Discovering Sophie

by Anderson, Cindy Roland

  Jack returned the kiss with equal vigor and circled his arms around her, pulling her close. Sophie gave herself over to the kiss with abandon and was vaguely aware of her journal falling to the ground. The warmth of Jack’s palms against her back heightened her awareness. As he deepened the kiss, Sophie became lost to everything around her.

  The incredible love she felt proved beyond any doubt that God had created a man and a woman to be together. Never before had she felt this way about anyone. Not even David.

  Needing to take a breath, Sophie pulled away. “Well,” she said, her voice trembling, “that was very enlightening.”

  Jack’s blue eyes blazed with passion. “Are you going to share your enlightenment?” His voice was low and intimate.

  “I think I need more research before I share my findings.”

  “More research?” Jack asked, his eyes dipping down to her mouth.

  He leaned forward to kiss her again, but Sophie pressed her hand against his chest to stop him. “Not now. Hector will be back any second.”

  “He’s actually here now,” Hector said coming back into camp.

  “Ah, Hector,” Jack teased. “Your timing is terrible. A few more minutes alone with Dr. Kendrick and I could have persuaded her to talk.”

  “Amigo, it looks like you were doing more than just talking.”

  Sophie’s face flooded with heat as Jack said, “That, my friend, would’ve been part of the persuasion.”

  * * *

  Sophie awakened sometime during the night and immediately sensed someone was watching her. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw a man crouched down by her sleeping bag. Thinking she was hallucinating, she blinked several times, but he was still there. Terror filled every part of her when he pulled out a knife and flashed it before her eyes.

  Is this just another nightmare? The apparition violently grabbed her wrist, making her cognizant of how real he was.

  God, please help me! She scrambled for the door and started to scream. A dirty hand covered her mouth, muffling her cry for help. She struggled to free herself and felt bile rising in her throat, making her nauseous. The man moved his hand away and jumped back as Sophie emptied her stomach onto the sleeping bag. The evil man spoke angrily in Spanish.

  She had a split second before he would cover her mouth again. She screamed Jack’s name and barely got out, “Help me!” When a fist slammed in the side of her face. The impact snapped her head back, and she fought to stay conscious.

  Fear clawed at her throat as the man grabbed her by the hair. He flung the soiled bag out of the way and pulled her to his body. His hand cupped her mouth again, and he spoke in a low, angry voice. She couldn’t understand anything he said, but instinct told her he’d kill her if she screamed again.

  Had Jack heard her? She prayed that he had.

  In an instant, her life seemed to flash in front of her. Sophie knew if this man took her away, she would never see Jack again. Just like in Jack’s dream.

  Her muscles tensed again as she fought to free herself. Over the pounding of her heart, she heard a quiet voice—as if God was speaking to her—tell her to stop struggling. She relaxed her body, and the man loosened his grip.

  “Doctor. Come,” he said in broken English, his breath hot and smelling like stale cigarettes.

  How did they know she was a doctor? Afraid to speak, she mutely nodded her head.

  The man held up her shoes, motioning for her to put them on. When she finished tying them, he jerked her arm and roughly pulled her out of the tent. Sophie’s body shook intensely, making her legs feel unsteady. The side of her face throbbed where the man had hit her.

  Frantically, she shifted her eyes to Jack and Hector’s tents. They were silent. How could they sleep through this? Then she had a horrible thought: What if they’d already been killed?

  Thick fingers gripped her arm. “Stay,” the man said as he released his hold.

  Her abductor put a dirty cloth in her mouth to gag her. The problem was it literally gagged her. The full moon provided enough light for Sophie to see his dark eyes narrow with anger when she started to retch. Using the back of his hand, the man slapped her face again, and Sophie swallowed down the acid from her stomach as he finished securing the rag over her mouth to silence her.

  Forcefully, he jerked her arms in front of her, binding her hands together with thick twine. Every defense course she’d ever taken, stressed the importance of never allowing the abductor to take you to another location. The man came around behind her, and Sophie desperately tried to come up with a plan.

  “Go,” the man whispered harshly. He shoved her in the back, and Sophie stumbled, falling to her knees. God, I don’t know what to do. Please help me, she silently pleaded as she struggled to stand back up.

