CHAPTER SIX: ROAD TRIP

Stephanie felt the soft floor beneath her bump up and down, causing her to hit her head on the carpeted floor of – wherever she was. She bolted upright, startled by her sudden changing of surroundings. She was encased in darkness and silence, which was very different from the Nakatomi building. Was she dead?

"You're awake now, are you?" a tired voice came from behind her. Stephanie whipped around to face Hans who was sitting only a few inches from where she was.

"Where are we?" Stephanie asked, a sick, twisting feeling swarming up in her gut.

"In the back of a moving ambulance, so you are unable to escape until we stop, if that's what you were going to think of next," he replied lazily. Stephanie lied back down and closed her eyes, too sick to care that Hans was so close to her. She began to shallow her breathing to calm her angry stomach.

She couldn't believe Hans had escaped John and the police. And why had he taken her with her? Was it for revenge?

"How long have we been on the road?" Stephanie asked after a few minutes of confused contemplation.

"An hour or two." Hans shifted uncomfortably in his own corner. Stephanie listened to his slow breathing, aware that he must have been dead tired.

"You know, you can sleep. I won't do anything," Stephanie spoke out to the darkness. A feeling of sympathy overwhelmed her, but she stubbornly ignored it.

"I'm afraid I cannot fall asleep in a moving vehicle," Hans replied, sounding as if he was only half lying.

"Suit yourself." Stephanie's sickness was beginning to die down with the growing conversation. Maybe if she continued speaking it would eventually disappear. "Who's driving?"

"Theo."

"Yo!" Theo called out from the front.

Stephanie waited for any other of Hans' henchmen to make themselves known, but no one else spoke.

"It's just us three now," Theo seemed to answer her thoughts. There was no hint of regret or sorrow in his voice, only fatigue. Stephanie opened her mouth to make some retort to Hans about John finishing off so many of his men, but felt it rather inappropriate and stopped herself. There was a quick jerk and the ambulance turned a sharp right. Hans sturdily caught himself before rolling across the ambulance, but Stephanie was not as lucky. A white-hot pain ran up her spine as she slammed excruciatingly into the trunk's side.

"Dammit!" Stephanie sputtered and grabbed at her back as the ride became smoother.

"Sorry!" Theo called back to her, but Stephanie heard the irritating chuckle in his voice.

"Are you all right?" Hans calmly asked. He stayed where he was and looked over at the wincing girl with what looked like an unconcerned eye. Stephanie tried to answer him but then thought against speaking; the turn had knocked the wind out of her. Her stomach abruptly churned and Stephanie sprung up.

"Theo, stop the car." Stephanie focused all her attention on the carpet to block out the ill feeling that was nagging at her throat.

"What? Are you crazy?" Theo yelled back.

"Unless you want to be breathing in the smell vomit for however long we're stuck in here, I suggest you stop!" Stephanie shouted angrily. The ambulance lurched as it came to a full stop and Stephanie kicked at the trunk door in panic, hastily jumped out and ran into a nearby wheat field.

"Do you think she'll run?" Theo poked his head into the trunk to keep a good view of her.

"No. We're in the middle of nowhere; she's not that dim." Hans looked away as Stephanie keeled over and quietly emptied her stomach. Theo's face contorted in disgust and he turned back to his Stephanie-free windshield.

Stephanie wiped her mouth with her hand and shakily stood back up. Her nerves felt more relaxed and the ache in her back died down. The sky was steadily growing darker and the air was cold and still; they seemed to be on a back road behind a farmer's field. Where exactly were they going?

"Are you done yet?" Hans' voice called impatiently to her.

"Yeah," Stephanie muttered inaudibly. With one last glance at the serene country, she carefully crawled back into the trunk before Hans swiftly closed the doors. She sat in the corner opposite of Hans' claimed spot and avoided the sight of him; it was quite embarrassing that she had just gotten sick in front of him.

"Let's go, Theo," Hans sighed and continued sitting rigidly.

