Double Bind by Kathryn Michaela Page B

factory room.
                When they opened the door and started to move out into the alleyway, Sarah pretended to be choking.   Instead of them lessening their grip, Valerie reached over and smacked Sarah in the back of the head.
                Sarah was starting to cry.   She couldn’t believe that everything had come to this.   She was going to be killed, and it wasn’t even her fault.   She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wondering if this was going to be the end of her.

    Chapter 9

                Suddenly there was the sound of a police siren, and flashing lights filled the alleyway.   Sarah gasped, struggling to see past her captors to the end of the street.   There was indeed an undercover car blocking the alley entrance, its lights lighting up the whole alley.   She watched as Valerie and the others ducked back into the building, leaving only the two thugs and Sarah out in the open.
                “Release the girl!” Rob’s familiar voice sounded over a loudspeaker.   “This is the police.”
                The two thugs looked at each other, and then at Sarah.   Unfortunately her hope that they would let her go fled almost as soon as it came.   Both tightened their grip and backed up toward the building. Sarah was sure that there must be another exit that they were heading for.   She struggled, trying to slow them down.
                “Stop!” Rob called again.   “This is the police, you are surrounded.   Let go of the girl and put your hands up.”
                The thugs didn’t even hesitate, but moved back into the building.   Too late a single bullet ricocheted off of the brick wall beside the door.   But the thugs were already in the building, and Sarah jumped in terror as a spray of brick hit her.   She cried out, but the thugs pulled her into the building and shut the door.
                Sarah was very close to panicking. She was a hostage to people who killed routinely for business.   She could hear the others moving through the dark factory, but couldn’t see them.   The two thugs continued to drag her after them as they moved deep into the factory.   Finally, Sarah realized that they were at the front door.   It had been padlocked on the inside, but Clive was easily slipping a key into the lock.   She was confused. It had looked boarded up from the outside.
                Yet, when Clive started to move the door, it moved.   Sarah started to panic, when another bullet whizzed through the air to strike the door.   “Don’t move!” Rob cried, and Sarah almost broke into tears from relief.   He stood in the far doorway, clearly showing his firearm aimed right at them.
                One of the thugs beside her reached for a holster at his hip, and Sarah shifted enough against the cloth to finally get a word out.   “Rob!   Move!”
                The thug jerked her back too fast for her to see if he listened to her, but when she managed to gain her footing again and look back, the door was swinging shut, and Rob was no longer to be seen.   She felt relieved.
                “Did you come alone, detective?” Valerie asked, her voice smooth as silk.   Sarah didn’t think it was fair.   She shouldn’t be the only one terrified for her life.
                Rob said nothing, which Sarah thought was wise.   But Valerie motioned and one of the thugs let go of her, disappearing into the dark room.   Sarah struggled to shout another warning, but Valerie was already speaking.   “Now this is truly turning out to be a tragic story.   The bold detective goes above and beyond to convict the ruthless bio-terrorist Sarah Gaul, only to be caught in her trap.   Sadly, in the ensuing gun-fight, both parties die in a blaze of glory.”
                Sarah started to look over at Valerie.   The woman sounded insane.   Sure, it made