His For Five Nights

by Jeannette Winters

  He didn’t wait for the elevator and decided to bolt up the three flights of stairs instead. As soon as he came around the corner, he stopped and looked down the hallway. Everything was as quiet as it had been when he’d left earlier. Until he was inside and saw Myla was unharmed, he wouldn’t be satisfied.

  Alex stopped outside of Ziva’s door, pressed his ear against it, and listened to see if he could hear her moving around. All was silent. With the lights on, he knew she was awake. What are you up to, young lady?

  Even though he told himself he wouldn’t do it, he knocked gently on her door and waited. No answer. He tried the door, and it was locked. Alex had the spare key in his room, and after checking on Myla, he was going to head back there and check on Ziva.

  Going to his room next door, he inserted the key and opened the door. When he went inside, he saw the bed was unmade and empty. He looked around the room and realized the door adjoining his and Ziva’s room was open. Shit! He bolted over, and to his dismay, her room was vacant as well. Damn! Damn! Damn!

  He’d been foolish to leave either of them alone, even for a short time. Looking around, he saw no sign of struggle, which meant they’d left willingly. Why? They were safe here. Now they have no one to protect them.

  Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he called Bennett.

  “They’re gone!”

  “Who?

  “Ziva and Myla. They’re both gone,” Alex barked into the phone. His heart was racing as he thought what would happen to them if they were caught. “Get over here now. We need to find them.”

  “No one knows our connection. Keep it that way, Alex. If they put two and two together, we lose the upper hand, not that we had much of one to start with. It’s the only card we have in our pocket.”

  His mind was racing. Alex hadn’t anticipated someone coming in and taking them. If he had, he’d never have left them. In hindsight, it was a mistake he hoped those two ladies didn’t pay for. I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to them.

  Alex needed to do something, but he had no idea where to start looking. “How the hell are we going to find them, Bennett? No one here is going to give us any information.”

  “Tracking is one of my specialties. I need you to sit tight. Whatever you do, don’t let anyone know they’re gone.”

  Alex remembered the manager trying to talk to him when he arrived. Had he seen them being taken? Is he the one who took them? If he found out the girls were harmed, he’d kill the bastard.

  “You can’t expect me to—”

  “Do you want to find them alive?” Bennett snapped.

  It was a stupid question. Bennett was lucky this conversation was taking place on the phone, because if it was in person, Alex would’ve laid him out on his ass. His back was up against a wall as to what his next steps would be. If he made the wrong move, everything he’d set out to accomplish would be over, but even worse, he’d be risking Ziva’s life. Alex had to put his pride on the back burner for the moment. “That’s why I want to help.”

  “This is what I do, Alex. I’ll find them. Once I have a visual, I’ll be in contact. Until then, don’t leave your room, and speak to no one. Remember, you’re being watched, even if you don’t see them.”

  “Bennett, you were here before. What makes you think they aren’t keeping an eye on you?”

  “I know they are. The first time I came, I made myself very unpopular. The ringleaders are keeping their distance from me on purpose. They suspect I’m here looking to shut down shit. They, on the other hand, think you’re just a piece of shit. See the difference?”

  Yeah. Unfortunately, I do. “Then give them something to confirm their beliefs.”

  “Roger that. I’m going to find those girls, and I’m not going to be quiet about it when I do.”

  “I don’t care as long as they don’t get hurt.” Alex had made a promise to Myla, and he’d keep it, but he couldn’t get Ziva’s face and smile out of his mind. He needed to see it again. His best bet at doing so was trusting Bennett. Don’t let me down.

  Ziva gripped the steering wheel tightly and continued to look in her mirrors, making sure they weren’t being followed. This journey was one she’d made once a week and had for many years.

  Peering into the backseat, she said, “It’s okay, Myla, we’re almost there.”

  “I’m scared,” Myla replied, her voice cracking.

  “I know you are. But once we’re there, you’ll be safe. No one can hurt you there.” Not even the rich and powerful Alex Henderson.

