"Drop it"

The stranger in the doorway indicates towards the metel piping.

"I said drop it"

Kane releases the metal bar from his grip and it clatters to the floor, echoing around the room eerily.

The three of them step outside the office into the larger storeroom.

"Good. Now both of you stand against that wall"

Kane and Rhys moved slowly in the direction of the wall, their eyes fixated on the barrel of the gun pointed towards them, moving from Kane to Rhys slowly, threateningly. They have a clear view of their enemy now. He is tall and muscular, his bleached hair definitive and instantly noticeable.

"What have we here? Two knights in shining armour? How admirable."

He smirked, his brown eyes glistening madly. Kane looked at him in anger, wanting to say what was on his mind, but too aware of the gun being waved in front of him.

"I wonder what Troy's going to make of all this."

"Where's my daughter?"

Rhys tried to sound confident and undeterred by the gun but the man he faced could obviously sense his fear, a brief look of amusement passing over his face. Rhys was fuming, hating himself for feeling so powerless. For being unable to help his daughter.

"This way."

The man, Jamie, cocked his gun at them, waving them along a corridor. Kane led the way and Rhys followed behind him, constantly aware of the gun being held inches from the back of his head.

"The room on the left."

Kane stopped and tried the handle. The door swung open. It was some kind of empty storeroom, only a few metres each way, with shelves lining the walls. He pauses reluactantly in the doorway.

Jamie shoved Rhys into Kane, who stepped uneasily inside. Rhys followed obediently and the door slammed shut behind them. Rhys turned and hurled his body weight at the sturdy door to no success.

CARAVAN PARK

Shelley and Jade are curled up on the sofa, waiting anxiously for news. Neither of them can sleep. Shelley had thought about calling the police several times but Rhys had told her not to. Dani was in bed. She had acted like she wasn't bothered, but underneath she was scared for her sister. Despite everything that had happened she couldn't bear the thought of Kirsty being in danger. Shelley had tried her best to hold herself together for her daughters. She had reassured Jade repeatedly that her twin would be fine but she couldn't convince herself. She knew kids like Kane. She met them all the time at the drop in centre. Violence and danger followed them about. And now Kirsty had got herself mixed up in it.

"I just wish we could get in touch with them"

Shelley wished that Rhys had spent their spare cash on a mobile phone instead of on a new car. Then at least she'd be able to call him and make sure he was alright.

"I don't suppose Kirsty keeps Kane's number lying about anywhere?"

Shelley wished that she had asked for the number when Rhys had called from his phone. She knew that Kirsty would have been careful about where she kept his number.

"Flynn might know it"

Shelley glances at the clock. 1:30. Flynn might be up

"It's worth a try I suppose"

"I'll go and see if he's in his van"

Jade gets up from her seat and Shelley passes her a reassuring smile as she leaves. After Jade has left the room, Shelley drops her head into her hands in despair. She felt alone without Rhys by her side. She needed his support through this. She couldn't hold the family together by herself.

......................

Jade enters through the back door with Flynn. Shelley tries her best to pull herself together and wipes away a tear from her cheek.

Flynn looked sympathetically at his colleague. She was normally so calm and controlled. He had heard most of the story from Jade.

"Have you got Kane's number?"

"Yeah."

Flynn hands her a piece of paper. He doesn't know what to say. Whay can you say? Flynn knew what sort of trouble lurked in Kane's background and Shelley was right to be worried for Kirsty. Kane's family had always been involved with violent types of people. People who would get what they wanted one way or another.

WAREHOUSE

Kane furiously presses buttons on his phone

"It's no good, there's no signal"

He walks around the room slowly, trying in vain to find a signal.

"Just keep trying"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Kane glares at Rhys. They are both at the end of their tethers with worry, anger and frustration.

"Hang on..."

Kane speaks with a glimmer of hope in his voice

"Is it working?"

"It says there's a call incoming"

He accepts the call and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

The other end of the line is fuzzy and inaudible. He takes a look at the display on the phone. The number isn't familiar. Rhys looms up behind him.

"That's the caravan park"

Rhys attempts to take the phone but Kane moves it away, putting the phone back to his ear.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

He screws up his face, listening in vain for a reply.

CARAVAN PARK

Shelley presses the phone to her ear, narrowing her eyes. She looks across at Jade's hopeful face

"There's someone there"

She shakes her head in confusion. She raises her voice

"Kane is that you? Where are you? Is Rhys there?"

The end of the line goes dead.

WAREHOUSE

"I've lost them"

Kane hangs up the phone in frustration.

"Try calling them back"

The door swings open and Jamie enters, followed closely by Troy. Jamie is a shorter man, but no less strong. He too brandishes a gun.

"Oh dear, did I tell you that we can't get a signal in this neck of the woods?"

He holds out a hand for the phone. Kane passes it to him, reluctantly.

"I thought we had a deal Phillips. The girl lived if you helped me out."

Kane didn't reply. There was a lump in his throat. For a moment he wished that he had done what he had been asked.

"Now what are we going to do with you?"

Kane looked at his smarmy face in anger. He wished it was Scott by his side right now and not Rhys. Scott would have know what to do. Despite all the beatings they had looked out for each other at times like this. They had been a team. Rhys was just stood there weakly, not knowing what to do. Not knowing what to say.

"Let Kirsty go and I'll do what you want"

Troy laughed

"I don't think you're in a position to be making demands

He glanced at his watch.

"Oh dear, it's getting late. I might have to call it a night."

"You're not going to leave us here overnight?"

"What else do you expct us to do? I'll be back in the morning. We'll see if we can come to an agreement then"

He twisted his revolved around in his hand before turning and ushering Jamie out of the door. He turned his head back to Kane.

