Connie's heart thumped hard as she drove through the dark streets.
Jason was okay!
She'd been imagining constant horrors. Jason—lying on the pavement, bleeding… or, worse… like her nightmare—torn apart in a dungeon, his beautiful soul shredded—
But that hadn't happened—couldn't happen. He was safe. Relief coursed through her like a thousand volts. She guided the car toward the park, willing herself to have the strength to keep going.
Finally, she pulled up at Royale Park. Darkness shadowed the lawn and trees, little lights interspersed around the path that led into the woods. She guided the car into the parking lot and shut off the engine, leaned her head on the steering wheel, grasping it, her hands shaking.
Waves of exhaustion crashed through her. She felt vaguely sick. The agents hadn't chased her, but she didn't know if they'd start looking for her when they realized she was missing. She still wasn't sure what exactly had happened, but she was glad she'd listened to her intuition. The agents hadn't helped Jason when he'd called for them. Which meant they were probably enemies. At least some of them.
Okay. I have to pull myself together. Get Jason and the kids out of here.
Seems like I'm turning into a chauffeur. I can live with that. Especially since it means I can do something. As long as I can actually do it…. Not fall apart…
She picked up her phone, called Jason.
"Connie?"
"I'm here," she said. "In the parking lot. Should I come get you?"
"No—we'll come to you. We need to get out of here."
The phone cut off.
Her heart dropped.
No, he had to be okay.
With a jolt, she realized she'd better be ready to go. She turned the car back on. Fought the urge to turn on the radio to distract her nerves. She needed to be able to hear any sound in case it meant danger.
There. Through the trees. Movement in the darkness.
Figures silhouetted against the yellowish light from the lampposts. Two tall ones and three smaller ones.
She breathed a sigh of relief. It had to be Jason.
Sure enough— she'd know his form anywhere. Her heart leaped at its beauty.
As he got closer, she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. She'd be ecstatic to see him shirtless any other time, but—how had he possibly lost a shirt again? And—she gasped.
His bandages were gone. She could see shadowed hints of his wounds, especially the large bruise on his left side.
At least—so far—it didn't look like he had any new injuries—
The light arced over him, illuminating him in gold as he approached, angling across the pavement toward her. His hair tousled, a lock spilling over his forehead. He held the hand of one of the girls who followed him. Ali strode just behind them—shirtless as well, although he had no wounds, just hints of old scars sheened by the soft glow.
She unlocked the doors and Jason slid into the back with the girls. To her alarm, Ali slid into the passenger seat beside her, a sly grin on his face, curls tossed over his forehead.
She ignored him and looked into the back where Jason was buckling the girls' seatbelts. Their eyes were dark pools of uncertainty and hope. Where the light grazed their hair, it glinted a deep auburn.
From where he was leaning over, she could see his left shoulder, the one cut into again. Dried blood plastered the cut. At least it wasn't bleeding again, but her stomach twinged in sympathy.
"Are you okay?" she said.
He nodded. "I'm fine. I'm just—" He stopped, looked at her. "How much did you hear?"
"Well… they let me listen in in the van. I heard…that woman—trying to—" Anger seized her when she thought of her hitting on him.
"So you know I took zyx?"
"Well… yeah."
"So… I guess I probably shouldn't drive."
"I don't mind! After that— I heard… some sort of thump. It sounded like it'd been cut off. That made me go even more crazy because that's when things started to get weird."
"What do you mean?"
"Just how they acted. The new agents seemed different… they were taking over. Some of the others questioned it and they threatened them. I sort of… slid out the back. Maybe it was God protecting me, I don't know. I just—ran to my car and got out of there."
"You did just the right thing."
Warmth flooded her at his approval. "That was the last thing I heard—so I was really worried—I couldn't leave you. I didn't know where exactly that club was. It was dark… I was kind of lost…well. At least you're safe."
She turned around in the parking lot. "So—should we just—go home? What about the girls?"
"Well, I—don't think we can trust anyone right now. I thought the Valhad police were incorruptible—but that's not what Viktor told us. It's probably not all of them, but it could be any of them. I don't want to take any chances. We have to get these girls to safety."
