Chapter 12 now up! Sorry it took so long... I've been on holiday! This story's coming to an end, now, folks. Only a few more chapters to go! So get your reviews in while you can!
The taxi driver drove off quickly while all the time keeping his gun aimed at the side of Alex's head. He's a pro, thought Hex, watching how straight he drove using only one hand, and how steady he held the gun with the other. Paulo cursed quietly and Hex mentally kicked himself for not being more cautious. How the hell would they be able to help Ben and Jack when they were in captive themselves?
But then, Hex thought, they might be led to them anyway, and then they might even be able to escape with them. It was a far hope, but it was the only one they had. He glanced over at Amber. He knew it was time for her to take her insulin, but he didn't want to say anything in case the taxi driver overheard and used it against her. He caught her eye and raised his eyebrow. Amber understood and nodded ever so slightly, lifting the edge of her t shirt to show Hex that she was doing it in private. Hex nodded.
No one said anything for the remainder of the journey. No one had anything to say.Each person was locked in their own thoughts, wondering how, and if they would ever escape. Paulo considered taking the man by surprise, but any small movement on the trigger, and that would be the end of Alex. He watched the taxi driver's face in the mirror.
He was concentrating on the road, occasionally glancing in the mirror to see what the other four were doing. He had taken his sunglasses off and Paulo could now see his eyes clearly. They were hard eyes, cold eyes. Eyes which never saw the light of day. Eyes which never saw anything else in a person other than the shell. Paulo despised him for it. For taking an innocent kid no older than fourteen through something someone he didn't even know had done. He just prayed that Ben and Jack would get out OK. Along with the rest of Alpha Force.
Alex recognized the hotel as soon as they pulled up in front of. It was the one that they'd visited earlier and spoken to the suspicious receptionist. He saw the red hatchback parked neatly outside, but the paint itself was peeling and there were various dents in its surface. He wondered how many other cars this one had destroyed.
The driver got out and locked the door behind him. As he headed towards the hotel, Amber sniffed.
"Oh my gosh, how could we have been so stupid? I knew I recognized him from somewhere. Now how the hell are we going to help Ben and Jack?" Li laid a hand on Amber's arm.
"Hey, it's OK," she said, trying in a desperate attempt to reassure her, "we'll manage to get out. We always do. And we might even meet Ben and Jack while we're here." Amber nodded. She was about to reply when she saw the taxi driver coming down the path back to the taxi, followed by another two men. One of them was heavily built with a lot of piercings, and the other was smaller but sharper.
When they approached the taxi, they thrust the door open and pulled all five members of Alpha Force out, while putting their hands in cuffs.
"You five ain't goin' nowhere." The big man muttered, lifting his coat a tiny bit to reveal the gun in the inside pocket. He was holding Paulo, the taxi man was holding Hex and Amber while the smaller man was holding Li and Alex. They were led inside, past the receptionist who was grinning at them, and upstairs into a double room. They were left there while the men left, locking the door behind them.
Hex swore and kicked the bed post. "What are we going to do?"
"Let's check this room for any escapes. You never know." Paulo said, and walked over to the tiny window. If they could open it then Li would be able to fit, and possibly Amber, but on closer examination Paulo realized that it wasn't an openable window. It was just a pane of glass; double glazed glass. He paced the floor, looking at the ceiling for any escape routes like loose tiles or trapdoors, but there were none. Finally he walked around the room, tapping each wall, but each one was solid. The others watched in silence.
Paulo shook his head. "Nothing."
"I need the loo," Li whined.
"We could try jumping them when they come back," Amber suggested hopelessly, but Alex shook his head.
"Too risky. Way too risky. You saw his gun, and I bet they've all got knives as well."
"But we outnumber them." Li pointed out, "And I'm a martial arts expert, remember?"
"We don't know how many of them there are." This time it was Hex, "We know the receptionists in on it too. And I'll bet the cleaners and cooks and stuff are too. You can't hide a hostage in a hotel without them knowing."
"I don't think this place does have cleaners," said Amber, looking around the room in disgust.
"If we could find a heavy or sharp object, we could smash the window." Paulo said, then suddenly sat up as an idea came to him. "Alex! Your - " But Alex cut him off, shaking his head.
"My knife? They took it off me when we got out of the car." They all slumped, out of ideas. The room was bare, except for two single beds and a weak chair. The legs would probably snap off if they tried to use that to break the window.
"I guess we should all get some sleep, then." Amber said, stifling a yawn. "I'm getting one of the beds." Before anyone could protest, she jumped into the nearest bed and pulled the blanket over her head. Li grinned at the three boys hopefully.
"Go on then," sighed Alex, "We'll sleep on the floor."
