Chapter 11

Before Taya could respond, her blouse and bra had been stripped from her and she was hanging by her wrists from the rafters. Then she heard the crack of a whip and felt fire on her back. Over and over again they whipped her. Soon biting her lip was not enough and tears rolled down her cheeks, but she never gave them the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

Clay sat there wondering what atrocious tortures the guards were inflecting on Taya. He knew the horrors they had put him through, and was worried about her and the baby.

After the guard had beat Taya until her back was raw he came around and asked, "Who are you and why are you here?"

Trying to get her breath, with her head resting on her arm, Taya responded, "We are who we say we are."

Furious the guard doubled up his hand into a fist and hit Taya in the stomach. She felt the pain in her heart before the contractions hit and the blood flowed.

"Take her down and we'll take her back to her man, maybe he'll talk now," grinned the guard as Taya was taken down and dragged back to the room Clay was in.

The guards never noticed what indescribable pain they had inflected on Taya. Clay rushed over and Taya cried, "Help me, please help me."

There was nothing Clay could do except hold her as she cried. After a time Taya passed the child she so dearly wanted. She cried, not because of the torture, but at losing AJ's baby.

Clay did all he could to console her, but she was grieving for what might have been. Watching her, Clay felt guilty for insisting she come along on this mission. If he'd left her home, she would be safe and happy.

A guard came in to feed them and saw all the blood. He quickly put down the food and went to his master to tell him that the woman had been pregnant.

Upset, Fahad wondered why neither one had mentioned the child. The woman would not have been tortured if only he had known. Now the dead baby would have to be replaced with a live one or Allah would never forgive him.

Storming into the room where Taya and Clay were Fahad demanded, "Why wasn't I informed the woman was pregnant?"

"She just told me today and she was so sure nothing would harm her or our child," replied Clay glancing at Taya lying quiet and pale on the bunk.

"Foolish woman! Did you expect my men to be tender with you?" Fahad sneered.

"No, but I was stupid enough to believe my baby would survive," replied Taya curled up on her side. "Now it's gone and I'll never have another."

"Oh, but you are mistaken. I have decided that you and your husband will make love everyday until you're pregnant again," grinned Fahad. "My guards will even watch to make sure that happens. I know this is not an ideal place to make a baby, so they are to watch so you will not pretend.

"NO! I will not make love to my wife while others watch!" exclaimed Clay thinking of Taya's modesty.

"Guards, grab him. Perhaps we can change his mind," laughed Fahad as they grabbed Clay with a weak protest from Taya.

They pushed Clay to his knees and a guard put a gun to the back of his head. Taya cried out and tried to get up, but she was too weak.

"Are you willing now to make love to your wife with prying eyes, or do we kill you? I can choose some of my guards to impregnate your wife. She will have a baby one way or another the choice is yours."

Swearing and glancing at Taya, Clay replied, "It'll be my baby and no others."

Suddenly Clay heard a click as the man behind him pulled the trigger of the gun. There had been no bullet in the chamber. The bastard! Clay wanted to kill the man with his bare hands.

"See I had confidence in you all along," roared Fahad with laughter. "Let him up and when his woman is healed they will began making a new child."

To be continued…