by Julia Crane
After he buckled up, Lucas reached again for Kaitlyn’s hand, lightly stroking his thumb on the smooth skin of her delicate wrist.
The landing gear thudded into position and Lucas’s heart constricted. The moment he both dreaded and looked forward to was quickly approaching. The scientist in him was eager to see Kaitlyn in action, but the male part of him loathed putting her in direct danger. Seeing the one he loved walking into a potentially deadly situation scared the hell out of him. Rightly so.
He felt this way, even though he knew without a doubt she was more than equipped. She could run circles around the most seasoned soldier, even Erik, who was the best they could come up with. A quintessential warrior by all counts. The former Marine Recon member was head and shoulders above his peers, but Kaitlyn was a super soldier. That knowledge did very little to quell the protective nature that she brought out in Lucas, which was laughable, when he thought about it. He was a scientist, not a soldier. No matter how much time he put in at the gym or on the range, he would never be in Kaitlyn’s or Erik’s league.
He really needed to pull himself together, because this was the first of many missions to come. He couldn’t let his emotions rule him, or Harrington would pull him off the team in a heartbeat. Somehow, he needed to find a way to compartmentalize his feelings for Kaitlyn and focus on the objective of the mission.
The plane lightly touched down. Kaitlyn removed her hand from his, and her eyes bore straight ahead. The transformation in Kate was mesmerizing. Even her posture changed. She was now one hundred percent focused on the task at hand.
As she was programmed to be.
CHAPTER 5
A sharp pain pierced her head when Aaliyah woke, and her throat was so very dry. Goodness, she was thirsty. She tried to lick her lips, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate.
Her eyelids felt so heavy. When she tried to open them, nothing happened. The room spun, even with her eyes closed. A sour taste filled her mouth; she had to fight off the nausea.
Where was she? She tried hard to focus, but she couldn’t think, her mind was jumbled. Groggy. Had she caught the flu? Malaria? What in the world was going on? So many questions raced in her head. She must be sick. Even her skin was cold and clammy.
Couldn’t see.
As she came more in tune with her senses, the distinct odor of mold and lemons made her nostrils flare. The air felt heavy and stale. From the unfamiliar stench alone, she knew she wasn’t home. The ground beneath her was hard and cold. Why didn't she have any covers on her? Why would she wake up somewhere other than her bed?
Aaliyah kept telling herself she was okay. No need to be frightened. Again and again, she repeated that to herself. Despite the words, she began to feel the faint twinge of anxiety and fear as she felt the emptiness around her.
She tried to move her limbs, but her muscles wouldn’t cooperate. Couldn’t move. Was she dead? No, her head wouldn’t hurt if she were in heaven. Would it?
A door slammed shut, pain radiated throughout her throbbing head. Desperately she tried to grab the sides of her head with her hands, but they wouldn’t move. Saliva filled her mouth. Another wave of nausea washed over her.
What in the world was going on? Why couldn’t she pry open her eyes?
“When she wakes up, we’ll bring her to Mr. Dasvoik. I think he’ll be more than pleased with this juicy little morsel. I wouldn’t mind a taste myself.”
“Get your mind right. Dasvoik would slice you open if you touched his prize.”
“I know, I know. But that doesn’t stop me from fantasizing.”
“Jesus, we have bigger things to worry about. Such as the boy. He’s too young. They should have let him go. I don’t know what the hell they were thinking.”
“I’m sure they can find someone who wants him.” The man paused, and she heard more shuffling. “For a good price.”
The boy? Good price? Her heart pounded so rapidly she could scarcely breathe. Her eyes flew open, but she had to fight to keep her heavy lids from closing. Everything came rushing back to her. The car, the men and Darrius running. Her heart ached when she remembered that he didn’t make it very far. They were talking about her Darrius.
This couldn’t be reality. Had they really been abducted?
No! No! No! Please let this be a dream. A nightmare. Please let me wake up and find myself in my own bed. Things like this didn’t happen, not to her. Not to her brother! Certainly not in America.
Her family didn’t have money, so she knew this wasn’t about ransom.
Without moving, she scanned the room trying to gain her bearings. She was curled up on the floor in the corner of a small room. Her body ached. She tried to straighten her legs out, but they remained bent. She couldn’t even push herself up to sit.
The walls were white and lined by metal filing cabinets. A large wooden desk sat off to the left with a computer. No windows. No pictures or paintings on the wall. Nothing personal whatsoever.
Her eyes continued to dart around the room, finally settling on the men. They were large, wore dark suits and looked scary. One was tall with a hook-shaped nose and curly blond hair. The other was short but muscular with a bald head. They were not the same men from the car.
Desperately, she tried to fight the panic that rose in her chest once she realized her brother was not in the room with them. Where was he? At least she knew he was alive from their comments. Too young? For what? So many questions and no answers. Maybe if she could figure out where they were, they could escape.
“Well, lookie here. Sleeping Beauty is finally awake,” the tall man said. His voice was deep, and he talked with a slow Southern drawl.
“It’s about damn time.” The short one’s voice was clipped and high pitched. They were both Americans.