"Night..."

The door thumped shut. An eery darkness fell on the room as the light from the hallway was shut out. The moonlight was no longer leaking in through the tiny window. Kane slumped to the floor below to the window, leaning against the single unshelved wall.

He looks up at Rhys. Through the murky darkness he can see Rhys' unpleasant look.

"I can't believe you got my daughter mixed up in this... if anything happens to her - "

Kane interrupts

"It's not me holding a gun to her head. I didn't choose for this to happen. I can't choose who - or what - my family are"

Kane was frustrated, the events of the past few hours running wildly through his mind. So much had happened. He couldn't come to terms with it all. And now he was trapped in a tiny room with a man who hated his guts, he was having a gun held to his head and Kirsty was in serious danger.

Rhys walked up and down the tiny room like a caged bull. His daughter was in trouble, he was trapped with his daughters rapist and was in serious danger of being shot himself. He wanted to lash out. At Kane. At anyone. But he knew it would only make the situation worse. Having to spend the night in the same room as Kane unfuriated him. He slumped down next to his rival against the wall. They glanced sideways at one another, exchanging a cold look.

CARAVAN PARK

Shelley dials out repeatedly to Kane's mobile to no success.

"I should probably get back to my van - do you want me to cover your shift tomorrow?"

Shelley smiled gratefully.

"Thanks Flynn"

Flynn exits and Jade tries to console her mother, who was close to breaking point. Shelley now knew how Rhys had felt when she and Kirsty were stuck out in the bush after the shipwreck. Why was it always Kirsty who managed to get into trouble? Jade had never been in as much trouble as Kirsty. It was sometimes impossible to tell they were twins. Jade was usually much more mature. Much more sensible. Shelley had to admit that in recent weeks, whilst Kirsty was seeing Kane behind their backs, she had grown up a lot.

.................................

WAREHOUSE

Kane and Rhys have spent several hours in the pitch dark, but their eyes have slowly adjusted to the lack of light. The night draws on. It's very early morning now. The cold stone floor and wall have numbed their bodies, freezing them into position. Kane has brought his knees into his body, hugging them in, trying to keep warm. A draft drifts in from the cracked window. Kane's mind ran slowly, painfully through the events of the past day. He wondered where Kirsty was. Whether she was as miserable as he was. Whether she was missing him as much as he was missing her. Maybe she was nearby. She might be in the next room and he wouldn't know it.

"You awake?"

"What do you think?"

Rhys reply was harsh, cutting through the silence like a knife. He was tired, hungry, uncomfortable and freezing. Every minute sat there wound him up more. He wanted to get out and find his daugther. Take her home. Keep her safe. But he couldn't even escape from this one room. He couldn't defend himself, let alone his daughter.

"Not exactly five star accommodation is it?"

His attempt to make conversation is thrown back in his face.

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you"

"You chose to come with me. If it was down to me I'd have left you back in Summer Bay"

"And you could have done this by yourself?"

"You didn't exactly help."

"What did you expect me to do? Walk up to the guy and take the gun out of his hand"

"You could have kept an eye out for anyone coming - like I asked you to"

"I don't answer to you. She's my daughter and as far as I'm concerned you have no right to be here let alone boss me about"

"Funnily enough, I only asked you to keep a lookout because it was in both of our interests - not because I was looking to get one over on you"

"I wish you had never crossed paths with my family. You've destroyed us. First you ruin Dani's life. Then you come back a year later to twist the knife. Then, to top it all you try and drive Kirsty away from her family and at the same time get her involved in your family's dangerous games."

"I didn't want Kirsty getting caught up in this. And whatever you may think of me I care about her."

"You've got a funny way of showing it"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kane climbs to his feet and Rhys follows suit.

"It means that if you cared at all you would do what's best for her and leave her alone. She deserves more than you can ever offer"

Both men are wound up now. Their voices are raised in anger.

"I've always tried to do the right thing by Kirsty and don't you dare try and imply anything else"

"Do you think I'm stupid? The right thing would have been for you to let her be happy and safe with her family"

"She was happy with me"

"Don't make me laugh. Is this what you call happy? Being kidnapped by some psycho? And as for you - you're no more than a sick rapist"

Kane lunged forward and grabbed hold of Rhys' shirt. He knew what he was. He knew what he had done. He had spent weeks after the mediation with Dani running things through in his mind. Coming to terms with what he was. He had refused to notice it at the time.

Rhys also grabbed hold of Kane's shirt and the pair glare at each other through the near darkness, breathing heavily.

"I have spent the past year trying to rebuild a life for myself. Have you any idea how it feels to have everyone around you hating you. Refusing to talk to you. Never to have any friends. Anyone to talk to when you're feeling down. To have everyone stare at you in disgust, judge you before they've even spoken to you. All I've wanted is a second chance. A chance to prove that I've changed. Kirsty is the only one who has listened to me since. The only person who I can really talk to. She means a lot to me"

Rhys loosened his grip on Kane's shirt. His temper was more under control now. He swallowed and tried to steady his voice.

"You deserved everything you got. You can't have expected anything else after what you did"

"All I'm asking for is a second chance to prove myself. I genuinely care about Kirsty. I don't want to see her get hurt and I have no intention of hurting her."

Rhys flung Kane aside and slumped back down against the wall, attempting again to get some sleep. His head spinning. Kane stared down at him. Was this a good sign? Had anything he had said registered with Rhys? Only time would tell. In the distance, Kane and Rhys hear a gunshot. Rhys' eyes snap open. They glance at each other, an identical look of distress in their eyes.