by Kira Ward
After some time had passed, they stopped walking, and the men were addressing someone they were standing before. They spoke to him in Arabic, but he answered in English. “Well? Remove the hood! Let me see what you’ve brought to me!”
The hood was yanked off, and Dani blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light. When her vision came into focus, she was face to face with a handsome Middle Eastern man. He looked vaguely familiar to her, and then she realized that he looked like a slightly older version of the soldier she had found so beautiful. He flashed her a smile, his perfect white teeth gleaming. She glanced around the room, and realized that she was in some sort of palace. The ornate marble and tapestry décor epitomized wealth and opulence, and she wondered now if she was part of a political ploy.
After giving her a long, hard once over with his eyes, the man turned his attention back to his goons. “So tell me, where did you obtain this lovely creature?”
One of the men laughed, “Sheikh Abdul, she comes from the U.S. Army base.”
The Sheikh’s eyes narrowed and he rubbed his temples. “And tell me, how exactly did you manage to pull this off?”
Another man spoke up, “We first spotted her at the bazaar earlier in the day. We knew that she would be to your liking, but there was no opportunity at that time. So we waited. We followed her father back to the base, and then we waited until it was late enough that nearly everyone would be asleep before returning. When the time was right, we made our way onto the base and drove until we found the car we had trailed. Sure enough, she was there.”
With a terse nod, the Sheikh asked, “Was there any… collateral damage?”
Unable to stop herself, Dani furiously sobbed, “They murdered at least three innocent people. I saw the bodies!”
One of the captors interrupted, defensively spitting the words, “There were only three. We did not set out to kill anyone, and we only killed those we had to. We killed the first when he went for the alarm button in the guard shack. The other two came running as we were disabling the base-wide communication system. They would have shot us if we hadn’t shot first.”
The Sheikh clucked his tongue, half-heartedly admonishing his henchmen. “Gentlemen, that was unnecessary. With a bit more planning, I’m sure you could have found a way to get her here without causing death. Perhaps you need more training if this was the best you could do.”
The men, deflated and looking for all the world like chastised children, stared at their feet and mumbled apologies. Dani thought that now was her chance. It might be the only one she got. She dropped to her knees and implored Sheikh Abdul to let her go, explaining that her father loved her very much, and although he didn’t have much money, she was sure that he’d find a way to come up with however much was necessary.”
Sheikh Abdul pressed his fingertips together, staring into her eyes, then gestured around the room. “My dear, why would I want your father’s money? Does it look like I have any shortage of my own?”
Weeping and begging, Dani gasped, “Then what? What do you want? What are you going to do with me? Oh, please, please let me go home. I just want to go home to my daddy.”
The Sheikh’s long, slender fingers reached out and gently brushed her hair off her face. He sighed heavily, then shook his head, like he was shaking off a thought he’d rather not have. “I’m sorry that you miss your father. In time, you will come to love it here, and you will forget all about him. You haven’t been brought here as a hostage. I seek a special woman to become my first wife.”
Chapter 4
As the meaning of his words began to sink in, Dani felt as though the world was crumbling around her. How could this be happening? Things like this didn’t happen in real life, not to people like her. She had done everything right. She had been a good student, a good daughter, never breaking the rules, never taking unnecessary risks… She had even endured being teased by all of her friends because she avoided dating in order to make sure that nothing would screw up her plans for the future. And for what? Only to have it all fall apart in this horrible country, because of this horrible man. She thought of college, and all of the guys she would have dated. She thought of falling in love eventually, getting married, and starting a family. So many dreams destroyed in a single night.
The Sheikh was telling her that now it was time for her to be taken to her room so she could “settle in,” and that he would be in to see her shortly. Addressing his goons, he said, “Take her to her room. She needs some time alone to compose herself and get used to her new life.”
The men took Dani’s arms, taking care to handle her much more gently than they had before the Sheikh was present to witness their behavior, and led her through a maze of hallways, and up a spiraling staircase. There were at least two dozen doors in the upstairs corridor, but they stopped in front of the third. One of the men pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, revealing a bedroom that was truly fit for a princess. It reminded Dani of something out of an Arabian Nights fairytale.
As she stepped inside, the men let go of her, and one of them cleared his throat and said, “Sheikh Abdul will be in to see you in a little while. Until then, you have your own bathroom, so feel free to freshen up if you’d like. You’ll find clothing in your dresser. In fact, you’ll find just about anything you could need in this room. It is all yours, so feel free to look around. You have a television, and should you need something to eat, you can call the kitchen at any time and they’ll bring up whatever you’d like.”
He smiled when he noticed Dani eying the phone. “It doesn’t call out. There’s a list with the various extensions you may need. The kitchen, the maid, your personal servant, who will act as your personal shopper and will tend to anything else you may need, and your husband’s line. That should cover everything, yes?”
