Kaori jolted awake as her cheek stung. Her eyes opened wide just in time to see the back of a large hand rush toward her face. No dodging that. The knuckles connected with her fine cheekbones in a resounding slap and she let out a cry of pain as her head swiveled back to face her aggressor with fury in her eyes.

  “See? I told you she’d be awake!” the Japanese man said with a vicious grin. The man was in his late fifties and wore the deep blue uniform of the Japanese Military. She looked at his shoulders and noted three stars, branding the man a colonel, and he had wings above his chest pocket.

  She'd learned about military ranks while prepping for a movie, and it had become a second nature. An Air Force Colonel, Kaori noted in confusion. What the hell would a Japanese colonel be doing here? Last thing she remembered was coming out of the pharmacy carrying the antibiotics. She’d fumbled with her keys to get back in the car when some men jumped her from behind. She struggled and...

  Now she was sitting in a chair, her legs tied and strapped in a white straitjacket, the kind used to bind the insane.

  “Open your mouth!” the colonel ordered.

  “Where am—”

  Her question was interrupted as the man shoved a ball gag in her mouth and tied the straps to the back of her head. She stared daggers at him but there was nothing she could do. The colonel looked pleased with himself and leaned in, placing his face next to hers. He whispered:

  “Relax, you and I will have plenty of time to get acquainted later.”

  She slammed her forehead into the man’s jaw with all the strength she could muster. He yelped, more from surprise than from pain. It was hard to deliver real damage, bound as she was, but it was better than nothing. He looked back at her, more excited than upset.

  “Oh, you like it rough, don’t you Kaori?”

  He slapped her face with open palm, this time with full force. Her cheek turned crimson red and the sound reverberated through the room.

  “Enough.”

  The voice was calm, almost casual, but brimmed with authority and menace. The colonel straightened up at once, looking embarrassed.

  “Sorry, sir.” he replied. “It’s just that she struck me and—”

  “Pack her up. I trust there will be no more incident?”

  “No sir.”

  The voice had sounded vaguely familiar, but Kaori could not place it and the man remained beyond the edge of her vision. She was still stunned by the slap and the gag dug uncomfortably into the corner of her lips.

  Someone slipped an air mask over her head, and she felt a prick at the back of her shoulder. She lost consciousness once more. She was falling, but did not feel the wind rush around her nor the sound of its whistle. There was no sound at all, no feeling, nothing. She fell for what seemed an eternity until a jolt forced her body awake. She did not move, pressure pinning her down on her back. Panic crept in but she forced herself to remain calm, counting slowly to ten and focusing on her breathing.

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  No matter the situation, panic is always the worst response, her diving instructor used to say. Stay calm and breathe. It was easier said than done, but she tried.

  Her mind was emerging from a fog, her cheek throbbing with pain, her tongue parched, pressed against the ball gag. It made breathing difficult and fear threatened to overwhelm her. She could barely move her lips. She opened her eyes slightly, then in full, but the result was the same. She was bound in darkness, and her nascent fear morphed into terror. She could hear nothing but the rising, frantic beating of her own heart.

  At least I’m alive, she thought and regained some of her self-control along with that realization. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. She could still feel. She focused her attention on her body. Pressure. All over. It wasn’t painful but she couldn’t move. She was... buried. Panic returned, but she pushed it back once more. An air mask covered her face, allowing her to breathe with relative ease. A strong scent of coffee lingered in the air.

  Whoever her captors were, they wanted her alive. Not the most reassuring of thoughts considering the colonel's promise, but at least she didn’t have to worry about being killed just yet. Escaping was another matter entirely. She couldn’t even begin to think of a plan. No matter. As long as she remained alive, there would be a way.

  Another jolt bounced her entire body up a couple inches and she dropped again, hitting... something. She was being carried somewhere, none too gently.

  “O Tsukete!” she heard faintly. The voice sounded far, but that was probably due to sound insulation

  Be careful? That had to be it. Either way, the accent was unmistakably Japanese.

  Am I back in Japan? Impossible. Can’t have been unconscious for that long. In real life, anesthesia lasts for a few minutes at most. Sedation takes you to death’s door, you can’t just turn someone off for 8 hours, she thought. Some drugs could make you sleep that long, but those would make you groggy, and her mind was sharp. Still in Thailand, then.

  That certainty calmed her nerves somewhat, although the idea that only a few hours ago she was free with Ma?l... Ma?l! Still waiting on her to come back, still sick and waiting for antibiotics? She failed even that!

  With a surge of despair, she tried to free herself, but her efforts proved futile. The straitjacket was tight and the weight pressing down on her was heavy. She could control her muscles, curl her toes and fingers, aand that was about all she could manage. It reminded her of being buried in sand at the beach. Not that uncomfortable a sensation in itself, but the feeling of helplessness terrified her.

  The sharp aroma of coffee was hard to miss. Buried in coffee beans inside a crate... Oroshi! It has to be Oroshi! She thought. If it’s him, he will want me back to Japan, but he can’t get me past immigration the normal way, of course. In some sick way, it made sense. She was being smuggled back. The smell of coffee would prevent an immigration dog from catching her scent. She'd pass through as cargo. Was it really that easy? Perhaps it was. If the paperwork was in order, who'd open and inspect a crate of coffee beans?

  The thought brought a smile to her face. This was sloppy! If she could find a way to get rid of her gag and scream for help at the right time, someone would rescue her! Immigration officials might not look too closely at a crate of a coffee beans, but a screaming crate was a different matter entirely!

  Assuming she was right about the situation, getting to Japan would take about ten hours, including 7 hours in the plane.

  She had ten hours to get rid of the gag and ready her voice. She could do this. Oroshi would pay! Oh, by the time this was over, he'd wish he was never born!

  With renewed purpose, she began to work on the gag.