Intercepted

4

'Mmmm..., slowly Sarah regained her consciousness and found herself restricted. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was lying on the floor. 

'What the f**k !' She cursed under her breath and looked around.

She found Zakariah sitting on the chair and observing her.

'Colonel Zakariah! Please release my hands ..what's happening here ...why am I tied ? ' she was angry and shouting profanities while trying to wriggle out her hands.

'You were caught aiding the rebels !' He stated.

'What do you mean by that...they took me by force, why would I help rebels ?', she was surprised by their stupidity. 

'Was it the first time, you went there ?' He asked, he had a paper with him and he was marking it based on her responses.

His eyes looked down at the paper in his hands, while he asked.

Sarah was at loss for words, shall I tell him the truth? 

No...no...Then he would definitely certify me as rebel supporter.

'Yes...this was the first time', she said.

'I would tell the truth if I were you,' he was still looking down.

'I... I am telling you the truth,' she asserted.

'Well..we have witnesses that you have helped them earlier as well, 5 days back to be precise ',  he looked straight into her eyes.

His jaw was set into a hard line...and his dark eyes held anger in them.

She gulped with his statement. She knew she would die here.

She tried to salvage the situation, 'Listen, Colonel, I am not supporting anyone .Ok...I am just a doctor trying to cure people...I have nothing to do with rebels or no rebels...and frankly, I didn't even know they were rebels', she said desperately. 

She just wanted to go back and resign from her job. She was tired of the events happening in her life and on top of that, she was not even fed properly. 

'I warned you !' Zakariah glared hard at her.

'Listen sir...I didn't know that they were rebels and what am I supposed to do when they point a gun at you? 

'You should have been smarter and reported them when you had the time and chance. Now nothing can be done about it. I am sorry but the punishment for aiding rebels is the death penalty.' He said while getting up from his chair.

'What ...what do you mean by that ?' 

'You cannot do that, I am not even a citizen of your country and I came to help you...how could you do this to me ?', She started crying out of exasperation.

'I am a third party, present here on humanitarian grounds, how can you be so cruel to someone who came here to help you ', she tried to reason with him. 

She was crying for herself and the unfortunate end she may have here in this blasted place.

Zakariah had gathered enough information by now and he left her in her cell.

He felt sorry for her but unfortunately, too many have witnessed her presence there. 

Even if he wanted to help the doctor, he wouldn't be able to. 

The government is unforgiving where the rebels are concerned, it's a pity she didn't pay heed to his advice. 

Sarah couldn't believe her fate and the brutality of these callous people. She was serving these people and helping them for the past 4 months now and that's how they repay her! 

They had decided to put her in front of a firing squad, in the next 2 days, according to the government rules. 

She had requested them multiple times to get her on phone with her embassy, but no one listened to her pleas and cries. 

She was crying and pleading her innocence, but the soldiers were already used to such cries by now. 

Suddenly her cell opened and her arms were grabbed by the 2 guards and they lifted her up and out. 

It was time! 

She closed her eyes in pain and injustice to which she was being subjected to. 

She remembered her life so far, her incomplete list of tasks which were still pending, like falling in love! Marriage! Kids! Career! Travel the world! She still had too much to do, how can it all come to such an abrupt and unfortunate end! 

Tears start streaming out of her eyes.

Why did she come here in the first place?? To this hell hole! 

They left her inside a room and closed the doors. 

Suddenly someone cleared his throat and she came out of her trance. She looked up to find Colonel Zakariah. 

'Dr Sarah, I believe that you are innocent and were wrongly incriminated. Since you were only doing your duty and you have also helped the locals quite a lot here. I wanted to offer a deal to you.' He said. 

She wasn't able to comprehend what's coming next, she looked hopeful on hearing his words.

'I will arrange a substitute who will be executed instead of you and you can easily leave this country. I will also make new documents and arrange the tickets for you', he offered as this was the least he could offer her. 

In the past days, he had enquired about her and was impressed by her compassion and dedication. He hoped to return her back to her country safely. 

'What do you mean by a substitute ? ' she asked.

'A female with your height and statistics, so that it won't be a problem later ', he tried to make her understand. 

'Do you mean a living person ?' She asked exasperated. 

He was beginning to doubt her sanity now, ' Yes!'

'How could you do that to another person?? Do you really think I will agree to do this sort of vile and cruel thing to another person? Are you guys even human ? ' she said shocked at his suggestion. 

'That's the only thing I could do for you', he said in a final tone.

'Then leave me back into the cell, I would rather die instead ', she said with hardened features. 

He was amazed at her stupidity! 

They really don't care about their lives! 

'As you wish ', he called the guards and they escorted her back. This time with other females prisoners. 

She was locked in a small prison, she could see many more females imprisoned there. She was locked with another female already present here. She was a young girl about 20-22 yrs. Sarah was sad and depressed about her unfateful end. She was awaiting her death now, in the coming days. She slowly drifted off to sleep out of tiredness and mainly hopelessness. 

As the night dawned, she was woken up by the screams of the fellow prisoners. She realized a group of soldiers have entered the nearby cell and they were sexually assaulting the 2 girls in that cell. 

There were around 6-7 soldiers. They tore off their clothes and put the girls on their knees. Soon the soldiers also discarded their trousers and started assaulting them, taking turns. If they protested, they would beat them into submission and then continued again.

One of the girls stared at Sarah, crying out for help, a soldier was f*****g her from behind, another was f*****g her mouth and third was groping her breasts. 

Sarah was too shocked to witness something like that. 

Her brain started buzzing from inhumane cruelty she saw. 

Her prison mate put her palm over her mouth to muffle her screams. She didn't want to attract their attention, as it was not their turn today. 

Soon Sarah's screams got faded by the victim's heart-wrenching cries and howls for help, but no one came to help them. 

Was this her fate as well !! 

NO! NO!NO! 

She was eagerly waiting for the morning now, she wanted to talk to Colonel Zakariah again. She will accept his offer! 

She cannot throw her life away like that, she had worked too hard for it. 

Finally, the morning arrived. She requested the guards to take her to Colonel Zakariah, as she wanted to talk to him.

It was not until late afternoon, he called her into his office.

'Colonel Zakariah, I will accept your offer,' She said with lowered eyes.

'Really !! What happened to the bravado of yesterday ', he mocked her while lifting her chin up with his lone finger. 

Her face was tear-stained and dirty. 

'It's not possible now ', he said with his set features, and hard glare, and turned his back to her.

'What...what do you mean ?', she asked horrified, clutching his elbow to turn him back.

'Well, you are to be executed tomorrow, there is no time left to find a substitute now ', he said looking into her scared features.

'Please you cannot do that to me, please help me. I cannot return back to that cell. Please save me, please ',' she was crying and begging him to save her.

He felt sorry for her and he really wanted to help her, but he didn't know-how. 

He understood her reluctance to return to her cell as he was aware that soldiers must have satisfied themselves with women prisoners at night.

They all knew about it but they turn a blind eye to that, as it was the soldiers who lay their life in safeguarding this country and they believed they 'deserved 'it.

Seeing her like that, he finally decided to help her and asked the guards to take her to his personal quarters. 

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