19. Kat

19

Kat

When I heard my front door open, I knew I should have locked it; I could hear it from my room. When the puppies started barking, I put them in the closet and grabbed my gun from my nightstand drawer. First, I pushed the button on my digital recorder—no more than two seconds passed before my bedroom door was kicked open.

I pointed my gun at one guy while the other one threw his knife. It landed in my arm, which held the weapon. My gun fired but missed its mark. I couldn’t remove the knife before the man reached me. He slugged me in the face.

That’s all I remembered until I woke up later that day. I was chained to a wall in the back of a moving eighteen-wheeler. I didn’t even know what time it was because it was pitch black inside, and when I tried to scream, I couldn’t open my mouth. It was taped shut.

“I felt my heart accelerate, and when panic kicked in, I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself. I breathed through my nose for a few minutes before I could reason with my mind. I wanted to scream for help.

I had to get away from these men. I had no idea who kidnapped me. My face and arm were killing me, and I remembered the knife in my arm. I heard the chain when I tried to raise my arm. River, I know you can’t hear me, but I promise to do everything possible to escape these men. I love you! I’m sorry for not telling you to your face.

Tears fell from my eyes. I couldn’t help it; I was so scared. These guys want to sell me or kill me. But if they wanted me dead, they would have killed me in my room.

I shut my eyes and tried to make a plan, but I fell asleep. When I opened my eyes, the truck had stopped. I listened and could hear a noise, but I didn’t know what it was. What was that noise? He was filling the tank with diesel. There was nothing I could do; I couldn’t even scream.

I desperately needed to pee. What was I going to do? I tried to get to the waistband of my pants to pull them down. I was able to get on my knees and tried everything I could. Finally, I was able to put my hands in front of me. I reached my waist and pulled my sweats down.

Why am I here? I know they singled me out. What have I done to these people? I tried to remember what they looked like, not their clothes. They were dressed as cable guys, but their nationality was Arab, and their speech gave them away. Why would they be angry at me? I’m a medic; I help whoever needs it.

When I woke up again, my stomach growled. It must have been three or four days since I’ve been here. The truck was stopped, and then I tried screaming as I felt the trailer being lifted off the ground swinging, and then it dropped. I was knocked out when my head hit the side of the trailer.

When I woke up again, I knew what was happening because I heard the ship's horn. I was out at sea in the trailer. They were taking me to another country.

Was I alone in this trailer? Or were there other women here with me? I couldn’t hear anything. I turned and, with my foot, felt for the side of the trailer and kicked it.

Nothing, no other sound, came back to me. I must be alone. How long will it take me to reach my destination? I needed water. The bright sun woke me next. Someone was inside the trailer.

“I will take the tape from your mouth and give you water and fruit. I see you were able to get your hands in front of you. You are not allowed to speak, not one word. I will put the tape back on and leave with the water and food. I’ll give you thirty minutes to eat your fruit, and then I will return to tape your mouth shut.”

I knew he was serious, but he wasn’t one of the men who had taken me. I didn’t say a word. He dropped the food in my lap and left. “I drank a small amount of water And then took a bite of the kiwi. I didn’t care that it wasn’t peeled. There was no telling when I would be fed again.

Was River hunting for me? Did he find the recorder? Maybe those men said something after they slugged me and knocked me out. I hoped he would find me soon.