Shame Of Maastricht by Marie N. Hallen (any book recommendations TXT) 📕

“What? What kind of flower? What the hell, Koen? They will definitely try to check with the flower shop to find out who bought the goddamn flower.”

“Oh come on, it’s just a white rose. I bought it not far from Forum, who cares. Thousands people buy flowers every day, especially here. I don’t understand why you are so tensed…”

“I’m afraid this was really stupid of you. Did you leave anything else?”

“What do you mean?”

“Koen, do you even remember what we wanted from them? It’s not about sending flowers and making pleasant surprises. You should make a hint. if we go for the money, we should say it loud. Did you leave any message?”

“Of course I did. Just like the previous time.”

“How much did you ask? How? What kind of message was it?”

“I printed it out. I said we need around ten thousand and then it should be brought in a case to the forest area. I left description.”

“Why didn’t you check with me before? How do you think we can pick it up?”

“You will send that girl. She will die anyway, sooner or later. We will deliver her to the forest and drop her there and then hide. As out customers come, she will pick the money and come back. She won’t say anything”

“What? Are you out of your mind? She will run away!”

“She won’t. Otherwise we will kill these two. That’s the condition and she can’t break it.”

“What if they take her?”

“She won’t even make it to hospital and will die on her way to there before they get her to speak again.”

“But the money will be gone if they take her. No way, Koen. You’ve just made a really big mistake.”

“What would your plan be then?”

“Koen! And you guys too!” Bas stormed out and threw away the cigarette he took from Koen. “What… What the hell are you all doing? Do you think we are bulletproof? You asked them to bring the cash in person!”

“Bas, relax, it was just a joke. I just wanted to test your reaction. Calm down please!” Koen sat down next to him. “My plan was different. I wrote that they should transfer the required amount to the bank account of this youngster.”

“Fair enough. Not the worst option, really. You start freaking me out these days. But this is a good idea. And you really think they are going to do it?”

“Bas! They will think it’s her who claims the money. All the faults will be on her. She will be suspected. And then she dies after we take the money. No, really, you should trust me sometimes.”

“Ok. What then? How will we know they received our message? How do we track their actions?”

“Don’t laugh… I even left there her phone number. I use her sim-card, Bas. I put it into my other phone but I only use it when I’m far away from here. Even if they track down her location by IP or IMEI or somehow else, she will be the only one to blame. And even if they eventually realize someone used her phone, they will never find out who manages it all.”

“Ok, sometime’s you’re a genius!” Bas praised him and patted him on the shoulder. “Come on, what’s next then?”

“I will drive to the roundabout and check their response. I expect a message. I also gave them a fake email and a fake messenger profile. And I stated that the next receivable would be someone’s head.” Koen sounded proud and content.

“Ok this should work I think. We have plenty of time but no meetings in person please. And remember to use a different place each time you contact them”.

Kate couldn’t hear the conversation and they were sitting pretty far away and spoke in a low-pitched voice. She went back to the place where she slept and decided to take a nap. Lotte also crawled back and tried to reach Luuk but he was too far. Everyone was silent except the crew.

“Do you have her credit card, Koen?”

“Yes, I took it the first night. I even checked it. Nothing, but will be a good harbour for our money. That’s why I didn’t do anything to her phone. I will make her log in and give me the password.”

“I wonder why you haven’t done it yet. We need a pin-code and online bank account password.”

“I know.”

“Would be also nice to know how you are going to get her pin-code. She is a tough person to question. And where is the card itself?”

Koen started checking his pockets and his wallet. He didn’t find anything and checked everything once again.

“Shit! I can’t find it. Need to check again, wait!”

He started checking his bag and other pockets even those in his jacket.

“Goddamn, can’t find. I do remember I took it. Where is the toolbox? I might have dropped it there. Accidentally”

“Felix!” Bas commanded. “Have you seen the credit card Koen took from the girl?”

“No I haven’t.”

“Bring the toolbox and check your clothes!”

Felix brought the toolbox and followed all the commands but they didn’t manage to find the card. It wasn’t there. Bas started seeing red.

“Are you sure you didn’t forget to take it? Check her bag!”

However Kate turned out to be faster and opened her bag before anyone else could reach it. She pulled out the card and crawled away. Bas and Koen approached her.

“Give it to me!” Bas ordered.

She didn’t answer and didn’t make a single move. On the other hand she knew it would be useless to resist in this situation. She only had one hand left and couldn’t get away. She will be cornered. Koen forced her to give them a card and put it in his wallet.

“We need to find out the password! Bring the pen or something.”