  Her prayer was immediately answered when Jack suddenly appeared out of his tent. “Please,” he begged softly. “Don’t hurt her.” Then he shook his head slightly and spoke in Spanish, “Por favor, no le hága daño a ella.”

  The man held the knife to Sophie’s throat and replied in a harsh voice. Whatever he had said made Jack’s eyes go wild with fear, and she felt the tip of the knife bite into her skin.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Every instinct Jack had was screaming for him to attack and then rescue Sophie, but watching the knife cut into her skin made him stand down. His hands clenched into tight fists as a small bead of blood appeared at the tip of the blade.

  “If you kill the doctor, she won’t be able to help your friend,” Jack said in Spanish. “The knife is cutting her.”

  To his relief, the madman holding Sophie captive moved the blade away from her throat. “Stay out of this,” he growled.

  “She doesn’t speak Spanish. I’m her interpreter, as well as her assistant, so I’ll need to come with you.” Jack hoped his voice came off calmer than he felt. His mind raced with desperation, trying to think of way out of this. The gun he’d brought along for protection was packed deep inside his gear.

  Behind him, Jack heard the sound of someone walking through the brush. If it was Hector, Jack wished he could warn him. Sophie’s eyes reflected panic as Jack heard the distinct sound of a gun being cocked right behind his ear. It was a good guess this wasn’t his friend.

  Feeling the barrel of the gun at the base of his skull, Jack asked for heavenly help. The man holding Sophie hostage spoke, “Don’t kill him. He speaks for the doctor.”

  The man behind him grunted, still pressing the gun to his head. “We don’t need him, Alberto.”

  “But Cruz does,” Alberto said. “We can kill him later.”

  Jack wondered who would win the argument. He also wondered where Hector was and if he was alive.

  The gun pressed harder. “Put your hands behind your back, hombre.”

  Jack obeyed and tried not to wince as the rope dug into his flesh. The dream he’d had unfolded before his eyes, but this time Jack had listened to Sophie’s cry for help. When he’d heard her scream out his name, he had awakened immediately. Quietly, he’d tied on his shoes all the while praying to God for guidance.

  The man moved the gun and pressed it into Jack’s back. In a low menacing voice, he said, “Try anything and I will kill you.” He circled around and got in Jack’s face. “Where is the other man?” he asked through clenched teeth.

  Hector was gone? If they didn’t know where he was, Jack still had hope. The man aimed the gun at Jack’s heart and repeated the question.

  “He’s in his tent,” Jack answered.

  Sliding the gun up under Jack’s chin, he said, “No, hombre. He is not there.”

  This guy was itching to pull the trigger. Jack swallowed, willing his heart to slow down. “I don’t know. He probably ran away when he heard you were here.”

  The donkey brayed, pulling his captor’s attention away. The other man holding Sophie said, “Forget it. We need to get the doctor to Cruz.”

  Jack felt temporary relief when the man agreed. He pointed the gun at Jack
one last time. “You will not try anything. If you do, you will die, and then after the doctor is done—we will kill her.” The man leaned close to Jack’s ear. “But first I will have her.”

  Hot anger surged through Jack. If anyone touched Sophie in such a vile way, he would die trying to save her. Tightening his jaw, Jack kept his gaze even and nodded his head briefly. He knew this was not the time or the place to rescue Sophie.

  Alberto, the man holding Sophie, pulled on her tied hands, making her press forward. Jack was shoved from behind, and he staggered to regain his balance. His captor trailed after him, bringing Fred and most of their supplies.

  With each footstep, Jack prayed for help. Although the situation seemed hopeless, he refused to give into his fears. He hadn’t found Sophie just to have her taken away.

  The full moon peeked through the heavy foliage, allowing him to see Sophie stumbling up ahead of him. She wore her cut off sweats and a dark T-shirt. The clothes wouldn’t provide any protection for her against the vegetation and bugs.

  Without his compass, Jack had no idea which direction they were heading. It was impossible to make any notations of the landmarks they passed. The jungle looked pretty much the same. He could only keep praying that somehow Hector had escaped and would bring help.

