Chapter 40

Memories and fear waged war as I tried to open my eyes. Memories of being attacked in the room at that hotel and then the total panic that I'd felt when I couldn't move properly. I kept my eyes shut so afraid of what I would see, what I couldn't see wasn't real, right? At least now it felt as though I wasn't being bounced around inside a box and the smell and heat that had engulfed me seemed to have gone. That had been a real fear, trapped inside a box. I know that my heart had gone into overdrive along with my breathing and that along with the absolute fear had made the whole experience feel surreal now.

I felt like shit, my head was thumping, and my stomach was rolling with the threat of ejecting everything inside it. Another reason not to move or open my eyes, though at some stage I knew I'd have to face where I was and who had me. I moved my leg hoping that maybe I could stretch it out because if I could do that then maybe I wasn't inside that box anymore. My muscles ached but as I stretched my leg, I didn't hit the end of the box. Maybe, just maybe I wasn't in it anymore, though what I was laid on seemed just as hard and solid.

That was when I felt it, something against my cheek. It seemed soft and warm, but the touch had me reflexively moving away and opening my eyes. That was a mistake as the blurred image in front of me began to spin with the result of my stomach cramping and vile tasting liquid shooting up my throat. I'm sure I was moaning and possibly coughing as the sick went up my nose. Was I lifted up, maybe, but I didn't have the strength to resist, and to be honest it did stop the dry heaving, something that was a very welcome relief. Water at my lips felt cool and fresh making me realize how thirsty I was but however I was getting the water wouldn't let me drink it quickly.

"Slow up or you'll be sick again"

That had me opening my eyes and seeing the blonde guy squatted down in front of me, the glare from a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling making his features seem macabre. One of his arms was supporting me around my shoulders while he held a bottle of water to my mouth. I flinched and was quick to move away from him, but his arm was firmly holding onto me.

"I aint gonna hurt you. The boss doesn't want you to be ill"

I was surprised with what he'd said and to be honest worried. What the hell did his boss want with me and what did he mean when he'd said that his boss doesn't want me to be ill. They were the ones responsible for how I was feeling.

I watched as he placed the bottle of water onto the floor and as he walked away from me. It was the first time that I'd actually taken notice of where I was. Looking ahead of me I was faced with the reality of where I was. I dank, dull cold room. Well not a room, more like a cellar or prison cell. Dark grey concrete walls were all that I could see that merged with the dark grey concrete floor. I was sat on a dirty mattress that looked to be stuffed with something, or at least it didn't feel like a modern mattress with springs inside.

I heard the door close and then the sound of a bolt sliding so knew that I was locked in here. Looking around there were no windows, no way out other than through that door. I pulled my knees up to my chest and held them there with my arms as I went through what I knew and what I wanted to know. The boss, was obviously someone I had yet to meet, so who was he and what did he want with me? Were the others here as well or just me? And how did this boss find me? There were so many things that I wanted answers for and as I sat there, slowly rocking I felt so frustrated and to be honest maybe annoyed that I just didn't have any answers. I was relieved that I was still in the same clothes as what I was wearing before and touching my head my hair was still pinned up, okay there were a lot of curls that had managed to escape. I was pretty sure that I looked a mess andwouldn't be smelling very nice by now. My feet were bare, which surprised me and as I fingered my hands together, I realized that the ring I was wearing had been removed as well.

That meant that even if the others were okay no one would be able to find me. I had no idea how long it had been since I had been taken from that hotel room and absolutely no idea where I was. I had memories, ones that I'd rather forget, and had an awful feeling that they were from me being transported here. Why a box though, that was really was confusing me, unless these men really were as nasty as they seemed to be.

I looked up as I heard the bolt slide back but didn't move. What was the point, I knew those two men could overpower me so I'd work on finding out who was behind this and why. It was the younger man who came into the cell, though I had to look twice seeing what looked to be a black eye and bruising on his face. I was pretty sure that hadn't been from any of the swings I'd tried to hit him with. He didn't come near to me and seemed a bit nervous as he stood there looking at me.

