-A Note: Hope everyone is enjoying the episode right now. Her's another chapter. A couple small tweaks, just some better grammar and a sentence or two added. Enjoy!
I drop to my knees as the pain in my ribs becomes unbearable. The heat is not helping matters not to mention the lack of water I'm receiving from my captors. I try to get up quickly before anyone sees, knowing the consequences they inflict on a slave who's slacking on their work. I've seen my fellow soldiers, who were captured with me, get whipped, tortured and killed since I arrived here. I'm the only one left of the six that were dragged here. The agonizing images of each one's death will be forever seared into my brain. I'm not sure how long it has been since I had to watch the last one die, leaving me alone with these awful people. I stood there, forced to watch him get whipped until he finally took his last agonizing breath. 'Come on. Get up,' I think to myself. Just as I get a foot planted on the ground in an effort to stand up, I hear a loud crack accompanied by an immediate stinging force striking my back. The blow of the whip, lays me out on the ground, my face in the dirt. Before I can even think to force myself up, the whip is laid across my back once again. It's in this moment that I realize I'm about to die; all this time alive in this hell hole coming down to this one moment. I force myself to try to forget the pain, knowing it will be over soon. I try to force myself to go to Emily's arms where I can die in peace. But I don't die. I hear a loud crack but the stinking blow never comes and my ears begin to register more loud cracks and booms. It takes me a minute to recognize the sound: gunfire. I push myself out of the dirt to kneel on all fours, trying to see what is happening. I find one of my captors lying next to me with a bullet through his chest. I painfully look around to see the others running in panic while others return fire. I look around; searching for the source of the original gunfire when I see figures advancing and my heart begins to race. I know that familiar camo pattern. I wear the same, though mine is now faded, worn and ripped to pieces. Another unit has found the camp and is now attacking. I can't believe this is happening. Is this happening? Before I can answer myself, one of the advancing figures reaches me. She's a young soldier. She looks into my face and realizes I'm an American to which her face shows surprise. They didn't know there were hostages. She shakes off her surprise before grabbing me under my arms to help pull me to safety. She helps me into the Humvee and immediately starts to assess and treat my wounds.
"Madam, My name is Private Jamie Lewis. I'm going to help you out as best I can ok?" She looks at me concerned but confident. I nod still not entirely sure I'm not dreaming. "What's your name?" she implores as she pulls out the medical kit.
"Paige McCullers," I manage to say. "Lieutenant Paige McCullers." I wince as she applies some solution to clean one of the wounds on my back. The Humvee is rough as the driver navigates the rough terrain on the way back to what I'm assuming is base camp, making the sting a little more uncomfortable.
"Lieutenant, How long have you been out there?" She implores as she continues to address my wounds the best she can.
"I'm not sure. What's the date?"
"June 15th, 2014 madam," she says looking at me. My eyes get wide as I realize how long it's been.
"Three and a half years?" I question out loud. It's really been that long? It's then I realize something else that makes me let out a small sad laugh. I can tell Private Lewis is confused about why such a revelation would want to make someone giggle. She looks at me imploringly, non-verbally trying to ask me what I find so funny in this awful situation.
"Private, you and your unit just gave me one of the best birthday presents a girl could ask for," I say looking into her eyes. "Happy twenty-sixth birthday to me." I look into her face one last time to see a timid smile on her face.
"We're going to get you home soon enough, Lieutenant."
Home. The word hits me like a ton of bricks. I'm going home. Suddenly, Emily is all I can think about. It's been three and a half years. Does she think I'm dead? She must. Before, I can think any more, I pass out with the thought of seeing my Emily again fresh on my mind.