Of course it won't

In the quiet, dimly lit office space of a prestigious software development firm, two masked figures swiftly and silently made their way through the empty cubicles. Their movements were precise and calculated, each step taken with purposeful intent. The clock on the wall read 6:45 PM - just as planned.

The first kidnapper, known only by his codename "Raven," was a tall man in his late thirties. He wore a black hoodie that concealed most of his face and had a pair of dark sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose. His eyes darted around nervously as he scanned the empty office, searching for any signs of life or surveillance cameras.

His accomplice, "Crow," was slightly shorter but just as determined. He sported a similar hoodie and mask, though his sunglasses were tinted blue instead of black. His hands trembled ever so slightly as he gripped the handle of his gun tightly, ready to strike at any moment if necessary.

As they reached the final row of cubicles, Raven paused for a moment to listen intently. The silence was deafening - there wasn't even the faint hum of an idle computer or air conditioning unit to break it. Satisfied that their cover remained intact, he motioned for Crow to follow him down the narrow corridor leading towards the main office area.

Upon entering the room, they were greeted by a vast expanse of empty desks and workstations, each one adorned with various monitors, keyboards, and other technological paraphernalia. The only sound was the distant hum of the building's ventilation system echoing through the cavernous space.

Raven quickly scanned the area once more before signaling for Crow to stay put while he continued his search alone. He moved stealthily from desk to desk, carefully avoiding any potential traps or security measures that might have been left behind by the company's security team. His heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline coursed through his veins, fueling his determination not to be caught.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spotted them - two young employees huddled together in a small office tucked away at the far end of the room. Their heads were bowed low as they whispered softly to one another, seemingly unaware of their impending doom.

"Crow," Raven hissed quietly, gesturing towards the unsuspecting duo with a nod of his head. "We have our targets."

As Crow approached the office door, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease creeping up on him. He knew that this was no ordinary job - these two individuals were not just random employees; they held valuable information that could potentially change the course of history. And now it was his duty to ensure their safe extraction from this den of technological wizardry.

With a deep breath, Crow slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside, Raven close behind him. The room itself was small but cluttered with various papers, files, and other assorted items strewn about haphazardly on every available surface. In the center of it all sat two young people - a man and a woman - who appeared to be be startled to have their work interrupted.

Their startlement converted to terror in their widened eyes as they realized that they were no longer alone, but there was no time for words or pleas for mercy. Crow quickly raised his gun and aimed it directly at the woman's head while Raven did the same with the man.

"Listen up," he barked sternly, his voice barely above a whisper. "You two are coming with us whether you like it or not."

Their eyes filled with tears as they looked into the cold, unfeeling gaze of Crow's weapon. They knew that resistance would only lead to their deaths. So instead, they simply nodded in silent agreement, resigned to whatever fate awaited them at the hands of these ruthless kidnappers.

As Raven and Crow led their captives out of the office building and into a waiting van parked discreetly around the corner, they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease gnawing away at the edges of their minds. It wasn't entirely certain that the two people they had retrieved we the correct targets. Their identities could be confirmed later, though. For now, getting away cleanly was the highest priority.

As we sat cramped together in the back of that unmarked van, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creeping up on me. The cold steel of Crow's gun pressed against my temple was an ever-present reminder that any wrong move could lead to our untimely demise.

"Check their fingers," commanded Raven.

"What for?" asked Crow. "Want me to choose which one is most breakable?"

Raven scowled. "The targets are a married couple. If they don't have wedding rings, then we grabbed the wrong ones."

Caroline and I hastily held up our hands to show our wedding rings, but I flinched as Crow's pistol warned me that surprise movements could get me killed.

"Yes! Yes! We're married!" Caroline confirmed. We were married. Not to each other, but we were married. We laced our fingers together as a married couple might do.

Crow grunted confirmation. Raven and Crow had been given explicit instructions by their mysterious employer: retrieve the two individuals they were after, and keep them hidden until further notice. We were merely pawns in a much larger game - one that we knew little about but feared nonetheless.

As we drove through the winding streets of the city, I couldn't help but steal glances at Caroline, my dear friend and coworker. Our eyes met briefly before she quickly looked away, her expression a mixture of fear and determination. We were both well aware that our lives depended on convincing these ruthless kidnappers that we truly were married to each other - despite the significant age gap between us.

As if reading my thoughts, Crow turned around in his seat and scrutinized us closely. "You two have quite an age difference," he remarked with a raised eyebrow. "I've never seen a couple like you before."

