Adam groaned as he tried to get to his feet. He put both hands flat on the ground and slowly opened his eyes.
"Adam!" Kate shuffled towards him. "Oh thank God! We were so worried. They just threw you in here, we thought you were dead."
"Am I alive?" Adam shook his head. "Where am I?"
"I don't know. This is where I was taken after being kidnapped." Kate frowned. "Then Amanda joined me." Kate nodded towards a darkened corner. Adam strained his eyes and looked into the darkness. He saw Amanda hanging from her wrists, tied to one of the roof beams.
"Amanda!" Adam rushed over to her and untied her gag. "Are you okay?"
"Stupid question. . ." Amanda looked up and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry Adam, Kate. It's my fault that you are here."
"Don't be stupid. We've been through more than this, sis."
"No we haven't. . . Adam this is it. You don't understand these people." Amanda sniffed. "I've been stupid. I just hope they will listen to reason. . ."
"What does she mean?" Kate stared at Adam.
"It's a long story. . ."
"I think we have the rest of our lives to tell it. . ." Amanda paused. "So you had better make it quick."
Adam told Kate the whole story.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were brother and sister?" Kate shook her head.
"I was worried that this might happen." Amanda sighed.
"It didn't help much did it?" Kate snarled.
"Kate! Please. . ." Adam frowned.
"Look. . . She is going to get us both killed. Don't you even care?" Kate nodded towards Amanda.
"Of course I care! But she is my sister. I'm sorry that you are here too. But Amanda didn't do this on purpose." Adam sighed. "Please Kate, understand me. If I could have done anything to keep you out of this. . . I only found out about what Amanda had done a few days ago. . . Perhaps if I had known earlier" Amanda looked down. "But one thing it has made me realise that I have never told you how much I need you. . . I love you Kate." Adam took Kate's hand. "After you had gone my life was empty. . . I'm happier here, with you, no matter what is likely to happen, than without you. . ." Adam paused, wiping a tear from his eye. "If we get out of this alive. . . Will you marry me Kate? I know it may come as a surprise, maybe even a shock. . . But I need to tell you how I feel."
"Adam?" Kate sighed. "Oh Adam! Of course I would!" Kate kissed him warmly. "But will we get out of here alive?"
"I don't know? But we have to try. . . If we die, we die fighting!" Adam looked across to Amanda. "I'm sure you agree?"
"I don't know if I have the strength." Amanda looked up to her hands.
"It will take brains and brawn. . . I know we can do it." The door opened. Adam lay back on the ground. A large man walked into the room. He took out a large knife. Amanda gasped as he stepped towards her.
"You have to be ready to meet someone." He brought the knife up and sliced through the rope. "I have to make sure you are ready." Amanda arms dropped to her side.
"For who?" Amanda shuddered.
"It's not my job to know that." He walked towards Adam. "I see lover boy is still out cold. He's a heavy sleeper." He gave Adam a kick in the ribs. "Don't worry! It won't be long now. . ." He left the room, bolting the door from the outside.
"You can get up now." Kate walked over to Adam and touched his shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"I'll survive!" He hugged Kate gently.
"I hope that's true." Amanda sat on the stones. "I really hope that it is true. . ."
"Where are they?" One of the staff looked around. Adam had left early that morning; Caroline and Karen had left soon afterwards. Now the evening had drawn in and none of them had returned.
"I don't know? They leave a note or something?"
"There was nothing in the office or anywhere that I've looked."
"I just can't think they would just leave without even saying anything?"
"They have. So I think we should just leave them to it."
"We can't just leave them. . ."
"But what do we do? We don't know anything. If only there was someone who could help?"
The staff reluctantly went back upstairs to the flat. It was going to be another sleepless night.
"Get up!" The man kicked Amanda. She groaned and opened her eyes. "I said get up!" Another kick this time to her stomach. Gasping she slowly stood up. "Get the others awake." The man turned and left the room.
"Come on I think we have to get ready." Amanda gently shook Kate's shoulder; she shrugged and looked around her.
"Oh! I was dreaming, for a moment I thought that I was out of here." Kate frowned. "I see that I'm not."
"Not yet." Amanda hugged her. "I'm sorry Kate."
"It isn't all your fault." Kate smiled faintly. "Do you think Adam was serious about marrying me?"
"He loves you. I don't think that he has been surer of anything in his life." Amanda smiled. "You better look after my little brother."
"That's only if we get out of here alive." Kate sighed. Adam groaned and slowly sat up, clutching his chest.
"I feel awful. . ."
"You have every right to feel awful." Kate helped him to his feet. The door burst open.
"Right you three. Put your hands on your heads and walk through here slowly." Amanda stared at the gun, edging through to the other room with her hands on her head.
"And what are we doing here? Playing Simon say's?" Karen smiled coldly.
"So it was you at the cottage." Amanda hissed.
"Of course it was me. You made it easy for us you know. . . Going down to the wine bar. They didn't realise that they had made a mistake, which was when they told me to sort it out for them again. If they had done their jobs properly, they could have taken you ready for collection.
