CHAPTER 7: Friday Morning

Maggie and Zoe had lost all track of time. At least the hoods had not been replaced so they were able to look at each other. A single light outside a high window was their only illumination. They went over every detail that had happened and tried to guess what the outcome would be. In an attempt to keep their spirits up, Maggie gave the masked men names, Freak Show and Silent Guy. They told more stories from their lives, but it became harder and harder to talk as their voices grew horse and dry. Their muscles screamed from lack of movement. Exhausted and in pain they each dozed on and off, never staying asleep for long. Maggie was awake when she heard what she thought was a car. She woke Zoe.

"Zoe, wake up, someone's coming. I'm going to try to get them to let me go to the bathroom. With my hands free maybe I can get help."

The two masked men walked into the dimly lit room. When they flipped on the light both Maggie and Zoe flinched at the intensity. The man they had named Freak Show laughed. He was carrying coffee and a paper bag. The smell from the bag was nauseating it was so delicious.

"Hungry?" Freak Show said.

Maggie nodded, swallowing.

"Good." He laughed. He crossed to the table and sat down, pulling a pastry from the bag. His silent partner joined him and they started to eat.

"Hey, I need to go to the bathroom," Maggie croaked.

"Then go, I'm not stopping you," Freak Show snickered.

"Alright, if you really want to smell it while you're eating."

He looked up and motioned to his crony. "Go in with her."

Maggie blanched at the thought, but she knew it might be her only chance.

Silent Guy cut her tape and dragged her to her feet. She almost collapsed from the pain of her stagnant muscles. She shuffled slowly to the bathroom bent over from the stiffness, Silent Guy, pastry in hand, shoving her along. It was a filthy room with hardly enough space for both of them. Silent Guy didn't bother to shut the door.

"Turn your back. I won't be able go unless you turn your back," Maggie whined.

Silent Guy snorted and took a bite of his pastry. She just stared at him. He sighed and turned his back partially to her and focused on his pastry. It would have to do. To disguise any possible noise, she turned on the water in the sink. As she pulled her pants down she reached into her pocket and felt for her phone. Pulling it out, she held it down by her side, away from Silent Guy, and turned the phone volume all the way down. She then punched the speed dial for Bianca. She was watching the phone connect when Silent Guy turned around. He slapped the running water off. Phone hidden at her side, she leaned down to pull up her pants laying the phone on the ground behind the toilet. Silent Guy yanked her out of the bathroom and dragged her to her chair.

As Silent Guy was taping her to the chair, Freak Show said. "Here's what going to happen. We are going to take a picture of you as a proof of life. Then we are going to kill one of you. Call it 'proof of death'," he sniggered. Silent Guy snorted.

"Here's the fun part; we are going to let you pick who's going to die. You have ten minutes to decide." With that Freak Show got up and walked out of the building, Silent Guy following him.

Zoe and Maggie sat staring at each other for a moment.

"Does he mean it?" Zoe whispered.

"He's playing with us. But I think he means to kill one or both of us." Maggie didn't bother to whisper.

"Did you get to use the cell phone?" Zoe whispered.

"I dialed Bianca and saw it ringing. With any luck she got the call and maybe it can be traced. I had to leave it in the bathroom, but I didn't hang up." Maggie whispered back with confidence she didn't feel.

"Please, let it work," Zoe wished out loud.

"Listen Zoe, if they are going to kill someone it should be me," Maggie said with resolve.


About 3 am, Bianca laid down on the couch in her office. The men had left her alone several hours earlier, promising they would let her know anything immediately. She hadn't expected to sleep but she was exhausted.

A nightmare woke her. It was the same nightmare she had anytime she felt out of control or in danger. It was of the man who had raped her, the man who was the father of her child, the man who had the same name as her company, Cambias. Gasping awake, she sat up and tried to still her heart. She hadn't had one of these nightmares for months. She thought she was over them. As she sat there easing her breath, she thought about all the times Maggie had been there to hold her when she woke from this horrible dream. A world without Maggie was unfathomable. She needed Maggie in her life. How could Bianca have forgotten? Yes, Maggie had caused her pain but she had also been through hell with her and enabled her to survive. Maggie had to come back to her!

And her Zoe, with her great soul, she couldn't fathom losing her either. Zoe brought joy to her life when she needed. Zoe had so much more to give the world.

Brushing her hands through her hair, Bianca rose to her feet and checked the time. It was two more hours till 9 am. She called Robert Prideux. He answered on the first ring. He had no new developments, but he and Jean-Michael Benoit were on the way. When they walked into her office it was obvious neither had slept. The money was ready to transfer and all security and emergency personnel were ready to move the minute they learned of the hostage's locations. They were re-checking the details and going over the possible scenarios when Bianca's cell phone rang. She recognized the ring immediately. Her heart jumped. She rushed to pick it up.

"MAGGIE!" There was no reply. "Maggie?" Again no reply. She looked up at the men in the room. "It's her cell but no one is on the line. Maggie are you there?" Bianca said desperately.

"Don't hang up!" Both men said almost simultaneously. Benoit was on his own cell phone instantly. "Trace Maggie Stone's phone immediately." He repeated her number.

Prideux said, "If her cell is with her, we've got her now."

Bianca held the phone and just stared at it as the minutes ticked away on it. She prayed silently, "Please let it be her" over and over again.


"If they are going to kill someone it should be me," Maggie repeated.

