This is a work of fiction, using characters from the film, “Proof of Life”.  No insult or invasion of privacy or infringement of copyright is intended. The story is for readers over the age of 18 only, and contains adult language. The writer is not responsible for any "discomfort" caused to the reader by this language and these situations.

BACK IN HARNESS 

©2009 by: Thorne’s Rose

Chapter Four 

They flew into Wewak airport where their command centre had been set up in one of the warehouses along the perimeter that were always for rent.

Terry left Dino and Anton to set up the equipment and told them he would go on ahead to check into the hotel. Truth be told, he was exhausted. The flight had taken it out of him, and all he could think of was crashing out for a few hours. He snagged Dave to give him a lift into town, and sat dozing in the front passenger seat.

"Spike, we're here."

Terry stirred and opened his eyes. "Thanks, Davey."

He stepped out of the car and dragged his carry-on out from the back seat.

"No worries. I'll catch you later in the bar when I bring the others in."

"Don't bank on it, mate. A quick shower and bed for me."

Dave shook his head as he started the car. This wasn't the Terry of old. He'd never known him to pass up a night drinking before. He made up his mind to find out what was wrong.

Terry made his way to the reception desk and smiled absently at the young girl on duty there. She handed him a registration card. He handed it back on completion and taking his key, he picked up his bag and headed towards the lift, passing the bar on his way. The blonde in one of the booths watched him until the lift doors closed on him.

Terry shut the door behind him and leaned against it heavily. He was rooted. Pushing himself away from the door, he threw his key onto the dresser, dropped his bag on the floor and loosening his tie, flopped onto the bed, sighing deeply.

He was suddenly awake. He lay still trying to remember where he was. He checked his watch. He had been asleep for 45 minutes. He sat up, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, and reached into his jacket for his cell phone.

"Dad! Where are you?"

"Hey, Henry. I'm at the hotel in Wewak."

"How are you?"

"Rooted, son. Flight took it out of me. I must be out of practice."

"No, dad. That's your age," Henry giggled.

"Oi!"

"If that's the best comeback you can manage, you really must be tired."

"Yeah, mate. I'm headed for a shower and an early night. I just wanted to touch base with you."

"Thanks, dad. Be careful, eh?"

"You got it, son. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay, night, dad."

"Night, son."

He made one more call before heading to the bathroom. He needed to let Jean know they had arrived, and didn't want Dino sniffing around when he made the call.

The steaming shower revived him, and looking at his watch, Terry realised the others would soon be in from the warehouse, so dressing quickly, he grabbed his wallet, cell and key, and headed out the door.

Terry strolled through the entrance and chose a seat at the far end of the bar. He ordered a beer and sat waiting. It wasn't long before he heard, rather than saw, the others arrive. Within a few minutes they had all checked in and had made their way to the bar. Dave smiled when he spotted Terry, and nudged Anton.

"Hey Tezza, is this what you call having an early night?"

"Well, Dave me old mate, I took a power nap, then a quick shower, and she's apples."

Dino rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. Every time Terry met up with an old Aussie mate he seemed to turn more 'native', and Dino loved ribbing him about all his 'Aussie-isms' coming to the surface.

After a few rounds, Dino leaned casually over to Terry and told him quietly to check the mirror above the back of the bar.

"I know, mate. I've been watched since I got in here."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing...yet."

Terry slept badly, tossing and turning for most of the night, the a/c was savage and he had to chose between the freezing blast of air or the heat and humidity. He took a shower, allowing the needles of hot water to ease his aching body, then turned the control to cold before stepping out of the cubicle and towelling himself dry. He walked back into the bedroom and glanced at the clock. It was 3.00am. He threw himself onto the bed, closed his eyes, and finally drifted off to sleep.

That was how Dino found him later that morning. Keeping his promise to Henry and Jean to look out for Terry, he had gone down to reception to get a spare key to Terry's room after he hadn't answered his door. He had slowly pushed the door open, not knowing what to expect, and found Terry, dead to the world, laying on top of the bed with just a towel around his waist. He walked over to the bed and touched Terry gently on the shoulder.

He was awake in seconds, grabbing Dino's wrist in a vice-like grip.

"Tio, it's me."

Terry's eyes slowly focused on his friend, and he relaxed his hold.

"Sorry, mate. Didn't hear ya come in."

"I noticed," Dino replied, grinning down at his friend. "Not like you, hermano. You getting old or what?"

"Cheeky bugger. Give me five and I'll be with you."

