Chapter Twenty-One
If Cora thought she hurt before, it in no way compared to how much pain she was in now. Alejandro’s men had most likely broken a few ribs using her as a punching bag. It hurt to breathe. Cora was petrified after Alejandro’s announcement that he was going to pimp her out to his men even though he had told her before she wasn’t going to be. Leave it to a criminal to lie.She could hardly fight them all off. It would be a fate worse than death. Cora thought about what Hannah might have gone through at the hands of this man. No one knowing where she was, and being at the hands of this man for weeks, and that was before the other places she had been held. It was a daunting thought. She refused to face the same fate if she could help it. She hoped they were still in California.Hearing the water told her she was on the coast, but the ocean stretched several hundred miles. After the video ended Alejandro turned his beady little eyes on her. She tried to shrink back from him, but his goons and the chains kept her in place. She had kept quiet for Liam’s sake, wanting to be strong for him, but now her confidence was shaking. The cold dead look in Alejandro’s eyesfrightened her. And to think she had worked for him. Defended him to Liam. She was such a fool.
“I’m sorry our time together is going to have to be cut short,mi querido. Such a waste.” He stepped back and looked at his men. “Bring her outside. Soon all will get the message of what happens when you cross me.”
Cora tried to fight them as her shackled hands were being lowered. Her arms protestedher movements as pinpricks of pain shot through her arms when blood started flowing back into them. She was easily subdued. One goon held her upper body, while the other held her legs. They walked towards the end of the tunnel. Cora had a fear of all the men who would be standing there waiting to take a turn at her. She kept trying to struggle, then stopped when they reached the end of the tunnel,that opened for a few feet before it hit the water. Lots and lots of water. She wasn’t on the coast at all. She couldn’t even see the coast. Where the hell was she? She looked around, and saw ocean all around her. The rock she was on was only 50 feet wide. An island? Where was there an island near Fort Irwin? Alcatraz was the only island she could think of, and it was a lot larger than thisand you could still see land from it. It also had a structure on it not just a rock structure.
“Did you think we were still in your precious California?” Alejandro chuckled at her confused and shocked face. “We are at my home,mi querido.”
Holy shit. She was in Panama? She was in Panama. Oh, she was so dead. How would help get to her? Did anyone even know where she was? “Where’s Liam?” Corahad to know where he was. Since he wasn’t in the cave and they were on an island she knew he wasn’t near.
“Dead.” Alejandro shrugged in indifference. “We left his carcass on the side of the road like the scum he is. We gave him the same courtesy his men showed mine. He was the first of many to come.”
Dead? Left on the side of the road? No, she wouldn’t believe that. Liam was resilient. Hecouldn’t be dead she just got him back. His life couldn’t be over before theirs had begun. They hadn’t been that far away from Aaron’s house. Someone would come. She had to believe that. “And what exactly are you hoping to prove by raping and killing me?”
“Rape?” Alejandro said in mock shock. “There is no rape here. All the women enjoy our attention.”
Tell that to Hannah.
“Trust me, theydon’t.” Cora glared at him. The man was delusional if he thought women liked being drugged and raped.
Alejandro waved her words off as if she didn’t know what she was talking about. “Your death will send a message, that no matter how long it takes me or what resources I have to use, I always win.”
“But you didn’t get your drugs or the women back.” Cora pointed out.
“Not yet, but soon. Mymen are already out collecting them. Soon I will have my Hannah back, but you will not live long enough to see her. You betrayed me, Cora. I’m going to show you what happens to those that betray me.”
“You’re never going to get away with this. Liam and his team will come for me.” Instead of being intimidated, Alejandro just smiled. That was not the reaction she was hoping for.
“I’m countingon it,mi querido.You made all of this to easy.” Cora had made it easy. She left the protection of Aaron’s house. If she hadn’t been so determined to sleep in her own bed again. No. She couldn’t think like that. None of this was her fault or Liam’s. It was this psycho in front of her faults.
“Then go ahead. Do your worst.” Cora spit at him and felt a moment of pride when he reared back coveredin spit. Her mother might shake her head at the un-lady like behavior, but her dad would pat her on the shoulder and tell her job well done.
Fire lit in Alejandro’s eyes as he pulled out his handkerchief and dabbed the spittle off. “I’m really going to enjoy watching you die.” Alejandro pocketed his handkerchief, and pulled out a small roll of duct tape from the other pocket. He tore off asmall section and placed it over her lips. “Now, no one will hear you cry for death. Not even the fish. You will be silent as your people say as the grave.” Alejandro chuckled menacingly as his men carted her to the edge of the island. Cora feared they were just going to throw her in the water. Her hands were still bound, and now her mouth was covered. Breathing was about to become a problem, andwith broken ribs, it was now next to impossible. She tried to struggle, but the two goons threw her over the edge. Cora free fell for only a few seconds, and instead of landing in the water she landed hard on a small boat. The goons laughed at her as they stepped into the boat with her, followed by Alejandro. One of the goons started the motor, while the other two sat next to Cora, probably just incase she got any ideas and tried and throw herself overboard. She was a decent swimmer, but with the shackles and broken ribs, she wouldn’t make it far. They rode to the left of the island, a few hundred feet before killing the engine. Cora didn’t understand why they had stopped. She couldn’t see anything in the dark. Just the gentle waves that caught in the moonlight. The two goons hefted her up,and dragged her to the edge of the boat. She could just make out the island in front of her. Why were they here in the middle of nowhere? She was heaved over the side of the boat, and she flailed when she felt the water lapping at her. They were just going to dump her here? Why go through all the effort? They could have just thrown her in the water back on the island. Why drive all the way outhere? Cora tried to gasp in shock as the water touched her bare skin. It wasn’t freezing, but it wasn’t exactly warm either. She started to sink, and she kicked her legs out to try and stay floating before she realized there was a rock under her feet and at her back. It was just a small rock sticking out of the water. The goons ignored her as they wrapped the excess chain around the rock and her severaltimes, before locking it and handing the key to Alejandro.
