~A DESPERATE CRY FOR HELP~

~The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit~

- Psalm 34:18

Song - Where did you go? by Jax Jones ft MNEK

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"Where have you brought me? Let me go!"

As the sack was lifted from Sophie's head, Sophie blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. She was met with a dimly lit room, the only sound the faint hum of a generator in the corner. The place smelled like mildew and decay.

Sophie's gaze fell upon two men standing in front of her, their faces obscured by shadows. They were massive, their bodies bulging with muscle, and they seemed to be enjoying her fear.

One of them, the taller of the two, stepped forward, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Welcome, Sophie," he sneered. "Boss has been waiting for you."

Sophie's heart was racing, and she tried to stand up, but her arms wouldn't budge. She looked down to see that they were tied to the chair handles, the rope digging deep into her skin.

Panic set in as she realized she was trapped. She struggled against the restraints, but they were too tight.

The two men laughed, their amusement sending chills down Sophie's spine. "You're not going anywhere," the taller one said, his eyes glinting with malice. "At least, not until our boss says so."

Sophie's mind raced with fear, and she tried to think of a way to escape. But for now, she was at the mercy of these two goons. "What do you want from me?"

"Relax, you're too forward," the shorter goon stated with a humourless chuckle.

She tried to keep her voice steady, but it trembled slightly as she spoke. "What exactly do you want from me?" she repeated, her eyes darting between the two men.

"Oh, we don't want anything from you. . . yet," he said, his voice dripping with menace. "We're just here to. . . babysit you, for now."

Sophie's heart sank as she realized she was completely at their mercy. She tried to think of a way to escape, but her mind was a blank.

The shorter goon spoke up again, his voice gruff. "So, Sophie, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?"

"What do you want to know?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant despite the fear that was growing inside her.

The two men exchanged a look, and the taller goon spoke up again. "Oh, we'll get to that soon enough," he said, his voice rough. "For now, let's just say. . . we're interested in your connections."

"What connections?"

"Oh, come on, Sophie. Don't play dumb. We know about the little conversation you had with the cops."

Sophie's heart skipped a beat as she realized what they were getting at. "I don't. . . know what you're talking about."

The shorter goon chuckled, his eyes glinting with cruelty. He bent down to Sophie's level, throwing a slap across her face.

Sophie's head snapped to the side, her cheek stinging from the force of the slap. She felt a surge of anger and fear, but she refused to give in to her emotions. Instead, she turned her head back to face the goon, her eyes blazing with defiance.

The goon sneered at her. "Did that help you regain your memory?"

Sophie felt a surge of anger at the goon's action, but she kept her cool. She knew that she had to stay calm if she was going to get out of this situation alive.

The taller goon stepped forward, holding his accomplaince back. "Enough," he said, his voice firm. "Alive."

Sophie's eyes darted between the two goons, her mind racing with fear. The taller goon's eyes seemed to bore into her soul, while the shorter goon's sneer made her skin crawl.

The shorter goon took a step forward, his fists clenched. "Come on, man, let me have a little fun," he whined, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

The taller goon raised a hand, his expression cold. "I said enough," he repeated, his voice firm. "We need her alive, for now."

Sophie felt a surge of relief at the taller goon's words, but it was short-lived. The shorter goon's face twisted in a snarl, and he took another step forward.

"Wait until boss gets here," he spat. "You'll definitely die."

Meanwhile, Aubrey sat on his bed, his eyes fixed on the wall as his mind replayed the scene he had witnessed earlier. Sophie and Alex, their lips locked in a passionate kiss. The image seared itself into his brain, making his blood boil with anger.

He clenched his fists, feeling his heart pound in his chest. How could she do this to him? Didn't she know how much he cared for her?

Aubrey's anger reached a boiling point, and he punched the wall beside him, his knuckles cracking against the drywall. He felt a surge of pain, but he didn't care. He punched the wall again, and again, his knuckles bleeding as he unleashed his fury.

"Why, Sophie, why?" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls of his bedroom. "How could you do this to me?"

Aubrey's anger slowly began to subside, replaced by a deep sadness. He slumped forward, his head in his hands, as he struggled to come to terms with what he had seen.

"How would you know? When you didn't let the poor girl explain."

Aubrey knew who it was, but refused to turn his neck. Emily sat down beside him, grabbing his bleeding knuckles.

"Is this helping matters?" she questioned him, staring at his bleeding hand. Aubrey's jaw was clenched and he refused to look at his mother.

Emily's voice was soft and gentle, but it cut through Aubrey's anger and sadness like a knife. He felt a lump form in his throat as he struggled to hold back tears.

"Aubrey, look at me," Emily said, her voice firm but gentle. She reached out and gently turned his face towards hers.

Aubrey's eyes met his mother's, and he felt a wave of emotion wash over him. Emily's eyes were filled with concern and compassion, and Aubrey felt a sense of comfort wash over him.

"How can I advise you?" Emily asked, her voice soft. "You're jumping to conclusions, Aubrey. You don't know the whole story."

Aubrey felt a pang of guilt at his mother's words. He knew she was right. He had reacted impulsively, without giving Sophie a chance to explain.

Emily gently took Aubrey's hand in hers, examining the bloody knuckles. "First, let's take care of this," she said, getting up and leading Aubrey to the bathroom.

She gently washed his hand, applying antibiotic ointment and bandaging the wound. Aubrey watched, feeling a sense of gratitude towards his mother.