Dino sat in the chair while Terry took a quick shower, shaved and dressed, then they headed down for breakfast with the others. Terry sat next to Dave, who leaned over to him to once again try and find out what was wrong. The only explanation he got was "A little accident along the Parramatta road, mate," so he decided to leave it...for the time being.

The mood around the table was light hearted, filled with small talk. Dave had Anton in fits of laughter with some of his 'war stories' about Terry in the 'good old days'. This caused Terry to glare at Dave, for all of two seconds before joining in the fun. When they were ready to leave, Terry surprised them by saying he was staying behind to have a look round. Dino looked at him, one eyebrow raised in question.

"You hanging around for anything special, Tio?"

"No, mate. Not really. Just thought I'd get to know the lay of the land."

"You hoping to bump into a certain blonde, by any chance?"

Terry grinned at his friend. "You never know, mate. I just might get lucky."

"Be careful, hermano."

"Always, mate, always."

He watched them pile into the car and drive off towards the airport, then turned back into the hotel, glancing around the lobby as he headed towards the lift. The place was deserted as he went up to his room, collected his jacket, and headed back out.

He spent a pleasant couple of hours browsing through the local market, paying particular attention to the ethnic art work on offer. Every now and then, he caught a glimpse of a blonde head in the crowd and smiled to himself.

Terry began feeling tired, and on checking his watch, was surprised to see it was well into the afternoon. He'd been enjoying wandering through the brightly coloured market stalls and thought to himself that the old adage was true, time certainly did fly.

He headed towards  small cafe‚ and found an empty table outside. Ordering a coffee, he took out his paper and began reading the headlines.

A shadow fell across his face and he looked up to see what was blocking out the sun. A tall, thin figure stood in front of him, the face in silhouette, a glorious golden halo around the head as the sun danced on blonde hair.

"Mind if I share your table?"

"Knock yourself out."

"Aussie?"

Terry looked up over his paper, but didn't answer.

"Sorry, it's my biggest fault."

Terry raised an eyebrow in question, but still remained silent.

"Nosey. Although I like to call it natural curiosity. I'm always breaking mum's cardinal rule."

"Which is?" Terry asked, curiously.

"Never talk to strangers."

"Ah. Now what was the line from that film? 'If you never talk to strangers, you'll never make any friends'."

The blonde smiled at Terry's reply.

"Let's put your mum's mind at rest then shall we?" Terry said, holding out his hand. "Terence Thorne."

The blonde studied his hand for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision, took the proffered hand and shook it.

"James Edwards. Jimmy to my mates. Pleased to meet you, Terence. So, where do you hail from?

"Sydney, and it's Terry."

"Ah, city boy. I'm from the south myself, Tumby Bay. You here on business?"

Terry just looked at him, deciding not to make the conversation easy.

"Sorry, mate. There I go again. Sticky-beaking as usual."

"No worries."

The waiter brought Terry's coffee, and Jimmy ordered the same. Terry went back to his paper, fully aware that he was under close scrutiny.

"Can I ask what you do?"

"Import. Local native crafts mostly."

"There's a wealth of that around here. Have you seen any of the market traders?"

Terry smiled, knowing full well that Jimmy had been trailing him all morning.

They spent the rest of the afternoon chatting over coffee and getting to know one another. Jimmy told Terry that he had lived in PNG for about five years, working with the local craftsmen, and that he would be happy to show him around the local markets to see what was on offer. Terry thanked him and, looking at his watch, said he had to get back to his hotel, but he would be free the following day, if that suited Jimmy. After a few seconds hesitation, Jimmy agreed that would be fine and arranged to meet Terry the following afternoon. After letting him know where he was staying, Terry headed back to the hotel.

He arrived back in time to have a quick shower and change before heading down to the bar to wait for the lads to return from the warehouse. It wasn't long before he heard them arrive, laughing and joking as if they were tourists. They spotted Terry and headed for the bar and the drinks he had lined up for them.

"Good day?"

"Quiet...how was yours?"

"Interesting."

Dino looked at Terry and raised an enquiring eyebrow at his friend. Terry nodded slightly, deciding to fill Dino in a bit later. He didn't like working on a 'need to know' basis, but thought it might be better in this instance. He wanted Anton to keep his mind on the negotiation. He knew what a mother hen the younger man could be, and didn't need him worrying when he should be working.

After a couple of drinks, Dino mentioned food, and they all realised they were famished. As they got up to walk to the dining room, Dave touched Terry's arm.

"A word, Spike?"

