Hope snapped awake, heart pounding, eyes wide as she scanned her room. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but her senses warned her there was something amiss. Moments later, her fears were confirmed when Aoife stepped out of the shadows, her face set. "What the hell are you doing here?" Hope demanded, clutching her blankets tightly to her.
"I'm getting you out of here," the Irishwoman said firmly, and Hope felt her heart plummet to the soles of her feet when Aoife produced a gun. "I'm sorry," the older woman said, pointing the gun at the terrified girl. "This is for your own good." She fired, and all went dark.
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When Hope woke next, she found herself tied up, slung over Aoife's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Kick and writhe though she might, the Irishwoman's skill at a rope was too good, and Hope soon gave up. That didn't stop her from screaming as loudly as she could, despite the gag in her mouth, but it did nothing more than earn her a sharp slap on the bottom. "Stop that," Aoife hissed. "You don't want to draw attention, do you?"
Everything tilted crazily for a moment, before Hope found herself on her feet, and her eyes widened when she saw Aoife was now pointing the gun at her stomach. Tears of fright slid down her cheeks, soaking her gag, but her tied wrists prevented her from doing anything to protect the life of her unborn child. "That's better," Aoife said. "I don't want to bring harm to your babe, but if we get the wrong sort of attention, I'd rather the wee mite was dead, rather than being subjected to the torments that will come the moment he or she draws their first breath."
Hope bit her gag hard, wishing someone, anyone would come to her aid. But the city was silent; it was well after two in the morning, and Aoife had made good use of the shadows. And if anyone came ... Hope wanted to throw up. Her nausea must have shown on her face; Aoife sighed. "I'm doing this for your own good," she said sharply. "I don't want you or your babe subjected to endless tests to see if you're 'safe'! I'd rather you raise that baby in safety on your own world. You don't belong here, child, and neither does your baby. I'm taking you home, and you'll be able to raise your child in peace, without anyone trying to claim him or her! Don't you want to see your son or daughter grow to maturity, to raise babies of his or her own?"82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrPPEDHM6Y
Hope bit the gag again, and when she felt the fabric tear, she gnawed at it until she could speak. "My father is waiting on the other side," she said sharply. "If I fall into his hands again, he'll never let me go! And if my child is a girl, he'll abuse her the way he abused me all my life! I'd rather be dead than let my father get my hands on me or my baby!"
Aoife sighed. "Your father is probably a good man, who's been under a little stress," she said. "He surely can't be as bad as you make him out to be." She shook her head. "No matter. When we're back on Earth, I'll arrange to have you transported safely to anywhere in the United Kingdom you wish to go, and I'll arrange to have you wed to a man who'll raise that child like it's his own." She pointed the gun at Hope's stomach again. "Since you won't be gagged, I'll untie you and let you walk on your own. But if you so much as blink in the direction of anyone, I'll make sure that child never draws his or her first breath."82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvRCeSM66r
Faced with the choice of losing her child or her freedom, Hope had no other option but to concede. "Fine," she said angrily, as Aoife untied her. "But that's not going to prevent people from seeing what's happening. We stand out like dog's balls--" Stars exploded in her vision, and by the time she could see again, her jaw throbbed like fury. Aoife glared at her.
"You watch your tongue," she snarled, "or so help me God, I'll kill you and that baby!"
Knowing she had lost, Hope rolled her eyes and kept her mouth shut. But as Aoife prodded her into motion, the young woman knew it was going to be hard for her captor to find the right train that would take them back to Earth. Not that Aoife would let her fall into Pandoran hands; the Irishwoman would kill the three of them before suffering capture, and silent tears of heartbreak slid down Hope's cheeks for quite a while.
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