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  “Are you still there?”

  Liam shook his head to clear it. “Yeah…sorry. What questions have they asked you?”

  “None, really. And they haven’t answered any of mine. My parents aren’t wealthy…I’m not wealthy. I don’t know why they would think I am.” She paused and then added, “Do you…are you here for ransom, too?”

  For the first time, it occurred to him that she could be a plant. The delay in wondering about such a thing showed just how screwed up his head was. She could be a sister or wife to one of these assholes. Soften him up, charm him, and make him spill his secrets.

  That wouldn’t happen. He knew how to keep secrets. But if she was legit, then he needed to figure out a way to help her.

  “Do you think that’s why the other women are here, too? They’re going to ransom them?”

  His heart sank. “Other women?”

  “Yes. I was thrown in with them for a while, but when I couldn’t stop coughing, I think they decided I might be contagious. That’s when they put me in here by myself.”

  It was clearer and much more dire than he’d feared. If they had other women here, ransoming her was not the likely reason she’d been taken. Things had just gotten a lot more serious and complicated. Human trafficking was rampant everywhere.

  “Did you talk with any of the other women?”

  “No. Not really. I was kind of out of it, but I saw them…heard them.”

  “How many?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe a half dozen or so.”

  This changed things. He was going to have to scrap the escape plan he’d come up with before. No way in hell was he leaving this woman, or any of the others, behind.

  She coughed again, the sound torturous. She wasn’t going to last long without medical care.

  In a raspy voice, she asked tentatively, “Do you…can you tell me your name?”

  He delayed in answering and her next words told him she understood immediately. “I’m sorry…you don’t know me. I could be an enemy for all you know. I’m not, but you don’t know that.”

  If she was a plant, she was a good one because Liam suddenly wanted to tell her everything. If that wasn’t a dangerous thought, he didn’t know what was.

  Before he could say anything, she hurriedly added, “Could you just talk to me? Even if it’s not the truth, it would help so much to know that I’m not alone.”

  That he could do. His mother often said that Liam had started talking at three months old and hadn’t stopped since.

  “My name is Lion.”

  “Oh…okay.” He thought he heard a smile in her voice as she said, “Then you can call me…” She paused for a moment and then sighed. “I think my creativity is on hiatus. The only thing I can come up with is Cat.”

  “Nothing wrong with Cat.”

  “Okay, Cat it is. So, Lion, tell me something about yourself.”

  He hesitated again, wanting the impossible. He wished they were just two people who’d met under very different circumstances, found each other interesting, and wanted to spend time together.

  “Remember,” she said softly, “it doesn’t have to be true.”

  Liam shook his head at his stupid thoughts. The way things were going, neither of them would get out of here alive. Wishing that they could really get to know each other was an idiotic hope.

  “I grew up on Mars.”

  “I…what?”

  He grinned at the surprise in her voice. “Yep. Just came down here last week for a look-see, and these bastards grabbed me faster than we Martians can say jackrabbit.”

  She giggled and Liam thought it was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. A harsh cough followed, and he winced at how painful it sounded.

  Finally recovering, she asked hoarsely, “Why were you visiting Earth?”

  “Things have been boring on Mars lately.”

  “Tell me about Mars. What does it look like? Do you have family there?”

  Settling into a dirty corner, Liam stretched out his long legs and began to talk. Weaving a story of his childhood on Mars, he created scenarios of daring adventures on the Red Planet. He talked about his family, his sisters, nieces and nephews. He even told her about his orange cat named Toby. The wilder and sillier he got, the happier she seemed.

  His dad had been the storyteller in the family. Family story hour right before bedtime was one of Liam’s favorite memories. He and his sisters would sit wide-eyed while Hugh Stryker entertained them. The more unbelievable the tale, the more they liked it.

  After his dad passed, years went by without their unique family tradition. When Robin, his oldest sister, had her first child, Liam took it upon himself to carry on for his dad. In the years since, he had regaled his many nieces and nephews with all sorts of wild stories. Some he made up, but many of them were the ones his dad had told.

  He missed those days. Wasn’t even sure he’d ever see his family again.

  “Lion, why did you stop?”

  “Sorry, got stuck in the memories. You want to try it?”

  “You mean I should tell you a story?”

  “Yeah. Unless your throat’s too sore.”

  “No. It doesn’t hurt that much.”

  “Good. Tell me a story. And remember, it doesn’t have to be real.”

  “All right…let’s see. I grew up in Caldoria.”

  “And where is that?”

  “It’s a magical, invisible kingdom. Only people with names that start with C can live there or even see it.”

  “What happens in the magical, invisible kingdom of Caldoria?”

  She started slowly, haltingly, but finally got into the story of how an unassuming little Caldorian like herself became the ruler of the entire kingdom. It was sweet, funny, and touching.

  When she trailed off, he knew she’d likely worn herself out. Seconds later, he heard shallow breaths and figured she’d fallen asleep. That was good. She needed all the rest she could get.

