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,

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

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

be eager to get rid of them. What’s your priority, Michael? We have to get out

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

the man with

I do have my axe. James, can you take

pass her to him, clinging to his Cara with one

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

aim, this time striking

after a brief struggle with the

and eyed, fair-skinned,

gesture her,

with Charlotte and Cara. Wide-eyed, tearful, she jabbers at me,

quer partir? Venha conosco.” He throws a glance to

a breath, then scrabbling up, dashes

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

crash open 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 old enough to drive

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

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 ice

into the hands of the first woman we released.

his

não sei. Em toda parte. Eles não podem

“What are you saying?”

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

final door opens, disgorging its

Gunshots…

shouting, chaotically, the women scatter. Splitting and flowing one

“Suba

heavier, more 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, but he’s

in your hand. Charlotte, give James yours. Arm around my neck. I need you to hang on

gives me