Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Josie stared at the small black device for what seemed like hours. Nate hadn’t moved since lying down, and finally she moved across the cell and snatched it up before returning to her place at the wall.
Glancing at what looked like an AirPod but smaller, memories rushed over her, almost painful in their intensity. How she’d used something like this on the plane ride to Kuwait. The music she’d listened to. How na?ve and carefree she’d been, with no idea of the hell that awaited her.
Closing the door firmly on her memories, Josie put the device in her ear. She heard nothing. No static. No one talking. Nothing.
Looking over at Nate, she bit her lip and thought about what he’d done. His people were there to rescue him. He could’ve left hours ago. But he hadn’t. He’d stayed. Because of her . Thinking about what he’d done made her chest hurt. Even knowing he was probably going to be freaking waterboarded, he’d actually told his friend, teammate, whatever, to come back later, when they had a plan to get her out too.
It was overwhelming. Unbelievable.
She wanted to trust that rescue really was on the way. But given how her life had gone lately, she was still having a hard time wrapping her head around how much things had changed from the day-to-day boredom and terror she’d experienced for who the hell knew how long.
For the first time in weeks, she allowed herself to think that maybe, just maybe, she’d get out of here. It was likely she’d probably die in the escape attempt, but if she was going to die here anyway, she’d rather die doing anything she could to escape the people who’d locked her away than simply give up and fade into obscurity, with no one ever knowing where she went.
Not that she had too many people back home who’d bother filing a missing person’s report. Maybe the guy she worked for would wonder why she’d never reported back in after her vacation. But he probably just assumed she’d decided to quit. And she hadn’t told anyone where she was going, because she didn’t have anyone close enough to really care.
If someone investigated, they’d see that she’d used her passport and entered Kuwait, but what could a police officer from the US do? Nothing. Someone would have to talk to the Kuwaiti police, and they probably weren’t too concerned about a missing American woman.
But the Army should’ve missed Ayden. They’d have done an investigation, and maybe, just maybe, they would’ve found out about her. But then again, she and Ayden hadn’t hung out with any of his military buddies after her arrival. That was yet another red flag she’d ignored.
Trying to stop beating herself up for the decisions she’d made in the past, which she couldn’t change now, Josie concentrated on the present. There wasn’t much water in the cup after giving what she’d had to Nate, but she picked it up and swallowed the mouthful that had accumulated. She needed all the help she could get if she’d be expected to run when she got out of her cell.
How the hell were they getting out though? Josie had no idea how that was going to go down. Would his friends dress like their captors and literally come through the door? Would they shoot their way inside? How would they unlock the cells?
She had so many questions and no answers, so she did what she’d done over the last few weeks to try to stay sane. She closed her eyes and retreated deep within herself. It was easier to be numb and think about nothing than about all the horrible things that had already happened, and might still happen in the future.
Jerking awake, Josie had no idea how much time had passed, but once again there were men in Nate’s cell. This time they had no chair, but one man held Nate’s feet against the floor, another held one arm and a third held the other.
The man who spoke English was there as well. “You wanted some water?” he asked with an evil smile. “We’ll give it to you.”
A fourth man knelt at Nate’s head and covered his face with a filthy towel, pulling it tight—and the leader proceeded to pour a bucket of water over the cloth.
Josie had never seen anyone waterboarded before. Didn’t even know how one went about torturing someone with the technique, but she was getting a firsthand education now.
It went on for what seemed like forever. She could hear Nate gasping for air under the wet towel as water was poured over the top again and again. It pooled on the concrete floor under him, creeping over into her cell as well.
Inside, Josie was screaming in horror. Nate was drowning right in front of her, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it! She could draw attention to herself somehow, but what good would that do? Instinctively, she knew it wouldn’t do anything. These men were enjoying themselves too much to let anything stop them.
And they weren’t even asking Nate any questions. They were simply torturing him to torture him, because they could. And the fact that he’d voluntarily put himself in this situation was what hurt Josie the most. He could’ve been long gone from here. And yet, he’d stayed, knowing this torture was coming.
It was more than she could bear. Closing her eyes, feeling cowardly, she did her best to block out the sight and sound of Nate’s suffering.