She tried to speak, but no sound came out. Obviously, she’d been drugged. The thought pissed her off. She hated drugs. The only medicine she would take were the herbal remedies her mother made.
Oh, dear God. Her mother must be panicked by now. How long had they been gone? Too long. Had her mamma called the cops? Was anyone looking for them? Probably not. Her parents didn’t trust the police. The milk. She’d never even made it to the store. What an absurd thought at a time like this.
Noah!
The bald man yanked her arm, pulling her up to sitting, but her limp body slid back down.
“She needs more time for the drug to wear off.” The taller man stared down at her.
With a sharp glance at the tall man, he snapped. “Obviously, jackass.”
“We’ll come back in twenty minutes. She should be good and ready by then.”
Why couldn’t she speak? She wanted to yell and beg them to bring Darrius to her. But it was useless. The door banged shut leaving her alone in the terrible silence. Her mind was wide awake, but the rest of her body was not cooperating. She was virtually paralyzed and scared out of her mind.
Think! There has to be a way out of this.
Once again, she scanned the dimly lit room, praying for some kind of sign that would tell her their location. Anything. If only she could get up and search the desk. She couldn’t even crawl. She was alone and helpless. Terrified.
She must have dozed off, because next thing she knew the door opened and shut again.
“Rise and shine.” A loud voice boomed through the room. “We’ve got places to go and people to see.”
Slowly, she wiggled her toes and realized she wasn’t wearing shoes. She looked down and saw she was wearing a gown. The type worn in hospitals. A whimper escaped when she realized she wasn’t wearing any undergarments. Had these men seen her naked? A shiver ran down her spine as if she’d been touched by pure evil.
They roughly yanked her arms, pulling her to standing. Her legs felt like jello; it took her a moment to be able to put weight on them. Her feet ached with pins and needles as the blood reached them.
“Where’s my brother?” she demanded. Her voice sounded thick and groggy to her own ears, but at least she co
uld speak.
“Don’t worry, the little brat is fine. That little bastard bit me.” The bald guy scowled.
Good for you Darrius. “Let me see him. I need to make sure he’s ok.”
Both men laughed.
“I’m afraid you may never see him again.”
Her knees buckled. She could hear herself breathing in shallow little gasps, the only sound filling the room. This couldn’t be happening. A nightmare? It had to be, because nothing else made sense.
“You’re hurting me.” Her tone was defiant.
“Now we wouldn’t want that would we?” The taller man chuckled.
“We’ll leave that pleasure to Dasvoik.” The crude bald man raked his eyes down her body, sighing. “Unfortunately.” He tightened his grip on her arm. “Maybe he’ll get sick of you and loan you out.”
Who is Dasvoik? Something told her she really didn’t want to find out. Loan her out?
They dragged her down a long hallway. It seemed to go on forever. She concentrated hard to try and dampen the fear crawling inside of her. The walls were painted a subdued grey. The carpet was thin and beige, and the walls were bare. Nothing was giving her a clue to their location. They could be anywhere.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a wooden door and one of the men rapped loudly.
“Come in.”
The door opened and she was pulled through. Not quite as rough as when they were in the hallway. When she looked up, she met the unusual golden eyes of an older man. Mid-thirties if she had to guess. He had olive skin and a face that was only found on models. Too pretty to be real. He didn’t look scary. Maybe he could help her get out of this terrible situation. It had to be a horrible mistake.
His eyes trailed down her body and back up to her eyes. Aaliyah trembled beneath his intent gaze.
After a long moment, he set his pen down and walked around the front of his desk.
“You were not exaggerating. She is exquisite.” He murmured. “And pure. What a wonderful combination.”
His hand came up and touched the side of her face. She flinched and pulled back.
“Never! Pull away from me. Do you understand?”
Aaliyah froze. She didn’t know how to respond. So she said nothing.
“I asked you a question.” His thumb ran over her lips and they quivered beneath his touch. No one other than Noah had ever touched her in such an intimate way. It took all of her self-control not to recoil again. She raised her chin a notch. “I want to see my brother.”
The man’s eyebrow arched. “Do you now?”
“Yes.” She jutted her chin out and straightened her spine. Hoping it would conceal the fear that was racing through her. Her mamma always said people saw what you showed them. If she feigned confidence, they believed it to be true, even if she was shaking in her shoes.
“And what would you do to see your brother?” His hand dropped from her lips. “Anything?”
Would she do anything to see her brother? To make sure he was alive? She knew she would. He was her flesh and blood—her responsibility. But she wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of answering him.
“You have spirit.” He sat back against the desk, watching her intently as a slow smile spread across his face. “I like that. I will take great pleasure in breaking you in.”
The two men beside her remained quiet. The room seemed to grow smaller as the fear began to swallow her. She was not naive; she knew what he meant by breaking her in. The thought of him touching her made her legs buckle. The grips on her arms tightened, steadying her.
“Take her to my room,” the man demanded. “Strip her gown and tie her to the bed. I will come to her when I’m ready.”
What? “Please don’t,” she whispered as tears trailed down her cheeks. She tried to stop the tears, but they just kept coming.
