The door opens and through her hood she sees a glint of light. She wonders what is about to happen.
Food, water.
Neither.
She hears a rough grunt from Jim and then the door closes and there is silence.
They have taken him.
She is alone.
The room is cold and she misses his presence.
She wonders if Harry is coming, if he has any idea where she is, of who has taken her.
Please, Harry, please come.
The hours pass and the silence is overwhelming.
Suddenly the key is in the door.
Another grunt and she is almost knocked over by Jim, she assumes, flying into her. They hit the wall behind them and the door slams shut.
She grasps for his hand.
'Hurt?' she taps.
'Ok'
And he stumbles towards the bed and collapses upon it.
She follows the wall and sits next to him.
'Sure?' she asks.
'Yes.'
She hears his heavy breathing. She does not believe him. Her hands find him and run across his back and his side, they slip to his chest. He lets her hands roam. He has not reacted to her touch and she relaxes that even if he is lying, that he is not too badly hurt.
'Glad u back' she taps.
'Me too.'
Time passes and the door reopens.
Ruth feels hands grip her suit and she is propelled forward. She tries to cry out but the gag in her mouth stops her.
The corridor with the cold cement floor stretches out before her once more. It seems to last forever. And then there is wood, or something warmer under her feet. She is pushed down and finds a chair beneath her.
"Time for you to talk, Ruth," says a rough voice.
She waits for the hood to come off and the gag to be released.
The light is blinding. She shuts her eyes tight.
"Tell us what you know about Albany?"
"The Chinese have it," says Ruth, her voice rasping, her mouth stiff, her lips pained.
"Tell us the truth."
"That is the truth," she opens her eyes a sliver and the light floods through. She tries to see who her captives are, where she is been held but the light is overwhelming, it burns her eyes.
'Liar. The Chinese have nothing, a fake. Where is the true version?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Are you sure?" said the voice and before she has time to answer she is struck. She feels a sharp pain in her side. Sharp and violent and intense.
"Never mind, we can ask you again, when you are hungrier and thirstier and the pain is worse. We have all the time in the world."
And then the gag is forced on and the hood is slammed back over her head.
And she is pulled up and dragged back towards the corridor.
All the time she is thinking about Albany. It's not real. Harry gave away a fake. Harry is all of her thoughts.
Harry find me again. Is it too much to ask of you. Please Harry, if you still love me, find me again.
The door is thrust open and she hits the wall forcibly.
Bang and the door is shut.
She feels hands guide her to the bed.
'Ok?' he taps.
'Hurt', she answers, 'side.'
His hands leave hers then and she feels them run from her hips slowly upwards. His right hand pauses and she feel a painful stab in her side at his touch. She feels wet and knows she must be bleeding.
His hand refinds hers.
'Don't worry. Married.' Is all he taps, leaving her wondering why he's sharing that with her now. And then she thinks she understands. His hands find the zip of her suit and he begins to lower it. Lower and lower until she knows it is by her stomach, she is grasped by the cold dank air around her chest.
She feels his hand gently reach into her suit, brushing the skin below her ribs and again she feels the pain in her side and the wetness.
His hand withdraws and he leans away from her. She senses he is searching for something. It is the pillow. She hears material tearing and she realises he is ripping the pillowcase. Moments later she feels the zip inched further down. Very gently his hands enter her suit and he is reaching behind and around her. His hands brushing against her skin as he passes the material around her. His knuckles graze the bottom of her breasts as he pulls the makeshift bandage tight and over her wound. She feels pain and relief and guilt that she is so aware of this man and his touch.
The zip is pulled up and she hears him breathe out.
His hand searches for hers.
'Ok?'
'Thanks.'
They sit for a while.
All she can hear is their paralleled breathing.
'So u married?' she taps.
'Ish' is his answer.
'Ish?' she repeats.
'Complicated' is all the answer she gets.
Then he asks, 'U?'
She does not know quite what to say. No, but I was asked and I said no and now I know I should have said yes, but he'll probably never know that and I wish that I could tell him, if only I had the chance again, which may not be ever if today is anything to go by.
If she tried tapping that out to him they'd be here till they were both dead of dehydration and so she pauses and finally communicates the only thing she can think of.
'Ish.'
She sighs and they sit lost in their own thoughts in the dark once more.