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.”

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

“Michael, we don't have time for that. Once we're out,

time Finchby and Baxter could have murdered all the witnesses. Gotten rid

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

running around the place, creating chaos, trying to escape,

calculating look. “Sold to the man with the highest bid.

have my axe. James, can you take Charlotte from

to him, clinging to his Cara with one hand, waving

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

my aim, this

through. The lock springs open and after a brief struggle with the bolt, I open the door to a dim

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

her, “Quick,

Charlotte and Cara. Wide-eyed, tearful, she

door. “Você quer partir? Venha

then scrabbling up, dashes out, joining us, babbling

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

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

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

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 and hair of

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

his

sei. Em toda parte. Eles não

“What are you saying?”

scatter. Finchby can’t catch all of

the final door opens, disgorging its

Gunshots…

the women scatter. Splitting and flowing one way and the other; maybe thirty of them,

yells, “Suba as

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

with a gun in your hand. Charlotte,

gives me a