14

The Next Plan

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Few more chapters to go...
Sorry for not being consistent with uploading the parts...

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" Hurry up boys!" One of the thugs called out as the six male hostages kept digging with their pick axe. " We don't have the whole night" he added.

The boys kept digging for some minutes till Daniel started coughing as If he was struggling to breathe.

" Daniel! Are you Okay?" Henry said rushing over to where Daniel was.

" I'm fine, just a slight cough, it's not-" Daniel was about completing his statement when he started coughing again. This time it was more serious. He kept coughing nonstop as he struggled to breath. He kept coughing and till he coughed out blood.

" Daniel??" Henry called out to his best friend who was coughing and at the same time trying to gasp for air as his eye lids were beginning to close.

" Hey!! You two get to work" the man called out again.

" Please...my friend is sick" Henry pleaded on Daniel's behalf.

" So??? That's none of my business" the man said with less concern. " He'll be fine on his own and when he recovers he'll get back to work. As for you get back to work" the man yelled. Henry didn't even flinch after the man's yelling. He just kept looking at his best friend who was slowly dying. He knew the more Daniel stayed underground mining, he would slump or something worse.

" We won't work unless... unless my friend gets out of this hellhole" Henry said and turned to his colleagues who nodded and dropped their tools as well in agreement to what Henry said.

" You piece of sh**" the man roared. " Whatever...take him to the camp and return immediately. The rest of you continue your work... We are running out of time" the man said and walked away.

Henry carefully placed Daniel's arm in his shoulder to support him as Daniel leaned on Henry. He carefully guided his steps as they walked up the stairs out of the underground section as Daniel kept coughing.
" Hold on Daniel... we'll soon get to the tent" Henry whispered.

The factory where the hostages worked had a basement that led to a tunnel that also led to another underground fraction of the factory where stones were being mined, extracted and taken to the factory to be refined and produced as counterfeits of rare gems.

The male hostages were all dirty. Their face and body as well were black as coal as they had been digging all night immediately the girls were taken to the club.

Daniel and Henry soon left the factory building. There were just two guards outside as the rest had gone to the club to waste or to see the boss. While the others were in the factory either supervising or doing other factory jobs.

As Daniel got outside, he stopped coughing for a while as he took in a breath of fresh air. As they were getting to their tent, a truck pulled up in front of them. It was the same truck that had carried the girls to the club.
" Where do you guys think you are going to?" The hairy man in the truck asked. The girls were not in the truck. It was only their clothes.

" My friend is sick, our supervisor let us go back to the tent" Henry explained.

" Oh...okay mate. If you say so. Just hope you ain't lying. Well, take care. Let me go burn these clothes in my trunk. I'll still come to check on you." The man said and drove off to the back of the factory.

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" Well...Aimee what can I say. Even if I say it's a lie, you've known the truth already" Arthur scoffed as he took the half bottle of wine that sat on the side stool, opened it and drank from the bottle.