by B. B. Hamel
I know it’s time. I can’t keep putting this off. We’re so close to this raid happening, and Riley needs to know.
I make the decision and head in to get her breakfast, planning how I’ll do this the right way.
23
Riley
The next day is like every other day, except for two things.
First, I sleep in late, and Logan doesn’t bring me breakfast until after the sun has been up for an hour or two. Normally, he’s waking me up at the crack of dawn with food, although he never stays. This time, breakfast was a little later, and I got to sleep for an extra hour or two.
That’s not strange in itself. The second odd thing happens when Logan brings me lunch.
I’m lying in bed, reading a book and trying not to let the boredom overwhelm me, when the door unlocks and opens. It’s Logan at the normal time. I sit up and smile at him, but he just shakes his head at me.
Curious, I go to say something, but he holds up a hand. He looks down at the tray, at the glass of water, and then back to me. He places the tray down on the cot and then he leaves.
I sit there for a second, trying to understand what the heck that was supposed to mean. I look at the tray itself and notice something under the glass of water.
It’s another note.
Riley, they’re listening. We’re going out again tonight. I won’t stay for dinner, but I’ll be back later. Logan.
I read and re-read the note, savoring his handwriting. It’s more or less a masculine scrawl, exactly what I would have guessed, and it feels good to see someone’s actual writing. It’s almost like I’m a normal person again.
Except I have to crumple the note and flush it down the toilet. I don’t want to risk anyone else seeing the note. I’m full of hope all day long after reading it, excited that we’re going outside of the walls again.
I can’t assume he’s going to let me go this time. I’ll only be extremely disappointed when he inevitably brings me back inside, and I can’t handle more disappointment like that. It doesn’t matter, though. Just getting outside these walls is going to feel so good.
I’ll get to feel the sand between my toes and the saltwater on my feet. I can’t stop smiling for the rest of the day, excitement coursing through me.
Just like he said, Logan brings me dinner but he doesn’t stay. He comes and goes like he always does with nothing more than a smile and a nod. I smile back, hoping he understands that I got the note and I know what’s happening. It probably doesn’t matter either way, but at least I know to be quiet when he comes later.
I’m restless as hell after dinner. I try and concentrate on reading, but it’s impossible, not when I know that Logan is coming back. The sun sets and night drops in, and time begins to move as slowly as possible.
I can’t keep track of the hours very well. All I can do is watch the moonlight slowly shift outside of my window and guess at what time it is. That makes the hours pass both faster and slower, if that’s even possible.
That’s the hardest thing about being locked in a cell. It isn’t the restriction, or not exactly. It’s the boredom. Having absolutely nothing to do for hours on end is incredibly maddening. Outside in the real world, we’re constantly busy, districting ourselves from everything. We watch television, we work, we go to the movies, we do basically anything to keep from falling into utter and total boredom.
But being locked in a room means you’re always bored, and that’s the real torture. You’re forced to come to grips with yourself and sometimes, it’s not pretty.
For me, it’s accepting how I feel about Logan that’s the hardest thing. It’s so easy to sit around and obsess over every little detail, since that’s all I really have. The books and magazines help, but they don’t take the boredom away completely. I have so much time to sit and think, and all that introspection is exhausting.
I’m lost in one of those introspective spirals when I realize that it’s probably after midnight. The moon is getting lower in the sky as it moves out of orbit. I perk up when I hear footsteps coming down the hall toward me.
The door unlocks and slowly opens. Logan steps inside quickly and looks at me. He holds one finger to his lips and I climb out of bed.
He takes my hand and we leave the room together. We follow the same route we followed before, but this time he makes sure we don’t run into anyone. It takes a little bit longer, but it’s way more exciting than the first time. He’s cool and collected, like he’s done this before, and I can’t help but find him more attractive than ever.
We move in total silence. He communicates with me through simple hand gestures, but there’s not much to say. I understand what we’re doing and part of me knows that it’s a huge risk. He mentioned that something is happening with him and the people here, and I suspect that if we get caught sneaking around, we’ll be killed.
The stakes are high, but that doesn’t matter. I’m with Logan and I trust him implicitly, even if sometimes I question everything. I can’t help myself. I’m stuck in a box with nothing to do but think about every single detail of every conversation I’ve had with him.
In the end though, despite all that introspection, I want him. I believe him. He’s done nothing but prove himself to me, and I need to start accepting that he really is on my side.
Eventually, we slip out through the corrugated metal sheets like we did before, and soon we’re walking along the beach together, the compound walls sinking out of sight.
“Can we talk now?” I ask him, finally breaking our silence.
He grins at me. “Only if you have something nice to say.”
I smile and push him lightly. He’s like a brick wall. He puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me against him.
“You okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine. I didn’t see anyone all day.” The sand is cool beneath my feet and I pause to take my sandals off.
