Kidnapped - Part 2

By Nikki_Lynn

     "Wait here," said Ryan, "We don't know what's in there, and if would be safer if one of us stayed behind."
     Wayne started to protest, but decided that Ryan was right, and nodded. Ryan and Brad walked up to the building, discovering that the chain, which had been used to secure the door, had recently been cut. Brad pushed open the door and stepped inside, Ryan close behind... and suddenly froze.
     "Ryan? Do you smell smoke?"

     Mon curled up on the cot, hugging her knees to her chest... She was *so* cold. Her whole body shook as freezing air wafted through the room. Her eyes widened as she noticed that she could she her breath in the air, and she wondered how long it took for a person to freeze to death.

     Holly was pacing, her footsteps thudding against the floor of the RV. The noise outside seemed louder than before. Suddenly, the vehicle lurched, knocking Holly to her knees.
     "What the Hell?!"
     She stood up, and the RV continued to move... but not in a way any car should move. It almost felt as if it were dangling... swaying...
     'Yes, swaying would be a good way to describe this,' Holly thought as another jolt of motion sent her flying into the wall. She winced as her shoulder hit a sharp corner, tearing the skin open. Holly glanced at the gash and sighed, knowing that it would probably need stitches, and then grabbed hold of the side of the motorhome as it lurched again...

     Ryan and Brad tore through the building, not knowing who this woman, Nancy Caliban, had hidden here, nor where to start looking. Suddenly, Brad spotted and arrow, painted in fluorescent green, pointing to the stairs.
     "Do you think...?"
     "I don't know, but it's as good a place to start as any..." Ryan replied. The smoke was beginning to billow down the stairwell. Brad swallowed the lump in his throat and hoped they weren't too late...

     The smoke was too thick... She couldn't breath, and her eyes burned. Linz pressed herself to the floor, hoping to find fresher air, but by then the smoke had filled the room, and she could hear the fire outside, licking at the walls. She felt as if all her strength was gone, the desire to sleep beginning to overtake her... She briefly wondered if she was experiencing oxygen starvation, before losing consciousness.

     Nikki Lynn waded through the waist deep water. 'Not good,' she thought, 'This thing is sinking fast...'
     She had tried everything... picking the lock, trying to break down the door, looking for weak boards in the floor and walls... all to no avail. And the water was still rising. She wondered if the ceiling was airtight enough to trap at least some air in the room after the entire boat was submerged... She glanced up at the ceiling and suddenly noticed something she hadn't seen before... some kind of hatch, concealed by the grain of the wood. She never would had seen it have she not been standing directly underneath it... but there was no way to reach it. Everything in the room was bolted down. Finally, she resigned herself to the fact that she would have to wait for the water to rise higher before she could try and escape through the hatch.
     'Please don't let it be locked...'

     The RV shook violently, and Holly felt as though she were falling... a feeling confirmed by the sudden impact that once again threw her off her feet. The squeal of metal against metal filled her ears as the RV crashed to the ground and settled. The distinct hum of machinery buzzed all around her...

