Chapter 1
Kimberly Turner groaned as she rolled over on the thin, dirty blanket on the cave floor. She shifted slightly, her body stiff and sore from another night sleeping on the hard ground. Her stomach rumbled with hunger, but she’d gotten used to the feeling after nearly two months in captivity. Her long, dark hair was tangled and matted, and she’d kill for a hot shower. For soap and warm water to rinse the sand, dirt, and grime from her skin.
Bathing in her clothes in the river had sufficed on the few opportunities she’d gotten. There was no way she was undressing around the group of violent men who’d kidnapped her.
After walking for hours yesterday, her captors had moved her and another woman to this hidden location. It looked exactly like the last cave she’d been in, but Kim knew they were trying to avoid being caught. The more frequently they moved her, the less hope she had of being rescued.
She hadn’t seen the other hostage since yesterday, but she’d heard the woman’s screams last night.
Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she shuddered.
They’d raped the other woman nightly but had only hurt her once. The other captive was blonde and American. She cried when they hurt her, which only seemed to urge them on more. Kim hadn’t fought the first night when a man had attacked her. She’d closed her eyes and willed it to be over as soon as possible. He’d climbed off her, spit in her face, and then stormed away yelling in Farsi while she’d righted her clothing.
Only after he was gone, and she was certain she was alone, had she cried.
With Kim’s dark hair, she blended in more here in Afghanistan. Or she would’ve, had she been dressed in traditional attire. The camo fatigues she had on—the very one’s she’d been wearing when kidnapped from Bagram Airfield—gave her away as an American.
They knew when they’d kidnapped her that she was valuable—a female American servicemember. Kim wasn’t sure what the blonde woman did, or even if she’d been taken from Bagram. Despite being moved together every few days to new spots hidden in the mountains, they weren’t allowed to talk or communicate.
The men still taunted and harassed Kim, grabbed at her, but only one man had held her down in the dark tent that night. Kim wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep from crying. Tears wouldn’t solve anything. Memories wouldn’t keep her safe. And fighting her kidnappers would only get her hurt.
Again.
After taking a few shaky breaths, she blinked in the dim light. It was early morning—too early for the men guarding her to be awake. They knew she wouldn’t run. She’d attempted escape only once before and been beaten because of it.
And aside from the first night she’d been taken, when the man had forced himself on her, they’d preferred to prey on the other woman. Kim wanted to vomit thinking about what she’d been through—wanted to tell her to stay quiet and stop crying so they’d leave her alone. She’d only caught glimpses of the woman though. They weren’t held near one another. They’d never been allowed to speak.
Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the cave ceiling, barely visible in the morning light.
Was anyone looking for her?
The explosion in her building at Bagram had resulted in chaos and utter confusion. Women had been screaming, rushing to get out the door as smoke filled the air. Flames licked up the sides of the building. Kim had been down in the lobby and one of the first women to rush out, yelling for help.
In the confusion, someone had grabbed her. Silenced her. Strong arms had wrapped around her, lifting her from the ground as she kicked and fought. She’d seen a group of men rushing toward the building, one who’d been with her friend Hailey moments before. Kim didn’t recognize them from base, but plenty of military personnel came and went. Kim was only supposed to be there for a month as part of her reserve duty.
But she’d been no match for the man who had taken her. And with the fire and smoke and screams piercing the air, no one had noticed as she’d been kidnapped in plain sight.
She didn’t know what had happened to her friends. To Hailey. The women had become friends when they’d both worked at the Pentagon. They’d just happened to be at Bagram together for a few weeks while Kim was TDY. Had Hailey escaped the fire? Did she