"Don't—" said a small voice from the back. "Please don't—"
"What is it?" said Jason softly.
"The police… they were…there. One of them—hurt Rina."
"Don't worry. We'll take you somewhere safe."
"Where?"
Connie glanced back at them. "A palace."
The girl's mouth dropped open. "A real palace?"
Connie smiled and nodded.
"Do you mean the castle?" said another voice, so low she almost couldn't hear it.
"Not the one here," said Jason. "The one in Rakima. Where the king and queen and prince live."
"You can take me to the castle," said Ali. "The Castle Hotel, that is. If you don't mind."
"Um…sure." She was just glad she didn't have to drive him all the way back to Rakima. Following her GPS, she turned on the road that led to the hotel. "Do you think we should stay there?"
"I'd—feel better if we were out of this town," said Jason, sounding rather shaken.
"Me too," she said. Who knew what exactly was going on with the agents. At least she knew the palace was safe. A fortress Yavesh couldn't get to.
As she climbed up the winding road, she glanced back at Jason. "So…what happened in there? After it cut out?"
"It didn't cut out. I fell."
"What?"
"I um…fainted."
"Why?"
"I don't know if you could tell by the audio, but they were… whipping a boy. I…couldn't take it." Shame suffused his voice.
"Well, to be fair," said Ali, "you'd had a hard day already."
"I… couldn't stop it." Guilt tore his voice. "Anyway. I couldn't let them—hurt the girls too. So, I offered to buy them. The auctioneer said it was 'most irregular' so they wanted some… payment for the audience." Disgust filtered into his voice. "They wanted us to… put on a show. That's how we lost our shirts."
"And—your bandages?"
"Yeah," he said reluctantly. "Then they wanted me to… cut Ali. Give him the same scars…. I couldn't do that. So. I used the knife against the guards instead. It's…a little hazy what exactly happened. I don't know how you got a gun, Ali."
Ali brought out a black object, tapped its handle. The gun glistened in the dim light. "It's plastic. Doesn't show up on their scanners. For all their flashiness… they have significant loopholes, like using a fancy device that's just a glorified metal detector."
"Thank you—I don't know if I could have gotten out without you."
"Don't mention it. Thanks for—drawing the line at hurting me."
Confusion rippled through her. Why had Ali helped if he was their enemy? If he was on the same side as the traffickers, why had they told Jason to hurt him? Maybe because they didn't know he was on their side…. Her head spun. She didn't want to parse out the tangled details. It had been a long day.
"So… we can't really count on the agents anymore," she said.
"Who knows which ones haven't been compromised. So—we've got to readjust. I'll have to go in alone next time or—call someone else. I don't know if we can trust the new acting director, either… and with Markov out of commission and Amber out of the picture for now…"
"Who can we trust?"
"Saul and Leila. And Dana. And the king's task force… maybe we can get help from them. But now… there really is no guarantee any of the agencies haven't been infiltrated… we can only trust the handful of people we know."
"I'm willing to help in any way I can," said Ali.
She headed toward the parking lot of the Castle Hotel. The castle, perched on the edge of the cliff, was illuminated by footlights. It looked like a toy about to plunge into the bright ribbon streaming from beneath it. Perhaps someday soon it would fall…. She shivered.
Just as she was about to pull up in front of the hotel, Ali's phone rang.
"Hello," he said. Silence for a moment. His eyebrows raised in surprise. Then, looking serious, he nodded. He glanced at Connie, a rather furtive look in his dark eyes. "Yes," he said. "I'm on it. Of course. I understand. It's—yes. I won't delay." He hung up. A jaunty, nonchalant expression spread across his face like a mask. "Well—looks like I won't be getting any sleep tonight."
"What is it?" she asked.
He frowned. "Some urgent business has come up. I'll have to go to the other side of the country. Fortunately, this country isn't very big."
"Where is it?"
"My western branch. In Konterr."
"They need you this late at night?"