  He pushed to his feet and walked around the small area, testing his strength and injuries. Not too bad. Nothing broken. Just bruises and a few cuts. Even though he hadn’t had a decent meal in a while, he was young, healthy, and strong. His stamina would hold for a while.

  He’d been right about the cell. It was newer and in better condition than the other one. Something else he noticed was the camera. There had been an obvious microphone in his other cell, but this one had both a mic and a camera in the corner. They could see and hear everything.

  The reason they’d brought him to this one was easy to figure out. At that realization, his gut twisted. They wanted him to make a connection with Cat. Once he had, they would use her to make him talk. There was no other reason to bring them together. And he’d fallen right in with their plan.

  He had taken an oath to protect and defend his country. He would do that to his last breath. The secrets he held were substantial and deadly serious. A lot of people would die if he spilled his guts. Weighing that against what would happen to Cat wasn’t easy, but he knew one irrefutable truth. No matter if he spilled his secrets—told every single thing he knew—Cat would not be spared. Yeah, they’d use her to get to him, but once they were through with her, then what? There was another reason she’d been grabbed from a Paris marketplace and brought here to Syria. The fact that there were other women here, too, was a good indicator of what would happen once they’d finished with her.

  He was going to have to do some quick thinking if he and Cat were going to survive what lay ahead for them.

  Chapter Three

  The sound of harsh coughing jerked Liam awake. Cat’s breathing sounded more labored than it had earlier. If she didn’t get medical care soon, she wasn’t going to survive. The infection had set up in her lungs and sounded like severe bronchitis. If left untreated, she’d develop pneumonia, if she hadn’t already.

  “Cat?”

  “Lion?” She hacked another cough and then added, “Are you awake?”

  “Yeah, I’m awake. How you
doing?”

  “Okay, I guess.”

  He didn’t believe it for a moment. She sounded awful, but one of the many things he’d learned in their long conversations with each other—Cat was not a complainer.

  “You get any sleep?”

  “A little. It’s awfully quiet. I’m used to city noises.”

  “Caldoria has big cities?”

  “Cal…?” She gave a little laugh and then coughed again. After several seconds of coughing, she finally caught her breath and answered, “Yes, we have several large cities.”

  “Bet it gets confusing to keep naming children with names that start with a C.”

  “It does. In fact, I have decided to make a change. Upon a royal decree, we are going to allow another letter into our kingdom.”

  “Oh really. What is it?”

  “L.”

  Liam grinned. “Then I’ll just have to come for a visit.”

  “When we get out of here, I’ll send you an official invitation.” She paused for a second and then added, all humor gone, “Will we get out of here?”

  “Yes, we will. I promise you, Cat.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “Because we’re still alive. If they’d wanted us dead, they would have killed us already.”

  “I’m not sure that’s much of a comfort.”

  Probably not, but the fairy tales could last only so long. One eventually had to face the harsh reality of life. And this was about as harsh as it could get.

  “Can I ask you something…something personal?”

  “You can ask me anything, Cat.”

  “Okay, thanks. Umm. What do you look like?”

  The question didn’t surprise him. With only brief interruptions from their jailers for their one measly meal, they’d talked continuously. Cold canned beans and stale bread could take you only so far. Talking had staved off the hunger pangs as well as the loneliness.

  During that time, they’d shared more than a few personal stories. Nothing that could be used against them, but he and Cat were beginning to know each other very well. The more he learned, the more he wanted to know. She was fascinating and sweet, wise but still so very innocent. And he’d been wondering about her, too. Was she as pretty as she sounded?

  “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

  “I don’t mind. Let’s see. I’m six-foot-three, weigh around two-ten or so. I’ve got brown hair. Brown eyes.”

  “Dark brown or light brown hair?”

  “Umm. Dark.”

  “Short or long?”

  “Longish…for a guy.”

  “And your eyes? Light brown, dark?”

  “Kind of medium dark.”

  “Pointed, round, or square jaw?”

  “Not pointed or round, so I guess kind of square.”

  Each question became more and more specific. He’d never had to describe himself. If anyone asked, he’d probably just say he was average looking. Though a few former girlfriends had told him that he was handsome, it wasn’t something he gave a lot of thought to. He was who he was.

  For Cat, though, he did his best to give her an image she could carry in her head. If picturing him helped her deal with what was happening, then he’d give her whatever detail she needed.

  Once he finished answering her last question, she was silent for several long seconds. He could imagine her sitting in her own corner, her eyes closed as she created an image in her mind.

  When she spoke at last, there was a smile in her voice. “You sound very handsome.”

  “I do?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay…well, good.” Liam didn’t know why, but he could feel himself blushing. “Now it’s your turn. Describe yourself.”

  “Okay. Let’s see… Blond hair—with some gold and light brown tones. Not exactly curly…kind of wavy. It just touches my shoulders. I have slightly high cheekbones, my chin’s a little pointed. I’m about five-five, and if you think I’m going to tell you my weight, think again.”

