Page 78 of Asher's Assignment
In a blink, the door flew open. Before Asher could react, their captor stuck a long pole through and jabbed it at him. The end made contact with Asher’s upper arm. He heard the snap of electricity at the same time all of his muscles seized.
Unable to control his body, Asher tumbled down the stairs, slamming into the steps with a harsh thud. His head struck the railing as he reached the bottom, amplifying the ache already there. He landed on the dirt floor in a heap, unable to breathe for a long moment.
Through the ringing in his ears, he heard the man descend the steps. He stopped on the last tread and stared down. In his hand, he held a taser attached to a pole.
Jesus. No wonder it hurt. Asher knew he needed to move, but his muscles still refused to cooperate. Every movement he made was uncoordinated and slow. At least he could breathe again.
“Do you think I’m an idiot?” The man jabbed Asher’s abdomen with the modified taser.
The groan Asher let out quickly cut off as his lungs seized.
“I’ve got this whole room wired with surveillance. If I didn’t need you to keep an eye on the girl and to keep her calm, I’d have killed you when I took you. This is your one and only warning, Mr. Horn. Do it again, and Miss Tyler will be on her own.”
He jabbed Asher again.
A buzz whined in Asher’s ears, and the already dim basement grew darker. The man’s heavy tread up the stairs barely registered.
But the soft hands on his face and a light swaying just feet away did. He blinked, hoping to clear his vision. Stars danced above his head, bringing light to the sound in his ears.
“Asher? Asher, are you okay?”
Leah’s voice came through a long tunnel, reaching him on the last of the echo. He tried to reply, but all that came out was a strangled moan. Her face danced in front of his eyes, lit by a halo coming off the lantern they’d found under her cot.
Mustering up every ounce of strength he could find, he rolled to his side. It wasn’t up, but it was one step closer to being that way.
The movement helped clear his head a little. Some of the stars receded, and the buzzing decreased in volume. He tried talking again. “Lee—” His hand brushed her arm. It was all he could get out.
“It’s okay. I’m right here. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
He wanted to laugh and tell her everything hurt, but he couldn’t. He was in too much pain.
With a grunt, he shifted, getting an arm beneath himself so he could push up. Muscles quivering, and with a false start, he finally made it to a sitting position. After taking a moment to regain a modicum of strength, he tried his vocal cords again.
“I’m—I’m okay.” He swallowed. “Sore.” And he would be for a while. Being shocked was no joke. He’d been tased as part of his CIA training. It had left his muscles achy for a couple of days. This time, it would likely be far worse.
Wincing, he scooted back until he hit the wall. He was still too shaky to sit up unsupported for long.
“Can I do anything?”
Asher rolled his head side-to-side against the wall. “No. I’m okay. I just… need a few minutes.”
Holding the lantern out in front of her, Leah crawled over the dirt floor to sit beside him. Her warm weight settled into his side. Even though his arm still felt like a load of bricks, he lifted it to tuck her in more securely. They both needed the connection at the moment.
“I’m sorry, Leah.” He wished he’d done a more thorough search of their prison. Maybe he’d have found the cameras. Now, he couldn’t take the chance and search for them. He didn’t doubt that their captor would keep his word, and Asher couldn’t leave Leah alone. His only hope now was if the guy decided they needed to move.
“Did he—” Asher broke off with a wince as he shifted. “Did he leave food and your medicine?”
“I’m not sure.” Leah lifted her head.
“Could you go look? I still can’t move much.” He had feeling in his limbs, but the muscles quivered and tingled to the point they felt like limp noodles.
Leah got up and ascended the stairs, the light bobbing as she moved. Several moments later, she came back down with the lantern hooked over her arm by the handle and a metal tray tucked against her chest.
“This looks disgusting.”
A smile cracked Asher’s mouth. She sounded like a typical kid. “Eat it anyway. You need the calories. Your body is still healing.”
In the lantern’s glow, he saw her mouth pull to one side as she grimaced. “This is like that crap from that book, Oliver Twist. I mean, I know it’s oatmeal, but it looks like gruel.” She set the tray down between them.