He shrugged. "I may galivant about the countryside, not a care in the world, but the truth is, being a CEO means you're always on call." A rather resigned smile spread across his face.
"So… do you need me to take you somewhere else?" She felt a sort of gratitude to him—he had helped Jason escape. So… she owed him. She just hoped it didn't mean ferrying him to another city.
He shook his head, his curls swaying. "I'll be fine. Just drop me off here, I can contact my people. They'll come pick me up. It is most inconvenient my car was stolen. I'll have to get someone on that too. So—who knows when I'll get to Konterr. I might… have to get a couple hours of rest first." He looked rather dismayed at that prospect. He looked back at Jason. "I had a good time tonight."
"Really?" said Jason.
"Well—the part that was the party. Not the child auction—or the part where I was…held down." He grimaced. "But I have to admit… showing off was a bit fun." He slid his hand down his bare chest. "I'll have to do more of that. Maybe take up another hobby besides spying." He winked. "I will have to get a shirt now too… good thing Castle knows me, or they'd throw me out on sight." He laughed. Dragged himself out of the car, looking rather weary himself, tarnishing the sparkle he constantly exuded. "Thank you, Connie. For the ride. For everything."
His eyes held hers for a moment, intense, with a simmer of regret. Then he looked back at Jason. "Thank you, again, for what you did for me. For not…continuing the charade. It wasn't your skin on the line. As much as it would be fun to have matching scars—" He attempted a smile, but it faltered. "Well. Thanks for letting me hang around you. Be part of your world."
"You sound like you might be—going out of it."
"Maybe, maybe not. It might not be the same next time. My job… well. It sometimes demands too much." Sorrow and longing stirred in the depths of his eyes. It echoed her longing, which made her unsettled. She was about to pull the car away when he turned and trudged toward the hotel.
Jason slid out of the seat, gasping slightly, shut the back door, then slid in beside her with a stifled groan. He hesitated for a moment, then slammed the door. Lay back, breathing hard.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. Just—tired."
"You better rest for a while. Like, days."
"I… can't afford to…"
"You have to rest in order to work well, don't you?"
"I suppose…"
"You could sleep on the way back."
"That does sound good…." He looked back at the girls. She glanced back; two were leaning on each other and the other was curled up on the seat. They looked almost asleep.
"They'll need a lot of rest too." Her heart went out to them.
"We'll focus on helping them. Maybe that's all we can do for a while. But… we still have to look for Elliot and Luna… and there are so many kids—we didn't help them all get out this time."
"At least you saved some."
"They're so precious. But I can't stop until the others are rescued too. They'll take the kids underground, they'll disappear…"
Her heart tore with the realization. The other kids might never be found.
The only way she could stand it was focusing on the ones they had saved.
He lay back on the seat and soon he was breathing steadily. She focused on the road; though, in the darkness and quiet, she felt herself drifting… dreams threatened to drag her into soothing shadows…
She shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the dark highway.
To stay awake, she recited verses in her head, hummed very quietly some of her favorite songs. But those began to get too close to lullabies—like "You are My Sunshine". Rather than keep pinching herself, she let herself steal periodic glances at Jason. Revel in his beauty. In repose—so gorgeous. Horror flitted through her when her gaze strayed to the wound in his side. At least he'd escaped this time. Partly thanks to Ali… She wondered at Ali's rather cryptic comment. And—it jolted through her. Perhaps his urgent business was not for his electronics company. Perhaps it was for Yavesh. Normally they'd probably go after him—it would've been a good opportunity—but they had to get home. She didn't know how he'd kept going after being captured, tortured that afternoon—and then going to the auction.
Love and admiration poured through her. Nothing could diminish him. He was the whole package. She marveled that he was here, with her. So close…
And yet… she dared not touch him. Dared not wake him. He needed all the sleep he could get. And so, she admired every nuance of his beauty, at every chance she got.
That chiseled face—tilted slightly away from her, toward the window. That soft brown hair—she longed to bury her fingers in it. His noble forehead blending seamlessly with his strong jaw… the firm yet sensitive lips… she longed to taste them. Like nothing else in the world.