     Ryan and Brad followed the green, painted arrows up to the third floor. The smoke grew thicker as they stepped out of the stairwell. Ryan's eyes widened upon seeing the flames snaking along the floor, lapping at the walls... Paint melted from the walls, and the stench of burning carpet mingled with the acrid smoke. Brad pointed to the wall.
     "Ryan! Another arrow," he yelled over the sounds of the fire. Ryan nodded, unable to speak for all the smoke, which was making him cough violently.
     "Stay here!" Brad yelled, seeing his friend's condition, "I'll check it out!"
     Brad carefully avoided the flames, following the arrows down the hallway. He had to stop several times as spouts of fire erupted in front of him, shielding his face from the intense heat and then continuing along once the flames died down. Finally, he reached a door marked with a large, green "X". He tried opening it, but found it locked. Then he saw the key. It was dangling from a chain farther down the hall, the path leading to it nearly engulfed in flames. Against his better judgment, Brad took a running start, moving past the fire as quickly as he could, grabbing the key. He flinched at the contact of hot metal with his bare skin, but forced himself not to let go of the key, returning quickly to the door, and unlocking it. He shoved the door open, choking on the smoke that assaulted him as he stepped inside.
     "Linz!" he cried, seeing her unconscious form lying motionless in the haze of smoke. Coughing, he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to where he had left Ryan. The smoke burned his eye and lungs, and the heat was nothing short of oppressive. Ryan had been forced to retreat back down the stairs, and he sighed with relief as he saw Brad return, Linz in his arms.
     "Let's get out of here," Ryan yelled. Brad didn't argue. They ran from the building, hearing the sound of the upper floors collapsing behind them. As they emerged, Wayne ran forward, taking Linz from Brad, who looked utterly exhausted. He gently laid Linz down on the ground.
     "Linz?" Wayne managed, the fear that they were too late threatening to overcome him. Linz's skin was ashen, her breathing shallow. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. Wayne stroked Linz's forehead. Her eye fluttered open, and she gazed up at him, coughing slightly.
     "Wayne?" she asked, incredulously, her voice thick and barely above a whisper. Brad and Ryan were at her side instantaneously.
     "Shhh... Linz, don't talk," said Brad, "Just rest..."
     The fire trucks pulled up, men armed with hoses clamoring onto the street to take care of the blaze. A pair of EMTs appeared from the back of an ambulance, and Linz found herself suddenly being poked and prodded.
     "Is she going to be alright?" Brad asked. One of the EMTs nodded.
     "We're taking her to the hospital. We'll get her on some oxygen, treat her for smoke inhalation... She'll be fine... You should be checked out as well," he replied, looking Brad over. Wayne nodded in agreement.
     "Brad, you should go with Linz," he said.
     Brad hesitantly agreed, and moments later, he and Linz were on their way. Ryan turned to Wayne.
     "We can't waste any time," he said, "That fire was meant to kill us. We've got to find the rest of the girls."
     Wayne quickly got into the car, Ryan climbing into the passenger seat.
     "What's the next address?" Wayne asked. Ryan pulled out their half of the list, and the two men drove off in search of the next Brady Buncher.

     Colin cautiously reached out and turned the lock on the door, staying well clear of the vent. Once the door was unlocked, he swung it open, very slowly, gasping as he saw that the entire floor was covered with snakes, the rattle of the tails shaking, filling the room. Greg leaned forward and peered inside.
     "Oh my god," he gasped, "Mel!"
     Mel sat on the opposite side of the room, motionless, tears running down her cheeks as the snakes slithered and crawled their way across her body.
     "Greg... Colin," she said softly, "Please help me..."

     The water had nearly filled the room. 'Just a little higher and I can reach it,' Nikki Lynn thought. The water rose higher. Finally, Nikki Lynn managed to reach the hatch in the ceiling, pushing up on it and hauling herself into a small compartment above the room she'd been in. It was a tight squeeze, but she crawled along, seeking an exit, knowing that the water would soon rise high enough to fill this space. She suddenly saw a light at the end of the passage, and quickened her pace. The light of and overhead lamp streamed through a heavy, metal vent. Nikki Lynn groaned. The vent was attached with screws from the outside. Thankfully though, the boat was at dock which meant there was at least the *possibility* of someone rescuing her if she couldn't get herself out... Though judging by the moon rising in the distance, help would probably not be soon forthcoming. She fished her pocketknife out of her back pocket and flipped out the screwdriver, then forced her hand through the grating. She had just begun removing the first screw when the boat lurched to on side, the pocketknife dropping from her hand.
     "Great," she muttered, realizing that the knife was now out of reach...

