I nodded as the tears ran down my face. I pulled hard on my restraints so they would see that my hands were attached to the bars. My eyes kept closing and I had to keep lowering my head to the floor of the cage.
“I see your hands, buddy. We’ll take good care of you. Hang tight for me. I won’t leave,” he promised. After I nodded at him, I heard him address one of the other people. “Terrence, can you put your coat on top of the cage, so the light is out of his eyes?”
“Shit, yes, of course.”
Soon, a coat was placed over the top of the bars, and I was able to open my eyes.
“There, is that better?” Garrett asked.
Unable to talk much, I nodded frantically. I gripped the bars with all my strength and pulled myself upright as best as I could. Leaning close to the iron bars, I pointed to my mouth so he’d see that I wasn’t being an asshole, but I just couldn’t open my mouth.
“I know, buddy. Hang tight. My partner went to get the bolt cutters so we can get you out of there, and we have an ambulance on the way.”
I nodded quickly again.
“On’t ‘eave,” I whispered.
“I won’t leave you in here, buddy.” I nodded and leaned against the bars. “Did you get the pictures?” Garrett directed his question to one of the other guys.
“Yes, tons.”
“I’ve got the bolt cutters!” Another agent jogged into the room with an officer following him, carrying a blanket and a bottle of water.
The man with the bolt cutters and the man who took the pictures went to the end of the cage and began working to free me. Garrett hadn’t moved from his spot in front of me, and I kept my eyes on the doorway, fearing that Sebastian might come storming in.
“Relax, bud. They’ve already been arrested and are in custody,” Garrett assured me just as the bolts on the top of the cage were busted open. Garrett reached up to grab the jacket from the top of the cage. “Okay, buddy, close your eyes while they take the top off,” Garrett told me.
I closed my eyes and lowered my head while they removed the top of the cage. Impulse took over, and I began to pull on my wrist cuffs to remind them that I was still cuffed. I realized that probably wasn’t necessary, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Easy, buddy. Keep your eyes closed and turn your head toward me. I’m going to hold this jacket up between your head and left arm. That way if any pieces they cut off fly around, nothing hits you in the face. Then we’ll do the same with your right arm. Okay?”
I nodded and turned my head toward Garrett. The moment my left wrist was free, I pulled it toward my body and tucked it between my chest and knees. They repeated the process on my right arm, and I pulled that arm between my knees and chest once it was free.
Garrett stood and told me that they would help me out of the cage, and he held his hands out toward me. For a moment, I stared at his hands before I made any movement toward them.
“It’s okay, buddy. We have the jacket and the blanket to wrap you in,” Garrett calmly said.
I nodded, but when I tried to stand, my knees buckled but Garrett and one of the other agents caught me. Ashamed that I couldn’t even stand on my own, more tears began to fall from my eyes.
“Sweetheart, don’t you worry about that at all,” the female agent said. “You’re gonna be fine as soon as you get some food and medical care.”
Garrett told me they were going to lift me out of the cage. He faced the other men and told them to be as careful as possible of possible broken or brittle bones. As soon as the three men lifted me out of the cage, I pulled my arms close to my body and folded them over my midsection. Weakness began to take over, and I started to see spots. I could feel myself lowering to the floor, but Garrett grabbed me quickly and held me upright. He wrapped the navy jacket that said FBI on it in bright yellow letters around my shoulders. The woman wrapped the blanket around the jacket and then opened the water bottle for me.
“I know this isn’t easy, sweetheart, but I’ll hold the bottle and tilt it so you can drink,” she offered.
No water.
I shook my head rapidly and lowered it. What if she spilled it on me? I couldn’t.
“No, sweetheart?”
I keep shaking my head.
“Alright, honey. Just relax,” she said.
Through my panic over the bottle of water, one of the officers left the room to go meet the paramedics. By the time the medics came in with the gurney, I was close to needing to kneel. They lowered the height of the gurney, and Garrett and the female officer helped me onto the soft, white bed.
I closed my eyes as I listened to the paramedics talking to Garrett about the piercings in my lips that clamped my mouth closed. It was determined that they were going to let the doctors at the hospital remove it.
