1996
West Bank
Tyreese struggled to open his eyes. He knew he wasn't dead because he felt pain all over. Blinking repeatedly, he couldn't make anything out, it all appeared so very blurry.
This wasn't the first time he'd been knocked out, or even the first time kidnapped. Growing up in Detroit, the tall, brown-red skinned Tyreese had seen it all.
Starting with his toes then working upwards, he took stock of himself before turning outwards to his environment. He noted each ache and pain to determine if it was an immediate concern, or something he could worry about later.
As he tried to move his legs, then later his arms, he discovered that he was bound.
"Oh yeah..." He groaned out loud as he remembered that he was tied to a chair.
He had no recollection of time as he became more and more aware of his surroundings. He recalled the explosion, the old man, and especially the beatings in the very chair he was in.
His torturers were amateurs in his opinion, they hurt him with no goal in mind, they asked no meaningful questions and seemed to avoid causing any lasting injuries. He wanted to laugh at them, but from past experience with rival gangs and the Detroit PD silence was the best course of action.
He moved his head around trying to focus his eyes, he didn't remember taking any heavy blows to his eyes, and was starting to get concerned. His ears seemed fine, he heard soft footsteps approaching him.
"Just relax for a moment." Said a female voice in very clear English.
"I can't see." He mumbled as best he could towards the sound.
"Shhhhhh." Commanded the female voice in English. "Your eyesight will return to you in time, you're wearing a gas mask."
"Where am I?" Tyreese said slightly worried.
"You're tied up in an apartment in the West Bank." Replied the voice curtly.
Tyreese was fed up with his situation. "Who are you?"
The voice started to talk, then burst out laughing when she realized that Tyreese was toying with her.
"My name is Sarah." Declared the woman, her composure returned.
The foot steps halted near him, then he felt fingers touching his neck feeling for something. He tensed at being unsure what to expect. In a moment all was revealed as she pulled a gas mask off of his face.
"Ah!" He said taking a deep breath. "That feels much better."
"Keep quiet." She hissed at him.
Standing before him was a young lady in a dark blue baggy jilbab. Tyreese had caught glimpses of her during his time there, his captors would always hustle her away if she stared too long.
Her hair was covered, but with her fair skin and blue eyes, she easily could be mistaken for an American girl.
"I said keep quiet!" Ordered Sarah.
"Why, you ain't gunna hurt me." Teased Tyreese.
"Huh?" She replied.
"It's pretty obvious you're here to save me." He remarked.
She didn't rise to his baiting as she spoke. "Stay still I'm going to untie you."
"Don't bother." Tyreese said with a smile. "I'm almost free as it is."
The young lady stepped back from Tyreese as he pulled his arms out of the ropes, then started on his legs. Looking about the bare apartment he could seem most of his captors on the floor.
The lady before him was impressed but appeared to be suppressing it, so he explained himself as he freed himself.
"These dudes here don't know ropes, I figured out their routine and was planning on bouncing tonight." He remarked standing up then stretching to restore blood flow to his limbs.
"You think you're so smart don't you?" She snipped as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Smarter than these chumps?" He gestured towards the men on the floor. "Yeah."
The lady huffed now unimpressed at Tyreese, who was flexing his muscles.
"You know they have a guard outside the door?" She said.
"Ha!" Replied Tyreese. "That dude don't know cover, if I didn't have rubber bullets in that firefight, he'd be dead."
It appeared that Tyreese was trying to regain his sense of balance as he walked around the Spartan room. When he saw the old man who tortured him he stopped over him.