Chapter 10 – Amidst Darkness; Compassion.

In the distance Dino heard a door slam shut and then for the following minutes there were no sounds to be heard outside of his confinement. Just his own ragged breathing could be heard sucking in the oxygen through injured lips, trying to take breaths that were as shallow as possible so that he didn't inflate his lungs too much with any one breath, he'd tried that and found that it hurt like hell. They'd taken a perverse pleasure in beating him pretty much every day since he'd been captured, the attacks falling just short of killing him, but always leaving him in a severe amount of pain that left him slumped in a corner, almost completely unable to move for several hours and frequently passed out. Amazingly though, in those brief moments when he was able to assess his injuries it didn't seem that they'd managed to break many more bones than his original fall from the helicopter had, the injuries had apparently mostly been limited to soft tissue damage, although Dino admitted that these kind of injuries hurt quite enough, thank-you very much. One of the most enthusiastic of his attackers had been a man that Dino had heard called Vito, who seemed to be calling the shots within the gang, presumably occupying the position as one of the group's generals. Dino wished fervently that he could meet Vito in a darkened alleyway on his own turf, armed only with a set of knuckle-dusters, he'd soon teach the bastard what true pain was.

With the lack of noise throughout his makeshift prison Dino was surprised when the door to his cell opened, slowly. From his position in the corner, where he had collapsed following his most recent bout with his captors Dino groaned inwardly. They couldn't be back to inflict more pain already, surely, he hadn't had chance to fully assess the damage that their last attack had caused on his body yet. Instinctively he curled into a tight ball ready to suffer another round of kicks and punches, but none came. After about a minute, when still nothing had happened Dino lifted his head a little, trying to gauge the situation. He could sense someone crouching down just out of sight and then felt a hand placed softly on his shoulder. He tensed, but the hand remained in place, apparently not intent on causing pain, but calming, reassuring.

Dino lifted his head a little more and shifted his body around so that he could see the newcomer. He had to squint in the half-light to get any kind of image, but when his vision settled he was surprised at what he saw. Rather than the bulky, unshaven brutes that were all he had seen of this gang so far, he found himself looking at a figure with soft, olive skin, eyes that were perfectly curved; with deep brown irises and long, black lashes. A woman? Here? The notion was perversely unexpected and for once he was rendered speechless for a few moments. To many people it would have been difficult to identify that this was a woman, her dark hair shoved up under a filthy, khaki coloured cap, dirt smeared across her face and the cut of her clothing was decidedly masculine, but Dino had known many women throughout his life and found this female easily identifiable from her male counterparts. He took pleasure in the simple things, the fine curve of a feminine neck, the soft skin of her cheeks, the delicately arched eyebrow that perfectly framed an eye that simply dripped with intensity and intelligence.

"Who..?" But his phrase was left unasked as she placed a finger over his lips. After days of nothing but violent beatings this soft touch was so different that it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Shh, Señor. Please, if they find I am here they will hurt us both."

Dino nodded to show he had understood. The young woman smiled, before standing and walking the few steps back to the door. He nearly called out, wanting her to stop, to come back, not wanting to be alone now he had found a companion that was not intent on causing him as much pain as was humanly possible without actually killing him. But the comment died in his throat as he saw her crouch just outside the door and retrieve something bulky; a tray, by the look of it. When she returned she knelt down by his side and lifted a cloth from the tray. Dino heard the drip of water and felt her touch a damp cloth to his face. The water felt cool and soothing against his aching skin and he closed his eyes for a second to savour the relief.

"What is your name?" He knew she wanted him to remain silent, but he had to know and so the gentle whisper in which he spoke was a compromise.

"Nika." She replied with a smile.

"My name is Anthony, although my friends call me Dino."

"Then I will call you Dino too, Señor. If you will permit me."

"Si."

