by K. Langston
A moan gave way to a low echo against the concrete walls. “Help me.”
My eyes had adjusted a little and while there wasn’t much light coming from the corridor outside of our cell, I could see a shadow lying in the corner.
Water dripped from some unknown source nearby and I could hear muffled voices coming from somewhere up above but my own breath sounded like it was being amplified as it rushed in and out of my lungs, pounding through my ears.
“Is someone there?” I whispered.
“Help.” The woman said again and my spine tingled with awareness. I rolled to my knees, inching across the dirty floor. “I’m here.” Getting closer. “What’s your name? What happened to you?” I asked, finally coming to a rest next to her. I wasn’t quite sure how I could help with my hands tied behind my back but I would do what I could to offer her comfort.
“Cassidy?” The timid voice replied back to me, and I stopped breathing all together.
NO!
“Max? Oh God, please no. Not you, too,” I cried.
“It’s me,” she moaned, the pain in her voice stabbing at my heart.
“What happened? What have they done to you?”
“I—I don’t remember much. I went back to the house to pick up some more clothes and when I walked in someone grabbed me.” Every word she spoke had to be forced from her mouth but none had been wasted. “I keep telling them I don’t know where you are but they don’t believe me.”
This is all my fault.
She was here because of me.
“I’m so sorry, Max,” I cried, drowning in guilt.
“Don’t you dare blame yourself,” she murmured between chattering teeth. “I wouldn’t tell the bastards even if I knew.”
An involuntary laugh escaped. At least they hadn’t broken her spirit.
I sniffled, trying to see through my blurry eyes and the cruel shadows. “Where are you hurt?”
“I think my rib is broken. It hurts like hell to move and talk.”
“Then stop talking,” I said through a bout of watery tears.
“You know that’s impossible for me.”
My knees were beginning to ache so I rolled to sit on my bottom scooting up next to Max’s head.
“He’ll come for us,” she said, grunting out the last word.
I didn’t want to ask who because I knew talking was painful for her, but I couldn’t resist.
“Who?”
“Diablo.”
My brows bunched in confusion. “Uh, Max, you do realize we’ve been kidnapped, right? Now is not the time to go making up stories.”
“Oh God, please don’t make me laugh. Now’s not the time to be clever.”
The agony in her voice was too much to bear. “I’m sorry, Max. So, so sorry,” I whispered, breaking down, wishing it were me lying on that floor and not her. She didn’t deserve this.
Neither one of us did.
“None of that shit either damn it,” she grunted as she shifted next to me, trying to get comfortable. “I’m serious, Cass,” she whispered. “He was a beautiful man with a broken soul and haunted eyes but he was so kind and gentle. He promised he would get me out of here. He’ll come for us, I know he will.”
I opened my mouth to ask more but the sound of footsteps approaching the cell clamped it shut. My heart kicked in my chest, wanting to flee. So loud I was sure whoever was coming could hear it.
I scooched on my knees so that my back was facing Max and I faced the door of the cell.
They would have to go through me to get to her.
Light flooded the room. The florescent glow illuminating the harsh truth around me. Dingy walls, filthy concrete floors. Three men stepped into the room but my eyes stayed focused on the one in the middle. He was smaller than the other two but he bristled with immense power. I knew by the photo that Reid had showed me it was Del Marco. The stale smell of cigar smoke and sweat punched the stagnant air around us, making me feel even more nauseous. I had to get myself together. I had to stay strong. He stepped forward, his crisp, clean white suit a distinct contrast to the filth surrounding us. He squatted down in front of me, holding my narrowed gaze.
“You’re much prettier in person,” he said with a hint of desire sparking in his dark eyes.
My skin crawled with revulsion.
“Why are you doing this? What do you want?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out yet, pequeña (little one). Your brother said you were smart, but he lied. Al igual que mintió sobre todo lo demás.” (Just like he lied about everything else.)