Raven shrugged nonchalantly, as though it were of no consequence to him. "Doesn't matter what we think about it; they said these are the targets, so that's who we got."

Crow nodded in agreement but couldn't shake off his lingering doubts. "What if you grabbed the wrong couple?" he asked hesitantly. "I mean, how can you be sure that these two people are really who your employer wants?"

Raven leaned back in his seat, a smirk playing on his lips as he replied, "If we got the wrong ones, then they'll be dead soon enough." His words sent a shiver down my spine. It was clear that there would be no room for error or hesitation in this dangerous game we were all now **** to play.

As the van finally came to a stop outside an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me - at least temporarily. We had made it this far without being discovered or killed; perhaps our luck would hold out just a little longer.

However, as we were led into a small room with nothing more than a bed and a single window high up on the wall, I knew that our troubles were only beginning. The cold concrete floor beneath us seemed to seep into my bones, reminding me of the harsh reality we now found ourselves in: trapped within these walls with no way out but through the mercy - or lack thereof - of those who held all the power.

Caroline and I huddled together in the corner of the room, hugging each other as friends in need of comfort. The situation was so horrible, and our only solace could be in each other. Caroline pressed her cheek against mine and hugged me tightly. I rubbed at her back, not because I was strong and she was weak but because the only thing I could offer was my presence.

We had never been in such close physical proximity before. She still smelled nice, even after a full day of work and a bit of overtime as we worked on our project (before being carried off). If we were going to keep up a pretense of being married to each other, it was likely that we would be closer still for however long our captivity endured. I wondered how far I would be willing to go to maintain the ruse. Would I kiss her? Could I kiss her? Images of my wife at home flashed in my mind, and my guts twinged in sorrow. What would happen to her?

Caroline sniffled and my mind was brought back to the present. Even in these harrowing circumstances I noticed myself being affected by the closeness of a woman. I was mortified! Was it because I thought of my wife? I dishonestly told myself that it was, even though I knew in my heart that it was because I had pictured kissing Caroline. If that momentary image was enough to affect me, then I was in danger from other things than just men holding guns.

Caroline and I huddled together in the corner of our cramped cell, whispering to each other like conspirators. The cold concrete floor beneath us seemed to seep into my bones, reminding me of the harsh reality we now found ourselves in: trapped within these walls with no way out but through the mercy - or lack thereof - of those who held all the power.

We spoke only in hushed tones, our voices barely above a whisper as we tried to communicate discreetly without the kidnappers overhearing us. Our eyes darted around nervously whenever one of them entered the room, and we fell silent each time they directly observed us. We discussed the dangers of pretending to be married to each other when we weren't, a fact that could mean our deaths if discovered by those who had kidnapped us.

"We know each other well enough," I whispered, trying to reassure Caroline as much as myself. "If we play along with this ruse, maybe they won't suspect anything."

She nodded, her eyes wide with fear and determination. We agreed that it was our best chance at survival, even if it meant lying about something so intimate and personal.

The single bed in the room provided little comfort or privacy. It creaked ominously whenever either of us moved on its worn springs, making any attempt to sleep during daylight hours nearly impossible. We tried sleeping in shifts, but there simply wasn't enough floor space for someone to sleep down there without freezing to ****.

"We need to figure this out," Caroline whispered one chilly night as we huddled together under the thin blanket provided by our captors. "We can't keep doing this."

I nodded, my teeth chattering from the cold. We struggled for a solution, trying different arrangements until finally, exhausted and ****, we ended up sharing the small bed. It **** us to be pressed up against each other in ways that made both of us feel uncomfortable yet strangely familiar as well.

As I lay there, staring at the ceiling above me while Caroline slept fitfully beside me, I couldn't help but think about how strange this situation was. Here we were, two people who had never even kissed each other before, now **** into close physical proximity by circumstance alone. And yet...and yet, as much as I tried to deny it, there was a part of me that enjoyed the sensation of her warmth against my own cold body.

I spent hours wrestling with these conflicting emotions - shame at feeling anything other than platonic friendship towards Caroline, fear of what our captors might do if they discovered our true feelings, and guilt for even considering such thoughts in light of everything we were going through. In the end, though, I couldn't deny that there was a part of me that found comfort in her presence--no matter how twisted or wrong it felt.

"I think...maybe this isn't so bad," Caroline whispered one morning as she stirred awake beside me. "We can do this."

Her words gave me some small measure of solace, even if they didn't completely erase the nagging sense of guilt that still lingered in my heart. We were both trapped here together now - whether we liked it or not. And perhaps, just maybe, there was a chance for us to find something positive amidst all this darkness and despair.