Page 84 of Strangers in Love

Cut to Dana.

“They didn’t really talk much. Just grabbed us and brought us here and left.”

They cut to Audric, and I was happy to see that he didn’t look any different from when I’d last seen him. Maybe a couple more bruises, but his smile was back.

“…when we got to that place where we were being held, there were already other people there too. One woman said she’d been there for more than a year…”

My stomach turned.

Back to Hammond.“…we’re hoping that the US government will be willing to help find out what happened to the other woman.”

Before I could fully process his words – after all he’d been through, Hammond was worried about me – the image went back to the newsroom and a middle-aged brunette.

“While arrangements are being made to get everyone back to their homes, they will have to spend Thanksgiving in Iraq. We’ve been told that video conferencing has been arranged so that their loved ones can connect.”She turned her head to look at her co-anchor.“Now, I hear we have some Black Friday news.”

I didn’t say a word as I put the bowl I was using in the fridge, picked up my phone from the counter, and walked back up to my room. One thing that’d come out of me staying here this week was that Mom and Dad had finally backed off a bit. I promised to tell them if I was going to leave the house and that I’d keep in touch when I was gone. In return, they didn’t follow me around the house as if I’d magically disappear.

Now, I was even more appreciative because I wasn’t sure how to tell them that I was going to call the US Embassy in Iraq and try to speak to the people who’d been held captive with me. They’d been very careful when it came to my kidnapping and escape, making certain I knew that I could talk to them about anything, but at the same time, choosing to not ask about it or even reference it.

I wasn’t upset with them about it because I honestly didn’t know how I wanted to handle it. At some point, I wanted to pretend that nothing had changed, but other times, I wanted to scream that I wasn’t the same person who’d left the US in October.

I closed my bedroom door and settled onto my bed, taking several slow and deep breaths as I did. I wouldn’t mind getting emotional, but I needed to at least start out being in control.

It took me twenty minutes and half a dozen calls and transfers to get to someone who handed a phone to Hammond.

“Hello?”

I closed my eyes as relief rushed through me. I’d seen him on the television, but I hadn’t realized that I’d held back a bit until I heard his voice for real.

“Hammond? It’s Aline.”

“Oh, thank God.” His voice shook. “We were so worried about you. Are you okay? Where are you? What happened?”

“I’m okay.” The words rumbled out. “It’s been…I’m all right. That night, when you heard those gunshots, those were people my sister had hired to rescue me. She didn’t know about the rest of you, and I tried to get the team to go back for you, but there were people shooting and…” I forced myself to slow down. “When they got me to a plane to fly us out, they said that our government had been told about all of you and that a sanctioned military rescue would take place. I was told to wait to say anything because it could put you in jeopardy. I am so sorry. I tried to get them to go back right away. I tried–”

“It’s okay,” he cut in. “I’m just so glad that you got out safe. You have no reason to feel guilty about anything.”

On an intellectual level, I knew he was right, but I also knew that I could drown in the guilt if I allowed it. I’d been holding so much of it back from the moment Eoin had carried me out of that warehouse. Now that the others were safe, maybe I could move past it. Make amends.

“By the way, it wasn’t our military that came for us,” Hammond continued. “The men may’ve looked a little like soldiers, but they didn’t just get us and get out. They blew up part of the building on the way.”

“Damn.” I let out a low whistle.

“I can’t say that I’m sorry that a lot of those men are dead.” His voice was quiet now, as if his realization shocked him. “I know, as a doctor, saving lives should always take precedence, but the things they planned to do…” His voice trailed off for a moment. He cleared his throat. “The men who saved us didn’t just save the four of us, either. They made sure everyone who was being held against their will got out.”

“How’s Gia?” I wiped a stray tear away. “I saw you and Dana and Audric on the news, but nothing about her.”

“She’s…she’ll be okay.” He blew out a long breath. “I was actually a little worried that she was going to panic when the men got too close, but even though they were all big and a little…intimidating, they were good with her.”

Something tugged on the back of my mind. “They were intimidating?”

“Guns. Knives. A couple of them had scars. They all had this look in their eyes that said they had seen a lot.”

Scars.

“Was one of the men extremely tall, like six and a half feet? Reddish hair. Green eyes. A scar down his left cheek.”

“Yes, one of them was exactly like that.”

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