And the sweep of his torso—the sculpted muscles of his chest— the long legs disappearing into shadow…. She loved looking at him but hated the reason she was able to see more of him. They'd—told him to strip off his shirt. As if they possessed him. When he belonged to her alone. Actually, he belonged only to himself—he was free. But he'd freely bound himself to her, and she to him. They were one flesh, and she couldn't stem the rising jealousy and anger at the crowd which had demanded of him something he hadn't wanted to give
At least it hadn't gone further. She took a relieved breath. She didn't blame them for their admiration, but still. He wasn't for gawking at, for being ogled by strange girls. Like that one who had kept talking of him as if he were a slave….
Anger roiled through her. Burned down her veins. How dare she. He could never belong to you—would never even want to. Even if he weren't mine.
He deserves real love.
And—I don't need to be jealous of some trafficker. Those touches were nothing. But all the same, I'd like to erase them somehow… I know he hates them as much as I do. I want to give him something pleasant to block out everything he went through today…
For now…Just one touch. I won't wake him. I just—can't stand being this far…
She reached toward him, intending to just give him a light caress that he'd only feel in his dreams. Give him good dreams to heal his mind.
But then his phone buzzed. She jerked back her hand as if it had been shocked.
Almost swerved off the road.
Good thing there were hardly any cars on the road…
She slowed, steadying her shaking hands.
It had been a long day.
The phone continued to buzz, and he stirred awake and sleepily lifted it to his ear.
Surprise lit up his face. "Gray? What is it? Oh—you're—yeah, I can hear it."
Light taps came from the speaker of the phone. Staccato thuds in quick succession.
Gunshots.
"Where's Tasha?" said Jason. His face fell after Gray's answer. "Where are you?" Another reply. "Markov's out of commission. No other contacts? Yeah. I'll come and help. Where exactly are you? I'll be there in a couple—"
He gasped. Called the number again but the line was dead.
"What happened?" she said, just managing to catch the exit to Rakima.
"They were found out. He was pinned down—he got separated from Tasha. He thought she might be wounded. He tried calling Markov, but he didn't answer—not surprising. But he didn't have any backup contacts—just me."
"So…" Her heart thumped hard. "You're going to him?"
"I have to. On the off chance I can do anything…. It might be too late. Konterr is three hours away. But I have to try. I promised Gray I'd help if he needed me. And—Tasha could be hurt." Anguish wracked his eyes.
"I know…you have to help. But you're in no shape to go."
"I'll have to find the strength. At least the effects of zyx are fading…."
"Maybe I should drive you. Then you can get more rest."
"You need to help the girls."
"I wish I could be in two places at once… Did he tell you where he was?"
"Second and Karish—wherever that is. If he's able to get out, he has a safehouse at the edge of town. I hope he just dropped his phone or something. That he—hasn't been shot. If they're both taken—or killed—" His breath caught. He looked out the window; she could see his troubled expression in his reflection against the dark.
"Maybe you should take someone with you."
"Can't take Markov. Amber's out of commission. I don't know if I can trust the new director. There's no way to know which agents, which police I can trust unless I know them personally. Even then…."
"What about Saul and Leila?"
"I'll try them, but no guarantee I'll be able to contact them this late at night."
"There's Dana too."
"Yeah… She's not an agent, per se, but as a reporter, she probably knows some agent-like tactics. She's on the drug angle, but…. It's all Yavesh. I just… don't want to bring in someone else who could get hurt."
"There's less of a chance if there's more of you."
"It would probably be a good idea to see if I can get ahold of Markov. If he can give me any information on Tasha and Gray's op. Since the cell was so secret, only he knew about it. I wonder how they were found out if only Gray, Tasha, and Markov were in on it… Well. Who knows. No use speculating. I probably won't be able to help it, though. It'll be a long drive."
"I think I saw some energy drinks in the breakfast room fridge."
"That sounds good. I'll probably need a couple."
She steered the car into the palace driveway and parked near the arched entryway.
"I'll help you bring them in," he said.
