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

gives me a startled look. “Michael, we don't have time for that. Once we're out, you can sing to the world about what's in

Finchby and Baxter could have murdered all the witnesses. Gotten rid

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

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

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

have my

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

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

adjust my aim, this time

open and after a brief

woman cringes back, babbling something at me. Dark-haired and eyed, fair-skinned,

gesture her, “Quick,

Charlotte and Cara. Wide-eyed, tearful, she jabbers

door. “Você quer partir? Venha conosco.”

up, dashes out, joining us, babbling

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

inside, gesturing me on to the next. Half a minute later, she

the next. Klempner taps me on the shoulder. “Keep at it. I’ll

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 we released. “Abre as

his sleeve. “Onde

sei. Em toda parte. Eles não podem encontrar todos

“What are you saying?”

them to scatter. Finchby can’t catch all of them and Baxter

the final door

Gunshots…

chaotically, the women scatter. Splitting and flowing one way and the other; maybe thirty of them, running as

“Suba

pronounced. He must already have been exhausted as he arrived at the cell and he’d taken a beating. He may not want to admit it,

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

me