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  Reaching the rear of the building, she began to wonder exactly what was happening. She hurried back around to the front, still expecting them all to appear suddenly, but the whole scene felt preternaturally quiet. Stopping for a moment, she felt silence settling all around her, as if there truly wasn't another soul for miles.

  “Christian?” she called out finally. “Jennifer? Anyone? Are you -”

  Hearing a faint bump suddenly, she turned and looked toward the cabin. The bare windows stared back at her, but there was still no sign of anyone.

  “Hello?”

  Convinced that she was about to look like a complete fool, she dumped her bag on the ground and made her way up the steps until she was on the porch. Heading to the door, she looked through into the hallway, but the cabin seemed empty.

  “Hello?” she called out. “Hey guys, where are you?”

  She waited.

  Nothing.

  Stepping inside, she made her way to the next door and peered into the front room, but there was no sign of anyone. Glancing up the stairs, she waited in case there was a hint of noise, and then she hurried through to the kitchen, telling herself not to panic but still feeling as if something strange must have happened.

  “I get it,” she said finally, forcing a smile. “This is some kind of a joke, right?” She made her way past the counter. “Okay, you're hilarious, I guess I fell for it. Can you just come out from wherever you're hiding and -”

  Stopping suddenly, she saw that the door to the basement had been left wide open.

  She froze for a moment, feeling a shudder pass through her chest, before heading over to the basement door and looking down the steps that led into darkness below. Already, she could feel a hint of cold air against her face. The basement door had been kept locked ever since they'd arrived, but now someone had left it unguarded.

  “Hello?” she called out. “Are you guys down there? Are we still going to the lake?”

  She waited, but still there was nothing but silence.

  Looking around, she tried to find a light-switch but once again she came up with nothing. Stepping forward, she felt the top step bend slightly under her foot, accompanied by a slow, deep creaking sound. Again, she told herself that she was probably just being pranked, that they were trying to lure her down into the basement so they could jump out and freak her out, but she still felt like staying up in the kitchen. Her instinct was to stay at the top of the steps, rather than going down into the darkness.

  “So I guess this is funny,” she said out loud. “Can we just go to the lake? Please?”

  She waited.

  No reply.

  Every bone in her body told her to stay at the top, but at the same time she felt that she had to take the bait and let the prank play out. Taking another step down, she felt the air getting noticeably colder all around her. She forced herself to keep going, taking each battered, creaking step with a hint of caution until she got to the foot of the stairs, unable to see anything ahead except darkness. Fumbling in her pocket, she pulled out her phone and brought up a flashlight app, which allowed her to see the small, empty room all around her with just a battered wooden door set into the opposite wall. Stepping forward, she began to realize she could hear a sound coming from the door's other side, and after a moment she was able to tell that someone was sobbing.

  “Hello?” she called out, fighting the urge to turn and run. “Are you... Is someone in there?”

  She waited, but the sobbing continued.

  “Ignore your instincts,” she heard Marit's voice whispering in her thoughts.

  “Don't be an idiot,” her own voice countered.

  Reaching down for the door handle, she half expected to find it locked, only for it to turn easily. She hesitated, listening to the sound of sobbing for a moment longer, before pulling the door open and immediately seeing flashes of over-exposed light dancing across one of the walls. She lowered her phone as she stepped through, only to realize as the sobbing continued that the flashes of light were actually part of a video that was being projected onto the wall. There was no sound coming from the video itself, with the sobbing seeming to come from elsewhere in the room, but as she took a step back Anna was able to get a better view of the image playing in front of her, with her own shadow falling across one side. The size of the projection made it difficult for her to really see what it contained, but finally the silent images began to make sense.

  A girl.

  Screaming.

  Too stunned to move, she watched for a couple of seconds as the video showed a terrified, bloodied face screaming at the camera, as hands reached into the frame and attached electrodes to the girl's flesh. After a moment the camera pulled back a little, showing the girl's naked body tied to a wooden chair with a figure moving around to attach more electrodes to her neck. The girl's left leg was missing, replaced by a thick, crusty black wound that looked to have been burned, and the video continued in silence as the girl pulled on her restraints, clearly screaming for her life.

  Just as Anna was about to turn and run, the image changed to one she recognized. This time the shot was lit up in the green of a night-vision camera, looking down at a bed from above. Shocked, she realized she could see herself in the image, naked with Joe on top of her as he thrust drunkenly into her body. After a moment the shot zoomed in a little, showing Anna's green and slightly blurred face with a hint of discomfort as Joe continued to take her, and then the view switched to a different, lower camera that caught a much more intimate angle of his penis sliding in and out.

  And still the only sound came from elsewhere in the room, behind Anna.

  A low, anguished sob.

  Suddenly the image changed again, back to the girl being tortured in the chair. An electric power-drill was being used on her shoulder, grinding through the bone.

  “Karen Lund,” Anna whispered, as she realized the video bore a striking resemblance to the still image that Jennifer had showed her.

