CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
She knew she was alive because she was in pain. Ilse awoke with a pounding headache. She blinked, searing flashes of pain darting across her vision. She felt ready to throw up as consciousness slowly returned. Ilse gasped, blinking, trying to dislodge the dark spots. "Help," she managed to croak out, her voice so strained it was nearly a whisper. Her mouth felt dry, her tongue like cotton. "Help," she said, a bit louder.
And that's when she heard the movement. Ilse glanced at her hands, and realized they were zip-tied in front of her. A single band of plastic wrapped tightly around her wrists, holding them together. Try as she might, her hands were secured. She put pressure on her wrists, and the plastic bit into her skin painfully, but it didn't come undone. She trie