The trip soon turned out to be more level than before and also a lot faster. Stephanie couldn't see outside, but she guessed by the declining bumpiness of the road that they were now reaching a more civilized area with paved roads.

"We're here," Theo sang childishly. He gently stopped the ambulance, turned off its rumbling engine and opened his door.

"Good." Hans fixed his ruffled clothing and smoothed out his hair. "Theo, you go book the room. Come back after you do."

Theo nodded obediently and slammed the door behind him.

"Where are we?" Stephanie tried to peer out of the windshield, but was unsuccessful.

"You ask too many questions for a hostage," Hans hissed as he rubbed his forehead wearily.

"Shouldn't hostages be gagged, tied up and not be able to run off into fields?"

"We could easily do all those things if you'd like." Hans turned his dangerous, brown eyes onto her. Hans and his henchmen hadn't really harmed her in any way, so Stephanie hadn't really thought of herself as a hostage. But when the man before her looked at her like that, she felt like she could die that second.

"So what now? We sit here in the awkward silence you have just created and wait for your lackey to come back?" Stephanie snapped back at him. Her best defence in threatening situations would always be sarcasm. Never let them know your fear.

"Yes, that is the idea, if you'd just shut up." Hans' stare remained the same, sharp and tormenting.

"Well, wouldn't it be nice if you got what you wanted. Unfortunately, you didn't even get all the crap you planned to rob us of, even though it was right in your hands," Stephanie sneered mockingly. Hans' large hand reached out and grabbed her by her ruined dress. He pulled her so close to his face, she was sure he was going to kiss her.

"Listen, Miss Bowers, I would watch that tongue of yours. You seem to forget who has the gun here. Last time I checked, it was me and not you," Hans hissed furiously. Stephanie could hear the murder on his breath. He held her there for a few moments, daring her to make a sound, and then finally released her. She sat back silently and held her breath. She feared that even the smallest thing would set him off again.

The trunk doors opened and Theo's form appeared once again.

"Okay, we're all set – Did I just walk in on something?" Theo looked from Hans' threatening face to Stephanie's timid one.

"No. What is the room number?" Hans turned to Theo.

"Uh, 119."

"Take Miss Bowers and I'll meet you there." Hans grabbed Stephanie's arm and thrust her uncaringly at Theo.

"Okay." Theo hesitantly helped Stephanie out of the ambulance.

"What the hell?" Stephanie whispered to herself. A small and cheap motel was staring back at her. A pink, neon sign flashed "Mister Mike's: Vacancy."

"There's probably a reason why there's vacancy." Stephanie examined its ugly appearance.

"That's good for us. Hans' face is probably plastered all over the television by now. The last thing we need right now is to be caught in a large crowd," Theo told her as they made their way to the front doors of the homely building.

"Maybe good for you two," Stephanie scoffed.

"I suggest you get use to 'us two'. Hans is very particular about this kind of thing and it's not that easy to get out of his sight."

The automatic doors slid open for them, exposing an even uglier interior. Red and pink argyle carpet was stapled to the floor and the walls were peeling with yellow wallpaper.

"Oh good, so he's kidnapped before, has he?" Stephanie raised a brow derisively at a tall cactus beside the sign-in desk.

"Well, no. I meant his plans."

"Right, because the last one went so well."

Theo threw an agitated look at her and directed her down a hall that most likely lead to their room.

"115… 117…" Theo read the door numbers aloud. "Ah, 119." He reached for the copper doorknob, but the thin door opened and a woman in a stained, white apron stepped out.

"Oh hello. I just finished getting your room ready for you two."

"Two?" Stephanie asked her and the woman winked.

"Oh, no no no. It's not like that. See, she's my –" Theo began.

"Niece. I'm his niece." Stephanie smiled pleasantly. She expected the cleaning lady to easily dismiss her excuse, but she noticed that her eyes were focused on Stephanie's bloodstained dress.

"Oh, this? Ha, I had a very bad nosebleed."

