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"This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and event are simply a product of the writer imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental".

CHAPTER ONE

Tom shot up from his bed and looked around wildly. That was a huge mistake. A crippling hot pain in his head knocked him back flat on the bed. It felt as if a bomb had exploded and unfortunately for him, it left him alive and helplessly paralyzed.

"Where am I?" he whispered in a hoarse voice, all he could muster.

The stabbing thump, like cold steel, pressing hard on his brain took every once of willpower to withstand the crushing pain that was threatening to push him into complete madness. Tom gasped and then thanked fate as the pain mercifully released him and he slipped into grateful unconsciousness.

He woke up much later when a sliver of light came through the dark curtains. His head was still heavy and he felt awful. After sitting up on the side of the bed, he realized he was still fully dressed in the clothes he was wearing last night, or the last night he could consciously remember. Tom had no idea where he was or how long he had been there?

"Oh my God, what happened to me?" Tom didn't remember.

"Where is the rest of my team? I have to get out of here." Tom walked over to the door and started to pull the door handle and when it didn't open he knocked hard on it. He had to get out of there, though he didn't know why that was so urgent. Just that it was.

"Come on, let me out of here or I will kick the fucking door down." His effort had no impact, the door wouldn't budge. He heard some voices outside and a voice with a heavy accent told him in a harsh voice.

"Get away from the door and go and sit on the bed."

Tom tensed up clenching his hands into a fist and tightening his lips while grinding his teeth.
What the hell is going on, how did I get in here? I'll punch the first
one who comes through the door.
It was an empty threat and he reluctantly moved away from the door, fear getting the best of him.

He was wise to do so. A man with the face of a bulldog and the determination of a pit bull barged into the room and gave Tom a look that made him want to shrink into a cowardly ball on the floor. He was a very large and powerful looking man.

"Do as we tell you and you won't be hurt."

"But why am I held prisoner here?" Tom, still in a state of disbelief and half doped out, still knew better than to refuse this hulk of a man.

"Someone will bring you some food in a little while," the man said and left. Tom's head had started to clear up. He began to remember the events of the last evening. He and his teammates were celebrating. They had just finished making the mini model of the mansion and the drawings for the design of Carlos Fontana's new luxury mansion. The man was so happy with the plans that he wanted to throw a party for all the architects.

"I remember I had some drinks that night at the party and all of a sudden I felt dizzy and everything went black for me. The next thing I know, I woke up lying here in this bed. Someone must have spiked my drink, and then there was that young woman, what was her name? Eva." He didn't like the situation he was in, it shouted he was in serious trouble, like the mortal kind.

Then there was a noise outside the door and Tom was told to step away from the door which he did. Another man looking more intimidating than the first man came into the room. He had a wild look about him, as if he was just waiting to kill someone.

Tom had been considered attacking the next person who entered the room but this man completely squashed his brave intentions before it could manifest into anything concrete. He held his breath as the man put the tray of food on the table, not wanting to do anything that would provoke him and then sighed with relief that bordered on pure ecstasy when the man left.

"I will wait for the right opportunity to escape, if it ever comes," he whispered to himself. "I was doing so well, I had just finished the model of the mansion for Carlos Fontana and I was going back to finish my scholarship as an architect.

Serena was coming over to stay with me as soon as I got back and now I'm stuck here. God, I miss her so much."

A knock on the door interrupted his reverie and Eva entered the room smiling flirtatiously. Behind her was a heavily armed guard.

Tom's mouth dropped open and stared at her with cold hard eyes. The muscles in his face quivered and he felt the warmth as his face turned red with anger.

"Maybe you are now ready to take more of an interest in me." Eva flashed him a coy mile.

"So you are the one behind this, you little bitch?" Tom was furious and slammed his fist hard down on the table causing it to wobble.

"What the hell is the matter with you, why are you doing this to me? If you think you can get people to like you by keeping them prisoner then you are in for a big surprise! You are such a pain. Do you realize what you are doing to me? You are destroying my life and my chances to continue my scholarship I have worked so hard to achieve. You will never get away with this."

Eva stopped smiling, "I thought you would be pleased to see me because you seemed to enjoy fucking me at the party, but if you are going to tell me off, then I will leave and come back when you are in a better mood."

Tom thought quickly. Maybe if he played along with her he would have a better chance to escape. "Yes, I am pleased." He responded in as calm a tone of voice as he could.

