The Unexpected

He had never thought that this would ever happen to him. It was a fine Monday morning. Sam got up groaning, took a look at the wall clock, gave a great curse and rushed into the shower. It was 8:30. He was supposed to reach his workplace by 9:30 and his workplace was an hour's drive from his house. Sam hated Monday mornings (everyone does). He had a perfect restful Sunday but today he had to get back to work.

Sam worked in the Swiss Bank and was one of the top officials there. Although he was one of the top officials, he didn't look like it as he rushed out of the shower, tripping on the top step and falling headlong to the bottom step. Muttering something about foolish staircases, he quickly dressed himself and took his breakfast. With his coffee in his hand, he rushed to pick up his bag and in the process spilt all the coffee down on his front. Swearing, he changed himself, knowing that he was doomed, and was sure to get a good beating from the boss. It was 9:00 by the time he staggered out of his house and got into his car.

Sam lived in the hills and the bank was on the plains. The hill had hairpin turns but Sam,being an experienced driver, never found it hard. Today also he swerved at the turns at a hundred miles per hour, hooting at the stray mules that were often found there.

Suddenly, the car begins to go out of control. The car started to skid. Sam first thought that it was water but it had not rained for six months. And to add salt to his wounds, his back-left tire blew off. Sam had now lost all hopes of reaching the bank on time. He lunged out of his car to replace the tire. After 5 minutes when he got up, and started to enter his car, he could not do so. Because his shoes were stuck on something. And the something was the slippery substance on the road. And the slippery substance, he found out, was glue.

Sam could not comprehend anything. But he didn't have to comprehend anything for long. Because fresh troubles were lurking around the corner. Out of nowhere, four hefty men came out holding something in their arms towards Sam. And that something, Sam realized with a growing fear, were guns.

Sam suddenly realized that these men were kidnappers and wanted information from him. He started to run but, obviously, could not do so. Then, although he knew that there were no people around for miles, he started to yell.

The man nearest to him yelled, "Keep quiet you bloody fool! Or else we will shoot you."

Due to the threat, Sam stayed quiet but could not think of anything else to do. The four men reached him. Terror was flooding Sam's body.

Out of the blue, the four men lunged at him and Sam came crashing down on the ground. Two rifles were thrust on his chest, he was forced into a sack, something was dabbed on his mouth, something was thrust into his mouth, and before he could count to ten, he was gone.

Sam woke up in a small, low-ceilinged, dingy room. He was bound in ropes from head to foot. He might have represented a mummy of Ancient Egypt only if the ropes had been bandages. From what he could judge from the eight feet high window, he supposed it was night-time.

Suddenly, he heard shouts from outside the door. A voice yelled,"If you want to go in there, you bloody Bill, then go! I will not go there for the seventh time! If you have given him the pill which has knocked him out for almost a day, then you go and check on him."

The man named Bill said, "What about you, Jim?"

The man named Jim answered, "Jim's not gonna go."

Bill said, "OK, I will go in by myself. After all, you weaklings are too scared to go inside."

After the last, the word Sam had a sudden idea. He was not sure it would work but it was worth to give it a try at least.

Sam wriggled his way to near the door. He went a little way side and lay down(he was lying down, anyways) with his feet in front of the door.

Almost at the same time, at which he made himself ready, the door creaked open. A big, hefty man who was most probably Bill stood in the frame of the doorway. He closed the door beside him. Bill stood where he was, trying to get his eyes used to the stifling darkness.

Suddenly, he shouted, "What the-? Where is that idiot?"And he started forward and tripped on Sam's legs (Sam sprained his ankle for a month) and fell straight on his head. And did not move.

Not believing his luck, Sam found a knife in Bill's back pocket. After a long time which seemed like hours to Sam (only it was 15 minutes), he was able to cut his way through the ropes that bound him.

Outside the room, both the men had heard a crash from inside the room.

"What d'ya reckon it is, Jim?"

"I don't know? Is that bloody fool playing around again?"

"Should we go and check on him?"

"Nah. I think he is up to his tricks again"

"So do I."

Inside, Sam, by the dint of much struggling, had managed to get up and out of the window. He sneaked around the house and silently shut all the windows and doors. Finally, he made an attempt to run.

He had not run more than ten yards when he heard a muffled shout from the house. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a gunshot, but no bullets came whizzing past him. The men's own house backfired on them. They had forgotten that their own house was bulletproof.

Sam reached his car which had been brought by the men to their house and simultaneously the men began to curse. Sam couldn't help but wonder at the quality of the curses. They had a whole lot of feeling and emotion in them which portrayed as though the men were being piteously tortured.

But Sam didn't have the time to hear them. As fast as he could do, he drove the car out of sight and narrated the whole story to the constable. Afterward, he got to know that there were ten men in the house who were all criminals. But, in the end, Sam still got a good beating from his boss.