"What's up, mate?"

"Isn't it about time you told an old friend what really happened to you?"

"It was nothing...really."

"Bullshit! Nothing doesn't leave you with a limp...nothing doesn't leave you tired all the time...nothing doesn't make you world weary."

"Okay, okay...what can I tell you? Dino and I ran into a bit of bother after our last job."

"And?"

"And...it ended along the Parramatta road."

"Go on."

"Mate, is this necessary?" Terry asked, looking over at Dave and seeing from his expression that it was.

"Okay, these loose cannons were after Dino and I got in the way."

"You mean you took the bullet for him."

"Make that more than one, mate, and you're more or less there."

"Was it worth it?"

"He would have done the same for me...has saved my sorry arse more than once before now. You shouldn't have to ask that question. Just because he's a Seppo, doesn't mean he's not worth the bother."

"I know, I'm sorry Spike. You know what I'm like around them."

"Yeah, well, get over it. He's the best."

"Righto! I'll see what I can do," Dave replied, winking at his mate.  "Now, let's go eat, my stomach thinks my mouth’s on strike."

They entered the dining room laughing together, and Terry caught Dino's look. He winked at him, letting him know things were cool, and sat down, grabbing a menu.

Later that night, there was a knock on his door, and he let Dino in.

"Everything okay, Tio?"

"Yeah, I told Dave what happened, it was the only way to get him off our backs about it. He'll be right now."

"Good, the evil eye thing was getting old. So, how was your day?"

"Not bad...not bad at all. Met a nice young blonde...called Jimmy."

"Way to go, Tio. Did you make an impression?"

"Think so, he's meeting me tomorrow to show me around some art markets. Things could be looking up. He should be on schedule for the morning hook up, he's arranged to meet me here after lunch."

"Just be careful, my friend."

"No worries. I think greed will out though, don't you?"

"We'll see, hermano...we'll see."

The following afternoon found Terry sitting in the hotel bar. He spotted Jimmy come in, but made no sign of doing so. He noticed Jimmy was looking pleased with himself, he must think he had the upper hand in the negotiations. He jumped slightly as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, Terry, didn't mean to startle you."

"No worries, I was in a world of my own. Want a drink?"

"No, I'm right, thanks. Shall we go?"

Terry got up, throwing a large note on the bar, telling the barman to keep the change. Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"Terry, do you know how much you gave him?"

"Yeah, it's only money. I'll shove it on my expense account when I get back."

They headed out towards the nearby market, chatting about the kind of craft work Terry was looking for. Jimmy was impressed by Terry's knowledge of the local art and was pleased to think an obviously well-to-do businessman was willing to pump money into the local economy.

As the afternoon progressed, Jimmy's impression of Terry began to change. He was determined to pay bottom dollar on every deal, ripping off every trader that he could along the way. Jimmy knew that the traders were happy to sell in bulk for the prices that Terry was offering, but he also knew the kind of prices that Terry would realise for the goods once he got them back to Oz. He could afford to pay at least twice the amount he was and still make a tidy profit. Anger began to burn inside him. Terry needed to be taught a lesson.

Terry was flagging. He glanced over at Jimmy and saw the look on his face. He was pissing him off. Good, his plan was working. Jimmy thought he was ripping the local traders off, so hopefully he would make a move on Terry, after all, a rich businessman was bound to have good risk insurance. He would bide his time and go with the flow.

"I think it's time to call it a day, Jimmy. Care to join me for a drink back at the hotel?"

"No, thanks, mate. I have some stuff I need to get done."

"Okie dokie. You've been a great help, mate. I wouldn't have done so well without you today."

Jimmy frowned before answering.

"Actually, Terry, there's another place I'd like to show you. They have real quality goods that I'm sure you'll be able to snap up at a good price. Maybe I can take you there tomorrow?"

"Well, I'm tied up all morning, but if you're free in the arvo, it's a date."

"Okay, same time at the hotel then?"

"You're on, Jimmy. See you then."

Terry got back to the hotel and went to his room. He took his cell out of his pocket before throwing the jacket onto the chair. Sitting on the bed, he hit speed dial.

"Good afternoon, Terence Thorne's office."

"G'day, luv."

"Terry, how's everything going?"

"Not too bad, Jean. I think we're making progress. Listen, I may be out of contact for the next couple of days. Can you keep an eye on Henry for me and let him know it's okay?"

"You know I can, Terry. Dare I ask why?"

"Might be best not to, luv, then I won't have to lie to you. I've never done that in the past and I'm not going to start now."