"Yes, it was terrible. Blood everywhere," Theo continued, but Stephanie nudged him in the ribs to stop. The lady nodded to them with an obvious fake smile and hurriedly left them. Stephanie looked at Theo to see if this lady had worried him, but he animatedly shrugged at her and walked into their room.

Stephanie stopped herself.

There were people, right by the entrance. She could easily sneak away from Theo and alert them, tell them that two murderous thieves were actually kidnapping her. They could call the police and she'd be free. She could end it all right now.

Theo was surveying the two grungy-looking beds; he wasn't paying any attention to Stephanie at all. She turned slightly to the open, tempting hallway. She could run – scream – and they'd save her; Stephanie would finally be able to go home.

But, Stephanie thought, home to what? If she travelled all the way back home to L.A., what would be awaiting her? She had no family, no friends, only haunting memories of two dead parents and a horrible night. Stephanie looked down at her clenched fists. She could feel her nails digging into her palms, but strangely, she did not feel any pain. Stephanie turned back to room 119 and stepped inside.

"What's the room like?" she called out.

"It's disgusting, but it will do. Close the door." Theo was already making himself comfortable.

The room really was disgusting. Two yellow-green beds were placed against an off-white and chipped wall, a dusty wooden cabinet held a minute television and a beige couch, which Theo had placed himself carelessly on, took the wall opposite to the beds. But none of this was as bad as the revolting, burgundy carpet underneath their feet. Some parts were stained with strange colours; Stephanie did not want to know what had originally spilled there.

A sharp tapping interrupted Stephanie's examination and she looked up to see Hans at the unnoticed glass doors in front of her.

"Coming!" Theo sprung from his place and rushed to the door. With a simple flick of the rusty latch, the glass door slid open and Hans swiftly darted inside.

"Did anyone see you?" Theo closed the door behind him and peered into the dark night.

"No, I don't believe so," Hans replied. His eyes flickered over the room in reluctance, but he seemed to accept that they had no other choice. "All right, Theo and Bowers, you take the beds. I'll use the couch."

Stephanie observed Hans as he untied his tie and discarded his coat. He had immense bags under his eyes and his eyelids were drooping severely. She could tell he was worse than tired.

"No, it's all right. I'll sleep on the couch." Stephanie plopped herself on the couch before either of them could object. Hans opened his mouth slightly, but closed it immediately. He suspiciously scanned over her with a raised brow, but then finally nodded.

"If that's what you want," Hans spoke to her indifferently and turned to claim a bed.

Stephanie smiled slightly, but returned her attention to the couch. She would be awfully cold if she only had a thin dress covering her throughout the night. Stephanie gazed around the room and spotted a closet near the door through which they entered. She stood up and carefully walked over to it, trying not to make it seem like she was sneaking off. She opened the wooden closet door with a loud and irritating creak. A wide shelf was perched at the top and held an assortment of things such as pillows, towels and blankets. Stephanie painfully stood on the very tips of her toes to reach them, and once she got a grip of a fluffy, moss-green blanket, she edgily pulled it down. She must have looked silly, having to be on her toes to reach the blanket.

Stephanie flipped off a light switch, made her way back to her ugly couch, lied down on her back and spread the blanket over herself. Shivers crawled over her skin and she tried to not think of all the people that could have used this blanket, or even this couch. Stephanie looked across the room and saw that both Hans and Theo had clambered into their beds and made themselves comfortable.

Hans' face did not look so serious and fearsome when he was fatigued. His eyelids were closed over his intense eyes, and his soft-looking lips were slightly parted to permit breath…

Hans opened his eyes and met Stephanie's stare.

A wave of heat spread across her face and she hastily flipped onto her side with her back facing him. Stephanie couldn't believe she had been staring at Hans! And worse, she was caught doing it! She squeezed her eyes shut and burrowed her face into the couch's cushy back. Stephanie could feel Hans's eyes on the back of her head and she prayed that he would fall asleep soon.

"Merry Christmas," Theo quietly spoke out to the room. The silence left behind it felt sad and heavy, almost unbearable.

"Merry Christmas, Theo," Stephanie whispered.