A Virginia cabin
Somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains
Everything was black. Jennifer could hear whimpering. Was this another of her delusions? No! This was real. A man and a woman had abducted her from her home. The man had put tape across her mouth but had removed it. The woman had insisted. She said the tape might cause her to choke. So he’d put a hood over her head that kept her from seeing who was crying now.
“Who’s there?” Jennifer asked.
The whimpering stopped.
“It’s me,” a girl’s voice whispered.
She was close by. “I’m Jennifer Conner. They’ve put a bag over my face so I can’t see you. I can’t move my hands or legs either.”
“Me too,” the voice replied. “I’m Cassy. Cassy Adeogo. They came to my school. A man murdered my teacher. I heard lots of shooting. I’m scared.”
“How old are you?”
“Eleven, almost twelve. But I’m smart for my age. That’s what my teachers tell everyone.”
“I’m almost fifteen.”
“What’s your name?”
“Jennifer.”
“My father tells me to pray whenever I’m scared. I’m going to pray now. You can pray with me if you want. Aaoozobillahe minushaitanir rajeem.”
“I don’t know that prayer.”
“It means ‘In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.’”
“You’re Muslim.”
“Yes, but I’m not like those terrorists on television. I’m a good Muslim. I don’t believe in chopping off people’s heads just because they aren’t like us. In school, some of my friends are Jewish. Are you a Jew or are you Christian?”
“My mother was Muslim but not my father. I don’t think he believed in God. All of my mother’s relatives live in Egypt and they are Muslims. Maybe I’m half Muslim. I don’t know because my family didn’t really pray a lot. But I know it was Muslims who killed my mother and brother and my father. They’re the evil Muslims.”
“I’m sorry. I will pray for you,” Cassy replied. “I can teach you if you want. I will ask Allah to tell the man and woman to release us.”
“I hate them,” Jennifer said. “I hope the police come and kill them.”
“My father said it’s wrong to hate your enemies.”
“I don’t have a father anymore because evil Muslims killed him. That is why I hate them.”
“Who takes care of you if your family is dead? Did someone adopt you?”
“Major Brooke Grant is my guardian. She takes care of me. She and Miriam did, only the man murdered Miriam. She was my nanny. I will not pray for him. Brooke Grant is a Marine. She said Marines all stick together. They will come and kill the people holding us and save us. That’s what Marines do.”
When they heard the sound of a door opening, both stopped talking.
“What are you gabars talking about?” Akbar said.
“What’s a gabar?” Jennifer replied.
“It’s what my grandmother says,” Cassy volunteered. “It’s Somali.”
“Cassy was praying for you,” Jennifer said. “She was asking Allah to forgive you. But I hope God kills you.”
Akbar jerked the black hood off Jennifer’s head, surprising her.
“Watch your tongue, little gabar, or you could lose it,” he threatened. “Don’t think that I will pity you because you are a child.”
He reached over and removed Cassy’s hood too. “You both need a good beating. The Hadith tells us: ‘Let your rod be hanging on them, as a warning and to chastise against neglect of their duties toward Allah.’”
Neither girl spoke. Neither wanted to be beaten. With their hoods removed, they could observe their surroundings. The girls were sitting in an empty room with one window and log walls. Someone had covered the window with white paper so you couldn’t look out or in. A single lightbulb dangled from the ceiling. The girls were about a foot apart from each other on a cold linoleum floor with white and green specks. When their eyes met, they smiled at each other.
Akbar had knelt down so he could be eye-to-eye with them while he removed their hoods. He was still kneeling. Aludra was standing behind him watching.
“Please don’t hit us,” Cassy said. “We’ll do what you tell us.”
“You deserve a beating because your father is a hypocrite,” Akbar said as he stood. Glancing at Jennifer, he added, “And you are worthless.”
“She is half Muslim,” Cassy said, defending her new friend.
“Why are you hurting us?” Jennifer asked.
“What I do is not your concern.”
He handed the two hoods to Aludra. “Take them to the toilet in the next room, but if they disobey you, then leave them here to piss in their pants. I’ll be back later, and when I come, I will beat them for being wicked.”
He left them, shutting the door behind him.
“Are you Muslim?” Cassy asked.
“Yes,” Aludra replied in a low voice.
“I’m a Muslim too, and I was taught that being a good Muslim meant you were kind and loving, not cruel to little girls,” Cassy said.
“I will take you to the bathroom, one at a time,” Aludra said. “This will be your only opportunity for several hours, so each of you should use the toilet.”
“I need my medication,” Jennifer said.
“Are you sick?” Cassy asked, clearly concerned.
“It’s for my brain. It’s broken. I have to take pills or I get confused really easily.”
“We don’t have any pills for you,” Aludra said.
“Maybe you can get some for her,” Cassy suggested.
“Enough talk about pills; do either of you wish to use the toilet?”
“I’d like to,” Cassy said.
Aludra used a knife to cut the duct tape that had been wrapped around Cassy’s riding boots, which she’d been wearing when she was kidnapped. Holding the knife in front of Cassy’s face, she warned, “I’ll cut you if you cause trouble.”
“I just want to pee,” the youngster replied.
Aludra removed the duct tape on Cassy’s hands and helped her stand. Taking a firm grip on Cassy’s right arm, Aludra led her out of the room to a nearby toilet. When they were finished, Aludra bound her wrists and ankles again with duct tape.
“Do you know a woman named Halgan who lives in Minneapolis?” Cassy asked.
“Why would you ask me that question?” Aludra replied.
“Because you look like her big sister. Her name is Halgan and she is a friend of my parents and I have been to her house and seen photographs of her sisters.”
“Who I am doesn’t matter. Now be quiet or I will tape both of your mouths.”
“I was just asking. Halgan is beautiful. She’s a nice woman from a good family. You and that man with you are Somali Americans, aren’t you?”
“I told you to be quiet. Don’t think talking to me will help you.”
“Do you know Halgan?” Cassy persisted.
Aludra looked at the door to make certain it was closed and Akbar couldn’t hear her. Looking down at Cassy’s face, she said, “She is my cousin.”
“Then you are probably from Minneapolis too, right?” Cassy asked. “If you are, then you know who my father is and my mother, Dheeh. They’re good Muslims.”
“I warned you to be quiet or I’ll tape your mouth. The man who is guarding you will beat all of us if he hears you talking to me.”
“I saw him put tape on your mouth at the farmhouse when he got angry,” Jennifer said, joining their conversation. “Please don’t put the hoods back on us. We won’t scream, and we’ve already seen both of your faces.”
“Yes, we promise,” Cassy said. “You wouldn’t want your cousin Halgan to be hooded like this, would you?”
Aludra frowned at Cassy. “If I don’t put the hoods on you, he will beat me.” She put a hood over Cassy’s head and then slipped the second over Jennifer’s before standing to leave.
Neither Cassy nor Jennifer spoke for several moments.
“Do you really think she left or is she fooling us?” Cassy whispered.
“I don’t know. But we’d better be quiet for a while.”
After several more minutes, Cassy said, “I think she’s really gone. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Okay. If you think she is really gone.”
“I was in my riding class when the men grabbed me, so I’m wearing riding boots that come to my knees.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The duct tape is wrapped around my boots at my ankles to keep my legs together, but I think I can wiggle my feet out of the boots. If I can, then I can run for help.”