  “What about my family? He said he’d—” Myla cut herself off, and Ziva could only imagine what Alex had said.

  That bastard threatened your family? God, how cruel can he be? Ziva was getting a pretty good picture of how sick he was. All her hope for him was gone. Just looking at Myla now and seeing the fear in her eyes broke her heart. Ziva didn’t want to think of the horrible things Alex had done to this poor girl. But I promise you, Alex, you’re not going to get away with it.

  “Nothing will happen to your family, Myla. I promise you that.”

  They were almost there, and Ziva turned off the road. Parking behind trees, they needed to make the rest of the way on foot. The brush had grown very high since her father had hidden her away here. Cutting it back wasn’t an option, at times it had become even scarier than it had been before. Hard to believe because things were so bad when I was a child. I never thought it could get worse, but it has. Add drugs on top of the selling of virgins, and we are the lowest place to visit, never mind raise a family.

  Ziva had the opportunity to leave Tabiq years ago. She couldn’t bring herself to do it. Even though she no longer had any family here, it was still her home, the place of her birth. If there were any chance, even a small one of making Tabiq a better place, she’d stay and try.

  “We’re almost there,” Ziva said, glancing at Myla.

  “Where are we going?”

  “A place I stayed when I was young.” A place I still come to regularly.

  “You mean so no one took you?” Myla asked.

  “Yes.” It was sad so many girls understood their fate and had no choice but to accept it. Most of them were used for a night or two then sent back to their families. It was only James Henderson who flew the women out of Tabiq and returned months later. No one knew what or where they’d been taken. Everyone was too scared to ask, and the girls knew better than to say. Ziva had to make Myla understand how lucky she was. If she hadn’t been there to stop Alexander, Myla could be on her way to God knows where by now.

  When they came to the cabin, everything looked quiet and abandoned. She stopped at the edge of the clearing and listened. She could hear the wind blowing through the surrounding trees but nothing else. Just the way it should be.

  Myla ran up from behind Ziva and took hold of her hand. She gave it a light supportive squeeze. “You’re going to like it here. It’s very . . . peaceful.”

  When she was here it was also lonely, as no one came by except her father to bring supplies. That wasn’t the case now. The cabin appeared to be vacant, but it was far from the truth. There were five young girls hidden away inside. They were all younger than Myla so they hadn’t yet experienced what she had. Yet, they all shared similar fears.

  Stopping outside the cabin, she turned to Myla and said, “You’ll find girls here who also are away from their families. They have not suffered . . . at the hands of a man like Mr. Henderson, but they also can’t leave this hiding place, or they will. You must not ever leave or tell another living soul about it. If you do, your fate will also become theirs. Do you understand?”

  Myla looked at the cabin then back to Ziva. “You mean they are all still . . .”

  “Innocent?” Myla nodded. “Yes, they are. Help me so we can keep them that way.”

  “How old are they?” Myla asked.

  “The youngest is fourteen and the oldest sixteen. In a few years, they’ll be of age to . . . to be taken.”

  Myla l
ooked at Ziva questioningly. “You do this? Help protect girls from being sold?”

  Ziva nodded. “I try. There are only a few here, and so many more girls I couldn’t help.”

  “But you’re helping some. That is the beginning, Ziva. You know what they’ll do to you if you get caught?”

  Ziva knew all too well. It was a risk worth taking as far as she was concerned. “I do.”

  Myla pulled herself up tall and said confidently, “I want to be part of that. I want to help too. Just like you.”

  “Thank you, Myla. You can help. These girls need someone to look after them. To look up to. You can be that for them.”

  “I would like that. But what about Mr. Henderson?”

  “He won’t find you here. No one will.”

  “He’ll worry what happened to me. I promised him I wouldn’t leave, and I broke my word.”

