Angry and upset Beth headed for the basement. It was dark and quiet. No one would be looking for her down there.
She climbed down the stairs and then hid underneath it. She sunk down and wrapped her arms around her knees.
“Where are you, Debbie? Why did you leave me?” she complained and she supported her head against her knees and started sobbing.
“Beth?”
Beth looked up.
“Beth, is that you?”
“Who is that?” Beth called. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the cage” Simon replied. “Turn the lights on, then you’ll see”
Beth pulled herself up and walked to the switch. She turned...

Mrs. Jackson was stirring in the cooking pan while Mr. Jackson was setting the table. When he was ready he walked to his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“Careful” she warned softly.
“Are you okay?” he whispered concerned.
Mrs. Jackson lowered the heat and turned around. “Have you looked at her? She’s a total wreck. I can’t believe Child Care gave her to those mad people”
“That’s the thing, darling. They didn’t. Those people just took her with them. They abducted her, if you will” Mr. Jackson replied.
“Well, it’s a good thing they only had her for a short...

“Please, put me down” Beth begged quietly. She looked down from the corner of her eye and saw two figures at the bottom of the stairs. Mr. and Mr. Parker, making their way up. “Mom, dad, help me!” she cried when they were on the same height.
Mr. and Mrs. Parker glanced from Agnes to Beth.
“Sorry, we can’t help you right now” Mrs. Parker said distant. “Dale’s expecting us” And just like that they left Beth in the hands of Agnes.
Upset Beth stared at her parents’ back as they walked away. Agnes smiled maliciously as she saw tears in Beth’s eyes.
“Oh, poor, poor Betty”...

“What do you mean, he’s dead?” Molly asked breathless. She had caught up with Emma and they were hiding in a barn, waiting for the police to leave.
“He was taking advantage of the situation. He was trying to get away, when suddenly this car came out of nowhere” Emma explained. “I had to jump or else I would’ve been dead as well”
“You should’ve thrown yourself in front of Joe. You should’ve given your life to protect his. Your life means nothing compared to his” Molly snapped upset. After everything that happened, everything they had conquered, the great Joe Carroll was...

Abigail turned around and leaned against the door, her chest heaving. Inside the room Debra picked up the plate, stared at the food and then smashed the plate against the door.
Started Abigail wanted to open the door, but Wayne stopped her. “She’s provoking you. She wants to know how far she can go”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” Abigail asked desperate as she heard the fragments shatter on the floor. “Just ignore her?”
“For now, yes” Wayne replied strict. “Now, come downstairs with me. There’s no reasoning with that girl now”
Her ears pressed against the door, that...

Debra slowly and challengingly opened her eyes and gazed in a pair of green ones. They had little crowfoot at each end and somehow Debra recognized a smile in them.
“How do you feel, dear?” the old woman asked. Confused, disoriented.
“Am I back in the hospital?” Debra asked hoarse.
“No, dear, you’re not” the woman answered kind. “Not anymore. The doctors did a curettage- that’s something they do to clean you up inside-and then I could take you home with me. You fell asleep on the ride home. You’ve slept for days”
“Why do I have so much pain?” Debra asked and her face...

Devastated Mike watched Debra leave with Simon. Apparently they had known each other a long time ago. Simon had said something about helping Debra escape. What was that supposed to mean? Was she an ex-convict?
Again Mike was astounded by how little he knew about his partner and again he promised he would do something about it.
But first he had to find a way out of these ropes. He started moving and twisting his left wrist. He felt his skin burning underneath the rope, but instead of going easier he picked up the pace and a couple of painful minutes his hand was loose.
He quickly untied his right...

After having digested those unmistakable words Beth muttered something about a shirt she had to sow for Dale. She quickly separated herself from the malicious child-hater and headed back to the house.
She walked straight to Dale’s room and shut the door. She ran to the window that had a perfect view on the background. It was a sad thing her parents had to be the center of distraction, but right now she had no other choice but to take advantage of it.
She walked to the closet, opened the drawer, took out a pencil and paper and then went sitting at the table. She placed her pen on the paper and...

Mr. and Mrs. Parker weren’t the only ones who’d had a rough night. It had taken Beth hours to fall asleep. Her entire body was in agony and besides she really didn’t want to sleep next to the guy who had just violently taken her virginity.
At last her tears had cost her what was left of her energy and slowly, but surely her eyelids shut.
“Hey, wake up!”
Beth opened her eyes difficult and sat upright. Dale was standing at the end of the bed, his hands on his hips. He was naked.
“It’s 6 am, are you planning on staying in bed all day?” he snapped and Beth felt tears coming up.
“I’m…I’m...

It was half past five in the morning. Mr. and Mrs. Parker woke up difficult. They were surprised they had even been able to sleep at all. The barn wasn’t exactly the most comfortable place to spend your night.
“Do you think Beth spent the night with Dale already?” Mr. Parker wondered out loud.
“After the way you treated her there’s no way Dale could’ve moved past the need to comfort her” Mrs. Parker snapped hostile.
“Well, you won’t exactly win the award for Mother of the Year either with your performance from the last couple of days” Mr. Parker fired back angry.
Mrs. Parker...