"Thanks!" Li cried, and bounded over to the other bed. Gradually they dropped off to sleep, though it was a restless and fitful night.
They were all awoken by a key turning in the lock. Amber and Li sat up hastily in bed. The smaller man stood in the doorway, glaring at them all. Behind him stood a woman, who they all recognized instantly.
"You! You're the one from the cafe!" Amber cried. The woman looked uncomfortable, but then shrugged her shoulders and smirked. Hex had the feeling she didn't like being in on all this.
"Toilet break," the man announced. "Boys, you're coming with me. You two -" he indicated Li and Amber, "- follow her." He nodded towards the woman.
After Alex, Paulo and Hex left, Amber and Li were escorted to the toilet by the woman. Amber stared at her back while she led them down the corridor.. Back in Boston, where the woman had lost her son, she had seemed so genuinely upset. Either that, or she was a very good actress. She looked out of place here. Or maybe that was because she was the only female, Amber thought.
"Was it you who turned in Hex's brother?" Amber said before she could stop herself. The woman stopped.
"I'm sorry," she said coldly, "I had to."
"Why?"
"Shut up and keep going."
"Why did you have to turn in an innocent kid like that?"
"Amber - " Li warned, but Amber silenced her as the woman was about to answer.
"I have my reasons." Amber sighed and continued walking. Obviously this woman wasn't very secure, and if only Amber could get her to spill just one tiny but of information -
"What's your name?" Amber asked, trying to sound friendly. The woman hesitated.
"Karen." She replied eventually.
"You got any family?"
"Husband and two kids."
"Do they know about any of this?" The woman stopped and turned to face Amber. For a moment her lower lip wobbled and Amber thought she was going to cry. But then a hardened look came over her face and she frowned.
"Shut up! I shouldn't be talking to you about this. It's got nothing to do with you. And if Brody knew - " Karen stopped and continued walking down the corridor. Amber exchanged a glance with Li and they followed her down the corridor again.
"The mens are down this way." The smaller man was quite a talkative person. "I'm Ian, by the way. I just want you to know, lads, that I don't agree with anything that Brody is doing. I have to do it, though."
"Why do you have to do it? Is he threatening you?" Paulo asked.
"Yes. He says he'll kill my wife if I do anything wrong. And he'll pay me greatly if I do it right. That might seem selfish, but my family really need the money right now. The house needs heating, and one of my kids has got pneumonia."
"Gosh, really?" said Alex.
"Why don't you escape? Take your family somewhere new." Hex suggested. Ian shrugged.
"He will find us. He always finds us." Ian picked up his pace. Behind him, Alex, Paulo and Hex shared a confused glance. What was this man's game?
Once they were all back in the room, the large man joined Karen and Ian. He locked the door behind him and stared at Alpha Force.
"Go get five chairs and tie them to them." He said. Whether he was talking to Ian or Karen, it didn't matter. They both went. Before long, they both returned and all of Alpha Force were bound firmly and unable to move.
"I'm Brody, by the way," said the big man, stretching himself out and sitting down on the bed Amber had slept on. Amber grimaced, wondering if he ever did that before they arrived. "Guntley informs me that two of you have visited this hotel before, and Karen informs me that less than a week ago you were in Boston. Am I correct?"
"Yes," Amber said, "And who's Guntley?"
"He's the man pretending to be a receptionist. What made you come to England so suddenly?"
"Someone we know went missing here."
"Oh, really?" Suddenly Amber snapped. She despised the way Brody was dragging it all out, patronizing them, enjoying himself at their suffering.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You're sick! All of you! Who takes innocent kids, just because their brother's friend's friend has a lot of money?" Amber shouted.
"Shut her up. Kill her, I don't care how." Brody said lazily, examining his fingernails, but even Ian hesitated.
"Brody, but surely - "
"I said, shut her up."
But Amber wasn't finished. "You think that just because you can, you can torment people into getting their money? Is that all you care about? You don't care if a few lives get destroyed along the way? You make me sick!" Karen looked at Amber desperately and shook her head. They all knew she didn't want any violence. But Amber continued. "I hope you die a slow, painful death. I hope you rot in hell. I hope - " Amber's ranting suddenly died in her throat as Brody raised a gun to her forehead, and saw the unmoved look on his face.
He pulled the trigger.
Amber shut her eyes tight, waiting for the bullet, but it never came. Instead, she heard Li scream and all three boys cry out - in pain or surprise, she couldn't tell. Amber opened her eyes and froze when she saw the still form of Karen lying at her feet, a rapidly growing pool of blood spreading out from her chest. She had taken the bullet for Amber, for her family. Her eyes were wide open, her face locked in an eternal expression of fear and distress. Glaring at Amber with cold, dead accusations.
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