Pages 30-35

If we get you out then we can come back with help.’

Sophias pondered this for a moment before eventually nodding. ‘What’s the plan?’

‘I’m working on one,’ said Bryce. ‘I just need a little more time to work a few things out.’

‘What should I do in the mean time?’ asked Sophia.

‘Just go on as if everything is normal,’ said Bryce. ‘You can’t let them know anything is going on. I think fewer meetings between us too.’

‘Bryce,’ whispered Sophia. ‘You dont know Alik, he is not a a good man. If he even suspects one thing he will kill me.’

‘Thats why you must play your part as normal,’ insited Bryce. ‘Now come lets get you back before we both get into any trouble.’

Wednesday 20:13 pm

‘How did she die?’ asked Detective Ariyo.

‘Two gunshot wounds,’ replied Annebeth. ‘One two the back of the head and one to the chest.’

‘So she died quickly?’ asked Detetcive Ariyo studying the cold lifeless body of Sarah Hartley.

‘Depends which shot came first sir,’ replied Annebeth. ‘When I’ve completed the autopsy I’ll let you know.’

Thursday 15:28

Sophia was pacing around her room. Since her meeting with Bryce she had been keeping a wide berth from anybody who so much as sneezed. The image of Lacies lifeless body rotting in some hole was stuck in her mind. Skye was sitting on her bed watching her.

'You have been doing this all night,' she said. 'Why don't you tell me what is bothering you?'

Sophia shook her head. 'It's best you don't know.'

'As we share a room together,' replied Skye. 'I have to disagree.'

If you could escape here,' said Sophia. 'But you knew you could die by trying, what would you die?'

Skye was silent for a minute before she eventually answered. 'If I stay here, I will die. If I try and leave, I will. I would much rather die knowing I tried to find freedom than die knowing that I just accepted my fate.'

Sophia smiled at her. 'You are smart.'

If you say so,' shrugged Skye. 'It just makes more sense to me.'

Sophia thought about telling Skye about her plan with Bryce, but she hesitated when she considered that she didn't really know her and if she decided to back out or worse, than she would probably be killed and end up sleeping next to Lacie again. Sophia just smiled at her again and decided to watch her closely over the next few weeks and try to find out as much as she could about her roommate.

Thursday 15:34

‘I need to get out of town,’ whispered Bryce. ‘And very soon my friend.’

Assad nodded slowly. ‘I warned you not get to mixed up in anything dangerous, now you ask my help to flee Andrei Milikov.’

‘Assad I had to get involved,’ sighed Bryce. ‘How can I sit by and watch this?’

‘Do not lie to me,’ said Assad. ‘What is your real reason for wanting to help?’

‘That is the reason,’ insisted Bryce. ‘Its no longer safe for me.’

Assad stood up angrily. ‘If you will not trust me with the truth how can you trust me to help you?’

‘Its the girl,’ said Bryce. ‘I have to help her.’

‘Are you crazy?’ said Assad shaking his head. ‘You want to interfere with Milikovs operation?’

‘Allah says all people have the right to freedom,’ said Bryce. ‘What makes those girls different?’

‘They are being kept by the most dangerous man in Somalia,’ answered Assad.  ‘It would be easier to steal from Allah himself than to steal from Milikov.’

‘Tell me a bit about this Milikov,’ said Bryce.

‘Andrei Milikov,’ replied Assad. ‘Been in Mogadishu forever, he owns The Angel Wings, the whole smuggling operation is his, guns, drugs, girls all of it. Now before you get any stupid ideas you should know that this man is very well connected, he has half the scum in the country in his pocket, if you even sneeze around him the militia will be there with a hanky and a gun to blow your brains out and wipe up the mess.’

Bryce smiled. ‘So who doesn’t he own?’

‘This is no laughing matter Mr. Donogan,’ said Assad. ‘The only person in the whole country who doesn’t receive a salary from Milikov is you.’

Friday 22:30

Sophia and Bryce were sitting in Bryces car parked a few blocks away from Sarhoş.

‘Have you thought of a plan yet?’ asked sophia. ‘Anything at all?’

Bryce sighed heavily and ran his hand through his short cut hair. ‘I have two ideas. But both are very risky and have a high chance of failing and getting us both killed.’

‘Well,’ shrugged Sophia. ‘We don’t really have a lot of choices right now, I cant stay with Alik and neither of us can stay in Somalia.’

‘I know Sophia,’ said Bryce. ‘But it wouldn’t do us much good to escape one prison just to land in another one.’

‘Just tell me your ideas,’ sighed Sophia.

‘My friend Assad might be able to arrange us a transport to Kenyan border,’ replied Bryce. ‘But the road out of here towards Kenya is patrolled regular and there are road blocks everywhere, if even one of Milikovs men saw us we would be finished.’

‘Okay,’ said Sophia. ‘Whats your second plan?’

‘Well the alternative is a little bit insane,’ said Bryce smiling.

‘Go on,’ nodded Sophia.

‘We try and stow away on the The Angel Wings,’  said Bryce watching Sophia for her reaction.

‘ARE YOU CRAZY?’ screamed Sophia.

‘I realise it sounds crazy,’ said Bryce raising his hands defensively.

‘No Bryce!’ snapped Sophia. ‘Shooting yourself in the leg is crazy! Poking a sleeping lion in the eye is crazy! But trying to escape by stowing away on your captives ship is the stupidest thing I have ever heard! What the hell makes you think that could ever work?ddd is the stupidest thing I have ever hearn saw us we would be finished..