It was bitterly cold that Monday night. After all it was only February and the night frosts were hard. Nick Rowan left Ashfordly after a night shift at approximately ten past midnight. He was driving the station mini van not wanting to ride the motor bike home on icy roads.

The route from Ashfordly to Aidensfield took him across the moors. Not far from Aidensfield the road jinked sharp right across the railway bridge. Nick slowed and turned across the bridge and as he did so the van listed sharply to one side and he heard a rather horrible noise from the wheel. Dammit, a puncture. He could change it, there was a spare in the back but it was just the hassle.

He stopped just past the bridge and got out. The night air was sharp enough to take your breath away. He went to the back of the van to get the spare and as he did so casually glanced across over the parapet of the bridge. And stopped.

He moved nearer the parapet and leaned over. Down there, on the edge of the railway line in the woodlands owned by Lord Ashfordly. Tiny moving lights –torchlight?

He chewed his lip. Poachers, had to be. He thought for a moment then went back to the van leaning in at the passenger side and ferreted for the radio. Best to call it in?

But as he reached in for the radio he heard behind him a definite "click" and he froze knowing what that noise was. A safety catch being released on a shotgun.

"Put down the radio." The voice had a distinct Geordie accent. It was clear and authoritative. "Don't look round. Just step back and kneel down. Hands on your head."

Nick stepped back. Knelt. Hands on head as instructed. Time to grab for the radio? Not a chance he thought. And what good would it do? No one would get to him in time.

He knelt, waited. He heard the man's boots crunch on the frost as he stepped toward Nick. Then nothing. Nick couldn't stand it and half turned his head as the man's gun swung down and connected with his skull just above his eye. Nick went down heavily.

The man grunted and then looked round as three other men emerged from the woods behind him.

"Copper was coming past, punctured a tyre. Gets out to deal with it and notices your lights down there. So next thing he's about to radio in. I don't know mebbe he thought you were poachers." The man made sure the safety catch was back on the gun. "So next thing you know it would be extra coppers down here of a night for the next week or so. Which given we're meant to be robbing the mail train on Friday night would be a bit unfortunate for us wouldn't you say?"

One of the other men ashen faced said, "Hell, what were we out here for anyway? We didn't need another bloody run through for God's sake?"

The Geordie retorted, "Of course we did, man. The timings have got to be perfect you know that! Look we can't stand arguing here. Get him down that track into the woods whilst we work out what to do. Jim, get that tyre changed on that van, keep your gloves on and quick as you like, then, take it to the old quarry workings and leave it there. We can't have police searching round here for him. We'll pick you up when we've got a plan together. For Christ's sake don't be seen driving it."

Jimmy looked unhappy but got to work.

The other men carried Nick down the track into a clearing where their Land Rover stood. They put him down on the grass, on his side. The Geordie knelt next to the injured police constable and shone a torch on Nick noting the blood trickling down his face from the cut on his head. Next the Geordie put two fingers on Nick's neck feeling the pulse then saw that the constable's eyes were flickering and he tried to move a hand as if to put it to his head. The Geordie took his wrist, preventing him. Looking up he said, "Well boys, he's waking up. So if you've any ideas I'd come up with them now."

"We could finish him and bury him," one man said.

"Ah no." The Geordie spoke definitively. "No way Colin. I'm in it for robbing a train, giving someone a bang on the head if I have to but murder, no. Especially murdering a copper."

"I agree," the other man said.

"Well come up with an idea yourself why don't you Tony?" Colin snapped. He looked at the Geordie. "And you Matt. You're supposed to be our "leader" – he spat out the word. "Any great ideas?"

Tony said, "We could take him back with us. Keep him in the cellar of the house. And then rob the train as planned and arrange to fire the house but leave him outside in t'barn or summat. Someone'll find him when the house goes up."

"We'd have to be careful, like. Cover our faces when we deal with him," Matt said slowly.

"They'll search everywhere for him," Tony said

"Aye. But they won't be searching round here. Up at the quarry, mebbe. But they'll be engrossed with a missing bobby and leaving the field clear for us." Matt grinned. "I like the idea." He looked down as Nick groaned. "He's coming round fast. Quick get his tie off, and fasten his legs together with it. I'll handcuff him – give me a lift, Tony."

So they handcuffed Nick's hands behind his back and tied his legs together with his police tie. They took off his belt with his truncheon etc on it and tossed it casually in their Landrover. And then they hauled Nick into the back of the vehicle.

Tony and Colin jumped in the back with Nick and Matt got in the driving seat. From under their seats Tony and Colin took out balaclavas and put them on.

