Chapter 18: Zara
I sat there watching the rebels who’d taken us two days ago from the village. They’d come in with their guns blazing and took out the soldiers who were supposed to be guarding us like they were nothing. Not much of a guard detail, if you ask me.
They had dragged me and the other doctors out, tied us up, and threw us in the back of a truck. We drove for what I thought was a couple of hours until we stopped. There, we were unloaded and taken into a building. They forced us to sit against the wall with our hands and feet tied.
We were allowed a bathroom break a couple of times. Next to no water or food was given to us. I listened, and between me and Dr. Diaz, we knew they were planning to use us to ransom money from the American government, though they had plans not to keep that bargain.
I knew my fate wasn’t going to be a pleasant one. I saw how the men were eyeing me. It was a miracle they hadn’t raped me already. I had no idea what they were waiting for. I didn’t want them to touch me.
There was one guy who gave me the creeps. He was their leader. I only heard them refer to him as jefe, which I knew meant chief. He had the deadest eyes I’d ever seen. When he looked at me, he made me shiver. He’d stooped down and lifted my head with a finger under my chin.
“Yes, you’ll fetch a great price. I hope you like your new home, senorita, because it’s going to be your home for as long as you live. I suggest you be nice and that will be a long time.” He laughed cruelly when he spoke. I knew then he was going to sell me. God only knew who would be the one to buy me. I couldn’t believe this was happening.
Ted tried to stay close and get between me and any of the men. They liked to leer and say things. A few had touched me, but not under my clothes, more like gropes and pats. It was still humiliating and made me feel violated, though I knew it could be much worse.
Today was day two. We’d been awake and sitting against the wall together. We tried to converse in whispers. Sometimes they let us and other times they’d scream at us and threaten us if we didn’t shut up. Ted leaned close to my ear.
“I’m so sorry I ever asked you to come, Zara. If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be in this mess. Damn, why did the government let us come if it was this unstable? We just need to hang in there. The government will pay the ransom. We’ll get you home.” I looked at him in disbelief. I could see in his eyes he didn’t believe a word of what he was saying.
“Ted, the government doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, and that is what these men are. We’re not going to be ransomed. If we get out of this, it has to be because we rescue ourselves. I’ve been working on the rope around my wrists. They didn’t search me well. I had a pair of scissors in my back pocket. I slipped it in there to take to the treatment tent. It’s slowly getting through the tough fibers. When I get it off, I’ll work on my ankles if I can. If not, I’ll slip it to you and then the others. We need to get out of here.”
“Jesus, Zara, what in the world has gotten into you? You can’t mean to think you can take these men on?”
“Not if I don’t have to. But if it comes down to it, then yes, I would. I’m not willingly going to become some man’s sex slave, Ted,” I hissed back. He looked at me in shock. Maybe he didn’t know me as well as I thought. I was going down fighting.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Dr. Finch whispered. He’d been listening to our conversation. I looked at him.
“In case you haven’t figured it out, they’re not going to give us back even if a ransom is somehow miraculously paid. I’m being sold and Lord knows what they’ll do with the four of you. Sit here and be a victim if you want, I’m fighting.”
After that, they remained quiet and would just look at me from time to time like they didn’t know who or what I was. I could feel the rope giving more and more. I was almost there. I was about to tell the others when I heard shouting and then gunfire from outside. Several of the rebels ran out to investigate. I watched the others mill around, agitated.
I wondered who it was. Maybe another rebel group? Surely, the government hadn’t sent in a rescue team for us. I mean, we were doctors but still not anyone important. For a tiny second, I wondered if Demon and the Warriors had somehow come. Then I shook off that thought. There was no way they had the resources to do this. And if they did, why would they risk themselves? Despite what Demon said, I was just a woman he’d slept with. I could easily be replaced with any one of a multitude of women.
The shots were getting closer. I looked around to be sure the rebels were occupied. Seeing that they were, I jerked my arms apart. The rope gave. I was free. I frantically began to saw on the rope around my ankles. Ted saw what I was doing. He sat forward to shield me.
I’d gotten my ankles loose when one of the rebels looked over and shouted at Ted, “What are you doing? Sit back. What are you up to?” He stepped toward us.
The door on the other end of the building burst open and in came guys. I couldn’t see them clearly through the sea of bodies between us and them. I slipped closer to Ted and started to work on his wrists.
I flinched every time I heard a shot. I was waiting for a bullet to find me. I was panting in fear as I sawed on the rope. The rebels were swarming around us and fighting back. It was utter chaos. I’d just gotten Ted loose when that same rebel looked at us again. He saw I’d moved. He raised his gun and rushed over to us.
He was screaming at me. “I’ll kill you, puta.”
I didn’t think, I just reacted. “Fuck you, asshole!” I yelled back. His face went red with rage. He lifted the gun and pointed it at me. I saw his finger tightening on the trigger. Oh God, I was dead. I closed my eyes.
When the shot rang out, I flinched. Wait. I didn’t feel anything, no pain or burning. Had he missed? I opened my eyes and saw Ted slumped over in front of me. He wasn’t moving. I screamed as I scrambled to him. The rebel was now involved in the firefight. He’d forgotten about me for a minute. I rolled Ted over onto his back.
His sightless eyes stared up at me. The other three doctors sat there stunned. I wrapped my arms around Ted as I sobbed. “I’m sorry. God. I’m so sorry. Please, please, Ted, open your eyes. You can’t be dead. What will I do without you? Please, I love you so much.” I rocked him as the tears ran down my face in a scalding flood.
The noise of the fight had faded into a buzz in my head. I didn’t know what was happening, and at the moment, I didn’t care. I’d gotten my mentor and friend killed. Suddenly, hands grabbed me and tugged me away from Ted. I lashed out, screaming and fighting. No, they weren’t going to take him away.
As I fought, the sounds around me became clear again. I heard a voice. A voice that was familiar, shouting, “Baby, it’s me Luca. Look at me, Zara. Come on, snap out of it, Hellion. You’re safe.” I stopped fighting and looked up at my captor.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There stood Demon, and behind him were several guys I knew. What were they doing here? How did they find us? All these questions and more were racing through my mind.
“Demon, what are you doing here? How—”
“Baby, you had to know I’d come. No way I’d leave you here. Come on, we need to go. We don’t know if they might have reinforcements nearby or not. Hang on to me.” He stepped away. As he took me with him, I broke away and threw my body on top of Ted’s.