  Eyeing the man up ahead, Jack tried to logically think about the motivation behind the abduction. From what he could gather, it seemed to simply be that they needed a doctor to help their fallen comrade. While it would keep Sophie temporarily safe, Jack wasn’t stupid and knew once she’d completed her task, nothing would stop these ruthless men from hurting her in the worst way imaginable. He had to save her before that happened.

  After traveling by foot for more than a couple of hours, they stopped near some water. Disoriented, Jack couldn’t be sure about the river or where it led. Alberto, the man holding Sophie, dragged her with him to uncover a canoe.

  Jack’s captor pushed the cold steel in his back. “Get down on the ground,” he ordered angrily.

  Jack obeyed without question. Moisture from the wet grass seeped into his pants at the knees. The twigs and rocks dug into his flesh as he awkwardly lay on his stomach.

  Raul, as Jack had learned his name, ground his boot into Jack’s back. “You move and I will shoot you, understand?” he asked menacingly.

  “Sí,” Jack replied.

  Raul unloaded the donkey and then jerked Jack to his feet, pushing him forward. Sophie already sat in the canoe. The gag had been removed, and by the soft moonlight, Jack could see her dirty, tear streaked face was red and swollen on one side. The scumbag had hit her! He curled his fingers into his palms, wishing he could take a swing at either man.

  Sophie looked at him with desperation, her mouth opening as if to warn him. A deafening sound exploded in Jack’s ear. He stared numbly at Sophie again, waiting for the pain of the bullet to register in his brain.

  Raul brushed past him, and it took a second for Jack to comprehend he hadn’t been shot. Glancing to his side, he saw the donkey lying prostrate, clearly dead. At least he hadn’t suffered. Jack could see that the bullet had killed the animal instantly.

  The ringing in Jack’s ears muffled the sounds all around him, although he didn’t miss Raul’s dark chuckle, nor his chilling words. “Next time, amigo, it will be you.”

  Swallowing hard, Jack silently thanked God he was still alive.

  With a hard shove, Raul pushed Jack to the canoe, ordering him to sit in the middle. Jack awkwardly sat down and met Sophie’s gaze. Shocked and pale, he knew Raul had succeeded in terrifying her. She was still staring where Fred had been gunned down, and Jack wished he could comfort her.

  They traveled up stream for what seemed like an hour or so, but Jack couldn’t be sure. The further they went, the more desperate he felt. Right now, it was just the two men. When they reached their destination, how many more would there be?

  A chilling human-like scream rent the air, making Sophie jerk her head in the direction of the sound. Jack recognized the cry of a puma and the frenzied screeches of the monkeys. Ironically, Jack felt his and Sophie’s chance of survival would be better if they were to face the big cat rather than these ruthless men.

  By the time the men glided the canoe to one side of the river, the first fingers of light were piercing the dark sky. “Take the doctor to Cruz right away, ” Raul said as the canoe scraped along the bottom.

  Alberto banked the boat on the shore. He jumped out and pointed to Jack. “What about him? She needs him.”

  “Soon. I’ll bring him soon,” Raul said, his voice low and menacing.

  Anxiety curdled Jack’s stomach. He didn’t want to be left alone with Raul, and he certainly didn’t want to be separated from Sophie. Since his hands were tied, he didn’t have much of a choice.

  Alberto jerked Sophie to her feet and helped her out of the unsteady watercraft. As he untied her hands, he spoke to Jack. “Tell her I’m taking her to Cruz.”

  Jack climbed out and looked into Sophie’s eyes “He’s taking you to the injured man, Cruz.” He swallowed and hoped what he said next was true. “I’ll come along to help translate in a few minutes.”

  Sophie nodded her head. He wanted to say so much more to her but didn’t want to risk making Raul mad. The guy was itching to get rid of Jack and probably wouldn’t use any restraint.

  “I need my medical bag,” Sophie said.

  As quick as lightening, Alberto backhanded her in the face. “Cállate!”

  “Hey!” Jack shouted. He twisted out of Raul’s grasp and moved toward Sophie. “Don’t hit her—”

  Raul came at Jack from behind and punched him in the kidney. “Take one more step and I’ll kill you right now.”

