I came out of my stupor, wondering what had gotten my attention. I looked around the room but didn't see anything different. That was odd. There had to have been something that-

There was a scratching sound at the window. I slowly sat up, using the arm that didn't hurt. The noise was definitely coming from the wood outside the window. Was somebody trying to get the wood off? Or was my dad or Uncle Joe reinforcing it? I sat staring at the window, hoping and praying that a miracle was occurring and someone was removing the wood.

I didn't want to make any noise, because someone upstairs might come down to look, but I also wanted to let whoever was out there know that I was right here. I unraveled the bed covers and slowly got out of bed. What could I do to make noise without anybody in the house hearing? I looked around the room for anything that I could use to break or smash through the window. I didn't see a thing -no stapler, no scissors, no lamp. I'll just have to tap on the window and hope to it was loud enough for them to hear, but not loud enough for anyone upstairs.

I hadn't heard anyone come down into the basement, but I didn't know if anyone had been down here when I got thrown down. Plus, I had been so out of it, someone could have come down here without me knowing.

I shuffled over to the window, took a deep breath, and tapped an SOS on the window. The creaking of the wood stopped. Oh shit. A chill went through me and I shuddered. Please don't let it be Uncle Joe or my dad. Please don't let it be them. I couldn't imagine what they would do. If they were fine with smacking me across the face and throwing me down the stairs, what would they do if they realized I had just tapped an SOS? I didn't know where they would stop with their violence. I didn't even want to think about it.

"Ryan? Is this Ryan Hodges?" I was so shocked I almost fell over. I didn't want to shout but I didn't know how loud I had to talk for them to hear me. I tapped once on the window. Hopefully, they would know that was me. Or did I need to tap more? I tapped rapidly, at least fifteen times, before I stopped. I hoped they got the idea that I was urgently in need of help.

"I'm going to assume that you can't talk. We're working to take the wood off the window and then we're going to cut the glass to get you out. I need you to say that you're in trouble and need help or tell us what is going on. We need this for documentation to cover our asses. Marcus is with me, but he's standing look out right now. Can you tell me if you need help?"

I recognized Bill's voice, Marcus's driver. Tears were running down my face, I was so relieved. I wanted to scream, but I knew I had a stay quiet to sneak out. Even though help was here, I was actually shaking more.

"I'm Ryan Hodges. I was kidnapped by my parents, hit by my Uncle Joe, then thrown down the stairs by my Uncle Joe. They've locked me in the basement. All the windows are boarded up. I think I have a dislocated shoulder and something's wrong with my ribs. Please get me out of here." I hoped that was loud enough for whatever they needed. It sure as hell seemed like it would be enough to me. I imagine they would probably try to press charges. I hoped Bill got me out of here before my parents or Uncle Joe noticed.

The sounds of the wood being pulled back started up again. It also sounded like they were working faster than they had before. Maybe they had heard me. Hell, if I had heard that someone had been thrown down the stairs and hit I'd be working pretty fast to get them out too.

I didn't know how long it took to take the wood off the window, because each second felt like at least ten minutes long. I was terrified that someone would rush in here and take me away when I was so close to getting out. I was absolutely terrified about the noise that was being made by the wood being removed. Yet, I was also terrified that they were not moving fast enough. I was shaking so much that I was leaning against the wall to stay up.

I looked up at the window again and saw Bill. He nodded to me and passed the wood to someone. It had to be Marcus. I wanted to see him so bad. I wanted to be held by him, to be taken away. I just had to hold on a little bit longer. I could do this. I could make it. Just then I heard something terrifying.

It sounded like whatever had been blocking the basement door was being moved. Somebody was going to come down those stairs and come in this room in about a minute. Or maybe less. Fuck being quiet. It was time to get the hell out of here. "Someone's opening the basement door! They're going to be here in a minute!" I was shaking so hard I could barely stand up. I was hanging on the edge of the window with one arm, staring at Bill, willing him to go faster as he cut the window glass.

The glass cutter made a screeching noise but I didn't care, as someone was coming soon! He had to work as fast as he could or I wasn't getting out of here.

