Chapter 9
Atortured roar pinged around in her head.
This couldn't be heaven. There wasn't supposed to be pain or tears in heaven.
"Leave her alone." The shout made her head pound. That was Kam. She burned to open her eyes, to scream for him, but her body refused. Why couldn't she move?
Agony scorched through her veins, ripping a high-pitched scream from her throat. And then the pain swallowed her whole, pulling her under again away from Kam.
Drip. Drip.
Taylor swayed back and forth. The scratch of rough fabric rubbed against her skin as she lulled from one side to the other. Where was she?
"Taylor?" Kam's voice broke. Taylor turned her head towards him, but couldn't see a thing. "Thank God," he whispered.
"Where are you?" she managed to push past her dry throat. Her tongue swiped over her cracked lips, a moan escaping when she moved her jaw.
"I'm over here." Kam's voice seemed to be far away.
"Why is it so dark?" Taylor's breaths started coming faster. "Why can't I see?"
"Taylor." The gentleness of Kam's voice anchored her in the swirling despair inside of her. "The lights are all off. We are in a cargo hold. I thought…" Kam's voice cracked. "You didn't wake up for so long. I thought they had killed you."
Taylor's heart broke for the anguish she heard in his. "I know how that feels."
"Taylor, I'm so sorry…"
"Don't, Kam." Taylor interrupted him. "I know now that you didn't have a choice."
"We always have a choice." Defeat rang in his tone.
"Neither choice they gave you would have brought you home right then. You chose to fight everyday since then. Please don't stop fighting now." A tear ran down her cheek. When she moved her arm to swipe it away, she was met with resistance. "I can't move my arms or legs."
"When I woke up you were in restraints attached to a cot." The clink of metal echoed in their darkened prison. She didn't feel metal against her wrist. Was Kam in chains?
"Kam, I…" The door banged open and light flooded into the space- temporarily blinding her.
"I see the delicate flower has finally woken up," Katarina sneered in a thick, accented voice.
"You keep your hands off of her," Kam growled.
Taylor turned her eyes towards Kam's voice.
What the light exposed made her blood go cold.
Kam was chained to the wall with his shirt torn in two, hanging off of his torso.
There was an angry slash across his chest, but it was the scars that littered his body that made the breath shutter from her.
The agony etched in those scars shattered her heart all over again for the man she loved.
He held her gaze communicating his willingness to suffer through it all again if it meant saving her. Her chin quivered as she mouthed, 'I love you.'
"Yes, well, isn't this just a perfect moment." Taylor glared at Katarina. "I see the flower has some thorns. Interesting."
A cool blade ran along Taylor's arm and the sting from the cut forced a whimper from her. "You can do whatever you want to me. Just leave her alone. I'm the one that everyone wants." Kam spoke with conviction like she would let him die before they got a chance to get out of here.
Katarina kackled. "Gregor, or should I call you Kambre?" Kam took a few harsh breaths through his nose. "Yes, I know who you are. It's my job to know my prey."
Kam gave a half laugh. "Don't you know Kambre King is dead?"
"Well then I must know how it is that you are still breathing." Katarina took two long strides to face Kam and yanked his hair back exposing his neck.
Taylor needed to figure a way out of these restraints. She tried to pull her hand through, but the nylon cord wouldn't give one bit. The edge of the strap dug into her skin.
"Lysander wants me alive." Kam strained against Sidorov's hold.
Taylor's eyes widened as Katarina scraped her blade up Kam's throat. "That old man died. Just like you both will."
"Then why don't you just kill us now?" Kam taunted.
Taylor yanked on both of her arms. She needed to get out of here now.
"Maybe I'll start with the federal agent." Katarina sauntered toward Taylor. "She would be a fun one to break." The blade now rested against Taylor's chin. "I'm sure there is some information in this pretty head that would be worth some money."
Taylor curled her top lip. "I'd would rather die than endanger innocent lives."
"Death only comes after you've given me what I need." The slice came quick, but this time Taylor bit down hard to keep the moan from escaping. She would not cower in front of this woman.
"You act all tough, but you've got us tied up. It's hardly a feat to torture someone restrained. I thought someone like you would want the thrill of a hunt."
"Taylor." Kam whispered the warning. She wanted to look at him to give him reassurance that she had a plan, but she couldn't risk taking her eyes off of Katarina.
