by J.R. Bowles
CHAPTER 4
Jackie groaned, trying to clear some of the fog from her mind. She felt as if her head was in a vise grip and someone kept turning the handle. She gradually started to become aware of her body; it was like both her mind and her body must have fallen asleep, for she felt like someone was sticking her with thousands of needles. Even before she opened her eyes, she knew she was naked. Being a sensible woman, she lay there and listened before she opened her eyes. She wanted to make sure no one was near.
Slowly, and without moving her body, she opened her eyes just a slit. At first the light blinded her, and she had to adjust her eyelids to compensate. Lying still, with her peripheral vision she was able to detect she was in a room, apparently alone. The last thing she remembered was the confrontation with the three men in the lobby of the USO building.
Realizing no one was near she slowly took inventory of her situation. Moving her stiff neck to the right and then to the left, she raised her head as much as she could and scanned the area; it appeared to be a sparsely-filled bedroom. She was lying on a four poster bed, and had been tied up naked and spread-eagled. From what she could tell, there was nothing else in the room; the light above her was a single bulb dangling from the ceiling. The paint on the walls and ceiling was old and yellow. Flaking chips threatened to fall down in her face at any moment. As a Radioman, she had been trained to listen more carefully than most people, and she held her breath.
Straining her ears, at first she could hear only her heart pounding away; but as her thoughts stilled she thought she heard a foghorn in the distance. Was it night already? Then she heard and felt the vibration of someone walking closer. Then faint voices, but she had to strain to make out what they were saying. Jackie stayed clam; she had always disciplined herself not to panic, to assess the situation to determine what action was necessary.
“What the hell we going to do with that white bitch?” She heard.
“Whatever the fuck Jamal tells us.”
“Well, shit, man. I think we might ought to tear off a little of that thing while we's waiting.”
“Jamal told us we better not touch her, not yet anyway. So don't you be doing nothing to get him pissed.”
“What does he want her for? He the one be talking about them white devils and shit.”
“Shut your mouth, man! Jamal don't do nothing 'less it's for the cause.”
“When's he going to be here?”
“Couple hours. Now go over and get us some pizza.”
“You go, man. I went last time.”
“Jamal left me in charge, so you better do what I tell you or he's gonna hear about it.”
“All right, man. Give me some money.”
Jackie heard movement and then a door opened and closed. As she laid her head back she regretted never having had sex, because she now expected to be raped, maybe even killed. Tears welled up in her eyes and she blinked to keep them from burning. She had to think. This was no time to feel sorry for herself. If she did, she would never be able to accomplish anything.
It was Saturday, or at least she thought it was still Saturday. She wouldn't be missed until Monday when liberty expired and they would count her AWOL. AWOL! Why was she thinking like that; she was beginning to give up. If she allowed herself self-pity, an emotion she never gave in to, she was surely doomed. That was an emotion she had never had time for and she wasn’t going to now either!
When they found her Absent With Out Leave they might try to figure out what happened. Would they be able to track her? She doubted it. Even though several of the other women knew she went to the USO, they wouldn't be able to find her. No one had seen her being taken. She thought for a moment; no, she hadn't told anyone where she was going, and the only person she had met was the guy she had bumped into.
Nevertheless, this was definitely not the time to give up, she told herself.
