Demons

by Beth Abbott

  As soon as she was able, Megan picked up speed, ducking underneath low branches, and jumping over the occasional stump. No way was she going to stop until she was sure she’d put enough distance between her and the kidnappers for them not to be able to find her without bringing in a sniffer-dog.

  When she was finally gasping for breath, and her ribs were aching with a stitch, Megan eventually slowed to a halt.

  She found a log covered in plenty of foliage, collapsing to the ground in the shelter on the far side.

  She reached down into her boot and pulled her phone from her sock.

  The battery was down to less than a third full, but that was more than enough to make the few calls she needed to get them to safety.

  Glancing around to make sure she was sufficiently hidden, Megan stuck her head down inside the neck of her sweater, and shoved the phone up underneath it from below, hiding the light from every angle.

  She swiped the screen to light it up and touched the airplane button to switch it off.

  Immediately the screen started to flash with incoming messages from the hospital and missed calls from numbers she didn’t recognise. She scrolled through them and noticed the last one had been just three minutes ago.

  She hit the redial button and waited for the ringtone.

  It seemed to take forever before the phone started to ring, and then a woman’s voice came on the other end.

  “Hannah Simons, can I help you?” The voice sounded American.

  “Umm, yes, can you tell me why you just dialled this number?” She murmured, keeping her hand cupped around the mouthpiece.

  “Oh, my God!” The woman gasped. “Are you Megan?”

  “Yes!” Megan half-sobbed. “Do you know my brother, Robbie Jones?”

  “Hang on a second, sweetie, I’m putting you on speaker.” The woman explained. “Robbie and Evan are both with me, so you can talk to them yourself.”

  “Megan?” Evan’s voice sounded frantic. “Are you Ok?”

  “Meg? Where are you?” Robbie sounded fearful, but wonderful, nonetheless.

  “Shh, please! Let me explain what’s going on.” She whispered. “They took us to a disused wartime factory out in the countryside, called Shepton Farming Equipment. We got away from where we were being held, but they’re looking for us.”

  “Megan, this is Suzy’s husband, Matt.” A deep voice sounded close to the phone. “Is she with you? Can I talk to her?”

  “Oh, Matt. I’m sorry, but she’s not with me.” Megan whispered. “She’s still in one of the buildings.”

  “But you said you both got away.” The poor man’s voice sounded anguished. “What happened? Is she Ok?”

  “When we were brought here, they had hoods over our heads, so we couldn’t see. We tripped, and Suzy fell down some stairs. She took a bash on the head, not too serious, thank goodness, but I think she’s got a broken ankle.” Megan explained in a whisper. “Anyway, Suzy knew all about the buildings we were in, and when we managed to get out of the room they’d locked us in, she directed us down into the basement, to escape through one of the other buildings. We were almost out when her ankle gave way, and she couldn’t walk any further. Then we heard noises from behind us, and guessed they must have found we’d gone, so Suzy hid in one of the basement rooms and sent me on to get help.”

  “You mean she’s still in there?” Matt gasped.

  “I’m sorry.” Megan whispered. “Suzy told me to get away and contact you.”

  “You did exactly the right thing, sweetheart.” Evan reassured her. “We’re on our way to get you now.”

  “Oh, thank God!” Megan felt lightheaded and sick all at once. “It’s absolutely freezing out here!"

  “Honey, are you in a safe place?” Evan asked, obviously still worried for her safety.

  “I ran through the woods for maybe ten minutes, and I followed the moon to be sure I kept going in a straight line.” She whispered. “I’m pretty sure it’s about as safe as it’s gonna be.”

  “Ok, stay put, sweetheart, and we’ll be with you as quickly as we can.” Evan reassured her. “Have a quick chat with Robbie, but not too long, Ok? We need to make sure you have plenty of battery left in that phone, in case we need to get hold of you.”

  “Ok, no problem.” Megan agreed.

  “Meg?” Robbie’s voice sounded closer now.

  “Hey, squirt!” She smiled, tears trickling down her cheeks.