"Don't be absolutely ridicules. Why would you think that?" Zoe said incredulously.

"For Bianca," Maggie said steadily.

"That's even more ridicules, Bianca doesn't want you dead any more than she wants me dead."

"Here me out. I don't want to die either. But, I'm not a part of Bianca life and you are. She has chosen you over me. You are the one that makes her happy. I can't see her hurt anymore. I can't live with that. I can barely live with the pain I have already caused her. So, if I can give her a 'happy-ever-after' then I want to do it."

For the first time since they found themselves in this horrific situation there were tears in Maggie's eyes. "If we get to choose who survives and who doesn't, I choose you to survive."

"Oh no, don't you do that to me. You stay alive to fight for her. I want to take you in a fair fight." Zoe was outraged.

If the situation wasn't so terrible Maggie would have laughed. "Listen to you. What makes you think either one of us will be alive when this is over?"

The fight went out of Zoe with that thought. "Maggie, you don't have to die to make Bianca happy."

"I'm not dying to make her happy; I hope I'm allowing you to live. That is what will make her happy. My life is not much without her anyway. "

"Your death would destroy her," Zoe said knowing it in her heart.

"I know she will be sad because she is Bianca and she cares for everyone. But Zoe, she hasn't forgiven me for what I did to her. Maybe she never will. I can't even forgive myself. It's like I see the pain I caused every time I look in her eyes. I would give my life to see her happy, even if it's not me that makes her so. You make her happy." Tears streamed down Maggie's face. Her crying made her voice hoarser.

"Maggie, we both have to live to make Bianca happy." She watched Maggie try to regain control of her tears.

"Maybe we will, I hope so. Believe me, I don't want to die. But if it comes down to you or me, then it has to be me," Maggie argued.

"Don't give up, Maggie. You're the strong one. We'll get out of this."

"You're a good person, Zoe. I know that now. Maybe you could tell Bianca how sorry I am. Would you tell them I love them?" Maggie sniffled.

"Of course I will, though I think you should tell them yourself, little drama queen," Zoe said gently.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself."

"What? Are you kidnapped and close to death or something?" Zoe said sarcastically.

With that, Maggie actually laughed though it hurt her dry throat.

"You know Bianca loves you, don't you?" Zoe ask tenderly.

"I know she did. And I know I screwed it up. I was just so scared," Maggie admitted.

"Scared? Scared of what?"

"I was so happy and the thought of it ending scared me. I was scared I wasn't good enough for Bianca. Scared she'd leave me."

"Why would you think she'd leave you?" Zoe pressed Maggie.

"Look at her. Look at me. Nobody ever stays with me. It didn't seem to matter with the others, but the thought of Bianca leaving tore me apart."

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"I tried, but she was so busy with work and Miranda. She would reassure me, of course, but it was like she wasn't really listening. It started to feel like I was being overly needy. She had all those people around her including her family and I only had her and Miranda. I'm sorry; I shouldn't be talking about this now. Talk about the wrong time and place, not to mention the wrong person!"

"No, I'm glad you told me. Since its confession time, I thought you were selfish and stupid. Who would cheat on such a wonderful person?" Zoe said ruefully.

"You made that pretty clear."

"But I wasn't giving Bianca enough credit. She would never love someone who wasn't special. You are special, Maggie. I see that."

"Yeah, tell me that if we live through this." Maggie said sardonically.

"I mean it. And I'll tell Bianca what you are willing to do."

Maggie was horrified. "No, she doesn't need to know about this. I won't be a martyr in her eyes. That's not what this is about. I won't hurt Bianca again. Hurting her is worse than losing her. You are right, I was selfish and stupid. I won't be anymore. Please promise you won't tell her, no matter what happens," Maggie said desperately.

Before Zoe could answer, the door to the warehouse slammed open and the two masked men walked back in. Freak Show had a newspaper tucked under his arm. He walked over to Maggie and cut the tape on one of her hands. "Hold this up." He handed her the newspaper. Silent Guy took a photo with a cell phone camera. They repeated the 'proof of life' photo with Zoe.

"Now, who wants to die today?" Freak Show said pulling out his gun.

"Why?" Maggie angrily asked.

"You don't need to know," Freak Show scoffed.

"It's going to be me, so I have the right to know. Why?" Defiance shone in her eyes.

"Maggie," Zoe cautioned. Was she deliberately trying to provoke them?

Freak Show walked over to her and put the gun to her head. She blinked once and that was it. "She is magnificently fearless," Zoe thought.

"You're going to die to prove we mean business."

Silent Guy spoke for the first time. "She's got guts. Let's kill the freak instead. He's the one that's scared."

Freak Show turned and looked at Zoe. "I agree," he said calmly as if he were making a business decision. He walked over to Zoe.

Maggie thought desperately for what to say. It wasn't supposed to be Zoe; Bianca would be devastated. "Stupid," she said under her breath.

"What?" Freak Show had heard her.

"You're going to kill an international rock star. They are never going to stop looking for you. Plus, if you want a ransom he is the one with the money," Maggie said insolently. "I'm sorry Zarf. I had to tell them," she added using Zoe's more famous persona.

"Zarf? Yeah, yeah! I thought this guy looked familiar. He's gotta be worth some bucks." Silent Guy spoke his second sentence of the day.

Freak Show looked at Zoe then turned toward Maggie and fired.