  Ziva didn’t understand why Myla was so concerned about Alexander. He seemed to have her so scared; she had misplaced loyalty to him. After a few days of seeing he couldn’t hurt her any longer, she’d settle down and change that worry into anger or hate. Emotions she really should be displaying. She wasn’t a psychologist so she could only go on how she’d feel if Alexander had taken her by force. There’s no way in hell I would be defending him. Stringing him up by his balls, yes, defending, no. All Ziva could do was be there for Myla when she did break.

  It hadn’t been easy gaining the trust of even the girls she had. Convincing them to trust her and leave their parents was no small feat, but she had. Ziva had to believe she’d be able to reach Myla too. She came with me here. That’s a start.

  “Can you please do me a favor?” Myla asked.

  “Of course. What do you need?” Ziva would do anything she could to help Myla through this difficult time.

  “I need you to go back to the hotel and tell Mr. Henderson I’m sorry.”

  Ziva almost jumped out of her skin. Myla was in worse shape than she thought. “You do not owe him anything, Myla. What he’s done is wrong. Whatever he told you to make you think you deserved to be treated in such a manner is a lie. He had absolutely no right to take advantage of you as he did.”

  Ziva hadn’t meant for her voice to rise as it had, but she was angry for Myla. She had every intention of going back to the hotel, but it sure wasn’t going to be to apologize to that bastard.

  The cabin door opened and the other girls came out to see what the shouting was about. Ziva turned to see some of them about to burst into tears. All this time, she’d come and held things together. Things seemed out of control.

  Taking a deep breath, she said in a calmer tone, “It’s okay. I’m not angry at Myla. I’m just angry at someone else who . . . disappointed me. Don’t worry. You’re okay here. He won’t come.”

  Only then did they begin to settle down. Slowly, one by one, the girls came over to stand by her. “This is Myla. She’s going to be staying with you now. When I’m not here, she’s in charge, so you need to listen to what she says.”

  “Myla, my name is Cali. Do you know how to read?”

  Myla smiled. “Yes, I do. My father taught me. Do you know how?”

  Cali shook her head. “No. I had no father, and my mother didn’t know how. Can you teach me?”

  Myla reached out, took Cali by the hand, and headed into the cabin. “Why don’t we go inside and start right away?”

  The other girls grabbed the supplies Ziva had brought and helped carry them inside. Ziva stood there, looking at the cabin. What was once a place she hated, now was one of hope, and at times like this, even joy. Thank you, Papa. Thanks for giving me a chance to carry on what you started.

  Chapter Six

  ‡

  “No one has seen them? That’s impossible. Myla is young, and they might be able to get her to go with them quietly, but Ziva? She’d have gone down kicking and screaming.” She might be tiny, but damn she’s no pushover.

  “I agree with you. That leaves only one scenario,” Bennett said.

  “Which is?”

  “Ziva took Myla.”

  Alex wouldn’t lie. That had crossed his mind, but only briefly. Ziva never would’ve risked Myla’s life like that. “That doesn’t make any sense. Ziva knows if Myla is caught running away, she could be put to death. Why would she take her?”

  “Simple. Ziva is trying to protect Myla from you.”

  Me? Oh, God. “She thinks I really—”

  “I’d say so, since they’re both gone. Now, all we need to do is find out where Ziva would feel safe enough that she’d take Myla. Everything I found out about her so far says she’s a gentle, caring soul.”

  You weren’t out on our date. She talked about prisons and death sentences. Or maybe she just saves that kind of talk for me. The me she believes deserves it. “Did you find out where she lives?”

  “Yes, and she’s not there. I even found her family home. No one has been there in years.”

  “Any friends or family?” There had to be someone who knew more about her than he did.

  “She keeps to herself when she’s not working. I can guarantee she didn’t take Myla to the police station. That department is so deep in this mess; she’d have been a fool to go there.”

  That puzzled Alex. Why work there if they’re so bad? Ziva became more complex as each moment passed. She was charming and beautiful, so being alone had to be a choice. Lack of friends also a choice. Working for the lion’s den is what threw him. Surely there were other options for employment.

