All The Good Things

Chapter 5 - "Don't panic."

Ash groaned as she began to regain consciousness. There was a horrible pain in her neck. She tried to reach a hand up to massage it but she couldn't move them. Was she that tangled in her sheets?

She slowly worked on raising her head, letting out cries of pain with every inch she gained. She wondered if she could get a redo on this night's sleep and wake up not feeling so broken.

"Ash, are you awake?" someone asked. "Can you hear me?"

She jerked upright. "Zach?" she questioned, opening her eyes. "Why are you in my room?"

She looked at her surroundings and bigger questions than 'Zach being in her room' filled her brain. She was in an unfamiliar dark room. She could barely see the walls.

"This isn't my room," she said.

What was going on? Where was she? What had happened? Ash tried to remain calm as she tried to recall the last thing she could remember. It was hazy and her head hurt, which wasn't helping, and someone kept talking.

"Ash, listen to me," Zach said, his voice low but clear.

Right! She remembered Zach was with her. And Zach had been with her the night before. She had been leaving the coffee shop and he had offered to walk her home. Then...her memories took on a hazy glow that kept the details just out of her reach.

"...kidnapped," Zach said.

The word broke into Ash's thoughts and suddenly she could not only remember but she could feel a hand coming over her mouth and she could smell the sweet smell.

"What's going on?" she asked

"Don't panic," Zach said.

She looked around and laughed.

"Easier said than done," she said, as she could feel herself starting to do exactly what he had told her not to.

"Listen, I used to work for the CIA. The men that kidnapped us are part of a Russian terrorist organization."

"A Russian terrorist organization?" she questioned.

It felt like someone had cut the tie between words and their meaning. CIA? Terrorist Organization? Kidnapped? She knew the words he was saying but it still felt like he was speaking in a different language.

"Yes," Zach answered. "I worked this case for the CIA. Somehow they found me."

Ash felt her heartbeat starting to pick up and felt the adrenaline seeping into her system. They had been kidnapped. Zach worked for the CIA? Her eyes darted around the room. It looked like a place someone would hold hostages.

Her breathing quickened as she felt her flight or fight defense kick in but she was tied to a chair and flight wasn't an option, which meant she had to fight. It had been years since she had been in a situation where she was required to stay and fight. With her small frame and small muscles, there was nothing physically she could do to fight, but she had found a way to mentally fight. Sarcasm.

She had learned fear was pointless in a situation like this. It only made everything worse. Sarcasm might not stop whatever was going to happen from happening, but it did give her the tiniest sense of control in an uncontrollable situation.

"You work for the CIA? Perfect! I work for the DEA," she mocked. "I'm glad to see our agencies finally cooperating, although I do wish it was under better circumstances."

"Ash?" he said.

She could clearly hear the surprise in his voice at her response. She smiled. Was this what it took to get a read on him? Getting kidnapped? It was definitely overpriced. The next time she found someone she couldn't read she would walk in the opposite direction.