Zen's War: Captivity
Chapter 4: Vespers

It seemed as if their journey would never end. She had lost all sense of direction. All she knew was that the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. The heat of the day was so intense that the coming night was something to be grateful for.

The seven men continued to lead her on into the night. She had quit complaining, since it had become obvious that they would not listen. Thoughts of her family continued to fill her head. Every time she thought of her mother, she would struggle to hold back the tears.

Sahara still had her hands tied behind her back, though they had allowed her to keep her blindfold off. Eventually dusk began to fall. It had become too dark to continue and they were forced to stop for the night. The stars slowly sparkled into existence, glowing with crimson luminescence, which was probably due to the nuclear fallout in the atmosphere. She thought of what the stars may have looked like before the war, probably more white than red.

Sahara had been born after the war had ended. All she knew was what her parents had told her, something about terrorist attacks and a civil war. Thinking of her family, she wondered if they would ever find her. Trying to force herself to keep her mind off of her family, she began to wonder where she was, and where she was being led to. “Where are we?” She asked Joshua.

“We are in the Dragoon Mountains, in a place called Cochise Stronghold,” he answered stolidly.

She had never heard of the Dragoon Mountains, but she had heard of Cochise. Her father Zen always told her stories about history. Cochise was a fearless Apache chief who resisted the encroaching American Empire. He was falsely accused of kidnapping an American rancher’s son. Cochise was captured but escaped the clutches of the American army. Cochise and his followers hid out in Cochise Stronghold, where they continued fighting against the Americans for ten years.

“Can I please have some water?” she asked, her voice hoarse from dryness.

“You will receive water after prayer,” Joshua answered.

“When is prayer?”

“Prayer will be after sunset, when the bonfire is lit,” he said.

“Why did you kidnap me?”she asked.

“You are to be one of my brides,” he answered.

He got up and slowly walked toward her. When he got to where she sat, he knelt down and kissed her forehead. At first she was in shock, then a mixture of fear and anger. What gave him the right?

“You have been saved from eternal hellfire,” he said.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“It means that you have been chosen to enter the gates of heaven on the Day of Judgment,” he answered with a smile.

“I’m too young to be a wife. I don’t know the first thing about it,” she said.

“Just have faith, the rest will come with time,” he said.

She realized she had been with these seven men for a whole day and part of a night. Still she had no idea what their names were.

“I will explain to you your purpose later,” he explained to her.

He then ordered one of his men to collect firewood. It was the one with the blond hair and a scar on his cheek who seemed younger than the rest. At the edge of the small valley where they were situated, there were two mesquite trees. Taking the machete from the hip of his belt, with one swing of his arm, he sliced off a group of branches. Kneeling down to the ground, he then collected the five fallen branches. Taking the branches under his arm, he brought and placed them in the center of a fire pit, that had been dug on the previous occasion. From the pocket of his robe he pulled out a rock and a piece of steel. Taking the rock in his right hand, he rubbed it against the small piece of steel in the other. Each time he would rub the rock against the steel a spark would jump from it. Eventually the branches were ignited by some of the sparks. It was a good thing too, because the light of the day was almost nonexistent.

It was an eerie sight. The six men stood around the fire as the flames began to glow more intensely. Their faces reflected the yellowish glow of the fire. Sahara sat in the dirt close to the fire. She was not asked to join them, nor did she want to. It made her think of some ancient pagan ritual. A shiver of fear ran up her spine. She wanted to run, but she knew there was no way she could outrun all of them

Each of the men pulled back the hood of their cloak. The face of their leader became very stern. He began to speak some strange language she did not recognize, and the rest of them began to speak the same words that he spoke.

“Benedic, domine, nos et haec tua dona quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi. Per christum dominum nostrum. Amen.”

“Ad coenam vitae aeternae perducat nos, Rex aeternae gloriae. Amen.”

After the prayer, the man with the blond hair pulled a can of beans and a canteen of water from a burlap sack he has been carrying over her shoulder. He then handed the canteen to the leader of the men. Their leader took one sip and passed it to the man who stood beside him. Each in turn took a sip from the canteen and then passed it. Eventually they had all had their sip. The last to drink then walked to Sahara and handed her the canteen.

Sahara drank from the canteen, her body absorbing the water like the parched desert ground. She could not remember a time when she had been as thirsty. There was a possibility that the water could be contaminated by radiation. This was a risk that many were willing to take. She drank until the canteen was empty then threw it to the ground.

“You thank us for our generosity with such disrespect. You heathens are all the same. Never are you grateful for what the good Lord bestows upon you,” their leader said.

“Who are you to judge?” She asked.

“What you say is true. The father speaks through me; it is he who has the final say. No one can attain salvation, unless they are judged through me,” he said, putting his face within an inch of her’s.

Although she was afraid, she pushed herself to fight it. “Let me get this straight, you think you’re God?” she said, laughing because she was nervous.

“What I think is of no importance. It is what I am that matters,” he answered.

“I don’t care what you say. I think you’re crazy,” she said in defiance.

“I believe in forgiveness, so this time I will forgive your lack of faith. God however, may not,” Joshua stated.

They were each given a bowl and a spoon, which they had also stockpiled for future use. The blond haired man with the scar on his cheek boiled the beans. After they had all eaten, they were each given some more water. This time when the water came to her she only took one sip.

All of the man then stood up around the fire. As they had done before they ate, they all began to speak in the same strange tongue:

“Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus, pro universis beneficiis tuis, qui vivis et regnas saecula saeculorum. Amen.”

“ Deus det nobis suam pacem. Et vitam aeternam. Amen.”

It could have been worse, at least these men have food and water to share. She and her family had run out of food, almost three days prior to her abduction. She didn’t however, like the prospect of marrying this psychopath. She wasn’t ready to get married, she was too young. Her worst fear was the thought of having sex. That was one thing she would not do, and if she ever did it would be her decision.

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