Black Smoke (29 page)

More determined than ever to find out what was going on, she followed them here, to Elmira, New York. That’s where she was, New York State. She called her Uncle Walt, told him where she was then continued to follow them at a distance.

The ride seemed to take forever with her mind refusing to believe that her loving father and mother would have any dealings with people that seemed destined to take lives. And if her guess was correct, innocent lives. How many times had her father stopped her from squashing spiders in the yard, or sternly lectured her about teasing the wild rabbits that would come and forage through her mother’s flower beds?

“All God’s creatures are special. Treat them the way you would like to be treated,” he’d say, then pick her up and spin her over his shoulder until she laughed so hard, her stomach hurt.

When the van finally pulled off the main roads and started driving down one-lane dirt roads, Sam decided to park her car. She turned it around facing the opposite direction, so if a fast escape was needed, all she had to do was jump in and drive away.

She trekked through the dense woods until she came across an old rundown farm house. At first she thought she hadn’t traveled far enough, until she saw the front of the white van peeking out from behind the back of the house. The men were carrying the crates inside.

Needing a place to hide, she crept around the outskirts of the house looking for somewhere that would allow her to observe unseen. That’s all she wanted to do, observe. She was smart enough to know this was bad news, that she couldn’t take them down herself. But if she could see what they were up to, she could report it to the police.

That’s when she encountered one of the men. He was just as surprised as she was when they met face to face. Sam gave him a quick kick to the face and turned to run, only to be taken down by a kick to the legs. They struggled and fought for what seemed like ten minutes. Each punishing blow Sam delivered was countered by one of his to her. Her disadvantage was she’d been caught off guard, something that had never happened in the past.

Her guide had always warned her of upcoming danger. It was something she relied on. Today however, she was not warned. In fact, she hadn’t heard a whisper in her head since, well, since Mark had left.

Sam seemed to be fueled by the anger she felt when his name fluttered through her head. Her kicks became more wild, her jabs more potent. She was about ready to chop his windpipe when strong hands grasped her arms and threw her to the ground. Thrusting her legs out and arching her back, she sprung to her feet ready to continue the battle.

Once again, strong hands pushed her back to the ground and a large foot planted itself in the middle of her chest. The pressure was unbearable, but Sam struck out with her legs and knocked the man to the ground. Just as she was about to spring to her feet again, another much larger foot was planted in the center of her chest.

It seemed the man stood with all his weight on her, crushing her sternum. Sam had no other choice but to stop fighting. If he continued the pressure, her sternum would surely collapse. She gasped for air and looked into the eyes of the devil himself. There was no mercy there, no humanity. Just emptiness.

The man waited until her gasps for air became shallower then kicked her in the rib cage. Hands picked her up and held her while the man she had originally fought unleashed his vengeance. One blow after another landed. There seemed to be no end to the brutal punishment he was willing to give her.

Sam heard popping and cracking as bones failed under the severe beating. It was the last blow to her face that sent her spiraling into the darkness, a darkness she welcomed because, for the first time in her life, she couldn’t fight back.

She must be inside the house. Voices could be heard, but they seemed far away. Every once in a while she could hear something thump above her. If the sounds were above her, then she was in the basement. But why were they keeping her? Why not just dump her somewhere, or kill her?

“Let’s see if our visitor is awake yet.” The voice was scratchy and low and coming closer. Sam fought to keep herself calm as she waited while whoever it was came into the room. Her thoughts went to her Uncle Walt. How worried he must be and how angry he would be. Then she thought about Mark. Would she ever get the chance to see him again, to tell him she didn’t hate him, but loved him? Would it even matter to him?

“Wake up!” The voice boomed into the room.

Sam cursed herself for jumping, for giving them the satisfaction of seeing her jump.

“Who are you?” the voice asked.

Sam tried to open her eyes as much as possible to see the man’s face, but her eyes were too swollen to open even a crack. What would she tell them, that she suspected them of killing her parents eighteen years ago? She needed to tell them something.

“I asked you a question,” the man said grabbing her face.

The moan escaped her mouth before she could stop it. His hands were brutal, squeezing her already bruised cheeks. All she could do was fight the pain.

“Not talking, or can’t?” he grumbled. “You guys were too rough. How we going to find out anything with her all busted up like that?” he asked as he let go of her face. “Clean her up. Give her some water. The boss’ll want to see her when he gets here.”

She heard footsteps walking away, then the sound of water being run into a bucket. Sam tensed as she waited to see what would be done to her. A chuckle seemed to come from over her, then ice cold water flooded over her body. A loud gasp could be heard through the room, as Sam sucked in her breath. Every cut, open wound or sore flamed from the force of the water.

Another laugh filled the air, then water running again. Sam braced herself this time, waiting for the deluge to pour over her. When it came, she held herself stiff as her body protested the clash of ice cold water and pain.

She suffered through two more buckets until the man decided she was clean enough to be seen by whoever the boss was. It would have been easy for Sam to plot how she would kill each and every one of them, but that wasn’t prudent. She needed to keep her mind on getting away. Some how, some way, she needed to free herself.

Help me
, she pleaded inside her head.
You helped me free myself once before, help me now.

The only sound Sam heard was silence. No answer.
I’m sorry if I let you down
, she continued,
I won’t question you again, just help me.
Those days after Mark left were hard. She had found herself questioning every event that led to their meeting.

I cannot help you Samantha.