“If you’re a good girl. I may let you see your brother.” He titled his head dismissing the men, and they dragged her limp body out of the room.
Aaliyah began praying out loud. In a frantic, hushed voice.
“Shut up!” the tall one yelled at her. She didn’t listen. Surely, God would not allow that vile man to touch her!
They only went a few feet down the hall before they entered another room. It was large. In the middle of the room, against the wall, sat a king-sized bed with bright red sheets, red curtains, a Persian rug and a tall wooden dresser. There was also a large black mirror hanging above the bed.
The short one untied the back of her gown, his hand trailed down her bare back, she jerked away. He grabbed her bottom and kneaded it with his disgusting hands. Without thinking, she threw her head back knocking him in the chin. He swore and the larger man laughed.
“Feisty, Dasvoik will be happy.”
“Shut up and get the rope.” He rubbed his chin.
“Can’t handle her?” The large man grinned.
“I just don’t want to have to hurt her and have the boss man to answer to,” he grumbled.
A sense of hope washed over her. Maybe the man with the golden eyes didn’t intend to hurt her? No, he made it clear what he wanted from her. If he didn’t want to hurt her, he wouldn’t have her bound to the bed. Tied up, she wouldn’t have a chance to escape. If she could just get away from the two of them before that happened.
When the taller man turned his back, she kneed the shorter one in the crotch; he went down to one knee howling. The larger man looked at her, shaking his head.
“It will go much easier for you if you don’t fight it,” he advised.
How could she not fight for her life? Her innocence? She was not weak. Frightened beyond belief, she would still not give up without a fight. The taller man circled around her, as her chest heaved up and down. She reached for the door, but he was faster. He grabbed her wrist and jerked it behind her back applying pressure, causing her to cry out in pain.
“Nice try, but there is no way out once the boss has his eyes on you. Be a good girl, and it will soon be over. The more you fight it, the more painful it will be. If you’re lucky, he’ll grow bored of you quickly.”
Was that pity in his voice? He pushed her forward stopping in front of the dresser. He opened one of the drawers, her eyes widened in surprise and fear. There were so many vile objects. Knives, ropes, chains, whips, and things her mind could not register. Her eyes glazed over. The room spun, and her body swayed.
When her eyes fluttered open, she was tied to the bed. Naked. Her legs were splayed open, the air cool against her skin. The only person who had seen her completely naked was her mother. And now who knew how many eyes had seen her body? She couldn’t even cover herself.
She pulled her arms and kicked her legs, screaming as loud as she could. The ropes were so tight she barely moved. She jerked her hips trying to turn over and a loud chuckle filled the room. Her face flushed with humiliation and fear.
“Now that’s what I like to see.”
The figure came closer, casting a shadow across her, but she didn’t have to see him to know it was the man with the golden eyes. His voice was unmistakable. Smooth as honey, just like the color of his eyes. Could evil really sound and look like him?
She would soon know the answer to that question.
“Such beauty,” he murmured. When he climbed on the bed, it moved from the weight of him. Her heart raced, and tears flowed freely down her face. She shook her head but couldn’t get the words out. She was too scared.
“Now, now. Don’t be afraid, my little flower. You’re mine, and I take care of what belongs to me. Do you understand?”
A wail escaped her throat when his skin touched hers.
“Purity is so rare these days, let alone in someone as beautiful as yourself. How old are you my dear?” His hot fingers ran up her cold inner thigh. Her legs clenched. Her whole body tightened.
“I asked you a question.”
She couldn’t speak. Wouldn’t respond. She wasn’t going to give the monster anything. It was her only defense. As pathetic as that wa
s.
“Ah, the hard way, of course.” His voiced dripped of sweetness. Like he was enjoying himself. “I would have been disappointed if not. Would you like me to bring your brother in to watch?”
“No, please, no!” She thrashed her head side to side. She would rather die than have her brother see her spread out like this. He was just a little boy.
“Again, I ask. How old are you?”
“Seventeen,” she cried out.
“Now that’s much better. It wasn’t so hard, was it, love?” His disgusting fingers wouldn’t stop touching her.
Wasn’t so hard? Was this man for real? She was tied to a bedpost and about to be raped. No, there was nothing hard about that. She spit in his face.
His hand stopped moving, and his eyes narrowed. He pulled his hand away, and wiped the spit off his face.
“Oh, petal, that was a very naughty thing to do.”
Aaliyah shrank back at his tone.
He stood up. She couldn’t see him from the angle she was at on the bed but she could hear the movements. The sound of his zipper going down terrified her. He kicked his shoes off, a moment before his clothing hit the floor in a soft rustle. In all her life, she had never been so afraid. And then his feet padded across the floor as he walked away.
The drawer creaked open. Her mind went back to all the objects she had seen there. She screamed. Her breathing became labored, and sweat covered her body. Fear made the situation surreal.
He rummaged through the drawers. What was he getting? Her body shuddered. He slammed the drawer shut. His footsteps were quiet as he approached her.
She squeezed her eyes closed. Aaliyah could hear her own breathing, shallow and ragged in the silence.
“Look at me. I’m not going to tell you again to obey me. Your brother is close by. Close enough to hear your screams.”