by Anna Edwards
"Sir, put your hands in the air and turn around slowly."
James did as he was told and his arms pulled behind his back, and he was cuffed. His gun was removed from its holster.
"My fiancée and her friend. Please, where are they?" He pleaded with the cop.
"What?"
"Two girls. They would’ve been in here. The dead man is her bodyguard." James looked to his left and noticed Matthew talking with another officer. Matthew carried papers which proved he and James were allowed to carry guns. The cop who held his cuffs pulled him towards Matthew.
"Chief, this one says his girl was in the parlour with a friend."
"Yes, we were just discussing that." James looked to Matthew, wondering how much he had mentioned.
"What has the tattoo artist said?" Matthew asked.
"Not much, but he’s in a hell of a lot of pain. The window was blown in, and a gas canister thrown into the parlour. Must have knocked the women out, so they could be snatched."
"Any idea who is behind it?"
"There have been a couple of girls going missing like this recently. They all pretty much fit the description of your two. Cute, early twenties, in a relationship with active young men, enjoying themselves in Sin City. Then we had all those activists from that cult invade the city the other day."
"Is the tattoo artist stable?"
"Yes, they’ll bring him out in a minute. Not sure he’ll keep his leg."
"May we have a quick word with him? We just want to know if our women are injured. I just want to get my fiancée back." James spoke up, as he was released from the cuffs and his gun was handed back.
"Alright. Two minutes. Officer Smith, stay with them please. You go straight back to the hotel afterwards. Any more trouble and I’ll arrest you for assault on a cop and lock you up while we investigate."
James and Matthew went straight towards the medical team when they brought Claw out.
"Ask him questions really quickly while I distract the officer. We need to know the girls condition, how many men, anything that was said." Matthew spoke in Karnataka Hindu to James before turning to the police officer. "Officer Smith, can you just explain to me again about these activists? How many girls have they taken?"
James quickly bent down to Claw, who was dosed up on morphine but still awake.
"Claw."
"Mr North? I’m sorry. I couldn't do anything to stop them taking her."
"Were they hurt?"
"No, the gas knocked them out. Your girl didn’t flinch once as I did her tat."
"She’s pretty special, but I need you to focus. Do you know who took her? How many? Did they say anything?"
"I saw three men, tall fellas all in black. I have never seen them before. I thought you’d come so didn't tell the cops anything. I’ll have to now though."
"Give Matthew and I as much time as possible to get ahead of them, okay?"
"Will do. I’ll ramp up the morphine. Makes me utterly incoherent."
"I’ll have my people set up everything for your healthcare. You will get the best service."
"Thanks, Mr North."
He stood to go back to Matthew, but Claw grabbed his arm.
"Wait. There was one thing. Miss Jones… I’m sure she recognised the person, just before she passed out. I saw it on her face. When she was out cold, he said something to her. What was it? 'He has taken another Angel and defiled her.'"
"James?" Matthew called from behind him. "We should go back to the hotel, wait there for any news." There was a look of urgency on Matthew's face. He didn't argue and followed Matthew back to the car.
"What is it?"
"Sonia just activated her emergency tracker. I need to get back to the hotel and check the location on my computer and transfer the codes to my phone. It is set up to find Amy's as the primary source, but that hasn't been activated."
"Do you think they’re separated?"
"Maybe, I don't know. Sonia will try and activate Amy's as soon as she can. They may be tied up and can't get to each other. I have trained her for this sort of situation. She will protect her. We’re going to need more bodies, though. If it is a cult might be more men that we can handle alone. Their weaponry doesn't look too good either, Claw's wound, the bodyguard, they’re both sawn off shotguns. Why everything is such a mess. The gas canister, Falkland's war issue."
He pulled out his phone and flicked through for Grayson's number. He answered on the fourth ring.
"I said I wasn't to be disturbed all fucking day."
"Gray, it’s James. Where is Sophie?"
"James. Seriously man. I’m knackered."
"Where is Sophie?" This time, his tone didn't leave any room for argument and Grayson went quiet.
"Right next to me in bed. What is going on?" He could hear his sister's concerned voice in the background.
"Amy and Sonia have been kidnapped. We’re on the way back to the hotel now to get coordinates from Sonia's emergency tracker. I need you to get Sophie into lockdown and as many of your men as you can ready to go within the hour."
"I’ll do it straight away, and be ready to come with you. Any idea who it is?"
"Yeah, my worst nightmare has come back to haunt me."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Amy
Amy's head felt like she had been up all night drinking Jägermeister. She tried to remember what had happened. She had gotten a tattoo for James and then everything had gone slightly insane. She lifted her head and opened one eye. The room she was in was dark, though it had a small lamp in the corner which provided a little light. She had a gag in her mouth. The rough material was covered in her saliva where she had apparently been dribbling while unconscious. She tried to move her arms, but they were bound behind her. Sonia, who was a bit further back, was in the same position. Where the hell were they and what was going on? From somewhere in the room a sermon began to play, a lecture on the sins of man, of fornication for which it was not prescribed. Oh great, as if being kidnapped wasn't bad enough she had to listen to this. The sound stopped. A key turned in the lock. The door opened, and in walked a man in his early thirties. He was dressed in smart black trousers and a fully buttoned black shirt with a floppy white collar. His hair was cut short.
