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.”

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

that. Once we're out, you can

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

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

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

calculating look. “Sold to the man with the highest

my axe. James, can you take Charlotte from

pass her to him, clinging to his Cara with one

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

my aim, this time striking square

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

me. Dark-haired and eyed, fair-skinned, she would

gesture her,

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

partir? Venha conosco.”

breath, then scrabbling up,

quer ajudar?” He jabs

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

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

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

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

tugs at his sleeve. “Onde

não sei. Em toda parte. Eles não podem

“What are you saying?”

scatter. Finchby can’t catch all of them and

door opens, disgorging its

Gunshots…

the wall and spitting brick-dust. I duck, and screaming and shouting, chaotically, the women scatter. Splitting and flowing one way and the other; maybe thirty of

yells, “Suba

He must already have been exhausted as he arrived at the cell and he’d taken a beating. He

gun in your hand. Charlotte, give James yours. Arm around my

me a dry