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He's not sure, but it feels like there's someone watching him, following him. Stalking him.Why? He's got no idea. But there's just something that doesn't feel quite right. He doesn't feel alone as he leaves the safety of camp to treasure a piss in the middle of the jungle.Maybe he should've woken James or Jeremy up to accompany him. No doubt they would've relentlessly traded him for being a wuss that's too afraid to go take a piss by himself, though. Actually, there's no doubt about it. They would do exactly that if he was to wake either of them to accompany him. And to be absolutely fair, he would probably do the same if the roles were reversed and either James or Jeremy had asked him to accompany either of them. Because that's just how their comradeship works. It's how it's always worked, and Richard doesn’t expect it to change anytime soon.But now…. Now as he hears rustling in the trees and bushes behind him, he really regrets not waking James or Jeremy. Especially so as he moves to his in the bushes next to him, and once he's hidden, he spots three unknown masked men emerging from the trees and heading towards camp. To where James, Jeremy, and the rest of the crew are sleeping in their tents.And Richard has a really bad feeling about all of this…. One that he cannot explain....Then, there's a bag over his head, and he lets out a shout as someone else is grabbing him.He fights back, but it doesn't seem to do much. Not when he can't see anything, and his hands are being tied up. But he still kicks out at his attackers and shoots for help. Whether anyone can hear him though, he's not sure, as there's also the sound of a struggle coming from the direction of camp.And the sound of struggle that is going on back at camp doesn't sound good at all…. And he thinks that he also just heard a couple gunshots, so he really hopes that nobody back at camp has been shot and killed.He thankfully manages to get a good kick in at one of his assailants, and he's able to break free. But he's still got a bag over his head, and his hands are still tied.Though he can't do much right now about his tied hands, but he can remove the bag from his head. Which he does and as fast as he possibly can, makes a break for it. Running into the jungle and away from his assailants and away from the chaos that is ensuing back at camp.Surprisingly, he is able to make it away from his assailants. He thought for sure that they'd end up catching up with him, but they don't. However, now that he has managed to get away, he's not sure what he's supposed to do now. Aside from trying to untie his hand at least, which he eventually manages to do once his hands have mostly stopped shaking. But other than that, he had no idea what he's supposed to do now.He guesses he should go back to camp, and find out if everyone is okay. Though, he finds himself rather afraid to. What if the entire crew are dead? Or they've all been taken? He probably should go back and see, not be so much of a coward.But he is a damn coward. He doesn't want to see the entire Top Gear crew injured or dead, or missing. But he can't just abandon them.So he tries to find the courage that he's not even sure he has, and makes his way back towards camp. All the while trying to stay hidden away from anyone messing to do him harm.And when he finally returns to camp, things don't look as bad as he thought they would. Meaning there's no dead bodies lying around the site… from what he can tell at least. But some of the crew do look understandably shaken up, and some do look injured. But there didn't seem to be any major injuries.However, there does appear to be something missing. Or more like, some ones missing….Among the gathered group, he can't see James or Jeremy anywhere.And that scares him. The clear absence of James May and Jeremy Clarkson doesn't sit well with him at all, and of course they'd be the ones missing in a situation such as this. Of course whoever had attacked and tried to kidnap him (presumably) out in the jungle but he managed to get away, and whoever had attacked their camp, would take James and Jeremy. They are far more, well… known , than anyone else on the crew, and can be used as hostages, with their captor's demanding money for their safe return. Which Richard is guessing is exactly what has happened.Unless they've unintentionally managed to piss someone off recently, and they have been taken because of that, and this has nothing to do with money.Spotting Andy Wilman among the crew, he runs over to him. “Wilman!”Andy turns towards him instantly at hearing him calling, and runs towards him. “Hammond!” He shouts, voice full of relief, but he still looks very much on edge. “Fuck, I thought you'd been taken, too!”Richard shakes his head. “I nearly was, but I managed to get away.” He says, looking around in case he has just missed James and Jeremy, but he still can't spot them. “Where's James and Jeremy?”Considering he cannot see them, he can guess. He can guess that they've been taken. Where they've been taken however, he has no idea. But he can assume that wherever they've been taken, isn't anywhere good.“They were taken when the camp was ambushed.” Andy says. “I've sent the Stig after them. But… the people who took them seemed to be looking for you, judging by what they were saying when they attacked us.”Upon hearing that, Richard isn't entirely surprised to hear that they were looking for him, considering he was almost taken out in the jungle. Though it does make him rather confused as to why those men who had attacked him out in the jungle didn't go after him or try harder to take him.“Do… do you know why they wanted me? Or us, really?” He asks.He's not sure if when Andy says they were looking for him if he means just him, and they had just taken James and Jeremy to get to him, or if they wanted all three of them. He's guessing that whoever these people are had wanted the three of them, but then again, why would Andy specify that they had been looking for him only? Well, maybe because he wasn't in camp when they came, but….“I'm not sure.” Andy says. “And I assume they wanted all three of you, but they were very specific about you. I assume that was only because you weren't in camp, though.”That's basically what Richard had assumed. But he still doesn't understand why anyone would want to kidnap them of all people, outside of money. Nor does he understand what they've even done to warrant any of this. What have they done?What have they done to cause anything like this?They're just motoring journalists and TV presenters, and nothing more.“You just go sit down for a bit, and I'll deal with all of this.” Andy says. “I'll come get you once the Stig gets back.”And hopefully the Stig returns with James and Jeremy. And hopefully they're both okay and unhurt. Well, mostly unhurt, as Richard knows that given the circumstances, they're very likely to be hurt in some way. He just hopes they're not too badly hurt….