Dani nodded without looking at the men, and as she stood in the middle of the room, feeling completely bewildered and lost, they left. She heard the deadbolt click into place as they locked her in, and then she was all alone. A breeze caught the curtains, and she hurried towards the open window, thinking perhaps they had overlooked an escape route. Even if she would have fallen to her death, she would have preferred it to staying here. She yanked back the gauzy fabric and found herself looking through metal bars. Her lip trembled as she stared out at the palatial grounds. The sky was still pitch black, but she could see slices of her surroundings where the security lights illuminated the ground. It was massive, resembling a country club more than a backyard. To her dismay, she noticed that her new yard was patrolled by armed guards.
Despite the overwhelming fear, Dani was curious about her surroundings. She poked through the cabinets and drawers in the bathroom, then started going through the dresser. The drawers were full to bursting with a brand new wardrobe, and she was shocked to find that everything from the bras to the pants were exactly her size. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at this discovery. Had the Sheikh specified the exact measurements of the girl he wanted his goons to kidnap? And how would they have been able to tell at a glance that she met the specifications? The whole thing was so bizarre that she wondered if she was losing her mind.
There was no time to contemplate her sanity, though. Once again, a key was turning in the deadbolt, and her bedroom door swung open to reveal the Sheikh. He swaggered into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. Dani’s eyes widened as she realized the real reason for his visit. He was already unbuttoning his shirt as he approached her, and she tried to rebuff his advances by turning her body away from him.
Sheikh Abdul was having none of it. He forcibly spun her around and kissed her so hard that her lips felt bruised. She clenched her jaw as he tried to force his tongue into her mouth. Enraged by her refusal, he picked her up and threw her onto the bed. He yanked off his belt and doubled it up in his fist. The veins in his neck bulged as he thundered, “You have much to learn, you spoiled brat. I don’t know how you were raised, but you do not call the shots in this house. I am t
he Sheikh, I make the rules, and you follow the rules. That’s all you have to do, and you will have a wonderful life with me. Should you choose to defy me, I will put you in your place until you learn. Do you understand me?”
Trembling in terror, Dani nodded her head emphatically, whispering, “Yes. Yes, I understand. Please don’t hurt me. I’ll do whatever you want.”
The Sheikh smirked as he peeled off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants. She could see his erection bulging through his underwear. He yanked Dani’s knees apart and started to lower himself on top of her. He hiked up her dress, and looked pleased to discover that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. As he ran the back of his hand of her smoothly waxed mons, he noticed that she had closed her eyes, and tears were streaming down her face as her shoulders shook.
There was something about her fear and vulnerability that moved Sheikh Abdul, and he jerked his hand away from her flesh as though it had burned him. He lifted himself up and away from her body. Startled, Dani opened her eyes to see what he was doing. To her surprise, she saw that he was getting dressed.
Too afraid to say anything, Dani laid quietly, watching him button up his shirt. When he was fully dressed, he asked, “What is your name?”
“Dani,” she whispered.
“I can’t believe I forgot to ask for your name when you first arrived. I apologize. I think we both had an incredibly long night. The sun is rising, but if you can sleep you should. No one will bother you until you’ve had some rest. Do you want something to eat first?”
Dani shook her head. “No. I’m not hungry.”
The Sheikh sighed, looking slightly dejected. “Very well, then. Get some sleep. You have the phone. Call whenever you’d like.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Dani began to shake violently from head to toe, adrenaline coursing through her body. She pulled back the sheets and comforter, and crawled underneath. She was afraid to fall asleep in this place, but the near-rape had drained her of what little energy reserves she had, and there was no fighting it. She surrendered to slumber, and dreamed about her father meeting her in the airport.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Abdul was wide awake and totally preoccupied with thoughts of Dani. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but there was something about the girl that moved him deeply. Something set her apart from the other girls he had known, and he knew that she was different in some way. Her fear and sadness nagged at him, and he felt a twinge of guilt. Clearly, he could never send her back now. It would be too risky. Plus, he really didn’t want to do that. There was no reason to go to extremes. No, he would keep her, but he would make every effort to make her happy. He saw it as his duty to prove to her that this wasn’t a nightmare, but a dream come true.
Chapter 5
When Dani finally woke up she was ravenously hungry. She was loathe to call the kitchen, but much like sleeping, she realized that she couldn’t avoid eating forever. She picked up the phone and dialed. A woman with a thick accent answered the phone in English. “Hello. What would you like to eat?”
Dani had no idea. Could she really order anything, like the thugs had said? Would the woman have any idea what she was talking about if she asked for a cheeseburger? After a long silence, Dani said, “I’m not sure what you have, so whatever you bring me will be fine.”
The woman said, “I started a nice kabsa for the Sheikh. I will bring you that.”
Dani hung up the phone and wondered what time it was. The cook was making food for the Sheikh, so she assumed it must be midday, around lunchtime, whenever that was for him. She also wondered what kabsa was, and hoped that it wouldn’t be disgusting. He stomach rumbled, and she turned on the TV to distract herself from the hunger pangs while she waited. As she flipped through the stations, she wondered how her father had managed to have “normal” TV, as it appeared that there was nothing of the kind available here. Multiple stations in Arabic, and one single station in English. She remembered reading that television programs were heavily censored in Saudi Arabia, and it was now registering that her dad’s access to CNN was probably not sanctioned. She left it on the English station, even though she wasn’t the least bit interested in the program, just for the comfort of familiarity.
