Mike Dixon

He heard the man‟s voice.
„We have to talk, David.‟
„Don‟t reply,‟ Humphrey thrust the gun back in his hands.
„He‟s trying to draw you out. Get him to make the first
move.‟
„David! We‟ve no problems with you. All we want is the
little girl. Her father will take care of her. Nothing bad will
happen to her.‟
The spotlight was turned off. David raised his gun and
prepared to fire. Moments passed and he heard the voice
again. „Mate! I don‟t have all night. Either you bring out the
girl or I come in and get her.
The wind howled, drowning out the man‟s voice. Then
flashes of lightning lit the cave entrance and a figure appeared
against the rock face. David hit the trigger. Chips of
rock flew but the figure stayed put.
„You bastard!‟
The figure sprang back and David realized he had been
firing at shadows. Moments later something was tossed into
the cave. It exploded before he could get to it: a dull thud
followed by a pungent smell.
„Tear gas!‟
The old man snatched up Anne. „This way, girlie.‟ He
whisked her into one of the passages.
Humphrey reached for the gas canister with a broom and
a hail of bullets hit the roof of the cave. David fired back,
hoping to hit the man on ricochet. The firing stopped and he
heard Humphrey‟s voice.
„I managed to throw it outside.‟
The fat man was choking on the gas and looked ready to
collapse. David‟s problem was his eyes. He‟d not drawn
breath since the canister exploded. He prided himself as a
breath-hold diver and figured he could last another two