Joe was pacing up and down the living room, about to lose his mind, while Molly tried to make him calm down.
“I can’t calm down!” Joe hissed in distress. “In a few minutes Ryan Hardy will be on the doorstep. I don’t suppose he’s coming alone, do you?”
Several police vans parked in front of the house. Turner jumped out of one and gave instructions to his men.
Ryan snuck up to them. “I’ll go in the back” he whispered and without awaiting Turner’s approval he turned around again.
Joe walked to Molly. “I’m really sorry, Molly, but I have no other choice” Before she could...

Molly was pacing up and down her house. It had been all over the news. The FBI had let Joe Carrol slip through their fingers once again. She was waiting for Joe’s phone call to give her permission to go kill Ryan.
Ryan had arrived a couple of hours ago. He’d had that bitch Claire with him. Had it been up to Molly, they’d both be lying on the floor with a knife in their stomachs. But she had to wait for orders.
She heard the backdoor squeak and turned around. Her eyes on the kitchen-the first place the backdoor led to-she snuck to the cupboard and opened the first drawer. In the drawer...

The entire community of Serenity Hills was gathered in the council room. They were all sitting in a giant circles, the council on high chairs with pillows, the regulars on normal chairs, and Mr. and Mrs. Parker had to sit on the floor.
When they heard a struggle, and shuffling, they all looked up expecting, and a moment later Ross dragged Deb inside. He pulled at the ropes, and dragged her forwards, as if she was a mule.
Once they reached the center of the circle, he pulled so hard at the ropes, Deb’s knees gave in, and she fell on the floor.
Dale, who had been sitting on the middle high chair,...

Though Deb had no idea of the time, it felt like an eternity had passed, when she heard footsteps, and Beth made her presence known.
“Beth” Deb sighed relieved, her eyes gleaming hopefully, as she scribbled up. Dale had been so kind to cut her ropes, though her hands were still tied.
“Hello, Debbie” Beth said, as she looked down on her scarcely naked sister. She looked as though her eyes were daggers, and every glance would cause insufferable pain.
Deb swallowed. “Why did you it?” she asked softly, almost like a little girl.
“I’m sorry, what?” Beth said, scornful.
“Why did you...

Beth wondered if Agnes needed something from her, because she was abnormally patient, and kind. She even helped Beth was her hair, and prepared something to eat.
“There’s something I have to say” Agnes, finally, fessed up. Here we go, Beth thought. “I need to apologize for what I did. I shouldn’t have betrayed you”
“What happened to Simon?” Beth asked.
Agnes sighed. ‘Simon…He’s gone. I left him behind” she said, partially honest.
“Left him behind, where?” Beth asked, a little snarky.
“Beth, please, this is painful enough as it is, already” Agnes complained. She sighed...

The door of Rob’s office opened, and he stuck his head out of it, to see what all the screaming was for.
“Deb, what on earth is going on?” he insisted, when Deb backed away, her gaze at something ahead of her. Rob turned his head, and saw a woman coming their way.
“Don’t let her take me” Deb whispered terrified.
Instinctively, Rob stood in front of Deb. The woman held her steps.
“I need to speak with my cousin” Agnes said cold. She looked over Rob’s shoulder. “Debra, sweetie, your brother wants to see you”
Debra shook her head heavily. “I don’t have a brother, and I’m...

Angry with Nick, and determined to spend the rest of the evening with Deb, Mike returned to Deb’s office. He found her alone again. She was sitting on her desk.
“Beth left ten minutes ago” Deb explained. “Thank you, for bringing her here. We had a very good conversation”
There was something off about her.
“Do you want to know what we talked about?” Deb asked.
“I don’t need to know” Mike replied, not sure why he kept his distance.
“But do you want to know?” Deb teased him, with a seductive smile, that made Mike feel very weak inside. “Come here”
Mike obeyed and walked to...

Mike tried to keep his attention on his computer as much as possible, but every now and then he glanced at the door of Nick Donovan’s office.
“Mike” someone hissed. Mike tore his head away from the door, to see Deirdre leaning towards him. By the look on her face, he could tell this wasn’t the first time she had called him.
“What is it?” he asked, with only half of his attention. Deirdre shifted on her seat, and looked around as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping, before leaning even closer towards Mike.
“I was wondering, if you could tell me what really happened?” she said....

It was already early evening, when Mike finally arrived back home, and from the many voices Deb could tell he had brought company.
“Hi, mom, dad, how is everything going in here?” Mike greeted them. Much to Mrs. Weston’s happiness Max followed soon after him.
“We just arrived here at the same time” Max explained, in case Mrs. Weston was jumping into conclusions.
“Of course” Mrs. Weston replied with a wink. “Oh, and I suppose this is agent Hardy. Mike has told us so much about you. I think he has a little man crush on you”
“Mom, for God’s sake” Mike muttered embarrassed....