guy.”
She was too stunned to feel anger. The anger would come later. She’d only felt fear. And loss. A feeling she fought her way out of before and swore she’d never experience again.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Had Daniel been right? Did it matter when she was surely going to die a horrific death at the hands of a madman?
Think. Concentrate, Juliana. She rubbed her temples but her thoughts wouldn’t stay on one thing for long. She had to escape but she didn’t have the energy. Barun was slowly starving her except she’d die of dehydration long before she starved. Should have escaped when you had the chance.
Listlessly she turned her head and stared blindly into the darkness. She was dying. It had been hours, possibly an entire day since Barun gave her the seawater to drink. Her heart beat unevenly, her breath came too fast, her muscles cramped and she had a fever. All signs of dehydration. She closed her eyes wishing it would happen soon.
The door creaked open and she stiffened. He stood no more than a few feet from her. She would forever associate the smell of his sandalwood cologne with terror. Of course she couldn’t see him because he’d slipped through the door and shut it tight, sealing them in a void of silence and darkness.
His feet scraped across the floor and her eyes moved with the sound. He stood still for so long even the rats came out of hiding, their little feet scraping against the wooden floor. She pictured them sniffing his shoes, pawing his legs. Biting him.
The wait became too excruciating, the silence too much to bear. “What do you want?” Her voice didn’t sound like her own and it was hard to push the words past her cracked lips.
“Ah, my Juliana, I want you, sanam .”
He touched her hair and she jerked back.
“Your hair is beautiful. Like the sun.” He took a strand and stroked it.
Juliana’s breath came fast, uneven. She remained still, afraid to move, afraid to anger him.
“The women in my country are dark, with dark hair and eyes. You are…refreshing.”
His fingers skimmed across her eyes. His breathing grew ragged.
“Ah, my sweet, my sanam , your eyes are the purest green I have ever seen. There is no equal. I wish I had brought light so I may witness your tears. I am sure they are like the finest diamonds. Pure and clean.” He licked her cheek and she jumped, horrified. She tried to push him away but her arms were like dead weights. Her heartbeat was even more irregular and she was finding it hard to breathe. Dots danced before her eyes.
“Heaven,” he breathed and patted her knee. “You will be mine, Juliana. In time.”
As abruptly as he arrived, he turned and left.
Juliana blew out a breath and dropped her head against the rough wall. He was gone. Gone, gone, gone. Until the next time.
Her stomach cramped and she tightened her arms around herself. How much longer did she have to endure this torture? How long could he keep her in this hellhole before she either died or he dragged her out and did what they both knew he wanted to do to her?
Days? Weeks? Months?
Hours?
“Like hell,” she muttered into the darkness. No way. Not without a fight. Whatever cosmic force drove her to this despicable time she wasn’t putting up with it anymore.
She climbed down from the barrel, ignoring the protests of her roommates the rats, and the muscle cramps and torn skin, and began feeling the walls. When she worked for the Kansas City Star she’d gone to Leavenworth Prison and interviewed Raul Juan Pedro Pablo Lopez, convicted murderer. She’d been doing a piece on prison justice and Raul was the unspoken expert on contraband prison weapons. In the course of her interview, she learned that even toothbrushes could be sharpened to become knives. The inmates called them shanks and Raul made a lot of money creating and selling shanks to his fellow convicts.
At the time, it amazed her. Now it might save her life.
“Anything can be used as a weapon, Ms.
She was too stunned to feel anger. The anger would come later. She’d only felt fear. And loss. A feeling she fought her way out of before and swore she’d never experience again.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Had Daniel been right? Did it matter when she was surely going to die a horrific death at the hands of a madman?
Think. Concentrate, Juliana. She rubbed her temples but her thoughts wouldn’t stay on one thing for long. She had to escape but she didn’t have the energy. Barun was slowly starving her except she’d die of dehydration long before she starved. Should have escaped when you had the chance.
Listlessly she turned her head and stared blindly into the darkness. She was dying. It had been hours, possibly an entire day since Barun gave her the seawater to drink. Her heart beat unevenly, her breath came too fast, her muscles cramped and she had a fever. All signs of dehydration. She closed her eyes wishing it would happen soon.
The door creaked open and she stiffened. He stood no more than a few feet from her. She would forever associate the smell of his sandalwood cologne with terror. Of course she couldn’t see him because he’d slipped through the door and shut it tight, sealing them in a void of silence and darkness.
His feet scraped across the floor and her eyes moved with the sound. He stood still for so long even the rats came out of hiding, their little feet scraping against the wooden floor. She pictured them sniffing his shoes, pawing his legs. Biting him.
The wait became too excruciating, the silence too much to bear. “What do you want?” Her voice didn’t sound like her own and it was hard to push the words past her cracked lips.
“Ah, my Juliana, I want you, sanam .”
He touched her hair and she jerked back.
“Your hair is beautiful. Like the sun.” He took a strand and stroked it.
Juliana’s breath came fast, uneven. She remained still, afraid to move, afraid to anger him.
“The women in my country are dark, with dark hair and eyes. You are…refreshing.”
His fingers skimmed across her eyes. His breathing grew ragged.
“Ah, my sweet, my sanam , your eyes are the purest green I have ever seen. There is no equal. I wish I had brought light so I may witness your tears. I am sure they are like the finest diamonds. Pure and clean.” He licked her cheek and she jumped, horrified. She tried to push him away but her arms were like dead weights. Her heartbeat was even more irregular and she was finding it hard to breathe. Dots danced before her eyes.
“Heaven,” he breathed and patted her knee. “You will be mine, Juliana. In time.”
As abruptly as he arrived, he turned and left.
Juliana blew out a breath and dropped her head against the rough wall. He was gone. Gone, gone, gone. Until the next time.
Her stomach cramped and she tightened her arms around herself. How much longer did she have to endure this torture? How long could he keep her in this hellhole before she either died or he dragged her out and did what they both knew he wanted to do to her?
Days? Weeks? Months?
Hours?
“Like hell,” she muttered into the darkness. No way. Not without a fight. Whatever cosmic force drove her to this despicable time she wasn’t putting up with it anymore.
She climbed down from the barrel, ignoring the protests of her roommates the rats, and the muscle cramps and torn skin, and began feeling the walls. When she worked for the Kansas City Star she’d gone to Leavenworth Prison and interviewed Raul Juan Pedro Pablo Lopez, convicted murderer. She’d been doing a piece on prison justice and Raul was the unspoken expert on contraband prison weapons. In the course of her interview, she learned that even toothbrushes could be sharpened to become knives. The inmates called them shanks and Raul made a lot of money creating and selling shanks to his fellow convicts.
At the time, it amazed her. Now it might save her life.
“Anything can be used as a weapon, Ms.
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