‘That’s the place.’ Ben pointed to his left. They slowed, and Ben helped Laura up onto the verge and into the field.
As they reached the door, Ben whispered, ‘Wait at the door. I’ll take a look.’
Ben stepped inside. He saw the monitor, heard white noise, saw the large cardboard boxes towards the back. There was no sign of the phone. He silently checked the place over, then he called his daughter’s name. ‘Milly, are you in here?’ Ben didn’t expect an answer. ‘Milly, baby, are you here?’ There was no reply: just stillness.
The barn was empty.
He re-joined Laura. ‘She’s not in there.’
‘Ben, I can’t do this. I can’t cope anymore.’ Laura fell to her knees, then clutched the front of her head with her hands. She screamed, pulling clumps of her hair.
Ben knelt down and held his wife. ‘We’ll get her back. I promise. But we need to be strong. Come on, Laura. You are an amazingly brave woman. I love you so much. You can do this, okay? I know you can. Be the rock for Milly. We’re tougher than this bastard. We’re better than him.’
Laura wiped her face and then stood up, summoning the strength she needed. ‘Okay. Where do we need to go?’
‘That’s it. You can do this. His cottage is across the fields. He’s probably taken Milly there. It’s where he took Lydia and Jack. I think Gareth may be there too.’
They embraced, holding each other tightly. Laura got the strength she needed from her husband before they set out again.
Ben shone the torch through the fields as they walked. They were too exhausted to move any faster. He thought about his daughter, the passengers. So much had happened tonight. He felt so awash with emotion that he wanted to lie on the grass and scream at the top of his voice. He couldn’t tell Laura how he felt, but he was fearful for Milly’s life. The caller was playing another game, taking Milly. It was punishment for Ben and his family helping the passengers. He began to doubt that anyone would leave this place alive.
He suddenly remembered the car. Maybe their phones were still locked inside. Lydia had told him the caller had parked on the road: she’d got out and walked towards the cottage looking for Jack. Another part of the caller’s torturous game. Letting Lydia think she could walk free as she climbed from the boot. He remembered her saying she’d left the vehicle and walked towards a light. The car was parked close to the cottage.
They needed to find the car: time was running out.
Moving across the field was difficult, the ground being much wetter with the rain. Every step felt like a mammoth task. Their shoes seemed as heavy as concrete slabs with the mud they’d collected. They pulled their feet out of holes and the ground squelched underneath. But they kept going into the darkness, occasionally stopping to rest.
Laura pushed her body to its limits, fighting to keep going, thinking of her daughter, picturing her beautiful face, her calming voice. She suddenly blurted out, ‘If only she’d stayed with Zac.’
Ben didn’t have a reply. He felt guilty, putting his family in danger. Yes, it was heroic, helping the others. The three of them had acted incredibly bravely and gone way above and beyond to help these people. He knew many would have backed away as soon as they saw the passengers tied to their seats. Ben guessed he could just have easily got his family into the car, hit reverse and they’d be drinking champagne on the balcony in Barcelona now.
He fought to rid the thoughts from his head. He knew it was too late to start the regrets. If Ben was truthful, he’d have done it all again in a flash.
‘There. That’s the cottage.’ Ben pointed towards the light in the distance.
A small flicker glowed across the field, like a lighthouse, warning them to stay away and steer clear. Ben could feel a knot in his stomach and his insides were dancing, as the adrenalin had turned to fear. He clasped Laura’s hand. Although it was cold, he could feel the heat from her body.
They walked in silence towards the light, watching it grow. Ben gripped his wife’s hand tightly. ‘Whatever happens, you run. Do you hear?’
‘I’m not leaving you, Ben.’
‘I’m deadly serious. I’ll do everything I can to get Milly. If she comes out, if something happens to me, the both of you run, away from here.’
They stopped for a moment. Laura grabbed her husband, then kissed him, tracing the outline of his face with her fingers. She cried, suddenly her emotions were spilling out as she stood in the field. ‘I love you so much, Ben. These people were lucky to have you come along. You did everything you could. You’re the bravest man I’ve ever met. Remember that.’
He kissed her on the forehead. ‘Let’s get our daughter back.’
32
The Cottage
The front door was slightly ajar. Ben and Laura had crossed the field, watching the window above, worried that a security light may come on, alerting the caller of their presence.
The building was old. There was ivy crawling along the front, working its way to the top of the cottage, sprawled like a spreading disease. The two windows at the front were small, and the frames a dull grey colour. They allowed a view into the living room but the curtains were pulled tightly together. To the right was a small parking space leading to the back of the cottage. The grass was overgrown and wild.
Ben glanced behind, searching for a light in the distance. He listened for footsteps or a wet squishing sound coming from the field behind them. When he was sure no one was there, he pushed the front door slightly. Blue paint crumbled in his hands and dropped to the floor. The door creaked. The sound grated through his body and Ben hesitated.
He could hear Laura’s fatigue, her body filled with anticipation as she caught her breath. She stood close to him. He reached forward, pushing the door again. The creak resembled the groan of a coffin lid closing on the body that lay inside.
Ben stepped into the hallway. He shone the torch through to the kitchen. Shadows became visible, hollow and empty. Laura stepped inside, brushing against the door and making more noise than she intended. They moved together, taking small steps, working their way through the downstairs hallway. They stopped by the living room door. Ben counted to three, then gripped the handle and swung it open.
He steered the torch towards the plain white sofa, the telly on a flimsy stand, the dull grey walls covered with damp patches.
Ben closed the door, and they moved towards the kitchen. He shone the torch through the glazed panels on the kitchen door. Once he was sure it was empty, he opened it and they stepped inside.
White cupboards adorned the back wall; the butler sink was old and stained, the floors had lino that had started to fold and crease.
‘She’s not here,’ Ben said. ‘I think we should look upstairs.’
Laura nodded, silently closing the kitchen door.
Suddenly they heard the screams, coming from underneath.
‘It’s Gareth,’ Ben said. He shone the torch over the living room and found a large open hatch through which the top of the stairs was visible. They walked over, hearing the young lad shouting for help. The hairs stood on Laura’s arms as she listened to his pleas.
Ben stood over the steps, ready to tackle the caller if he jumped out. They quickly glanced at each other without talking, knowing what Ben had to do. He shone the torch, looking below, then started the slow descent. As the steps creaked, Gareth shouted, ‘Who’s there? Is someone there?’