13. Grace
13
Grace
C lack.
Thud.
Clack.
The repetitive pacing moved from one end of my darkened shed to the next, like clockwork, as if it counted down the days to my execution—which would no doubt be my fate.
The man, who'd been stationed at my door for the last few days, pivoted, then marched in the opposite direction, each booted step blocking the staggered light breaching the slight crack at the bottom.
Each foot passing sent a small breeze billowing through, which caressed the sweat lining my brow.
My sweat soaked my clothing, leaving me as wet now as I was when I came in.
" Quítate ."
Elias.
He's coming.
I sat upright, my dirty, bare heels scraping against the flooring. My knees tucked under my chin, my arm wrapping tight around them.
The stench stirred in the air, my body odor pungent to my senses.
My chain rattled, giving away my corner position, and the constant dull ache in my shoulder evaporated with the twist in my gut.
Not again.
The door handle jiggled and swung open, stealing my breath with the motion.
" Buenos días , Grace. Did you sleep well? "
I shook my head, my teeth digging into my bottom lip, and sighed as a cool breeze danced across my damp skin.
"Shame."
Elias grabbed the back of the chair in my square cell and pulled.
Skreeeech.
The chair grated against the floor, echoing in the tiny room.
He stopped, placed the chair in the center, and sat.
Throwing his ankle off his knee, he sat upright as though he were in a proper meeting, his hands pooled in his lap with fingers laced together.
"Where's Andrés, Grace?"
A man walked in behind him and grabbed my bucket of filth, and replaced it with another before leaving.
I frowned, the heat scorching my warm cheeks.
Javier slipped into the room, a bottle of water clutched in his hand, just like he did every morning.
I drew in a deep breath through my nose, taking in the earthy aroma of damp grass—my singular moment of fresh air.
Javier dropped the drink at my feet with a plastic plop.
Lunging, I snatched the warm water bottle and twisted the stubborn lid. A whimper poured from my lips, my arms weak, my belly gurgling. "I can't tell you."
Javier marched forward in two strides.
I dropped the water bottle, flinching back into my protective ball, my face buried in my knees, my hands covering my head.
Crack.
"Here." He nudged my arm with the bottle, and I lifted my head.
Javier stood with the bottle outstretched, the lid tossed to the floor.
I snatched it without thought and downed the first gulp. "Thank you."
"How long do you think you can continue this?" Elias narrowed his gaze at me which left me as parched as the arid desert.
I shrugged as I lifted the water to my lips again and guzzled it down.
The tepid water slid down my throat, caressing it with a comforting, heavenly embrace.
Elias shifted in his seat, the wood creaking beneath him as he uncrossed his leg. His polished shoe made a subtle, purposeful connection with the ground.
He leaned in, his eyes piercing and insistent, and snapped his fingers .
Javier disappeared out the door.
"Where is Andrés?"
I swallowed the mouthful of water and shook my head. "I can't tell you."
Elias scrunched his chin with a slight nod and stood. "Okay."
My heart leaped into my throat as he retreated through the door.
That's it?
A moment later, Javier stepped into the room with a hose.
High-powered water blasted me in the face, my bruised nose and cheek stinging from the water spray biting into my skin.
I screamed and gargled on water as it shot to the back of my throat, choking on the inhale. I drew up my hands and let the spray batter my palms.
"Stop."
The dried blood on my forehead washed down my face, and the crusted crimson patch on my shirt spread past my breasts as the water soaked through my clothes.
"Tell me where he is."
He moved the water spray across my body, pelting every sore muscle, bruise, and ache.
"I can't tell you."
Water pooled beneath me, soaking the child-sized tattered blanket they called bedding.
He shut the water off, tossed the hose outside, and slammed the door behind him, plunging me into frigid darkness.
Water dripped off my hair and nose. My muscles quivered as uncontrollable shakes wracked my body.
Sobs broke through as I huddled in the corner, my hair plastered to my face. My shoulder shuddered, and my belly growled in stern protest.
Why is he doing this?
Why is Andrés so important to him?
A whirring motor fired up outside of the door, grabbing my attention.
What the hell was that?
The far wall across from me jerked inward.
My heart stopped, and a slight case of vertigo caused me to teeter.
"What's happening?"
I slammed my hand against the wall behind me. The wall slid again as though it were sliding into the room like an RV wall, getting ready to hit the road.
"Stop." My voice broke from a whisper, my heart racing the air into my lungs. "Stop. "
The wall drew closer, hitting the chair in the middle of the room and sliding the chair's feet with a slight screech . The clean bucket clanged as the moving wall tipped it over.
Oh my God.
No.
He's going to crush me to death.
I pressed my back up tight against the far wall when the death trap slowed to a stop.
My ragged, wheezing breaths filled the smaller space around me. My shoulder sagged as I tipped my head back and leaned against the wall.
Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the water soaking my skin, my rib a stitch in my side.
The door flew open, and Elias walked in, his calm demeanor like nails on a chalkboard to my nerves.
"Let's try this again."
I coughed and winced.
"Where is Andrés?"
My teeth clenched as my stomach churned. "I can't..." Please don't make me tell you.
"That's not an acceptable answer."
I sunk in on myself, my hands tucked under my chin as if in silent prayer. "I'm sorry." A chill traveled down my spine as intrusive images of my death played a wicked movie in my mind.
"How do you think he'll repay you for your loyalty? Money? A house? Maybe he'll let you go for good? Is that what you are hoping for?" He leaned in. "Or maybe he'll string you up and let the birds peck at your bones."
I winced. "You don't know what you’re talk—"
"Then enlighten me." He rolled his wrist as he sat again. "Tell me why."
Should I tell him?
Would it help him understand the position it put me in?
I shook my hanging head. "It doesn't matter."
The chair screeched, and I glanced up through my lashes, my heart patterning with chaos.
"I just want to go home, Elias." I clenched my lips closed as he paused near the door, his name a foreign power on my tongue.
"My men are restless and needy." He gripped the side of the doorway, then looked back at me over his shoulders. "If you don't want to be useful…"
My stomach plummeted like a stone tumbling from the highest tower, a nauseating whirlpool of dread and unease churning in its wake. "Then you're no better than him ."
He smiled as he faced me. "Who told you I was?"
I squeezed my eyes shut as an icy chill clawed down my flesh, leaving a shiver in its wake.
"Remember, you just have to answer my one question to end it all."
The door slammed shut with a deafening clang, the reverberations echoing through the oppressive darkness like a malevolent symphony. My surroundings were instantly consumed by the inky void, leaving me enveloped in a profound and suffocating blackness.
A fragile, heart-wrenching sob slipped past my quivering lips.
Don't cry. Don't cry.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat a stubborn obstruction. My hand clamped over my mouth like a vice, and I drew in a slow, measured breath through my nostrils—my eyes rolled back, and I descended further into the sanctuary of my safe space.
Nerves retreated from the wet floor, and my mind emptied, leaving me a soul trapped within an immobilized body—adrift in a void of existence, devoid of sensation or emotion.