"Terry?"

"Yes, Jean."

"Be careful, I want you back in one piece. I think you know why."

"I will, luv, and I feel the same way."

Terry hung up, a smile on his face, then hit the dial again to bring Henry up to speed.

Later that evening he filled Dino in on his day, reminding him to make sure the traders got the best rates for their goods when they delivered them to the warehouse, and not the knock-down price Jimmy saw being agreed on in the market. Dino told Terry that the negotiations had reached a stalemate. They weren't surprised though as they were both sure that Jimmy would make a move on Terry before too long, and was biding his time to see just how things would pan out.

Terry went to the warehouse with the others the following morning to listen in as Anton made contact with Jimmy. Satisfied that everything was under control, he said goodbye to them and headed back towards the city. If they were curious as to why he wasn't taking a more active part in the negotiations, they kept their thoughts to themselves, Dino having just shrugged his shoulders when they looked at him for answers.

It was almost lunchtime when Terry arrived back at the hotel, and he thought it was best to grab a bite. If everything went as he suspected it would, he might not get another chance to eat for a while. He was just finishing his coffee when he saw Jimmy walk in. He raised his hand in greeting as Jimmy walked towards his table.

"G'Day, Jimmy. Coffee?"

"No thanks, Terry. When you're ready I've got a car waiting outside."

Terry took his time finishing his drink, then slowly rose from his chair and followed Jimmy out of the hotel. Turning left, they headed towards an old, beat up jeep.

"Sorry it's not a stretch limo," joked Jimmy, "This is the best vehicle for the terrain we'll be going over today."

"No worries, mate. I've been in worse in my time," Terry smiled back at Jimmy.

"I very much doubt that, " Jimmy muttered under his breath.

As they reached the jeep, Terry noticed it wasn't empty. A Papuan native was sitting behind the wheel watching their approach.

"This is Phillipe, our driver for the day. He knows the roads like the back of his hand. We'll be a lot safer with him driving."

Phillipe nodded in reply to Terry's "G'Day" and started the engine as they climbed in the back of the jeep. With a warning of, "Hang on," they shot out into the lunchtime traffic and were off.

Jimmy was very quiet at the start of the trip answering Terry with just a yes or no. Terry smiled to himself realising Jimmy was getting very nervous. This must be the first time he'd actually gotten his hands dirty. Most likely up to then he'd only been the planner/negotiator. Now he was at the business end and was going to try and take Terry down. All righty, let's make things easy for him. Terry relaxed back in the seat and closed his eyes. Jimmy looked over at the apparently sleeping form and grinned. This was going to be a piece of piss. Grabbing Terry would be like leading a lamb to slaughter.

They had been travelling for about 30 minutes when Terry pretended to wake up. Rubbing his hand over his face he looked at Jimmy.

"Sorry, mate. Late night catching up on me. Where we at?"

"No worries, Terry, it won't be long before we get there. You missed the boring part of the ride. The scenery here is worth looking at though."

Jimmy proceeded to show Terry places of interest and natural beauty. Terry thought it was beautiful, but feigned disinterest, managing to wind Jimmy up, just as he wanted.

Before too long they reached a clearing. Jimmy nudged Terry and pointed to the right.

"There, just on the edge of the clearing. Can you see the little building in the trees?"

Terry looked to his right to see where Jimmy had pointed, and felt a sharp stab in the side of his neck...then darkness enveloped him.

Terry was warm and comfortable, wrapped up in the arms of the woman he loved. He could stay like that forever, but somewhere off in the distance he heard his name being called.

"Terry, wake up."

He sighed, turned in his sleep and muttered, "Gimme a few more minutes, Jean."

"TERRY!"

He was woken up by violent shaking. He groaned, blinking at the bright sunlight hitting his face. Where was he? Where was his comfortable bed? Did he just dream Jean by his side? A shadow fell across his face cutting off the bright light.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty. Time for a little chat."

Terry looked up and recognised the blonde halo framing the face looking down at him.

"Where the fuck am I?" he grunted.

"Now, now, calm down, Terry. Nothing is going to happen to you if you do as I say. You're just going to be my 'guest' for a few days...or as long as it takes."

"As long as WHAT takes?"

"For us to conclude our discussions with your company."

"I don't understand what you...wait a minute...discussions? You mean..."

"Yes, mate, you catch on fast. I think that you could be worth a bit, and I'm sure your company has you well insured."

