Fight For Your Life by Catherine Holland (e book free reading txt) 📖

parents killed for money, and he said that he’d do it again.” John nodded to the other officer who moved over to where Paul was sitting, stood him up and cuffed him, Poppy handed John both tape recorders and followed him outside.
John slowly turned to look at them, “This is what you wanted my help for? To catch your dad and make him admit to what he did?” Both Poppy and Sean nodded, then watched as Paul was read his rights and placed in the back seat of the police car; “We’ll take it from here, you can rest easy now.” Poppy could hear more sirens in the distance, they were closing in fast.
John looked at Poppy then Sean and lifted his head to the oncoming sirens; he grimaced and said “Damn, I didn’t realise they’d be so quick, sorry about this guys, nothing personal.” He then took out his gun and shot them both in the chest. Before everything went dark, Poppy was glad that she’d insisted on them both wearing their bullet proof vests under their shirts.
Poppy stirred a little while later, she felt like she’d been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer and she vaguely remembered being shot by John and then she remembered Sean being shot as well; she tried to sit up and white hot pain flashed through her chest, “Sean.” She said weakly, “It’s OK Miss, try not to move.” She didn’t recognise the voice.
Once her eyes opened she saw that she was lying on the gravel outside of her old home, she looked to her left and saw Sean stirring next to her; she then looked up at the man who’d spoken, he was a young looking police officer holding a flashlight on her. “What’s your name Miss?” He asked, “Poppy, Poppy Cosby. Sean, will he be OK?”
The officer smiled and said “Yes, neither bullet made it through the vests.” Poppy let out a sigh of relief, she slowly got to her feet and saw Sean do the same, once they were both vertical the officer said “Can you tell me what happened here?” Sean replied “John Saunders, he shot us! He was meant to have been arresting Paul Cosby.”
The officer nodded slowly, “We arrived in time to hear the gun shots, don’t worry Paul is in our custody and both myself and my partner would like for you to accompany us down to the police station to answer a few questions.” Poppy looked at Sean and he nodded, they then both got into the back seat of the police car and were driven to the police station.
In the interview room Sean took out a tape player from his pants pocket and said “Everything you need to know is on here officer.” The officer excused himself and left the room he came back fifteen minutes later and said “That was a hell of a risk you kids took, but the evidence on that tape will see your father, John and his partner Robert to a prison cell; you’re free to go but please don’t leave town as we may need to question you further.”
Both Poppy and Sean nodded and then left the police station, they hailed a cab and were taken back to their motel room where they showered, changed and went to bed. They spent the next few days in the motel room, leaving only to get food and the local paper; Paul had been charged with the murders of Poppy and Sean’s friends and parents, as well as the officers killed at the Lake View camp site.
John and his partner Robert were both charged with perverting the course of justice, John was charged with two counts of attempted murder and his partner Robert was charged with aiding and abetting a criminal, all three had pleaded guilty. Reporters had camped outside the police station for the event and were trying to find out who the ‘witnesses unknown’ were.
The court case would proceed within a few weeks and as all three had pleaded guilty Poppy and Sean were told they didn’t have to attend, Poppy wanted to go mainly just to get her closure; and she knew that Sean felt the same way. They told the officer’s their decision that they would attend the court case and were given the time and date of the trial.


