Kaylee groaned and sat up, coughing. She was in a HOT, dark room on a dirt floor. It reeked of dead bodies and Kaylee wondered what was in the corners she couldn't see. Her face hurt and she reached up her manacled to touch a growing bump on her right temple. She guessed it came from being thrown into the room. She was covered in dirt and it mixed with her sweat to make a muddy paste on her skin. As her eyes adjusted to the small amount of light from the window in the door, Kaylee noticed other things. There was a camera in the corner near the ceiling and a bucket under that with flies swarming around it. There was no other adornment to the room except for a pair of metal manacles on the wall like the kind on her wrists. She tried to free her hands, but the manacles were sharp and made her wrists bleed. She didn't want to cut any major veins so she stopped. Suddenly the door opened and Skylar and LeAnn came in, two men following them.
"Aunt Kaylee!" the kids said in unison.
"Aunt?" The first man said. "This isn't her!" As the 2 men argued, Kaylee whispered to Skylar.
"When I say run, take your sister and run to the hanger and the nearest plane. I'll be right behind you." He nodded.
"You said she would be at the Winner household and that she had blond hair. You know I'm colorblind El," Jeff said.
"Does that cause your stupidity too?" Ell grabbed a handful of Kaylee's hair and yanked up and back, making her wince. "This isn't blond!"
"RUN KIDS!" Kaylee yelled. Kaylee then swooped her legs under El, causing him to fall. Jeff staggered when she hit him over the head with her manacles. She took off out the door, seeing Skylar turning down a corridor she hoped led to the hanger. Alarms sounded and soldiers started firing at her, making her duck down a side hall and into a door way. Then the door opened and she fell back, looking up at Skylar's face.
"Is this one good?" he asked pointing to a private jet.
"Yes, get in." She said. Jeff and El came in, firing, as Kaylee and the kids were climbing the ladder to the plane. A bullet grazed Kaylee's arm and she fell.
"Stop firing you idiots! You may hit one of the kids." A man said from the door of the plane. He had a kid under each arm. They were struggling.
"Gomen boss." the 2 men said in unison. The 'boss' came down the steps but he stopped when he saw Kaylee.
"This isn't her."
"Well, uh, yes sir, but uh, you see, El here, he's uh, colorblind, and uh--" Jeff started to say.
"Shut up! I told you I wanted the mother. You can't even get a simple job right! I outs string both yous up!" El elbowed Jeff for trying to blame the problem on him.
"Why do you want this family?" Kaylee asked. El came over and yanked her up, causing her to wince when he grabbed her arm and lash out. But this time he was faster, and she found a gun to her temple.
"Why it's simple my dear. It's all about money and revenge. Your brother killed my brother. I thought while I got revenge, I might as well get a little money, too. The children's ransom would do nicely for my purposes. Think of all the MS's I could build with $20 million. Oz needs them to have their coming out party. I would have already killed the little brats and gotten my revenge. But Oz is demanding, and they treat me well. However, you were not part of the plan." the 'boss' glared at El and Jeff. "Take them back to their cells."
Kaylee's mind was reeling. Her brother...Robert...killed someone...revenge...money. Her soldier, protective instincts came flying back to her.
"Let them stay with me. Please."
"Yeah boss! Maybe the little brats will shut up!" Jeff said.
"Very well."