Relief swept over her at the sound of the familiar voice inside her head.

Why
? she questioned.
Why can’t you help me?

I cannot interfere.

I won’t tell anyone, I promise. Just tell me how to get out of these shackles.

You do not understand Samantha.

Please
, she cried within herself.
Please don’t let them kill me the way they did my mother. Take me now before they steal what’s left of my dignity.

Heavy footsteps came down the stairs and the door to the room opened. Sam held her breath, waiting for what would come. She could feel the shackles cutting into her wrists. If need be, she would slice herself open all the way and bleed to death before she would allow herself to be ravaged the way her mother was.

“Well, well. What do we have here?” The voice was familiar, a voice from her past. A voice from her dream. He walked around her once, then stood next to her before crouching down beside her. “My men did a number on you, didn’t they?” Sam could feel his breath on her skin as he spoke. “You shouldn’t have been snooping around.” He seemed to be studying her between his sentences. “A pretty little thing I think. Of course it’s hard to tell with your face all messed up like that.”

His hands slid between her breasts, down her stomach and stopped between her legs.
No!
She screamed inside her head.
Don’t let this happen!

“Pity, I have other plans at the moment. But you aren’t going anywhere are you? You’ll wait for me.”

“We have plans to make. Time is running out,” another voice came from across the room.

“Yes, I know,” he said walking away. “Don’t let her die. I want to have the pleasure of taking her life.”

Sam held her breath until she was sure all the footsteps were gone. Then she waited and listened to see if anyone stayed behind. When she heard nothing, she began jerking her legs against the chains around her ankles. Pain ripped through her knee with every jerk, but she didn’t stop.

You don’t want to help me, I’ll do it myself. Haven’t I done everything you asked of me? How many people have I saved over the years because you wanted me to? Now you leave me to be used by these animals and killed.

Her head was beginning to ache from her mental screaming. Pushing past it, she continued to jerk her legs. If she could just work enough space loose, she could slide her foot out.

Stop Samantha. You are injuring yourself further.

What difference does it make?
When he comes back, he’ll do worse.

Tears began slipping from between her swollen eyelids. It couldn’t end like this. Not after all she’d done for others. Where was her happiness in life? Was she asking too much—a simple happy life with someone that loved her? A family of her own?

Through a small crack in her swollen eyes, she saw what seemed to be a brilliant white light fill the room. Sam stopped struggling and tried to open her eyes further. Warmth spread through her body, peace settled inside her mind and heart. What felt like electricity started from her toes and ran up her body to her fingertips.

Sam, you must not struggle. Your body is damaged badly enough. Don’t make it worse.

This voice wasn’t her guide. It sounded like her mother. Was the warmth and peace she felt coming from her mother?

“Mom?” she asked aloud.

Please honey, don’t hurt yourself any more. Help is on the way. You just have to hold on.

“Mommy, is that you? Don’t leave me please.” Sam gasped for breath as she spoke. Was it possible? Could her mother help her?

I’m always with you Sam. I always have been.

The light began to dim in the room and the warmth lessened. “No! Don’t go, please.” But it was too late, darkness swallowed her once again. “No, no. Don’t leave.” Sam whispered.

* * * * *

The men upstairs made lists of who would plant bombs and where. Next came who would target planes in the air. A sense of finality settled over the room.

“The time has come my brothers.” The leader spoke. “All our years of planning have paid off. Tomorrow we will exact our revenge on those disbelievers. Nonconformist Americans will never rest safely in their homes again. We will hold power. We will decide what they believe in and what they buy from now on. Our great leader will be safe to lead openly once again.”

Cheers filled the room, handshakes were passed from one man to another. Everyone was joyful at the thought of taking down a great materialistic, and in their mind, evil power. All but one man. He smiled and shook hands with the others, but the secret he held behind his smiling eyes would bring them all down.

There was only one problem, the woman downstairs. Who was she? How did she find them? Was she sent by his superiors? These questions niggled away at his brain as he joined in the celebration among the men.

Normally he wouldn’t care. Just one more acceptable loss in the war on terror. But there was something about her, something he couldn’t put his finger on. He’d seen the way she fought, the way she didn’t back down. Training, extensive training. She had to be government, no one fought like that unless they were trained by the government.

He hadn’t been told another agent was being sent in. Wouldn’t they alert him? Or had he become expendable? Silently he cursed. He didn’t spend the last two years of his life living with these psychos and reporting their every move to be thrown away like garbage at the end. How could they do this to him? Then again, maybe she wasn’t government. Maybe she was a vigilante. If that were the case, then he had bigger problems. She wouldn’t be working alone. Surely she had others out there waiting for her return.

He had to find out. He had to be sure. He couldn’t let all his work be blown because of vigilantes. When all the partying was over and every man was sleeping off the drink they were about to share, he would sneak downstairs. She would answer
his
questions. He was trained in how to interrogate prisoners and he would utilize every method that was at his disposal.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The plane landed in New York without any problems. The four men disembarked and walked straight to a car parked on the tarmac. A small man got out of the car and held his hand out to Walt as they approached. The handshake was brief. More important things crowded niceties out of Walt’s mind.

“Kevin, these are Lieutenants Campbell, Underwood and Lowe. They’ve come to help me find her.”

“I’ve got a car waiting for you outside the airport. Maps and all the information we have are in there. If you need anything else, call me.” With that statement, Kevin got back in his car and waited for them to join him.