“I discovered this rock in my youth. I would swim to it as a boy. It never had great meaning to me until now. I think I will name her vengeance rock. You will be the first of my many enemies to meet their end here. You see here in a few hours before sunrise the water will rise, and soon this rock will disappear. You will die beforeyour men can save you. And if by some miracle they find us before you die, you can watch them die before you drown.” Alejandro leaned down and kissed Cora on her duct tape covered lips. “Adios,mi querido.” He said, before one of the goons started the boat and rode back to the island.
Waves from the motor splashed her in the face, and Cora wanted to cough up the water that went up her nosebut couldn’t. Her eyes burned, and she tried to breathe slowly. Cora started shaking from the cool waters that settled at her chest. She pulled on her chains, but they held. If she only had a bobby pin or something she could try and pick the lock. Cora wiggled from side to side and felt the chain slide with her. The chain. It had only been wrapped around the rock it wasn’t anchored to anything excepther. If she could wiggle her way up the rock, she might get the chains lose and swim for shore. Cora used her feet and started working her way up the rock. She could only pray she got out of this before the water rose.
~
Liam paced in the plane for over six hours. All sorts of scenarios of what was happening to Cora plagued him and was driving him mad. He didn’t know if she would evenbe alive when he got there. This very well could not be a rescue mission at all. His teammates had tried distracting him to no avail. He wouldn’t relax until he saw Cora with his own eyes and had her safe back at home. It didn’t matter the condition he found her in. She was coming home. He was still stunned that their new commander had allowed them all to go and was flying them. It was surreal. Hehad been completely prepared to give up his career for Cora. She meant everything to him. He had no idea what he would do as a civilian. He had never given it a thought before. He assumed he would be doing this until the military kicked him out for being too old. Would Cora expect him to quit? They had never discussed it before. Now wasn’t the time to think about it. He needed to focus on the hereand now. Cora needed him. He marched over to where the group was gathered over a map of the island and the general area where Hannah had pointed out the island was. It was only a few miles south of his base and completely exposed. Satellite imaging showed there weren’t any good places of entry without being exposed. A HALO jump would be best, but once in the water, they would be sitting ducks.But it was their best and only option, that would get them to the island the quickest.
“It’s time to suit up. We’ll be over Alejandro’s base here in a few minutes.” Commander Jones announced at the top of the stairs. Silently they folded up the map and checked all their gear, preparing to jump. Liam prayed he wasn’t too late.
After landing in the water and separating their chutes, they calledout to each other using short whistles. They grouped together quickly and got their bearings. They could see the island using NVD and started swimming for the island. They reached the island in only a few minutes with Midas in the lead. Midas looked around before easing out of the water without making a sound, and low crawled to the edge of the tunnel. Each man followed up quickly and took apoint. They could hear low whispered words coming from inside and see torches lit. Obviously, Alejandro wasn’t expecting them. It was time to end this. Liam was getting ready to head in, when he thought he heard someone call his name somewhere in the water. He looked to where he thought he heard it coming from, the left of the island but couldn’t see anything but water and didn’t hear anything butwaves.
“There a problem?” Midas whispered to him.
“Nothing. Thought I heard something.” Liam shook it off and refocused on getting inside the tunnel. The team hugged the wall as they slowly made their way inside. The tunnel wasn’t very long. Only a few hundred feet. It opened into a large cavern filled with torches. Liam immediately recognized the room as where Cora was being held. He wouldhave to thank Hannah later for telling them where this place was. Liam eased ahead of the others to do reconnaissance and saw only four men in the room sitting around talking. He kept scanning but couldn’t find Cora. He turned to Midas and signaled four enemies and types of weapons. Midas signaled back about hostages. Liam shook his head. Liam would get them to talk,he had no fear. It was sevento four. This would be a walk in the park. They stayed low and entered the room fanning out. No one saw them until it was too late. Alejandro saw them first and stood up shouting for his men. His goons stood up with guns and started shooting without knowing who or where they were shooting at.Liam and his team took them down quickly leaving Alejandro to fight them alone. Liam took off his helmet.“Where is she?” he demanded.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Alejandro stared them all down.
Liam marched up to Alejandro and gripped the front of his shirt with two hands and lifted him off his feet. “I’m not fucking around. Where is she?”
Alejandro just smiled coldly at him then they all heard the cocking of guns. “You will never live to find her,pendejo.” Liam’s team spunaround to face a new threat. Twenty soldiers stood at the opening of the tunnel aiming weapons at them. Liam dropped Alejandro and spun and started firing at his newest obstacle to get to Cora. Bullets ricocheted off the rock walls, and men spread out as they opened fired on each other. Liam heard the ping of a bullet hitting the wall behind him, then a chunk of rock landed on him. This place wasa death trap. They needed to end this quickly before the cave fell around them. Midas fired at a man running at him from his right. Tiny and Hound quickly finished off the last of them. Liam looked at his teammates, and a few were hit, but all injuries looked superficial. Most from the ricochets, and not direct hits.
“Tiny, again?” Doc teased him as he looked him over.
