I woke up to the smell of mildew. It was strong and pungent, overwhelming my senses. Quickly, I pinched my nose, trying to block the smell, but when I moved my arm, I was met by a scratchy fabric underneath my body that I did not recognize.

Looking down, I saw that I was lying on an old, floral print couch that looked as if it had jumped straight out of the 60s. There were questionable stains all over the cushions.

It was only then that my mind caught up. I realized with an acute stab of fear that I was no longer in Franklin’s home. I shot up, stepping away from the couch. Rotten pieces of wood creaked underfoot. Nearby, a rat scuttled along the wall, causing me to scream in horror.

Where was I?

I ran to the door and yanked on the handle, but it was locked. “Someone! Please!” I screamed, banging on the wood, but it would not budge. I put all of my strength into trying to break the door down, but all I managed to do was bruise my shoulder.

With no choice, I gave up.

There had to be another way out. I checked the windows, but they were all locked, some of them nailed shut. The glass was thick, and where it wasn’t, sturdy boards blocked the way. Whoever had brought me here obviously didn’t want me to get out.

Panic was starting to consume me. Where was Frankie? What had that bastard done to him? Would Franklin rescue me a second time, or would I die in this dingy apartment?

As I wandered around, I came upon an old study. There were books strewed about as if someone had been desperately trying to find something. Pages were torn out and crumpled all over the floor. Blotches of ink stained the covers of old tomes.

Oddly out of place was a computer, positioned perfectly upon the desk. It looked new and shiny, like an artifact from the future transposed into the past.

Hesitantly, I walked up to it. As soon as I was a few feet away, it came to life, the screen blasting forth a bright ray of light. At first, it was white, but soon, an image came into focus.

It was my kidnapper!

He smiled at me. “Hello. It’s good to see that you’re finally awake.”

“What have you done to my son?” I demanded.

“Such a motherly question.” He grinned. “I admire that. A mother hen trying to protect her chick. Don’t bother, it won’t do you any good. You can’t do anything to save your son. The only person who can is Franklin.”

“Why are you doing this…?”

“Why? That’s a good question. Why does anyone do anything? Why does evil exist if it was created by an almighty entity that could’ve made everything perfectly good?” He folded his hands together in a contemplative gesture. “Some might say that I’m sick – that I derive pleasure from making other people suffer, but I’d say I’m just a businessman. VanGuard is a very successful company. Each year, it collects billions of dollars in revenue from its clients. If I broadcast its epic failure to the world, then their stock price goes down, people stop paying for their services, and other companies are allowed to jump into the market. You’re simply a catalyst in my plan. I’ve already spoken to the Chinese government, and they’re more than happy to support me. Soon, I’ll be in control of some of the most important people in the world. I’ll be able to do whatever I want…”

I listened to his tyrannical rant in a state of shock. No one could be this greedy and power hungry, could they?

“You can’t…”

“That’s a funny expression. I can’t, or I shouldn’t?” he taunted.

“Please… I don’t care what you do to me, just let my baby live.”

He chuckled. “Oh, but he’s another vital part of my plan, which is purely personal. You see, I’ve devised the perfect little dilemma for Franklin. Will he save his son, or will he save you? Here’s the catch. Your son is out in the countryside. If the bomb rigged to the building explodes, he’s the only one who dies. On the other hand, if your bomb goes off, then a major part of London goes up with you.”

My eyes widened with horror. “Did you just say… bomb?”

“Oh, did I forget to mention? There’s a bomb in the apartment, sweetheart. Don’t bother looking for it; you won’t find it.”

“You can’t do this!” I shouted, but before I could say anything else, the laptop flicked off.

I grabbed it, smashing the keys, hoping for a response, but it refused to operate.

Just then, I heard something.

I stepped toward it, my heart beating fast.

Tick, tick, tick.