Rachelle McCalla - Prince Incognito

Lily told herself to focus. The mystery of the soldier’s identity teased her imagination, pulling her thoughts away from forming a plan. But she didn’t have time to waste wondering who the man beside her really was. He’d proven himself to be trustworthy—more trustworthy than her parents, and far more than her uncle. So it didn’t matter, then, who he was. He was her only ally, and they needed to work together.

He must have been thinking along the same lines, because he whispered, “It would be helpful if we could get these zip ties off our wrists. We won’t get far without the use of our arms.”

“You’re right. I didn’t get a very close look at what they used, but I think they’re a basic zip tie like any other, with a ratcheting mechanism that keeps them closed tight. I did an internship at a veterinary clinic and a lot of our supplies came zip tied together. I got pretty good at backing the ratchet out.”

“Do you think you could work my hands free?”

“It’s worth a try. Can you get your hands where I can reach them? Don’t let the soldiers see what we’re doing.”

Shifting subtly, Lillian managed to get her hands aimed at the soldier, who’d turned his body at a similar angle toward her. She found his fingers, and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, distracting her for a moment with the comfort he offered in that tiny gesture. It reminded her that she wasn’t alone—that even though they were no longer facing one another, he was with her, working for her freedom as much as his.

She found the nylon strap of the zip tie he’d been bound with, and located the ratcheting mechanism with her fingers. If it was like the ones she’d encountered at the vet clinic, all she had to do was squeeze the head to open up the ratchet box, then depress the engaged ratchet enough to slide it out from the rack. In concept, the steps were easy enough for her to envision.

But with her arm muscles already cramping from their awkward position, and unable to see what she was doing, coaxing the two sides apart proved to be a difficult trick. She squeezed the stubborn plastic box with her fingernails, trying to apply just the right amount of pressure to weaken its hold on the strap.

Finally, it slipped back the slightest bit, and her heart rejoiced for a moment before the box caught on the very next ratchet.

It would take her all night at this rate!

They didn’t have all night. In fact, she suspected they didn’t have very long at all. Repeating the motions that had worked before, she tried to ease the strap back another notch, but her hand began to cramp from the constricted angle required to pinch the zip tie.

She flexed her fingers.

“Are you all right?”

“Hand cramp. I just need a second. It’s working.” When the spasm at the base of her thumb stopped throbbing, she squeezed the zip tie again, trying to direct her motions for maximum effectiveness. The strap popped back one notch, and she flexed her fingers while a bead of sweat trickled down her arm. She pinched again, loosened it another notch and kept going. As she worked, the molded nylon became more pliant, allowing her to slip it past the notches more freely.

“Stop there,” the soldier requested when she had the zip tie near the end of its length. “I’ll be able to slip my hands out through the loop when I need to, but I want to give the appearance of still being bound. If they realize we’re loose, they’ll only tie us up again.”

Lillian saw the wisdom of his plan. “Do you think you can work me free?”

“I can try. How did you do it?” He leaned closer to her as they spoke, but kept one hand on her fingers.

Lily told herself he was holding on so that he didn’t have to find her hand again, but at the same time, the security of his touch calmed her heart. She found her voice, and explained how she’d backed the ratchets out. “Think you can do it?”

“My fingers aren’t as nimble as yours, but I don’t see any other way of getting you free. Let me have a go at it.”

Turning away from her again, he tugged on her arm until he could reach the zip tie, and she felt him struggle to work the tricky notches free.

As he’d hinted, his larger hands weren’t as dexterous as her agile fingers, but he kept working on the zip tie, in spite of his lack of progress.

“Do you need to try something else?” she asked after several long, fruitless minutes.

“I think I’m getting closer. It’s tricky. Do you have a better idea?”

“Nothing.”

“Then I’m going to keep at it. I’m not about to give up.” His determination with the obstinate zip tie spoke volumes about his commitment to keeping her with him as he made his escape, which Lillian found reassuring. After all, he was strong and, based on the way he’d overcome the four armed men on her father’s boat, obviously a skilled fighter. If either of them had a shot at freedom, he was clearly far better equipped to make his bid. If she got left behind, she’d be at her uncle’s mercy.

And she didn’t believe for one second the promise he’d made to her parents, that she’d be fine. Uncle David had lied through his teeth. He’d tied her up and shoved her into the stowage compartment as though she was nothing more than a piece of luggage. She was a weapon to him, valuable only as long as she was useful. If the soldier escaped without her, she’d no longer be useful to her uncle. She didn’t want to think about what might happen then.

Just as she began to fear her zip tie was a lost cause, she felt its tight hold slacken slightly.

“I’m making progress.” Relief filled his voice.

“Good.” Lily didn’t want to distract him, but the whir of the rotors had lowered in pitch. They were slowing down, likely approaching their destination and preparing to land. They might not have much longer. “If you can get it loose enough, maybe I’ll be able to squeeze my hand out.”

“Whatever happens, whether I get you free or not, I want you to follow my lead when we disembark.”

“What’s your plan?”

“It will depend on where we are, how many men are on the ground and what kind of weapons they’re carrying.”

The mere thought of armed men sent a shudder rippling through Lily.

He obviously felt it, because he quickly reassured her. “We’ll have the element of surprise on our side. They won’t be expecting us to make any sort of move. We’ll use that to our advantage.”

“But we’re already outnumbered.”

“True. But you said earlier they need the knowledge that’s in my head. They’re not going to risk killing me.”

Lily swallowed. “What about me?”

“I thought that David fellow was your uncle.”

“Yes, but you saw how he tied me up and shoved me back here. I don’t have any critical information in my head.” As she spoke, they shifted with a hollow thump. The helicopter’s skids settled to the ground. They’d landed. And though the soldier had worked the zip tie back a few more notches, Lillian was still securely restrained. She wasn’t even sure she could stand up without help.

“He’s not going to hurt you.”

“How do you know that?”

“I won’t let him.”

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