  Turning to run back toward the door, she stopped suddenly when she realized she could still hear sobbing from the far side of the room. Despite the panic in her chest, she knew she couldn't leave someone in pain so she held an arm up to shield her eyes from the projector as she made her way to the corner, where she found a wooden door and realized the sobbing was coming from the other side. She tried to the door but found it was locked, and then she took a step back for a moment, trying to work out what to do. Checking her phone, she saw that she still had no service.

  “Karen?” she whispered. “Karen Lund, are you in there?”

  She froze for a moment, hearing a faint scratching sound from the other side of the door, rising above the continued sobs.

  “I'm going to get help,” Anna stammered, turning and racing to the other door. She almost tripped as she hurried back through to the other room, only to suddenly run straight into someone's chest. Letting out a cry of shock, she pulled away and found herself face to face with Daniel.

  “I...” she began to say, before realizing that there was a strangely calm expression in his eyes. “I...”

  “You what?” he asked, his voice drained of all emotion. “What are you doing down here, Anna?”

  “There's...” Taking a step back, she realized she needed to find a way past him.

  “Oh,” he said suddenly with a frown. “Right, sure. I think I can see where this is headed.”

  He reached out to grab her hand, but she stepped back, through the door and into the room with the projector. Oversized images of torture were still playing silently on the wall as Anna took a few more steps away from Daniel, who was making his way calmly toward her.

  “Something's wrong here,” Anna told him, even though she could already tell that he knew. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized that the projector was the only thing she could use as a weapon, so she began to back toward the corner, waiting for her chance.

  “Nothing's wrong,” Daniel replied, stepping closer.

  “I think we
should get help,” she continued, playing dumb in the hope that she could buy herself some time.

  He said nothing as he stepped toward her.

  “Do the others know?” Anna asked, as her heart began to pound in her chest. “Where did they go?”

  “Go?” A faint smile flickered across his lips for a moment. “They didn't go anywhere, Anna. They're all still right here, just like you and me.”

  “Yeah?” she replied, taking another step back, hoping to lure him a little further. Daniel was so close to the projector now, his shadow was blocking almost all of the wall and the video image was flashing instead across his face and chest. Every few seconds, the chaotic scene paused just long enough for Anna to be able to see an eye or a hand, or some other part of Karen Lund's ravaged body. “I...”

  “You what?” Daniel asked again. “If you have something to say, just say it.”

  “I...” She paused, before realizing she had to take her chance. She froze for a moment, playing the moment through her mind, before taking one final step back.

  “Anna,” Daniel said calmly, “if you're wondering -”

  Grabbing the projector, Anna swung it toward him, slamming one side against his head and sending him thudding back against the wall. The video was still playing, flashing wildly around the room as Anna raised the projector above her head and then brought it crashing down once again onto Daniel's face, shattering the case. He tried to protect himself with his hands, but Anna smashed the projector against the top of his head for a third time, almost blinding herself in the process as the video briefly shone directly into her eyes. Without even stopping to see how much damage she'd caused to Daniel, she hit him again, this time breaking the machine and shutting off the light, plunging the room into darkness. She hit him one more time before taking a few steps back, still holding the projector in case she needed it again.

  In the dark room, she was just about able to make out Daniel's body slumped against the wall. From nearby, a girl could still be heard sobbing.

  “Oh God,” Emma whispered, turning and stumbling back through the doorway and toward the stairs. Just as she was about to scream for help, however, she stopped in her tracks. As she looked up toward the door that led into the kitchen, she realized it was impossible for Daniel to have been doing such horrific things without the others knowing. She froze, trying to decide whether it was safe to call out.

  Suddenly a figure stepped into view at the top of the stairs, silhouetted against the bright kitchen.

  “Everything okay down there?” Joe asked, sounding just as casual and carefree as usual.

  Staring at him Anna, realized her whole body was shaking with fear as she held part of the broken projector in her hands.

  “You alright?” Joe asked, hurrying down the stairs until he was close enough to see her properly, at which point he frowned. “Anna, what's going on?” he continued, looking at the projector in his hands. “What are you doing with that?”

  “I... Daniel...”

  She paused, just about able to hear the sobbing from the next room.

  “Anna,” Joe said firmly , putting a hand on her arm. “Has something happened?”

  She tried to answer, but she still wasn't sure whether she could trust him.

  “The...” she began to say, before her voice trailed off. “I -”

  Suddenly Joe shoved the projector up into her face, slamming the metal casing against her cheek and then pulling it from her hands. Before she had time to react, he spun her around and then kicked her legs out from under her, sending her crashing down to the wooden floor with enough force to make her cry out as she landed on her shoulder.

  “Looks like we're right on time,” he muttered, bending down to grab her neck. “You didn't hurt Dan, did you? He's our -”

  Before he could finish, she lunged at him, slamming her elbow into his face. After kicking him hard in the groin, she took hold of his head and beat it several times against the wooden wall, until finally she felt his body fall limp. Letting go, she watched him slump down and then she turned, racing up the stairs toward the kitchen. As she reached the top, however, another figure stepped into her path.

  “Hey there, slut,” Jennifer said with a smile, before punching Anna hard enough in the face to send her tumbling back, crashing down the stairs until she landed in an unconscious heap at the bottom.

