hidden behind a picture in his dining room, he took out two large briefcases filled with cash. On top of them was a worn black book. The book contained all the details of the others like him and was invaluable. Putting the book inside his jacket, he looked around. There was so much here that he should dispose of but he just didn’t have time. No matter; there was nothing he could do to hide it any more. He grabbed the cases and stepped outside.
“The trucks are all loaded ,” Clay told him, coming out from the nearest barn. “What do you want us to do with the woman?” He thought about it for a moment. He hadn’t had time to deal with her yet and he didn’t want to take her with them.
“Leave her and the boy behind.” It was because of them that all this had happened. He would leave them where they wouldn’t be found and when they were, it would be too late. The thought of the death that awaited them made him smile.
“Yes , boss,” Clay replied before trotting back over to the barn.
***
Something was going on. “What’s happening?” Kat tried to get an answer from the men who were roughly removing the other boys from their cells. “Where are you taking them?” But they just ignored her. Gripping the bars of her cell, she screamed at them. “Leave them alone!” But they took no notice. The boys were mostly silent, doing as they were told and following the men meekly. She expected them to come for her and for Daniel, but as one after the other of the boys was removed and no one approached their cells she started to fear the worst. As the last boy was led out, the room was suddenly plunged into complete darkness as the light was switched off, the only light now coming from the still open door.
“Wait! Come back! You can’t just leave us here!” she screamed at the top of her lungs , but to no avail. Despairingly, she watched as the light from the door finally disappeared as it was closed with a resounding clank.
Her own breathing was heavy in her ears in the silence that followed. Feeling her way, she went to the bars that separated her cell from Daniel ’s. She could hear him sniffling in the darkness and called out to him.
“Daniel, honey, it ’s okay.” She heard him move closer to her and felt his hand reach for her through the bars. “We’ll get out of here, I promise.” She was confused. Where had they all gone? “Daniel, has this ever happened before, where they’ve taken you all out at the same time?”
“No, they only ever take the ones that are fighting ,” he whispered, the tremble in his voice giving away how much this worried him.
“ Okay. I know it’s hard, but try not to worry. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.” Though she was trying to convince Daniel, she didn’t believe it for a second herself. Something had happened, something that was making them run, and she clung to the hope that the police were getting close. She’d not given a thought to oxygen before, as the constantly opening and closing door from the room that was linked to the outside replenished their supply. But now, without that, how long did they have? She didn’t know but she did know that the police had better hurry. If it wasn’t the lack of oxygen, it would be the lack of water that killed them. Either way, she knew for certain that one of them would.
T hirty
He’d hoped to have some news for her by now but he had nothing. As Finn followed Jamie into her kitchen and faced her, he could tell she hadn’t slept. Her eyes were swollen from crying and they were ringed with dark circles.
“I’m sorry , Jamie. We’re doing everything we can but there’s no sign of them yet.”
“You must have something to go on!”
“We’ve had a couple of leads from some surveillance footage that we’re following up, but so far we’ve drawn a blank.”
“Well , they can’t have just vanished. They’ve got to be out there somewhere.” Tears were spilling out of her eyes now.
“And I
“The trucks are all loaded ,” Clay told him, coming out from the nearest barn. “What do you want us to do with the woman?” He thought about it for a moment. He hadn’t had time to deal with her yet and he didn’t want to take her with them.
“Leave her and the boy behind.” It was because of them that all this had happened. He would leave them where they wouldn’t be found and when they were, it would be too late. The thought of the death that awaited them made him smile.
“Yes , boss,” Clay replied before trotting back over to the barn.
***
Something was going on. “What’s happening?” Kat tried to get an answer from the men who were roughly removing the other boys from their cells. “Where are you taking them?” But they just ignored her. Gripping the bars of her cell, she screamed at them. “Leave them alone!” But they took no notice. The boys were mostly silent, doing as they were told and following the men meekly. She expected them to come for her and for Daniel, but as one after the other of the boys was removed and no one approached their cells she started to fear the worst. As the last boy was led out, the room was suddenly plunged into complete darkness as the light was switched off, the only light now coming from the still open door.
“Wait! Come back! You can’t just leave us here!” she screamed at the top of her lungs , but to no avail. Despairingly, she watched as the light from the door finally disappeared as it was closed with a resounding clank.
Her own breathing was heavy in her ears in the silence that followed. Feeling her way, she went to the bars that separated her cell from Daniel ’s. She could hear him sniffling in the darkness and called out to him.
“Daniel, honey, it ’s okay.” She heard him move closer to her and felt his hand reach for her through the bars. “We’ll get out of here, I promise.” She was confused. Where had they all gone? “Daniel, has this ever happened before, where they’ve taken you all out at the same time?”
“No, they only ever take the ones that are fighting ,” he whispered, the tremble in his voice giving away how much this worried him.
“ Okay. I know it’s hard, but try not to worry. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.” Though she was trying to convince Daniel, she didn’t believe it for a second herself. Something had happened, something that was making them run, and she clung to the hope that the police were getting close. She’d not given a thought to oxygen before, as the constantly opening and closing door from the room that was linked to the outside replenished their supply. But now, without that, how long did they have? She didn’t know but she did know that the police had better hurry. If it wasn’t the lack of oxygen, it would be the lack of water that killed them. Either way, she knew for certain that one of them would.
T hirty
He’d hoped to have some news for her by now but he had nothing. As Finn followed Jamie into her kitchen and faced her, he could tell she hadn’t slept. Her eyes were swollen from crying and they were ringed with dark circles.
“I’m sorry , Jamie. We’re doing everything we can but there’s no sign of them yet.”
“You must have something to go on!”
“We’ve had a couple of leads from some surveillance footage that we’re following up, but so far we’ve drawn a blank.”
“Well , they can’t have just vanished. They’ve got to be out there somewhere.” Tears were spilling out of her eyes now.
“And I
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