Captive- Veiled Desires

by Cartharn, Clarissa

  A loud cry pierced through the joyous chatter and everyone stilled. They murmured amongst themselves as a woman continued to cry mercifully on the road.

  Nora perked up her head, trying to understand the reason behind the chaos. Men were already storming out onto the road, berating the woman. Unable to contain her curiosity, she stood up to find out why the woman was being scolded so harshly.

  “No, khor,” Husna said in a low growl. “Not our business.”

  “What is going on?”

  Husna gulped nervously, shaking her head. “That old man want to buy boy and mother won’t allow.”

  “Buy boy?” Nora looked up alarmingly at an old man, chastising the mother of what could have been a boy no more than eleven years old. “What do you mean buying the boy?”

  Husna looked away, feeling ashamed.

  “Husna, what do you mean he wants to buy the boy?” Nora repeated firmly.

  “The old man wants boy for dancing boy. Father of boy selling him but mother no want.”

  “Dancing boy? You mean like in a musical band?”

  “It is…,” Husna stammered. “It is bacha bazi. The old man will rent to other men for watching him dance and then…” She shook slightly. “And then maybe do bad things.”

  Nora froze in horror. They were going to have sex with the child. This couldn’t happen. Not while she was alive, she wouldn’t stand by the side and watch a pedophile take a child. She found herself moving towards the crowd.

  “Khor!” Husna pleaded. “Please, no go there.”

  “I have to do something, Husna. I’d rather die than watch that asshole rape a kid!”

  Husna pulled on her arm, begging her to stop. “If you go there, the men will kill you. Please, khor!”

  “Then what is it that you expect me to do!” she growled, snatching her arm away from her friend.

  “We tell lala.”

  Husna gathered the woman and quickly plotted out a plan. Then she grabbed Nora and they began racing together towards the farm.

  “What did you tell them?” Nora asked breathlessly.

  “They will hold the boy in the house until lala comes. We pray we have enough time.”

  “But those men will take out their wrath on those women,” Nora muttered worriedly.

  “Yes. But if man like lala on woman’s side then those men frightened like cats. And lala always on woman’s side.” She uttered the last point determinedly. She had unwavering faith in her leader.

  Nora burst in through the doors leading to the courtyard. Husna barked at some women for Adam’s whereabouts.

  “He is in his office,” she translated to Nora between pants.

  “I’ll go see him. You stay here.”

  Husna nodded, not wanting it any other way.

  Nora rushed over to the office and threw open the door without knocking. She didn’t care how important or urgent any of his business was, he had to hear her out first.

  “Nora?” He frowned, rising up from his chair almost immediately.

  “You have to come now,” she said, rushing out the words without a breath of air.

  “What’s going on?” he said worriedly, putting a hand over her shoulders. “Did someone do something to you?”

  “No.” She shook her head and beginning to pull on his arm. “You have to come now.”

  “What is it? Nora, will you just tell me!” he growled with impatience.

  She began to sob. “Can we talk about it on the way? They will take him if you don’t stop them.”

  “Who will take who? Honey…” He put an arm around her and she fell against him, sobbing loudly.

  “Please, they will take him. He is only a boy. Maybe eleven or twelve. They will take him for bacha bazi.”

  His body stiffened as he held her away from him. “Where is the boy?”

  “At the home where the wedding is. I can show you if you can just start moving towards it,” she stammered in frustration.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he growled, heading out towards the door.

  She raced after him. “But why not? What if you missed the house? What if you couldn’t find it on time?”

  “I will.” He turned around and pointed a warning finger at her. “You’re staying right here.”

  His vehicle skidded to a stop, breaking the roaring men ready to war against the women in the house. They quieted immediately, recognizing the power he held over the villagers.

  “What is going on?” he growled as he stepped out and slammed the door behind him.

  The men said nothing, looking away in fear. Adam’s men hopped out of the vehicle, their guns braced against their shoulders. They stood steadfastly behind Adam, ready to kill on command from their master.

  “They want my son,” a woman cried. “They want to buy him for bacha bazi.”

  Her husband was standing a little behind her, shaking visibly. “We have no money, lala,” he pleaded defensively. “We need food.”

  “So you will sacrifice the life of your own child to save your own,” Adam said curtly. He looked around at the other villagers. “And who is the man offering to pay for this boy?” An old man paled and Adam narrowed his eyes on him. “Is it you?”

  “Mercy, lord,” the old man sobbed. “It’s just a business.”

  Adam strolled up to him. “Whoever you are, you are never to return to this village again. Do you hear me?”

  “But lord,” the man stammered. “My wife and children… my family… where will we go?”

  “Well, you should have thought of that before laying your snaky eyes on one of the kids in this village,” Adam minced at him threateningly. He lifted his head and shouted in a loud voice, “Let it be known, if anyone indulges in bacha bazi in this village, he will be decapitated! I will have his head on a pike!” He turned towards the women cluttering with fear in a corner and added, “And anyone who touches those women won’t be spared either.” He walked up to them and nodded. “You did well. If women like you started standing up for other women, I’d be running out of a job.”

