I hear the next click before I reach three...

My eyes in that millisecond clamp down harder and I feel panic as I realise that my last moment on this earth is a true representation of how weak I am.

I have no courage, it's all just an act.

Then a sudden flash explodes past my shut eyelids and I briefly wonder if I've already been shot.
I find it odd that I felt no pain but I'm certainly not complaining.

I've never been one to really consider life past death, my family isn't overly religious, we don't go to church and we don't pray but we still all agree that there must be something out there.
We just don't know what.

A chuckle breaks me out of my thoughts and I stiffen as the flash fades away into darkness.

The chuckle is low and severely lacking the warmth that I'd expect from the welcome at the supposed pearly white gates.

"That's a keeper." I hear mumbled ahead and my heart both soars and plummets knowing that I'm still in this van to fight another day.

This time I feel no resistance as I crack open my eyes and glare down the Russian man peering through.
In his hands isn't a gun but actually a camera, the moment I notice this another flash goes off and I fight the urge to try to reach through and snatch the camera, knowing how vulnerable I'll be.

"What do you fucking want?" I grit out and clench my hands into tight little fists to hide their shaking.

"If you need money then you grabbed the wrong girl." I say after a beat of silence, yet all he does is stare in response, trailing from my slightly dipped shirt to my ankle length jeans and I can't suppress the shiver that runs down my spine.

"What's your name?" The man murmurs and I crane my neck to hear him, I watch his own eyes widen with both of us surprised by the question.

All I do however is scoff loudly before turning around and sitting on the floor of the van, leaning on the side wall to have visibility of both the man and the door.

Already beginning to feel my claustrophobia climb up my throat I reach into my pocket and take out my car keys.
I gaze at them sadly for a moment before using them to scratch the wall behind me, maybe if I peel enough of the furry substance off then outsiders can hear me.

However I quickly find that the action is useless as I only seem to uncover more and more of the fur.

"You didn't answer me." I shrug my shoulders in a stiff 'not my problem' way and I feel the whole van lurch sideways as the man shifts in his seat until his body is fully facing the hatch.

"Answer me in words." The brute demands and feeling confident that a wall separates us I simply use my car keys to pick imaginary dirt from my nails.

As I feel the tension rise in the machine I time my question strategically, the more angry he is means the more likely he is to answer.
He doesn't take long.

"I SAID ANSWER-"

"What's your name?" I question cutting him off mid-scream and I'm quite relieved to do so, small metal spaces are not great for loud sounds.

"Rosik." He answers so quickly that it takes a moment for me to process what he said.

The way he blurted it so suddenly makes me believe that he's been waiting to say it for quite sometime.

But why would a captor give his name away so freely?
Surely he knows that the moment I go ninja on him and escape that he's the first name I'll drop.

Rosik, male, roughly around 6 foot, dark features and a long scar travelling down his throat.
I've heard of criminals getting caught with only half of those features being recalled, there is no way that Rosik is getting out of this.

"It's now your turn." Rosik grumbles and I can tell that he regrets sounding eager earlier.

"Why do you even care!?" I ask making sure to keep my voice even.

I can't let him know how frightened I am, it'll only give him a power boost.
All he does is continue to stare intensely, my body reacts violently to his attention and I can't help the goosebumps that attack my flesh.

I can tell that he's getting annoyed, his breathing is heavier and there is a spark in his eyes that is only getting brighter.
I know that getting him mad isn't helping the situation, the last thing I want is for him to come in here and force me to tell him.

However, the more that I rile him up could mean the the likelihood of a slip up could expand.

Rosik begins swearing softly under his breath and surprisingly with one last glare in my direction he slams the hatch closed.

All sound cuts off as he disappears from view and I feel my heart conflict as it soars in delight of him leaving and yet plummeting as I realise just how good the soundproofing is in the small space.

Relishing the fact that I'm alone I allow my body to start shaking although I don't let any tears fall, I won't risk either of the men seeing my red eyes, it'll only improve their day.

Another few minutes pass. I wait to feel the van lurch to life and prove that my cousins got away but the vehicle remains off and threatening.

Surely the other man, Axel right? Would be back by now, the only reason that he wouldn't be would be if he lost them both and was mindlessly wandering the streets.
I gave them enough time to get away, it's all been worth it. It has to have been.

