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.”

along the passage

Once we're out, you can sing to the world

time Finchby and Baxter could have murdered all the witnesses.

stock. His property. He’ll not be eager to get

the place, creating chaos, trying to

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

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

her to him, clinging to his Cara with

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

my aim, this time striking

a brief struggle with the bolt, I open

back, babbling something at me. Dark-haired and eyed, fair-skinned, she would be beautiful if she weren’t

gesture her,

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

door. “Você quer partir? Venha conosco.” He throws a glance to me.

then scrabbling up, dashes out, joining us, babbling

“Nós estamos indo embora. 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 old enough

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

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

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

at his

Em toda parte.

“What are you saying?”

can’t catch all of them and

final door opens,

Gunshots…

by me, ricocheting from the wall and spitting brick-dust. I duck, and screaming and shouting, chaotically, the women scatter. Splitting and flowing one

“Suba as

is heavier, more pronounced. He must already have been exhausted as he arrived at the cell and he’d taken a beating. He

your hand. Charlotte, give James yours.

gives me