Out Of The Shadows Ch. 06

Thanks for your comments on the last chapter. I felt the story needed an explanation of Rob's side to understand what he does next, but perhaps it was a bit too much - I'll bear that point in mind in future writing. This chapter does move the plot on, and it is not the last, but I think there will only be one more.

Sorry for the delay, but I've been really busy, and I found this chapter really difficult to write.

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6

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Alex

I stopped crying after I got dumped in the boot of a car, suddenly more angry about this situation than anything else. I should have been getting laid right now, not kidnapped. They were using me to get to Rob and I needed to be strong, and if at all possible stop him from getting into their hands. I was sure he would try and save me if he got the chance, but he was more important. He needed to bring these guys down for good, I was next to useless.

I tested the bonds at my wrists, finding no give in them at all, and aside from bending or slightly straightening my legs I couldn't part them where they were tied together at the ankles either. The blindfold prevented me from seeing, but it was unlikely there was any light in that small space anyway. I couldn't even call out for help.

The most helpless I had been up to this point was when Rob bent me over the sofa and held me down. It had been forceful and dominant, but he would have stopped in an instant if I asked. Right now I had no idea where I was being taken or what they would do to me, and I was scared. I pictured Rob getting home, finding the house trashed and me gone, and that brought the tears back to my eyes. Even though I knew it was going to end at some point, I never imagined we wouldn't even get to say goodbye.

I lost track of time, emotions swinging wildly from fear to anger and depression while the car travelled. There was no chance of me working out where we were going, or how far or fast. I bumped my head a couple of times when it slowed or accelerated sharply, but that was about all the indication I had of the outside world. I could hear the exhaust and occasionally a quiet voice, but even straining I couldn't make out any words.

While the car was in motion I knew nothing worse was going to happen, apart from me being taken further away from Rob and safety. When it stopped, the fear rose again, making me shake. I didn't know much about these people but what I had heard was enough to know I was right to be scared. The beating I had from them was high in my mind though the bruises had gone – I might soon get another set of those.

I concentrated on slowing my breathing, trying to force myself to be calm and strong when they spoke to me and not to think about what else might be coming. The most important thing was that they didn't get to Rob. I knew their intention to some degree, they hoped he would exchange himself for me. I doubted that I would get away from this unscathed in either event.

Voices outside the car startled me and the adrenaline kicked in, not that I could run anywhere even if they let me out. I picked up the occasional word but not enough to work out what was being said. Someone was not happy though, and I guessed I was the consolation prize right now, a means to an end but not what they were hoping for. Presumably I had been taken to one of the Merrett brothers, the only one not yet in custody.

The boot lid opened and I froze, not wanting to aggravate anyone more than I had to. Even though I was still blindfolded I could tell it was light wherever I was, either inside or I had been travelling for longer than I thought as it should be night by now.

"Better than nothing. He won't want a civilian getting hurt," I heard, clearly now.

"Plus he's supposed to be under police protection, that's really gonna piss him off," another voice replied.

"We call him in an hour, give him time to get back and stew when he realises I have the upper hand," the first voice said.

From the comment that was clearly the leader. Then I was plunged back into darkness and quiet as they shut the lid on me. Whatever was going to happen to me, I had an hour longer to worry about.

* * * * * *

I tensed every time I heard a sound, but I had no idea how long I had been left. It's impossible to judge an hour when almost every sense is impaired. I tried to think happy thoughts, imagining myself in Rob's arms not tied up in the back of a car, but it was hard to do that when my arms were going numb from being tied behind me and the gag in my mouth didn't feel anything like Rob's tongue when we played together.

Cried out by now, all I could do was wait for this all to be over. At least I wasn't going to die a shy virgin, I had known love and even if it was for a short time not everyone could say that. I wished I could speak to him again, or to my family. I knew they would miss me too and my heart ached at the knowledge they would never know who I truly was.