I froze at the mention of Bodie, confusion clouding my mind.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. My brother is dead. He has nothing to do with this.”
His murky laugh echoed, the terrifying sound sending a shiver of fear down my spine. “All in good time, my dear. All in good time. It is a shame I have to kill you though. I could have fetched a good price for this perfect body of yours.” His gaze traveled down the length of me, his Mexican accent curling around every English syllable with unwanted desire. “But your friend on the other hand… Su coño valdrá miles.” (Her pussy will be worth thousands.)
He barked an order in Spanish to both men and left the room with two others. The men moved toward Max, and I quickly twisted to throw my body over hers. “No! Don’t touch her.” A hand fisted in the back of my hair, the strands tearing from the root as I screamed and kicked and fought with everything I had.
The backhanded blow to my face stole my fight, pain radiating through my head.
“Pinche puta.” (Fucking bitch.)
Her cries for help as they carried her away sliced against my heart like a serrated knife. I’d never felt so helpless, and knowing this was happening because of me made it that much more unbearable. The man shoved me to the ground and gave me one final kick to the stomach before turning to leave. Then darkness shrouded the empty cell as they locked me inside once more, plunging me into desolate despair.
* * *
I’d never been so tired and weak. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Hours, I assumed, because if it had been days I would be dead by now.
Sweat soaked my skin, matting the roots of my hair to my head. Lying on my side, exhaustion constantly nipped at my consciousness, attempting to claim me once and for all, but I refused to succumb to it. I needed food. I needed my insulin. But what I really wanted was Reid. He was our only hope. He was the only one who could save us.
I just prayed he made it before it was too late.
If I had any tears left they would have rolled down my cheeks, but I’d cried them all out hours ago when they took Max away. I was so scared for her. Where had they taken her?
The door of the cell creaked open and my heart rate kicked up as I squinted, trying to focus on the figure in front of me. I didn’t have enough strength to move much less fight whoever it was. And even if I could, my hands were still tied behind my back.
Two bare feet came into focus then, as I lifted my eyes. It was a girl, maybe a couple of years younger than me, with long, dark hair and kind, brown eyes.
Fear thundered in my veins as she knelt down beside me and pulled a knife from the pocket of her dress. I gasped, flinching away. I opened my mouth to scream but her hand quickly stopped it.
Her dark eyes held mine. “It is all right. I won’t hurt you.” Her voice was soft. Kind. “I’m going to free you.” She waited until I nodded before she removed her hand. She reached behind me to cut the rope binding my raw wrists then she helped me sit up enough to press a plastic bottle to my dry lips. “Drink,” she whispered, and water flooded my mouth. I choked, trying to drink it all at once. I was so thirsty. “Slow.” Her voice was so soothing.
Calm.
“What’s your name?” I asked between sips.
“I am Selena.”
Lowering my head back down, she produced a blanket and covered me with it. “Do you know where they took my friend?”
Her da
rk eyes flickered with regret. “Sí, they took her to get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
The sound of heavy footsteps thundered above paired with angry voices speaking Spanish.
“I must go. I will be back to check on you again soon,” she promised as she quietly scurried out, locking the cell behind her. I wanted to call out to her, beg her to help me escape, but I was too weak and besides, I couldn’t leave without Max.
Please hurry, Reid. Please.
By the time we finally arrived at the remote location, exhaustion had been replaced with adrenaline. It seemed like it took a lifetime for us to get here, even though it had only been fourteen hours since Cassidy had been taken.
Fourteen of the longest hours of my fucking life.
Not only because I was worried sick about her, but being in this close of a proximity to Bodie without killing him had been tough. I had so many questions but my only concern was getting to her.
The rest could fucking wait.
