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Slavonia, Croatia

Tuesday, 8:45 am local time

Sa to be rescued

Lauren had moved past tears and terror and into a faraway, surreal place where only a hollow ache rened quarters, staring off into nothingness, unaware if it was day or night and not really caring She are that nearly a week had passed since she’d been taken And she had no idea what that meant Did they plan to return her or kill her? Had they contacted her father? Were there so on?

Did she dare to even hope anymore?

She’d fallen into a routine Showering in the closet-sized hall bathroo into so herself to go to the kitchen to eat—or try to eat She couldn’t choke down h to sustain her Twice, when theher were locked away in another bedroo place, she’d tentatively walked around the s a close eye on her—and casually gazed out the illing there to be some so-far-unseen landmark she could memorize to aid in her rescue

If there ever was a rescue

Eventually, she’d return to her roo there for hours Solitude, which she normally despised, seemed to be her only friend Any voices she heard made her heart start to pound and her body to shake And when those voices ed with relief

The lack of intrusionto be violated or worse

Every evening before Bashkiht, he’d respectfully knock on the door, co in toshe needed to make her stay here more comfortable

Her stay? She’d alhed out loud It sounded as if she were in a quaint bed-and-breakfast, free as a bird, backpacking her way through Europe The truth was she was a prisoner and quite possibly a soon-to-be corpse

Last night she’d asked hi in and raping her Bashkim’s jaw had set and he’d said she didn’t need to worry, that Marko wouldn’t be back He’d reached into his pocket, pulled out an all-too-fahtstand

The e was clear Marko was dead

Relief flooded Lauren She knew she should feel sickened by the fact that abut thankful All she wanted was to never have to see Marko’s sain