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I can only pray they get my message in time.
Luka here. Being held prisoner underground. Location unknown. Best guess: outside NY state. Dani Harper with me, alive and well. Trinity wants your money. Send help.
It’s not a lot of information, but it’s the best I’ve got. Anything is better than nothing at all. At the very least, I’m hoping my brothers can get a message to Dani’s sister. The poor kid is probably worried sick about her.
I pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers, squeezing my eyes shut. My eyestrain has been getting progressively worse. There’s a terrible, pounding pressure inside my skull. The harder I try to concentrate, the more my head hurts. I tell myself the aches and pains are nothing. No matter what, I’ll endure. My compliance is the only thing keeping Dani safe. If I fall apart now…
I’d rather not think about what they’ll do to her.
Unfortunately, my poor lungs have other plans. I break out into a coughing fit, hacking and wheezing uncontrollably. I’m dizzy. The room spins. The numbers on my screen blur together, an incoherent, jumbled mess.
“Hey!” Jerome hisses. “Sit up!”
I can’t. The last of my strength suddenly leaves my body. I’m not even aware of the fact that I’m falling out of my chair until I land on my shoulder, smacking the side of my head on the ground.
* * *
“Fuck, maybe we really should get him a doctor.”
I don’t know if it’s Jerome or Calvin who speaks. I don’t care. Whatever I’m lying on is so nice and soft and warm. I want to stay here forever.
“Luka?” Dani whispers. I feel her fingers combing the hair away from my face. My head is resting on her lap, I realize. “Please wake up, baby.”
I want to tell her I’m alright. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t open my eyes or find the energy to speak.
“He’s faking it,” Jerome grumbles.
“I don’t think he is, man.”
“Just call a doctor!” Dani pleads. “Bring him here if you have to. I’ve been trying to tell you for ages that he’s sick. If he dies, who do you think Konstantin and the rest are going to do to you?”
A tense beat.
“Fuck’s sake,” Jerome hisses. “Fine. We’ll get a doctor, but it’s going to have to be first thing in the morning. We’re too far from the main road.”
I don’t really hear the rest. Sounds are muffled. I feel like I’m simultaneously floating while being crushed by the weight of my own body. I think the cell door closes, but I can’t be sure. All I know is Dani is here, and that’s more than enough.
“Luka?” she whispers, shaking my shoulder gently. “Baby, I did it. The tunnel’s finished.”
I manage to pry a single eye open. “You did?” I croak.
Dani sniffles. “Yeah.”
“That’s my girl.”
“We have to leave, Luka. Right now. Or maybe we should wait until you feel better?”
I roll onto my side. She helps me sit up. The movement makes me want to vomit. “We have to go,” I mumble. “It’s now or never. I don’t think… I don’t think I’ll make it if we wait any longer.”
I feel Danni nod. “Then let’s go.”
“Lead the way.”
We move as quickly as I can given my fever-wracked brain. I think my insides are two degrees away from melting.
It’s a tight fit, but we both manage to squeeze into the tunnel. Dani remains in front of me, warning me of sudden dips or low hanging rocks that might pose a problem. I follow the sound of her voice, working on blind faith. She knows this tunnel. It’s honestly impressive what she’s managed to accomplish. She’s worked so damn hard, and I’m so fucking proud of her.
I can feel the slope beneath my hands and knees, the steady incline leading us up and away. There’s only one drastic turn around a large boulder we have to worry about, but after that, it’s a cake walk. The smell of wet earth fills my nose. Roots tangle in my hair. Our climb out feels like it takes forever, but before I know it—