"The boss wants to see you"

I looked straight at the man but still didn't move. If the boss wanted me to be all meek and mild, then he was in for a shock.

"Look lady, I'm asking you nicely. Please will you come with me?"

I couldn't understand why the change in how he was treating me, almost as though he was afraid to come near to me. I almost started to feel sorry for him, hell he was only doing what he'd been told to do, and I did want those answers. Plus getting out of this room might bring opportunities, what they were going to be I wasn't too sure of.

That was when I decided to play a little mind game on the man.

"I need a bathroom"

I continued to watch the man as I said that and if my situation hadn't been so dire, I might have laughed as he rolled his eyes in his head. I'd expected him to lead me from the room in order for me to use a toilet so was surprised when turned around and went out of the room. Maybe he'd gone to get someone else to help escort me so when the door reopened, and he dropped a bucket on the floor, I was speechless. Did he really think that I was going to use that? The problem was that having mention needing the bathroom I realized that I really did.

After waiting as long as I could, I pushed myself from the floor and walked over to the door, noting that there wasn't a handle on the inside and the door seemed to be locked again. I took a good look around the room to ensure that there were no hidden cameras and then just stood looking at the bucket. Desperate times called for desperate measures so as quickly as possible I emptied my bladder, all of the time feeling extremely vulnerable. Once finished I went back to the mattress to wait for what would happen next.

I hadn't been sat very long when the door was opening, and the man was yet again stood looking at me.

"Lady, it's time to move"

I knew that I was running out time and couldn't delay the inevitable, so after pushing myself up from the mattress I walked over to the open door with the man following me. He actually surprised me when he stayed behind me, not too close but probably close enough to be able to stop me if I tried to run.

There was a hallway outside with several doors on each side, all of them closed with no hint of what lay inside. It was the same concrete under my feet and grey walls giving the place a coldness that belied the warmth of the air around me. I'd never really noticed the temperature before. Single light bulbs hanging down gave enough light to see with, especially the blonde guy at the end of the hallway. He opened a door behind him and stepped through, which was where I followed.

I looked around surprised at where we were, it was large and well lit with the sun streaming through what I was sure were holes in the roof. This part of the building was almost like a barn, wooden with a high roof held up by beams that ran across the width of it. I stopped and looked around me, not sure what I was expecting to see but what I saw shocked and terrified me. As I made to run across the room my way was blocked by a tall man in a suit, an expensive suit, who had a face that I instantly recognized.

"Stephanie Plum, at last we meet. I've being looking forward to talking with you"

I took a step back to put space between us but was staring at his face.

"Emir Markovic or is it Emir Marko Lukavic now?"

I saw the surprise cross his face which answered one of the questions I'd been asking myself. I'd been so worried at the beach when Ethan had said that someone was tracing us through the internet that it had been because of me. That somehow the search on Emir Marko Lukavic had somehow sent out an alert. From the way he was looking at me now, I knew that it wasn't because of that.

"I'm impressed. Not many people have the skill to work out who I was or who I am now"

I didn't say anything, and I didn't move. This man exuded power as he stood in front of me, and I couldn't get a read on him. Was he being genuine for the compliment or was he annoyed, or maybe both?

"It seems that you have something that I want, and I assure you, you will give it to me"

As he said the few words he turned and looked to his side, to where I had seen Ranger. I used all of my will power not to react to his move and held my eyes on Lukavic, but underneath I was near to panic wanting to know why Ranger was even here.

"Go to him, it might be your last chance to talk to him"

I wasn't sure if it was a trap, but I couldn't stop myself from turning and rushing over to where Ranger was. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as I took in the bruises to his beautiful face. His bare chest was covered with blood dripping from small cuts over bruising, probably not lethal but definitely painful. His arms were stretched out to his side, held by cuffs that were attached to chains that looped into large metal rings in the wall. Ranger's head lifted from his chest as I approached, pain flashing through his eyes. I wasn't sure if the pain was seeing me as the one who had hurt him or if it was because I was here.

