In the honeymoon cabin Marissa and Bianca were still ducked down behind the window. The large thug on the beach was still watching the cabin while a group of armed men were scrambling over the rocks that separated the honeymoon cabin's sand bank from the rest of the island.

Both women were as one trying to fit Bianca's brace. They both had nervous fingers so they were struggling.

"You should just leave me behind." Bianca said; a catch in her voice. "Run while you've got the chance!"

Marissa didn't lift her eyes from fastening the Velcro straps around Bianca's ankle. She gave a snort of laughter.

"That's what I love about you," she said, "Always making a joke in the worst possible situations."

Bianca grasped her girlfriend's shoulder, forcing her to look up.

"I'm serious!"

Marissa sighed.

"I know. But I'm not leaving you. We're a package deal, right?"

Bianca stared into Marissa's eyes and looked heartbroken; clearly she wasn't going to agree.

"… if anything happened to you." she said with a soft sob.

"Whatever happens will happen to both of us." said Marissa firmly. "How's that?" she added sitting back; Bianca's ankle strap finally fastened.

Bianca bent down to test the tightness of the Velcro with her finger and adjusted it slightly.

"It's good."

"Besides." said Marissa, determined to keep them both looking on the bright side. "We saw them march Scott and Cara into the trees. They are clearly taking hostages. I don't think they'll shoot first."

Bianca stroked Marissa's cheek.

"They can do worse than shoot you." she said quietly. "Please just run."

Marissa pulled her hand away.

"No." she said. "I'm sorry, I won't leave you. I couldn't bear it so please… please… don't ask me again… please."

Bianca sighed in unhappy surrender and to sooth her Marissa leant in to kiss her lips.

"I love you."

"And I love you." Bianca whispered as she rested her brow against Marissa's

"We're going to be okay…" said Marissa, in an attempt to reassure them both.

"…because we're together!" finished Bianca.

"Always."

They pulled apart when they both heard the sounds of engines outside.

Marissa peered out of the window. A motor boat was powering through the water of the lagoon, it had almost reached the shore. A chopper was flying low just behind it. Bianca tugged her sleeves and turned her attention to the opposite window to a large boat approaching by sea. They were surrounded.

"It looks like they have quite a bit of back up." Marissa said bitterly. "I guess that means they are serious."

She turned back and gave Bianca a sad smile.

"Come on. We'd better get ready for them." said Marissa. She took Bianca's arm. "Let's get you up."

They stood back from the door and waited for their attackers to arrive. Marissa laced her fingers with Bianca's and held her breath. Whatever happened next, they would see it through together.

…

Bianca didn't know what she imagined would come through the cabin door, but it wasn't a smartly dressed young man in a designer suit, muttering about the sand on his loafers.

He was followed by two unpleasant looking men with rifles, which is more of what Bianca had expected to see. But the business suited man, was clearly in charge.

They waited in expectant silence as the young man put his foot on a chair, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and started to dust off his shoe. He then changed to the other foot. Once he was satisfied with the cleanliness of his shoes he finally turned his attention their way. He gave Bianca a broad smile

"Ah, Bianca Montgomery! I'm guessing you have no idea what a merry dance you have led me on."

"Who are you?" Marissa asked, protectively tightening her grip on Bianca's hand.

The young man registered Marissa's presence with a slightly tighter smile.

"And you must be the 'partner'." he said bluntly. "I don't need you."

He signalled to his men and one of them released the safety on his rifle.

"Not in here you idiot." the man then snapped. "Take her outside!"

The bigger of the two mercenaries grabbed Marissa by the waist and dragged her from Bianca's grasp.

"No!" cried Bianca, stumbling after them, catching the man's belt and uselessly trying to hold him back. They were going to shoot Marissa! "You let her go. You let go now!"

The man kept going as if she wasn't there. Marissa's screams and struggles weren't slowing him either.

The man in the suit stepped up, grabbed Bianca's forearm and forced her back against the wall. She could only watch helplessly as Marissa was carried to the door.

In desperation Bianca turned to him.

"Don't hurt her! Please… You came here looking for me, right? Well, you got me! …I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt her!"

The man's smile turned predatory.

"Anything I want?"

"Yeah!"

"So if I were to tell you to go out and board that helicopter you would do it?"

"Yeah! If you want me to go with you, I'll go with you. Just don't hurt her!"

"Bianca, no!" screamed Marissa, still struggling in her captors arms.

The man smiled.

"Then we have a deal." He turned to his goon. "Put her down. And lock her up somewhere she can't cause trouble, would you?" He turned back to Bianca and added pointedly. "…But be careful not to harm a hair on her head."

Bianca could only watch as Marissa was dragged towards the cabin's bathroom. The big man peered in to check the room was clear and then shoved Marissa inside. As soon as her feet hit the ground Marissa was trying to get back to Bianca. She was desperate for her not to sacrifice herself for her sake, but Bianca could see no other way.

"I love you." Bianca mouthed to her as the mercenary slammed the door shut and wedged a chair under the handle.

Bianca was haunted by the betrayal in Marissa's voice as she called out and bashed against the door in anguish.

"I'm sorry." said Bianca even though she knew she couldn't be heard.

The young man gestured to the exit.

"I've fulfilled my part of the bargain." he said smugly.

Bianca picked up her crutches and moved to follow. The only thing that was important was Marissa's safety. She would go without a fight.

…

Marissa's throat was raw and her fists were sore where she had hammered so uselessly against the door. She couldn't believe Bianca would do that to save her.

She looked around for another way out of the cramped bathroom. The only other option was a tiny letter box window above the wash basin. She climbed up and pushed it open, but the opening was barely wide enough for her arm to fit through. Instead she used it to look out. There wasn't much of a view. She could hear the chopper, and the boat engines from the large ship on the water, but couldn't see them. Then she realised there was a new sound; gun-fire.

The chopper suddenly flew into the edge of her view and she could see a man with a mounted machine gun firing to something to the right, and she saw bullets being fired back from somewhere else.

All Marissa could think was Bianca on that chopper?

The helicopter then flew out of sight again, but there was more gun-fire and whizzes of what sounded like rockets.

There was a war going on outside and Bianca was in the middle of it!

Marissa screamed in fear and frustration as she tried to force her head through an opening she would never fit through.

Out of nowhere the world turned white, black and red; hot, choking and loud. An explosion blasted fire through the narrow window, knocking Marissa from her perch on the wash basin and sending her crashing to the floor. Marissa's ears were ringing. She hoped it was just imagination that silenced the sound of the chopper engines and replaced them with the screech of twisted metal.

She sat on the floor, her eyes wide, too numb to move or think.

That silence was the end of her world.

…