Unfortunately, Olivia knew she may have no other choice but to do something vulgar herself in order to get away from the men holding her captive. Or risk dying. Probably both.
Considering her plan involved traipsing through an honest-to-goodness jungle alone and without any supplies, dying was a very real possibility. But the alternative—being sold to a monster—was far worse. One way or another, by this time tomorrow, she would be free of these men.
The day she’d read that article, Olivia had begun making notes, both mentally and with her finger in the dry dirt floor. She estimated the time of day when her guards changed shifts. When she normally dumped her bucket, and when most of the men turned in for the night. She did this beneath her cot so no one would notice.
A few times now, a large group of men would leave very early. They’d come back hours later, laughing and shooting their guns in the air.Celebrating.
Olivia dreaded those days. Not only because their joy most likely meant someone else’s suffering, but also because the sound of the gunshots always took her back to that day.
To the terror and blood. The thought of leaving Jake behind. The guilt of her inaction.
So far, with the exception of the shower, today had proven uneventful, but Olivia’s time was running out. The dress wasn’t ideal for a run through the jungle, but they’d taken her other clothes, so she had no choice.
Her plan was simple. She’d lure her guard into the tent and try to seduce him. The thought nearly made her laugh, given how she probably looked, but the shower and dress would help. That, and the fact that she had no panties.
Bile tried making its way up again, but Olivia held it back. If she’d learned anything these past two weeks, it was that she was willing to do whatever it took to get away. These men were animals who thought they could sell her as if she were nothing more than an animal herself.
I’ll prove them wrong.
She was no weak, defenseless creature. She was a strong, independent woman. Strong enough to do what was necessary to escape, and find her way back home.
Mikey and Jake had taught her a few self-defense moves years ago, when they’d come back home from basic training. They both wanted to make sure she could defend herself, should the occasion call for it.
After that, any time they were on leave, they’d force her to practice the moves. Over and over. Olivia just prayed she remembered everything they’d taught her so she wouldn’t freeze up like before.Don’t go there.
Shoving the guilt back, Olivia sat on the edge of her cot, both hands clenching the metal frame so tightly her fingers ached. Forcing herself to stay focused, she mentally ran through the plan one last time.
She’d proposition her guard. Once he was in a vulnerable position, she’d disarm and hopefully maim him enough to be able to make an unnoticeable escape into the trees. From there, she had no idea where she would go, since she had no idea where she actuallywas.
At least out there, she’d have a fighting chance. If she continued to sit here, she’d be taken somewhere else tonight. God only knows what would happen to her, then.
Needing to do it before she chickened out, Olivia stood. She filled her lungs several times before walking toward her tent’s entrance.
Reaching for the flap, she jumped when the sound of several men yelling startled her. They weren’t screams of celebration, like before. These men sounded panicked.
Olivia quickly made her way back to her cot. She was wondering if whatever they were yelling about would interfere with her plans to escape, when a man suddenly burst into her tent.
He was tall and dressed in camouflage like the others, but the nasty scar running from the outside corner of his right eye down to the edge of his jaw set him apart. The expensive clothes were gone, but Olivia knew this was the same man who’d not only orchestrated her friends’ murders, but was also planning to sell her tonight.
Stalking toward her, he stopped directly in front of where she sat. He was definitely pissed about something.
With fear nearly choking her,Olivia forced herself to continue breathing. Without a word, Scarface—as she'd come to think of him—grabbed her by the arm, yanking her painfully to her feet.
Olivia yelped, her heart leaping into her throat as he roughly led her toward the tent’s entrance.Oh, God! I’ve waited too long!
The need to vomit was instant and fierce. Thinking past the panic was damn near impossible, but she had to do something,anythingto try to stop him before it was too late.
“W-where are you taking me?” Olivia attempted to wrench her arm free, but he was too strong.
“Doctor.” The man’s bark was laced with a heavy accent.
What?“I-I don’t need to see a doctor.”
They kept moving forward, the man speaking without looking at her. “No.Youdoctor.”
She shook her head, digging her bare heels into the ground. “I’m anurse,not a doctor!”
Scarface continued to pull her forward, unfazed by her clarification. “Same thing.”