After coming up with a plan of action with Ryder, Bodie and I caught the first flight out of LAX. We arrived in Dallas three hours later where my brother Justin picked us up and drove us to the border. We were able to get across undetected thanks to a friend of Justin’s who worked for Border Patrol. Staying under Del Marco’s radar would be difficult but necessary in order to get to where we needed to be. He had men scattered all across the area. Sometimes even setting up random checkpoints. So we’d enlisted the help of Brother’s Keeper to get us to the rural destination just outside of Monterey, Mexico.
Sweat trickled down the back of my neck. Even at night the humidity was stifling. We were about a hundred yards out, hunkered down behind some large bushes as Bodie peered through the binoculars.
The house was surrounded by a squatted stone wall that lined the property and armed guards standing post at every corner. My stomach knotted, the tension in my muscles coiling tight.
If any of those men hurt her in any way, I was going to slit every one of their throats.
“There’s six on patrol tonight.” Bodie lowered the binoculars. “There’s usually only three, but I’m not surprised. He’s expecting me. Which means he’ll be heavily guarded on the inside, too.”
“Yeah well, he may be expecting you but he sure as shit ain’t expectin’ all of us.” Justin released the safety on his AR-15. “Let’s get your girl, brother,” he said, clapping his hand on my shoulder.
Bodie’s head swiveled, his hard eyes crashing to mine. “Hold up, your girl? You’re fucking my sister?”
Anger swelled in my chest. “Yeah, asshole, my girl. And you keep your goddamn mouth shut about it. You lost the right to have a say when you walked away.”
His face moved in, inches from mine. “Do you really think this has been fucking easy for me?”
“Listen, we don’t have time for the two of you to have a pissing match right now,” Justin harshly whispered, leaning in close. “We need to have each other’s backs when we go in. So you two have to play nice. For Cassidy.”
He looked at us both expectantly.
I sucked back a deep breath, knowing my brother was right, but I was too pissed to offer anything more than a grunt before turning away.
Dressed in full tactical gear, we stayed crouched to the ground as we moved behind the trees along the east side of the property, stopping behind a small metal building. Bodie handed me the set of bolt cutters we’d brought along for just this purpose. Once we had the lock off, we quietly slipped inside, closing the door behind us.
Bodie moved to the corner, unstacking several crates and handing them off to us. A piece of worn plywood covered the dirt hole buried beneath them. Justin lifted it up, shining a flashlight down into the darkness.
I was the first to climb down the ladder, the rank air smacking me right in the face. Bodie and Justin fell in right behind me.
This was one of Del Marco’s many elaborate escape tunnels. He had several on the property, according to Bodie. This being the closest and least used. He assured us this would be the easiest way in. We crept through the many dirt channels, where we even had to get down on all fours and crawl in some places.
Slowly cracking open the door at the end of the tunnel, I peered inside and found a vacant room with a few cots scattered about. There were some personal items here and there, clothes, cell phones, guns, letting us know that this was likely sleeping quarters for some of Del Marco’s men.
The door to the right opened and we all three took aim at once. A small Mexican girl, who didn’t appear to be a day over eighteen, came into view.
“It’s okay, guys, she’s cool,” Bodie said, pulling her farther into the room. We lowered our guns as she wrapped her arms around his waist for a hug.
Selena was Del Marco’s daughter. I’d been apprehensive about trusting someone so close to Del Marco to help us get to Cassidy, but when it all came down to it, I had no choice.
“Thank goodness you are finally here,” she said, pulling away. Her breath came in hurried pants as she spoke. “Cassidy is very sick. I have tried to help her the best I could.”
My heart sank, a thick knot of dread forming in my throat. “Please take us to her, now,” I gritted.
Selena nodded, moving hesitantly toward the door she just came through and led us down a long hallway before arriving at a row of cells. She quickly unlocked the cell door and an overwhelming crest of fear swallowed me, the consuming dread making my feet feel like fucking anchors.
Cassidy lay in the first one, curled up in a ball, shivering on the floor. A large bruise and dried blood colored her face. That was enough to enrage me. What else had they done to her? Collecting three steps, I fell to my knees, my chest constricting with an intense burning pain as her eyes fluttered open.