The trained assassin swung the knife in an arch. Instead of coming after Taylor, her blade found Kam's outer leg. An injury that would bring pain, but not kill him. At least not right away.
Kam only grunted slightly. "I've had worse mosquito bites."
Taylor yanked on the restraints again. This time the knot shifted. If she could just get it to loosen a bit more, she could be free.
"That's enough, Kata. I still need him." A tall blonde woman in combat boots, cargo pants and black jacket walked into the pool of light. Dasha Volkov. How did she get into the United States? A better question, were they still in the United States?
Taylor looked at Kam. Blood ran down his leg still but the wound on his chest was starting to clot. That was a good thing. The cuts on him were about as deep as the ones she had. Intended to inflict pain–not death.
Taylor didn't know what Ian's mother wanted exactly, but the fact that she said she needed Kam gave her hope that they had a bit more time to figure out how to get out of here.
"I don't go anywhere without her," Kam growled.
"Ah, yes. The American Federal Agent. Don't worry. I won't kill her. We are still in American waters. If you do as you're told then she gets to live. Unable to do what I want and Katarina will get to break her."
Dasha drug her finger nail under Taylor's chin, forcing her to look at the woman.
"What is it that you want?" Kam asked. Taylor held her gaze; she would not let her know how terrified she was at the moment.
"Gregor lost my son to the likes of your government." The slap stung but Taylor clenched her jaw against the pain and continued to stare her down.
"Ian got sloppy. He was blinded by revenge that he couldn't see the mistakes he was making." Kam's words turned Dasha's face into a contorted mix of anguish and rage.
"You will restore my son to me, then we will return to Russia and leave this forsaken country behind."
Dasha walked across the room and placed her hand on Katarina's shoulder. "Unchain them and get them some food."
"But he didn't agree to retrieve Ian."
Dasha dug her nails into Katarina's flesh. To Katarina's credit, she didn't flinch. Taylor wanted to be impressed by the show of the assassin's strength, but in reality all she felt was pity that she closed out all emotions. Katarina nodded and Dasha left the room.
"Try anything and I will enjoy hunting you down. This time I won't bother with the foreplay. I will kill you." Sidorov sliced through the restraint of only one of her arms which was fine with her. Taylor would work the other knots.
Taylor looked over to watch Sidorov unchain all but one of Kam's chains. Kam swung out connecting with Katarina's jaw. Horror swelled inside Taylor as she yelled, "Knife!"
Katarina moved with lightning reflexes and slashed Kam in the side. Kam stumbled back, falling against the wall and sliding down, leaving a smear of blood following his descent.
"Kam." Taylor's plea echoed in the chamber, but Katarina wiped the blood on her pants, then walked out of the room, drowning the space in darkness once again.
"That was a good scream there, Taylor." Kam grunted and the sound of metal falling pushed away the agony that was consuming her.
"Kam…" her reply was cut off by Kam's lips on hers. She held on to him with her one free arm. She wasn't sure if she was angry or just relieved that he was alive and free. Kam broke away and reached over her to undo the restraint, a task done by touch given how blind they both were at the moment.
Once her other hand was free, she wrapped her arms around him and let herself just be there for a moment.
She needed to just hold him, to be held by him.
She wasn't sure all of the things he experienced to give him his scars, but she was certain that she’d never get the image of him chained to that wall out of her mind.
Taylor pushed Kam away. "What were you thinking?"
Kam moved to Taylor's ankles and worked on loosening the knots. "I was thinking that I couldn't leave you like this and I needed to get free."
Taylor swung her legs over the edge of the cot so that she sat facing him. "You could have died." Her hand trailed down his side until she reached the gash Katarina gave him. He winced.
"I'll live. We need to make a plan to get out of here." Kam took Taylor's hand and started a perimeter of the room. He tried to recall the details from when the lights were on.
Taylor pulled them to a stop. "I need to treat your injuries."
"I'll be fine. We need to find a way to get off this ship."
"Kambre James King. You won't be dying on my watch." She used his whole name and it only made him smile.
"Let's first find the lights so that you can see to torture me." She smacked his arm. "Too soon?" He laughed then regretted it.
"You think?" She reached forward and the room filled with light. Kam blinked rapidly, taking survey of the room again. "Hold still," Taylor scolded.
She ripped the shirt the rest of the way, wadding it and wrapping it tightly around his waist. "If you wanted to take my shirt off, you could have just asked."