Chapter Two
The sun beat down on Jane’s shoulders. Their group shuffled down an uneven, sand-baked path, surrounded by their arguing captors. At least she thought they were arguing. Maybe they were just hot and angry like she was.
She didn’t know where they were going, but they had to get there soon. Dax had already spoken to the leader of the armed group, an impossibly tall man in a long, dark tunic, and agreed to pay a ransom. Rescue or arrangements home should come at any time.
The armed man behind Jane shoved her and shouted words she couldn’t understand but had deciphered as move faster.
“We’re trying.” She grabbed onto Teddy’s hand. The little boy tried to look over his shoulder, but Jane pulled him close. “Hurry. It’ll be okay. But hurry.” She’d told him the same thing so often that she felt like a broken record.
The heat was baking them alive. Jane finally realized why their captors were covered from head to toe in long robes, fabric, head wraps, and veils—they had to block the sun.
What she would have done for a sun hat or a robe from the locals.
Sweat soaked her clothes. Her tank top and shorts clung to her body, and she readjusted the straps fruitlessly to give her more coverage.
It didn’t matter. The blistering sun scalded her fair skin.
They stumbled across the dirt, tripping over bushes and stones, and approached a meager patch of shade from a long-ago-burned-out bus. Dax’s upbeat suggestion that they stop was rebuffed. The photographer clicked a quick picture.
Gigi threw herself to the ground. “I can’t go any farther.”
The photographer clicked again. Maybe it was the rising heat or the hazy and out-of-reach way the only signs of possible civilization loomed in the distance, but Jane couldn’t help but think of Gigi as though she were acting in a soap opera.
The men ordered their group to stop abruptly, shoving them toward the carcass of a burned-out bus. Maybe Jane shouldn’t have knocked Gigi’s theatrics. They now had a slip of shade and could rest.
Jane crouched to Teddy’s level. “This will make an interesting story to share when school starts.”
“I’m thirsty,” Teddy croaked.
“I know. Me too, and we can get a drink soon.” She pushed his sweaty hair from his forehead, wishing she didn’t have to lie. She had no idea when their captors would offer drinks again. She’d learned the hard way not to ask first.
“When?” he asked.
“I don’t know, baby.” She tried to sound optimistic. “It should be soon.”
Teddy pouted and held his arms out. “Will you cuddle me?”
“Of course.” Lord knew his parents weren’t going to offer. She sat on the ground and cradled Teddy in her lap. The sand and rocks under her legs were hotter than hell. Teddy’s body heat made her feel worse, but they both needed someone to hold on to. “Everything will be fine. Don’t worry.”
She blinked in the bright sun and studied the men.
Their heads and faces were completely wrapped, leaving only their eyes visible.
They held huge guns, and two of the men wore bandoliers of bullets around their chests.
Their conversation seemed tense. Then again, what did she know?
They mostly communicated through angry shouts. Maybe that was just their way.
Slowly, Jane shifted to glance at her employer.
Dax rubbed the tips of his fingers together and regarded the men curiously, as if this was a history lesson.
He almost looked confused. But maybe he was unhappy they didn’t know his company’s commercials.
She wasn’t sure he even understood the severity of what they were up against.
Gigi breezed over as she fanned her face and smiled down at Teddy. “Don’t worry. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry.”
Joe’s camera clicked as he captured the moment. “Nice shot.”
Jane wanted to pull Teddy away and hide, but they had nowhere to go. She whispered the same words as Gigi against his temple. They all seemed to be speaking words of encouragement again and again. Except Dax. The only thing he repeated was, “Well, this is what our ransom insurance is for!”
Jane wanted to punch him in the nose. Especially when he followed up each time with a huge laugh.
Teddy turned toward the two men. Their lively conversation morphed from terse words into shouts. He grasped her hand tighter. “Why are they fighting?”
“Everything will be okay.” Jane managed the non-answer, wondering if she actually believed it. Deep down, she had a sinking feeling they were well and truly fucked.
She glanced at Joe-the-photographer, wondering why he was so calm. Jane couldn’t understand how he’d been allowed to keep his camera or why he risked the occasional photograph. They were all crazy!
Dax acted as if the danger was all part of the fun. Even Gigi didn’t seem that worried. Surprisingly enough, she seemed more bothered by the heat and lack of water than frightened. Maybe the heat made her irrational. Or, maybe she was still coasting on her Xanax-wine spritzers.
Jane would have preferred Gigi’s antics to this oh-well attitude. Why didn’t she yell at their captors? Where was her big escape? Though the barren landscape didn’t offer anywhere to go.
Ahead of them, the remnants of what looked like an abandoned city grew larger as they walked.
She mopped sweat off her forehead. It was nearly midday, and the sun felt like fire.
