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.”

the passage and

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

Finchby and Baxter could have

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

a lot of screaming, panicking women, running around the place, creating chaos, trying to escape, is likely

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

They’re downstairs somewhere. But I do have my

his Cara with

swing… and strike at the first padlock. The angle’s

my aim, this time striking square

open and after a brief struggle with the bolt, I open the door to a dim

woman cringes back, babbling something at me. Dark-haired and eyed, fair-skinned, she would be

gesture her, “Quick,

Cara.

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

a breath, then scrabbling up, dashes out, joining us, babbling at

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, now with another two women, one looking barely old enough to

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

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 eyes like blue ice and hair of Scandinavian

thrusting them into the

at his sleeve. “Onde

Em toda parte.

“What are you saying?”

can’t catch all of them and Baxter probably

the final door opens, disgorging

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; maybe thirty of them, running as if

yells, “Suba

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 to admit it, but he’s struggling

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

gives me a dry