"Welcome Miss Jones, Miss Anderson. I’m sorry for the need to tie you up, but we couldn’t risk you waking, attempting to escape, and hurting yourselves." She pulled against the restraints as the man came nearer to her.
"So pretty and so young. How must you have suffered under his touch? Don’t worry, you’re safe now. You’re with the family, and we will protect you for the rest of your life."
Amy shouted into the gag, "Fuck you weirdo."
The man lay his finger on her head, and she tried to pull it away from his foul touch.
"Dear child, he has filled your head with so many evils. Untie her." He gestured to two men that walked into the room. They immediately obeyed and removed the ties from her arms. She was pushed onto the floor to kneel before him and held in place by the two men at her sides. She could hear Sonia protesting and struggling behind her.
"Here we don’t tolerate language such as that. A lady should be meek, only speaking when requested of her. She should be chaste, until she’s married, and then her husband will guide her in her way of life. That is what is proscribed. Remove her gag."
The damp rag was drawn away from her mouth.
"I don't know who the fuck you are, but you’re messing with the wrong lady. Now if you want to stay alive, I suggest you let me and my friend go. There will be powerful men coming for us, and they won’t go easy on you because you are so obviously insane." The man laughed. "Insane and a death wish. Look why don't you just leave us alone and go say whatever prayers it is you need to before you die."
"I see so much of his tongue in you."
"He who?"
"Why your fiancé, Miss Jones. Mr James North, the devil himself."
"Look why don't you go just give your ransom demands to James
, and then we can all be home before nightfall. I had a busy night last night. I’m tired."
"There is no ransom demand, Miss Jones, we’re here to save you from him. Just like I saved my sister. I thought we’d beaten the devil out of him but no, it still lives in him, and he proved it when he stood there and watched his man do this to me." She froze as the man began to lower his trousers. She caught the sick in her throat when he revealed his dick, but where she expected to see testicles there were none. "See Miss Jones? Your man truly is the devil. He took away my chance of fulfilling my destiny to be a father to a loyal wife. He violated my sister. He ordered the murder of my brother. I’ll destroy the devil by rescuing you from his clutches."
"He’s not the devil. You’re the menace with your beliefs, forcing them on others. What he did to your sister was not wrong. It was natural. You started all this by beating him to within an inch of his life." She was struggling against the men holding her arms now, she had lost her common sense against the rage inside of her. "You tried to break him, but you failed." She turned back and looked straight at his groin, "And you’re lucky I wasn't there because I wouldn’t have left you with a penis." Her head was thrust down on the floor, her cheek slamming against the wooden planks while the man pulled his trousers back up.
"You will learn, Miss Jones. What I do to you will harm me more than you. He has brainwashed you, and I need to cure you." He pulled a large knife from his pocket and prowled towards her. Her life was going to end, and all she could think of was how James would be without her. He’d be broken. The man pulled on the end of her long ponytail and pulled her head up. Sonia struggled against her chair, shouting into her gag in rage and fear. The man stared deeply into Amy’s eyes,
"Vanity is sinful, you know you’re pretty so we will remove some of that." He slid the knife into her hair. It fell around her head, and jagged edges came over her face.
Her hair had been long since she could remember. Her mother always wanted her to have long hair, she had always braided it and dressed it beautifully. Tears swam in her eyes, the man threw the length of hair at her, and then put his knife away.
"Eugene, have your wife come in here and dress Miss Jones. I want to make sure that she can’t escape. We will marry her to her husband tonight. He won’t mind being locked away in the correction room with her while she’s made to see the error of her ways."
"What? Married." She gasped out the words.
"Yes, Miss Jones." The man lifted her head again so he could meet her eyes. His danced with psychosis. "Our mission is to rescue young girls such as yourself. To bring them back to the virtues of being a woman. Your husband will be a good man; you will serve him. You will produce as many children as he requires. You will cook, clean, look after his offspring. You won’t argue with him; you will remain subservient just as our Saviour wishes. You will be put back on the path of righteousness." She couldn't believe the utterly warped view of femininity she was hearing. This man was on another planet, she had been taken by a cult, and they were expecting her to be a meek and mild wife.
Sonia suddenly crashed her chair to the floor and jumped up. With extraordinary speed, she slit the throats of the men standing either side of her. Sonia pushed her out of their hands and towards the door.
"Run. I’ll be behind you."
Amy did as she was told and headed straight for the door, she got outside and heard the man call for help. Sonia appeared behind her and pushed her along the wall.
"Keep quiet. We need to try and figure a way out of here." Sonia took her hand and pressed the top of her engagement ring.
"What did you just do?"
"Don't get angry, alright? James has a tracker in your ring. I have one in mine. I activated mine earlier, but they need to have yours too, so that they know we’re together and can plan their attack accordingly."
"They’re coming for us?"
"Of course."
