Ralph knocked on the door frantically. When no one answered, he knocked again.

Finally, Wolf pried the door open half dressed, looking thunderous. Oh thank god.

He blinked at Ralph.

"What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the bloody night, Orford?"

"I need Bates's records," Ralph muttered.

"Now?" He asked with so much disbelief that Ralph would've laughed at his expression had the situation not been so dire.

"Yes," Ralph ground out.

"Can you please be more specific? What has happened?" Wolf asked, having collected his wits.

"Alice was kidnapped. By Bates."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Wolf exhaled and then shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

"This is exactly why I don't get entangled with females. So much trouble," he muttered under his breath.

Ralph had never wanted to harm another human more.

"Darling, who eez eet?" came a decidedly feminine voice from within.

Ralph smirked. Or tried to.

"This is a more casual entanglement," Wolf muttered, going in to silence the obviously French wench.

When he came back out, he had donned the rest of his clothes.

"Let's leave now, shall we?"

"We? We're not going anywhere, I am," Ralph said firmly.

"You can't do this alone."

"I'm capable of finding my wife on my own, thank you very much."

"Orford, we can find her faster if we work together. It won't make you any less of a man if you take my help."

"Fine. But I'm agreeing to this because I need to find her as soon as possible. The thought of her at that bastard's mercy makes my stomach churn. I had sworn to protect her and cherish her. Now look what I've done," Ralph said hoarsely.

Wolf patted his shoulder comfortingly. "We shall find her. Now tell me everything."

Ralph did. He felt like laughing at his predicament. He was such a private person and here he was, sharing his affairs with two people in the same day. Desperate for their reassurance and comfort.

"Why didn't she tell you the moment you went home?" Wolf asked, appalled.

"She didn't want me going after Bates," he replied. "She was concerned about me," he added more softly.

"Women," Wolf muttered derisively.

Ralph threw him an annoyed look, silencing him.

"Alright. Where do you suggest we start finding them?" Wolf asked.

"I thought we could go through his records. So we search in all his previous hideouts first. Bates has been known to occupy the same hideout more than once."

Wolf nodded. "As villains come, George Bates isn't particularly an intelligent one."

Ralph swallowed, fervently hoping Wolf was right.

***

Alice was alternating between a state of consciousness and deep sleep. Bates was plying her something, but she didn't know what. She was too exhausted to think. But every now and then, she'd focus with the force of sheer will. She'd hear sounds. And she'd discerned that she was in a barn.

A barn.

Not only was Bates an idiot, but he didn't have an ounce of creativity in him. Not that she wasn't grateful for those small mercies. Ralph could certainly find her more easily now.

If he knew that she was kidnapped. By Bates. What if he didn't know?

No. Of course he'd know. He was the most intelligent man of her acquaintance.

"Hungry, my Lady?" Bates walked in with a plate of...she couldn't make out what.

She shook her head mutinously.

"You have to eat. You will not waste away on my watch," he scolded.

Alice kept her mouth firmly shut.

"What will it take for you to eat?" He sighed.

"I will eat after my husband collects me from this hellhole," she said, staring at him.

Bates began to laugh. "Oh he isn't coming."

"Of course he is!"

"I'm sure he'd try. But he'll be killed on his way, you see. I'm only waiting until I get the news of his death to marry you," he smiled sinisterly.

It was Alice's turn to laugh.

"What's so funny?" he growled, the tops of his ears turning red.

"You can't kill him. He has nine lives," she smiled serenely, echoing Ralph's words from a couple of months ago.

"I can and I will. Just you wait," he muttered, throwing the food laden tray down and shutting the door with a loud thud on his way out.

Alice looked down at her growling stomach. She decided to ignore it.

She couldn't just sit here. She had to do something. Not doing anything made her feel useless and she liked to be resourceful.

She looked about the barn, trying to find something. And then her eyes landed on the knife that lay on the tray. She almost screamed her relief.

But there was this teeny weeny problem. The knife was at least three feet away from her. And her hands and legs were tied to the chair.

Just then one of Bates men walked by her. She called out to him but he didn't seem to hear her.

"Yoo hoo! Over here," she hollered.

The man turned to look at her. He began to walk towards her.

Yes!

"What is it?" He asked gruffly.

"I need you to untie me from the chair," she smiled sweetly.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" he chuckled.

Yes.

"No! Look my hands and legs are still bound together. How could I possible escape?"

The man scratched his chin thoughtfully. And then, "why do you want me to untie you?"

"Uh...it's a female thing," she whispered, suffusing her voice with just the right amount of embarrassment.

It worked. His cheeks turned red immediately.

"Alright. But don't take too long."

Alice nodded prettily.

She then disappeared into makeshift restroom in the barn. She took her time.

"Come out, will you?" The man called, sounding nervous.

"In a minute," she replied, checking how securely her hands were tied. Good god, there were so many knots, it would take forever for her to cut them.

She knocked on the door and he opened it, staring at her suspiciously.

She just smiled and moved toward the chair. She tipped the knife and dragged it between her feet. It was hidden beneath her skirts but it also reduced her speed.

"Move faster," the man shouted, nudging her shoulder with his gun.

"I'm bound," she almost growled.

Finally she was seated, but the man didn't try to tie her again. Instead, he just sat there on an upturned crate and looked at her.

Alice sighed.

It was going to be a long day.