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 its barred doorways,

don't have time for that. Once we're out, you can sing to the world about what's in

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

His property. He’ll not be eager to get rid of them. What’s your

a lot of screaming, panicking women, running around the

“Sold to the man with the

They’re downstairs somewhere. But I do have my axe. James, can you

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

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 lock

adjust my aim, this time striking

open and after a brief struggle with the bolt, I open the

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

her,

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

quer partir? Venha conosco.” He throws a glance

scrabbling up, dashes out, joining us, babbling

her. “Nós estamos indo embora. Você quer ajudar?” He jabs a finger

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

the shoulder. “Keep at it. I’ll see if I can find those keys.

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,

keys, thrusting them into the hands of the

his

sei. Em toda parte. Eles não

“What are you saying?”

can’t catch all of them and Baxter

the final door opens,

Gunshots…

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

yells, “Suba

cell and he’d taken a beating. He may not want to admit it, but

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

gives me