     "Mel, don't move," said Colin, "We'll get you out of there."
     He turned to Greg, hoping that he would have an idea as to *how* they were going to do that, as the snakes hissed and rattled at their feet.
     "Where's Steve Irwin when you need him?" Greg commented. He turned and went back upstairs, returning moments later with a broom, which he handed to Colin.
     "Colin, I'll hold the crate, and you push the snakes back into it," he said, pulling the crate back over towards the open door.
     "This doesn't sound like a very good plan," Colin replied.
     "If you've got a better on, I'd love to hear it," Greg responded. Colin sighed and began sweeping the snakes into the crate, becoming more and more nervous each time on of them tried to bite. He frowned as the snakes slithered back out into the room.
     "This is never gonna work," Colin said at last, "We're just pissing them off!"
     Greg was forced to agree. Finally he motioned Colin out of the way, and shoved the crate into the doorway, creating a barrier against the snakes.
     "Come on," he said, climbing back up the stairs.
     "Hey... where are you going?" Mel call out softly, a tear trickling down her cheek, "Please don't leave me..."
     She was much relieved when she saw Greg and Colin return, each holding a chair that looked like it was part of a kitchen set. Greg climbed on top of the crate and lifted the chair, setting it down in the midst of all the snakes.
     "I'll go get another one," he said, climbing down. Colin nodded, and as Greg went back upstairs, he climbed up on top of the crate, and then stepped out onto the chair Greg had set down, carrying the second chair and placing it in front of the first. Greg returned with a third and a fourth chair, handing them to Colin. Mel's spirit lifted as Colin got progressively closer, until finally, he was right next to her.
     "Mel," Colin said calmly, "Give me your hand and stand up very, very slowly..."
     Mel nodded, and ever so slowly lifted her hand, reaching for Colin. Colin carefully pulled her up, and Mel whimpered as two of the snakes that were coiled in her lap hissed as they slid off. When Mel was finally on her feet, Colin wrapped one arm around her waist, and used the other to brace himself against the wall as he inched her up onto the chair.
     "Careful," he whispered as he guided her back along the make-shift bridge. At last, they safely reached the crate, and Greg helped them down. Mel threw her arms around Colin, sobbing gratefully.
     "Thank you," she whispered, burying her face against his chest. Colin held her for a few minutes, until Greg tapped him on the shoulder.
     "We still have another address to check out," he said, anxious to get going. Colin nodded and the three of them climbed the stairs and left the house behind.
     "Where to?" asked Greg and he drove. Colin, sitting in the back seat with the still-shaken Mel, pulled the paper with the addresses out of his pocket.
     "180 Country Lane," he said. Greg sped up a bit...

     Mon was cold. So very cold. She lay there, curled tight into a ball, her body unwilling to move, except for the uncontrollable shivering. She felt a strange lethargy wash over her, and suddenly her eyes didn't seem to want to stay open. The more she fought, the harder it was to keep them open. At last, she gave in and let them close...
     'Sleep,' she thought, 'If I sleep, I won't feel the cold...'
     But something in the back of her mind told her to stay awake, so she fought against the idea of sleeping...

     Holly felt the RV lurch again... but it was different this time. She was certain the vehicle was moving, but it was not dangling this time. A strange vibration continuously shook the motorhome, and the hum of machinery was all around her. And suddenly, she heard the earsplitting squeal of metal on metal, and the crunch of breaking glass. The sound was still a ways off, but seemed to be getting closer to her... Or she was getting closer to it...