My hand went to my face and down the side of my head where my hair was plaited pulling free one of the pins. I knelt down in front of him, between his outstretched legs, his eyes never leaving mine and ran my hands along his outstretched arms, past the cuffs to his hands.

"You need to get out of here Babe"

"Not without you. I love you"

I whispered back before my lips rested on his, ignoring the blood running down from his nose. Making sure that he had the pin in his clenched fist, my hands were on either of his face. I had no idea why he was here but for some reason decided that it was because of Lukavic and probably me. I was gentle as I pressed my lips to his, but the heat was there as it always was with him, and in that instant, I knew that he was the man that I would always love. I had to do everything that I could to make sure that he stayed alive and unhurt.

The kiss ended abruptly when I was pulled away by blondie and dragged back to where Lukavic was stood watching me. My instinct was put my hands on my hips and glare at him, to start demanding and shouting questions at him but I didn't. It took every ounce of self control to leave my hands by my side but stand with my feet apart readying myself for what was to come. I needed to keep everyone's attention on me, away from Ranger, so that he could try and free himself.

"I need the passwords, Stephanie"

Think quickly, I thought to myself, and put on a frown on my face for him to see.

"I don't have them"

I replied, wondering why he hadn't asked where the laptop was. Did that mean that he had the laptop that Markovic and that Colonel had taken from Ranger, or did he somehow have the one that Ellie had? No, I had to believe that one was safe, and that Ellie was safe.

I never saw it coming, but I suppose that I was prepared for the hard slap across my face. It stung and sent my head to the side with a jerk, but I kept my balance and fought not to raise my hand to my now sore cheek. Instead, I turned my head and looked back at Lukavic hoping that he was looking at a very pissed off woman. My next move was one that I'd practiced with Elaina all those weeks ago on the island of Cyprus, so I hoped I hadn't lost the knack, or the speed required for it to work. A quick step forward as my arm came up helped to deliver my cupped hand across the side of his head, mainly across his ear.

A quick step back out of Lukavic's reach allowed me to watch as his hand went to the side of his jaw. Yeah, that shocked him, and hopefully hurt him more than he would have expected. As he lowered his hand the anger came across his face almost making me regret the move, almost but not quite. A quick nod of his head didn't go unnoticed by me and suddenly I felt hands on both sides of me, it seemed he'd ordered blondie and his friend to grab hold of me. I was totally immobilized with a hand gripped around the top of each arm and another around my wrists.

"Oh Stephanie, you have no idea what pain I can cause you or your friend over there. Now you will tell me the passwords needed to open the program"

As he said that I watched as his right hand approached me, and I tried to squirm away from the two men and their hold on me, my eyes intently watching the light reflecting from the blade of a knife as it came near to me. He wasn't going to intimidate me, became my mantra. While he was focused on me, he wouldn't be hurting Ranger. My face lifted as the blade touched the neck of my T-shirt to look straight back at Lukavic. I have to admit that he was very skilled with that knife, and it was extremely sharp. The blade sliced through my T-shirt from my neck to the bottom hem and then from the short sleeve across, allowing the T-shirt to fall away from me onto the ground. My shorts were his next target as he sliced off the button at the waistband and pushed down on the zip. My shorts fell from my hips and pooled around my ankles leaving me standing in front of everyone in a sports bra and panties. All sorts of ideas went through my mind as I stood there feeling embarrassed and humiliated but that was nothing compared to my thoughts as Lukavic ran the sharp tip of the blade across my right breast. I felt a trickle of blood running down my skin now afraid of what else he was thinking of doing. The cut stung but the idea of a sexual assault was at the forefront of my mind especially when he shouted out his next order to the men.