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Richard isn't sure how much time has passed as he sits in front of a fire pit, a blanket around himself that Andy had given him, and practically ordered to wrap himself up with to keep warm, when there’s movement coming from the trees. And at first Richard fears that it's more people coming to attack them all, until the Stig comes into view. With both James and Jeremy leaning on either side of him for support.And Richard has never been happier to see the pair of them.Getting up, he shakes the blanket off of himself and runs over to James and Jeremy. Both who look both surprised and relieved to see him. And as the Stig shows them to pull away from him, Richard is pulling them both into a tight hug.“Are you okay?” He asks, getting a good look at both James and Jeremy once they pull out of the hug.They look a little bruised and beaten, and James had a cut above one eye and seems to be favouring his left arm a little, while Jeremy and a little unsteady on his feet. But other than that, they seem moderately fine, given the circumstances.“We'll be okay.” Jeremy says. “But are you alright?”Richard nods. “I am now.” He says. “They tried to take me, but I managed to get away.”Both James and Jeremy nod, but Richard notices that they look a little on edge about something. Well, more on edge than just what they've been through. Especially as they both pull him closer to them to the point where he is right between them. And their hold on him feels rather… protective?“Did something else happen out there?” He asks. “There seems to be something you're not telling me….”Judging by how protective of them they're being right now, anyway. He assumes at least. But from their body language around him, and how close they're holding him to them, it seems that something else had happened out there. Something that potentially involves him in some way. Maybe. Unless he's just reading into things a little too much. But something does still feel rather off.“They wanted you more than they wanted us…” Jeremy says. “We didn't get a good enough look at where they had taken us, but… when the Stig had come to our rescue, we passed a room that looked as though it had nothing but photos of you everywhere.”Richard's blood runs cold at this news, and he finds himself shivering at the thought of what that all might mean. A room inside wherever James and Jeremy were taken covered in photographs of him? Does he have a stalker? A crazed obsessed fan?He doesn't like the thought of that. Nor does he like the idea of what whoever this maniac, or group of maniacs, did to James and Jeremy because they couldn't manage to get him. James, Jeremy, and the crew had potentially gotten hurt all because there's someone out there obsessed with him.He doesn't like that at all….“The Stig took care of them, though, right?” He asks.Surely if the alien had brought James and Jeremy back alive, then he would've taken care of whoever had taken them, right? Potentially in a less than legal way, which is generally how the Stig deals with situations like this. And right now shouldn't be any different. Richard is pretty sure that now wouldn't have been any different, anyway, considering the Stig isn't technically just employed as their racing driver, but essentially as their sort of protector in a way. Which they had really only discovered not that long ago when they were filming elsewhere.And they really never thought that when they first started Top Gear that they'd even need protecting from anything. That's not exactly something you'd ever think about with a damn car show….“Yes, he did.” James says. “And the local police have been notified, ŝo we should be safe.”Though, as James says this, Richard notes that he doesn't sound completely sure of that. Especially as his hold on him tightens some. And as Jeremy's grip on him tightens also, it seems that he isn't so sure either….
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They've called a halt to filming.James, Jeremy, and any injured in the crew have been checked over, and thankfully, it appears that both James and Jeremy are the only ones that have gotten really injured. Though, Richard still doesn't like the fact that the pair of them are even injured in the first place. Especially when it seems that it was him that those people wanted, for reasons that he doesn't even want to think about.The police have checked out the house that James and Jeremy had been taken to, and aside from a couple men who the Stig had very nearly killed, the house was empty. But that room James and Jeremy had seen when the Stig had got them out was still there. And it was in fact covered in photos of him. Just photos of him…. Which essentially confirms the guys that he has a stalker. Which is something that he never thought that he'd ever have. He's not exactly anything special. He's just a motoring journalist, who also happens to be on the telly. He doesn't see why any of that would warrant a crazed and obsessed stalker.It's been a couple days now since the incident, and filming has been halted until… Richard doesn't know when, considering they had only just barely started filming, they might just scrap this whole filming shoot. And now he, James, Jeremy, and the entire crew have been holed up in a hotel two towns away from where they had originally made camp. And Richard isn't sure what they're going to do now.There are police posted outside and inside the hotel in case this people decide to attack once more and take him. But they're hoping that since they've gone to a hotel further away to their original location, they won't come looking for him, but Richard isn't too confident that it'll stop them.Even with the armed police officers standing watch….He'd feel much safer if they could return to England, honestly. But apparently, for reasons he's but entirely sure of, they cannot leave the country yet. Maybe it's because of James, Jeremy, and their crew's injuries, or because of the now ongoing investigation, he's not sure. He just hopes that they're able to go home soon. Because he doesn't want to stay in a country where he's got a crazed stalker out there somewhere.He jumps slightly as the bed dips down next to him, but he relaxes as he finds that it's just James.“You okay?” James asks, wrapping his arm that's not currently in a sling around his shoulders, pulling him close.Richard sighs, shaking his head as he leans into James's hold, resting his head on his shoulder. “Not really.”No, he's not okay. Not after all that's happened and what they've found out. Why would anyone be okay in that instance? Why would anyone be okay when they've just found out that they have a crazed stalker and their friends have been hurt as a result?“I'm sure everything will be okay in the end.” James says, just as Jeremy makes his way over, slower than usual on account of his crutches and broken leg. “The police are out there looking for them. As is the Stig.”“And we won't let the bastard take you.” Jeremy says, wrapping an arm around Richard, too. “You're safe with us, Richard.”Richard doesn't quite doubt that. He's sure that the police or the Stig will catch the bastards. But given James and Jeremy's current states, a broken arm for James and a broken leg for Jeremy, Richard isn't entirely sure if they could do much to protect him. Though he knows that they will try. Jeremy would certainly use his crutches as a weapon, there's no doubt about that.But he's still worried that something is going to go wrong.
Very wrong….