It was cold wherever we were parked, and I wanted Rob's warm body against me, soothing me before he stoked the flames of my desire yet again. He could do that so easily, just with a look, a gentle touch, anything he did aroused me. Here, now, it was hard to remember that with anything other than a smile, even if my mouth was sore and I hurt inside knowing I wouldn't have it again.

The sounds and light came again, when I wasn't expecting it, but this time I was hauled out of the car, letting out a muffled cry of surprise and pain as I was dragged to my feet by my trapped arms. My feet on the ground at last, I felt the car behind me and leaned on it for support as the gag was removed as well. My mouth was dry, all my saliva having been soaked up by the rag.

I still couldn't see, exactly, but there was a shadow moving in front of me that was probably a man, and another stood close to my side, holding onto one of my arms even though my legs were still tied together and there was nowhere I could go. Then I heard the beeps of a phone number being dialled and knew they were calling Rob. My heart was pounding, desperate for this not to be happening, for me not to be the one used to bring him to them.

"Rob, how nice to speak to you again," the boss said calmly.

I couldn't hear Rob's exact words, but I could certainly hear the tone of them and it sounded like threats. The man just laughed.

"In your position, I'd be rather more polite. Or do you not want your friend released in one piece?"

The response this time was quieter, and I was desperate to know what was being said, or at least to hear Rob's voice.

"Of course. Speak."

The last word was directed at me as a command, and I felt the phone pressed up against my face and heard Rob's voice in my ear.

"Alex, are you okay?"

It took every ounce of strength I had not to reply to his concern. I stayed silent as I heard him say my name again.

"Speak to him," I heard again, much closer now, and I shook my head in refusal.

If Rob thought I was already dead he wasn't going to put himself in danger, that was my thought. I ached to reply as I heard him again, whispering my name.

There was a movement beside me, but the phone didn't move or at least not far, then there was pain as something collided with my stomach hard. I bent over and gasped for breath, managing somehow not to cry out at the sudden violence. That had been a fist, I could be pretty sure of that, and then there was another, higher this time and more into the side of my ribs. That one did make me cry out in pain and as I tried to straighten up the phone was thrust back to my ear.

"Alex!" he shouted. "Alex, are you okay baby?"

That last word shouldn't have slipped out, I was sure, but I had probably been the only one to hear the endearment. So much for staying silent I thought as I drew in a breath and tried to reply.

"I'm fine Rob. Don't come," I stammered out, with as much bravery as I could muster.

"I have to. It's my job to keep you safe, remember?"

"Not this time, please. Don't let them..."

A hand was shoved over my mouth, shutting it before I could finish begging Rob not to put himself in danger. I struggled slightly against the hand but it just tightened and I gave up the attempt, trying to take in the rest of the conversation.

"Much as he might want to be a martyr here, we all know you aren't going to allow that. So shall we talk details?"

That was all I heard, being shoved back into the boot and the lid slammed shut. I kicked at the car, angry that they were using me and that Rob was going along with things to save me. Did he seriously think they would let me walk away from this? He was the one who told me they didn't like witnesses, and now I was party to more criminal activity they certainly weren't going to let me survive.

* * * * * *

Rob

I stared at the phone on the table, willing it to ring. Every moment they had Alex was another moment they could be hurting him. I knew he couldn't be dead, they wouldn't take the chance on me still coming to them, but once I was they probably had every intention of killing him. He'd be expendable immediately. Me, they'd probably torture for a couple of days first, never even realising that they'd already carried out the worst torture possible.

I had to find a way to get him out safe even if I had no chance. As long as he was alive and well, it would be worth it. I wanted to call the Chief and let him know what was going on, but I knew he wouldn't let me hand myself over if I did. Tense and scared, not for myself but for the man I loved, I paced, never far from the phone, working through scenarios in my mind of how to get him safe.

Even though I had been expecting it, the sound of the phone finally ringing made me jump. I took a couple of deep breaths before answering, hoping I could keep calm. I failed almost immediately.

"Hello."

