Sia woke with a start and, after much difficulty, opened her heavy-lidded eyes.

Everything was black at first, and her mind was completely unfocused, throbbing from a terrible headache. Where was she? And why did she feel so groggy? The last thing she remembered was getting out of the auditorium after the press conference and seeing her makeup van. And then . . .

She brought her hand up to her head and staggered as the events finally came back in a rush.

She had been kidnapped.

Sitting up so fast that it gave her almost a whiplash, she looked around as her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness.

Cardboard...