Finally, finally , the men seemed to get tired of messing with their captive. The guy who spoke English whipped the towel off Nate’s face and sneered down at him. “Had enough?” he asked.
“Enough,” Nate croaked.
His response seemed to please the leader tremendously.
“Maybe in a few hours you will answer our questions,” he said. “If not?” He shrugged. “We can have some more fun. How long will you last, I wonder? ”
Nate stayed silent, which was a relief for Josie. She had a feeling he wanted to cuss the guy out. Tell him to bring it on. But he didn’t say a word, simply glared at his torturer.
The man who seemed to be in charge laughed, then gestured for his men to follow him out of the cell.
At the last minute, before the door to the cell closed, Nate said, “Thanks for the water. I needed that.”
The leader looked furious when he spun around. He strode toward Nate and began to kick him. Over and over his foot made contact with Nate’s body. He’d curled himself into a ball to try to protect his head, but he wasn’t able to keep the blows from landing everywhere else.
Blood mixed with the water on the floor, turning it a sick color of pink.
“Fuckin’ Americans!” the man said, then spat on Nate before turning and slamming his cell door shut. Before he left the room, he told Nate, “I think next time, we’ll start with her . See how long you can hold out when she screams.”
Josie shivered as the man’s words sank in and the door to their prison slammed shut.
“Don’t listen to him,” Nate slurred. “He’s not going to touch you. Give you my word.”
She wasn’t so sure. If the leader came back, there wasn’t anything he could do from his side of the cell. But his words still made her feel a little better.
“Anything from my team?” Nate asked, pointing to his ear.
Josie was confused for a moment, then realized he wanted to know if she’d heard anything through the receiver in her ear. She shook her head.
“Okay. Give me a little bit to get my bearings, and I’ll take that receiver back. It won’t be long now, hear me, Spirit? We’ll be out of here drinking a pink drink with an umbrella in it before you know it.”
Josie didn’t smile. She couldn’t. Nate might’ve made light of what just happened, but she’d heard his gasps for breath. Had seen the panic in his eyes when the towel was removed from his face. He’d been through hell…for her .
Moving before she knew what she was doing, Josie scooted to the bars that separated their cells. She held her hand out toward him, not even sure what she was doing or asking of him.
Amazingly, Nate maneuvered himself slowly across the floor, through the pooled water, toward her. To her shock, when he got close enough, he put his cheek on her outstretched hand. His beard was surprisingly soft against her palm.
He sighed. A long sound that seemed to reach out and grab hold of Josie’s heart and squeeze it tight.
He was hurting, that was obvious. And somehow, her touch seemed to relieve some of that pain. They stayed like that for several moments. His cheek resting against her hand, connecting as human beings in a situation that had tried to suck out every ounce of their humanity.
Then Nate lifted his head and pierced her with a fierce look. “We’re getting out of here, Spirit. I’d never let them put one finger on you. I’d do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen, but I won’t have to do anything, because Flash, Smiley, Kevlar, and the others are coming. Soon. I’m going to lie here and try to regain some strength, but I’ll be ready when they arrive. Come hell or high water, we’re getting out of here. Together.”
He couldn’t know the affect his words had on her. His reassurance. His protectiveness. His absolutely certainty that they were going to escape. His vulnerability in admitting his current weakness.
This man had turned her life upside down, and that was saying something, since it was already pretty well fucked.
Okay .
Her mouth had moved with the word, but no sound escaped her throat.
“Okay,” he replied, as if she’d spoken out loud.
Then he stretched out his bound hands toward her. Resting them on the concrete floor, inches from the bars. He closed his eyes, attempting to recover from the torture he’d just endured enough so he’d be ready for whatever his friends were going to do to get them out.
Josie stared at his fingers. A couple looked like they were bent at a funny angle, and his fingernails were just as dirty as hers now. It was that, more than anything, that gave her the courage to reach between the bars once more. She placed her hand over one of his. His skin was warm, while hers felt cold. His fingers twitched but he didn’t grab at her. Didn’t move much at all. Except for his lips. They turned up in a small smile as he lay on the floor of his prison cell.
Now that she’d worked up the courage to touch him, Josie didn’t want to let go. She lowered herself to the floor and kept her hand where it was. Covering his, trying to let him know without words how much his being there meant to her.