Yes I'm afraid the angst is back... which will I hope make this a roller coaster ride to the end.
Thank you for all the reviews last week, it's nice to know people are still enjoying this tale.
SPOILERS - this week - the hostage situation continues, will Bianca stay safe?
...
"If you won't cooperate, people will start getting hurt… Littlest first, maybe..."
Mr Campbell sneered and paced back across the floor. It was a stupid threat to make in a room full of parents but the children's squealing was putting his teeth on edge. He watched ever face harden against him, overriding the fear.
The first rule is to keep the threats sweet, that way you stay in control. The trouble was he wasn't in control. This was supposed to have been an easy raid. Stage the kidnap of one of the richest women in the world; fake the ransom; blame the pirates when the body wasn't found… Simple.
Arriving to find Bianca missing had dented his mood.
Erica Kane pulled away from her new husband and stood up, despite the guns pointed at her.
"I told you my daughter isn't here." she said, repeating the lie she had told him before. "We had a bit of a disagreement and she's… avoiding me."
Mr Campbell sniffed and walked over to where the two little girls were sitting, who had been dragged in moments ago.
"If she isn't on the island then what are her kids doing here?" he asked.
Erica clearly didn't know how to answer that. She just glared angrily at him.
Mr Campbell bent down in front of the smallest girl. She had stopped crying now and was watching him warily.
"So little girl… where is your mommy?"
"She went on special holiday." the little girl said.
A blonde boy beside her, tried to hush her but Mr Campbell just gave her a smile.
Erica tried to push forward again.
"Like I said, she's not here." she said.
Mr Campbell straightened up and gave a big sigh.
"I'm sorry Erica. I'm just not buying it. If she is here we will find her."
He looked at her hard, trying to spot a flicker of deception but the moment was interrupted by guards arriving with one more prisoner with yet another weeping child in his arms. There was still no sign of Bianca.
Then he heard the gun fire.
Mr Campbell turned and grabbed the collar of the head man.
"Please tell me your idiots are not shooting my prize." He snapped. "That would make me very unhappy."
The head man's eyes bulged with fear.
He left rapidly with two of his men.
Mr Campbell straightened his suit trying to regain his calm. Mr Campbell sighed. This was a fiasco! What else could go wrong?
The children's tears intensified at the sound of the shots. They were still putting his teeth on edge.
He turned to two more of the hired mercenaries.
"New plan. Take the kids out of here..."
That got a reaction from the parents. He ignored all cries of 'no!' and 'please not my baby…' and he kept taking to the guards.
"… Take them to one of the bungalows under guard. I've a feeling this conversation would go better with just the grown-ups present…"
….