Chapter Five: Revelation

Gabriella lay on the mattress in the dark room, staring into the blackness, thinking about what had happened to her. She had her arms around herself, hugging herself, trying to convince herself that everything was going to be fine. Troy would find her, he would come here and he would save her and everything would go back to how it was before. Although she had been telling herself this, she was finding it hard to believe after so long. The darkness meant that she could no longer distinguish between night and day, she had no idea how long she had been held hostage, but it felt like she had gone years without feeling the touch, the kiss, the love of her boyfriend encircling her.

The silence was punctured by the ringing of a phone on the floor above her. The walls were thin and she could hear everything that happened in the house. The sound of heavy footsteps made their way across the ceiling of the basement and stopped directly above her. The phone was pulled off the hook and one of the men (although she couldn't tell which) began to speak.

"Hello?"

...

The man smiled, he recognised Turner's voice immediately, he had found the right place.

"Turner. Get Banes", he said into the receiver.

"Who the hell is this?", Turner replied.

"Someone who has a very interesting proposition for the both of you. Now get Banes", the man said in a low voice. He heard the stomping of feet on floorboards at the other end of the phone and knew that Turner had gone to fetch his accomplice. After a few moment silence, two pairs of footsteps sounded and gradually got louder, there was a rustling and then the other man's voice sounded.

"Who is this?", Banes asked, confused.

"Three guesses", the mystery voice replied, cheekily.

"Whoever this is you better stop messing around because I'm telling you now, if we find out who you are and you've been leading us on, you are going to regret it"

"You might want to rethink your tone, Banes. I have a suggestion for you and I think you might be very interested in it", he continued mysteriously.

"Are you sure you want to keep playing this game, boy?", Banes threatened.

"Do you want to hear this idea or not?", he asked in a voice dripping with the suggestion that it would be hugely beneficial to the two men to take him up on it. Banes paused at the other end of the phone, thinking through what to do. After a brief moment, he continued.

"Go on", he said in a dark voice. The man smiled, he was in.

"I'm glad you've come round to my way of thinking", he said, "I have a plan. If you cooperate then there will be some money in it for you. And rather a lot more for me"

"Why should I help you make money?", Banes spat.

"I know what you did", the voice replied darkly, "I know you kidnapped the Montez girl and I know where you are. If you don't cooperate then you and your little friend are going to be in a whole lot of trouble"

"How do you know that? Who is this? Tell me!"

"Patience, Banes"

"How do you know my name?"

"All will be revealed soon. Now, listen"

Banes fell silent on the other side of the phone and the man continued his mystery offer.

"It involves the Montez girl"

...

Gabriella had heard the first part of the conversation quite clearly. The phone had not rung before and it had clearly upset both Banes and Turner as she had heard yelling from the both of them. But now their voices had quietened, almost to a whisper. She could tell that they were still on the phone but could not make out what it is they were saying to the mystery person.

She heard the phone placed back on the stand, an exchange of words and footsteps over the ceiling. Suddenly, a ray of light shone brightly into the dark room as the hatch to the basement was cracked open. She squinted and sat up as it was pulled open further and looked towards it. The two men were climbing down the ladder into the room and made their way over to where Gabriella was sitting. They looked down at her. She glared at them defiantly.

"What do you want?", she asked boldly.

"Oh, look whose all feisty now!", Turner nudged his accomplice and laughed. Banes smiled humourlessly but showed no genuine sign of amusement. Gabriella raised her eyebrows at Banes in a questioning way.

"We have a visitor coming. We have to get you ready", he said bluntly.

Gabriella said nothing. She simply turned her back to them and crossed her wrists. She was familiar with the procedure. Whenever Turner and Banes had a visitor, they ensured that she was tied up to make sure that she couldn't attract their attention. Banes tied her hands behind her back and addressed her directly.

"It is a very important visitor, Ms Montez", he said.

"What is it to me?", she asked, glaring at him.

"Oh, I think you will find our visitor very interesting"

"And why is that?"

Banes bent down and grabbed a long piece of material from his pocket which he started to tie over Gabriella's mouth without resistance, "Let's just say that I think you'll be gagging to meet him". He secured the knot in the material at the back of Gabriella's head and stood up.

He grinned and began to walk away. Turner licked his lips before following and both of them left the basement, waiting for their guest leaving Gabriella alone. She lay down on the mattress with a little difficulty due to her bound hands and waited in the darkness.

...

He rang the doorbell and almost immediately wished he hadn't. There was no way that he could turn back now. This could be a very bad idea. Maybe he should have told them who he was over the phone? God, he was stupid! What was he thinking? Turner and Bates were not going to be pleased. He wrung his hands together behind his back, twisting his fingers against each other in anticipation.

Was there time to turn back?

No. There was one set of footsteps approaching the door. From the silhouette cast onto the frosted glass, he knew it must be the larger of the men, Turner. He didn't know whether this was good or bad. He saw the man fiddling with the latch on the door and heard the click as it opened and braced himself for the potential explosion.

It didn't come.

"You?", whispered Turner in a stunned voice.

"Show me the girl"

...

Gabriella had heard the door open and she had heard someone enter. She heard no voices, but the visitor must be here. They must be discussing something very quietly. It seemed like an age since the visitor had come in and judging by what Banes' had said earlier, she both knew this person and was going to see them. Gabriella had tried to think of who it may be but after hours of useless guessing games, she gave up and now she gingerly anticipated the surprise.

The basement hatch opened again and Turner and Banes clambered down into the room. She turned to face her captors, ready to see her surprise guest, but no one new was there. She was confused but Banes spoke to end the uncertainty.

"Ms Montez, your visitor"

A man began to climb down the ladder leading to where she was sitting. She squinted to try to see him but it was difficult. He was facing away from her and dressed all in black. He had a hood over his hair which shaded his face so that even when he turned around and made his way over to her, she couldn't make out who it was. He was tall and slim and well built with his upper arms bulging out of his tight t-shirt with his muscles.

The mystery man came to a stop in front of her. He stood still for a few minutes.

"Go on then", Banes spoke from the other side of the room where he and Turner had been standing for the past few minutes, "Reveal yourself"

The man standing in front of her didn't respond verbally. He simply reached up and drew his hood slowly down from his head, revealing his face bit by bit. As she put together the various parts of the man's face in her mind, Gabriella suddenly realised who it was. The unhooded man looked her dead in the eye – she knew him well, better than anyone else in the entire world, but the wicked look in his bright blue eyes was unfamiliar to her. She gasped.

"Gabriella", he spoke one simple word. His voice left her with no mistake as to the man's identity.

It was Troy.