  “Hey, sis.” Robbie sniffed. “Are you sure you’re Ok? They didn’t hurt you at all, did they?”

  “I’m fine, Robbie.” She said quietly. “They roughed us up a little, and made a few threats, but overall, nothing too bad.”

  “Lucky for them.” Robbie growled. “I hate to think what Evan would have done to them if they’d hurt you.”

  “Well, I’m fine for now at least.” Megan crossed her fingers. “How long do you think it’ll be before they can get here and rescue Suzy?”

  “Our team is already on their way.” Hannah’s voice answered her question. “We have a helicopter waiting about a mile away, and they’ll be at your location, or within spitting distance of it, in around twenty minutes. You’re a bit further out than we’d expected.”

  “Are they going to rescue Suzy first?” Megan hissed. “She’s in more danger than I am.”

  “Damn straight they are.” Hannah said confidently. “Is there anything more you can tell us that will help them?

  “They need to know that there are five kidnappers.” Megan explained quietly. “I have no idea what they look like, because they’ve always hidden their faces with those masks with the faces of the guys from Take That on them, but they’re mostly pretty big guys.”

  “Not a problem.” Hannah said confidently. “Are they armed in any way?”

  “I didn’t see any guns or anything like that.” Megan frowned. “Although a couple of them were possibly carrying knives. They had funny pouches hooked to their belts.”

  “Good to know.” Hannah murmured. “Is there anything they should know about Suzy’s whereabouts?”

  “She’s in the basement, down two flights of stairs.” Megan explained. “There is a corridor that runs between the three buildings, so depending which building you enter, you go to the last door on your left or right, and if you get the right one it leads into the long corridor. Suzy is in a room maybe five or six doors from the stairs in the left-hand building as you face it from the front. She’ll be hiding under a sleeping bag, so they’ll have to call out for her. We were held in the right-hand building, so the kidnappers may not have found their way to her yet.”

  “That’s fantastic, Megan.” Hannah confirmed. “I’ll pass that information on to Matt and Evan now.”

  “Megan?” Robbie murmured. “Are you sure you’re safe where you are?”

  “I’m pretty sure I’m safe from everything except creepy-crawlies.” Megan smiled. “That’s the only thing that’s likely to give me away… a spider crawling up my leg. You know how they make me scream like a little girl.”

  Robbie chuckled, and for a few seconds Megan could picture his smile.

  “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Meg. It’s all my fault.” Robbie said finally.

  “None of this is your fault, Rob.” Megan insisted. “It sure as hell isn’t your fault that there are bad people in the world.”

  “No, I guess not.” He sighed.

  “I’m hanging up now, Rob.” She smiled. “Get ready for when I get back, because I want the biggest cwtch you ever gave anyone.”

  “You realise bearhugs are nothing compared to my cwtches, don’t you?” Robbie snorted. “You’ll probably need a chiropractor by the time I let you go.”

  “You’re talking to someone who an hour ago thought I’d never see you again.” Megan sniffed. “A chiropractor is a small price to pay.”

  Megan thought she heard a quiet sob in the background, and she felt guilty that she’d made her brother cry.

  “I’ll see you really soon, R
ob.” She whispered. “I love you, baby brother.”

  Megan ended the call and switched the phone to vibrate before tucking it back in her sock.

  Her thoughts immediately switched to Suzy, and she wondered how the other woman was coping in the dark by herself.

  Please God she was better with creepy-crawlies than Megan!

  Chapter 61 – Matt

  By the time they pulled up in the carpark next to the helicopter pad, the whole team had changed into their typical night-time operational clothing, consisting of black, black, and yet more black. Black t-shirt, black canvas trousers with more pockets than most men could find a use for, black stab-vests, black boots, and black beanies.

  It wasn’t so much a uniform for them as a way of life.

  Thanks to Hannah relaying the details Megan had given her, they were all fairly satisfied that they knew what to expect, and they had a good idea how they were going to get Suzy out.

  “Everyone ready?” Drew met them at the chopper door.