  Anger ripped through Jack’s body, overriding the pain from the sucker punch to the side of his lower back. “She needs her medical bag,” Jack spit out before Raul hit him in the same spot again.

  “Tell her to get her bag, hombre,” Raul hissed into Jack’s ear. “Then do not speak again until you are asked to.”

  “You can get your bag,” Jack rasped. The pain in his side took his breath away.

  He could see Sophie’s lower lip trembling, and her large eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She nodded her head slightly and retrieved her bag from the ground. Unable to do anything else, Jack watched her walk away with Alberto.

  Please, God. Don’t let anything happen to her. I’ll do anything you want. Please, don’t let them hurt her, Jack pleaded silently.

  Another man came to take the confiscated supplies. Left alone with Raul, Jack waited as the man circled in front of him like a sleek panther taunting his prey. He met his menacing gaze and Raul spit in his face, cursing him. Then, without provocation, Raul slammed his fist into Jack’s stomach. As he started to double over, Jack received another blow to his face. He staggered, trying to regain his balance. With his hands tied, he had no way to defend himself.

  “When we no longer require your services, I will kill you.” Raul leaned in close enough for Jack to feel his hot breath on his face. “But first, amigo, I think I will make you watch me enjoy the woman.”

  Jack ground his teeth together and kept his eyes forward. Raul wanted a reaction—an excuse to kill him. He didn’t acknowledge the man’s words, although they turned his stomach inside out. Right now, remaining calm was the only thing he had control over.

  A feral grin stretched across Raul’s face as he raised his fist to strike Jack again. “Bring the doctor’s assistant,” a man called out, sparing Jack for now.

  Narrowing his dark eyes into thin slits, Raul laughed contemptuously. “I will finish this later.”

  Jack had no doubt about that, but what mattered most was getting to Sophie. Tasting blood from his split lip, Jack concentrated on slowing his heart rate down and walked alongside Raul. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of his face, stinging a cut below his eye. Jack’s muscles ached from his arms straining behind him. His face throbbed, and his lip felt swollen. But he was ali
ve, and so was Sophie.

  Entering the good sized hut, Jack saw Sophie examining a large man laid out on a cot. His abdomen was covered in blood. He looked like a corpse, but Jack caught the barely discernible rise and fall of his chest.

  Scanning the room, he saw at least a half-dozen men watching Sophie with interest. Renewed anxiety clenched his gut. The chances for them to escape unscathed seemed pretty slim right now.

  Raul shoved him from behind. “Ask her if he will live.”

  Jack lurched forward, stopping next to Sophie. “They want to know if he’ll live.” He wished he could say something to comfort her, tell her he had a plan of escape.

  Sophie’s gaze flickered to his, and he noted her gloved hands were covered in dark red blood. “I’ll do everything I can to save him, but I need your help.” She bent over, preparing to start an IV. “Will they allow your hands to be free?”

  Jack directed the question to Alberto, not really expecting him to accommodate him.

  Alberto’s nostril’s flared, and he eyed him menacingly. “We will kill you if you try to do anything stupid.”

  “I understand,” Jack said as Alberto pulled out a large knife. He moved behind Jack, yanking tight on the ropes before cutting him loose.

  Rubbing his sore wrists, Jack stood beside Sophie and watched as she skillfully inserted the IV catheter. She instructed him to tear off a couple of pieces of tape that she used to secure the IV tubing. All the while, Jack continued to ask God for a miracle, because that was the only way he and Sophie were going to get out of this alive.

  * * *

  Sophie focused on the critically injured man and tried not think about the odds of him living, which weren’t very good. The IV would give her a little more time. But, in the end, she didn’t believe it would matter.

  Without her asking him, Jack figured out a way to hang the IV bag from the low ceiling. It was a miracle these thugs had stolen a large cargo of medical supplies. She had used the last of the IV fluids when Jack had been sick. The minute she had walked in and saw the condition Cruz was in, she knew without the lifesaving fluids she wouldn’t be able to prolong his life for another five minutes, let alone long enough for her and Jack to get out of this situation.