Gently, Jason picked up the girl on the right, nearest him. She stirred a little, cuddling into his arms.
Connie slid her arms under the other girl, who was huddled against the seat. She was heavier than she looked, but since she didn't move and was in a compact position, she was able to carry her. She was afraid of leaving the other girl alone, but she gasped awake, looking at them fearfully.
"It's okay," whispered Jason. "We're at the palace."
The little girl gasped, then looked around, her eyes widening. She walked close to Connie as they stepped inside.
Her astonishment grew as she looked around in awe at the mural on the ceiling, the ornamented colonnades. "Wow," she said softly.
Connie had almost gotten used to it, but seeing it through the little girl's eyes, it filled her with wonder again.
They walked carefully down the hallway to their bedroom. Jason lay the girl he was carrying onto the bed and Connie slid her sister beside her. Pain shot up her arms; she shook out the stiffness. She wasn't exactly used to carrying 70 pounds around…
The other girl stood near the door, looking lost, afraid. Connie knelt down in front of her, not too close. "It's okay," she said. "We won't ever hurt you."
She looked at her with uncomprehending eyes.
"What's your name?"
She hesitated. Opened her mouth, then closed it, huddling back in the shadows near the wall.
Jason walked to the end of the bed, moving slowly so he wouldn't startle her. "She's Arina." Then he pointed to the girl on the left, nearest the window. "That's Aurora." He indicated the other girl. "That's Avara."
"How do you tell them apart?"
"Well…their dresses are slightly different. I'm…not sure how else to tell yet. There are subtle differences… and of course their personalities aren't the same. You might have to find some clothes that fit them… keep track that way." He pursed his lips. "It won't be easy. They're… they've been through a lot." He glanced at Arina.
Connie nodded. "They'll need a lot of help."
"There'll be unforeseen things… It's enough for it to happen to an adult. But a kid…" He shook his head. "We may not be totally equipped to deal with it. We'll…have to figure out where they should go next. But for now…."
"It's a beautiful place for them to stay. They should probably have as much stability as possible, right?"
"That would be best."
"So, they should stay here. As long as they want."
"We won't be staying here for long, either."
"Maybe…we should…bring them…"
His eyes lit up. "Maybe…. It's too early to tell anything definite yet, though. Maybe they have family." His eyes darted to Arina. She was huddled down near the bookcase beside the bed.
"I didn't think of that." Her heart fell. But if she was adopting Mina, Tanya, and Lexi… adopting triplets as well would probably be too many at once. She hoped they'd be able to find a good home soon.
"I better get a shirt and get going." He hurried over to the closet and picked out a black shirt that blended in with the night. Then he pulled it on, wincing a little.
"Jason—"
"I know, I'm due for some painkiller."
"What about your injuries? You need bandages."
"They're mostly healed. They'll be fine."
"They don't look fine."
"I've had worse falling out of an abandoned barn when I was a kid." He flashed a grin.
She dug in her purse for the bottles of his painkillers and antibiotics. He gathered them both in his hand. "I better take them, just in case. Who knows how long it'll be."
"Jason… please, please be careful."
"I want to get back to you no matter what, so… You're the reason I'll stay safe. I'll keep you in my mind and heart—there's no way I'm leaving you alone. Unless—"
"Unless—!"
"Well, you…can't really guarantee anything. Like I found out today. I also found out I can do more than I thought. If I just—don't give in. I will fight to the death to get back to you."
"Not to the death, Jason. Please."
"You don't want the living zombie I'd be if Yavesh gets ahold of me."
"Jason, I'd rather have any version of you. I…know it would be hard. But I don't think you'd be better off…gone. In heaven—I mean, that is better. But…you'd still have a lot to live for if you were here. If...the worst happened. I wouldn't let you go."
"I'd be a burden to you."
She lifted her hand to his face, her heart breaking with the possibility she'd seen in her dreams. She pressed her palm to his cheek gently but firmly. "Jason—you would never be a burden. Don't you ever, ever think that. You're always worth it."