  “Damn straight!” Matt growled, grabbing the hand-strap to pull himself up into the chopper. “How’re you doing Vicky? Got all the co-ordinates locked and loaded?”

  “Of course.” The beautiful red-head grinned over her shoulder, her hair barely visible underneath the headset she was wearing. “Drew’s got all the co-ordinates loaded onto a tablet, but I’m aiming to drop you in a field about a mile from the factory. There’s woodland in between, but if you head south, skirting the edge of the field, you’ll hit the lane that takes you right up to the factory gates. It’ll be quicker than going through the woods. Quieter too.”

  “Is it anywhere near where Megan is hiding?” Evan leaned forward to ask.

  “Hannah has got her pinpointed in the woods, thanks to one of her thermal imaging satellites.” Vicky grinned at him. “She’s on the same side of the factory as we will be, so I thought that if the guys can manage without you, you and I can go and retrieve her.”

  Evan glanced at Matt, and without saying a word, Matt could feel how badly the Welshman needed to go after his girl.

  “That’s a good plan.” Matt nodded.

  With Hollywood and Kellen, Logan, Danny, JT, Luke and Drew at his back, he could hardly claim to be short-handed.

  “Make sure you’re carrying a side-arm, though. You come across one of those assholes out in the woods looking for Megan, you put them down, d’you hear me?” Danny threw the order over his shoulder at Evan. “No fannying around!”

  “Hearing you loud and clear, boss.” Evan smiled.

  “Has Hannah alerted the police yet?” Matt looked back at Vicky.

  “Yeah, well, sort of.” Vicky grinned. “She’s directed them to a spot about two miles from the factory, at the entrance to the lane, and told them to wait there for further instructions. As soon as we know Suzy is secure, we’re to round up as many of the kidnappers as we can. The police can come in and help out with that last part, making arrests, or if the kidnappers try and get away in the van, the police can deploy their stingers across the road, and blow out all their tyres.”

  “Sounds like a good plan, although I’d prefer it if they didn’t arrive until after we’ve taught those fuckers a lesson on how to treat a lady.” Matt growled. “How many times do you think I’ll have to throw them down the stairs before they start to regret what they did to Suzy?”

  “Not nearly enough.” Evan scowled, making Matt smile.

  As the helicopter lifted off the ground, Matt pulled his headphones on, and the first voice that he heard was Hannah’s.

  “I’m just keeping a close eye on the thermal images of the factory, and there are definitely three guys still doing a perimeter check around the buildings.” She confirmed. “That tells us that there are another two inside the building somewhere, possibly checking out the rooms downstairs.”

  “There’s a good chance they’ll find Suzy before we can get there.” Matt murmured, willing Vicky to find some additional airspeed from somewhere.

  “Maybe.” Hannah acknowledged in her no-nonsense way. “But according to Megan there are a lot of rooms down there, all of them in complete darkness. Unless they’ve got some portable lighting, they’re probably going to have to search using the flashlights on their phones, and they’re big rooms filled with old furniture and equipment. It’s going to be slow going if they’re doing a thorough job.”

  “Don’t forget, Megan said that Suzy is in one of the rooms furthest from where they were being held.” Evan pointed out. “She’s also got the sleeping bag to hide under, so she’ll be harder to spot.”

  Matt wondered whether that was going to be enough to keep her safe.

  Suzy was a smart woman, and capable of thinking her way out of most difficult situations, but being trapped in a room, unable to walk, not knowing where the bad guys were even if you could escape, was a situation that not even someone with Hannah’s genius could figure her way out of.

  “One of the kidnappers is making his way into the woods.” Hannah’s voice came over the headset. “Hold up… nope, he’s on his way back to the others. I’m guessing he was just emptying his bladder.”

  “Thanks for sharing that with us, baby.” Danny grinned. “Your running commentaries are always so worth listening to.”

  “You know me, sweetheart.” Matt could hear the smile in Hannah’s voice. “I always aim to provide inflight entertainment.”