  “Bennett, what exactly did she have access to at the police department?”

  “Records.”

  That gave her the perfect place to gather information on what was happening. And how she’d known I was here. It would explain why she followed me from the airport. She knew who I was from the beginning.

  “Are you sure she’s not something more for them?”

  “Like what?”

  “A detective.”

  Bennett laughed. “From what you told me about her, she’s no detective or spy.”

  “I may have been wrong. Thinking back, I might’ve been a bit distracted to have noticed a few things.”

  “Great. We’re here in a hostile country with our lives on the line, and you’re too busy to notice if the person in the next room is friend or foe?”

  Alex could hear the anger in Bennett’s voice, but it didn’t bother him. There were bigger things on his mind. I need to know they’re both safe.

  “Bennett, you do a hell of a lot of bragging, so it’s time to deliver. I want to know where they are within the next twelve hours.”

  Bennett laughed. “I don’t remember being on your payroll. You’ll have your answers. I’m just not sure you’ll like them.”

  The call disconnected. Alex knew he’d pushed Bennett’s buttons. He needed to remind himself he wasn’t some hired guy. Bennett was going to be his brother-in-law, the father of his soon-to-be nephew or niece. For as much as he pushed, he had to ensure Bennett made it back to Boston, back to Zoey, safe and sound. He’s not any more expendable than Ziva or Myla. Not in Zoey’s eyes, and I can’t forget that.

  Bennett could handle himself in any situation. If things became too hot, he’d bypass Alex in a heartbeat and call for backup. That knowledge should piss him off, yet Alex knew it wasn’t just his own ass he was protecting if Bennett made such a call.

  The room phone rang. Alex was tempted to ignore it but doing so might bring a knock on the door instead.

  Picking up the receiver, he said, “Henderson here.”

  “Mr. Henderson. I’m checking to see if your delivery was to your liking?” the manager asked.

  Alex couldn’t believe the audacity the guy had to check on such a thing. They literally treated the women here with no worth, except for the good old-fashioned dollar they brought in. I’m going to enjoy bringing your ass down.

  “Everything is fine. I’d prefer we not be disturbed again. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Extremely.
Sorry for the interruption. Good day.”

  Alex hung up. It would buy him some time, but he was sure housekeeping would want to come in, and there also was room service for food. Shit. They are going to expect us to eat.

  Immediately Alex rang down and placed an order for two. “We will be occupied, so please knock and leave the cart outside the door.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He took a quick shower as the heat of the day was already here. When he returned, he hoped the food had arrived. He was starving but would settle for a cup of coffee. The day was half over and off to a rough start. It seemed like it wasn’t going to change anytime soon, so he might as well rest up for the fight he knew was coming. There was a single knock on his door. Wrapped in only a towel, he went over and opened it. Sure enough, the rolling table set for two sat outside his door.

  Alex opened the door wide and dragged the cart inside. Then he locked the door again and slipped the chain across the top. It wouldn’t stop anyone for long, but if things went south, it might buy him a few seconds.

  He was just about to sit down and eat when he heard the door in the next room open and close. Fuck. I didn’t shut the adjoining room door. He grabbed the only thing he could think of, a table knife, and headed for the other room. Whoever you are, if you’re not packing then you’re done.

  Entering the room with the knife clearly displayed in front of him, he stopped abruptly as Ziva gasped only inches away.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

  He grabbed her arm and pulled her close, never letting the knife drop. “I should ask you the same thing. Where is Myla?”

  Ziva held her head up high and said, “Someplace you’ll never find her.”

  Alex was torn between relieved to see Ziva and wanting to wring her pretty little neck. “You had no right to take her from here. Do you know the danger she’s in now?”

  Ziva laughed. “Less than with you.”

  He lowered the knife and tossed it onto her bed. Then he let go of her. Alex ran his hand through his hair and said, “You don’t know anything about what’s going on, Ziva.”