2nd chances

Chapter 10: I'm really scared now

(In Jo's point of view)

As I was pulled into the car, I didn't know what was happening to me. While I was lying across the back seat of the car, I thought I knew these two voices, but I wasn't sure. I made to say something to them, but quickly changed my mind, not wanting to risk it. You know, I am so glad that Parker had giving me Penny's compact. She did tell me that there was a tracking device on it, so there is a good chance that I will get rescued. I have to hang onto the thought that Virgil would do anything to get me back, he had promised he wasn't letting me go again, after all. Although I'm sure this was not what he had in mind when he made that particular promise.

Before long, I felt the car come to a stop and the back door opening.

"Come on, you let's get you into this warehouse," the first man snarled. As the kidnapper leans into the car to get me, the other one takes to the other side of the car. I backed away from them feeling really scared of what was going to happen now. I wish I didn't know these guys, for I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about them. My senses were screaming at me that I knew them from somewhere, but my brain was far from working properly in order to pay attention. I had no idea what they wanted with me. One thing I know for sure is if they knew about my little girl then I knew that she was at risk too!

"What do you want with me? I am just a normal member of the public here." I said as I was really worried and scared about this whole thing. And wondering if I was going to see Robyn again. I didn't know what Virgil would do if there was the chance that I wasn't going to get out of this. I knew it was negative thinking and that it wouldn't help anyone, but still, I couldn't stop thinking about my daughter. It had been hard enough with Robyn on my own, but I had no idea what Virgil would do. He had promised he would never leave me, but did that extend to our daughter?

"You are not just any member of the public. You know Virgil Tracy." It was the second man that spoke this time. His voice was really deep, but there was a sense of uncertainty underlying it. I think he is scared about what the other one is going to do to him, if he doesn't do as he says. The first man clearly was meaning business. I am really glad that Robyn was in bed when Virgil decided that he was taking me out for dinner. I don't think that I want to know what they would do to a 5 year old girl if they find out that Virgil is her father, especially not if they had taken me just because they thought I was friendly with him.

"How do you know?" I asked sharply because I wanted to catch them off guard. I was really trying to pretend that they were wrong about me, that they had the wrong person. I had to admit; I was starting to wonder if they had started to follow me this whole time just so that they could plan this was an unnerving thought, one that instantly sent shudders down my spine.

"It's simple. We were at the high school reunion a couple of nights ago and noticed that you spent most the night talking to him." I started wondering what they had against Virgil. So far as I know Virgil has never done anything on them or anyone I know of. But yet they kept bringing the conversation back to him.

"So? I was just catching up with him." Lifting my head slightly, I stared directly at the man who had spoken, looking straight into his eyes, as if daring him to question what I had been up too with Virgil. Considering the secrets he had been hiding, not to mention his name, I certainly didn't want them figuring out just how close I was to him, not until I knew what they wanted.

"It's not us that want you, it's our boss and maybe he might let us have some fun with you too." said the first kidnapper.

"So you better behave because we are getting paid a good penny for doing this too." I knew from the sounds of their voices that the kidnappers were British. And they were somehow working for someone because no one can plan a kidnap plot on their own, not these two, anyway. The way they were behaving showed that they didn't truly know what they were supposed to be doing with me; they had no further idea why I was the target than I did, not really. I could see it in their eyes. This, however, had clearly had some thought go into it, especially if they were after someone they considered to be close to Virgil.

Throwing me into a wide open room, the two of them smirked cruelly when I hit the floor, hard. Twisting around the best I could, I stared back up at them in fear. I had to admit, I found that I was also angry at them for treating me like rag doll by throwing me like that.

"You are going to stay here for 2 days until our boss comes to pick you up."

"You're going to leave me?" I replied, hoping the kidnappers would somehow let me go. Or somehow give me the chance to escape, whilst they were not looking. But I didn't think that was going to happen any time soon. I honestly didn't know if I had the strength left in me to try and escape, especially not if these two weren't going as far as I would like to think.

"Yes we are, you'll see us with our boss in a couple of days."

The kidnappers left and I was in alone. They had locked me in so I wouldn't get out. It was so dark in this place I had to feel a round for Penny's compact; once I had found it I hit the panic button, half wondering what exactly it did. It was my only hope at the moment; I hope Penny had been serious when she said that it had saved her from more than one tricky situation. But I dismissed the thought as soon as it had come. Of course Penny was serious, she would not say something like that otherwise, it wasn't her style. Especially not when she was giving it to me in order to keep me save. I could only trust in the technology in the way she clearly did.

I can't deny I am really scared now. What if I didn't see my little girl anymore or what if I didn't see Virgil again? That would kill me alone. Ever since I've seen Virgil again, I couldn't help but feel as if I had falling for Virgil again after all these years. . My little Robyn is so happy now to have her daddy in her life. I still can't believe that Robyn had asked Virgil to put her to bed tonight. You know for a five year old, she is really good about going to bed because she never kicks up a fuss about bedtime. This is the first time that I have been away from Robyn this long. Robyn will know that something is wrong because I have been away from her now for just over 3 hours now.