There was a knock at the door, and she wondered why, since she clearly couldn’t open it, but then figured that maybe the cook or whoever was delivering her food from the kitchen had much better manners than the Sheikh and his goon squad. There was no need to be hostile towards some poor woman working in the kitchen. Goodness only knew what she had to endure. So she composed herself and called out, “Yes? Please come in.”
To her surprise, when the door opened it wasn’t a servant but Sheikh Abdul himself standing on the other side. He was holding an enormous tray of food, which he placed on the small table next to the window. He removed the lid to show her the contents, and cleared his throat saying, “I hope the food is to your liking. I’m not sure what your feelings are about our cuisine, but we employ some of the finest cooks in the region. They can also make many American dishes for you, if you prefer.”
Dani bristled. She was furious, but she was also still terrified, so she felt that she had to suppress her rage. “It looks delicious. Thank you.”
He was watching her expectantly, as if he wanted her to sit down and dig in while he was still there, but she didn’t move. She wanted to keep as much physical distance between herself and this terrible brute of a man as possible. How could he possibly expect her to sit down and eat a meal in his presence? He was responsible for her kidnapping. He had nearly raped her the night before. And now he was holding her hostage. She now controlled next to nothing about her life, and she’d be damned if she was going to give up this last tiny little bit of autonomy. She would eat alone or she wouldn’t eat.
The Sheikh shrugged helplessly and said, “I guess I’ll be going, then. Please let me know if I can do anything at all to make you feel more comfortable. I feel badly that your first impression of me was less than it should have been.”
Dani was completely bewildered. Did this guy have multiple personality disorder? Was it a trick? She couldn’t understand how he could kidnap someone, try to rape them, and then act contrite, as though he cared anything about her comfort, with no mention of ever letting her go. He must be a madman. She kept silent, and he left without another word.
As soon as he was gone, Dani sat down to eat. The tray contained enough food to comfortably feed at least three people, and the unfamiliar flavors were delicious. As she ate, her mind began to drift. It was only midday, and she was going to have to find a way to fill the hours. What could she possibly do, trapped in this room with nothing but censored TV shows to entertain her?
In the end, she decided to kill time by taking a bath and getting dressed. She filled the swimming pool sized tub and spent a good hour trying to relax her body and mind, submerged in the steamy water. When she got out, she spent a long time trying out the enormous variety of body products and cosmetics that filled every drawer and cabinet. Then she wandered over to the dresser and started going through the drawers. There were so many options that it was almost like going on a shopping spree. Under different circumstances, she would have been giddy. After slipping into a perfectly fitting pair of designer jeans and a tank top, she noticed that there was a closet that had somehow escaped her notice until now. She opened the door and gasped. There were hundreds of shoes, organized by style and color, handbags, scarves, hair accessories, and rotating racks of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. She flipped through the jewelry and adorned her wrist with a Tiffany bracelet, then found the matching necklace. Next she moved on to rifling through the hangers filled with designer gowns. When she reached the back of the closet, she found a section of hangers that sent a chill down her spine. There were a dozen burqas hanging in a row.
She remembered going shopping with her father. She had been allowed to wear her long maxi sundress, but when they reached the market, he had tossed her a couple of large s
carves, one to cover her hair, and one to drape around her shoulders and arms like a shawl. There were only a few women not wearing burqas, but all had their heads covered, sleeves to the wrist, and skirts to the ankle. Was he going to let her dress normally within the confines of the palace and dress her up in a burqa if he ever took her outside of these walls? Would he eventually start making her wear them all the time? She didn’t know how it worked, and the not knowing was more frightening than any of the possibilities.
There was another knock at the door, and Dani jumped. Even though she had been told that everything in the room was for her, she felt like she had been caught stealing, or snooping through someone else’s things. She squeaked, “Come in,” as she quickly exited the closet and sat down on the edge of the bed.
It was the Sheikh again, and this time he came bearing gifts. His arms were heavy with enormous shopping bags, which he struggled to gracefully place at her feet. He smiled as he noticed she was wearing the new clothes he had left for her, and said, “You’ve changed. I hope you like your new wardrobe. I tried to make sure that you had plenty of variety, all of the best brands and latest trends, plenty of everything…”
Before she could stop herself, she found herself questioning him. “Yes, it’s all beautiful. But what about the burqas? I don’t want to wear a burqa.”
The Sheikh laughed, as if this was the funniest thing in the world, and that perhaps her discontent was simply due to a misunderstanding. “Oh, Dani, don’t worry about the burqas! I’m a very modern man. You don’t ever have to wear them at home. Eventually, once I know that it’s safe to take you in public, you’ll wear them when we go out. But that’s it! At no other time will you have to put them on.”