“Good.” He glances over his shoulder. “I brought you out here for a reason, Riley.”
“What, not just out of the kindness of your heart?”
“No,” he admits, grinning at me. “I needed to get you somewhere that they couldn’t hear us.”
“What’s going on?” I ask him, suddenly stopping. “You’ve been so ...mysterious since we met. I just want to know what’s happening.”
He faces me, frowning slightly, and he’s so damn handsome. He kisses me lightly on the lips and a chill runs down my spine. I know that even if he tells me nothing, I’ll still follow him, and that scares me.
“I know,” he says softly. “I haven’t been fair to you. I’ve been struggling with it ...more than you can know.”
“Struggling with what?”
“The truth about me.” He takes a deep breath and kisses me again.
“Logan,” I say. “Please, just tell me. It can’t be that bad.”
He smirks, shaking his head. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
“What?” I ask.
“I was sent here to save you.”
I stare at him for a second, letting that sink in. I take a step back away from him, trying to get some distance between us.
“What do you mean?” I ask him. “You were sent to save me, but you’re not going to?”
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “I am going to save you, Riley. But you’re not the only person I was sent to save.”
I nod slowly, realization dawning. The other girls.
“You’re here to rescue everyone,” I say softly. “Who are you, Logan?”
“I work for a private security firm that was hired to track you down. I was a Navy SEAL before that. Your father is bankrolling this operation, actually.”
I cock my head, surprised. “My father?”
“That’s right. He approached us.”
“Then why am I still here?”
His frown deepens and he steps toward me. “You have to understand. This wasn’t my idea. I was just following orders.”
“Logan.” I step back away from him.
“Tell me.”
“Your father ordered me not to save you. He wants us to take down this whole compound, and in order to do that, I needed to stay on the inside.”
As he continues to explain the situation, I can’t say that I’m at all surprised that my father would be willing to sacrifice me for the greater good.
That’s the kind of man he is. He believes in great honor and the greater good, and is willing to destroy his own daughter for it. He’s a misguided bastard, my father, but at least he has his principles. Or at least that’s what he’d say.
I hate him. I hate my father. I don’t want to be rescued if I’m just going to be taken back to that bastard.
He could have saved me. Logan is supposed to save me. But he’s not allowed to get me out of here, all because he can’t blow his cover.
“Riley?” he asks. “Are you okay?”
“I just need to think.” I start walking away from him, down the beach. He follows but gives me space.
I don’t blame Logan for this. He’s been treating me very, very well, all things considered. He’s supposed to be pretending to break me into a sex slave, and he did everything he could to keep that act up while still treating me well. He did an amazing job, to be completely honest, and I can’t be angry with him.
But I am furious with my father. If he gave the order, Logan would get me out of here and away to safety immediately. But my father wants to keep me here.
He wants to save the other girls and to prevent more girls from being taken. I understand that. I want that, too. But I can’t help but feel angry and betrayed.
It’s so damn confusing and horrifying, but there’s a silver lining. I stop walking and face Logan again.
“You’re not a rapist?” I ask him. “Not a human trafficker? A bad guy?”
“Maybe a bad guy,” he says, grinning. “But no. I hate those fucking bastards back there as much as you do, probably more.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” I ask, not understanding.
“If you knew, you might give it away. I don’t know how good of an actress you are. You might have freaked out and ruined everything. I had to keep you in the dark.”
“So why tell me now?” I ask softly, but I know the truth even before he says it.
“Because this is all going to be over soon, and I didn’t want it to end without you knowing first.”
I nod slowly, staring into his eyes. “So who are you, Logan?”
He smiles at me. “I’m from Michigan,” he says. “Joined the SEALs, did a few tours, and ended up working for a private security firm.” He shrugs. “And here I am now.”
“What about the stories you told me?”
“All true,” he says. “I’d never lie to you, Riley. I had to keep things from you, but I never lied.”
I step toward him, eyes wide. “And all of this?” I ask him.
He takes my hand and puts it on his cheek. The moonlight bathes us and the ocean laps up against the shore.
“Real,” he says, “all of it is real.”
I stare into his eyes and then he kisses me, full and firm.
For the first time since being taken, I have hope. It’s a strange feeling, hope, but it’s real and it’s alive. Just like what I’m feeling for Logan. It’s real and overwhelming and means something bigger than the two of us.
Logan was sent here to save and protect me, and that’s what he did. But during that, something else happened between us and grew much bigger than we could have guessed.
The kiss breaks off and he holds me tight on that beach. We stand there in silence together, enjoying the moment. For the first time, there’s no mystery between us.
The truth is hard, but it’s the truth and it’s real. I can handle and accept that. I can accept Logan.
He’s not going to sell me into slavery. He’s my protector, my guardian, my savior. He’s here to bring me home.
“Thirty-six,” he says softly.
I blink up at him. “What?”
“That’s how many girls are there, besides you,” he says.