Her throat was so dry. She would’ve killed for a bottle of water and sunscreen.
Her skin burned, and poor Teddy’s cheeks were as red as strawberries.
They’d been forced to leave almost everything on the plane.
The three men with guns marched off, still arguing, sandals spitting up puffs of dust as they walked.
Dax carefully slid over to the photographer. “Joe,” he murmured, “you getting all this?”
Joe nodded, patting his beaten brown rucksack that he’d been allowed to take. It hadn’t had anything useful like sun protection, food, or water. Just his stupid camera equipment.
Jane eyed the bag and the awkward way Joe positioned it, then noticed the bag had a small hole. Joe was pointing the opening in the direction of the men. Was that a hidden video camera? Is he fucking televising this? Live-streaming it on Twitter? For what? She gnashed her teeth.
Gigi sighed loudly as though she needed everyone’s attention. “Dax, I don’t like this anymore.”
Yeah, me neither, lady. Maybe the wine spritzer was wearing off and Gigi had just opened her eyes. Because this was a pretty easy trip to hate. Jane and Teddy hadn’t been keen on it since before they landed.
“It’ll be fine!” Dax’s eyes were wide and wild.
Jane slumped. Whenever Dax rode an adrenaline wave, she knew to buckle her seatbelt and hang on. But how much longer could the man remain excited and oblivious?
“I mean it, Dax.” Gigi fanned herself. “I don’t think you’re quite gripping this. Those men are carrying guns. Real guns.”
Versus what? Fake guns? Jane managed not to roll her eyes. At least someone else besides her now seemed to know that they were in deep shit and rapidly sinking deeper.
“I didn’t realize it would be so—rustic.” Gigi looked over at Jane. “I think Teddy’s frightened.”
Dax brushed dirt from his white linen shirt. “Relax. Guns or not, nothing’ll happen to us.”
Gigi pursed her lips and sighed heavily again before turning to her husband. “What if something goes wrong?”
Hello? Something has gone very wrong, Jane wanted to scream. Instead, she kissed Teddy’s temple.
“In case you forgot,” Dax pointed out, “we’re worth a hell of a lot of money to them. They won’t hurt us.”
“But Teddy,” Gigi whined, clinging to her new interest in her son.
Dax kneeled in front of Teddy and faked a punch to his shoulder. “You’re okay, right, buddy? My big man?”
Teddy straightened in Jane’s arms and smiled hopefully at his father. He rarely got Dax’s attention and was over the moon when it happened.
“Great.” Mollified, Dax winked at his wife. “He’s fine.”
Gigi’s lips thinned. “Filtered ice water would be nice.”
Jane almost snorted. Filtered and cold would be a little more than nice… Jane wondered what the symptoms of heatstroke were as she watched Gigi pout.
“We can’t always get what we want.” Dax rubbed a finger over his teeth, then wiped the shine from his tanned forehead as though he wanted to look nice for his public.
Obviously, they both were having heatstroke problems. Or! The joke was on her and Teddy. Gigi and Dax had forced them unknowingly to take part in a reality television show. An odd spring of hope quickened Jane’s pulse.
It wouldn’t be totally unheard of for either Gigi or Dax to act absolutely insane. Maybe their whole thing, from capture to caravan to the ransom, was just an act. Maybe the men with guns were just actors that Dax had hired. This could all be a publicity stunt!
Optimism surged. Insanity ruled the roost at the Thane residences. They might be a few minutes away from ice-cold water and a luxury suite in a hotel. At least, Jane hoped.
She peered around, hoping to see a poorly hidden camera crew, complementing the closeups Joe had managed. The crew would pop out after all of this was over, hand them ice-cold drinks and snacks, and tell them, “You should’ve seen your faces!”
She held her breath, waiting. No such luck.
Teddy stirred from her lap and found a stick.
“Good idea,” Jane encouraged.
He drew pictures in the sand. A circle, a house, then a T for Teddy.
Jane leaned over and kissed the top of Teddy’s head. Despite the hours trudging through hell, she could still smell the faint lemon shampoo from the bath she’d given him right before they left.
He wrote the E backward and asked, “Everything’s okay, right, Janie?”
“Oh, yes. I’m sure,” she lied. Her hopefulness plummeted as the secret camera crew failed to appear.
A quick, loud rat-a-tat-tat rang out, somewhere near the city in the distance. It echoed across the desert plain and pinched at her heart. Gunfire.
“Is everything still okay?” Teddy asked again.
“Yes, baby.” Again, she lied. “I’m sure.”
But now she was nearly certain this wasn’t one of their games. A camera crew wouldn’t pop out from behind the burned-out bus. Gigi and Dax wouldn’t joke about their ransom insurance. Things were most definitely not all right.