Hot Revenge Box Set 2

James

Michael looks me up and down. “You fit to walk?”

“I’ll manage.”

He gives a short jerk of his head and turns to Charlotte, arms outstretched. “You walk. I’ll carry Cara for you.”

She retreats, clutching Cara to herself, shrieking. “No!”

Michael steps back, holding up his palms. “Whoa… Calm down. It’s me. What do you think I’m going to do?”

She bursts into tears. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

He takes a step closer, moving carefully. “Charlotte, we have to leave. I’m not sure you can carry Cara and walk too.”

“No.” She swings her head in denial, tries to step out, then totters, Cara still tight to her chest.

Michael exchanges a look with me, shaking his head, then he moves in… “Hold on to Cara.” …. sweeping her up. His voice changes to a kind of fake yokel accent. “Come, Mr Frodo!” he says. “I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you.”

She gives him a watery smile. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that. You’ll be fine when we’ve got you home and rested up for a few days.”

Klempner shoves a knife into his belt. Another into the top of his boot. A handgun into a pocket. Then, picking up his SMG, “We need to get moving. I'll go to the front. Michael, you with Jenny in between. James, cover our backs.”

*****

Michael

My arms full of Charlotte, we clear the first flight of stairs to the corridor of ‘cells’. “Klempner, we should release the other women.”

the passage and its barred doorways,

a startled look. “Michael, we don't have time for that. Once we're

short. “By that time Finchby and Baxter could have murdered all the witnesses.

represents his working stock. His property. He’ll not be eager to get rid of them. What’s

think a lot of screaming, panicking women, running around the place, creating chaos, trying to escape, is likely

man with the highest

somewhere. But I do have my axe. James, can you

Cara with one hand, waving

swing… and strike at the first padlock. The angle’s a little

this time

and after a brief struggle with the bolt, I open the door to

and eyed, fair-skinned, she would be beautiful

gesture her, “Quick,

away, then sees James with Charlotte and Cara. Wide-eyed, tearful, she jabbers

around the door. “Você quer partir? Venha conosco.”

a breath, then scrabbling up, dashes out, joining us, babbling

Você quer ajudar?” He jabs a finger to me… “Ajudem-no.” Then

the padlock, she darts inside, gesturing me on to the next. Half a minute later, she exits, now with another two women, one looking barely

me on the shoulder. “Keep at it. I’ll see if I can find those keys.

lose count. The crowd of women grows; black-skinned, white-skinned, coffee-skinned. Asian, Caucasian, Afro. Few seem to share a language, but all come bursting from their grim prisons, flooding down the cells. A couple of boys emerge from one cell, ten, maybe eleven years old. Another, with eyes like blue

now with the keys, thrusting them into the hands of the first woman

at his sleeve.

não sei. Em toda parte.

“What are you saying?”

to scatter. Finchby can’t catch all of

final door

Gunshots…

shouting, chaotically, the women scatter. Splitting and flowing

yells, “Suba

the cell and he’d taken a beating. He may not want to admit it,

her to me. Klempner needs you with a gun in your hand. Charlotte, give James yours. Arm around my neck. I need you to hang

gives me a