2018
The miracle she had almost lost faith in has happened. As Quinn runs barefoot past the polytunnel and heads for the orchard, she sends silent thanks to the universe. She would never have wished for a miracle involving so much violence, but she knows from experience that Spirit moves in mysterious ways.
Even in her dazed state, she understands Sofia has been kidnapped. Who has taken her? A business rival? An organised crime gang looking to make a fast buck?
Rain pelts down on her. Lightning illuminates the mountains and gives her a glimpse of Dmitri’s lean body running through the trees.
It all happened so fast. Stay down. Stay down. Her body still in panic mode, Quinn ripped off her blindfold and sat up. Within seconds, Mel pulled her down onto the floor, out of harm’s way. She tried to squeeze Mel’s hand, but Mel was already on her way to get Grigor’s gun.
When Mel shot one of the kidnappers, Quinn realised what was happening. Mel, her lucky charm, wanted her to escape. Was all this part of the plan Mel talked about? None of it made any sense but she knew this was her chance and she had to take it. She crawled to the door and set off into the night. As soon as she entered the olive grove, she saw a kidnapper up ahead and before long she heard someone gaining ground behind her. She ducked behind a gnarled tree and moments later, Dmitri ran past. She followed cautiously. When the clouds briefly parted, allowing the benevolent full moon to light the scene ahead, she saw Dmitri shoot the kidnapper and bring him to the ground. Two more shots and then Dmitri took off in search of Sofia.
What will happen to Sofia? Will they hurt her?
As Quinn runs through the orchard, the ground slippery underfoot, she realises Sofia’s fate is nothing to do with her. She tried to help her, but the girl wouldn’t listen. Everyone does have a price. How much will these kidnappers ask for Sofia?
Rotting fruit squelches between her toes. She tries to block out the scene in the yurt. Carl’s white mask sprayed with blood. Joe writhing in agony. Grigor’s lifeless body and the dead kidnapper she had to jump over when fleeing the yurt.
What will she do when she gets to the house? She imagines the kidnappers will make a getaway as soon as possible. How did they get in? They must have scrambled the code for the gate somehow. Or bulldozed through it? She could take the keys to the Hilux and drive away. No. Too risky.
When she reaches the courtyard, she hears gunshots. Instead of entering the house, she creeps along the passageway at the side of it. When she reaches the point where the passageway meets the car park, she crouches in the dark behind a large terracotta pot filled with lavender. Rain bounces off the tarmac and drums on the roof of the black transit van that sits in the middle of the car park, its engine running.
The security lights Sofia had installed flood the courtyard, revealing two bodies lying on the ground. One is a kidnapper, all in black, his head lolling to one side. The other is Sofia.
Is she dead?
Sofia’s body moves, a strange jerking motion. Her wrists and ankles are bound, and she groans with the effort of trying to propel herself away from the dead body beside her.
Quinn backs away. Should she turn around and try to reach the neighbouring land like she did the night she ran away?
Another kidnapper leaps out from behind the van, runs across to Sofia and tries to haul her to her feet. Sofia wriggles and squirms in his grasp.
A shot rings out. The kidnapper slumps to the ground, taking Sofia with him.
Quinn’s head whips round to see Dmitri emerge from behind one of the Land Rovers.
‘Sofia,’ he says.
The door on the driver’s side of the van opens. A tall, lean man jumps out. Dmitri turns to him and shoots. The man ducks but his primal roar suggests the bodyguard’s bullet has hit him. Dmitri aims again, but this time the kidnapper is too fast for him.
After the shot rings out, Dmitri stands still long enough for Quinn to see the bullet hole in the side of his neck.
Then he falls. Straight and hard, like a felled tree.
Sofia screams.
The last man standing rips off his balaclava and tosses it aside. Blood pours from a wound to his head, seeping into his bleached white hair. Quinn has the strangest feeling she’s seen him somewhere before.
Ignoring his injury, the kidnapper strides over to Sofia. Rolling his dead comrade out of the way, he grabs hold of her wrists.
Quinn gets to her feet and turns, ready to flee back to the courtyard, but at that moment the moon sneaks from behind a thick bank of cloud and sheds silvery light on the dark passageway behind her. On Zoe, creeping closer, her soaked white tunic plastered to her skin. Her white mask gone.
Instinct makes Quinn back away. In her panic, she stumbles over the large terracotta pot and falls into the pool of shadow in front of it.
A light flicks on above her. A security light she didn’t even know was there.
She freezes, spotlit.
The kidnapper’s head snaps up. He drops Sofia, raises his gun and walks towards her. ‘You,’ he says. ‘Don’t fucking move.’