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Jenny heard the car door opening. She pushed herself up from the ground and pointed at Sonia, the younger sister. “Stay there. You’ll only make things worse.”

The older officer was helping up the younger officer, while keeping his rifle pointed at Ahmed.

“He was hurting her. Look at her arm. It’s going to bruise.” Ahmed pleaded his case. The man didn’t turn to look at Jenny. He kept his rifle trained on Ahmed.

“Crawl to the stairs. Over there,” the older officer said. He motioned to Jenny’s front porch.

“What are you waiting for?” The younger man demanded to know. “Kill him. Kill him now. Rakib said no witnesses.”

The senior officer casually twirled his rifle and used the butt of it to smash it into the young officer’s face. Jenny could swear she heard his nose break. The older man turned back to Ahmed. “Crawl faster,” he said as he turned the rifle back on him. He waited until Ahmed was at the stairs.

“Listen here, you piece of dog shit,” The older man turned to the young man who was bleeding out his nose. “Don’t use our leader’s name again, or I’ll shoot you. Next, we do want witnesses. We’re wearing the Bangladeshi Police force uniforms. That poor bastard,” he pointed to Ahmed. “And the women in the car would have testified that the police took her. It would have been perfect. Now it will be just the women.”

“Are you taking orders from the Awani League government?” Jenny whispered her question.

The older man smiled while the young man went over to Ahmed and ripped his shirt off him in order to use it to staunch the bleeding from his broken nose.

“Miss Rivers, before your adventure is done, you’ll wish we were the Awani League. Alas, we’re old-fashioned. We want money. Small change. Two billion takas. Today, that’s a little less than twenty million dollars. Your company makes that much in four hours each day. Surely, they can pay that for you?”

Jenny shivered. She knew that New Era Cyber Tech had kidnapping and ransom insurance, but they had assured her they had never once had to use it. What’s more, India was one of America’s allies. America did business with India all the time, and Bangladesh should be considered a sister country to India. But she knew they were very different nations, and had voiced her concerns. She was all but laughed off. The more Jenny had talked to the Banik brother and sisters, the more concerned she became.

“I know how much two billion takas, is,” Jenny said calmly. She wanted them to know that she’d taken the time to learn about Bangladesh as she tried to soothe them.

The older man laughed. “You’re funny. Don’t think you can talk your way out of this.”

“I don’t.” She bowed her head. “Please don’t hurt them.”

“If you come easily, there will be no need,” the older man said.

“The man needs to die. He’s heard too much,” the young hot head shouted.

“And whose fault is that?”

“Please,” Jenny begged. “I will do what you say.”

“Don’t worry, if you come calmly, no one will die. Bring the truck.” The older officer motioned to his minion. The young man reluctantly trotted around the side of Jenny’s house, and she soon heard the roar of a truck coming to life.

When it drove to the front, she shuddered. It was a box truck, with just two seats in front. Obviously, she was going to have to go in the back. She couldn’t read the writing on the side of the truck, but the logo was clear. It was a butcher shop.

Please let it be empty.

“Tie her up.”

The young man grinned as he yanked her arms behind her back and tied them together at her elbows. He tied them tight. Then he started at her wrists. She did what she remembered from some TV show or another and kept her wrists a little bit apart so she would have wiggle room.

Yeah, like that’s going to make a difference.

The rope was coarse and scratchy. It hurt already.

“Don’t forget her ankles,” the older one pointed out.

“Then I’ll have to carry her,” the other kidnapper whined.

“There is definitely something wrong with your generation. Quit your complaining, tie her up and carry her to the truck,” the other man ground out.

At least the rope was tied over her boots.

The angry young man shoved his shoulder into her stomach, then lifted her up and soon she was hanging upside down over his shoulder.