Her rage against Cigarette Hands rose up inside her like a snake that had just been stood on and lashed its tail.
She reached toward them. “Please, we need to go.” She noticed their eyes flick past her, toward the men standing behind.
“They won’t hurt you,” she said, trying not to think about the fact one of them had ordered her abduction and put her in this situation himself, and the other one had taken her from right outside of the container only a matter of hours earlier.
Lily put out her hand to the youngest—a girl with dirty blonde hair which hung in rat’s tails around her pale face. “It’s okay. We’re getting you out of here.”
But the girl cowered back, her arms wrapped around herself. “No, the men will punish us if they get back and find us trying to escape.”
“They can’t punish you if they’re dead.”
“They’re dead?” an older girl asked, hope lighting her voice.
Lily shook her head. “Not yet, but they will be. They’ve messed with the wrong people this time.”
“We can’t go,” said another girl. “They’ll come back and know we’ve gone, and then they’ll find us again and make us pay!”
“They won’t come back, and even if they do, you’ll be long gone,” she said, trying not to get frustrated by their lack of action. She put out her hand again. “Please, we need to get you out of here.”
The girls were bare-armed and legged, wearing only panties and t-shirts, or thin summer dresses. Lily didn’t even want to think about what had happened to the rest of their clothing. Their bare skin was filthy and they’d clearly been beaten. She struggled to see where the scrapes and bruises ended and the dirt began.
“We should just haul them out of here,” Sean growled behind her.
Lily’s head whipped around and she glowered at him. “You’re not helping,” she snapped.
She turned back to the women. “Please,” she tried again. “We’re helping you. Don’t let your last action as free women be turning down help when it was offered. Believe me, you don’t want to have to live with that knowledge.”
The blonde girl choked back a sob. Tears cut pale lines in her filthy face. Finally, the girl nodded and reached out and took Lily’s hand. Lily held on tight and pulled her to her feet. She felt like the girl weighed nothing. Was that what she felt like, too? Waiflike, and as though she could blow away in a gust of air.
At the action of their compatriot, the other women began to move as well. Within seconds, they were all on their feet, scurrying toward the exit.
“Thank God for that,” Monster said, and she shot him a look to tell him to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t understand women, or what these particular women had been through, and she didn’t need him making any comments that would get her riled.
With all of the women outside, Lily wished she had some blankets to cover them with. Even though the night was warm, they were all exposed, their skinny arms wrapped around their narrow frames or their hands tugging at the hems of their t-shirts or skirts. As though sensing what she was thinking, Monster took off his jacket and draped it over the youngest and most vulnerable looking girl’s shoulders. The girl jerked at his contact, cowering from him fearfully, but she clutched at the material covering her.
“Come on, let’s get you to the car,” said Lily. “We’ll figure out what to do from there.”
“They took another girl,” the slightly older girl with the dark hair suddenly cried. “About an hour before you came. They’re selling her on to someone. If you’d gotten here sooner, you would have saved her, too.”
Lily’s stomach twisted with guilt. She’d been with Monster, having sex with him. Had she been responsible for the loss of another life because she hadn’t been able to control herself?
“Where did they take her?” Monster asked.
The girl shook her head. “I’m not sure. The men just laughed about her going to her new ‘home,’ and then they argued about something to do with daybreak.”
“There are three options,” said Monster. “The road, the water, or the air.”
Lily chewed at her lower lip. “They put me on a plane, but you know that anyway. I don’t know if they do that with everyone.”
Chapman spoke up. “It might explain why they have to wait until daybreak, though. Perhaps that’s when the flight is scheduled for.”
Lily looked between the two men. “There’s a private airstrip a few miles out of town. Maybe Cigarette Hands took her there.”
Monster checked his watch. “Daybreak is only an hour away now. If we’re going to try the airfield, I suggest we get moving.”
Lily nodded. “Let’s go.”
Twenty-two
They ran back toward the car, sticking close to the walls of the surrounding buildings in an effort not to be spotted. Though still nighttime, the hour was early enough for people who worked early shifts to be getting ready for work. The last thing they needed was for someone to report them as suspicious and them being stopped by the cops. She didn’t know about Monster, Sean, and Chapman, but she didn’t have a decent explanation for the firearm she was carrying, and she certainly didn’t have a permit.
The girls were all barefoot, but they didn’t seem to notice any discomfort in their hurry to get away. Lily wondered if they should have sent Chapman to get the car and bring it to them, rather than them trying to get everyone to the car, but the women didn’t want to wait around the port for fear of the traffickers coming back. Plus, doing it this way was slightly quicker, and right now, every minute counted.
Her footsteps hit the sidewalk too loud, her breathing harsh in her ears. The feeling of vital time dripping away pressed upon her, and she wished she could do something to go back and reclaim the time they had lost. The sky was no longer the thick black it had been when they’d arrived, but had lightened to a rich purple. Daybreak wouldn’t be far away.
