Rattling Snakes Cage 2 Ch. 10

The final part of the escape, but will they make it?

I hope you have enjoyed the story and if you want me to write the third part of the story of Patrick, Rachel, Jerry, Megan and Snake and what happens next, let me know.

*

Patrick felt the movement of the van change as it seemed to be going over a rough area of ground, suddenly it stopped and he felt the engine turn off. All the people in the van stood up, Rachel holding onto Patrick, her arm around his back, Jerry and Davy standing slightly behind them towards the back of the van. They felt the drivers door open and then shut and after a second or two the back doors of the van opened and Danny stood there, "Come on you lot, we've got to hurry." And he disappeared to the side of the van.

Patrick jumped down and helped Rachel out the high back of the large vehicle, and they walked around to where Danny stood next a Silver Merc, the boot open. They were parked in an old abandoned factory area, large signs saying, 'Danger -- Keep out'.

"Here Patrick, here's a fresh change of clothes. Put your prison blues in the back of the van in a pile." And then Danny started to get out of his own clothes and change into fresh ones from the car. Jerry and Davy walked up to the back of the car and threw the money stuffed black bin liner into the boot, and then started to get out of the workman's overalls and took out fresh sets of clothes, jeans and casual shirts, and put them on.

When they were all re-dressed in casual looking clothes, Danny threw a baseball cap at Patrick, "Here put that on and pull it down a little. We need to hide that ugly mug of yours just in case."

Putting all the discarded clothes in the back of the van, Danny took a couple of cans of petrol and poured it on the pile and around the inside of the van and over the bikes still on their sides inside the van. Davy got in the Merc drivers seat and Jerry, Patrick and Rachel got in the back.

"What's he doing?" Rachel asked Jerry.

"Destroying evidence. Any DNA, fingerprints or anything that can lead them to us."

Starting up the Merc and moving it so that it was away from the van, but close enough for Danny to run to, they all watched as Danny stood behind the vans open back doors lighting a piece of rag until they could see flames from the burning rag. Rachel saw Danny throw it in the back of the van and run towards the car. "Get a move on.....quick or we'll go up with the fucking van." He yelled as he got in the passenger seat.

The Merc leapt forward and out of the run down old yard onto the country lane and up towards the ramp for the M23 and Brighton. Just as they started down the ramp they heard the explosion. Laughing Danny said, "We're turning into right little arsonists, that's two fires in one day."

"That will be our last...." and the car sped up on the motorway moving at a good speed towards their final destination.

*

In the hospital Doctors and Nurses battled to save their patient, cutting off his clothes and rushing him up to the operating theatre. Barely conscious, his eyes squinting, he held on to life as he was moved from the trolley onto the operating table, and the last thing he felt for a while was the prick of the needle entering his vein as the anaesthetist prepared him for the surgeon to work on.

As he lay there one operating nurse looking over her mask used her eyes to signal to the other nurse about the unusual tattoo that adorned his body. Nodding in acknowledgment the blond nurse passed across the sterile piece of equipment the Surgeon requested, and thought about the two policemen that were waiting outside in the corridor, waiting to see if the patient with the stab wound to the back would survive.

*

Davy reached over and turned on the radio as they drove down the road and the five occupants of the car listened to the news station as reports came in on the mass escape from Wandsworth Prison and the murder during it of one prisoner by another. Reports were stating that so far of the sixteen escapees only five had been captured, one had been chased and cornered by a crowd of commuters as they had been getting off the bus near Wandsworth Bridge. Another prisoner had been captured as he climbed down to the outside of the prison on the boom, and a third had been picked up as he climbed over back fences in a road about a mile away.

Warnings were issued about the prisoners being dangerous and for the public not to approach them. Rachel snuggled up to Patrick asked him, "Are you dangerous?"

"Only in bed....." and he kissed her on her nose, "But you all ready know that."

The four other men groaned, "Not what I heard.....I heard you're no great shakes in the bed department."

"Needs Viagra to keep it up....."

"Needs a magnifying glass to find it...."

