It’s also not the voice I’ve been hearing, the voice I believe belongs to my father. I’ve been hearing that voice a lot and having dreams and visions of him and me as a young girl. I get the feeling that he wasn’t such a loving man. Which leads me to believe even more that he’s not coming for me and probably isn’t worried that I’m gone.
“No… no,” I choke out.
“You have to stay strong. We’re going to get out of here. I’m Torque.”
I furrow my brows. He sounds like he’s barely entered puberty, but here he is trying to give me reassurance. My heart aches as I think of all the people here that have had their lives snatched away. Young girls and boys. This isn’t right.
“I’m Roni,” I say as I shove down a sob.
“Have… did… are you hurt?” he says in a softer tone. “Not the beatings. Did they touch you?”
My heart burns. From the sound of his voice, I don’t even want to think of his reply. These sick bastards need to pay for what they’ve done to everyone. I ball my fists as I pull my knees into my chest.
The cold floor beneath me chills my body, but my blood boils with my anger. I haven’t been raped, which had been my biggest fear when they first brought me down here. However, they have jerked off in front of me while making me watch, beaten me, splashed me with ice water repeatedly, and starved me.
“No,” I say barely above a whisper, but I know he’s heard me when he releases a relieved breath.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s a girl that they use to help to talk to the others. She’s… um, Black, I think and pretty. Really pretty. She can understand and speak to almost everyone,” he says cautiously.
I bite my inner cheek. He’s talking about Natasha. I take pause and try to decide if I should say anything. This could be a trap for all I know. I won’t put her in danger.
“Please. I need to know if she’s okay. She saved my life. Have you seen her?”
“Yeah, you’re talking about Natasha.”
“Natasha,” he says as if testing the name on his lips.
“Yeah, she was safe the last time I saw her.”
There’s a long pause before he replies in a low voice. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I breathe before I close my eyes.
No telling when they’ll return to torture me more. The restlessness is a part of their plan to break me, they never stay away for too long. If I can rest for a little while, maybe I can sleep the hunger and pain away.
Don’t break, Roni. You’re going to make it through this.
Chapter 8
Misery
John
Pushing a hand through my hair, I head out of the bar. It’s time for me to call it a night. It’s been a long day.
First, there was that call from Nellie’s ex. She’s only been home for four months, but it’s like old times. I remember the cute little kid that would run around with Bean, I was protective of her back then too.
That call had me boiling mad. “Piece of shit,” I mutter to myself as I think about it.
I make my way to my car thinking of all the ways I want to torture that asshole apart. I’m at the driver’s side door when my phone rings. I pull it from my pocket and growl.
The second reason it’s been the day from hell. Missy won’t stop calling. She knows she has me by the balls. I’m going to answer. Why?
Well, that’s the next thing that has me wondering how the hell I got myself into all of this. Last week she called me sobbing. I was in the middle of a case and I couldn’t take the time to find out what the hell was going on.
The next time my phone rang it was her new roommate freaking out as she screamed that she didn’t know what to do. Missy had swallowed a bottle of pills. Yup, she tried to kill herself.
“Hello,” I answer the phone, trying my best not to allow my annoyance to show through.
I still can’t believe she tried to kill herself. I’d told her to give me an hour and I’d call her once I was done with work. It hadn’t been fifteen minutes before that next call came in.
I know she’s been unstable, but I never thought she would take it that far. Now I’m walking on eggshells to keep her from harming herself again and I’m miserable. It’s starting to feel like I can’t breathe.
“Hey,” Missy replies. “Are you still out with your brothers?”
I roll my eyes at the bitter way she says that. When she’d asked to come along, I’d danced right out of that. Nellie had been all of our priority.
Missy would have made the night about her. It’s something I’ve learned about her that I hate. We could be in a conversation about cats and somehow the cats would remind her of something she wants or needs.
Not a greater need or want than the topic in discussion. It comes off odd and egotistically at times. Most times to be honest.
“Actually, I’m heading home. I’m exhausted,” I reply. “How are you feeling?”
“Lonely, I was hoping you could come over and hold me again. You know like the night you brought me home,” she says hopefully.
I’m enabling this behavior. I know I am, but the guilt I feel won’t allow me not to do anything I can to make sure she’s safe, mentally and physically. As I climb into my car and start it, I prepare myself for an even longer night.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I murmur.
Once I end the call with Missy, I stare straight ahead, unseeing. I’m like a bottle ready to explode. The lid is ready to pop right off.
My thoughts race. I’m seriously trying not to be a dick, but something about her suicide attempt was off as well. God, I hate feeling like I’m making all this up because I don’t want to be with her.
“This has to end soon,” I mumble to myself.
Roni
“You know who I am?” the tall man says.
He’s handsome. Lighter than me and my mommy, with pretty light brown eyes. His nose looks like mine.
I squeeze the teddy bear he gave me to my chest before answering the question. Looking up into his eyes, I nod. He squats in front of me, coming down to eye level.
“You’re my father,” I say softly.
“Good, she told you about me,” he says.
Cupping my face, he searches my eyes. My lips tremble. This is the first time that I can remember that I’m seeing this man in person.
I don’t know if I can give him a hug. I want to. I’m scared and my mommy is gone. They said she’s not coming back this time.
“Our plane is waiting.” He nods and stands to turn. “We leave. It’s time to go home.” He starts walking without another word.
I gasp and jump out of my sleep as ice water hits my body. They’re back. My teeth chatter as I tremble.
Yet I try to hold onto the dream I’ve been awakened from. It feels important to me. A much needed memory.
“Please.”
The chilling cry causes me to snap my head up. It’s then that I realize they have my cell door wide open and Natasha is now standing outside in the hold of one of the guards.