  He smiled. He knew they were scared. They feared the anger that would be unleashed upon them by their husbands, so he hoped his little humor would rest them slightly. He wanted to assure them they would be fine and he would do all he could to stand by them. It wasn’t always that he met a band of feisty women in this male dominant country. He swallowed a lump of pride in his throat. And to think his wife was a part of this little rebellious movement.

  The child’s mother ran up to him, thanking him profusely.

  “See to your child,” he said and then muttered under his breath. “The poor bastard must be scared out of his life.”

  The bride’s mother ran up to him to thank him also. “Please thank your wife. I was very scared for her. She is very brave. She almost went head to head with the men had Husna not pulled her away. She is a very fine wife for you, lord. Just like you, she is brave with a big heart.”

  But a chill had run up Adam. Nora had almost collided with a group of ruthless and wrath-filled men? What was she thinking?

  Nora sat by her window, towel drying her long hair. She scrunched her mouth. Although there was slightly better plumbing in the house than the one in the desert, she craved to just sit and idle away in a bath.

  The sun was setting in the west and she was beginning to wonder if Adam was alright. Surely if anything was wrong, someone would have told her. She picked at her nails as the wind fluttered her long damp fringes. She wondered about the boy, his terrified little face swimming through her mind. How could anyone sell their child to be abused? The thought sickened her and she closed her eyes, trying to breathe in more of the fresh mountainous air drifting through the window.

  Suddenly, the door swung open and she jumped to her feet. Adam! She flew over to him, utterly forgotten in her haste she wore nothing but a thin towel wrapped around her.

  “How is the boy?” she asked hurriedly. “Is he okay? Did you manage to settle the matter?”

&
nbsp; He looked her over and scowled.

  “What happened?” she asked, confused that he was seemingly miffed with her instead. “Did you get hurt?”

  “A question at a time, Nora,” he growled as he walked by her and over to the chair by the window. “The boy is fine. He is still a little alarmed from the entire episode, but otherwise he is doing well considering the circumstances.”

  He picked up his feet to undo his laces, heaving tiredly as he pulled at them.

  She frowned and walked over to him. “Here, I’ll help you.”

  She moved to kneel down and tug at his heavy steel boots but he stopped her.

  “No,” he said quickly. “I’ll manage.”

  “You look exhausted, Adam. Let me help you. It’s the least I could do after chasing you to stop something which could have hurt you instead if it had all gone wrong.”

  “It was nothing,” he mumbled.

  “It wasn’t nothing,” she insisted as she went down on her knees.

  He had meant to give her a berating when he saw her next. She should have had more sense than arguing with a group of hostile men. He’d heard of episodes where women caught in the crossfire of such rage were raped, beaten and burned. The very possibility that this could have happened to her chilled him to his bone. And then he would have gone on a tirade slaying each of those bastards.

  But then he had stomped inside to find her wrapped in that thin towel which clad barely anything. Her nipples were perked and jutting against the fabric and the bedroom light threw a silhouette on her curves. His body reacted instantly, his cock lifting at the mere sight of her.

  And now here she was, smelling as fresh as those Afghan pine trees that decked his hills. She was kneeling down at his feet, her long hair falling over the sides of her breasts, and her cleavage garnering more than just his admiration. He froze as her fingers worked deftly in untying his laces and then yanking his boots off his feet.

  She fell with a thud on her bottom and she chuckled. “Is there any need to wear combat boots like these?”

  “It’s become a habit,” he mumbled almost to himself. “You should put some clothes on or you will get a chill.”

  If she didn’t cover up, he was more likely to push her down on their bed and ravage her. Undeniably, she was his addiction, and the past days were a torment knowing that she would be so close and yet he couldn’t touch her. Each time she would brush against him… stand shoulder to shoulder with him… and damn it, whenever she fell into his arm to sob, to laugh, he had ached to kiss her lips.

  She gathered her hair and pulled it into a loose knot at her nape. His mouth went dry. Was she seducing him? Otherwise, she sure as hell didn’t know what she was doing inside him, especially to his cock anxiously stirring and waiting to leap out of his pants.

  He got up and ambled across to the other side of the room. The farther he would be away from her, the better.

  “Adam, it’s sweltering hot, today,” she said, fanning her herself with her hands. “How I wish we had an AC right now.”

  He turned his back towards her. He needed to divert his course of erotic thoughts, and prevent himself from erupting in his pants. He reminded himself he was still angry with her.

  “Don’t ever do that again,” he growled deeply.

  “Do what?” she asked lazily. “Fan myself with my fingers?”

  “No!” He turned towards her, his eyes glowering with anger. “Trying to confront a bunch of rabid men! Do you realize the danger you almost put yourself into? This is not the United States. They will not hold back on their rampage! They would have killed you!”

  She stood there tongue-tied, not knowing what to say. “I understand that the situation was explosive…,” she stammered.