“We need,” she gasped to Monster as they ran, side by side, “to call … the police.”
He shook his head, and glanced toward her. The running didn’t seem to have affected him in the slightest. His cheeks had a slight flush to them, but while she panted for breath, he spoke normally. “We can’t. How would we explain to the police how we found the women? Also, I’m not even supposed to be in the country, at least not in my true identity, and we still need to make you disappear. That’s not going to happen if the police are involved.”
“But what are we going to do with them?” she said between breaths. “The police need to know.”
“If we call the police, any hope you might have of finding and killing the guy you call Cigarette Hands is going to end. You understand that, don’t you?”
She grimaced. Her lungs burned and she was starting to get a stitch in her side. “Okay, no police.” She drew in a long breath and exhaled. “But we need to take them somewhere safe. We can’t just let them wander out onto the streets. Look at the state they’re in.”
They both looked over at the small group of women all huddled together as they ran through the streets like a flock of sheep. The youngest blonde was crying as she jogged along, and the older brunette had managed to wrap an arm around the youngest girl’s shoulders so it looked like they were running an awkward three legged race but without the rope. Monster’s jacket, which he’d donated to the girl, flapped between them.
“What about if I have Chapman drive them to the hospital?” he suggested. “He can leave them outside without being questioned.”
She scrunched up her face with indecision, her stomach twisting. The whole situation made her feel awful, like she was just abandoning these poor girls to whatever might face them next. She wanted to guide them each step of the way, to tell them they could recover and go on to be happy. But her options were limited.
Monster’s fingers touched the back of her hand. “Flower, if we don’t go now, we won’t stand a chance of reaching the airfield in time. No one will ever know what happened to the other girl, and Cigarette Hand
s will get away. Let Chapman take the women to the hospital. They’ll be in the hands of professionals who will have dealt with situations like this and worse.”
“Okay,” she agreed, and then thought of something. “Where are the men who have Cameron? Why aren’t they here yet?”
“I don’t know. I’ll check, but we can’t wait around for them. If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
As they approached the narrow side street where they’d left the car, an irrational fear that the car was no longer where they’d left it filled her, but they rounded the corner to find the vehicle exactly where they’d left it. She’d hoped to have seen Cameron by now, but there was still no sign of him. It couldn’t be helped. She needed to trust that Monster had told her the truth, and she would see him once Cigarette Hands was dead and the final girl had been rescued.
They reached the street where the car was parked. Sean pressed the button on the key-fob, and the doors unlocked with a clunk and a flashing of headlights. They drew to a stop, all crowding beside the vehicle.
Monster quickly placed a call. He didn’t even need to say anything; the person he’d called speaking right away.
Monster nodded, even though the person on the end of the line couldn’t see him. “Get here as soon as you can,” he said, and then hung up.
Lily chewed her lip nervously. “What’s happened?”
“That was Mason, who is in the other car with your friend. There’s been an accident on the freeway. Must have happened not long after we passed through. Don’t worry, their car wasn’t involved, but the road was blocked and they got stuck in the jam. It’s moving now, so they’re on their way.”
“Good.”
Lily looked between the number of people in their group and the size of the car. “We’re never all going to fit in just one car,” she said. “What are we going to do?”
Monster followed her line of sight. “How far away did you say the airfield is?”
“It’s about three miles from here, according to the guy I spoke to at the Marine base,” she said. “I spent about twenty minutes in the car when I was taken there from here last time, but I was in a pretty stressful situation, so I might have misjudged it.”
“We could leave the girls here for the time being, and go to the airfield. We’ll deal with Cigarette Hands, assuming he’s there, and then come back for the women. Then Chapman can drive them to the hospital.”
“We can’t leave them here alone all that time,” she said in dismay. “They’re too vulnerable.”
“Don’t worry,” said Chapman. “You guys take the car. I can steal one to drive the girls to the hospital. It can’t be far from here, and I’m less likely to get stopped.”
Monster lifted his eyebrows. “If you do get stopped, you’ll be in a stolen car with a group of abducted women. That’s not going to look good for you.”
“The girls can tell the cops what happened. I’ll say it was an emergency, that I found the girls by accident, heard them shouting for help while I walked by. They said the traffickers would be back soon, so I panicked and took the car.” He gave a shrug. “Sure, I might still look like a criminal, but I’ll be a damn heroic one.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
He grinned. “I’m sure. The girls will back up my story, right, ladies?”
They all nodded obediently. Lily wasn’t sure if the police would even believe the story if it came from their mouths. Considering how disbelieving they’d been of her story, the police would probably just think Chapman had beaten the women into telling that story. But she wouldn’t worry about that now. They needed to get to the airport and stop Cigarette Hands from leaving.
“Okay,” Lily agreed. “It sounds like our only option.”
“Just give me a few minutes,” said Chapman.
He moved away from them, heading up the street. Each time he came to any parked cars, he tried on the doors, checking to see if any of them were left unlocked. Lily watched after him anxiously, hoping no one would spot him and call the police. That was the last thing they needed.