The cloth she lifted away from his face was covered in the smears of dried blood and accumulated muck that the water had lifted from his skin. She dipped the cloth back into the bowl of water, wringing it out before continuing to wipe it gently over the rest of his face and neck. As she administered her care and attention she hummed almost silently, it was less than a whisper, only just discernable to the two of them; a shared song, a calming melody. Finally as she laid the cloth back down she lifted a small bottle, tipping a small amount of the clear liquid onto her palm.

"This is a balm, it will clean your wounds and stop any infection, it will sting a little, I'm sorry." She raised her eyes to meet his as she apologised, and he saw the truth sitting there alongside a great deal of empathy for the man she was tending.

She started on his forehead, her thin fingers smearing the liquid over his skin. Where it came in contact with broken flesh Dino could feel the biting ache and he drew a sharp breath.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, continuing to cover his face in the balm. She started to hum again and Dino found that if he concentrated on the melody then he could block out all but the most severe pain and even that became no more than a dull ache.

"That song…"

"It was a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me whenever I hurt myself. She said that it was a prayer to God to take the pain away."

"It works." His words pulled a smile back to her lips.

Nika continued her ministrations over his shoulders and down his arms, she threw him a worried look as her hands found the violent bullet hole in his upper arm and he simply shrugged in response as if to say 'it's all part of the job'. He noticed that she treated the area with a delicate care, washing it well with the water, but careful not to be too rough as to irritate the wound. When she looked up at him he knew what she was going to do and nodded, bracing himself for the pain. Nika lifted the bottle of balm and tipped a small amount into the wound, hoping that the liquid would act as an antiseptic, hopefully curbing any infection that might already have set in. Dino instantly felt the pain spread out through the muscle of his arm as sharp stabs of agony registered in his brain. He closed his eyes, trying to keep the stream of obscenities that he wanted to scream inside, compressing everything into a quiet grunt accompanied by a series of shallow breaths. As he started to acclimatize to the pain, feeling it fade to a more manageable level in his mind he became aware that the woman in front of him was gripping his hand; willing him through the agony, although when she noticed that he had become aware of the contact she removed her hand and dropped her eyes from his gaze and even in the dull light he was sure her face had flushed red.

Pushing aside what was left of his shirt she progressed to cleansing the skin of his back and chest, first with the damp cloth and then following it with a dose of balm. When she was finally satisfied with her work she reached around to the tray once again and picked up another short, squat vessel, turning back she lifted it to Dino's lips. He felt the cool, fresh water touch the cracked skin of his lips and opened his mouth a little to allow the life-giving liquid inside, where it washed over his tongue and down his throat. Dino couldn't remember how long it had been since he had taken a proper drink, at night when temperatures had plummeted he had found a spot on what appeared to be the outer wall of the building where condensation gathered and licked the bare stone, trying to extract as much water as he could, knowing that he could survive for an extended period without food but without water he would perish in just days. Now though, with the fresh water trickling down his throat he was beginning to feel almost human again.

She lowered the cup, placing it gently on the floor.

"One more thing." She produced a chunk of bread. "I'm sorry it is not much, it was all I could get."

Dino's stomach grumbled at the sight of the food. It would be the first sustenance he would have ingested since his capture several days ago. Nika laughed at his stomach's response to the nourishment and watched intently as he bit ravenously through the crust into the softer bread below.

"Why?...How?..." Dino's mind was a blur of questions which he managed to partially vocalise in between mouthfuls of food.

"Shh, I will tell you what you want to know while you eat." She gently pulled the morsel of bread away, and once again proffered him the cup to drink. "You'll choke if you eat that fast." He took as gulp of water at her insistence and then fell back on to bread with renewed vigour.

Satisfied that he wasn't going to choke himself Nika launched into an initially one-sided dialogue.

"Most of them have gone to a nearby city," she said, nodding her head towards the door and Dino assumed she was talking to the gang that was holding him captive, "they go to deal the drugs they produce on their farms in the mountains and to trade for weapons and liquor, they have only left a few men behind to guard the building, but they are asleep outside. The rest will be gone for a few hours, but I warn you Señor, they will come back drunk." Dino knew exactly what she meant, she was warning him to expect a particularly vicious beating when they returned later.