You see, they are very good at the heavy stuff. But anything involving their brains?" Karen tapped her forehead. "Well it goes without saying. I mean, I told them where they could find you and still they screw it up. But no they just went off and presumed and ended up getting the wrong person. I mean, Kate looks nothing like you. . ."
One of the bodyguards grunted.
"Anyway it was simple for me to get you, a quick drop of chloroform. And of course Caroline. What happened to her was a great shame."
"What?" Adam stepped towards Karen. "What have you done to her? She has nothing to do with any of this."
"Wouldn't you like to know? Let’s just say that she won't be saying anything about this anymore."
"Why you!" Adam lunged towards her. One of the men grabbed him before he could hit her.
"Don't lose your temper. . . Or else you will lose your life with it." Karen snarled. "Anyway, you're spoiling the atmosphere."
"You were always a miserable little runt!" Amanda shook her head.
"Thank you for the compliment." Karen smiled. The front door opened and two large men stepped inside. Karen's smile faded slightly. Amanda gasped.
"James?" She ran towards the man. "Oh thank you James. I knew you would come and save me." She was dragged back and thrown to the ground.
"Hello Amanda. . ." James smiled. "I do believe that you are mistaken. I'm not here to save you. Unless you have my money, I'm afraid that I am going to have to do the very opposite."
"Please James. . ....” Amanda fell to her knees and sobbed. "No! Please I'm sorry! I deserve it, but not the others."
"How pathetic!" Karen laughed.
"You think that this is funny do you?" James smiled.
"Yes. . . I do. I enjoy watching people suffer."
"I am so glad." James glanced towards the bodyguards. "Throw her in with the others; I will deal with them all later."
"What!" Karen kicked and struggled against the bodyguards grasp. "What are you doing?"
"You have reached the limit of your usefulness. You see Karen your problem is that you enjoy your work too much. And I'm afraid that our organisation can't afford to have someone like you, there’s no controlling you. A very complicated situation, so you have to understand, this is for the best. Goodbye Karen." James paused. "I will have to go now, my... colleagues here will make you as comfortable as possible, but I am afraid that you will not be our guests for long." He sighed. "I wish there was a better way. I liked you Amanda, you do realise that? This is just business. I do hope you will all co-operate?"
"Of course we will co-operate." Adam smiled. Amanda and Kate stared at him in disbelief."
"I am glad..." James smiled. He slammed the door and clicked the padlock shut.
"What the hell are you doing?" Amanda snarled. "Of course we'll co-operate! What are you talking about? He wants to kill us!"
"Shut up!" Adam grabbed Amanda's shoulders. "Do you want to get out of here or not? What I'm going to suggest is a long shot but it might just work. . .." Adam whispered. Karen cowered in the corner of the room. "We will need your help. If you want a chance to get out of here."
"Why did he do that to me...? I brought you all to him... I did everything he wanted?"
"Haven't you worked it out yet?" Amanda shook her head.
"He told me he loved me?"
"Years ago he told me the same. It means nothing to him. He's a liar and a cheat. This could be your way out."
"But after all I did to you? You would help me?"
"We will all have to help ourselves, as a team."
"I am going to get back to London. I want you to deal with our guests quickly." James paused. "Just let me have a chance to say goodbye to them".
"You fancy her don't you?" The bodyguard laughed.
"No I don't and I suggest that you keep your comments to yourself. If you want to keep your job". James unlocked the door. "I just thought I would say a final farewell..." He stopped. "Where is he?"
"Who?" Amanda smiled.
"Your brother!" James collapsed as Adam leapt from the roof beams and smashed into James's chest. Amanda grabbed his gun. Two of the bodyguards stormed towards the door.
"Stay back!" Amanda held the gun in front of her. The men stepped back out of her way.
"Run!" Adam screamed, smashing through the front door and out onto the moor.
"Stop them!" James yelled. "No wait.... Get back here!"
"What are you doing?" The guard grabbed James's lapels. "We almost had them!"
"You don't seem to realise what they are running into. If you had bothered to read a map, you would see that we are on the edge of a huge bog. There is no way out for them. How fitting, locals drown in a bog. What a very clean way to get rid of all our problems in one go." He smiled. "Let’s go..."
"They aren't following us! Why the hell have they stopped?" Adam looked down. "No!"
"What's up?" Kate looked across to Adam.
"We're sinking! Don't you realise. . . They aren't following us because we've run right into a bog. . ."
"This is it. . ." Adam had sunk up to his waist. "I'm sorry Kate. . . Looks like we won't get married. . ."
"I love you Adam. . ." Kate smiled.
"Look shut up!" Amanda screamed. "We are all sinking fast, I'm up to my armpits and you are telling each other how much you love each other. . . You should be thinking how we get out of here!"
"We don't!" Adam snarled, "I thought that was simple. . . I really thought that, was simple." Tears glistened across his cheeks.
"Look stop arguing!" Kate shook her head. "This really is it. . ." She tried to struggle against the cold mud. "There's isn't anything we can do."
~~~