  “Explosive?!” He threw his hands up in the air. “You have no idea the degree of vehemence they would have unleashed on you.” But then he caught the little fleck of fear in her eyes and his ire melted immediately as he moved towards her slowly, wishing he could hold her. He hadn’t wanted to scare her. He just wanted her to understand. “They’re… not me,” he said softly. “They don’t love you. They wouldn’t hold back like I do when you incense me with your ways... They won’t find it adorable. They will not restrain themselves like I do when you exasperate me with your views… and your eyes and your…” He cupped her face. “Your lips, knowing I can’t taste them whenever I want to.”

  He stared down at her, still and mesmerized by her green pupils.

  “What are you saying, Adam?” she whispered, equally captivated by his.

  “I have no idea,” he rasped, lowering down to kiss her.

  She opened up to him and he savored her lips, kissing them… tasting them. His tongue moved into her, hers playing sensuously with his. He pressed in deeper and harder onto her mouth. She didn’t relent, wounding her arms around his nape and leaning into him further.

  His tongue thrust into her mouth and in perfect imitation of what he really wanted to do to her with his cock. She moaned, gladly allowing him to yank that wretched towel off her.

  Her breasts chafed against his chest and he eagerly wrenched his clothes off him as well. He wanted to feel her skin rub against his, to awaken every sense in his body. He kissed her down her neck, trailing down to the valley of her breasts and finally licking perky bud. She grew taut, weaving her hands into his hair as he suckled her nipple, before moving onto the next.

  She grew limp. “I… can’t stand…,” she whimpered.

  He lifted her up by her buttocks, resting her on his hips. His cock grated against her sweet spot and she let out a moan as she began kissing him again.

  He laid her down, moving in between her thighs. He glanced down at her crotch, his eyes glazed with his desire for her. He touched her mound, separating its lips to thrust his fingers into her. She writhed beneath him and he anchored her to the bed with his other palm resting on her wiry juncture. She bucked and she thrashed until she begged him to take her.

  He didn’t need another request. He pushed his length into her, his shaft moving all the way in and to her womb. He moved down onto her, his lips capturing her mouth again. He ground against her, moving in and out of her. He had hungered for her and finally he had her again in his arms, where she belonged.

  Her nails dug into his back as she rocked with him. And at last when they peaked, their bodies shuddered. A declaration of their union. That they were one once again.

  She let out a soft cry into his mouth and he breathed her, making her a part of him forever.

  HAPTER 22

  It was the first time Amy had worked outside the hospital. The mission of their team was to vaccinate children in what was considered some of the most difficult terrains of the country.

  Her eyes watered as she saw a girl of about eight years carrying her younger brother on her hips, staring back at her with curiosity. She was only a kid but Amy could read she had seen more suffering than her little heart should have endured. Her adorable face was worn and lacked the cheer which she should have had. The joy so abundantly found in children her age back home.

  She must have parents, Amy thought. She couldn’t be raising that kid on her own. She is nothing but a child herself.

  Someone touched her on the arm and she jumped.

  “Your first time at an outreach?” Dr. Ian Wright asked her.

  “I’ve seen bad. But this is terrible,” she said, glancing back at the people.

  He nodded. “This is where you really feel you’ve made the difference. If it had not been for rebels bent on ruining their own people, we would have made even better progress.”

  “While I should blame these insurgents for hindering the welfare of these people, part of it rests also on the United States for using fake vaccination programmes as a cover for espionage. It is no wonder they don’t trust us,” she grumbled.

  He raised an eyebrow and she dismissed him with a snort.

  “Yeah, I read about those,” she muttered. “Doesn’t that just make thi
ngs difficult for people like us who really want to help?”

  He didn’t answer, shifting uncomfortable at his spot. “We should set ourselves up. These people are eager to get treated.”

  Amy took a deep breath as she straightened up from yet another little patient receiving his vaccination. Today, she must have saved about fifty babies from pneumonia. She felt productive and not as selfish as she had when she had first arrived in Kabul.

  She pulled out her gloves and indicated to one of her colleagues she was taking a break. The woman nodded and waved her on with a smile. Amy smiled back and headed towards the little cluster of mud houses in the near distance. As much as she wanted to continue with the vaccinations, she couldn’t forget Nora.

  She pulled out a picture of Nora and stopped the first woman in her path.

  “Have you seen this woman?” she asked, speaking slowly as possible. She could only hope the woman would understand.

  The woman shook her head and continued on her way. Amy looked disappointedly after her. But she was just the first, she consoled herself. She walked briskly over to one house and knocked. There would have to be someone who had seen her. After all, there weren’t so many western women traveling through Afghanistan without security.

  “Hello,” she said, peeking in through the door.

  A group of men turned up their heads at her, frowning.

  “Can you help me? I am looking…”

  Someone spoke over her, saying something rather quickly to the men. She turned around to find Dr Ian Wright back by her side. He grabbed her arm and began walking away rather fast.