Chapter 14

Susan Sellwood sat in the front seat of the car carrying her, Sophie and Kate and one of the men who had been involved in the abduction. They drove in silence. Sophie was not sure what was happening but she was sure of one thing, something had changed. She sat with Kate on her lap stroking the little girls hair gently. Suddenly the car slowed down and pulled off at the side of the road.

"Why are we stopping?" Sophie asked trying to keep her voice calm and even.

"Get out the car Mrs Ford." Susan said turning to face the back and holding a gun on the Grifter. The door opened next to Sophie and Susan motioned with the gun that she get out of the car.

Sophie alighted from the car still carrying her daughter, then she put Kate down and pushed the little girl behind her shielding her with her body.

"What…what is going on…what are you doing?" Sophie asked anxiously trying to see a way out of the situation.

"Well you see Mrs Ford…I'm tired of my life." Susan said smiling at the Grifter her eyes cold and hard and the smile not reaching them. "So I think I'll just take the new one my employer has arranged for you."

"Please…" Sophie said her voice holding all the fear she had for the safety of her daughter. "Please don't do this…we will go…you can take whatever you want, we will just disappear…"

"Well that won't work. You will go back home and then that crew you have will come after me…no I can't have that." Susan told her.

"No…no I promise…"

"Don't make this harder than it has to be Mrs Ford." Susan told her. "Just step away and let Kate come over here."

"What…" Sophie said, why, what were they going to do with her daughter.

"Kate…Katie darling come here to Aunty Susan…" Susan said holding her hand out to the little girl who peeked round her mothers' leg staring at the woman and shaking her head.

Susan sighed and motioned to the man to collect the child. Sophie moved forward to stop him but he slapped her sending her reeling and sprawling on the ground. Then he grabbed the girl up in his arms. Kate screamed out and cried for her mother but the man was too strong for the her to fight.

"Please…please don't hurt her…" Sophie said standing up and staggering forward.

"Oh…I have no intention of hurting her…" Susan told the distraught woman. "No she is too valuable for that…" She smiled evilly at Sophie.

"No…No please…" Sophie said storming Susan. Just before she reached the woman a gunshot sounded and Sophie was sent reeling backwards. Another shot rang out and Sophie spun around and then disappeared over the edge of the slope they were standing on.

"Mommy….Mommy…." Kate screamed out watching her mother fall over the edge she kicked and screamed hitting her little hands against the man holding her.

Susan walked to the edge and looked over. She could not see Sophie's body but presumed it had rolled down the slope and into the thick bushes below. She was sure the woman was dead, and even if she wasn't, she had two bullets in her and was going nowhere. She turned back to the little girl that was still fighting and screaming for her mother. Susan grabbed the child's arm squeezing it hard.

"Now Kate let's just be quiet ok because otherwise I might have to hurt you…" She said her voice hard and her eyes boring into Kate.

"You hurt my Mommy…" Kate shouted at the woman tears pouring from her eyes as much from her fear and the pain from Susan's hand wrapped around her arm.

"But I haven't hurt you…yet…" Susan said softly. "Now be a good girl and shut up."

"No…no you hurt my Mommy…you…" Kate's voice was cut off as the man wrapped his hand around her mouth. Kate tried to fight still but then she passed out from lack of oxygen.

"Don't kill her…" Susan warned the man who immediately pulled his hand away from Kate's face. "She's going to bring in a tidy sum to add to our new wealth…our new lives…" Susan said leaning forward and kissing the man passionately squeezing the little Kate's body between them. "Now put her in the car and let's go." Susan said stepping back and opening the back door of the car.

The man put the little girl on the back seat and then quickly moved to climb into the drivers' side. Susan climbed in and they set off down the road as if nothing had happened.

Sophie came to her senses a short while later her arm and shoulder were on fire. She felt the dried blood pull on the skin of her face and lifted her hand up, wincing as she felt the deep groove on her temple. She was momentarily disorientated but then the memory rushed back at her.

"Kate…Oh God Katie…" She said pushing herself up and ignoring the pain coming from the two bullet wounds she had suffered. Her clothes were covered with blood and dust. She looked up at the steep slope she had rolled down and set her jaw as she started to climb her way out of the hole she was in.

Sophie fought her way up the hill determined to get to the top and get help…she needed help…they had her daughter. She clawed her way up until she collapsed on the side of the road taking deep painful breaths as she fought for oxygen. She had no idea where she was. She knew they had not travelled long from the house and she knew the direction the house was in. It was getting dark now and she knew she had to go. She decided her best bet was to head back to the house and then take it from there. She had to get in touch with Eliot and the others. They would help her, they would get Kate back. Her mind was a blur as she staggered along the road. She was fighting the nausea and the pain. She closed her mind off and concentrated on one thing and one thing only, getting to the house and getting a message to Eliot. Sophie stumbled and fell sprawling out on the dirt road. Tears flooded her eyes as she thought for a minute she was not going to make it, she was not going to be able to save her daughter. Then she looked up and saw a large tree that she recognised. It had stood right at the bottom of their garden. She was here, only a few more steps and she would be at the house. She pushed herself to her feet and staggered onward until her bare feet felt the soft touch of the green grass of the garden. She saw the house and picked up her speed. She did not even think about finding anybody there, she didn't care, if she was caught and killed then so be it, she was desperate to get into the house and find something, anything she could to get to Eliot. She tried to remember if there were cars other than the one they had travelled in. She had not seen a phone but there could be one. Maybe they had left a mobile phone behind. All these thoughts ran through her mind as she pushed herself onwards. She collapsed at the bottom of the stairs. The loss of blood and the pain now starting to overwhelm her and drive her into the darkness that threatened to claim her. She shook her head and pulled herself painfully up the stairs and into the house. The study she thought…the study…she kept repeating to herself as she pulled herself up again and staggered through the doors of the study. The room was deserted. Sophie looked around the room desperately but saw no telephone. Falling to her knees Sophie let the tears flow…she had lost…there was nothing here…she fell forward lying flat on her stomach on the floor. Then her eye caught a glimpse of something and she suddenly had some hope. She crawled forward toward the object. It was a mobile phone dropped on the floor unheeded, probably undetected by the people rushing to pack and get out of the house. She grabbed the phone and dialled a number falling on her back as she held the phone to her ear.

"Yeah…" Eliot's gruff voice floated over the phone.

"Eliot…help…" Sophie whispered and then darkness claimed her, the phone clattering to the ground.

So now Susan has Kate and Sophie has been shot. What will Nate and the others do? What will Penelope do when all of this comes to light? Will they find Sophie before she succumbs to her wounds? Will they be able to find Susan and her partner before anything happens to Kate…? All your reviews are greatly appreciated.