Pain crossed his eyes. "I'd never want to leave you. I just…can't bear the thought of worse than I've had… I know it's selfish, but I'd rather be dead."
She pressed her other palm to the other side of his face. Feeling the slight growth of stubble there. "I couldn't stand to see you like that. But—I'd still give you everything you needed. If the worst happened—I'd be with you and help you recover."
"I might not."
"I'd still be with you. But I think you would. You're strong." She pressed her hand to his heart. Felt a hard thump thump there. "Even if you couldn't…get back to how it was before. It would be a new normal. You'll always be beautiful, always wonderful—no matter what happens. You'll always be my Jason."
He nodded, his eyes gleaming, although there was a shadow of reservation in them she didn't like. She didn't want him to think he'd ever be less than worthy of her love. Didn't want to think he'd rather die than get back to her. She hated the idea of him in pain… at the same time, she didn't want to lose him—have to wait dozens of years to see him again.
Maybe that was selfish…. But then… she was ready to do the hard work, anything, to support him in case… well. The worst wasn't going to happen. He wouldn't die and wouldn't be taken from her.
"I'd fight for you. I'd find you. I'd pour all my love into you and the fire of it would bring you back to me."
"Just—don't risk yourself for me, Connie. I wouldn't be able to stand it if something happened to you." He shook his head as if to rid himself of the idea. "I better get going."
She kissed him, immersing in one beautiful forever-moment. Then, reluctantly, he pulled away from her—
Leaving a gaping absence.
Her heart throbbing as if he'd taken half of it with her.
She sat down on the floor, leaning against the bed. Pain carved through her heart.
If only I could go with him!
But it's probably best I stay here from now on. It's not like I've really helped much so far. Just given him some moral support—but he probably works best without me weighing him down. I'll never be an agent… never be able to support him like he needs. At least… I wasn't a distraction. But it would probably be a matter of time until I messed things up, made it worse, especially with things getting so difficult…. I'd love to be with him—love how he loves me with him— but it's not worth risking him being hurt because of me.
I'll have to go back to how it was. When he gets back… when he's recovered enough… we can continue our honeymoon.
If he gets back
The horrible phrase hung in her head, not leaving her alone.
I will lose my mind.
No—I can't—couldn't afford that. I'd have to do all I could to help him, find him.
But what could I possibly do?
No point in thinking about that.
Because he will get back.
Hanging onto that thought, not letting others take its place, she slid over to Arina. "Why don't you get in bed?" she whispered. "I'll help you."
Arina hesitated, then nodded. Connie helped her climb into bed and then she slid quickly over to Aurora and wrapped her arms around her.
Connie walked over to the large chair facing the fireplace and curled up. In a few moments, she was asleep.
She jolted awake, nightmares blazing across her mind.
Jason had been captured. They were holding him, demanding ransom—
But no, that was only a dream.
She looked at her phone. He hadn't called. But it had only been about an hour. He'd still be on the road. Nothing to report. He could call and just talk to her… but he'd probably assume she was asleep.
I better go back to sleep, she thought.
But the afterimages of the nightmare etched against the insides of her eyelids. Echoes of screams tore her heart.
Finally, she couldn't stand the torment any longer. She stood, looked out the window. Then her eyes fell to the laptop on the desk.
Hm. The office room is just a few doors away…
If I'm going to watch torture, I might as well do something productive.
She snatched up the laptop before she could talk herself out of it and carried it to the office room. She didn't want to wake the girls with blue light—and certainly didn't want them to accidentally catch what she'd be watching. She hoped they'd sleep for many hours—all day, maybe.
Trepidation seizing her heart, she sat down at the desk in their former bedroom. Opened up the laptop and entered her password.
She looked for the video, half-hoping she wouldn't find it. But it was in a prominent file on the desktop.
I don't have to watch the whole thing. I know where…the worst happens.
The horrific image blazed across her mind—just a few frames, but it had been enough.
The horrible violence of it—the sheer evil. She wanted to purge it from her brain but doubted she could.
For anyone to do that to someone—unfathomable.
