Hot Revenge Box Set 2

*****

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

case I have to cut the cord. And it looks

into a pocket. “Did no-one tell you at school

pants and heaves, and then, scarlet-faced, with a shriek of triumph,

… I move fast…

a small bloody package drops into my hands then starts

recoils, heading for the door. “I’ll catch you later.

looks surprised. “What’s wrong? You’re not bothered by a

on the ground. “You

“So that’s what he’s made

alright?” Charlotte levers herself

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

hands outstretched. “Give her to

second.” I’m casting around, looking for the cover I brought

Crap!

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

hurl the useless thing

wrong?” says Baxter. “The baby’s healthy, isn’t it? It’s making enough

and your monkey there just soaked the wrap I

shifts, eyeing the gun muzzle at his temple. “Here, use this.” From his kneeling position, he tugs the hem of the fleece he’s wearing…

happened to you coming from thirty-five degrees

degrees and a hundred per cent humidity where she’s just come

sized as the garment is, I wrap the squalling, protesting Cara in it, tying the sleeves around her small body, then

despite everything, despite the cold and the filth and the gunmen standing guard over us, Charlotte's face lights

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 becomes

her face. Taking the fleece-enveloped

to James, still cradling her, holding up the small be-wrapped squaller. “I did it, Mas... James. I gave you your

smiles back at her, reaching around to kiss her, his lips cracking open, bleeding with the gesture. “So you did.” He touches his

Abruptly, Charlotte shudders…

even through his swollen face, looks

a palm. “It’s okay. It’s just the placenta being ejected.” Snapping fingers up at Baxter. “Give me

“Not a chance.”

something to

“Improvise.”

Bastard…

to let me have the

hand back and forth, as though deciding, then smirks. “Why

alien-looking thing; thick, meaty and blue, pulsates in my hand, the pulse dying away by

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

Baxter shifts. “What for?”

clamp and the surgical

hesitates, eyes flat, “Take what you need. No

you think I’m likely to be with a new-born baby in my

stand over me as I open the transparent plastic bag containing clamps, gauze and the bottle

a quick mental re-run to the How-To videos I watched, then carefully fix the first clamp in place, over the cord close by Cara. Then, just as

in both hands,

part tells me not to be

It’s just meat…

in the cord, nothing to cause

cord; over an inch thick, with a gristly texture 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 for the blood to leave the placenta,

And it’s through…

two parts; a blue stub on Cara and the trailing tail still attached to

belly, naked skin to naked skin, caressing her, stroking her, murmuring

The magic of seeing

leaning

mass of the afterbirth slops to the floor and I

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

What the hell…?

echoes my thoughts. “What the fuck do