Surprisingly I'm not that worried about myself, I know that I can defend myself, the moment they open these doors I'm going to give it my all and get out.

I can take a few hits, it won't be the first time and then I'll be legging it all the way home.
There is no way that I'll be with these brutes for more than an hour, no fucking way.

Just as my confidence soars I finally hear the van start up and the relief of my family being safe almost causes tears to leak from my eyes.
A grin that shouldn't be appropriate in this situation lights up my face and it takes all my willpower to not laugh out loud, I knew Dana and Flynn could do it.

I'm still grinning like an idiot when the van doors suddenly open, I momentarily forget about my plan to attack them and instead allow my grin to taunt my captors who are both standing at the exit.

Rosik is holding the right door open and keeps his arm firmly on the edge, undoubtedly to slam it if I get too rowdy but his whole face goes slack as he notices me grinning at the men.

I vaguely hear him mumble something like "wow" under his breath but my attention is now focused on Axel and my smile slowly falters as I realise with a sickening feeling that he is supporting a swaying body in front of him, one with gorgeous long brown locks that are laying as limp as her body.

I don't need to see her face, I don't even need to hear the sickening taunt from the monster that is holding her.

That is my cousin and my world has just stopped spinning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few minutes were a blur.

I remember lunging, I remember my fists hitting someone and my ears are still ringing from my screams. Now I'm sitting silently across the back wall of the van, purposely under the hatch to relish in their blind spot.

Since Dana was virtually flung at me to keep me at bay I have done nothing but sit here, with her head in my lap and lovingly stroke her hair, combing out the blood.

The cut isn't too deep I realise after a few minutes of assessing and I feel relief flood my veins knowing that it's nothing more then a scratch just below her hair line. But the scratch is enough to fill me with enough rage to last a lifetime, these men will pay, especially Axel.

Vaguely I remember feeling the van lurch to life a little while ago, I'd assume half an hour ago but time seemed to stop the moment Dana fell into my arms.

She's so young, too young for this to happen. I know that I'm young also but compared to Dana I've already lived my life. I've had boyfriends, I've graduated my education and I've gotten my license.

These are things that Dana has yet to achieve and the quicker I get her out of here means the quicker she can then recover from it.

I hear the hatch above me suddenly slide over. The sound of the metal sliding was barely a whisper but after being stuck in this sound-proof space for as long as I have been, my hearing has gotten remarkably sharper.

I press my back further into the wall and drag Dana closer to my body, knowing that there is no way that whoever is peering in can see us.

As I'm sitting rigid a sudden idea forms in my mind and while I know it's a bad one I also know that it'll certainly leave an impression.

The man peering in makes no attempt to talk, all I can hear is heavy breathing and the faint echo of a radio on low volume.

Carefully I shift Dana so that she is lying flat in front of me and soundlessly I push myself onto my knees.
I hold my breath as I slowly turn and face the wall and count to three before lunging up and striking my fist through the opening.

"Fuck!" I recognise the voice to be the monster Axel and I fight back a grin as I go to punch him once more.

However my fist is abruptly grabbed and smothered by a fist far larger than mine.
I stare into Axels watering eyes and note that I only managed to hit him in the jawline.

Not good enough.

Glancing at my hand which is currently enveloped I notice that it's being held on a side angle, I realise that it must be Rosik who is holding my fist while at the same time driving this van of nightmares.

I feel his touch begin to burn me so I frantically try to shake him off but all he does is clench his fist tighter.
I try not to gasp, I try to remain strong but once the feeling is lost in my hand I start whimpering through the pain.

Instantly Rosik loosens his hold and I know that he only did it to prove a point.
I prepare to pull my hand back again but his next moves chill me to the bone, a moment later I watch with wide eyes as Rosik's face appears for a moment, the side of his face showing a glimmer of his smirk and without hesitating he presses his lips tightly onto my clenched hand.

Instantly trailing his tongue in lazy circles over my bruised knuckles.

I gasp once more and this time with renewed strength I yank my hand out of his and manage to fall onto my ass, I begin cursing and all the brutes do is laugh loudly and then shut the hatch once more.

I fight back the tears yet again in the one day, knowing that Dana could wake any moment and eventually crawl back to her form.

Secretly needing the comfort of my family.
We have to get out of here.