Delta Force Rescue - Elle James Page 0,46
the compound. The wall was too high for her to scale without help. If she could find a ladder or something to help her get over the top, she’d need to climb over away from the main gate and hope there weren’t guards posted all around the perimeter. She just needed a chance, and she’d make the best of it. The jungle looked pretty tame compared to the kind of justice El Chefe Diablo dished out. Briana needed to figure a way out. The sooner the better. Then Alejandra wouldn’t have to risk her newfound freedom to get Briana out of a tight situation.
There had to be a way.
Briana went to work pulling and tugging at the legs of the bed. The metal was firm and needed a screwdriver and a wrench to dismantle the frame. The plumbing was bare bones. She might have used the lid to the toilet, if it had one. The tank was one that was mounted high on the wall with a string to pull for flushing. She might be able to use the string to stretch across the door to trip or confuse the guards. Filing that thought away, she skimmed her hands along the walls, searching for any holes or soft spots she could dig out to carve an exit through the wall. The wall was smooth. Tapping her knuckles against it, she realized it was probably made of concrete blocks. Without a chisel and several weeks of painstaking work, she wouldn’t make much of a dent in the structure.
If she wanted out of that room, she had to leave through the door. Unless the guard got careless, she doubted an opportunity would present itself. What guard wanted to face El Chefe Diablo after losing a prisoner? Especially after one of the guards was murdered for scraping Briana’s wrists with his knife.
An hour passed. Two guards showed up to escort her back down the long hallway to the cartel leader’s study.
“Give them proof of life. Talk to the camera.” He nodded toward a man who held a smart phone.
This was her chance to get her message across, not fight the monster who held her hostage. Briana stared at the smartphone camera, her head held high. “Alejandra, if you get this message, don’t come to El Salvador. Seek asylum from the US government, stay in the States and raise your baby.”
El Chefe cursed and started toward her.
Briana continued, talking faster, “You were right to leave this monster. Stay away. Don’t worry about me. I don’t have a child. You do.”
The Devil Boss grabbed her hair and yanked back her head. He stuck a wicked, long knife up to her throat and spoke to the phone. “If you want her to live another day, you’ll be on a plane in the next twelve hours. After that, I will start taking her apart, one piece at a time, starting with her pretty ear.” He touched the tip of the knife to Briana’s ear and pricked it, drawing blood.
Briana bit down hard on her lip to keep from crying out.
“Twelve hours.” El Chefe lowered the knife, released his grip on her hair and backhanded her hard enough that she flew across the room and landed on her hands and knees.
He made a cutting motion across his throat. The man holding the smart phone stopped the video and handed the phone to his boss. He pressed a few buttons, keyed a message and pressed send.
“Now, we will see if your life is worth anything,” El Chefe said, motioning to the guard. “Llévala lejos.”
The guard jerked her to her feet, walked her out of the room and back down the long hallway to her prison.
Still dizzy from being hit in the face, Briana could barely keep up with the man. He half-walked, half-dragged her until they reached the room. Then he shoved her inside and slammed the door shut.
Briana stumbled and fell to the floor, the same cheek he’d cut the first time bleeding again. She lay there for a few minutes, praying Alejandra did as she’d said and stayed in the US. If she came home, she would have no freedom and live in constant fear for her life and for that of her little girl.
Briana understood what it meant for her if Alejandra didn’t come, and she prayed that if she couldn’t find a way out, that she’d die sooner rather than later.
Chapter 11
Thirty-six hours after Briana’s abduction, the plane greased the landing and came to a