We racked our brains, trying to think of a way out of a seemingly impossible situation. In my head, I cursed Fidda Hilal and everyone who'd turned a blind eye to Captain Ibrahim and his abusive ways.

"How about the media?" Kat suggested. "Maybe we could get some journalists involved. If the story was in the public domain, Captain Ibrahim would find it harder to cover things up."

"I'm pretty sure we can't just call The Times and ask them to run a piece." They were far too busy writing about the prime minister's alleged affair and the third runway at Heathrow. "Even if we managed to get hold of somebody and they agreed to do it, it'd probably take them months to send a reporter out."

"I hate to say it," Adam said, "but newspapers aren't going to be very interested in an Egyptian national imprisoned in Egypt. The only way you'd get their attention is because of your ordeal, Kat."

"Then we'll have to try that. I'll do anything to get Mo out safely." She struggled to her feet. "Shit, we should have taken photos before the cuts got cleaned up. I wasn't thinking straight. Can somebody find a camera before the bruises fade?"

"Who are we going to send the pictures to?" I asked. "It's not as if we know any journalists. We'd need to try and find their email addresses."

"Where's your laptop? We can look them up. They must have websites."

I couldn't even begin to imagine how time-consuming that would be. Then I had another thought. "What about social media? Facebook? Twitter?"

"That's a great idea! What's the best way of doing it?"

"I've got..." I pulled my phone out to check. "I've got eleven followers on Twitter. And I think three of those are scammers. Bryce wasn't very keen on modern technology."

"Screw Bryce. What would he do? Announce a list of my injuries from a scroll?" she said. "I have around sixty people, I think. It's a start. How about you, Adam?"

He bit his lip and went a shade paler under his tan.

I put my hand on his. "Don't worry, I'm not going to stop loving you just because you've got less Twits than me."

It took me a few seconds to process what I'd just said. Adam too, because as I clapped my hands over my mouth, his eyes widened.

"You love me?" he asked.

"I didn't mean to... That is, it's too early. I should have waited. It wasn't a good time..."

He kept staring at me.

"Well...yes."

"Oh, fuck."

Not quite the reaction I'd been hoping for. His pained expression had me backtracking as fast as I could speak.

"Please, don't let this change anything. I promise I'm not going to dash out and start shopping for a wedding dress. I mean, yes, I already have one, but I don't want to wear it, well I do, because it's pretty, but..." I slumped down. "I'll shut up now."

He opened his mouth, but no words came out, and he closed it again. His gaze dropped to the floor. Even without the benefit of sight, Kat must have been able to sense the atmosphere because she tried to help.

"Let's go back to Twitter. Adam, how many people can you reach?"

He ignored her and closed the distance between us in three hesitant steps. My heart seized, crumpling as if a giant was crushing it in his hand. Adam gripped my upper arms, and the tremble I felt in his fingers transferred to me, running through my limbs to my soul.

"W-w-what's wrong?" I asked. Because something surely was.

He leaned down, resting his forehead on mine and letting out a reedy breath. Everything around us ceased to exist. The room, the country, the situation. They all disappeared. At that moment, it was just the two of us and a giant ball of fear interloping in the middle.

"When I came on this vacation, love was the last thing I expected to find. I sure wasn't looking for it."

He made a sound that was a cross between a choke and a laugh and looked away. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to hear what came next. More than anything, I longed to turn back the clock and return to relaxing on the beach. But that time was past, wasn't it? I forced an eyelid open and found Adam looking at me again.

"Callie, I love you. I always will. Whatever happens, please, please remember that."

"What do you mean, whatever happens? You're scaring me."

"Baby, I love you."

It seemed as much a revelation to him as it was to me. Then he straightened and stepped backwards. His face hardened as he came to a decision.

Even though she couldn't see him, he turned to face Kat. The look of fear on her face mirrored my own, and the air in the room had turned claggy with tension.

Adam took a deep breath, the last of a condemned man, and addressed Kat.

"Twenty-four million, give or take."