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

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

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

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

women, running around the

to the man with the highest bid. Get on with it then. You

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

to him, clinging to his Cara

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

this time

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

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

her,

Charlotte and Cara.

partir? Venha conosco.” He throws

scrabbling up, dashes out, joining

“Nós estamos indo embora. Você quer ajudar?” He jabs a finger to me… “Ajudem-no.”

time, as I crash open the padlock, she darts inside, gesturing me on to the next. Half a minute later, she exits, now with another two women,

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

all come bursting from their grim prisons, flooding down the cells. A couple of boys emerge from one cell, ten, maybe eleven years

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

at his sleeve. “Onde

sei. Em toda parte. Eles

“What are you saying?”

telling them to scatter. Finchby can’t catch all of them

door

Gunshots…

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

“Suba as

He must already have been exhausted as he arrived at the cell and he’d taken a beating. He may not want to

a gun in your hand. Charlotte, give James yours.

me