Denise

*** Chapter 22, Expedition.

Jake woke with a start.

The door of the car had slammed closed and the engine had roared into life. The driver was as yet unseen but he or she had turned on the radio as the car pulled off. Jake carefully lifted one corner of the silver car cover under which he was hiding to see that it was still dark outside and the driver was a young woman in a smart business suit. She would drive him out of this hellhole and he was really going to escape.

With a spray of gravel the Ferrari swung round and left the courtyard. In moments it was running on smooth tarmac and driving out of the courtyard. Jake almost held his breath as the car drove. After just a few moments driving it swung right. Jake was sure that they were now on a public highway. A few more minutes and another turn to the right.

The car came to a halt and the young woman got out.

Jake peeked from under his hiding place expecting to see a filling station or an all night shop but all he could see were ghostly buildings that looked like a farm.

'Get out, or not?' he asked himself.

He was sure that they were at least a couple of miles from his prison. The young woman made him nervous, she was associated with his captivity, he just had to get out. With a strain he pulled himself into the front seat and fumbled to see if the keys were in the ignition but they were not.

Moments later he was standing in the lee of a large farm building. As he watched two women came to the car and stood by it. Then one of them reached into the car and pulled out a small case from behind the driver's seat. Jake breathed a sigh of relief, he had been lucky.

For a few minutes they stood talking before the driver got back into the car and sped off. The other woman vanished into the darkness, as she did so Jake heard the clamouring of one or more dogs wakened at the sound of her footfalls and the noise of the car. Now he realised that he was not out of the grip of these people, this was just another part of the slave training camp.

He pondered his next move and decided to cross the countryside until he found a road. In the darkness he could see a copse of trees and decided to get there first. He had barely gone a few yards when he heard a sound of feet behind him on the gravel. Flinging himself to the ground he found himself in a ditch from which he could observe the buildings.

Where he had stood just a few moments before stood a shadowy figure in black. In her hand were the leads to two large German Shepherd dogs that strained in his direction.

"Shut up,” she told the dogs. "There's nothing out there."

Jake bit his lip in fear but the woman with the dogs did not move. They strained at the leashes and barked in his direction.

"Need a bit of exercise?" she said to the dogs and slipped their leashes.

As the two dogs ran in his direction Jake broke cover and ran.

It was simply fear.

He knew that he could not outrun them but he had to try. The two dogs were on him in moments and he heard the cries of the female handler join in their noise. The dogs easily ran in front of him and forced him to stop. Their hackles were raised and they snapped at him when he tried to move.

In his tired state he simply stood until the woman came up.

"Ah,” she said. "Mr Lorde. Of course!"

Jake stood and watched her, he saw little chance of an escape.

"My, you did get a long way. Come with me."

With a slap of a gloved hand on her thigh she called the dogs and walked towards the buildings. Jake saw no option but to follow.

His escape was over.