Ruth opened her eyes - something which was becoming more and more scary.

She was still in the same smoke tarnished room. She remembered in an instant her last thoughts before the darkness had once more been pressed upon her. She stifled another scream with her hand.

Tears were welling up in her eyes, but she forced herself to look past the watery blur and noticed the room had changed in one small way.

Beside her, on a battered old tray was a glass of what was presumably fresh water in third world countries, and a moulding crust of bread. A tiny attempt at humane keeping of hostages, right out of a sadistic kidnapper's handbook she thought.

Despite her situation, the 'meal' was not appetising enough to Ruth for her to try any of it.

She listened carefully, but just as last time, she could hear no sound. She put her ear to the floorboards, and after what seemed like an eternity she heard a dull thumping sound, followed by a low moan.

She scurried back against the radiator, and tried to make sense of the situation.

Her kidnappers had chosen her specifically. They had found out where she lived and how to get in. Though as for the latter they hadn't bothered about tactics beyond entry. She hoped this meant that they had slipped up in some way and would leave a trace. A glimmer of hope entered her mind.

She tried to work out what time it was. Her watch had been put in for repairs just last week. She cursed the timing. But even a watch couldn't tell her what day it was. Had she been out cold for a few hours or an entire day?

The light falling into the room was dimmer now. She guessed at early evening, though it could have been early morning. She felt groggy now. And sat trying to gather her thoughts.

She wished that she was wearing her coat, not for the cold, for the house was surprisingly warm, but for the brooch that Harry had given her. It could have been used to pick the lock on the chain somehow, but it was back in her cosy cottage.

These thoughts led Ruth to places she was scared she would never end up. Would she ever have a proper meal with Harry? Would she even ever see him again? But of course she would. He would move Heaven and Earth to save her, she knew it. But until that time, all she could do was wait and try to gain as much information as possible.

She put her ear to the ground again, and again heard sounds that her mind tried not to guess at. But this time there was no moan. Whoever was on the receiving end of whatever was going on was no longer responding…