"Get rid of the shorts"

Lukavic ordered the two men on either side of me, and I felt them lift me up from the floor. My mind was in overdrive, panic at what might happen next. I had to get control of my emotions if I was going to come out of this alive, so focused my thinking on how I could use that move to my advantage. As they lowered my feet to ground, I bent my knees slightly, a plan forming that I thought I might be able to pull off. As soon as my feet were flat on the floor, I pushed off from the ground and then used Lukavic's body to give me the momentum to continue the move. One foot hit his lower groin and there was the satisfying crunch as the other made contact with his chin. With my legs going over my head it twisted my arms and the hold that the two men had on me slackened, maybe because my rotation was putting their arms at an awkward position. As I landed on my feet I continued rolling into a backward roll before stopping, squatted to the ground.

I didn't waste a second to wait for their reaction, I couldn't afford to lose the advantage that I had. I was aware of where Ranger was tied up, so sprang up heading in the opposite direction dodging past a man, who I hadn't noticed before. Ahead of me was a wooden post, possibly part of the structure for the barn but it gave me an idea. I leapt high, my hands grasping around the wood and using the movement of my body swung my legs and body up toward the roof, just as I would do on a pole. My thighs banded around the wood giving me sufficient purchase to lift my arms further up. Not a smooth metal pole as the pain from my inner thighs and hands screamed at me, but at least I was beyond the reach of the men now stood below looking up at me.

"What are doing, get her down"

I had no idea how they planned to do that and knew that I had to move further up. My hands and my inner thighs were stinging with the splinters embedded in my skin, but I continued to pull my body up the post, using my feet and shins to give me a better purchase. At last, I could reach one of the beams that spanned the width of the barn so began to pull myself onto it.

"Get her, I won't have her getting away from me"

It seemed that Lukavic was getting annoyed and from my view I could see him pushing several men toward the post. One man was already climbing up the post, using another man's knees and then his shoulders as a climbing frame. I was soon squatted down on the beam trying to work up the courage to stand up and walk along it. One, two, three went through my head as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in before releasing it.

Stood balanced on the beam I looked ahead of me, not daring to look down and with my arms held out to my sides started to take small steps forward. I wasn't steady, even wobbled, constantly trying to keep my balance. Voices floated up from below, men shouting out suggestions.

"She's gonna fall"

"Get below and catch her"

It never entered my mind that they would try to force me down until I felt a shearing pain hit my thigh. Of course, my leg gave way, but I fought with everything that I had to stay on that beam and ended up straddled over it until I leant forward gripping tightly with my arms and placing my head down to look at my leg and what was happening below me. Lukavic's knife, the bone handle all that I could see, was responsible for the shearing pain travelling down my leg. I tentatively let go of the beam with my right hand and reached down until I was holding the handle, then pulled it out as quickly as possible. I know my breath caught with the pain and as I held the knife, I wanted nothing more than to stab Lukavic with it. That wasn't a skill that I'd mastered, especially not throwing one.

"Josip, quickly, get to her, then bring her to my place"

Lukavic actually sounded more frustrated than annoyed now and he was busy trying to wipe the blood from his nose and shirt. I had no idea where Josip was and didn't dare move to turn around and look. A slight movement of the beam that I was precariously balanced on had me holding on tighter and as it almost seemed to bounce up and down, I closed my eyes. I had an awful feeling that whoever Josip was, he was heading my way along the beam. Oh god, he was so close I could hear his breathing and as I felt hands on my hips was sure that he was directly behind me. His hands moved up to my waist, prizing between me and the beam. I tried to flatten my body to the beam, but it didn't stop him and suddenly his arm was around me. I was pretty sure that if he continued to tug me away from the beam then it was likely that we'd both fall to the ground.

I had no idea what happened next, I was focusing all of my strength to staying where I was. My hands were locked together around the beam and my left leg was wrapped around it, but I was really struggling to maintain my position. Maybe there was shouting, maybe there was grunting, maybe even gun shots sounded from below me, but there was definitely screaming as Josip lost his balance, his whole weight pulling me with him. I couldn't hold on and my last thought was as I was falling was of Ranger and that he had managed to escape and get himself to safety.