"Like hell you are!" Eva called out in an angry voice. Two big muscular men came into the room one injected him while the other held him down. Tom did his best to fight them, but the man that held him struck him hard. The pain was excruciating. His head seemed to be splitting into many pieces and a wheel of shining, spinning stars appeared in front of his eyes. Then he passed out.

He didn't know how many days had passed when he woke up, just that he was ravenously hungry. His captors provided food before he could dwell on his need for it, but they never gave him the information he desperately needed. Tom buried his face in his hands. Tears were running down his face as he mumbled quietly to himself. "All my plans of becoming a successful architect are now ruined. I'm 25 and it was going so well for me. The teachers told me I was very talented and I had everything going for me and now my career might end. I have a girlfriend, I adore. She was going to come over and stay with me and now I'm trapped here." His voice was choked with emotion.

As time went by in slow motion, he constantly looked out the window to study the surroundings of the property. Much of his time was spent thinking of a way to escape through the nearby jungle. When he got a chance to escape, he would at least know a little about where to hide.

For the last few days, a different man brought him food and water. He looked Asian, but with a mop of pitch black hair in dreadlocks. Tom was used to those intimidating men coming into his room so he was surprised to see this new man. He was much smaller and friendlier looking, but he left before Tom could speak.

"Oh damn it. I should have tried to make friends with him. I hope he comes again." Tom was talking to himself.

Then later that night Tom heard a loud bang on the window and went to check. Down the garden he spotted a man who waved and gestured up to him. It looked like he was going to help him, then he disappeared behind some trees. A little while later there was another knock on the window. Tom rushed over and saw a man in the corner of the window hanging on the branches of the wall creeping vines. He put a piece of paper up to the window.

I will try to get you out of there.

Tom gave him "a thumbs up."

Although Tom is six feet tall and well built, he is not a fighter. He has his doubts about how he was going to be able to escape, even with the help of this man. He switches the light off and goes to the window and wait. Then, he heard the door open quietly. He hadn't heard the key being turned in the lock. The Asian who had been delivering his food enters the room and whispers, "Be quiet and follow me."

Tom follows the man into the hall. The house is dark and the man uses a flashlight. He seemed very athletic and snuck around the corner and down the stairs quietly as a mouse. They entered the basemen and on the wall, just under the roof, there was a trap door. The Asian found a ladder and opened the trapdoor. They crawled out and stopped when they saw a man standing guard. He had a gun in his belt and a rifle over his shoulder. As they moved to hide in the shadow of the house, the guard saw them, and aimed his gun toward them

"What are you doing here?"

The Asian man held his hands up," We are just out for some fresh air."

While the guard contemplated that, the Asian walked toward him. As soon as he was close enough, he jumped up in the air and kicked the guard in the face. The man started to fall, but caught himself. The Asian kicked him again and he lost his footing and dropped the rifle. Tom rushed over and grabbed the rifle. Not sure how to fire it, he settled on hitting the guard in the head with the butt. Blood started pouring out of the man's head. The Asian pulled out a big knife and slit the guard's throat. Blood ran everywhere.

Tom felt sick to his stomach, there was no time to nurse his feelings. He had to face danger head-on, so he ran after the Asian. Together, they hid in the bushes listening for any sound of voices. When they felt safe, they continued to sneak closer to the big fence surrounding the property. Tom was surprised how safe he felt following this stranger who seemed to know his way around the place. There was a big old tree close to the fence. They climbed up the tree, the Asian moving gracefully and Tom following awkwardly.

"We will jump down outside the fence. When you land, follow me as fast as you can. I will wait for you in the jungle," the Asian ordered Tom.

Tom nodded his head and whispered "Okay."

They landed down on the ground. The Asian ran over behind a tree in the jungle and Tom followed as quick as he as could.

They worked their way through thick jungle. The Asian used his machete to cut through the overgrown leaves and branches. Tom followed nervously. From time to time the Asian climbed up a tree to look for any danger ahead. Tom admired his rescuer for his athletic skills and thought to himself how clumsy and unfit he was in comparison.

They walked for a long time. Sometimes the Asian would stop and listen for sounds, and then continue after a while, only to stop when they heard some voices and footsteps. The Asian directed, Tom over to a bush with big leaves which they crawled under. They lay there for a while until the people passed their hiding spot. They could see the men were wearing guns. They had probably been hunting some prey, but it didn't look like they had caught anything. Maybe they were just patrolling the area, making sure that no strangers came near the house. Tom was sure something illegal was going on in that place; maybe it was drugs or some kind of weapons they were dealing with.

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