Laughter rolled around the car as the release of the last twenty four hours left them and they teased Patrick and Rachel all the way down to Brighton.

*

When they reached the Brighton Marina Patrick told them to drive into the big ASDA superstore car park. "I'm going to need some fresh clothes and dressings for my wounds. There's blood showing on the shirt again. Rachel can go into the store and get something's for me." And he looked at her asking her, "Is that alright...."

Nodding she held out her hand and said, "Anyone got any money, I seem to have come without any of mine."

"Just some small change in the back in the boot. Think we've got enough there for you Rachel."

"We'll take what you spend out of Patrick's cut...."

Grinning she told them "Then I had better not spend too much."

When Davy had parked the car he got out and opened the boot, and looking over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being observed he put his hand into the bag and pulled out a handful of twenty's. Closing the boot he got back into the car, turning around and handing the notes to Rachel. "Be careful and keep a look out for any cops. If you see any don't come back to the car but walk out of the store and up the ramp to get out of the Marina. We'll watch you and follow on after a while. If it's clear we'll pick you up as you walk back towards the town on the sea pathway. If it's not clear go into the town and get a train back home."

"Patrick......?"

"Do as he says.....its more important for you to save yourself.....remember what I said......I stabbed Snake....me....it was me. You saw it....it was in the fight....he fell...I stabbed him in the back....make sure that's what you say if they ever question you."

"Patrick!"

"Now go....get me some dressings for this damn wound, some painkillers and a fresh tee shirt or shirt....." and he gave her a hard kiss, and a soft shove to make her leave the car.

Walking quickly to the store from where they were parked, Rachel felt her heart pound and her palms sweat. She held the screwed up notes in one hand, and her face turned continually searching as she walked, looking for any sign of the police.

Reaching the store she went in and hurriedly chose a black tee shirt and black denim shirt, then went to the aisle that held the pharmacy goods. Within ten minutes she was out the front of the store looking around and seeing no police she ran towards the Merc and slid in.

"Good girl....you're turning into a real gangsters moll." Davy laughed.

"Shut up Davy." Patrick growled, "I'm now officially retired. She's no moll. She's pure class."

"Whoops, pardon me for breathing....." and he turned his head sideways and winked at Rachel.

*

While the group were fighting Snake and then escaping down to Brighton Ritchie had broken into a house close to the prison, found a change of clothes, cleaned up the blood from his broken nose, grabbed some food and casually strolled out along the road down towards York Road and the pub. In the pub he pick-pocketed a wallet from some guy standing drinking a pint with his mates and then bought himself a lager. After quickly downing it, he left the pub and walked up to Clapham Junction Railway station, brazenly passing a couple of coppers on the way, and buying a ticket for Kings Cross went up to the correct platform and waited with the crowd of commuters for the train. Once inside the crowded train where people stood packed in, he stole another wallet so that by the time he had finally made it to his final destination he had enough money for a good night on the town.

In the pub near the station he stood drinking his Guinness, looking around the place for a bit of skirt and noticing two tarts drinking Vodka and limes he walked over and said, "You girls up for a refill?"

"Yeah...."

Within minutes he was chatting them up, the pain of his broken nose fading with the amount of alcohol he had drunk, and within an hour he was walking back to their place for a couple of hour's fun, paid for by the commuter and the man in the pub.

*

Jerry winced as he dressed the wound on Patrick's side and arm, then helped him to slip his blood stained top off and the fresh ones on. Inside the back of the crowded backseat of the Merc it was a little difficult.

Davy then drove the car over to the private garage that Alan had given them directions to, parked and they all got out. Grabbing the fishing gear out the boot with the bag of money the group of four men and one woman walked casually down to the jetty and the security entrance. Danny entered the security code that Alan had given them and they carried on through, keeping their faces away from any CCTV cameras. Following the directions that Alan gave them they found the boat and Alan and climbed on board.

"Shit, I nearly gave birth to kittens waiting for you lot.....you must be Patrick."

Shaking hands Patrick thanked him for his part in his freedom and escape.

"No problem Patrick, its been fun listening on the radio to the news.....the old Bill are having a real hard time....heads will roll for this escape....once we're on our way you can tell me all about it first hand."