So lost in thought was I, that when Penny's compact suddenly let out a shrill beeping sound, I must have jumped about a foot in the air. The roof of my mouth going dry, I stared at it dumbfounded for a moment, before hesitantly reaching out a hand and flipping it open.

"Hello?" My voice came out as barely more than a whisper, but even to myself, I sounded silly. I had every faith in my older sister, that was for sure, but even so, talking into a mirror? One thing I was not expecting, however, was for a voice to practically immediately answer me.

"Hi. Are you ok? Are you hurt?" I couldn't deny it, I jumped again. But also found that I almost cried out loud with relief. Somewhere was there; Penny really had meant what she had told me about the mirror. And with the knowledge that I wasn't as alone as the kidnappers wanted me to feel, another wave of emotions crashed over me, relief being the most dominant.

"Who is this?" I replied, recovering slightly from the shock. I certainly wouldn't have expected such a small thing to be so loud.

"Sorry if I scared you. I'm Virgil's younger brother, John."

"Oh that's ok, Virgil told me about you." I replied, my voice starting to regain a little of its strength as that information crashed over me. Virgil certainly had told me about his family in great detail, and after seeing him and Scott together at the reunion, I was almost certain that the bonds between them all were as strong as the ones he had described whilst we were still at school. Here is the thing though; I don't know if John knows that Virgil had told me about IR or that he knows about Virgil being my little girl's dad? I'm sure he would know that I was connected to Penny in some way, even if he didn't know the true extent of our relationship. After all, where else would I have got her mirror from and know how to use it?

"Are you up to answering a couple of questions?" John asked, his quiet tones giving me a confidence that I wouldn't have otherwise expected considering the situation we were in. It was at this moment I fully appreciated quite what Virgil had told me. He was in the rescue business, the whole family was. And listening to John's soothing voice, I knew why they were so good.

"Yeah, I can try."

"Good girl. Are your kidnappers with you now?"

"No, they said that they will be back with their boss in two days time."

"Where are you now?"

"I am in some warehouse now and I have been locked in." I replied

"You mean they just left you there?" The incredulity in John's voice did nothing to help my already racing heart.

"Yeah," my voice must have given away quite how scared I was feeling, because John immediately made some sort of soothing noise, before turning professional again.

"Can you hold on a sec while I give Virgil a call and let him know that I have contacted you?"

"Yeah, and thanks." I could only hope that he could hear the depth of my gratitude over the tiny mirror, for I was not sure how else I could express myself without breaking down completely. It was proving to be more of a struggle than I thought to keep the lid of my emotions. I knew losing control would get me nowhere, but at the moment, that is all that I wanted to do.

"No problem, Jo." I am really surprised that John is going to call Virgil up because I don't think that John knows that Virgil had told me about IR. I don't remember meeting John when I was younger so I didn't know what John looked like or anything. But I knew one thing. That John must be good at his job if he is reassuring me that everything was going to be fine.

"You've fallen for the wrong brother, girl." I muttered softly to myself as the mirror fell silent, attempting to navigate myself into a more comfortable position on the cold floor. Letting out a shaky laugh that quickly turned into a sob, I pressed the back of my hand against my mouth, attempting to regain control. My attempts at trying to keep myself thinking positive clearly were not working. Besides, despite attempting to lighten my situation in any way I possibly could, I knew for a fact that my heart totally belonged to another.

Bearing in mind this was the very first time that I have spoken to John, I couldn't help but think that he sounded really nice. If – no, when, I got out of here, I would definitely be looking forward to meeting him.

For a while, I simply sat on the cold floor, my mind trying to process what was going on, my thoughts mainly drifting back to my daughter. Thinking over what had happened, I found myself dwelling on something the kidnappers had said. They had said that they had seen us at the school reunion. But what were people like that doing there?

It was only then I realised who these two kidnappers were. It was the two bullies that we came across every time we went for break and lunch times together, back at school. No wonder they had come, they were part of our school crowd from back then. They were always trying to push me around whenever I was on my own, without Virgil. I was a year below Virgil and these two bullies were in Virgil's year. It had got to a point where I couldn't go to school on my own so Virg had offered to walk to school and back home again, his way of protecting me. Even back then, he was a hero. I knew now that the men were still the same – it was still the same one giving the orders, and the same one taking them without question, no matter what the consequence. It was only the small chance that Virgil was going to turn up at the reunion that had made me go, even despite Penny's constant pleading with me to catch up with people my own age. If I hadn't been desperate to see him again, to tell him about his daughter, I certainly would have never been able to pluck up the courage to go. Virgil was the only happy memory I had of the school days.

I know one thing for sure, however. If we get though this, I want Virgil to marry me as soon as he can. I love him so much. I can't imagine my life without him now. I knew that he was going to be beyond mad when he finds out who is behind this, and I have to admit, I don't know what he would do. It was something that I found terrified me, the thought that he would try and do something reckless in order to make them pay. I couldn't lose him again, not now. And considering they had said something about coming after me because I knew him, I had a horrible feeling I wasn't the target here. He was.

CAN I JUST SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO MY BETA READER to Loopstagirl WHO HELPED ME OUT SO MUCH WITH THIS CHAPTER, AN: THIS WAS SUCH A HARD CHAPTER TO WRITE FOR ME SO ENJOY ALL.