Chapter 1 #3
Trent nodded. “Yeah, don’t bother with theatrics. We know what kind of assholes you are,” he stated, “so don’t even try to get out of that shit.”
The most-recent prisoner didn’t say anything, but stared around, his mind busy, as if trying to figure out how to get out of here.
Trent immediately double-checked his bonds, then walked away with Oakley and asked him, “Did you figure out where he came from?”
“Under the boat, over on the other side. Sorry, we didn’t catch it sooner.”
“It’s all right.” Trent nodded. “Let’s just make sure we don’t have any more surprises. At least we have three alive and one awake. I suggest we let him stew for a little bit and then have a talk with him.”
“He won’t talk,” Oakley suggested.
“He might not, but he does speak English, so we’re about his best chance right now. Once the sub gets here, you and I both know the chances of getting anything out of him will be pretty slim.”
“Good point. Give him a few minutes, and then we’ll have that talk,” Oakley announced, with a great deal of pleasure in his expression.
*
Naomi huddled as close as she could to Ricky, both of them wrapped up in blankets but still connected by the goddamn cables.
She couldn’t believe their kidnappers had used these massive cables to restrain the two of them.
She was 125 pounds, and Ricky was maybe 40 pounds at the most. He was frail, always had been, but he was well-loved, and that was important.
With a good beginning, plus care and consideration from his parents, he could become so much stronger, but he would likely never enjoy the robust health that everybody else in the family seemingly had.
Ricky had been looking forward to this trip.
He so rarely saw his parents, much less his two brothers.
She had no idea what happened to his family that day on the dock.
She could only hope that they were okay because, without them, she wasn’t sure Ricky would even give enough of a damn to fight for his own health.
He excelled at his schoolwork, and he once told her how it was easy for him. So she was obviously happy to hear that because he didn’t have to struggle. He was such a precious person, and she loved him dearly.
She would so miss him when this job was over, but she really wanted him home, safe and sound, with the chance to actually thrive.
Those assholes, when they had put the cables on them, didn’t care, not one bit that Ricky was freezing, nor that the steel had cut into his little body, chafing his skin raw, didn’t care that he was obviously suffering.
It was all about taking care of themselves.
She would never forgive them anytime soon, if ever.
Suddenly two more of her saviors checked out the cables wrapped around her and Ricky.
One of the men gave her a reassuring smile. “We have more help coming,” he told her, his tone light. “We’ll get these off, don’t worry.”
“You guys keep saying that,” she muttered, “but, at this point, I need a little more than reassurance.”
“Soon, I promise.”
He returned with a hot drink for her a little later. She stared at it eagerly, then wondered what was in it.
He shook his head. “It’s just black tea, but it’s warm, and it should help.”
“Yet it won’t help Ricky. He must be conscious to drink anything right now,” she whispered, trying to still her shivering.
“I know you don’t believe me, but we’re about to get that kind of help very soon.”
She grimaced, but then her eyes widened, and she gasped. Right beside them, sending the small yacht rocking, was a huge submarine. She stared dumbfounded, then turned to Ricky. “Oh, Ricky, if only you were awake,” she cried out, “you would absolutely love this.”
But Ricky remained silent, almost comatose.
She had no idea what was even wrong with him at this point, but she was petrified that he couldn’t come back from this.
As soon as she watched the hatch on the submarine open up, she heard murmurs from the prisoners as they realized just how cooked they were.
She was delighted that they would get what’s coming to them after what they had done to that little boy.
She hoped they would be punished forever.
She’d never thought of herself as a vengeful person, but, right now, all she wanted was to make them suffer for what they’d done to Ricky.
Two men stepped out of the sub with welding equipment, bringing it on board the small yacht. They smiled gently at her, announcing, “It’s okay. We’ll have you out of here quickly.”
She just nodded, unsure that she believed anybody anymore, but again she hoped that they could at least do something; anything would do at this point.
The other men held up blankets as a shield around her and Ricky. She stayed huddled under her own blanket, trying not to overthink things, staying hopeful as they went at the cables. When the first one collapsed around her, tears filled her eyes, but she was more anxious about Ricky.
When the second cable dropped, and they pulled back the shields and came around to help her up, she was reaching for Ricky instead.
His body was limp, his head rolled to the side, and he never made a sound.
With him in her arms, she let them help her along, as they led her to the main part of the boat, away from the front where she’d been tied.
Everybody cheered as she was released. She smiled and whispered, “Thank you.”
The one man, who had called himself Trent, stepped forward and said, “Hopefully that feels better.”
“Loads better,” she whispered, almost choking on her words, “but Ricky needs medical attention.”
He nodded. “A medical team is waiting on the sub.” When she stared at him in surprise, he smiled.
“We have a full medical contingent there,” he shared.
“We’ll get Ricky assessed and airlifted to the hospital.
I’m sorry that it took us so long to get you out of those cables, but we were doing the best we could. ”
She nodded.
Trent added, “I’ll have to carry him.”
When she hesitated, he just waited. Finally she sighed and conceded, “You can carry him, but I’m staying with him.”
“That’s fine,” he stated. “Come along, but watch your step.”