Lords

I laid in bed that night, pretending to be asleep. This was the most risky part of the plan, because it depended on the kidnappers to actually do exactly as they were instructed. Human nature is quite unpredictable, so this could go very bad, very fast. Well, it wasn't like I was in any danger, I'm fairly confident that I can neutralize a couple of thugs even in this body. It's just that getting off the highlands would become much harder, if this kidnapping attempt failed. As I pondered about the minor details that could go wrong, I heard a creak on the floor in front of my room. The door to my room slowly opened up, and a well-built guy with a mask on his face walked in silently. He put two sedative patches on my arm, and after waiting for a couple of seconds, he stuffed my head in a bag. He dropped me on his shoulders, and left the same way he came. So far so good. I felt the sedative patches pumping my blood full of anesthetics, but I overcame their effect with a simple mental technique I learned in Tibet around the year 1520. Anybody else would've slept like a log for at least 12 hours after being sedated like this, but I was no Average Joe.

After being carried for a couple of minutes, I was thrown on a soft surface, probably the back seat of a car. This is when I first heard the guy speak.

"Done." Based on his voice, he's about 40 years old, a chain smoker, and due to hearing a hint of arrogance, probably a long-time crook. He started tying my hands together behind my back. After he finished and shut the car door, I checked the knot and calculated the time it would take me to free my hands: 3 seconds.

"Finally, we can get out of this dump." Another voice answered, also about 40 years old, non-smoker, also a criminal's typical voice. Probably the driver. "I hate this country side. I don't know what Boss was thinking, when he took this job." I could answer that: he probably got an offer he can't refuse. Eve's methods are all encompassing, if he can't get what she wants with money, trade or politeness, she can extort, kidnap or even intimidate quite effectively. I mean, who would refuse a job from her when a satellite comes crashing down a couple of kilometers away, purely as a warning. She can do that easily.

"Probably got involved with some woman again. Our shittiest jobs usually involve some woman." Well, they're not wrong… Not completely. "Well, drive then, let's get this done as fast as possible. The brat's probably some long-forgotten heir of some rich men, so the payout should be good enough to last us until the waters clear after the invasion." With that, the driver, or as I call him now, Thug 2, started the car, and we drove out of the countryside.

A couple of minutes after we started our journey, Thug 1 started snoring on the passenger seat. That's some seriously bad manners, you should talk to the driver at night, to avoid him falling to sleep too. Well, it seems that these aren't just everyday assholes, they might be kings at their trade. Thug 2 drove fast at first, but when Thug 1 fell asleep, he slowed down, while muttering some curses, probably also dissatisfied with his partner's decision to sleep. I could hear him sipping something every couple of minutes, probably coffee, so I didn't have to be worried about the driver falling asleep on the road.

As we drove through the countryside, Thug 1 snoring like a lawn mover, Thug 2 driving nice and easy while sipping his coffee, and me, in the back of the car, with a bag on my had, I quietly shifted myself into a more comfortable position, and paid attention to our direction. After a couple of turns, and a brief analysis, I already knew where we were, and didn't have to pay as much attention. I memorized the map of the region a long time ago, so I realized we were heading towards Edinburgh, and would reach the outskirts in just a couple of hours. I started meditating, so I could be at peak mental state when we arrive wherever they're taking me.

About 4 hours passed, when the vehicle took a sharp right turn and the road under us became bumpy, this woke Thug 1 up instantly.

"Huh, what? Where are we?" He asked while coming to his senses.

"We're almost at Burton's." It appears he's talking about the abandoned Burton's Biscuit factory. A perfect location for a ransom exchange, since, based on what I heard on the radio, a couple of artillery strikes hit the neighborhood during the invasion, and the industrial and commercial buildings that are still standing are all abandoned. The shops and malls in the vicinity were probably looted immediately, so nobody has any reason to come to this part of the town anymore. Well, this sits just fine with me.

A couple of minutes and a few turns on the bumpy road, the car stopped. Thug 1 got out, and lit a cigarette. Thug 2 got out too, and opened the back door, probably to check on me.

"Well, he'll be out for at least 6 more hours. When's the exchange?" He went to the back of the car while he talked, opened the trunk, and started pouring something into a cup. Probably more coffee.

"Boss said that the client will be here at 8 AM. It's in 3 hours." Thug 1 answered. "Did Boss say anything about the state we have to hand him over?" What the hell are these guys thinking about now?

"Hehe, he told me that he asked the client, and the answer he got was 'breathing, unconscious, all limbs intact'. So, wanna have some fun?" Dammit Eve, how bored are you? Do you really want to know how I'll handle two thugs trying to **** me?

"Huhu, nice. I haven't had a young sucker like this in a couple of years. The usual then, I'll take mouth, you take ass?"

SERIOUSLY?!