“It’s okay. We’re here to save you. Don’t make a sound.”
She nodded, letting him know she heard. He reached around and flicked the catch. It was one of those designed to be opened from the outside, not inside.
“Don’t move. I’ve got men waiting, okay? They’re going to be here.”
From one cage to another, he unlocked them, and one of the women kept him hidden as the guard passed her cage. It was ridiculous, the women protecting him.
You’re the only chance of escape.
When he came to the woman who’d been thrown into the cage, he saw she was still conscious. Her face had several bruises, but the man who’d beaten her had made sure not to focus too much on her face. She was curled into a ball, and he reached into the cage, and stroked his finger over her hand.
“We’re going to get you out of here.” He gave her finger a squeeze, but she didn’t give him any sign that she’d acknowledged what he was trying to do.
She was hurting, and it was hard for Russ to crawl away from the cage. He’d helped quite a few women, and not any of them had struck him as hard as that woman had.
“Are you okay?” Lewis asked.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
He wasn’t fine. Russ was shaken to the core, and hurting. The woman he’d just seen had gotten to him, and it had only taken a look. He had to make sure she got out safe.
“Are we doing this?” Richard asked.
“We’re doing this.” Russ stood up, faced the guard, but he had the upper hand. When Russ fired his weapon, which had a silencer, the man dropped to the floor.
Rushing out, Russ encountered the next man, placing a bullet in his head and moving on. It didn’t take long for their presence to be known, and the bullets started flying, and the loud sounds of gunshots filled the night.
The police rushed into the place, and when Russ entered the old ranch, he made sure to walk silently.
The rage building inside him was demanding he unleash it. The woman outside—he didn’t know her name, and it didn’t matter—she needed to be protected. Entering the kitchen, he saw the man who’d been beating her grabbing up cell phones and laptops.
Russ fired a bullet into his leg, and the man fell down, screaming.
“I’d be still if I was you.”
Dropping his weapon, he walked up to the man, grabbed his jacket, and threw him against the wall.
“What’s your name?”
“Fuck you.”
Drawing his knee up, he slammed it against the man’s stomach. “Try again.”
“Fuck you.”
Wrapping his fingers around the man’s throat, he kept the pressure up, and only when Lewis walked through the door did Russ ease up.
“Where’s your boss?” Lewis asked.
“I’m not talking.”
Russ slammed his knee against the man’s junk, and he went down.
Lewis gasped. “Ouch, man.”
“I’m not in the mood to deal with fucking cowards. Do you think this will give us what we need to know?” Russ asked, nodding toward the devices.
“I can get it so we can work on them back at the club. We’d get emails, logs—you name it, Jamie and I can crack it.”
“We all can crack it.” Russ stared at the man, and he pulled out his handgun, and pointed it at his head.
Lewis placed his hand on the gun. “You kill him, you’re no better than he is.”
“The taxes we all pay keep that fucker alive.”
“And they make sure we keep him off the streets. Don’t let his death ruin you, Russ.”
He didn’t need to be saved. Russ wouldn’t give a shit if the man before him lived or died.
“Get him out.”
Russ knew Lewis cared more about keeping him sane. Russ didn’t kill innocent people. He was more than happy to take out all the men who fucked over women. Once the multitude of devices were bagged and transported as evidence, which the club could then use to find what they needed, Russ stepped outside. He walked toward the cages where the women were being processed. When he saw the woman who’d been beaten was still in her cage, he moved toward the ambulance crew.
“You missed one.”
“We didn’t. We don’t know the extent of her injuries. We’re waiting for the fire brigade to break the cage.”
Rolling his eyes, Russ made them follow him. He’d owned a dog years ago, and when he had no choice, he’d placed his dog in a similar cage in the back of his car to travel. Finding the catches, he unfolded the cage, and the woman was free to be taken. He couldn’t walk away from her, and he listened as the paramedics talked to her.
“We’re not going to hurt you. Could you tell us where it hurts?”