Trapped Down Under

By Melissa Hiltunen

Mrs. Remington is living the dream.

Shes been invited to go on a book-signing tour in Australia, and she and her husband, Kris, are both excited to finally get the chance to take their long-overdue honeymoon. But on their first night there, what started as a fantasy quickly spins into the realm of nightmare.

She awakes to find not her husband but a note in his place:

If anyone else knows about this, your husband will die.


Terrified and out of her depth, she follows the kidnappers instructions to the letter. Shes lost in a strange land where she knows no one, doesnt understand the culture, and is removed from everything she might know about dealing with the criminals who now hold her life and future hostage.

To survive and secure her husbands return, shell have to use all her strength and endurance to overcome obstacles that appear impossible. She needs to dig deeper than shes even known to rise above the fear that threatens to paralyze her. Tormented by too many questions, shes stripped of her confidence to solve any problem.

All she knows is that an evil man stands between her and everything she wants. Shes quickly pulled into a terrifying and thrilling journey, not just in the physical world but in the realms of the mind.

She never imagined that her husband would become a statisticor that she would be the one to save him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491756942

Melissa Hiltunen

Melissa Hiltunen, who has a medical transcriptionist degree, moved to Upper Michigan to enjoy the endless beauty that nature has to offer. She enjoys time being active with friends and family while working on renovating a log cabin and property.

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Copyright © 2015 Melissa Hiltunen.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-5693-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-5695-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-5694-2 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 03/03/2015

CONTENTS

Preface

Prologue

Love

The Kidnapping

Healing

The Motel

Trapped

The Code

Husband’s Terror

Hope

Treacherous Path

Entrapment

Meet the Devil

Alone with Him

Can I Do It?

FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, LIFE, LIVING angels, friends, and my dreams help me see the truth. I will never be able to give enough thanks to everyone who has helped me believe in myself.

Most importantly, to God and everyone who reads this: if it weren’t for you, other authors, iUniverse, and iUniverse’s employees, this would not be possible. Thank you, God bless you, and don’t ever stop dreaming or pursuing your dreams!

PREFACE

THE BASIS OF THIS BOOK started as a nightmare that I had for months. At first I thought the person in the cage was the man I was in a relationship with. I felt trapped until he got a legitimate mental-health diagnosis. That opened up his eyes further and allowed a lot in his life to make sense.

I realized the bad guy is like the people in this man’s life. He appears to be a respectable authority figure—until the full truth is seen. That can be like people in our lives. It can be hard to fully escape them and the negative influence they have on us, but it is possible to learn about these behaviors and avoid them.

I realized the cage around this man was not locked. He was choosing not to leave it. I did everything I knew to help, but people have to want to help themselves and be willing to work on things for themselves.

I initially thought the main character was being trapped by her decreasing health. I had been very sick for years with more downs than ups, and I wondered how much longer I had. I realized later that the pain symbolized my life in a much bigger picture. A relationship can hinder us, hurt us, and not allow us to grow at times, but in the end, it makes us grow stronger.

KK is a very dear friend of mine. He has also been struggling with ill health, but he got me on the road to recovery. I’m still on this road of healing inside and out. I can never give this wonderful, amazing friend enough credit. He’s always known the right things to say. I could never be prouder of him. He’s been my light in the dark, one of my living angels, and my backbone when I feel weak. He’s helped me to start finding myself again. Even if I thanked him every day, it wouldn’t be enough.

During my many medical trials, I doubted my religion at times. I never lost it, but I questioned it. He helped bring me back to an even stronger faith. I started working on living the path that has been chosen for me. I may still not know fully what this path is, but I’m ready to travel it with guidance from God and the continual signs I receive around me. Take the time to ask questions or ask for help, and don’t forget to listen to the universe. It can help you in ways you never could imagine.

Friends can be the greatest gifts in our lives. Through their openness—and the openness of strangers—I’ve been able to not feel alone and pour out more of my heart. I have a lot of people to thank, but I tried to focus on the main ones whose interventions in my life allowed my deeper emotions to come out in this book. Allow yourself to feel every emotion. Don’t let anyone else take that away from you. It makes life amazing and worth so much more.

