Sure Thing • Gavi

Chapter 60: Something Went Terribly Wrong

🎶 Black Hole - Acoustic Version — Griff 🎶

The next thing I remember was very, very, very cold water splashing on my face. I blinked a few times, opening up my eyes. I was in some sort of dimly lit room and a small camera was pointed at me. I looked down and saw that I was sitting on a chair. My arms and legs were tied to it and I tried to pull away from the plastic straps, but they were so tight, that I cut myself, making me hiss in pain.

"Shut up! You were out long enough! Now read!" a guy shouted with a thick Arab accent and came over to slap me across my face.
I recomposed myself and looked straight in front of me, where I saw the camera and a guy holding up some papers with a text. Apparently, I was supposed to read that.
"Come on!" the guy in front of me shouted again and punched me in the stomach with his foot. A sharp pain went through my abdomen and I groaned in pain, before recomposing myself. I saw no choice but doing what they were ordering me to do.

"My name is Victoria Hernandez."
Fuck, how did they know that.
"I need your help."
Oh, fuck yes, I do.
"Those detaining me, the Islamic State, are demanding an exchange of Afia Saddam's release for my release."
I knew who that guy was - a prisoner in Spain, he had been incarcerated for terrorist activities for seven years now. They knew I was Spanish. How did they know this? How did they find me?
"If this is not achievable, they are demanding 5 million euros to ensure my release." I read from the last paper that was being held up.
Shit, Spain didn't negotiate with terrorists. I will be here on my own. A guy quickly wrote something on another piece of paper.
"You have a week."

I closed my eyes and tears rolled down my cheek. Someone came to untie me from the chair and dragged me down a humid and dark corridor until we arrived at some sort of cell. He pushed me inside and I fell onto the ground, hitting my head. I crouched down in a corner after the door was shut close and looked around. Pierre was lying there on the other side, he looked so bad, his lip and eyes were swollen and his hair was sticky with dried blood.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm my breathing. How did I end up here? What was going to happen to me? I prayed to the Heavens that Pablo would never see that video of me or even get the idea to come up with the 5 million himself if Spain refused to negotiate. Fuck, he already had enough on his plate and now he had to deal with yet another heartbreak - how much did that poor boy need to suffer? Why didn't I just take the next flight to Barcelona yesterday? My self-hatred was eating me up from inside in that moment.

Gavi POV

This was all a bad dream, that's what I kept repeating to myself after I finished my medical tests at the Ciutat Esportiva. My season was over, every hope of actively winning a trophy was vanished, including the EUROs and the Olympic Games. My next game would probably be a meaningless friendly during pre-season. Worst case, I'd be out for a whole fucking year. I was only 19, a whole year is like an eternity for me. My phone dinged as I was in the car with Ivan, showing me messages from my girlfriend:

Vicky - Israel ❤️
I love you so much
Losing service soon, but I'll text you when I get it back
You are the best thing that ever happened to me
Stay strong, we will get through this and everything together

I scoffed. How were we going to get through this together if she was far away? When I arrived at home, my family was already there, waiting for me and I hobbled to the couch, where I laid down and my Mum was quick to bring me some ice to put on my knee.
"We need to decide on when to do the surgery, the sooner, the better" Ivan said, breaking the silence.
"Can you guys just leave me alone for a moment?" I asked with a weak voice and they all tried to occupy themselves with something. I tapped the call icon next to Vicky's name on WhatsApp and hoped that she would pick up. She did, but I couldn't hear anything and soon after, the call ended. I tried calling her two more times, but her number was out of service. Fucking great. She was about to leave for her story thing she had announced to me just a few days ago, and I had no clue about what she was doing that she wouldn't have any service but I sure hoped that it wouldn't be something dangerous. I had no energy left to deal with that too right now.