  “Not a problem. My sisters are—” Liam snapped his mouth shut. What the hell was he doing?

  As if he hadn’t just revealed a secret, she continued, “I have gray eyes, but they sometimes turn a light blue, depending on what I’m wearing. My skin is kind of pale…I burn easily in the sun.”

  As she continued to describe herself, Liam closed his eyes. She was very good at description, and in that moment there was nothing he wanted more than to see her. She sounded as pretty as he’d thought she would be.

  “Lion?”

  “Yeah?”

  “They’ll try to use us against each other, won’t they?”

  She was wise beyond her years. These bastards weren’t leaving them alone out of the kindness of their hearts, or because they’d forgotten about them. They were allowing them to create a connection. When their captors felt it was strong enough, they would strike.

  “Yeah, they will.”

  “I don’t have any secrets to tell them.”

  No, but he did.

  He wanted to tell her she would be fine. That they wouldn’t hurt her again. But the fairy tales were over. The time to face the music was coming.

  “Listen, Cat. You’re right, they will try to use us against each other. And when they do, I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

  “But what can you do?”

  “You let me worry about that. I just want you to fight as hard as you can and know that we’ll figure a way out of this for you. Okay?”

  “But what about you? How are you going to get out?”

  “Don’t you worry about me. Can you come closer?”

  “Yes.”

  He heard some soft shuffling and knew she’d scooted as close to his side of the wall as she could get.

  “Put your ear against the wall.”

  “Okay. I’m here.” She sounded both breathless and nervous.

  “Here’s what I want you to do.”

  He kept his voice low. They might be able to pick up a word here or there, but the mic shouldn’t be strong enough to detect every word. The things he shared were a blend of moves he’d told his sisters to help them protect themselves and some other methods he’d learned in the military.

  “But what…”

  “Hold on. There’s more. If they ask what I’ve told you, tell them I haven’t told you anything yet, but you’re sure you can get what they want from me.”

  “I don’t understand,” she whispered.

  “I know you don’t, but tell them you know you can make me talk. Tell them you’ve created a bond with me and to give you a chance to find out what they want to know.”

  “To buy us some time.”

  She was catching on.

  “Yes.”

  “Will they believe me?”

  “You’re an actress. You can make people believe anything you want. Hey,” he added with a smile in his voice, “you’ve got a part of me believing there really is a Caldoria.”

  She didn’t laugh as he had hoped she would. Instead, she said something that broke his heart. “I’m scared, Lion.”

  “I know you are, but there’s no shame in being afraid. Fear gives you the edge you need to survive. And you will survive this. I promise you.”

  “How can you be so sure of that?”

  “Because you’re strong, Cat. Stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

  “You don’t know me.”

  “Yes, I do. When people tell stories, they give a little of themselves in each one. I’ve been sitting here day and night learning the real you. You’re an incredibly brave and strong woman. You’ve got a light inside you that no one can extinguish. You were meant for greater things than this, Cat. You were created for a purpose, and it isn’t to die in a cold, filthy prison in Syria. You’ve got a long life ahead of you. Trust me on this.”

  “You’re not afraid?”

  Yeah, he was, but mostly for her. He’d faced death more times than he could count. And he’d know
n fear lots of times, but letting it stop him from doing his job had never been an option.

  “Just make sure you tell them that you can get whatever information they want from me by letting you come back here.”

  “Okay…I can do that.” She took a breath and said with more resolve, “I can do that.”

  “Yes, you can…and you will.”

  “Do you think we’ll ever meet…I mean see each other face-to-face?”

  “I hope so…I’d like that.”

  “Me, too.”

  “How about we make a date?”

  “When and where?”

  “I’ll choose the time, you choose the place. How about two months from today?”

  “What’s today?”

  Using his best guess, he said, “February 27, I think.”

  “So April 27? That’s a long while away.”

  “I have some things I need to take care of after I get out of here.”

  She didn’t ask any questions, but her silence was full of them.

  “Okay, I set the date. Now, where do you want to meet?”

  He heard a long, shaky breath and then, “I’ll be in the middle of the play. Can we meet in New York?”

  Her comment lifted his heart. Not only was she determined to get out of here, she had decided she would win the role.

  “Not a problem.” His voice held a smile as he added, “Top of the Empire State Building? Even though Valentine’s Day will be long past.”

  She laughed softly. “You know that movie?”

  With three sisters, he’d been schooled on romantic movies at an early age. That had been one of their favorites.

  “Oh yeah, I know it.”

  “Let’s do something a little less traditional, then.”

  “Just name the place.”

  “New York Public Library.” There was a smile in her voice when she added, “In front of the lions.”

  “Which lion? Patience or Fortitude?”

  “You choose.”

  “Definitely Fortitude.”

  “Fortitude it is, then.

  “What time?”

  “One o’clock.”

  “Might be crowded. How will we recognize each other?”

  “I’ll be wearing a navy blue dress with white and yellow daisies. And you…how will I know it’s you?”