     "There!" Ryan pointed, "Turn in there!"
     Wayne pulled the car up into the overgrown driveway and shut off the engine. The two men got out, the grounds illuminated by a few towering light poles.
     "Where did it say again?" Wayne asked. Ryan looked down at the piece of paper.
     "Panther Bay Marina, Dock F, Slip 24," Ryan replied. Wayne hurried down to the row of old, rotting boat docks, trying no to stumble in the overgrown path. The whole place looked like it had been abandoned for years. The docks were empty of anything that looked even remotely seaworthy. The windows of the small building, that at one time was probably and office, were broken. Wayne scanned the docks, trying to determine which was dock F, finally noticing a faded sign denoting the dock at the far end of the line as the one they were looking for.
     "Over there," said Wayne, starting towards it and breaking into a run. Ryan quickly followed.
     "Oh my God," said Ryan as they reached the dock. At the very end, the mast of a fairly large sailboat stuck out of the water. Most of the rest of the craft had already sunk. Ryan ran out onto the treacherous-looking wooden planks that composed the dock, which gave an ominous creak as he and Wayne passed over them. A sudden crack and a yelp of surprise made Ryan turn around to look back at Wayne.
     "Ryan, keep going..." said Wayne, attempting, with no success, to pull his foot from between the broken boards where it was wedged. Ryan hesitated a moment, but seeing that Wayne was in no immediate danger, he continued down the dock, quickly reaching the sinking boat.
     "Hello?" he called, not sure he wanted to set foot on the boat.
     "Ryan?!" came Nikki Lynn's startled reply.
     "Nikki!"
     Setting his apprehension aside for the moment, he clambered onto the slanted deck of the boat, making his way toward the source of Nikki's voice.
     "Nikki? Where are you?" he called.
     "Down here! Behind the grate!"
     Ryan looked down, seeing the grate at the end of the boat that seemed to be submerging the fastest. He half walked, half slid down the inclined deck, seeing Nikki Lynn struggling to keep her head above the rising water. He pulled on the grate, but it didn't budge.
     "It's screwed on!" Nikki cried, coughing suddenly as she inhaled a mouthful of water, "My pocketknife has a screwdriver, but I dropped it... There..."
     She pointed to the small, blue Swiss army knife that lay a few feet to her left.
     "Just hang on," said Ryan, "I'll have you out of there in no time."
     "Please hurry!" she said, spitting out another mouthful of water, "I'm not going to be above water for much longer!"
     Ryan quickly retrieved the knife, and began removing the screws that held the grate in place, watching in horror as the water rose high enough to completely submerge Nikki Lynn. She clawed at the grate, desperate for air.
     'Two more,' Ryan thought as he removed a screw. Nikki banged against the grate, forcefully at first, but slowly growing weaker until at last, she stopped altogether. Ryan looked up.
     "Nikki?!" he cried, seeing her limp body floating in the narrow space behind the grate.
     'One more,' he thought, tossing another screw aside, 'Just hang on... Please hang on...'
     After what seemed like an eternity, Ryan removed the final screw, and pulled the grate away. He grabbed Nikki Lynn, hauling her out of the small compartment and lifting her, carrying her off of the boat and laying her down on the dock.
     "Nikki... Come on... don't die on me," he said softly. He leaned down, praying that she was breathing and fighting to control the threatening panic when he found that she wasn't...

     Greg turned onto the small road marked "Country Lane", keeping a sharp eye out for the address they were looking for. There were few buildings in the area. They were still pretty far from town. Suddenly, Colin called from the back seat.
     "Hey Greg, I think that might be it over there!"
     Down the road, Greg could see a tall fence that looked like it went on for quite a ways. He pulled up at the gate, noting the sign that read "Otto's Scrap Yard" and in smaller letter below that, "180 Country Lane".
     "Yep," said Greg, "This is it."
     Greg and Colin got out of the car, telling Mel to wait for them. Greg pulled open the heavy wooden gate and stepped inside, Colin following closely behind.
     "Where do we start looking?" asked Colin, surveying the mounds of scrap metal that littered the ground inside the fence...

     Holly wasn't sure what was happening, but she didn't like it... The motorhome vibrated, as if it were being moved along by some machine. Suddenly, Holly felt herself being tossed through the air as the RV rolled over. There was a loud crunch, and she hit the side of the vehicle hard, tearing open the wound on her shoulder which had just begun to clot. The loud hum of machinery filled her ears, followed by the sound of crumpling metal. She looked up and gasped as she realized that the walls of the RV were closing in, and she did the only thing she could think of.
     She screamed...