And… some did it to kids. The poor little girls in her bedroom—
A shudder shook her, tears springing to her eyes. She crumpled up on the desk chair, feeling sick and shaky and weak, leaning her head in her hand.
Maybe I can't do this…
But I have to do something. Have to help. If I can't be an agent…. I have to do all I can, anyway. It's not like this takes a lot of skill
Though I'm not sure what I'm looking for….
At least there could be more clues than in that basement.
She clicked the file. Brought up the video—it opened on the first frame, frozen in time. Just an opulent room, looking insidiously innocuous.
She took a deep breath.
And pressed play.
When Elliot defied his captors—her heart wrenched with a piercing ache. Such deep, expressive eyes—showing deep unfathomable pain, yet a shred of dignity and honor still clasped to him. Despite giving in, in a way, last time—he still held onto the ability to stand back up again, not collapse in total despair. To think of others—to not be totally overcome by this—she couldn't help but admire him.
But it cost him.
She watched as they continued to torment and taunt him. Tried to focus on the background, find some sort of clues…. But she wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for. How in the world could you dredge up some clues from furniture… would it even help to know where they'd gotten it? Could there be a hint about where they were located? The characteristics of the captors were muted by the clothes that covered most of them—only their eyes, noses, and mouths visible. Such cold, hard eyes—no mercy, no humanity left.
She gasped at the map of scars and wounds on his chest, telling a horrific story. She'd thought Jason had been wounded. This—was on a whole other level.
At the same time, she was intimately reminded of Jason's wounds. The scars she loved… yet wished with all her heart they didn't exist.
I have to find a way to him… there has to be something….
It was hard to concentrate on anything else when he was being cut into.
No… I can't watch this. There have to be more clues in the first part…. Yet—what if the exact clue I need to find him is in this part? I could have Eugene's program erase the figures—but what if they're what hold the key to his escape?
He screamed—she couldn't stand it.
At least—turn off the volume.
Focus on the background. Maybe…eventually…get used to it.
But she didn't want to get used to such things.
Too much blood… dark ripples of it…
No wonder it had affected Jason so much.
I'll at least spare him this. I'll do what he can't. I can't let him go through this again… I'll insist on watching it…
Maybe it's better someone else do it, though. Sierra, maybe. I don't really know what I'm doing….
Maybe there's a way to find out. I just… would rather give it to someone else …
But maybe the more who are on it, the better… at least, those who know about it. We don't want many more people seeing this…
Sickness slammed into her in a wave when she saw the captor prepare for the next phase.
No—I'm definitely not watching that. I've seen enough.
She was diverted, though, by Elliot's continuing defiance. She longed to be able to reach through the screen, at least hold his hand, if there were nothing else she could do. Be with him, let him know someone was helping. Let him know that not all touch meant harm. Or at least—speak to him, tell him she was looking, searching with all her heart, even if it meant watching things no one should see.
The next phase began.
Sickened, she pressed pause.
Just as she did so, she heard a thump behind her. She whirled around—to see James, collapsing to his knees, his hand grasping the doorframe.
She rushed over to him. He knelt there, holding himself up with one trembling hand, his hair falling over his forehead, his face deathly pale in the low light.
"I—I'm sorry," she said. "I should've closed the door all the way. I just—wanted to be able to hear if the girls were waking up."
He looked up, his eyes wild, bewildered. "Girls?" he said in a low, hoarse voice.
"Well—we rescued them. Jason did. They were enslaved."
"Luna?" Desperate hope tore his voice.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
"But they have to find her before it's too late!" He glanced at the paused video and crumpled to the floor, arms wrapped around himself, trembling.
"James—what's wrong? I know—it's awful. But maybe we better get you to a doctor—"
"No, you don't understand—" He gasped, a sob wracking his throat. "They've been—" His body shook with another sob. Panicked breaths raged through his chest.
She stroked his hair, which was damp with sweat. "Hey—you can tell me."
His eyes darted to hers, burning with shock and horror. "I…don't know if I can." He slid toward her, trying to prop himself up and failing. His voice fell to a whisper. "They might be listening."
