Snatched

Part 41 - Back in France

As Maddie was pulled into the van she lost her grip on Daniel and he was thrown across the floor of the van in front of her. Maddie gasped in shock at what had just happened, but when she heard the words 'ma mere' escape from Daniels mouth, she was rocked to her core.

As Maddie looked up from where she was now lying face flat on the floor of the van, her suspiciouns were confirmed. The owner of the arm now cowered in the corner of the van, barely visible. But Maddie could make out the hazel coloured eyes and long blonde hair of Odette.
Odette stretched her arm out and lifted Daniel from where was crouched on the floor of the van, to place him on her knee. Maddie stretched out an arm in attempt to stop her from taking the little boy, but she was unable to reach. Although, in her attempt she had noticed and smear of blood on the sleeve of her dress. Maddie reached up to her face and realised that her nose was bleeding. She must have hit the floor of the van with quite a bit of force.
'Maddie! Maddie!' Maddie heard Odettes distinctive french accent come from the corner of the van. Although, now she sounded a little hoarser than usual. Maddie lifted her head up, unable to speak. Odette carried on.
'Maddie I need your help. Daniel and I need to get out of the country.'
'Why..?' Maddie eventually managed, although she knew that her voice was barely a whisper.
'Maddie I've done something bad'
Maddies ears pricked up. Was now the time that Odette was going to admit to having kidnapped Daniel?
'What?' Maddie managed to croak, feigning innonce.
'It doesn't matter what' Odette dismissed her, 'but I need to get us out of the country and I can't do it without your help'. Maddie didn't have the energy to reply to this comment.
'Maddiee!' Odette whined and she pulled her friend up to a seated position. Noticing the blood that was now pouring from her friends face, Odette let out a little 'Ooh!', 'here I think I have a..' Odette reached into her pocket and pulled out a peice of paper that Maddie accepted graciously. Noticing that the paper was failing to soak up the blood, Maddie looked down and noticed that in her hand was a sodden label from a whiskey bottle. She looked over to her friend. Now was the time to try and muster up the energy to ask a few questions.
'Odette, where on earth have you been?!' was the first question she managed to ask.
'I've been trying to make a plan' was all Odette could answer, 'I need to get away'.
'But why?' Maddie repeated the question she'd asked before.
'Because she's too close'. When she said this, Odettes eyes widened in fear.
Maddie decided then to continue to feign innonce, she wasn't ready yet to let Odette know that she knew. 'Who's too close, Odette?' Maddie placed a hand on her friends knee. She had to protend to be concerned as well.
'She is! Daniels..' Maddie could tell that Odette had almost been ready to talk, but had decided to stop herself. 'It doesn't matter, but Maddie please', Odette pleaded with her friend, 'you have to help us'. Maddie said nothing. 'I need to get out of the country' Odette continued 'and he doesn't have a passport. I need to smuggle him'.
'Well, can't you just order him one and wait a while for it to come back?' Maddie asked.
'No!' Odette almost snapped back, 'I can't. I don't have time and...no we need to get away now'. Another almost admittion to what had happened.
'And how do you think you're gonna do this?' Maddie asked, genuinely curious.
'Well I know this sounds terrible' Odette began, 'but I was thinking of putting him in my..' Maddie gasped out loud, surely she wasn't thinking of putting him in her luggage. Sensing what Maddie was thinking, Odette replied.
'Just in the carry on' she said, 'it's either that or leave him here and I couldn't...'
'Well you could leave him here' Maddie pleaded with her friend, 'me and Antoine could make sure he was looked after'.
'Maddie!' Odette gasped and put a hand to her chest 'Do you honestly think I could leave my child! I don't know what I would do if we were ever apart for longer than a couple of days!' Maddie almost laughed at the irony of this statement, given her new knowledge.

Maddie looked over at the little boy who was still asleep in his mothers arms. Surely Odette would have a better chance at keeping him safe is she had someone else with her? Maddie couldn't even believe her own thoughts.

When the van pulled up outside the airport, the two women got out of the car, carrying one rather heavy carry-on case.