My Kidnapper's Mistake

Chapter 18: Captive

Anya's P.O.V.

There was no telling the time. The room was always the same. The light always on, not a bright light, one that gave the room a look as if it was always dusk. The walls of the room were thin, I could hear every scrape, bump and step from life outside. I flinched at every sound, imagining that it was the door being unbolted, that they had finally come to kill me. I feared that moment, even though I would welcome it. I'd ceased knocking and screaming a long time ago, maybe even days ago, when my throat and knuckles were raw. Now I mostly slept, dreaming of being back with the guys. Stealing glances of Julian, Kevin's theatrics, even Dexter's stoic face.

I was in that strange place between asleep and awake when I heard uncharicteristiclly loud noises. The previous noises, although they had seemed piercing and sharp, were a lot more dull than these noises. For the first time in days I was fully awake. Listening. There was screaming and gunfire. What was happening?

Something heavy bumped into the door, I scrambled to the furthest and darkest corner of the room. Huddled, with my knees against my chest, I waited as the door was unbolted. The door was pushed open and in the dusk of the room I could make out three figures carrying heavy guns. I pulled my knees even closer. I wasn't ready to die. Not yet. I hadn't yet told Julian that I might feel something for him. They stepped closer and I closed my eyes, call me a coward for not wanting to stare death in the face, I could hardly care. I felt pressure on my arms and then I was being lifted. Eyes still closed shut, and the pain of my back momentarily forgotten I clawed, kicked and bit whatever was so unfortunate of getting into my range of motion, which was not very wide.
"Would you stop making rescuing you so difficult!" A familiar voice cried next to me.
"Give her a break, Kev." Another familiar voice whined.
I went limp for a second as relieve flooded over me, but then I recalled the last conversation that I had heard. I started clawing and kicking again.
"No! Take me back! I don't want to be saved! Take me back! It's a trap! I don't want you to save me! Leave me here!" I screamed hysterically. Never the less we made slow progress toward the exit.

My eyes were still shut when we got outside. I could smell fresh air and feel the sun on my skin, but I was so scared that if I opened my eyes I would find the guys under heavy fire or bleeding out. I was still trying to claw my way back, which ever way that was, when I heard his voice, Julian was giving orders. I ceased my fighting to get back inside and opened my eyes cautiously. Julian stood a few paces away. I was let out of the grasp of Kevin and Jason, so I had to stand on my own. I gave a few wary steps and my legs buckled, being very weak from days with no food and only a few sips of water, my back still raw from multiple lashings. I almost fell but was caught under the arm by Julian and was led very slowly to the van. In the back was a mattress with pillows, all the equipment had to be in the SUV. Julian helped me inside and closed the door. I never knew who drove the van, the last thing I heard was the doors slamming shut before I snuggled into the pillows and slept some more.

I woke some time in the night, in a room. I didn't know how I had gotten out of the van or when. My back also felt cool for the first time in what seemed like ages. I recognized the room after a while and instantly knew where I was. I tossed around in the bed for a while, still exhausted bit unable to fall back asleep. I kept hearing muffled scrapes and bumps, imagining myself back in that blank walled room. I wasn't scared or even happy, I felt numb and I guess that was as good as anything to feel.

I got up after feeling thoroughly alone. I crept down the hallway to the door diagonally opposite mine. I tried to knock but the door swung open at the first touch. Julian wasn't asleep as I had thought he would be. I had planned on making myself comfortable on the sofa, just to hear another person breathing in the same room would have helped, but Julian was sitting at the desk. The door made a screeching sound, that during the day would sound no louder than a breath but at night in the complete silence, sounded as loud as a bomb exploding. He turned and looked at me as if expecting me to explain, but I couldn't. Oddly I didn't know what to say. By the time I had made up my mind to just apologize and leave he had gotten up and had walked to me. In the time it took my agonizingly slow brain to process this new development, Julian had engulfed me in a gentle hug, avoiding putting to much pressure on my back. I stood stunned for a second or two, drinking in his scent, that musky forest after rain smell. My brain finally kicked back into gear and I hugged him back ferociously, holding on as if my life depended on it, Julian pulled me closer almost crushing me and at that moment for some unexplained reason the flood gates opened. I guess the shock of being successfully rescued had finally worn off and now I was left a sobbing mess in Julian's arms. I had had no hope of leaving that place, only of dying in there alone, without any of the guys getting hurt in a rescue attempt. I hadn't thought that they could pull it off and would have to ask a lot later how they had managed that feat.

When I had finally calmed down enough, I noticed that Julian was stroking my hair and muttering something.
"It's okay. You're home now." He whispered.
Home. Was there such a thing anymore? I guess my home would be wherever these guys went.
I sniffed my last sniff and everything was quiet for a while.
"Come on, lets go to sleep." Julian ushered me to the bed and I offered no resistance.
I crawled in under the blankets and so did Julian. We lay facing each other. I curled myself into a ball and lay as close to him as I could. And just like that, feeling the heartbeat of another person, is how I slept until late the next morning.