It’s with hope and faith that I write this book to help myself get better and to help the many people out there who are struggling too. I write this with love for all of you. I hope your dreams come true. Be your own individual with your own beliefs. I know you can do it. We all have special gifts in us—find them, believe in them, and live through them. I’m proud of you. Together we’ll all make it.

Readers, please share your opinions and thoughts with me. I am ready to write many more books on a variety of topics. Like a bird leaving the nest for the first time, I took a huge leap of faith. With your feedback, I can improve and provide more entertainment for your senses. Thank you.

PROLOGUE

I HAD PLANNED FOR OUR honeymoon to be one of the most beautiful days my husband, Kris Remington, and I would ever share in Australia. I thought I had gone through all the trials that my life would consist of. I believed all those negative events were to guide me in helping others, not to battle, still, the biggest test—a true, living nightmare. Obstacle after obstacle were going to be put in front of me to challenge my strength, endurance, and persistence while alone and injured.

Love, hope, and faith had gotten me through many of my life’s struggles before. But would I be able to repeatedly call on those strengths again?

LOVE

MY LIFE HAD FINALLY TURNED around and became one I had dreamed of. My book was a best seller. I was married to my soul mate, and I had a number of book signings lined up. We would finally get to enjoy our vacation. I could never have expected how much adventure it would hold or how I would experience such great fear for my life—and for my husband’s life.

I finished my last signing. It had been a very emotional journey for me since my book was about getting out of abusive relationships. I met many beautiful individuals who were suffering. They were sharing their heartwarming stories about similar struggles. I was elated by how many had succeeded, moved on to wonderful lives, and achieved their own dreams. Their stories overwhelmed my senses and my mind. I felt my chest tighten, and my heart ached for each person.

Kris had been with me during every signing. It saddened him to see me sharing pain, hurt, and misery, but there were also feelings of relief, hope, and safety that brought smiles of joy to his face. He loved my overwhelming compassion for others, my persistent drive, and my love for helping anyone in need. The negative experiences in my life formed me into the person I was that day, and that was why Kris stood beside me.

I knew what it was like to feel trapped and alone. The Bible and my friends had taken away my fears and given me hope again. Kris and I had both been struggling with our health. His faith grew stronger, and he helped me get mine back. Our connection grew stronger, and we listened for God’s guidance. Even through all the abuse, fear, and sickness, I knew my mission was to help others through my writing.

I stayed at the book signing, and my husband went back to the hotel room. When I got back to the hotel, he was sitting on the balcony. His feet were up, and he was soaking in the sun, which had turned his skin to a dark tan. He was listening to the waves crashing against the shoreline and rocks and the seagulls calling away in the sky. A tray of cheese and sausage was on the table by his side. Kris inhaled the sweet aroma of the wine before tasting the fruit. I wondered if the gulls knew about the food and were expecting some.

Kris didn’t hear me enter the room. I gently placed my materials on the bed and sneaked over to the balcony. I paused as I looked lovingly at the man who had taken away all my anxiety and let me love again. I was no longer afraid of being loved. He showed me what real, true love was. Kris’s love for me could make the birds sing on a rainy day, the moon light our path in the dark, and the flowers open up and bloom upon this touch. Just one thought of him, and my lips were beaming with a smile that would melt anyone’s heart. My eyes were filled with love, and my face glowed.

I slowly put my hands over his eyes and asked, Whose time is it now?

He genuinely replied, Ours.

I leaned over Kris; my long, reddish-brown hair swept across Kris’s bare, muscular-toned chest. He breathed in deeper as it softly swept across his skin.

Kris brought his left arm up and caressed my cheek. I could not help but close my eyes and soak in all his warmth and compassion. My right hand moved down and felt the contour of his chest muscles as my left hand moved through his ash-blond hair.

I opened my eyes, and Kris’s deep-blue eyes looked like the ocean, full of peace and yearning for me. They glinted in a peevish and sexy way that made me want him even more.

Our eyes locked onto each other. As usual, I lost myself in them with an ease that overcame me with nothing but pure bliss. Time stood still while I lost myself in Kris’s gaze. I didn’t want the moment to end, and the contentment made all troubles vanish.

His fingers intertwined with my hair and approached the back of my head. Once there, his hand pulled me in closer, and my