"You bastard!" Terry yelled. "You'll get nothing out of me. I am my company. I'm a one man band, mate. No insurance, no nothing. You've backed the wrong horse."

Jimmy stared at Terry for a moment, wondering if he was trying a bluff.

"We'll see, shall we. I've got your card, I'll make a call."

Trevor glanced out of the little slit in the wall masquerading as a window. He thought he'd heard a car earlier, and now there was a lot of activity on the far corner of the camp. He peered out of the gap a bit harder and saw that the kidnappers were carrying something...no, make that someone, across to a small hut. As they struggled to open the door without dropping their load he got a better look at the poor unfortunate who had come to join them. He couldn't believe his eyes...TERRY!! Trevor groaned in despair, what hope did they have if the one person that could help them had himself been captured. He watched in horror as they dumped Terry inside and bolted the door. He hoped they hadn't hurt him. It wasn't long before he saw the blonde man walk towards the hut and go in.

Anton and Davey were worried. Terry wasn't at the hotel when they got back from the warehouse, and he hadn't shown for dinner. They tracked down Dino in the bar. They wanted answers.

"Don't worry, guys. Everything's under control."

"How can you tell us not to worry, Dino?" Anton replied. "Terry is still not a hundred percent, and now he's gone AWOL."

"It's more a case of MIA, my friend."

"Shit, I told Spike you Seppo's couldn't be trusted. You know something we don't know, am I right?"

"Terry felt it was a 'need to know' operation."

"Meaning that if we knew, we'd try to talk him out of whatever he's doing, right?"

"You're not wrong, Anton. Believe me, I tried to talk him out of it myself, but you know how pig headed he can be. He thought this was the best way to go."

"Just what has he done?" Davey demanded.

"He made contact with Jimmy...well, he let Jimmy make contact with him. He's posing as a native art dealer and has let Jimmy think his sole purpose is to rip the local artists off, while making sure he knows Terry is loaded."

"I don't like where this is going."

"I think you'll find out it's gone rather than going. Terry is missing, so I'd make a fair guess that he's been taken. We've got it covered though."

"Well, fuck me swinging, just how have you 'got it covered', wise guy?"

"Cool it, Davey. I'm still your boss you know."

"Funny that, I thought I was working for Spike."

"We're partners, as you well know. And going off at me isn't going to help get him back any time soon, is it? I said we've got it covered and we do. Follow me."

Dino led them out of the bar and up to his room. He went to his case and took out a small box, opened it up and took out a small device.

"Mini receiver."

"You mean..."

"Yep, Tio's bugged," Dino replied, smiling at the two men.

"Okay then, that's what I like to hear. When do we go in?"

"Not so fast, Tiger. Terry hasn't activated it yet. As soon as he does, we're good to go."

~*~

Terry said nothing as the ties were cut. He rubbed his wrists slowly, helping the circulation flow back into his cramped hands. As the men left him alone in the hut, he smiled to himself, they obviously didn't see him as a threat. He sat on the dirt floor and took off his shoe, pulling up the insole to reveal the tiny transmitter embedded there. He switched it on, replaced the lining and slipped his shoe back on. Seconds later the door opened and Jimmy stepped in.

"Are you feeling a bit calmer now, Terry?"

"Calm? How the fuck am I meant to stay calm? One minute I'm in a car with you, and the next thing I know I'm trussed up like an oven-bloody-ready chook being told you'll only let me go for a bastard amount of cash, and you tell me to calm down!!"

"I told you nothing bad will happen to you as long as you do what I say, Terry, and I meant it. No one here is going to harm you."

Terry thrust his chaffed wrists in Jimmy's face.

"Too late...mate...they already have."

"I'll get you something to put on them and if you give me your word to co-operate, you won't have to stay alone."

"Ah, so you're not only a kidnapper, you're a greedy bastard kidnapper. Got more irons in the fire then, have ya?"

"You're in no position to ask me questions, Terry. I suggest you sit back and relax until I decide what to do with you."

"Yeah...right."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Terry. Do what I ask and you'll be back in Oz before you know it."

Terry glared at Jimmy as he turned to leave the hut, and was gratified to see a small shiver run through his body. Good, he was rattled. He obviously wasn't used to his victims talking back at him.

