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

we're out, you can sing to the world about what's in here, but until

Finchby and Baxter could

cells represents his working stock. His property. He’ll not be eager to get rid of them. What’s your priority, Michael? We have

lot of screaming, panicking women, running around the place, creating chaos, trying to

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

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

pass her to him, clinging to his Cara

ahead, unslinging the axe from my shoulders, I aim… swing… and strike at the first padlock.

this time striking

a brief struggle with

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

gesture her, “Quick,

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

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

scrabbling up, dashes out, joining us, babbling

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

to the next. Half a minute later, she exits, now with another two women, one

the next. Klempner taps me on the shoulder. “Keep at

Few seem to share a language, but all come bursting from their grim prisons, flooding down the cells. A couple of boys emerge from

the keys, thrusting them into the

his sleeve. “Onde

parte. Eles não

“What are you saying?”

them to scatter. Finchby can’t catch all of them and Baxter probably

final door opens, disgorging

Gunshots…

and spitting brick-dust. I duck, and screaming and shouting, chaotically, the women scatter. Splitting and flowing one way and the other; maybe

“Suba

limp is heavier, more pronounced. He must already have been exhausted as he arrived at the cell and he’d taken a beating. He may not want

you with a gun in your hand. Charlotte, give James yours. Arm around my

me a dry