  Chapter Ten

  “Okay,” Daniel said calmly, struggling to speak thanks to the thick, swollen cut on his lip, “bring the bitch through.”

  “I never thought she had so much fight in her,” Joe muttered, grabbing Anna's arms and starting to drag her across the floor. “You wouldn't think it to look at her, would you? I wish she'd showed half that level of enthusiasm in the spare room last night.”

  Daniel aimed the video camera at Anna's unconscious face as Joe pulled her through the doorway.

  “You got it all, right?” Christian asked, stepping back to let Joe past. “Sounded like there was a hell of a struggle down here.”

  “There was,” Joe muttered, clearly annoyed as he dragged Anna past the broken projector. “We wanted to give her a chance, getting kicked in the nuts wasn't part of the plan.”

  Above them, another camera watched through a crack in the ceiling.

  “Maybe you guys are just pussies,” Christian added with a smile, before turning to Jennifer and saying something in Norwegian.

  “English, remember?” she replied, clearly not impressed. “We've going for the international market. No-one wants to hear a bunch of Norwegian voices on the soundtrack. Did anyone call Cole, by the way? Does he know we've passed the point of no return?”

  “Cole knows,” Joe replied. “Can someone get that door open for me?”

  Daniel began to limp over to the other corner, taking a key from his pocket in the process.

  “So what did he say?” Jennifer asked, watching as Joe dragged Anna past.

  “He said it sounds good.”

  “When's he coming?”

  “Soon,” Joe replied, before dropping Anna's arms and taking a step back while rubbing his right shoulder. “Jesus, this bitch got lucky earlier. She actually managed to hurt me.”

  “Tell me about it,” Daniel muttered.

  “Poor babies,” Jennifer said, rolling her eyes. “So when exactly is Cole going to get here?”

  “When he can.”

  “Is he on his way now?” she asked. “Are we supposed to start without him or -”

  “Can you cut it out with all the questions?” Joe hissed, clearly in pain. “Cole will get here when he gets here. He's already set off, but you know what the traffic can be like coming out of Oslo. In the meantime, we're not children, we can start without him. He's only coming so he can witness part of it for himself, so he can confirm that everything we shoot is genuine.” He rubbed his shoulder for a moment longer, before letting out a gasp of frustration. Stepping around Anna, he paused for a moment before kicking her hard in the side, pushing her unconscious body against the wall.

  “Hey!” Jennifer hissed, pushing him away. “Save it for the main show, dumb-ass!” Crouching down, she pulled Anna's shirt up and ran her fingers along the girl's side, stopping when she felt damage. “Well done,” she added with a sigh, “you've broken a rib.”

  “So?”

  “So did we get it on camera?” she asked, turning to Daniel.

  “Probably one of the overheads,” he replied.

  “It doesn't matter,” Joe muttered, reaching down and grabbing Anna's arms again. “A broken rib's gonna be the least of her worries when she wakes up.”

  “It matters because she should be pristine when the video starts,” Anna replied, stepping over Anna and making her way through the next door. “We spent two days getting good build-up material, now the main event has to be perfect.” She paused for a moment, looking at the two wooden chairs in the center of the room, one of which was empty and waiting for Anna. In the other, Marit was tied and bound, naked and with a gag over
her mouth. “I don't like this,” Jennifer continued after a moment. “We shouldn't put two of them in one video, it's too big of a risk.”

  “Cole thinks it's worth it,” Joe pointed out, pushing Jennifer aside as he dragged Anna through.

  Marit's shocked eyes widened even further as soon as she saw her friend. She struggled to get free, while trying to scream despite the gag that reduced her to a faint, muffled whimper.

  “Cole's not the one taking the risk,” Jennifer said with a sigh. “Think about it, if a copy of this video ever gets out to the wider world and people recognize the pair of them together, they're basically going to narrow it down pretty fast when they start looking for whoever's responsible.”

  Tears were running down Marit's face now, as she watched Anna's unconscious body being dragged closer.

  “If you want to argue with Cole,” Joe said, as he grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting Anna's clothes away, “then by all means, go ahead. I'm sure when he arrives, he'll love to have a long discussion with you about the way he runs his business. From where I'm standing, though, we've got the chance of a lifetime to make so much money.” He pulled the last of Anna's clothes away and began to haul her naked body onto the second chair. “Hell, we'll be able to retire.”

  “We should have retired after Karen,” Jennifer replied.

  “Think of the payday,” Joe continued, grabbing the first of the chains and looping it around Anna's chest, “especially now that there's one less person to cut in on the deal.” He turned and glanced at Marit for a moment, seeing the terror in her eyes. “What exactly did you think was gonna happen when you got cold feet?” he asked her with a smile. “Were we supposed to just let you leave after you got cold feet? You should have realized, you're either with us... or you're in our little video.”

  Marit tried to say something, but all she could manage was a series of groans.

  “What's that?” Joe asked, leaning closer to her. “You've changed your mind? You've decided you can put your friend from England through this torture?” He paused, before kissing her cheek and then getting back to the task of securing Anna. “Too late. We've already sold Cole on the idea of a two-for-one video, and he's very keen to see what we come up with.”