"Why are you with this gang Nika? You don't belong here. You are better than these animals." She dropped her eyes down so that she was looking at the floor. Dino reached out his hand and placed a finger underneath her chin, lifting her face to look at him. The emotion that he read in her face was one of distinct shame.

"My family is poor Señor, my father died many years ago and my mother was left to look after me and my sister. She worked hard to put food on the table and went hungry so the two of us could eat. I saw what she was doing and I couldn't let her starve herself to death. The gangs…they…they always had money so I sought them out. I cook, I clean and I pack their drugs and if they tell me to I fight alongside them. I send the money they give me to my family, my mother died six months ago from pneumonia, but at least she didn't starve, I can rest knowing her last years were at least a little more comfortable than they could have been. Now I stay to send money to my sister, Elena, she is clever; still in school. One day I want her to go far from this place and have a better life, a chance of happiness. Mine is not a good life, but if it saves my sister then it is worth it."

Dino nodded, understanding her sentiments and acknowledging her bravery. He lifted his hand to stroke the skin of her cheek and for the first time he felt her recoil from his touch and when he looked at her properly he saw the fear etched into her face. Was it him? Why should she be afraid of him? Then, as his mind rapidly processed the possibilities he came across the answer; perhaps it was not just him, was she afraid of the contact from all men?

"Nika, do these men, do they…" he didn't know how she would react to him voicing her torture out loud, "…do they hurt you?" Even without an answer he knew he was right. He pushed his suspicions further. "Do they…rape you?"

Again, she didn't have to answer for him to know that his notions were right, her face said it all. A flame of anger sparked and roared inside his chest. No matter what these men chose to do to him it was irrelevant, but to break the spirit of such an innately kind and gentle creature was beyond the most vile and heinous acts he could imagine. A tear rolled from the corner of her eye and she swiftly wiped it away with the back of her hand, making an attempt to regain her composure, when she lifted her head this time there was a look of steely defiance that had entered her expression.

"It is not a good life, but it is worth it." She reiterated, as if trying to persuade herself as much as Dino. "I have spent my time in Hell, and I will receive my reward in Heaven."

"If I have anything to do with it you won't have to wait that long." Dino growled almost inaudibly. Right then, in that moment, he made himself a promise that if he ever got out of here, he would take her with him and if he didn't make it then he would somehow manage to get a message to Terry that he must take on the same responsibility and help her.

"But why risk your life to help me?" It was a question that had been nagging at him since she had first placed that calming hand on his shoulder.

"You were caught rescuing that other man. You risked your life to save his, that is true courage, true bravery. God tells me that I must help you. I am only sorry that I cannot do more for you. If they knew I had done even this, they would kill me."

"Help me escape."

"No Señor, I cannot do that. They will know I helped you, they will kill me and then as punishment for my betrayal they will hunt down my sister and kill her too. I will not take that risk, I am not as brave as you. I am sorry."

He understood. No good had ever been brought into her life by a man, there was no reason for her to trust him now. This woman had seen no love or compassion in her life, only brutality, hatred and rape. The men surrounding her had shown her no respect, no reverence for her gentle soul, only an animalistic desire for her body.

"You have helped me more than you could possibly imagine Nika. I promise that somehow I will repay you, I will help you I swear."

She opened her mouth to say something further, but was stopped by someone shouting her name from outside.

"I have to go, the guards have woken up and will be wanting food and beer. I have to go." She stood quickly from her kneeling position. Dino caught her hand with his as she stood and lifted it to his lips, placing a light kiss on her olive skin.

"Thank-you."

She was halted by the gentle gesture and stood staring at his with wide-eyes for a few seconds, until another shout from outside made her jump. She grabbed the tray and hurried out of the room, but as she passed through the door she looked back over her shoulder, a small smile gracing her face before pulling the door shut and locking it again, leaving Dino once more immersed in darkness. But now no longer without hope as he had grasped at the compassion that she had bought with her and found it morphing into determination and courage in his soul.

To be continued…