  Matt turned to try and look out of the front over Vicky’s shoulder, but all he could see was darkness, and the lights from the control panel.

  He had no idea how long they’d been in the air, and while Hannah kept up a commentary on where the men were in relation to the building, for the most part, Matt drowned the noise out.

  JT and Luke were their strategy men, so even though this was Suzy they were rescuing, why would he change the habit of a lifetime and start trying to run the mission himself?

  The most intelligent course of action was to leave the decision making to those who had an impeccable track record of making the best decisions.

  Simple as!

  “Vicky? You’re just coming onto my screen, honey.” Hannah’s voice suddenly broke into his thoughts. “You’re about a minute out, and due west of the factory.”

  “That was my guess.” Vicky acknowledged. “Could you pinpoint where Megan is in relation to where I’m headed?”

  “She’s north east of your expected landing point.” Hannah confirmed. “Once you’ve landed, I’ll direct you to her over the radio, and get her back on the phone to see if she can start making her way toward you.”

  “Excellent.” Vicky smiled. “Thirty seconds, guys. Hold on because I’m gonna have to come in hard and fast.”

  Matt braced himself for landing, holding on tightly as Vicky had to turn and drop suddenly at the last second, and was mightily relieved when she touched down in the field. He wasn’t particularly fond of flying at the best of times, but at least he knew with the redhead at the controls they had a pretty good chance of survival.

  They were already disembarking when he heard Vicky powering down the engine on the chopper.

  “Guys, I’m gonna let Abbey guide you to the factory, while I get Evan and Vicky to where Megan is waiting.” Hannah’s voice came through his earpiece. “I won’t be gone long.”

  “Ok, here’s how we’re gonna play this.” JT stood in the middle of his men. “We’re heading for the factory, and we’ll rely on Abbey to let us know where the men are when we get there. We’ll subdue any that are on the surface and then split up. Two teams will make their way down to the basement through the middle building, and the building on the left.”

  Matt nodded his agreement.

  “The team going in on the left will immediately start searching for Suzy once they reach the basement, and the team in the middle will make sure nobody interferes with the searchers by making their way through the basement corridor towards the right-hand building. Chances are, that’s where we’ll find the assholes, probably trying
to figure out what to do next.”

  “What happens if they make a run for it while we’re below ground?” Hollywood asked.

  “That’s what the third team are for.” JT nodded. “Making sure nobody gets away.”

  “The police are waiting at the end of the lane.” Abbey confirmed. “An armed response team and about eight squad cars. I don’t think they’ll get far.”

  “As long as they don’t try and take Suzy with them.” Matt growled.

  “Exactly.” JT nodded. “Everyone armed and ready?”

  Matt looked around at his teammates as they all checked their sidearms and nodded.

  It had been a long time since an operation had meant this much to him, but if he’d had to choose, he wouldn’t have picked any other team to have his back.

  Chapter 62 – Evan

  “Ok, Evan.” Hannah’s voice came through his earpiece. “Start walking towards the tree-line, so I can get a trace to check which way you’re heading.”

  Evan and Vicky started walking in the direction of the treeline, staying close together to boost the thermal signal.

  “Ok, I’ve got you.” Hannah confirmed. “Start turning towards your ten o’clock.”

  Evan turned to the left and started walking at a thirty-degree angle from their original heading.

  “Perfect. Just keep on that line if you possibly can.” Hannah instructed. “I’m just trying to get hold of Megan by phone.”

  As they headed into the trees, Evan wondered how Megan had managed to scramble her way through it for as long as she had. When you weren’t climbing over low or fallen branches, the brambles and what looked like ivy were wrapping themselves around your ankles, as though their sole purpose was to trip you up and make you fall over.

  “Shit!” He turned around to find Vicky flat on her ass.

  “Are you Ok?” He offered a hand to pull her up.

  “Yeah, just a bruised ego.” She grinned. “This sort of terrain isn’t the best for someone with a prosthetic foot.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to wait at the chopper?” Evan frowned. “I don’t want you to do yourself any damage.”