Chapter 43

Ashley’s stomach growled, a nauseous feeling grabbing at her and not letting go. She hadn’t eaten for what felt like a day and possibly could have been. With no lights or windows, Ashley had no idea what time it was.
Either way Julia had yet to come back.
“Please God protect us,” Ashley sent up a prayer. If she remembered correctly from Sunday School God would hear their prayers no matter how long or short or even how good.
“I didn’t think you’d pray,” Kayla said.
“What honey?”
“I didn’t think you believed in God.” Kayla’s voice sounded raw as though she had no voice left. The poor girl had been in this whole for going on a week. She was probably suffering from dehydration and who knew what else.
“I don’t know what to feel about God right now. When my husband and son died I hated God. I was so angry I wouldn’t talk about them or God. I couldn’t understand why God would take them from me. And I still don’t understand everything. All I do know right now is that God may be the only one that can get us out of this situation.”
“He is.”
“Well, then I guess you and Julia are both smarter then me.” Ashley laughed despite herself.
“Julia’s smarter.”
“What makes you say that?”
“She’s protected me the whole time she’s been here. If they try to come for me she steps in and goes.”
“Have you gone where she’s gone?”
“No,” Kayla said. “They have never come for me. Once they tried but Julia went for me. She says I am too young. But I’m not. I am nine years old. I am almost ten. I can take it.”
Ashley remained quiet. What could she say? Ashley understood Kayla’s feelings. She felt bad for her friend but Kayla had no idea where Julia went. Ashley doubted Julia told her anything.
Ashley heard Kayla adjusting herself probably to a sitting position. Kayla cleared her throat then asked, “You said you came here to talk to Kyle. Have you talked to him?”
“Yes, all the time.”
“Is he okay?”
“Your brother is doing fine but he misses you so much.”
“He must be worried that I’m dead.”
“Actually, he knows you’re alive. He said he can feel it. He’s been so brave and helpful.”
“That’s Kyle, he is much braver then he thinks he is. He helps me out all the time.” Kayla sniffed. “I miss him so much.”
“You will see him again, I promise.” Ashley knew she wasn’t supposed to make promises she didn’t know for sure she could keep but this was different. This wasn’t the clinical office where she had a list of interviewing rules to follow. This wasn’t for a prosecutor or a defense attorney. This wasn’t even for a desperate parent eager to get their child out of a bad situation. No, this was real life and Ashley would keep her promise or die trying.
As Ashley finished speaking the metal door squeaked again. The scraping on the concrete making the hairs on her arms stand on end. Light from the outside streamed into the metal container and Ashley knew it was morning and she’d been in this prison for more then a day. Where was Nate?
With the light Ashley could see that she was in a metal shipping container. It was painted red. Large block numbers indicated where the container came from but Ashley didn’t understand what they meant. Two mattresses lined the back wall. One was where Kayla lay, her dark, black hair knotted and poufy from lack of care. She was sitting in the corner, knees to her chest. Ashley could almost trace the tracks of tears on her cheeks.
The same man that had taken Julia out of the container now came back in holding Julia in his arms her hands hanging down by her sides. Dried blood clung to her pants and her fingernails. She had obviously fought as hard as she could.
“What did you do to her?”
The man only smiled as he dropped Julia on her mattress. “Your friend here put up a good fight. We had to give her a few drugs to calm her down. She might be okay when she comes to.”
“You monster!” Ashley rushed the man knocking him off balance. He fell against the side of the container. Ashley kicked him repeatedly in the side. The man groaned, then fell silent.
“Come on girls we need to go.” Ashley reached out her hands to Kayla and Julia. Kayla only blinked at her. Julia did not move. What could she do? She couldn’t possibly carry both of them.
The door was open.
Ashley stepped outside and looked around. Metal shipping containers were everywhere, stacked two and three high. From where she was she could just make out the ocean to her left, the same water she had seen earlier but nothing else. If she made a wrong move she could be lost in the maze of containers. But how could she stay here.
“Help! Somebody help us!”
There was no answer. No one rushed to their rescue. Ashley wasn’t even sure that God heard them.
Wait someone had heard her. She heard footsteps coming closer but as the footsteps rounded the corner Ashley knew it wasn’t anyone that would be helpful.
“What are you doing outside? Get back in!” A much larger man then the first grabbed Ashley by the arm and threw her back inside her container. She landed on the same side she had the day before and the pain was intense enough to keep her from jumping up again. “This is your dinner.” The man threw a McDonald’s bag at Ashley’s feet. “I suggest you eat it. You wouldn’t want to die in here, now would you?”
The larger man left the three of them alone in the darkness slamming the door behind him. As the pain subsided, Ashley fumbled for the McDonald’s bag. She smacked the ground until her hand landed on the paper bag. Feeling inside of it she pulled out three sandwiches in wrappers. There was nothing else.
“Here Kayla you need to eat.” Ashley reached for Kayla, when she hit her knees she groped for her hands. Finding them she placed the sandwich in her hands.
Forcing herself to take her own advice she ate the small hamburger bite by bite willing it to take away the gnawing in her stomach. When the small sandwich was gone she leaned her head back against the metal container and forced herself not to dream of large salads with generous portions of vegetable, meat and nuts. What she wouldn’t give for fresh fruit. What she wouldn’t give for her freedom.