"Rob, how nice to speak to you again," a voice I knew to be Tony Merrett replied, sounding amused.

"You shit. Not got the guts to come get the guy who actually pissed you off? If you hurt him..."

He interrupted me, and I had to grind my teeth not to bite back, but he was right, he had the upper hand right now and if I wanted Alex safe I had to play along.

"In your position, I'd be rather more polite. Or do you not want your friend released in one piece?"

"Prove to me he's okay, and we can talk."

"Of course. Speak."

That last part wasn't to me, I knew, and I waited for Alex's voice to come down the line. There was nothing, and I started to panic.

"Alex, are you okay?"

"Speak to him," I heard being shouted, not really in the background. Tony must have been really close to Alex and the mere thought of that made my skin crawl.

"Alex," I repeated quietly.

There were no words, but I could hear movement, a gasp, maybe some shuffling, and then there was a cry of pain. I stiffened, knowing that was Alex and they'd just hit him. He wasn't playing along and they were going to hurt him until they did. Anger rose in me but I needed to know he was okay. I felt even more helpless right now than when they beat him before, and I cared a hell of a lot more.

"Alex!" I almost screamed. "Alex, are you okay baby?"

"I'm fine Rob. Don't come," I heard him say, his voice tense.

My love was being hurt, how could he possibly think I wouldn't come? I knew he wanted to spare me from the same, but at least to some extent I deserved it. There was no way I was letting him suffer in my place.

"I have to. It's my job to keep you safe, remember?"

"Not this time, please. Don't let them..."

His voice was clear, if pained, and he was begging me not to come, even though I was sure he knew I would anyway. They knew that too, even if they had no idea exactly why. When he was cut short I panicked again for a second, then hearing the sound of a door shutting and figuring they were locking him up somewhere. Not great, but at least he wouldn't be hurt if he was kept secure.

"So, Rob, you know what I want. You come to me, I release him, everyone's happy. Well, except you, but I can live with that, and I'm sure you'd prefer it was you rather than him."

Bastard, I thought, even teasing me with what he planned on doing with me. He was right though, I'd do anything for Alex, and I knew what handing myself over would entail.

"I don't trust you Tony."

I heard him laughing. "I didn't really expect you to, but you do know I'm a man of my word. I can make life very uncomfortable for him."

"We do this my way. There's a service station off the M6, we meet there in an hour, and this is how it's going to happen..."

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Alex

Silence, again, as I was back in the boot. At least the gag was no longer in my mouth, but there was no point crying out, the best that would happen is them putting it back in. Worse would be if they decided to punish me a bit first. My ribs and stomach ached now, but in a strange way it distracted me from everything else, and compared to the last beating they'd given me this was nothing.

I desperately wanted to know what they were discussing with Rob. I knew he was going to try and make an exchange no matter what I wanted. He felt guilty enough about what I had been through and he would want to make sure nothing more did. I still doubted that he would find a way for either one of us to get away from this, but in any event, he wasn't going to. I would almost rather die with him than have to live without him in the knowledge he had suffered to save me.

Perhaps if I did get freed I would find a way to get to him before he was killed. There must be something. I struggled to remember any detail of where I was. It was cold out there, certainly inside, and it echoed. Probably a warehouse or someplace like that. Shit, there were thousands of them in pretty much any part of the country. We couldn't have travelled too far south, but I didn't have any concept of what time it was or how long we had driven for.

Frustrated by how little I knew, I could only hope if I went to the police with it they could put the details together with what information they already had. I could try and work out the time from here to wherever they now took me, as it was unlikely Rob would just agree to walk in here, and they wouldn't take the chance of telling him exactly where they were. There must be some procedure for this situation, but then I had no idea what it would be.

I also doubted Rob would be following it. He didn't like rules, he'd told me that almost straight away, and nothing he had done relating to me had been in accordance with any rules that existed, I was sure. It was probably frowned on to get sexually involved with someone you had in protective custody. Idly I wondered if he would have dared tell his boss what was going on, and discounted that possibility.

