Chapter 7

When Tasha emerged a few hours after her abduction she didn't recognize where she was. Her whole body ached, and she was sitting on a chair, tied so she couldn't move. She had trouble breathing and it took her a moment to have a correct vision. According to her symptoms and with the little medical knowledge she had Zapata deduced that she had several fractured ribs, a dislocated shoulder and probably a concussion.

After several minutes passing to regain consciousness and list her wounds, the Hispanic began to look around. The room was big, huge. The walls and floor were in concrete. Old machines, boxes, and containers were hanging here and there. The young woman could smell stale, perceive the humidity in the room and hear what must have been a water leak and a subway or train line. With all these details she realized that she was in an abandoned warehouse only hundreds existed in Manhattan. Unfortunately, she had been unconscious for several hours, they could easily get her out of the city or even from the state. Very quickly Natasha understood that to get out of here she should be able to get to know the number of kidnappers, their firepower and location as accurately as possible. Attempting to escape without more detail would be suicide.

Once she had made an inventory of both her environment and physical injury brunette had nothing to do. She began to think and remember. She knew that these kind of ideas were dangerous and that if she began to remember her childhood she couldn't think clearly anymore. No matter how strong she was because no matter how hard she had worked to advance and create the life she had today her past always came back to haunt her.

She never slept the first night after a difficult investigation for fear of nightmares. It had been almost eight years but more than once she had had panic attacks at with a man contact. Sometimes she could even feel his hands on her body, and it disgusted her. The fact that he still had such power after so many years of effort was repugnant to her.

Despite everything she was happy. Her life was not perfect of course, but Tasha had golden friends, a job she loved and an amazing family, so she was happy. Only there were days when it was difficult to fight the urge to bet, to tell the world to go to hell and to return to this self-destructive spiral. She curses that her father still has influence over her and the most important parts of her life because she had to fight twice harder to be happy. She had to fight not to listen to that voice in her head who told her she was worthless, that she didn't deserve happiness and that she destroyed everything around her. Whatever happens, the voice was still there deep inside preventing her to let her guard down with someone, to kiss Reade back even if she wanted it so badly but also to tell him that after all these years of friendship, she couldn't be his wedding witness because she was in love with him.

Edgar was the only one to have passed beyond her barriers. He knew her perfectly he knew better than anyone how to make her feel better or on the contrary what could annoy her. He knew every little detail of the woman that she had become, her addiction to the way she took her morning coffee through her favorite sports teams, groups and places. Reade can make her feel beautiful, safe and at peace with the past. It was killing her slowly not to reveal her feelings, but she really thought it was the best to do because despite all the wonderful sensations he made her feel she couldn't believe she was good for him.

Completely lost in thought, the brunette did not immediately notice the presence of her father and the man who had attacked him in his apartment. She searched her memories; Tasha couldn't tell if she knew him. The two men approached her and began to speak.

"Finally, you are awake. You took some time. You were more resistant in my memory," Her father sneered in an unhealthy smile.
"Yeah but hey what do you want I have lost the habit of being a punching ball to a psychopath so pathetic that he needs to attack the weaker to feel exist."
"Slut!" He shouted, slapping her. Tasha deliberately touched a chord. She wanted to know where she was going and how far she had to go to skid him.
"I also missed you, dad," The brunette continued pronouncing the last word sarcastically.
"Boss I can take care of her if you want. I'm sure we could have fun," The youngest of his captors proposed, gently stroking her cheek. A shiver ran through her and she had a sudden urge to vomit. Zapata is doing violence to block the memories of her childhood and keep a cool head. The glimmer that she saw in the young man's eyes was the same as the one that resided in the eyes of her father during her childhood.
"No, she sent me to jail for fifteen years so she'll pay. This bitch will regret having spoken and when it will be over, I would send a little video to her brothers to understand that they do not challenge me without paying the price."

The two men laughed at her and then two other people came in with a car battery, cables, a series of sharp instruments, a camera, and a tripod. Tasha knew immediately that she was going to have a very bad time, but she promised herself that whatever happens, whatever he wanted she will not crack. She would do anything to stay alive.

The brunette prayed for an opportunity to escape or to be found quickly because she knew the cruelty of her father. Natasha really hoped to be able to survive only she knew there was a possibility that she would eventually die in this warehouse. She was aware that she might never see her friends and family again, that she couldn't possibly tell Reade how she feels about him or Patterson and Jane that she loves them like sisters. She probably couldn't take her nephew and niece in her arms anymore. She would not attend their graduation or marriages.

Zapata knew that she was likely to die under her father's blows. Reflecting on her childhood and work, she was even surprised to be alive for so long. Despite that, she did not want her life to stop here even less this way. Tasha promised herself that she would stay dignified, that she would not shout. Especially if this famous video was to be the last memory that the people, she loved had to keep from her.

"Come on darling make a small smile on the camera" Her parent, laughed after having put everything in place. She looked at him, took a deep breath and prepared to cash. Without warning, he started the battery. A strong electric current ran through her, her heart racing, all her body was spasmed, and all her muscles began to hurt her terribly. Tasha understood immediately. The game had just started, and it was not ready to stop.