her, and was pleased with Akeel’s decision.
She knew they couldn’t be far from the settlement because the trees and brush were becoming plentiful. She didn’t want to, but out of necessity, they stopped to rest. They couldn’t have chosen a better spot to do it The place they chose was well off the road, equipped with several boulders on which they sat Silently, they shared the bread and meat and drank some of the water.
The sun was just beginning to set when they completed their meal, and the sky was filled with the most beautiful hues of magenta and violet as they began to make their way back to the road, Felicia heard someone weeping. At least she thought she did.
She placed her hand On Akeel’s arm, and motioned for him to stop and listen. After a few moments, the faint noise was heard again.
Felicia began to move in the direction of the sound, with a reluctant Akeel in tow. As they got closer, crying wasn’t the only thing they heard. Boisterous laughter began to drown it out. Male laughter.
Through the trees Felicia could see three men sitting in a small clearing in the brush. It was the woman with them who interested Felicia the most. The men patted and pinched on her as she passed by, serving them food. It was this woman that Felicia had heard crying.
The men seemed to be having a great time. They knew of the woman’s discomfort, but it was obvious they didn’t care.
One of the men motioned toward a set of trees behind them. The woman gathered some of the food together and
proceeded in the direction of the trees, directly opposite from where Felicia and Akeel were hiding.
As she looked more closely Felicia was shocked to see four bound women .. Ropes encircled their waists, as they sat with the tree trunks supporting their backs and their feet extended outward.
Three of the women snatched the food hungrily, but one refused to take it and her food was left sitting in her lap. It was obvious these women were here against their will. But why? Could these be the kidnappers Na’im had warned her of, and she had brushed him off?
Akeel leaned close to Felicia’s ear, his fear apparent in his voice.
“This is dangerous. There is nothing we can do. We must get the authorities.’ ’
Felicia’s mind flooded with images of police coming to her house after her father had kicked in doors and battered her mother. She felt it would be too late by the time they contacted the authorities.
“It won’t do any good then, Akeel. We’ve got to do something now. I think we’ll have a better chance once it is dark.”
It didn’t take long before the group had a small but adequate campfire going. The men had placed their guns, along with other gear, in two small tents they’d hoisted. Probably, if Felicia and Akeel had not spotted ±e campsite during the daylight, it wouldn’t have been easy to find after dark.
For some reason, against the campfire’s glare, one of the men seemed vaguely familiar. Felicia dismissed the thought as she began a wide circle around the clearing.
The woman who refused to eat was the first one that Felicia approached from behind. “Sh-sh,’ ’ she warned, as she quietly cut her ropes.
The startled woman remained seated as she waited for Felicia to free the others.
Felicia had cut the ropes of a second young girl, when she was grabbed from behind and dragged forward to the middle of the camp.
Chapter Thirteen
Felicia couldn’t understand a word that was being said, the man was speaking so rapidly. But when he dumped her at the feet of Yusef Shabazz, she was terrified. She only hoped that Akeel would not try to play the hero like she had, and had gone to get some help.
At first Shabazz spoke to her in Arabic, assuming she understood him. Felicia didn’t say a word, because then he would know she and Na’im had deceived him in more ways than one. Her silence did nothing but provoke Shabazz.
She could tell he was explaining to his men where he had
She knew they couldn’t be far from the settlement because the trees and brush were becoming plentiful. She didn’t want to, but out of necessity, they stopped to rest. They couldn’t have chosen a better spot to do it The place they chose was well off the road, equipped with several boulders on which they sat Silently, they shared the bread and meat and drank some of the water.
The sun was just beginning to set when they completed their meal, and the sky was filled with the most beautiful hues of magenta and violet as they began to make their way back to the road, Felicia heard someone weeping. At least she thought she did.
She placed her hand On Akeel’s arm, and motioned for him to stop and listen. After a few moments, the faint noise was heard again.
Felicia began to move in the direction of the sound, with a reluctant Akeel in tow. As they got closer, crying wasn’t the only thing they heard. Boisterous laughter began to drown it out. Male laughter.
Through the trees Felicia could see three men sitting in a small clearing in the brush. It was the woman with them who interested Felicia the most. The men patted and pinched on her as she passed by, serving them food. It was this woman that Felicia had heard crying.
The men seemed to be having a great time. They knew of the woman’s discomfort, but it was obvious they didn’t care.
One of the men motioned toward a set of trees behind them. The woman gathered some of the food together and
proceeded in the direction of the trees, directly opposite from where Felicia and Akeel were hiding.
As she looked more closely Felicia was shocked to see four bound women .. Ropes encircled their waists, as they sat with the tree trunks supporting their backs and their feet extended outward.
Three of the women snatched the food hungrily, but one refused to take it and her food was left sitting in her lap. It was obvious these women were here against their will. But why? Could these be the kidnappers Na’im had warned her of, and she had brushed him off?
Akeel leaned close to Felicia’s ear, his fear apparent in his voice.
“This is dangerous. There is nothing we can do. We must get the authorities.’ ’
Felicia’s mind flooded with images of police coming to her house after her father had kicked in doors and battered her mother. She felt it would be too late by the time they contacted the authorities.
“It won’t do any good then, Akeel. We’ve got to do something now. I think we’ll have a better chance once it is dark.”
It didn’t take long before the group had a small but adequate campfire going. The men had placed their guns, along with other gear, in two small tents they’d hoisted. Probably, if Felicia and Akeel had not spotted ±e campsite during the daylight, it wouldn’t have been easy to find after dark.
For some reason, against the campfire’s glare, one of the men seemed vaguely familiar. Felicia dismissed the thought as she began a wide circle around the clearing.
The woman who refused to eat was the first one that Felicia approached from behind. “Sh-sh,’ ’ she warned, as she quietly cut her ropes.
The startled woman remained seated as she waited for Felicia to free the others.
Felicia had cut the ropes of a second young girl, when she was grabbed from behind and dragged forward to the middle of the camp.
Chapter Thirteen
Felicia couldn’t understand a word that was being said, the man was speaking so rapidly. But when he dumped her at the feet of Yusef Shabazz, she was terrified. She only hoped that Akeel would not try to play the hero like she had, and had gone to get some help.
At first Shabazz spoke to her in Arabic, assuming she understood him. Felicia didn’t say a word, because then he would know she and Na’im had deceived him in more ways than one. Her silence did nothing but provoke Shabazz.
She could tell he was explaining to his men where he had
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