“I want them to take you,” I whispered. “I don’t want to leave you here. I’d rather be the one who stays.”
“You know I love you for that, but it’s not going to happen,” Taylor answered. “I’ll be okay, Harlow. If I know you’re on your way home, it will give me some hope. Something to live for if I know help is coming.”
My heart rebelled at the idea of leaving Lania without Taylor and Mark, but my brain knew she was right. “I don’t understand why you’re not being released with me. If my ransom was really paid, it must have been Montgomery Mining that paid it. The only one who would care enough to fork over money for me is my mom, and she doesn’t have that kind of cash.”
“And you think Montgomery would have paid for the release of a mere intern, too?” Taylor murmured.
“Yes. I know they would have. The Montgomery brothers are billionaires, but they’ve always made sure they ran a fair and ethical business, even though it’s the largest mining corporation on the planet. I’ve worked for them long enough to know that they do care about their employees, even their summer interns.” I’d once been one of those summer interns myself, so I knew they were good to every employee, and not just their upper corporate management.
“Then maybe the rebels only agreed to releasing you first so they could get more money,” Taylor suggested. “There’s definitely nobody out there who would hand over the kind of money they’re probably demanding if Montgomery doesn’t do it. Nobody will ever even know I’m missing.”
“I’m sure it has something to do with the money,” I agreed. “And your friends would know you’re missing.”
“You’re the only friend I have in San Diego, and the only person who even knows I’m here,” she whispered.
Since Taylor had recently relocated to San Diego to do her summer internship, I couldn’t argue with her about that statement. Her college friends from Stanford were probably spread out around the country by now, and Taylor had no family.
I desperately wanted to reach out to Taylor to comfort her, but I couldn’t. Our hands were tied too tightly for me to wrap an arm around her to give her a hug.
The fact that I’d been helpless to do a damn thing to help Taylor had slowly torn me apart. Her safety had been my responsibility, and I’d completely let her down. “We’ll get through this, Taylor.”
Even as I said those words to comfort her, there was no real conviction in my statement.
Without food.
Without more water.
Without some kind of break from the suffocating heat in this small holding cell, Taylor and I would probably be dead within a day or two.
I bit back a groan as I felt some circulation starting to return to my legs.
I was almost used to the pain of them being bound so tightly that every muscle in my legs was begging for relief.
Now that they were finally free, I realized that my previously decreased circulation had probably dulled some of the pain of the abuse.
“Taylor?” I queried softly. “You still with me?”
Damn! It was sad that I needed confirmation that she was still breathing.
“I’m here,” she rasped. “Please don’t worry about me, Harlow. Go get us some help. I’ll stay right here dreaming about a big pitcher of ice water until I get rescued, too.”
“And a big, juicy steak with a loaded baked potato,” I answered automatically.
Taylor and I had made a game out of discussing the first things we wanted to eat and drink once we escaped from this hellhole. I knew that particular meal was number one on her list.
“I know how hard this is for you, Harlow,” Taylor murmured. “I wouldn’t want to leave you behind, either. But it’s our only chance. Nobody back home knows that we aren’t getting any food, and not enough water to sustain life for any length of time. Maybe they think taking this whole rescue slow and safe is the best way to handle it.”
“I’ll go,” I reassured her. Even though I knew it was my only option, the decision was tearing my heart from my chest. “You’re right. Whoever is negotiating our releases has to understand that they’re running out of time.”
“They’re back,” Taylor mumbled as the annoying, high-pitched sound of the door being unlocked sent a shiver of dread down my spine.
“I’m going,” I said breathlessly. “I’ll get you out of here as fast as I can. Don’t give up, Taylor. Please, don’t give up. Just hold on for a little while longer.”
“I’ll do my best not to die on you, Harlow,” she promised. “We’ve made it this long. I think I can survive for another few days.”
Sunlight flooded the room as the rebels shoved the door open. I was so unaccustomed to bright light after nine days of almost constant dimness or total darkness that I closed my eyes, and then blinked hard until my vision adjusted.
The guerilla had brought reinforcements, and this time, I couldn’t fight it when three of them yanked me to my feet.
“Dammit!” I cursed, doing everything I could do to stay upright as pain tore through my left knee.
I knew the injury was more than just atrophied and strained muscles from being bound for so long. I’d twisted my knee when the rebels had first kidnapped us and slammed Taylor and me to the ground.
Yeah, it hurt, but really, a knee injury had been the least of my worries.
Until now.
I needed that damn leg to walk out of here.
My heart ached as I glanced back at Taylor, and saw how fragile my normally happy, redheaded friend looked right now.
If I didn’t know it was Taylor, I may not have recognized her at all.
“You go,” one of the rebels said as he pushed me toward the door.
I stumbled, and lost sight of my friend.
I have to keep my focus on my objective right now. I have to be strong for Taylor and Mark.
I let go of an anguished sob as I limped unsteadily out the door.
Maybe I needed some kind of temporary release, but I wasn’t about to break down completely.
I had one single-minded purpose, one goal, and the only thing that would be able to keep me from accomplishing it was death.
Since it didn’t look like today was my day to die, I was determined that Taylor and Mark wouldn’t spend one second longer in this shithole than absolutely necessary.
Harlow
The Present…
“I don’t need a Last Hope advisor, Marshall,” I said to the older man who was sitting across from me at my kitchen table. “Especially not one like Jaxton Montgomery, for God’s sake. You know what I want. I’d desperately like to be part of Last Hope instead of being treated like one of their rescues.”