28 December, Streets of City K

Matthew breathed a little easier. They did not doubt the identity doc.u.ments found. That was a relief. He then heard the Devil respond to whoever spoke "Even better. That means we will not be screwed around in getting what we want. The military will want him back and do what we want. Search him."

Matthew was pulled roughly to his feet, and as he stood, he saw that one of the terrorists had a gun held to Lexi's head from behind. Thank goodness she could not see that. They turned him around and slammed him down onto the rear of Lexi's car, and started to search him. He wanted to react, but Matthew knew that this would ensure both he and Lexi were killed.

While searching him, they kicked him and hit him to tell him they were in control. Once they were happy, that he had nothing hidden on him, they turned him around and it was called out "The only thing sir is a necklace and his watch."

"No ID tags." Concern was in the Devil's voice

"None sir."

Matthew knew he needed to say something to get around the concerns being expressed. In that same shaky voice, he used to lull them into accepting the reality of the ID "I left them at home. Pl...Pl... Please do not take my necklace, it is the talisman my fiancé gave me when I joined the military."

To even more play how scared he wanted them to believe he was he then collapsed on his knees. "Pl..Pl..Please let me keep it."

Lexi, on hearing that, remembered the talisman she gave him the day before he went to report. She realised that what she had seen earlier that night was in fact that talisman, just on a different chain. She stuttered out "It...it... is. Please let him keep it."

"Let him keep it. As if it is going to keep him safe," spat out the Devil followed by an almost evil laugh.

Lexi, hearing this laugh was terrified. What in the world had happened? All she had done was agree to drop Matthew off at his villa and this happened. Who were these people? What did they want? Why were they after her? Then the thought hit her, were these the people behind Dominic being taken? She hoped not. Her little boy had constantly been frightened and trusted no one. The people who took him did something to scar him mentally, but he would tell no one what they had done.

Then she realised Matthew had called himself her fiancé. All he was, was her ex-boyfriend. She only agreed to allow him to call her his girlfriend as she thought it might protect her. That made her realise that he knew something. What was it? What made him change his plan so quickly? Did this mean that they were going to kill them?

The tears started to fall down Lexi's face, and she turned trying to collapse herself onto Matthew. He was her only security at this time, and she needed to know she would be safe. She knew that despite their past he would do everything to ensure that she was reunited with Dominic.

As she moved, Matthew realised that the seriousness of the situation had hit Lexi. She was now terrified, and that he was her only safety in the situation. At least presently she would not contradict what he had said about being her fiancé, and that was the protection he could offer her at this time.

Despite Lexi's reaction, one thing Matthew was glad of was that they believed the situation with the talisman. Lexi was convinced it was the original one and that was what mattered, as her few words convinced the Devil not to take it. Little did Lexi or more importantly the Devil know it was a specially made copy that contained his identifications details but a hidden tracker that he could activate when it was safe to do so.

Doing that would ensure that they could be rescued. He just had to hope that it was not too long that he could do so, as the longer they were with the Devil the more potential there was that he would decide to abandon ISX and they all would be killed.

Matthew simply turned his head and quietly said "Lexi it will be OK. I am with you.."