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.”

then looking along the passage and

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

could have murdered all the witnesses. Gotten rid of the

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

running around the place, creating chaos, trying to escape, is likely to make our job

me a calculating look. “Sold to the man with the

But I do have my axe. James, can

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

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

my aim, this time striking square

open and after a brief struggle

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

her,

Cara. Wide-eyed, tearful, she jabbers at

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

scrabbling up, dashes out, joining

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

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

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

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

keys, thrusting them into the hands of the

at his

sei. Em toda parte. Eles não podem encontrar todos

“What are you saying?”

to scatter. Finchby can’t catch

the final door opens, disgorging its

Gunshots…

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

“Suba

at the cell and

Klempner needs you with a gun in your hand. Charlotte, give James yours. Arm around my neck. I need you to hang

me a dry