The car started again, startling me out of my thoughts. This time, I was going to pay attention and commit every part to memory, the sound of heavy doors opening, the potholed surface we then drove across, waiting for gates to be opened maybe? Every piece of this helped, I was not going to feel sorry for myself, I was going to do my best to save him.

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Rob

I felt surprisingly calm as I got into the car. I knew my plan, I hoped it would work as far as getting Alex away safe was concerned. What happened to me after, well, that was just going to have to be. The worst thing they could do to me was hurt him, so if he was safe I could cope with my fate. It's not like I hadn't been in danger from the first time I made contact with the gang, and it had only got worse the longer I stayed undercover.

They would probably get caught, eventually, and at least most of the gang were in custody already. I had done what I could for the police, now I had to do this for Alex. If all went to plan I would at least be able to say goodbye to him, and just maybe he would get to the Chief in time. Probably not, but it was something to hold on to.

I drove in silence to the meeting point, trying to figure out exactly what I had to say, work out everything that could go wrong and plan accordingly. Alex was more of an unknown quantity in this situation than anything else. I knew exactly what Tony expected, and I knew Alex wasn't going to like it in the slightest. I just had to make as sure as I could that he would do what he had to, and leave me behind.

One thing I did know, wherever they currently were holding Alex was less than an hour from where I had suggested we meet, as Tony hadn't even questioned the timescale. I was sure he was happy not to have to wait any longer to get hold of me, as he probably thought would have happened in the first place.

I must make sure that Alex remembered to tell the Chief that they had managed to find my house – somewhere that was only listed in my real name and very few people would be able to find out about. It just confirmed my suspicion that there was another player involved here, at the very least a cop passing information on. The files containing my details were classified too, and getting access would not have been easy. As if we didn't have enough problems fighting crime, one of our own was working against us.

My training was kicking in, but the part of that which said I should get myself out of a difficult situation had gone out of the window. The tension I could feel was mounting only slightly, there was more at stake tonight than ever before but I knew what had to be done. The darkness outside the car matched my mood, there was nothing good in any of this except getting Alex out alive.

"You're going to be okay baby, I promise," I told the night, wishing he could hear me.

* * * * * *

As I got close to the meeting the main thing on my mind was Alex. I was scared for him and not for myself, but angry that I had put him in this situation. As much as he had forgiven me in the past, this time I didn't deserve it. What I really needed right now was to see him, hold him in my arms, and be sure that he was okay. If I could, I would take him away and make love to him for hours, but that was never going to happen again. Every moment we had shared was so precious but our time had been far too short.

Stupid as I knew it would be, I had to tell him what he meant. I couldn't leave him without admitting the truth, nor could I let him go without hearing what he thought about me. I was sure he cared as much as I did, loved me too, and perhaps it would be cruel to leave him to carry on his life alone knowing that what we had was so special, but it would be worse to lie in the hope it would allow him to forget me.

In many ways what he would go through would be worse than anything I would face. The thought of being alone had hurt me enough when I knew he would be somewhere else and safe - he would have to cope with me never coming back, but I couldn't see any way of getting us both out of this and he was the one that deserved to live.

He would have willingly sacrificed himself for me, but he knew that wasn't the way it was going to work, and as hard as saying goodbye was going to be I could do this. I hated the fact we had met in this way, and that the life I had chosen meant I could never be with him. There had never really been a future for us, but at least until today I could have some hope.

I took the turning, anxiety growing as I drove further away from the motorway and the main buildings at the services. There were hardly any cars around, as I had anticipated. Tony wouldn't want any witnesses, and I didn't need any more innocent people being put in danger, the one who already was held my heart, but I wouldn't wish meeting these men on anyone.

There was a car waiting at the point I had told them. I counselled myself to stay calm, concentrate on what needed to be done and make sure I could see Alex drive away. After that I had no control over anything, and it didn't matter, all that mattered was him.