“Really?”
“Really. Plus another ten that Anton keeps as pets.”
“Forty-six girls,” I whisper.
“Forty-seven, including you.” He cups my chin and stares into my eyes. “Do you understand? We have to go back.”
“I know,” I say, sighing. “We’ve come this far.”
“It won’t be much longer. I promise. And now, at least, you know.”
“I can keep a secret.”
He grins. “I’m sure you can.” He kisses me lightly again. “I just wanted you to understand why we’re going back. Why I haven’t taken you out yet.”
“I understand, Logan. You can’t leave those other girls there.”
“I could,” he says fiercely. “If my orders were just to save you, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“I wouldn’t let you, not now,” I say, smiling. “We can do this. Right?”
“Of course,” he says, softening.
“Come on. Let’s go for a walk then head back.”
“Okay then. But listen. I think Anton might have seen through me. I’m going to order an attack on the compound in the next few days, so please, be careful. Okay?”
“Okay,” I say, taking his hand. “Now let’s walk and pretend like we’re normal people for a little while.”
“Sounds good to me.”
We walk down along the beach, and although my head is swirling with the truth and my heart is full of joy, I try and put that all out of my mind. I just want to focus on this moment, on the walk in front of me.
Logan is going to save me. I thought he might, I hoped he might, but now I know he will. My father sent him, but my father is a bastard. It’s Logan that’s going to take me away from this place. It’s Logan that I owe my life to.
I squeeze his hand. He squeezes mine back. The moon drifts behind some wispy clouds and the water keeps lapping at the sand.
24
Logan
It’s like a fucking weight has been lifted from my chest.
Telling Riley the truth probably wasn’t the best idea. If I really wanted to continue keeping operational integrity, I would have kept that from her until the very end.
But fuck the operation. Things are getting too hot and dangerous for her, and I can’t keep putting it off. She’s at risk enough as it is, especially because she’s now associated with me. If something goes wrong. I know Anton is going to come down on her hard.
There are stories around the compound, whispers between guards. I don’t know how much of it is true, and frankly I don’t want to know.
But they’re disturbing. I heard of one girl that refused to break, even after doing some pretty heinous shit to her. Eventually, Anton got so fed up with her that he started clipping body parts. He cut off all her fingers, toes, hands, feet, and finally she died of a blood infection.
That’s a bad story, but there are worse. Stories of girls that didn’t do what they were told or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. These guards are mostly bad men, very bad men, plucked from the countryside and put in charge of these American women. Sometimes, they take their poverty and anger out on them. They beat them, spit on them, degrade them, and very often it goes too far. Girls end up dead all the time. They just chalk it up to the cost of doing business and they move on.
It’s horrible. Human life is meaningless to them, or at least it is with these women. They’re cattle in the eyes of Anton and his men, and they’ll do anything they want with cattle.
I feel the sand beneath my toes as I walk across the beach. The sun is high and hot today, beating down on my back. I try not to leave the compound in the middle of the day, but I had to risk it this afternoon. I missed my normal report time last night and command is likely worried about me. I need to let them know that I’m okay and to send back my recommendation for how we proceed.
For the last few days, they’ve been coming back with one excuse after
the next. They need details of weapons, now they need information on body armor, now they need to know how many provisions they have, now they need information on local politics. I know command can be very conservative about sending operatives into the field, especially when it comes to a dangerous and violent mission like this one, but they know why we’re doing it. They know it’s a big deal. Besides, Riley’s father is bankrolling the whole fucking thing.
We’ll lose guys. No doubt about it. Some guys will die when they take this place. Maybe not, it’s possible they can do it clean, but it’s more likely that someone will get killed. Command doesn’t like sending units into a battle where someone might die.
Which is why they’re pushing back against this. Or at least that’s my guess. They can’t keep delaying any longer, though. They sent me in here with the promise that the cavalry was coming, and I’m ready to hear some fucking backup is on the way right about now. Not just for my safety, but for every single girl in this place.
Last night, after coming back from the beach with Riley, we couldn’t get back in the compound. Not right away, at least.
There was a group of men in the courtyard. I couldn’t tell what they were doing at first, but soon it became clear.
They were punishing one of the girls. They were whipping her right there out in the open. She was screaming, but she was gagged, so her screams were more like muffled grunts at best.
They whipped her bloody and raw. Eventually, she passed out. I refused to let Riley watch, because she didn’t need that image in her head, but I had to see it. I had to witness this girl’s pain. I can’t say why, exactly, but I couldn’t look away.
It’s not like that was the first time I saw them abusing someone. They did it every day, routinely. That was different for some reason. I can’t say why exactly. Maybe it was because of the timing, or because of the way she hung there, naked and limp, trying to scream but unable to. Or maybe it was because I just told Riley the truth, and I knew that she was inches away from being that girl out in the courtyard getting whipped to within an inch of her life.