“Reid,” she whispered, her voice broken and weak. “Is it really you?”
“Yeah, baby. We’re here. Everything is going to be okay.”
Her eyes darted around the room, landing on her brother. Her face paled, eyes widening in horror. “It can’t be.” A sob ripped from her chest. “Oh God, I’m hallucinating.”
Bodie reached out, touching her cold cheek. “Everything is going to be all right, sis.”
She flinched with a gasp, her eyes snapping back to mine, dazed and confused. “Reid, what’s happening?” she cried, unaware that what she was seeing was reality.
“It’s okay. We’ll explain later. Let’s get you out of here.”
Her dazed eyes remained on Bodie, wide and confused as I retrieved the syringe filled with insulin from my cargo pocket and removed the cap, injecting it into her stomach. Then I handed my AR off to Bodie and retrieved my .9mm from the holster on my thigh, holding it in my right hand as I scooped her up.
She wrapped her arms loosely around my neck, as she murmured, “No. Not yet. Max. We…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get her,” Bodie stated with conviction.
Cassidy’s body went limp in my arms, head rolling against my chest. It was scaring the fuck out of me, and I worried we were too late.
Selena’s voice was soft and timid, yet there was an underlying strength to it. “I know where they are keeping her. Follow me.” Everyone immediately stepped in behind her.
She led us down a long, dimly lit hallway before we came to a stop at the very last door. Selena pressed her ear to the rusted metal door. “They are still in there.”
Bodie quickly shuffled Selena to the side; his hard face was a mix between pure anguish and sheer determination.
“Knock on the door,” he whispered to Selena, holding his gun up. “Say whatever necessary to make them open it.”
Selena nodded, lifting her hand to the door.
A deep voice shouted from the other side. “¿Quién es?” (What?)
“Soy yo. Padre quiere verte ahora.” (It’s me. Father wants to see you now.)
“Sí. Dile que estoy en mi camino.” (Yes. Tell him I will be right there.)
A few seconds later, the doo
r flung open and Bodie delivered a clean shot right to the head. The man fell to the ground with a loud thud. Cassidy flinched in my arms, holding me tighter. Justin quickly moved inside, efficiently taking out the other man, too. It was an easy kill considering the bastard didn’t even have a chance to lift his gun. Max was tied to the bed. Face down. Hands and feet bound to each post.
As Bodie moved to untie Max from the bed, she let out an agonizing groan. “Shh…it’s okay. I got you.”
Max nodded, tears staining her cheeks. Bodie scooped her up in his arms. “I knew you’d come back,” she said on a whisper.
I shifted my gaze to Selena. “What is the safest way out of here?”
There was no way we could go back the way we came with carrying them both.
“Down the hall there is another secret tunnel. The one that comes out at Buena Vista. That is the safest way.”
“I know which one you’re talking about,” Bodie said.
“I will try to distract my father. But you must leave now…hurry!”
“Wait.” Justin grabbed her arm. “What about you?”
Selena shook her head. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Like hell I won’t. I’m not leaving you here. Come with us.”
Her face grew ashen. “I can’t. I won’t survive a day. My father will—”
“Don’t worry about him. We’ll get you protection. You can’t stay here.” Justin didn’t wait for an answer and pulled her close, tucking her in behind him as he led us down the hall and through the new tunnel, gun trained in front of him.
Pops of gunfire echoed from above, announcing the MC’s arrival. My feet moved quicker, wanting to get Cass out of here before the entire place went down.
“It’s about damn time,” Justin said, but the relief that had begun flooding my chest quickly drained when we rounded the corner, coming to a large opening, lanterns mounting the wall lending dim light to men blocking our path. Del Marco and two of his men stood waiting. Dressed in a suit, his hair was slicked back, right hand wrapped around his gold-plated pistol while his men held M-16s.