"Yavesh?"
He flinched at the name. Nodded.
"I don't think they can get in the palace."
"They can get anywhere. That's what they said—" He stopped.
"They…spoke to you?"
He hesitated, then nodded slowly. He attempted to prop himself up on his elbow and she helped him, holding him up, her arm around his back. He hunched over in a vague semblance of a sitting position; since his body trembled so much, she feared he'd collapse again.
He whispered, "Th-they've been…sending me videos."
"What?" Shock shot through her. But it made sense. After how gung-ho he'd been to help Luna at first, despair had clung to him like a shroud.
"They sent me three so far. No—four. The first two were just some guy in a balaclava. Telling me they'd hurt Luna if I told them about the videos. I…didn't want to take any chances. Then…" He took another shaky breath. "They showed her. In some room…on a bed… she looked scared. But she wasn't hurt. That was a couple days ago. I was going crazy. They told me not to tell… but why did they send me them in the first place?" Uncontrollable shivers wracked his body. He probably did need some kind of medical care. "Then… this evening. When you were gone. I—I didn't even know you were back yet. I couldn't sleep. They sent this…" He gulped a rasping breath— "video of…of Luna. Oh…my Luna." A sob broke his voice. Tears spilled onto his cheeks, gleaming in the moonlight. "She was hurt. Bruises on her face. On her arms. I—guessed the worst but the man said…. She hadn't been… 'touched' yet." Anguish and anger blazed in his eyes. "They…told me not to tell or…" He shook his head. Tears splashed onto his shirt. "I…didn't know what to do. We need to find her. But… they'll know I told if we look for her. I was just going past your door when…."
Her heart flipped. "You saw."
"It was them, wasn't it."
She nodded.
"Who is he?"
"Elliot, an agent. They captured him six months ago. Now they're blackmailing Markov to stop investigating."
"So they…." He took a deep breath. "They went…through with it…?"
She wished she could tell him no, but she nodded.
He hung his head, collapsing in on himself. "Of course they would… it's what they do…." He murmured.
She rubbed his back gently, trying to think of a way to help. "Maybe…we could investigate. Just…be very careful. Maybe there are clues in the videos. I doubt they can see here, in the palace."
He looked up with a glimmer of hope.
"At least in Luna's videos, they aren't hurting her. Maybe with those videos we can get more hints… maybe find some connections…"
"I sort of thought of that. But I…couldn't concentrate."
"I'll watch them, see what I can find."
His eyes lit up. "Oh, that would be—thank you."
"Do you mind if I tell Jason? Then he can help, too."
He hesitated then said, "Yes, that's okay. I figure it's probably an inside man. You guys are freelance. So… if you do things really secretly… maybe they won't find out." Fear crossed his eyes. "I didn't know what to do but now…maybe there is a way." Guarded hope shone in his eyes. "You don't think they've bugged the phones or anything?"
"I don't see how they could've…." She wasn't an expert though.
"Why would they just send them to me? Not even—demand anything?"
"I don't know. Maybe if we investigate, we'll find out."
He sat up, pulling away a little, but able to sit on his own. "I'll send you the videos."
"And I'll call Jason."
"He's not here?"
"Gray is in trouble. And Tasha. He's going to Konterr."
"Oh." He looked like he couldn't handle any more information. She helped him up; he insisted on walking back to his room, although he had to brace himself against the wall.
She knew from experience you couldn't underestimate the shock of someone you loved being kidnapped, hurt. And being totally powerless to do anything.
At least now, James had something to hold onto. Best not to keep it to himself. It had been eating him up inside. She knew that from experience, too.
She wandered back to the bedroom to see the girls sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb them, she walked softly back to the office.
And saw James had sent the four videos.
I'll call Jason later… it's not like he can do much now.
She settled in to watch the videos, relieved in a way she didn't have to watch Elliot's again, though that made her feel guilty. But she'd watch it later, and maybe a common detail would emerge…
She clicked the first one and was just about to press play when her phone rang.
Jason!
She snatched the phone and pressed it to her ear, hoping for good news.