As Emily finished bandaging his hand, she looked up at Aubrey, her eyes serious. "Aubrey, you need to calm down and think this through. Don't jump to conclusions. Talk to Sophie, hear her side of the story. You owe it to her, and to yourself."

Aubrey felt a sense of resolve wash over him, but it was short-lived. "I need to be alone, please?"

Emily sighed, before nodding in understanding. She stood up and walked out of Aubrey's room. Aubrey continued with his staring contest with the wall, trying to get the image of Alex and Sophie out of his mind.

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Sophie's eyes darted around the dimly lit room, her mind racing with thoughts of escape. She had been held captive for what felt like hours, and she knew she had to act fast if she was going to get out of this situation alive.

She carefully examined her restraints, looking for any weakness or vulnerability. The ropes were thick and sturdy, but Sophie noticed that they were tied to the chair legs, which were old and rickety.

Sophie's eyes landed on a small, rusty nail that was protruding from the wall nearby. She carefully maneuvered her chair closer to the wall, trying not to make any noise.

As she inched closer to the nail, Sophie's heart began to pound with excitement. She carefully positioned the rope against the nail, trying to saw through the fibers.

It was slow going, but Sophie was determined. She sawed back and forth, her hands moving carefully and deliberately.

But just as she was starting to make progress, Sophie heard the sound of footsteps outside the room. Her heart sank as she realized that her captors were returning.

Sophie quickly moved her chair away from the wall, trying to cover up her escape attempt. She sat up straight, trying to look as innocent as possible.

The door opened and the two goons walked in. Sophie felt a sense of dread wash over her. They both examined her current state, peering at her carefully.

She felt nervous and crossed her fingers, praying to God that they don't notice anything.

The shorter goon, walked over to Sophie, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. He stopped in front of her, his gaze lingering on her hands, which were still tied to the chair.

Sophie held her breath, hoping he wouldn't notice the faint scratches on her wrists from her earlier escape attempt. She also hoped that he wouldn't feel the slight looseness of the ropes, which she had managed to weaken with the nail.

The goon's eyes narrowed, and he leaned in closer to Sophie. She could feel his hot breath on her face, and she tried not to flinch.

"What's going on here?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.

Sophie swallowed hard, trying to think of a response. But before she could say anything, the shorter goon spoke up.

"Nothing," he said. "Just leave the chic alone dude."

The shorter goon's eyes lingered on Sophie for a moment longer, and then he straightened up, his expression unreadable.

"A'ight," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Because our boss is on his way, and he's not going to be happy if he finds out you've been trying to escape.

"Keep an eye on her, I'm going for a lunch break."

"Since when did you start bossing me around?"

"Since now. Make sure she dosen't escape, a'ight?"

"Whatever," the taller goon said, already scrolling through his phone.

Sophie's eyes locked onto her watchman, her mind racing with a plan. She knew she had to act fast, before the boss arrived. Inorder words, Julian Saint.

She was one hundred percent sure Julian was behind all these, because she refused to export drugs for him.

The taller goon put on a headphone, and Sophie saw her chance. She subtly shifted her weight, using the momentum to rock the chair back and forth.

Sophie continued to rock the chair, her eyes fixed on her watchman. She had to make sure he wasn't paying attention to her.

Suddenly, the chair legs scraped against the floor, and Sophie felt the ropes loosen. She quickly took advantage of the opportunity, using her freed hands to push the chair away from her.

"Hey!" The watchman goon lunged at her, but Sophie was too quick. She dodged his grasp and made a run for the door.

"Stop!" he bellowed.

But Sophie was already halfway out the door. She sprinted down the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest.

She could hear the goon behind her, his footsteps echoing off the walls. But Sophie didn't look back. She kept running, her eyes fixed on the exit sign at the end of the hall.

Finally, she burst through the door and out into the cool night air. Sophie didn't stop running until she was blocks away from the building, her lungs burning and her heart still racing.

She finally slowed to a stop, looking around to get her bearings. She was in an unfamiliar part of town, but she knew she had to keep moving.

Sophie took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She knew she had to find a safe place to hide, and fast.

She sat in the dimly lit alleyway, her back against the cold brick wall. She clutched her phone in her hand, her eyes fixed on the screen as she searched for signal and dialed Aubrey's number. She waited for Aubrey to answer.

"Pick up, pick up!" she mumbled, narrowing her eyes to make sure the goons haven't caught up with her.

Aubrey, who sat on his bed, stared blankly at his phone screen. He declined Sophie's call and continued staring at the wall.

Sophie's anxiety grew. Why wasn't Aubrey answering?

The phone rang several times before going to voicemail. Sophie's heart sank as she listened to Aubrey's recorded message.

"Aubrey, it's me," Sophie said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I need your help. I'm in trouble. Please call me back as soon as you can."

Sophie hung up the phone, feeling a sense of desperation wash over her. She was alone, scared, and on the run. And she had no idea if Aubrey was even going to get her message.

The message popped up on Aubrey's screen. Seeing it was from Sophie, he refused to listen to it. Instead, he switched off his phone.

"Arghh!" Sophie growled in anger. "Why is he so childi- Ow!"

"Well, well, well," The goon sneered, pulling Sophie's hair. "Look what we have here. The little bird who thought she could fly away."

"Let me go."

But the goon just laughed, his accomplice joining in. "Oh, we're just getting started," he growled, his eyes glinting with cruelty. "Move it!"

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