Patrick and Rachel went into the cabin putting down the black bag, and Jerry, Danny and Davy helped cast off and the boat slowly moved from its berth in the Marina out into the wide harbour and made for the narrow entrance to the sea and freedom.

The water was choppy once outside the harbour and the boat hit waves, making the journey out a little rough, but slowly the water settled down as Alan steered the boat around the southern coast of England, towards Eastbourne.

After a while Patrick got up and stood outside the cabin watching the lights of the small seaside towns as they moved along, a wistful look on his face. Rachel came up behind him and slipped her arms around him holding him, the side of her face resting against his back, comforting him.

He sighed, "Its just hitting me.....I'll never be able to come back.....this is the last I'll see of home...."

Giving him a small squeeze, "It's the last we'll both see of home."

Turning around and taking her in his arms he held her, his chin resting on the top of her head, "I'm sorry.....I'm so sorry I pulled you into all of this......its all my fault.."

"Well I'm not.....I realise I wasn't really living until I met you, just drifting through life, not really feeling anything,...and although I'm scared....and I've done things I don't want to even think about....right now I'm alive and happy."

And the two lovers kissed, the velvet darkness of the night surrounding them, the twinkling of the lights from the land and the stars in the sky making a romantic background, the sound of lapping water the music of the night and the elation of being together and free giving them peace, The three men sat down and started to count out the money as Patrick and Rachel kissed and Alan stood at the helm moving them along. Putting it into six piles, including a smaller one for Nat back in Spain for his help in organising and bribing the screws the haul worked out at four hundred and twenty grand each, a good days pay off.

Opening the wine, they drank, laughed and celebrated as the boat moved slowly towards the English Channel and France, and their fist stop and re fuel at Honfleur, dreams of how they were going to spend it swirling in their heads.

*

Settling the patient into the intensive care unit the nurses told the hovering policeman who waited for the chance to speak to the semi unconscious man lying in the hospital bed to wait outside.

In his drifting consciousness Snake lay, the painkilling drugs dulling his brain, but not enough to stop the thoughts of vengeance running through it. The need to get even with Patrick was embedded deep and his major reason for surviving and getting well.

Just as he was about to drift back down into a deep sleep his last thought was, "Even if it takes me for ever I'll find him and get him. That bastard is mine. Vengeance will be mine......"

*

The men stood watching as the bright lights of Honfleur Harbour flickered in front of them, the early morning light bathing the area in a misty glow. Alan walked over to Patrick and clapping him on the shoulder told him, "Better to be safe, there's a space under a couple of the bunks that we can hide you in. Slip in and we'll put the money under there as well just in case customs climb on board. We'll refuel in a couple of hours when it opens and be on our way as quickly as we can."

Making his way to the cabin Patrick slipped inside and just as Alan was going to close the wooden cover, Rachel bent down and slipped in, aligning her body face to face with Patrick's she snuggled up close as Alan closed and secured the cover, leaving them in darkness.

Kissing they took this opportunity to be able to touch each other away from prying eyes in the utter darkness of the enclosed space, giggling and wriggling as they tried to move hands and legs to accommodate each other.

Cupping her breast in his hand Patrick whispered, "How would you feel about us opening a small beachside bar in the Florida Keys with the money.....I promise to go straight....no more shenanigans for me....just the easy laid back life with no complications."

Burrowing her hand up under his tee shirt and stroking the hair covered skin of his belly she whispered back, "Straight Patrick?.....no more excitement?"

"No more excitement....I've had enough for a lifetime....how about you?"

"I think life with you will never be quiet.....I think you attract excitement....but I'm up for what ever comes our way." And they kissed, not knowing that back home in his hospital bed Snake was already making plans in his head to find them and that he had a large mental list of settling of scores.

For the stolen coke, for the stolen money, for stealing Rachel, for stabbing him and for Patrick's rejection of their friendship, for that hurt him most of all.

The end.....or is it.

If you would like me to write the third and final part of Rattling Snakes Cage please let me know.