Hot Revenge Box Set 2

Chapter 11

*****

 

Michael

I recognise the face of James’ guard, the one they’re calling Hickman. I’ve seen it before in the photo Klempner identified; Baxter’s henchman.

He shoves James towards us, James shooting him a look that would knock flies from the air, before squatting down by Charlotte. He runs a finger over her cheek. “Sorry we took so long to get here.”

She returns the gesture. “They’ve hurt you.”

James’ brows rise. His head tilts. “They’ve hurt me?”

I struggle out from behind her. “James, take my place, support her. I need a look at what’s happening.”

He manoeuvres to sit behind Charlotte, his back against the wall, kissing her rank hair as he supports her against himself.

And now, kneeling between her open legs and with a decent view, I can see Cara’s head is all but out. “I think one more good push will do it, Babe.”

Baxter waves the barrel of his pistol at Klempner. “On your knees. Hands behind your head.”

Klempner gives him a slow look then drops to the ground, fingers clasped at the back of his neck.

“Stannis, you keep him there.” Baxter jabs a finger at the other guard who moves to stand by Klempner, gun muzzle pressed to his temple. Then he nods Hickman to my bag and Klempner’s. “Check them out. See what’s inside.”

He tips out Klempner’s first; his mobile armoury tumbling to the floor with a clatter. Baxter kicks guns, knives and rope to the far side of the cell, out of Klempner’s range.

Then he looks him up and down. “Larry, have you put on weight?”

Klempner adopts a pained expression. “I’m wearing rather more clothes than usual.”

Baxter cocks a brow. “I'm not sure about that outfit as a sartorial statement.”

Lips pressed tight, Klempner casts eyes sidelong, then back again. “What's your gripe with me, Baxter?”

“You have to ask? More than twenty years I worked for you, and you left me behind like I didn’t matter. Abandoned me to the cops like some piece of rubbish.”

“The police were coming. I had about a minute to get out of sight. When I last saw you, you were unconscious after you'd let a complete amateur take you out. As I left, you were nowhere to be seen. What was I supposed to think? You’d gone. I assumed you’d run for it.”

“No. I hadn’t. I’d just crawled into the shadows while I got my head back. You didn’t even look. You walked out and you kept walking.”

“Yes, because I didn’t know you were there. You couldn’t have called out or something? I could see blue lights flashing. What was I supposed to do? Mount a search? As far as I was concerned, you’d gone.”

Baxter sneers. “Make your excuses, Larry. You owe me. You’re going to pay.”

“I owe you nothing. I never did. And besides, you have the money.”

Baxter rocks on his heels. “Money’s not everything, Larry. Money’s not everything.”

He turns from Klempner, dismissing him, nods to Hickman, then to my rucksack. “Turn it out. Let’s see what’s in his bag of tricks.”

I try to interrupt, to stop what I can already see happening… “No… don’t…”

But it’s too late. Clean towels and wraps tumble out, dropping into the slops on the floor, no longer fresh and sweet-smelling but wet and fouled.

“Was that necessary?”

Baxter smirks, poking through the heap with the end of a boot, wiping them further into the dirt. “Can’t be too careful, can we. Who knows what you have in there?”

“What I had in there were the basics for a young woman to safely deliver her baby. Now…” I poke through the pile, trying to find something useable…

Christ…

“… What the hell am I supposed to do with this lot?”

picking something from the floor, shaking off drops of gunk, then showing it to me. “What’re these for? They don’t look much use in

have to cut the cord. And it looks as though I will have

shoves them into a pocket. “Did no-one tell you

wide, she pants and heaves, and

… I move fast…

a small bloody package drops into my hands then starts squalling loudly as

heading for the door. “I’ll catch you later. Enjoy your

You’re not bothered by a little

the mess on the ground. “You handle it.”

that’s what he’s

she alright?” Charlotte levers

legs… Eyes, toes, fingers… “She’s fine. Everything where it should

out, hands outstretched. “Give her

looking

Crap!

warm, is now wet; cold and stinking. I pick it up, hoping… But it simply drips muck back

useless thing into the

healthy, isn’t

in. You and your monkey there just

his kneeling position, he tugs the hem of the fleece he’s wearing… my fleece… up and over his head. He

from thirty-five degrees and sixty per

thirty-seven degrees and a hundred per cent humidity where she’s just

squalling, protesting Cara in it, tying the sleeves

filth and

that happens with a woman, when after hours of gruelling pain and utter exhaustion, the baby is placed in her arms and her face illuminates. Young or old, plain or pretty, in that moment, every woman

her face. Taking the fleece-enveloped Cara, she

up the small be-wrapped squaller. “I did

with the gesture. “So you did.” He touches his daughter’s face, stroking

Abruptly, Charlotte shudders…

swollen face, looks

okay. It’s just the placenta being ejected.” Snapping fingers up

“Not a chance.”

have to have something to cut

“Improvise.”

Bastard…

going to let me have

back and forth, as though deciding, then

the cord, hot to the touch, a strange braided alien-looking thing; thick, meaty and blue, pulsates in my hand, the pulse dying

aim a finger through the heap of towels and blankets stewing in the muck. “I need that

Baxter shifts. “What for?”

where the clamp and the surgical

what

stupid do you think I’m likely to be with a new-born

at Hickman who moves to stand over me as I open the transparent plastic bag containing clamps, gauze and the bottle of spirit.

then carefully fix the first clamp in place, over

cord in both hands, I pull

wants to heave. Another part tells

It’s just meat…

in the cord, nothing to cause pain to either Charlotte or Cara. But I’m chewing through living flesh and my stomach

and slippery in my hands; resists. I’m almost sawing through the thing with my teeth. But there’s not too much mess. I waited long enough

And it’s through…

Cara and the trailing tail still attached to the placenta as I swipe

skin to naked skin, caressing

behind, is unreadable. It’s hardly surprising. The magic of seeing your child born.

back, leaning

of the afterbirth slops to the floor and I scoop it up, about to toss it towards the

do that.” Baxter speaks quickly. “Hickman, get the placenta. Put it in the

What the hell…?

my thoughts. “What the fuck

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