The Landy shot down the track out of the woods and back onto the road. And Nick came round properly with a groan and an almighty headache. Could feel something running down his face – blood? Wanted to wipe it away, couldn't move his hands and realised he was handcuffed and his feet were tied. Christ what was going on?

And then he saw a shadowy figure in a balaclava and brandishing a rifle leaning over him. It was Colin. "You don't speak, you don't move," he said to Nick. "Unless you want another bang on the head."

Nick whispered, "Who the hell are you – what's.."

Colin grabbed hold of his hair roughly forcing Nick's head back."Did you not hear what I said. No speaking! Shut it!"

He slammed Nick's head back down on the Landy floor. Nick got the message. He lay still trying to see, to gauge anything that might explain this.

The Landy slewed to a stop. Someone got in. A voice said, "He's awake. Say nothing."

The Land Rover set off again. Nick, disorientated and confused, could not gauge anything of who he was with, where the Rover was going or even how long he had been in the thing. And now it was stopping with a screech of brakes. The rear doors opening the men getting out. The one who'd threatened him turning back to Nick. "You keep quiet. We're only next to the van. Don't start anything."

They shut the van doors and locked them. Nick wasn't going to make it easy for them. He began to kick the doors ignoring the throbbing in his head. He had to fight back.

Next thing the doors opened again. "Right." Matt jumped in beside him and tied a scarf over Nick's eyes. "You're getting out and we're walking all right?"

"Where, what's going on?"

His questions were ignored. The scarf was tied over his eyes, the tie cut from round his legs. He was hauled out and half dragged, being held between Matt and Colin. "Up a step now." Nick did not know it but the Land Rover had pulled up outside a farmhouse once part of a lonely remote hill farm, in some state of dilapidation and disrepair having been uninhabited for some years. Nick was being hauled into the kitchen and at the back of the kitchen was an old wooden dresser. But Jimmy and Tony were moving this and hidden behind it was a door. They opened this and this showed a steep flight of concrete steps leading down to the cellar.

Nick was guided to this and then Matt said, "Steep stairs here, going down."

Nick jibbed. "No, what the hell's going on!"

"Look. Here's the deal," Matt spoke calmly but threateningly. "These steps are steep. You walk down them and let us guide you. Or we kick you down. Your choice."

Nick frightened of really hurting himself stopped fighting and allowed them to haul him down into the cellar. A pretty miserable place. Stone flagged, a grating inserted high into the wall which in daylight hours allowed a meagre amount of light. Round the wall at the bottom, a pipe for water perhaps? There was no lighting other than a powerful lamp set down on a box in a corner.

Nick was hauled over to a corner where a mattress had been placed. He was told to sit down. He reluctantly slid down the wall sitting on the mattress. The handcuffs were removed, the blindfold taken away. Nick silently looked at the four men all wearing balaclavas.

"What the hell is going on?" he spoke quietly trying not to show fear."You can't kidnap a copper. Have you any idea of the amount of people who'll be looking for me."

"They won't find you here. Take off your coat, jacket and boots." Matt rapped out the orders.

"What?"

"Look the rules are we tell you what to do and you do it. Or you will get hurt. We have a job to do and you have got in the way. So you need to stay with us. When we have finished our plans we will let you go or arrange for someone to find you. But you have to do as you're told if you want to get through this."

"What job? What plans?"

Matt sighed. "And that includes, asking no questions. So, coat and jacket?"

Reluctantly Nick gave up his heavy greatcoat and police jacket. Even more reluctantly he undid his boots. This cellar was freezing and he felt vulnerable in just shirt sleeves.

Tony left the cellar with Nick's things. Matt put the bracelet of one handcuff on Nick's left wrist. Colin ran a length of chain round the pipe and padlocked it onto the free bracelet of Nick's handcuffs. He could not move too much either way as the pipe was bracketed at close intervals and the chain would not go over these brackets. He could not stand either as the chain was not long enough for that.

"You can't do this! You're mad!" He looked up wildly as Tony came back and tossed a blanket at him.

"Right. We'll leave you to it." The men turned to leave.

"You can't do this! You can't leave me here! Christ!"

"We're up in the house. We'll make sure you're all right if you behave yourself. You behave yourself and you'll be out of here in a few days."

And the men left the cellar, turning out the lamp light leaving Nick in darkness, and locked the door at the top…..

Nick fought with the securing chain and handcuff. But he couldn't get loose. At first the adrenalin kept him going but as that wore off and the reality of his situation hit Nick realised he was in massive trouble. The cold for a start. It bit into his bones. He got the blanket round him but it barely touched the sides. He huddled up trying to conserve warmth. What the hell was he going to do? Who could find him here?