"He’s going to be so mad at me."
"He will be relieved to get you in his arms, now keep low."
"Sonia, what did you do to that man?"
"I stabbed him in the leg. He won't be chasing us anytime soon."
"You didn't kill him."
"James didn't give me permission to do that."
Footsteps came running from behind them as they reached a doorway. Sonia kicked it open and almost dragged her outside. She handed her a knife. "Whatever happens, keep running, get to civilisation."
"Sonia."
"Please. You have to do as I ask."
"Alright."
They were out in the dessert, would there be any civilisation out here? She did as Sonia told her and ran. She reached a small batch of sequoias and large rocks and darted in between them. Her heart was beating so fast. She looked around for Sonia, but she could not see her, running on adrenaline, listening for cars, people talking, any sign that she was reaching somewhere where she could be protected.
She heard her name and froze. It was the man, she recognised his voice.
"Miss Jones," He was cold and calculated. "I suggest you stop running, Miss Jones; I know you’re nearby. I have your friend, and unless you show yourself to me, I’ll kill her." She put her hand over her mouth to hide the noise of distress that came from her. She walked towards the voice but kept herself hidden. Sonia was being held down by three men. The man stood next to them. He had a large rip in his trousers and blood oozed from a wound in his leg. He was supported by another person. "I’m not a patient man Miss Jones, and I need to have my leg stitched. You’ve precisely two minutes to show yourself. And to show you I’m serious I’ll give you a demonstration of what will happen to Miss Anderson unless you come on out."
One of the men held Sonia's arm out, another handed the leader a bat. He swung it down on Sonia's arm. Amy held her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob. Sonia screamed and the bone snapped. Sonia had told her to run, but if she did they would kill her. What would she tell Matthew? She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't leave her friend.
James and Matthew were coming for them. Sonia was adamant about that. Amy just needed to gain them more time. She stepped forward from her hiding place and was immediately surrounded by men. Sonia looked at her and shut her eyes before she was hit around the head with the bat and passed out.
"No. You said you wouldn't hurt her."
"She’ll have a headache, but hopefully it’ll help her see sense I think you now are now seeing. She’s a bad influence on you, and you will be kept separated. Come, we need to dress you for your future husband."
"I won’t marry anyone except James."
He grabbed her around the throat.
Amy spat in his face and was met with a slap to hers. Her arms were pulled behind her back and tied together. Gunshots rang out from the direction of the building they’d escaped from.
"Get her to the car."
"Master?" The guy holding onto Amy's left arm like a rabid wolf suddenly looked scared.
"He can’t get her. He’s the devil. If we allow him to take her back, we will have failed her. We need to leave. We need to get her away and hidden."
"But what about our brothers and sisters? We can’t leave them to perish at his hands."
The mind-warped brother pulled a gun from the waistband of his trousers and fired straight at the questioning man. The shot hit him directly between the eyes, and his blood splattered over Amy's face. She screamed.
"Shut her up." A blanket was put over her head, but she continued to shout.
"If anyone else wants to question my actions, then say so now, and you can stay behind. The devil is coming to his Queen. She’s our salvation. We must save her." The words were muffled by the blanket, but she could still hear the hints of worry in them. She was lifted off her feet and carried rapidly. The person holding her stumbled as she tried to struggle and kick out. The blanket came loose, and she was able to shout louder. There was a pickup in front of them. She was thrown into the cab, and the leader climbed in beside her. The man who’d b
een carrying her climbed in beside them and took the wheel. He started the engine and sped around in a tight circle at great speed, and drove onto the main road.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
James
He heard Amy before he saw her. She sounded horror struck. He tore off towards her voice with several of Grayson's team at his side. They ran through the sequoias and craggy rocks of the desert. They reached a small clearing and found Sonia laying on the floor in an unnatural pose. Matthew raced to her, and James held his breath as Matthew checked her over.
"Get the medical team in here." She had a massive lump on her head, and it was evident that her arm was broken, she was barely coherent but she reeled off things that Matthew needed to know. Amy shouted out again and he speed in the direction of her voice. An engine started as he ran out into another clearing. Amy was inside the car, her eyes wide with terror and next to her sat his ex-girlfriend's brother. He had to stop the vehicle, he raised his gun to shoot at the tyres, but the car began to spin around. If he shot them out, he risked it flipping and Amy being hurt. Matthew appeared behind him,
"James. Over here."
There was another pickup and the idiots had left the keys in the ignition. Grayson and his personal bodyguard jumped in the back, Matthew floored the accelerator, and they were off following Amy. James didn't need to direct Matthew, his driver was more than adept at weaving in and out of the traffic on the freeway, chasing after the car carrying her. Anger burned inside his chest.
The driver of the pickup in front of them was all over the road trying to lose them, then suddenly exited. Matthew managed to swerve around a truck and bumped over the kerb and off the freeway. The pickup did a ninety-degree turn down a small road, and James was slammed against the window as Matthew did the same. They skidded to a halt, and he could see Amy being dragged from the car, screaming and kicking out. She had blood on her face, and her hair was cut.