Three Weeks Later

Poppy and Sean were stood by the open grave and were listening to the priest say the last right’s prayer as Jamie’s coffin was slowly lowered into the earth next to his parents; his body had arrived the week before and both Poppy and Sean had seen to the necessary details for his funeral.
The priest finished the ceremony and then moved to stand behind both Poppy and Sean and put one hand on each of their shoulders in a gesture of comfort; “Your friend is in a better place, a place where he will be loved by our merciful Lord for all eternity.” Poppy nodded and wiped at the tears rolling down her face, Jamie was finally home and with his parents and hopefully in a place where he wouldn’t be hurt anymore.
“He’s home.” Poppy whispered in reply, Sean put his arm around her waist in a gesture of comfort and friendship and sent up a silent prayer that Thea’s body would be found so that she too could be brought home and laid to rest with her sister and parents. Poppy rested her head on Sean’s shoulder and they both silently watched as the coffin finally stopped.
The priest looked at them but said nothing, and after a while he moved away leaving them alone lost in grief; rain started to fall slowly at first but then steadily harder, Sean tightened his grip around Poppy’s waist and then guided them from Jamie’s grave and back to the warmth of the motel. A few hours later they had both showered and changed into pyjamas, feeling too dejected to leave the room.
The following morning when they woke up, they took turns in the bathroom and dressed; today was the day that Poppy’s dad and the two police officers went on trial, Poppy and Sean left the motel room and bought a mug of coffee for the short walk to the Courts. They made it inside the Courts with fifteen minutes to spare, and were then seated in the front row as the witnesses.
Paul, John and his partner Robert were seated across from them as the defendants; they each had a lawyer present with them and Poppy had made a last minute call to her lawyer Mr Golsberg and he was representing both Poppy and Sean. Once the Judge had entered and they had been seated the court proceedings began. Paul’s lawyer put on a big show of claiming that Poppy and Sean were accusing his client of a horrendous crime with no evidence to back it up with, and that both John and his partner Robert were innocent victims. He then went so far as to claim that both Poppy and Sean were insane and that the case should be dismissed.
Mr Golsberg sat in silence as Paul’s lawyer rambled on, and once he was finished the Judge said “Mr Golsberg, do your clients have any proof to these claims?” Mr Golsberg slowly stood up and replied “Yes your honour my clients do have evidence to back this claim.” The Judge frowned slightly, “And what evidence would that be Mr Golsberg?”
Mr Golsberg took a small black object from his jacket pocket and placed it on the table in front of him then took a deep breath and said “Your honour, this tape recorder I have just placed on the table contains all of the evidence against Mr Cosby and his associates.” The lawyer representing Paul, John and his partner Robert said “Your honour I object! I was not notified of any evidence being on tape and nor was I given access to this evidence.”
My Golsberg smiled at the other lawyer and then opened his briefcase to draw out a piece of paper, “Your honour, this piece of paper I hold in my hands shows that the defendants’ lawyer was indeed given a copy of this tape; it even has his signature on it.” The Judge leaned forwards slightly and said “Objection over-ruled, Mr Golsberg please press play on the tape.”
Mr Golsberg pressed play and the whole Courtroom listened in shocked silence as the conversation between Poppy, Sean, Paul, and the killer. At the end of the conversation the Judge was silent for a moment then said “Very well, does the defendant have anything to add?” Before Paul’s lawyer could reply Mr Golsberg said “One moment your honour, there’s more on this tape.”
Silence fell once again in the Courtroom as the conversation between John and Poppy played out, ending as John shot both Poppy and Sean. Mr Golsberg pressed stop on the tape recorder and looking the Judge steadily in the eye said “Your honour, I rest my case.” Then took his seat; the Judge looked at both lawyers and then said “This Court will adjourn for two hours whilst the Jury reaches a verdict.” He then banged his gavel on his raised stand and everyone stood up as the Judge left the room.
Two hours later the Jury re-entered the Courtroom followed shortly by the Judge, everyone stood up whilst the Judge took his seat at the raised podium and they then settled themselves into their seats; the tension in the room could’ve been cut with the proverbial knife. The Judge looked at the Jury and said “Members of the Jury have you reached a verdict?”
A man in the front row stood up and said “Yes your honour we have.” The Judge nodded his head, “And what is your verdict?” The man took a deep breath and said “We find the defendant Paul Cosby guilty. We also find the defendant John Saunders and Robert Bracknell guilty.” The man sat down and the Judge looked at all three defendants sitting in front of him.
“Because of the severity of the crimes and the way in which the crimes were carried out, I can do no less than sentence you to the harshest punishments available; I sentence you Paul Cosby and you John Saunders to death by lethal injection, and you Robert Bracknell will serve seven to ten years in the state prison; you will be an example for every criminal in the United States of America that no-one can escape the long arm of the law. Case closed.”
The Judge stood up and the rest of the Courtroom rose with him, the Judge left the room and went into his chambers closing the door behind him; Poppy and Sean both hugged and shook hands with Mr Golsberg and they all watched as Paul, John and Robert were led away to the waiting police van outside to be taken to the state prison and death row; where Robert would immediately begin his sentence and John and Paul would await their execution.

The End.