"Mom?"
There was a long tension-filled pause. "Shaun! Oh my god, is that you?"
"It's me, Mom." Tears rushed to Shaun's eyes as the sound of her mother's voice reached out to her. It was like she'd been swimming in a dark void these past weeks, never knowing which way to turn, terrified for her survival, and hearing her mother was like a lifeline.
"Oh, my baby, oh my god!" Fatima's words came out in a panicked rush. "Where are you? Are you hurt? What happened?"
"Mom, calm down, I'm okay."
Shaun could hear fumbling in the background and something dropping. "Hang on, I'm calling the consulate."
"No!" Shaun exclaimed, pacing inside the closet. "You can't do that."
"What the hell do you mean I can't call? You were kidnapped from a hospital, for god sakes. Someone was killed! Of course,
