shouted out something and the next thing I know, something heavy’s connecting with the side of my head. I remember pitching forward, and that was it. I came round with a wet feeling down my face, lying in the gutter. A stray cat was nuzzling round me. They’d all gone, of course. I looked around, but there was nothing. Then I ran back here.’
    ‘If you left the party at nine,’ said Gedge, ‘this can’t have happened more than half an hour ago. You weren’t unconscious for long. But if they had transport, they could be miles away by now.’ He looked at Maggie, who was staring into the middle distance, tears welling up. But he didn’t have time to comfort her now. He knew that he needed to find out all he could from the boy, and as soon as possible.
    ‘Sean, how many of them were there? At least three, from what you’ve just said.’
    ‘Yes, but I think there were four or five. It all happened so quickly.’
    Gedge frowned. ‘Alright. Now, I know it was dark, but you must have got some impression of these men. Something that might be helpful. Were they big, small? Did they have hats, jackets or long coats? Their voices. Did they have an accent?’
    ‘I really couldn’t tell. Maybe one was bigger than average, but the others… I only heard one voice. Just normal, nothing foreign. A bit hoarse maybe.’
    ‘So, just your average street muggers, then? Average in every way by the sound of it. Disappointing.’
    Sean didn’t speak, just shrugged.
    ‘Now, Sean, I need you to do what you said you would. Take me back to where it happened.’
    Sean wiped a hand across his face. ‘Mr Gedge, I’m not sure now. Maybe I do need medical help. My head’s starting to hurt more.’
    Gedge moved in close. ‘Listen, Sean. My daughter’s in deadly danger. You were the last person to see her. The only connection we have with what happened to her. You’ll understand, I’m sure, that we need to find out all we can, as soon as we can. We’ll get a doctor for you later. But now, you will take me to where it happened.’ He clamped a hand onto Sean’s shoulder, making him wince. The youth looked sheepish, but nodded.
    ‘Lucas, what about the police?’ said Maggie. ‘We’ve got to tell them.’
    ‘And we will, but not yet. We don’t have the time, and neither does Hannah. You don’t know about many of the things I did in the army, but I’m going to have to use those skills now. From what I’ve heard about the police, they’ll stand little chance with something like this. We will tell them, but let me handle this my way.’
    Gedge looked into Maggie’s eyes. He could see she was panicking, not sure if he was taking the right course.
    ‘Go, then.’

    ‘ H ere ! It was about here. That must be the alley where they were hiding.’
    Gedge and Sean were about halfway down Loftus Walk, the street Sean had confirmed as the one where the abduction took place. They had delayed leaving Barnet Grove just long enough for Maggie to give Gedge a bullseye lantern, and he shone