Chapter 8

The real story begins in the back of a supermarket. I don't know if there's irony in being near the meat isle or not.

Josh and I were grabbing a few things to take home. As he reached for a bottle of BBQ sauce, I nicked over to the end isle to grab some sausages. It was there that I was nabbed. Two pairs of strong hands grabbed me and I felt something press into my back.

"Don't make a sound," one of the men said in a deep, quiet voice. They led me through the thick plastic curtains into the rear of the shop and loading bay. The room was void of staff and the lighting was dim, making me suspect this was set up well in advance. My hands trembled as one of the guys took hold of me from behind, still pressing his instrument into my back. The other went back out to the shop where I could see and hear Josh calling to me on the other side of the curtains.

My second assailant approached Josh with another figure and after a few words, Josh stepped through the curtain.

"Harry! Are you okay?" he asked

Before I could nod my response his two companions grabbed an arm each and kicked the back of Josh's legs, forcing him to his knees. They dragged him further into the room, but Josh's eyes never left me.

"Do as they say," he said. "Don't give them any reason to hurt you."

The men laughed, but I just nodded, eyes wide with fear, my throat too constricted to try speaking.

You've seen how beautifully Josh suffers in a fight but fantasies aside, those fights I mentioned showed his stamina and determination. In reality he wiped the floor with all the other guys he fought in my gym, but they were one-on-one grapples, nothing serious like this. This was three-on-one and the enemy was armed.

"What do you want?" Josh demanded, trying to stand but one of the men pushed him back down. It was then that he struck, dropping backwards onto the floor. Caught off guard, the two men let his arms slip from their grip and as they reached for him again, Josh kicked out with his feet, hitting both in the chest. They stumbled back, right towards me, bowling myself and my captor over.

The four of us went over in a flurry of arms and legs and the short lead pipe that was being held to my back rolled away. How had Josh known it wasn't a wasn't a knife?!

Josh was on his feet, kicking one of the guys off me. He hauled me up and shoved me away from them.

"Run!" he shouted, pointing to the loading bay door. One of the men grabbed Josh's leg. He dropped to a knee, bringing an elbow down hard on the guy, then swung a foot, knocking the feet out from the third guy getting up.

"Go! Now!" Josh snapped, and he was on his feet running with me, pushing me ahead of him.

A hand clawed the back of his collar, stopping Josh in his tracks, sending him staggering back in the fray.

"Josh!" I yelled but he repeated his instruction as he blocked a fist heading straight for him. I turned and fled, despite being terrified of leaving him behind.

Tearing open the bay doors, I charged through, leaping off the raised loading platform onto the driveway, and suddenly found myself facing a gun. I skidded to a half, panting and searching for anyone else around, but it was just him and me, a lone gunman stepping towards me.

Behind me I heard crashes and yells, then silence. My prayers were answered, when Josh burst through the door but as I turned to look, the gunman grabbed me, placing the pistol on my temple.

"Stay where you are," he said and Josh raised his open hands in front of him, indicating his acquiescence.

"Who are you people?" Josh said. "What do you want?"

"All in good time," the man said.

The door behind Josh opened and the three assailants limped out. Taking in the situation, they grabbed Josh, holding him more firmly this time.

The one holding me sighed. "Bring him," he ordered, and Josh was led down the steps to the carpark.

"Here's how it's going to work," the man said. He nudged his gun at me. "This one is going in a different car. If you do anything to try to escape, he gets a bullet between the eyes. Understand?"

The two guys holding Josh didn't wait for him to answer. They pushed him up against the car while their compatriot bound Josh's hand behind his back with some cord out of the car.

"Josh?!" I cried.

"Just stay calm!" Josh said, moments before a black hood went over his head. "Do everything they say," he instructed, and suddenly a hood was over my head too. I was dragged away and thrown into a car. Doors slammed and the one sitting next to me forced me to lie face down. He bound my hands as the car sped away.

I lay there whimpering in the darkness of the hood. My bladder threatened to burst and I couldn't tell whether the shaking was coming from me or the car. All I knew was we were in deep trouble, and I'd been snatched away from the one man who could save me.