and
approached. ‘Excuse me, senorita,’ he said to Scarlet. ‘I have something for you.’
‘For me?’ she asked. ‘What is it?’
The man produced a gun, pointing it at her chest. ‘You will both come with us if
you want to live,’ he said. Turning to Jack, he added, ‘Do not think of running if
you want your girlfriend to live.’
They were bustled into the back of the waiting car. The driver slammed his foot down
on the accelerator and they sped away. Through the window, the hotel flew past.
We were so close!
Jack and Scarlet were jammed tight between two men as the car swept through the city.
They drove to the outskirts, an industrial area with factories and abandoned warehouses.
Bouncing over uneven ground, the steamcar reached a mansion that looked odd in this
part of town.
‘Where are we?’ Jack asked. ‘Why have we been brought here?’
‘You will find out soon.’
They were taken inside. The hallway was well lit, and furnished with fine-woven Spanish
carpets and lavish paintings of rural life on the walls. A chandelier hung above
the stairwell. Whoever owned this home was clearly wealthy.
A flight of stairs led to a basement. Jack cast a look at Scarlet.
Where are they taking us?
They were led downstairs and shoved into chairs. Pairs of handcuffs were produced
and their hands were secured behind their backs. The three men regarded them silently.
‘What’s going on?’ Jack demanded. ‘You’re not going to get away with this!’
‘We already have, young one.’
The men turned and left. Scarlet shuffled about in her seat. ‘Can you reach your
lock pick?’ she asked. ‘I have a piece of wire in a pocket, but I can’t get it.’
Jack tried shuffling about in his seat. He could feel the weight of the items in
his pockets. His parents’ locket. The compass. The lock pick was there, but he couldn’t
reach it. Before he could reply, the door creaked open and a man entered.
Jack shot a look at Scarlet.
He’s wearing an eye patch!
Scarlet glared back. I told you so!
‘Little ones,’ he said, with a slight Spanish accent. ‘I regret that we have taken
this course of action, but it was necessary.’
‘I demand our release!’ Scarlet said. ‘We are visitors in your country!’
He smiled without humour. ‘Welcome to España,’ he said. ‘My name is Carlos. You may
leave at any time, but there is a price.’
‘What do you want?’ Jack asked.
‘You must tell me everything you know about X-29.’
‘That’s going to be easy,’ Jack said, ‘because we don’t know what it is.’
‘That is not the answer I am seeking.’
‘It’s the only one we’ve got.’
Carlos reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, its deadly blade glinting
in the pale light. ‘Where is X-29?’ he said. ‘Give me its location and you may leave.’
Jack swallowed. ‘We don’t know anything about… X-29. We would tell you if we did.’
‘You will tell me what you know or you will be sorry.’
‘We don’t know anything,’ Scarlet said, her voice cracking with fear. ‘Release us
or—’
The man strode towards Scarlet and gripped a handful of her hair. She cried out.
‘Let her go!’ Jack yelled, struggling against the handcuffs. ‘We don’t know anything!’
Carlos waved the knife near Scarlet’s face. ‘Your little girlfriend is very pretty,’
he said. ‘It would be a pity to ruin her looks.’
‘Leave her alone!’ Jack cried. ‘I’ll kill you if you harm her!’
The man shifted the knife in his hand and sliced upwards. An instant later Carlos
had a handful of Scarlet’s red hair in his hand. He dropped it to the ground and
Scarlet let out a sob.
‘Such beautiful hair,’ Carlos said. ‘It must have taken years to grow.’
He grabbed another handful and sawed through.
Jack swore at the man, but was completely ignored as another bunch of hair was severed.
Within seconds, piles of her hair lay everywhere.
‘Where is X-29?’ Carlos asked again.
‘We
approached. ‘Excuse me, senorita,’ he said to Scarlet. ‘I have something for you.’
‘For me?’ she asked. ‘What is it?’
The man produced a gun, pointing it at her chest. ‘You will both come with us if
you want to live,’ he said. Turning to Jack, he added, ‘Do not think of running if
you want your girlfriend to live.’
They were bustled into the back of the waiting car. The driver slammed his foot down
on the accelerator and they sped away. Through the window, the hotel flew past.
We were so close!
Jack and Scarlet were jammed tight between two men as the car swept through the city.
They drove to the outskirts, an industrial area with factories and abandoned warehouses.
Bouncing over uneven ground, the steamcar reached a mansion that looked odd in this
part of town.
‘Where are we?’ Jack asked. ‘Why have we been brought here?’
‘You will find out soon.’
They were taken inside. The hallway was well lit, and furnished with fine-woven Spanish
carpets and lavish paintings of rural life on the walls. A chandelier hung above
the stairwell. Whoever owned this home was clearly wealthy.
A flight of stairs led to a basement. Jack cast a look at Scarlet.
Where are they taking us?
They were led downstairs and shoved into chairs. Pairs of handcuffs were produced
and their hands were secured behind their backs. The three men regarded them silently.
‘What’s going on?’ Jack demanded. ‘You’re not going to get away with this!’
‘We already have, young one.’
The men turned and left. Scarlet shuffled about in her seat. ‘Can you reach your
lock pick?’ she asked. ‘I have a piece of wire in a pocket, but I can’t get it.’
Jack tried shuffling about in his seat. He could feel the weight of the items in
his pockets. His parents’ locket. The compass. The lock pick was there, but he couldn’t
reach it. Before he could reply, the door creaked open and a man entered.
Jack shot a look at Scarlet.
He’s wearing an eye patch!
Scarlet glared back. I told you so!
‘Little ones,’ he said, with a slight Spanish accent. ‘I regret that we have taken
this course of action, but it was necessary.’
‘I demand our release!’ Scarlet said. ‘We are visitors in your country!’
He smiled without humour. ‘Welcome to España,’ he said. ‘My name is Carlos. You may
leave at any time, but there is a price.’
‘What do you want?’ Jack asked.
‘You must tell me everything you know about X-29.’
‘That’s going to be easy,’ Jack said, ‘because we don’t know what it is.’
‘That is not the answer I am seeking.’
‘It’s the only one we’ve got.’
Carlos reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife, its deadly blade glinting
in the pale light. ‘Where is X-29?’ he said. ‘Give me its location and you may leave.’
Jack swallowed. ‘We don’t know anything about… X-29. We would tell you if we did.’
‘You will tell me what you know or you will be sorry.’
‘We don’t know anything,’ Scarlet said, her voice cracking with fear. ‘Release us
or—’
The man strode towards Scarlet and gripped a handful of her hair. She cried out.
‘Let her go!’ Jack yelled, struggling against the handcuffs. ‘We don’t know anything!’
Carlos waved the knife near Scarlet’s face. ‘Your little girlfriend is very pretty,’
he said. ‘It would be a pity to ruin her looks.’
‘Leave her alone!’ Jack cried. ‘I’ll kill you if you harm her!’
The man shifted the knife in his hand and sliced upwards. An instant later Carlos
had a handful of Scarlet’s red hair in his hand. He dropped it to the ground and
Scarlet let out a sob.
‘Such beautiful hair,’ Carlos said. ‘It must have taken years to grow.’
He grabbed another handful and sawed through.
Jack swore at the man, but was completely ignored as another bunch of hair was severed.
Within seconds, piles of her hair lay everywhere.
‘Where is X-29?’ Carlos asked again.
‘We
Similar Books