After six or seven cars, a door finally opened.
“Bingo,” he called back to them.
The big man disappeared into the car headfirst, leaning into the footwell of the driver’s side. A moment later, the car’s engine roared to life. Chapman’s head popped back up again and he settled himself in the driver’s seat and then reached out to pull the car door shut. Within less than a minute, he’d maneuvered the car in a three point turn and pulled up back alongside the waiting group. He got back out and stood beside the stolen vehicle. Despite his smart suit, Lily guessed his work life must normally be more along the criminal line of things than a straight job.
What are you talking about? she said to herself. He works for Monster. Of course he’s a criminal.
Chapman opened the rear door. “In you get, ladies,” he said with a smile, as though he was taking them on a date.
The women hesitated and all looked to her for reassurance.
Lily gave them a smile. “It’ll be okay. Chapman wants to help you. He’ll take you to a hospital, to safety. I promise. But if you don’t want to go with him, that’s fine too …”
“Lily …” Monster growled, but she ignored him.
“You’re free women. You can do whatever you want. You can come with us—but I wouldn’t advise it. We’re the ones trying to find the men who took you, and I can’t promise that’s going to go well. I’d hate for any of you to be taken again. Or else we can give you some money, and you can make your own way to safety. It’s completely your choice.”
“We’ll stick together,” said the older girl with the dark hair. “And we’ll accept your help, thank you. If it wasn’t for you, we’d still be shut in that hell hole.”
Lily smiled, and this time it felt genuine. “I’m glad. What’s your name?”
“I’m Kristin.”
The younger blonde spoke up. “My name’s Ruby.”
“Sophia,” added the other girl.
“I’m Anna-Louise,” said the fourth.
“My name’s Lily,” she said, looking between them all. “Do you know what the other girl he took is called?”
They shook their heads simultaneously.
“We never really spoke inside,” said Kristin. “The traffickers told us they’d know and punish us if we did.”
Lily nodded. Her eyes flooded with tears and a painful lump formed in her throat. She swallowed against it, and tried to speak. “I know. I was in the container, too, once. That’s why I was able to find you.”
Totally unexpectedly, Krista threw herself against Lily and hugged her tight. Lily fought against her phobia of being touched, especially by strangers. It didn’t matter. This was bigger than that. She could control her phobia and make herself squeeze the girl back. One by one, each of the girls attached themselves to her in an embrace, until they stood in a big, slightly smelly group hug, most of them with tears pouring down their faces.
Chapman cleared his throat. “Sorry, ladies, but we need to get moving before someone realizes their car is running when it shouldn’t be.”
The women detached themselves from each other.
“Thank you,” said Kristin. “When we find somewhere safe, can we contact you again to talk?”
Lily glanced briefly at Monster, who stood by with his lips pressed together. She shook her head. “No, you can’t find me again. I have to vanish after this. It’s not safe for me. But I’ll make sure this is over for each of you. I’ll kill that bastard, I promise I will.”
They didn’t say anything else, just nodded, blinked back tears, and climbed into the car. Chapman got back into the driver’s seat, and all four doors slammed shut.
Monster’s touch on her arm drew her attention. “We have to go, Flower.”
She swiped away her own tears with the back of her hand and nodded. “I know. I’m coming.”
And sh
e watched the car containing the women drive away to safety.
Twenty-three
Lily, Monster, and Sean ran to the remaining car. They were each aware of the urgency, knowing the plane could take off at any minute with both Cigarette Hands and the remaining girl inside, and they threw themselves into the vehicle. Monster sat in the passenger seat, with Sean driving, and Lily in the back. She didn’t bother to strap herself in, but instead leaned forward into the space between the two front seats. Monster checked the map on his cell phone.
He pointed at the screen. “This is the only airfield nearby. If we’re right in thinking this is where the traffickers are moving women from, then this is where they’re going to be.”
“What are we waiting for?” said Lily.
Sean shook his head. “We’re not.”
He started the car and thrust his foot down on the accelerator, pulling out with a screech of tires. He maneuvered the car out onto the main road, his foot to the floor enough that the G-force threw her backward.
Monster kept an eye on the GPS on his phone, giving directions to Sean as the other man drove.
Lily wondered if Chapman had found the hospital yet and if he’d left the girls. Her heart ached for them. They’d have a long journey to recovery—more mentally than physically—but at least now they’d be reunited with their families and loved ones. That she’d been a part of making that happen made her feel like she’d achieved something. She’d always found her fulfillment in helping others, though it was normally through her laser therapy work. She’d never imagined her life would take her down this route.
They passed a number of other vehicles as they headed out of town, but no one paid them any attention. Lily leaned forward, willing the car to go faster, while not wanting to get flagged down by the cops.
They left the outskirts of the strange little town that had formed around the Marine Corps base, and drove out into the surrounding, flat countryside.
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