Page 6 of Call Sign: Thunder
Well, she should know better than to hang out with thugs and criminals. Everyone knew it was dangerous to play with fire.
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, sport.
Her screams of pain tortured him, but he remained as still as a statue, praying they would put her back in the SUV and keep driving; if not so he could keep moving forward, then to at least make the abuse stop.
It wasn't until her shouting reached his ears that he had to fight down the urge to puke.
"I'm going to kill you, you bastards. You can't kidnap me. I'm gonna cut your balls off and throw them at you."
Her loud rant was silenced with another punch and what sounded like a crack against the pavement.
Zachary's heart pounded so hard he thought it would fly out of his rib cage. He sprang into motion, moving silently until he was close enough to get eyes on the scene in the road. An armed gunman was just scooping up the lifeless body of a young woman from the pavement. Even with the distance, the light from the headlights shone off her pale white skin and illuminated her long sandy blonde hair.
He cursed under his breath. His visual inspection supported his suspicion. She was no drug smuggler or gunrunner. She was an innocent victim. An innocentAmericanvictim.
"Fuck me."
Chapter Four
ALLIE
The sound of men arguing in Spanish was the first thing that worked its way through Allison's hazy consciousness. She didn't immediately know what was happening, but the shooting pain in her jaw was an instant reminder of her dire situation. She didn't remember much since her capture, but she knew enough to know she was in deep shit.
Not wanting to alert those who might be near that she was awake, she was careful to lie still, trying to take stock of her situation. The pounding in her head confirmed that her memory of being slammed to the pavement, her skull connecting with a crack, was accurate.
She tried to move slightly, finding tight muscles bound by even tighter rope. The last time she had been unconscious they had untied her. Apparently her little attempt to escape from the SUV had earned her a brand new set of restraints. She suspected they wouldn't be making that mistake again.
Allie was grateful they had removed the ratty old gag, yet her mouth was parched and tasted like there was a residue of gasoline lining her inner cheeks. Only the taste of her own coppery blood was stronger, remnants from biting the inside of her cheek when one of the assholes had backhanded her in the middle of the road.
When she was fairly confident no one was near her lifeless body, she dared to crack her eyes open a sliver, desperate to learn where she was being held, praying for a miracle that would get her out unscathed. Well... at least not worse than she already was.
"She's awake." The voice was so close it startled her.
The men arguing across the room froze in a standoff before turning in unison to walk toward the table they had her laid out on. It was then that she realized she recognized none of the menacing men surrounding her. At least a half dozen muscle-bound men closed around her, each one looking more like a mercenary than the last.
By the time her eyes connected with the man directly in front of her, Allison suspected she would not be getting out of there alive. While most of the men wore army fatigues and combat ready uniforms, the two men who had been arguing wore expensive suits. They looked ridiculously out of place in the interior of what felt like a warehouse or barn.
The taller of the two was handsome in a bad-boy millionaire sense of the word. Allie recognized the Invicta watch on his wrist and knew it had to set him back at least three grand. The gold wedding band on his left ring finger shone in the clinical fluorescent lighting as he raised a fat cigar to his lips, taking a long drag as he let his eyes devour her body.
The second man in a suit was a few inches shorter, several years older, and not nearly as handsome as the first. Like the other observer, he wore a neatly trimmed goatee that gave him an air of respectability. His features reminded her of someone. In her traumatized state, it took her a few long seconds to realize the two men had to be brothers.
The taller man took control, speaking in perfect, yet heavily accented, English. "Welcome to Colombia, Miss Benson. My brother and I would like to extend our hospitality to you. We have some very exciting plans for your stay." His words were civilized—his hungry glare savage.
Allison wasn't sure if her voice would work or not. Her throat was dry and sore from the squeezing it had received at the hands of the assholes who had pulled her out of the taxi. Had that really just been a few hours ago? It felt like a lifetime had passed. She tested her voice.
"No offense, but I'd like to pass on your hospitality. I demand you take me back to the university... immediately."
The grin that appeared on his face didn't reach his eyes. She saw the warning in his scowl before he added his verbal warning. "I suggest you keep your mouth closed unless asked a direct question. I'd hate to have to silence you."
The way he said silence left her wondering exactly what he meant by the phrase. Still she pressed her luck.
"Where am I and who the hell are you?"
A look that could only be described as sadistic glee danced in his eyes at her question. She saw him nod to someone standing behind the table she was lying on and within one second she'd been rolled from her back to her front. The ropes at her wrists cut into her flesh as she attempted to fight the positioning. She felt a line of fire ignite across her upturned ass. Her thin sundress and panties were no protection whatsoever.
The pain took her breath away. She was still trying to cope with it when she saw him nod again through her tears. This time was worse because she knew what was coming before it arrived. The second track of fire was laid out just below the original. Two parallel lines of agony were left as reminders not to speak.
The punishment was effective. It had her pressing her swollen lips together tightly; afraid to utter even a sound for fear it would result in another strike with the punishing implement.