It wasn't long before the door opened again and two men walked in. One pointed a gun at Terry, the other held a vicious looking machete across his shoulder. They motioned to Terry to get up. Taping his hands behind his back, they pushed him towards the door and crossed the clearing to a larger hut. They opened the door and unceremoniously shoved him inside. Losing his footing, and with his hands tied, there was nothing to stop Terry crashing heavily onto the floor. He was dragged up onto his feet and the tape on his wrist was cut. The other occupants of the hut stared at the new arrival. One was about to speak when he caught the slight shake of Terry's head. The guards left the hut and Trevor walked forwards. Terry held up his hand and turned to the door. When he was certain that the guards had gone he looked around at Trevor.

"G'Day, mate. How ya going?"

"Terry, are you alright?"

"Apples, Trev, apples."

"I have to say I'm sorry to see you here. I was hoping that you would be able to get us home."

"No worries, Trev. It's all under control."

"How can you say that, Terry? You're now in the same boat as...wait a minute. Are you telling me you meant to get caught?"

"Got it in one, Trev me old mate, got it in one. Now all we have to do is sit tight, do what we're told, and wait for the cavalry to arrive."

"If you say so, Terry."

"Now, I need to know if you're all okay. We were sent a pretty disturbing picture."

"They haven't hurt any of us, if that's what you mean."

"That's something to be thankful for. The bastards must have faked the picture, but that doesn't account for the..."

"Terry, what did they send you?" 

"A severed hand, mate."

"Oh my lord, and you thought...Terry, I think I know who it belonged to. I caught a snatch of conversation between one of the guards and the blonde. The guard was saying something about an accident in the forest. I didn't catch all that they were saying, but it sounded bad."

"So, they decided to use the opportunity to make us think they were desperate enough to start mutilating their captives. Bastards," Terry hissed.

~*~

The signal was coming in loud and clear. Dino was relieved that they obviously hadn't deemed it necessary to search Terry. To them, he was just another meal ticket and just needed to be kept contained until payoff day. Anton estimated another day before they would be close to the kidnappers encampment. Dino just hoped that Terry would keep patient and not try to break out before they arrived. It was dark and cold by the time they made camp, but they wouldn't risk a fire, just in case there were any scouts around. 

Although Jimmy had told Terry he wouldn't be kept alone, he still wasn't permitted to sleep with the other hostages, and after the meagre evening meal, was taken back to his solitary hut. He wasn't alone for long though. Jimmy came in with a lamp, and sat on the floor opposite Terry.

"Come to tuck me in and read me a story, have ya?" Terry remarked.

"You aren't like the others, Terry. Not once have you shown any fear. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Not a thing, mate... Hang on, I will tell you one thing. It would take more than a little punk running round the jungle trying to save the world to give me the shits."

"You just don't understand, do you? I'm not doing this for myself, I'm trying to stop the mass destruction of the native habitat. Something the local people rely on for their well being."

"Yeah, and the local drug dealers need for their bank balance."

"What?!?"

"Take a good look at the men you're tangled up with, Jimmy. Do they look like tree huggers to you?"

"They're local tribesmen, of course they don't look like your perception of 'tree huggers' as you call us."

"Take it from me, mate. You're mixing in with the wrong people," Terry replied.

Jimmy went to speak, thought better of it, turned on his heel and walked out leaving Terry alone, sitting on the floor of the dark, small hut. He'd given Jimmy something to think about and wondered if he would act on it.

It didn't take long  for him to learn the answer. Jimmy returned in the early hours of the morning, crouched down by a sleeping Terry, shook him gently and spoke.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"You should know, or didn't you do your homework this time? Spur of the moment mark was I?"

"You know too much to be just a businessman out for an easy buck. Feel like crossing the t's and dotting the i's for me?"

"Oh, I think you'll work it out. You seem quite bright. Shame to waste everything on the kind of life you've chosen."

Jimmy sat quietly for a while working things out in his head. It slowly dawned on him just who he might have sitting next to him in the hut. Terry was right, he was smart. He looked across to Terry.

"You're not a businessman, are you?"

"In actual fact I am, just not the business you thought I was in."

"You let me think you were ripping the local craftsmen off. You knew who I was and that I'd make a play for you. You wanted to be kidnapped!"

"Did I?"

"So, you either work for Waltham, or you belong to the insurance people...but you aren't the negotiator. So, you couldn't wait for me to get down to a reasonable price and thought you'd come in all gung ho and rescue them all by yourself. It backfired though, didn't it?"

"Did it? Do I look stupid enough to do this without backup? I didn't come in on the last banana boat, mate. This is what I do, and I'm bloody good at my job."

"Not from where I'm standing," Jimmy muttered before storming out of the door.

