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.”

double-takes at me, then looking along the passage and its barred doorways, nods

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

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

not be eager to get rid of them. What’s your priority, Michael? We have to

lot of screaming, panicking women, running around the place, creating chaos, trying to escape,

look. “Sold to the man with the highest bid. Get on with it then.

have my axe. James, can you take

clinging to his Cara with one hand, waving a gun in the

striding ahead, unslinging the axe from my shoulders, I aim… swing… and strike at the first padlock. The angle’s a little

adjust my aim, this

through. The lock springs open and after a brief struggle with the bolt, I open

cringes back, babbling something at me. Dark-haired and eyed, fair-skinned, she would be beautiful

her,

sees James with Charlotte and Cara.

pokes his head around the door. “Você quer partir? Venha conosco.” He throws a glance to

draws a breath, then scrabbling up, dashes out,

short with her. “Nós estamos indo embora. Você quer ajudar?” He jabs a finger to me… “Ajudem-no.” Then he stands back, plucking at

as I crash open the padlock, she darts inside, gesturing me on to the next. Half a minute later, she exits, now

taps me on the shoulder. “Keep at it. I’ll see if I

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

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

tugs at his sleeve.

não sei. Em toda parte. Eles não podem encontrar

“What are you saying?”

catch all

final door opens,

Gunshots…

the women scatter. Splitting and flowing one way and the other; maybe thirty

“Suba as

as he arrived at the cell and he’d taken a beating. He may not want to admit it, but he’s struggling

a gun in your hand. Charlotte, give James yours.

gives me a