“She can write down in the notes on your phone. What century do you live in?” Felix pushed Koen away and pulled out his phone. He opened the notes app and approached Kate.

“Your pin-code and password please. No cheating.”

Fortunately Kate’s right hand was still there so she gave them her pin-code and password. Although she was honest about the pin-code as this wasn’t her main card, the given password from her online bank had a wrong number combination.

“I will check it tomorrow!” promised Felix.

“Why not now, Fel?” Bas wondered.

“Would require confirmation by phone so I’ll need her sim-card for that. And the phone with this sim-card is at Sam’s garage.” Felix explained. “Sam is off to Arnhem today so I won’t be able to reach him. Anyway it’s too soon.”

“When will you check then?”

“Not sooner than tomorrow evening. I don’t think the old ones will send the money so soon. Can wait. Maybe let’s rest guys. Take the girl to the bathroom and enough for today”.

Koen helped Kate get up, put a collar on her neck, unlocked the chain and took it off the pipe and she went to the bathroom like a dog on a leash. The chain was really long so that she could enter the toilet cabin and close the door while Koen was waiting outside holding it. Kate has been to here many times but only now her mind was clean enough to look around properly and inspect the surroundings. This place had no windows any other exits, it was located in a dead end. The walls were tiled with cracked tiles, everything looked pretty neglected and tired. The shower next door was worn. She could hardly guess what kind of place it could be but also suggested that they could build extra facilities themselves. No, there was no chance to escape from there - even a mouse wouldn’t be able to find a way out. She came out and Koen brought her back into the basement without even chaining her like before.

Then he left and shut the door. Lotte and Luuk were asleep although it wasn’t too late. Kate also went to bed trying to to pay attention to growing pains and nausea which was slowly crawling up her throat.

She woke up from a loud rumble in the hallway and approaching steps. It sounded like all four were coming there. What did they plan for this time?

The door opened and Bas entered, accompanied by Felix and Koen who were dragging something that resembled a low metal bed-frame. Sven was carrying a black control box. They left the bed in front of the room and put a toolbox on it. Bas sat down on the chair near the exit.

“What are you going to do?” Luuk and Lotte got up and rushed to the chair where Bas was sitting.

“It wont work this time, miss” He replied looking at Kate who was still on the floor. “You gave us a wrong password and of course we failed to log in. This time we will get you to tell us the correct one and we will even put us at risk in order to get all the information as the old ones are prepared to transfer the money”.

Kate ignored everything he said and didn’t even look up.

“And you guys are going to watch what happens if you ever lie again! If I were in your shoes, I would convince your friend to be honest until the end.”

“Let her go! Look what you did to her! My parents will never pay anything to strangers and they will never believe you could do this to us!”

“Shut up, Luuk. If you don’t, I’ll make it even worse. And now time for electrocution for the most disobedient ones.”

“Ah, wait, I guess we need to turn off the unwanted comments from the most impressive and feeble-minded ones.” Felix pulled a gun at Lotte, rushed to her and sealed her mouth and then did the same to Luuk.

Sven and Koen dragged Kate to Bas. She was laid on her back on the bed, her hand was tied to the edges of the bed as well as her legs. Koen opened the tool box and took out an extension cord, a few rags, straps and electrodes. He put on the gum gloves, strapped her to the bed-frame and fixed her arm above with a strap. Her hand and ankles were then wrapped with a damp cloth. Felix attached metal clamps to the rags, after which he sent current, while increasing and decreasing the voltage.

Kate immediately felt excruciating pain as Koen applied one more electrode to her ankle. He tried to do his best to maximize the pain and unlike other tormentors, started with a high voltage at once.

“Play around, Koen!” someone commented.

“Come join then!”

Bas took an electrode from his and touched Kate’s belly. She twitched from violent muscle contractions and felt even more intense pain while remaining restrained. As the torture session was going on with particular savagery, she received current in several places at once.

While Koen administered the shocks, Bas and Felix were touching different parts of her body and she couldn’t make any other sound but desperate moaning. The straps that were straining her feet and arm, seemed to loosen from tension and she almost arched. It felt like her bones were about to fracture and her joints were about to dislocate, making her suffer even more while she couldn’t make a sound. Her body got numb and then almost completely paralyzed, despite uncontrolled muscle contraction but it felt as if her muscles now lived their own life and she couldn’t take control of any part of her body. All the voices became distant, the light of a dim lamp blinded her eyes more than ever, and the iron mesh of the bed warmed up under her body and felt like a grill.

Kate’s head turned around as her eyes were semi-closed and she saw Luuk who was watching her suffer with tears in his eyes. He tried to make