Would they force an abortion on me? If they were insane enough to kidnap me and keep me in the basement, who knows what else they had planned. I got so dizzy I thought I was going to faint. I couldn't faint. I had to stay standing up to get the hell out of here.

I heard heavy steps on the stairs coming down to the basement. No, this couldn't be happening! Not when I was so close to getting out!

Marcus

When Bill turned and waved at me to come to him, I sprinted so fast I swear I broke the sound barrier. "Someone's coming down the stairs. Can you stop them? I've almost got the glass cut!" I could see Ryan's terrified face. His cheek was bruised and swollen. I wanted to kill somebody with my bare hands.

I ran around to the front of the house, yelling like Han Solo. Eric and a woman who must have been Ryan's mom, were on the front porch. She looked scared. Good. I didn't break my stride. "Get the fuck out of my way!"

I should've said something about needing to rescue someone. I wasn't thinking straight. Now that I was in the house, I had absolutely no idea where the door to the basement was. It could be out in the open or it could be hidden behind something.

Thankfully my screaming had achieved a purpose other than to scare the shit out of Ryan's mom. I heard loud thumping coming upstairs from back in the house. I ran through the living room, into the kitchen, and around the corner to stop. A big guy was standing in front of an open door that was probably the entrance to the basement.

"Who the hell are you and what the fuck are you doing in my house!"

I wanted to put my hands on this fucker so bad, but I knew if I even put my hands on his coat I could be charged with assault. All I needed to do was to stall. "You kidnapped Ryan Hodges and are holding him illegally in this house." That should be enough to get him to be defensive and deny with blustering, and to waste enough time so Ryan could get pulled out of the basement window.

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You can get right the fuck out of this house. Besides, I'm a police officer." He opened his coat and I saw a holster, then I saw him pull the gun out of that holster. So much for that plan- this situation just got a hell of a whole lot worse.

I heard loud pounding as somebody else ran up the basement steps. A slightly shorter, but broader and meaner looking man stood by Big Ugly. This could get real ugly, real fast. I didn't know what Eric was doing out there, but I hoped to hell that he could get in here real quick. I wouldn't put it past either one of these men to shoot me in the back. I also wouldn't put it past Big Ugly to throw me down the stairs and bury my body in the backyard.

"I told you to get out of my house. If you don't leave in three seconds I'll shoot. I'm authorized by the stand- your- ground law." The shorter guy smirked.

I got the distinct impression there wouldn't be three seconds before he shot me. I'm also sure he wouldn't hesitate to shoot me in the back. How the hell Ryan had grown up in this shit and turned out so well was beyond me.

Where the fuck was Eric? He should have been able to get away from Ryan's mother, unless she had pulled a gun on him too. What was up with these crazy fuckers?

"I believe you're in the wrong state for the stand- your- ground law, Mr. Hodges. You'd be within your rights to shoot an intruder in very few states, but this state is not one of them. I'm an attorney and I can assure you that I know the law. Also I am well within the law to help anyone who is imprisoned against their will."

When they heard the word attorney, their faces both got meaner. This was one of those cases in which stating that you're an attorney did not help to diffuse the situation. Plus, the fact that I actually knew the law wasn't a point in my favor with them.

God, where the fuck was everyone? I didn't know if Ryan was safely out, if Eric was disabled and needed help, if Bill was disabled… and where the hell was the FBI agent? I had nothing except my wits and I was leaning more toward kicking the shit out of them. Still, I wouldn't get far with Mr. Hodges holding a gun on me.

Thank goodness Bill had a working brain today and fitted us with tiny video cameras on the plane. Everything was being recorded to cover my ass, and to show who killed me if it came to that. I was beginning to wonder if it would come to that, as Big Ugly walked towards me.

"You better get out you jacked up piece of shit. You don't know the law. I've studied the law, I know my constitutional rights. I can kill you if I feel my life is threatened. And you know what? I feel threatened."

He smiled and looked like pure evil. What kind of nutwing religious cult was Ryan's family part of? Big Ugly was getting closer. I could box, and was rusty with judo, but I knew those skills would never win against two guys in a small space when one has a gun. I also didn't know the layout of the house. I was fucking screwed unless someone showed up fast.