The sun had been up for just over an hour by the time they reached the edge of the clearing. Dino signalled for them all to get down as he scanned the area for signs of life. He spotted movement from the corner of his eye and turned in time to see a young blonde man stride away from a small hut.

I know that look, he thought. Terry's pissed him off.

Turning towards the others, he signalled for them to follow him around the perimeter until they were adjacent to the hut. Motioning them to stay under cover, he reached the back wall, inching himself slowly round until he was at the door. He reached for the wooden bar and lifted it, praying that the door would open without too much noise.

A deep breath and he was silently inside. He immediately found himself in a head lock, and could feel warm breath on the back of his neck.

"What took you so long?" Terry whispered in his ear.

Dino gurgled in reply until Terry loosened his grip with a low chuckle. "Sorry, mate. Got carried away there for a bit."

After a quick hug in greeting, they got down to business.

"I see you managed to piss off your host. He was spitting bricks when he left you just now," Dino smiled.

"Ah, well, young Jimmy finally worked out who I was and was none too happy when I told him I wasn't fool enough to mount a one man rescue. He's gone off to decide if I'm a liar, I think."

"So, what are we going to do with him?"

"Depends on him really, doesn't it? If he doesn't put up a fight we can offer to take him back with us. Or he can take his chances with the local authorities. I know which I'd chose."

Just then the hut door opened and Anton stuck his head in.

"Could do with you two out here, the party's just about to get started."

A large group of the kidnappers were leaving the south side of the camp, no doubt on their way to the check on their drug plantation. That evened things up quite a bit. Terry indicated that he would go and release the captives while Dino and the rest of the group went after the remaining members of the gang.

Terry reached the large hut where the scientists were being held with no opposition and quickly opened the door, slipping inside. Trevor smiled when he saw that Terry was alone, but the smile froze on his face when he saw the door swing open behind Terry's back.

"Terry! Watch out!"

Terry swung round at Trevor's warning and found himself looking in the face of one of the camp guards rushing towards him, his arm raised. Terry instinctively lifted his hand in defence. He managed to knock his attacker off balance, but not before the machete he was wielding bit into Terry's left arm.  The kidnapped scientists were galvanised into action and the guard was soon pinned face down into the dirt, and quickly tied up with his own belt.

Trevor went over to Terry to check his arm. Terry pulled away from him.

"It's just a scratch, mate. We need to get moving, there'll be time to look at this later."

"How are we going to get away, Terry?"

"Dino's outside with the cavalry, they're rounding up the rest of the bad guys and should be here any minute."

Just as Terry finished speaking, the door flew open to reveal a smiling red-head.

"That was fun, hermano. Hey, Trevor. Ready to hit the road?"

"Dino, we can't thank you enough for getting us out."

"Thank me later, my friend. We still have a way to go before we're in the clear. Tio, I've radioed our position to the local law. They're on their way to pick up the bad guys. In the meantime, I suggest we get our asses outta here while we can. You never know who will get here first."

"Do you mean that you haven't rounded up all the kidnappers?"

"Sorry, Trevor, no. There are still some of them out in the jungle. We had to wait for them to leave camp before we made our move. They would have had us outnumbered. We need to book. NOW!"

When they got outside, they noticed that Jimmy was there, hands tied in front of him, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Within minutes the group were on their way, the scientists trying hard to keep up with their rescuers while moving as silently as they could. Dino was amazed at how well they were coping, and noticed the only one not managing to keep up was Terry, who was bringing up the rear. They walked for a couple more hours before Dino called a halt.

"Okay gang, let's take a break. You've all earned it."

"Is it safe to stop, Dean?" Trevor asked.

"I think so. Better to rest for half an hour than wear you all out by keep going. Come with me while I talk to Terry."

Terry was sitting on a fallen branch, resting his back against the trunk of a tree. He was taking slow, deep breaths, and looked tired.

"Is he okay?" Trevor asked as they got closer.

"We'll soon find out. TIO!"

Terry looked up at Dino's call and smiled as they approached him. He started to get up to meet them when Trevor caught sight of his left hand.

"Terry, you're bleeding!"

Terry looked down at the blood dripping onto the forest floor by his feet, then looked up again at his two friends.

"Just a scratch, no worries."

"Sit back down and let us check it out."

Trevor called one of the scientists over, and Dave wandered over with him. They helped Terry take his jacket off and were dismayed to see a long deep slash from just below his elbow to just above his wrist.

"We need something to stop the bleeding and bind the wound. I think I can find something," the scientist said, turning and wandering off into the trees with Dave. About ten minutes later he returned carrying some large leaves and a length of liana.