     Greg perked up as the scream reached his ears. He looked at Colin.
     "Did you hear that?" he asked.
     "Yeah," Colin replied, "It sounded like it came from over there."
     The two men ran toward the sound, another scream piercing the air. They stopped short as they saw where it emanated from. A massive compactor used for crushing cars, the machinery in action, and the sound of a girl screaming from within the RV that was about to be turned into a cube.
     "Colin! Get up there and tell them to shut this thing down!" Greg yelled, pointing at the control tower. Colin nodded and ran off. Greg made his way through the scrap metal to the compactor, the screams growing louder. Nearing the vehicle, he saw that all of the windows had been sealed over. He grabbed a pipe from a nearby pile and headed toward the compactor. He glanced up at the tower, wondering what was taking Colin so long. At last, the machinery ground to a halt. Greg climbed onto the RV and thrust the pipe under the edge of one of the metal sheets covering the windows, beginning to pry it off. Colin rejoined him just as the sheet came free, and Greg looked down into the RV.
     "Greg!" Holly cried, overjoyed at seeing him.
     "Holly, are you ok?" Greg asked, reaching down to pull her out. Holly nodded as Greg lifted her from her prison.
     "I'm fine," she said.
     "You don't look fine," said Greg, examining the bloody gash on her arm.
     "It's not as bad as it looks," said Holly as Greg and Colin escorted her back to the car.
     "Holly!" Mel screamed, seeing her friend. She hugged her, glad to see she was safe. Minutes later, they were all back in the car, on their way to meet up with the others...

     Ryan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself... to remember what to do. He pressed his fingers against the side of Nikki Lynn's neck, searching for a pulse. He was rewarded with a steady, albeit faint, throbbing from the vein. Ryan tilted Nikki's head back slightly, parting her lips and lowering his mouth over hers, and gently forced the air into her lungs, hoping he was doing it right.
     He checked her again for any signs of breathing, blinking back tears of frustration and fear on finding none. He could hear the sound of Wayne's footsteps on the dock behind him.
     "Ryan? What's going on?" Wayne called out from farther down the dock. Ryan ignored the question, leaning down to give Nikki another breath. Wayne was at his side moments later.
     "No..." Wayne whispered, his stomach turning when he saw Nikki Lynn's lifeless body. Ryan covered her lips with his once again, hoping it wasn't already too late as her forced the air into her lungs, her chest rising with the breath. Suddenly, her eyes opened, and she coughed, gagging on a mouthful of water. Ryan nearly jumped back in surprise. He quickly rolled her onto her side as she continued to cough up water and gasp for air.
     "Nikki?" Wayne's voice wavered as he knelt down beside her. Nikki Lynn blinked, still coughing as she struggled to catch her breath. Ryan lifted her into a sitting position and hugged her against him.
     "I suppose," she managed between coughs, "That that's the closest I'll ever come to getting you to kiss me..."
     Wayne and Ryan both sigh, realizing she was alright. Ryan laughed quietly and then stood, picking Nikki Lynn up.
     "Come on," said Ryan, "Let's get out of here."
     Nikki resigned herself to being carried, not entirely sure she could have walked at the moment even if she'd wanted to.
     "Hey Wayne? You got a blanket of something with you?" Ryan asked as they reached the car, realizing suddenly that both he and Nikki Lynn were soaking wet.
     "Yeah," Wayne replied, opening the trunk and pulling out the requested item. Nikki Lynn found herself being wrapped in the blanket and placed carefully in the back seat of the car. If she'd had the energy, she would had protested... She hated to be coddled... Moments later, Ryan climbed into the passenger seat, and Wayne started the car, heading off to the last address on their list.
     "I hope we're not too late..." Wayne said softly.

     Her entire body felt numb. She couldn't even feel the cold anymore. Mon stared at the backs of her eyelids, at the darkness that loomed before her eyes.
     'Sleep,' she thought, 'So tired...'
     She wasn't even shivering anymore. It was as if her body had given up on trying to keep itself warm. She could no longer hear the whir of the fan, but her own heartbeat throbbed in her ears, reverberating in her skull, and somewhere in the back of her mind, Mon thought that it *should* be beating faster. She briefly wondered if anyone would find her here... and if they did, would they find her alive? Then her mind turned to other thoughts. First, her family... then her friends... the Brady Bunch... then the strange woman she had met on the way home... waking up in the freezer...
     Mon's thoughts turned back to the present when she sensed that she was no longer alone in the room, and she could have sworn that she could hear someone calling her name from very far away...

Read Part 3