"Hold out your arm please, Mr. Thorne. This might sting a bit, but should do the trick until we get back to civilisation."

Terry held up his arm and the scientist cut a fresh slice off the end of the vine and held it over the wound. The sap dripped along the length of the cut, and as they held the edges of the wound together, it slowly stemmed the flow of blood. When he was finished, he wrapped Terry's arm with the leaves.

"The vine sap will help stop the bleeding and hold the skin together, works a bit like super glue. The leaves have a natural antiseptic, not unlike tea tree, so hopefully will help ward off any infection."

"Thanks, mate. I'll remember to take a botanist with me next time I go out in the field," Terry chuckled. Dino and Trevor were relieved to see he wasn't too badly hurt, but knew they had to get him home as soon as possible to get stitched up.

As Terry put his jacket back on, he looked up and caught Jimmy staring at him.

"What?"

"You see how nature has fixed up your arm? That's what I've been fighting to conserve."

"Maybe you have, mate. Trouble is, the men you linked up with had a different agenda."

"What will happen to them?"

"Let's just say you made the right choice coming back with us rather than stay to face the local authorities."

"You mean...?"

"Yeah, they don't take prisoners, Jimmy. At least back home you'll have a fair trial."

"I guess I should thank you, Terry. I don't deserve it, do I?"

Terry didn't answer, but stood up slowly and made his way over to the rest of his group. It was time to get moving again. He wanted to get home.

It was an interesting homecoming. The first thing Trevor and the scientists did was march into Dr. Waltham's office and tender their resignation, followed by a press conference hastily called by Dr. Waltham when it was discovered that five top members of his organisation had walked out on him. Unfortunately for him, those five decided to join him at the podium, so rather than stop any scandal escaping, the word was soon out regarding his unprofessional conduct. Waltham Pharmaceuticals was now in trouble, much to the pleasure of its rivals, who were all now fighting to snap up the 'famous five'.

Terry invited Trevor and Rosie to dinner at the penthouse, and was delighted to hear that Trevor had walked right into a better job and seemed to be relaxed and happy, and none the worse for his experience. Rosie was also turning into a much nicer person. Her airs and graces had all but vanished, although she couldn't stop herself gushing over Terry's apartment, being able to concentrate fully on its interior this time, instead of crying on his shoulder with worry over her husband. Terry was the perfect host, and flirted with Rosie shamelessly, much to the amusement of Trevor, Dino, Henry, Tim and Lou.

Terry was sad to see Dave and his crew head off, but before they went he made them an offer he hoped they would accept. TOL were always looking for the best and he wasn't going to let them get snapped up by another firm.

~*~

Terry's stitches were out and the doctor had finally given him the go ahead he'd been waiting for. He dove into the pool leaving hardly a ripple. It felt good to be in the water again. His arm was a little stiff, but soon loosened up in the warmth of the pool and Terry began his strong, smooth stroke up and down, lap upon lap.

After about twenty minutes, he decided to take a break and swam over to the edge of the pool, pulling himself up and out of the water and walking across to his sweats and towel. As he was drying his hair he heard a noise. Dropping the towel he saw Rosie silently watching him.

"Hello, luv."

"Hello, Terry. This is getting to be a habit, isn't it? Did you have a good swim?"

"Ripper, thanks. Come over here and talk to me."

Rosie walked over and sat down next to Terry, watching him dry off and don his sweat bottoms. As he reached for his top she put out her hand to stop him, turning his arm over slowly until she could see his healing wound.

"Another scar saving a friend. Was it worth it?"

Terry took her hand in his and looked into her eyes.

"It was a small price to get everyone back, Rosie, and I think Trev was more than worth it, wouldn't you say?"

Rosie felt the tears begin to flow as she reached out to Terry. She was soon in his warm embrace getting the comfort she needed.

"This is so silly," she sobbed. "I've got my husband back, I should be happy, not sad."

"They're happy tears, luv. It's relief, not sadness that's making you cry. You now know that you and Trev will be happy and safe together for the rest of your lives."

"What about you, Terry, are you happy? Do you have someone to grow old with?"

Terry looked towards the pool entrance as Trevor, Dino, Henry and Jean walked in. He watched the smile break out on Jean's face when she saw him and looked back at Rosie.

"I hope so, Rosie luv. I'm working on it," he said with a smile.

THE END

(Just begun: "K&R R&R", the third in the series of "I Won't Let You Down" & "Back in Harness" from Thorne's Rose!)