Page 90 of Lord of Justice

"My first shot will be in your left knee," I say conversationally. "The second bullet will go into your right. You will crawl for the rest of your short life. Where the fuck are they?"

I can hear a chorus of weeping coming down the hall. The wails of frightened girls. Nikandr skids to a stop in front of the door, his mouth tight with disgust.

"It's a baby factory, Andrey," he says. "They were all kidnapped, bred. They sell the babies and impregnate the girls again."

Iris is already pregnant.

I shoot the doctor in the knee. His screams drown out those of the others. "I'm losing patience."

"They were here, but they were sent out. They were... They were taken out," he sobs. "Sent to new facilities."

I backhand him with the gun. Two teeth fly out.

"WHERE?"

One of the other nurses speaks up, high and terrified. "Please don't kill me, I'll tell you. The Patroness sent them. She wanted them to be separated. The pregnant one is going to the facility in Mexico. They're probably at the airstrip now."

The burly nurse growls at her.

"What about Rose?" Nikandr snaps.

"They're taking her to Ohio," she sobs."They left fifteen minutes ago."

I shoot the doctor in the face.

"Give us the locations." I know I don't sound human anymore. I’mnothuman anymore.

"I only know one of them," she sobs. "The- the Ohio one. I don’t know where the one in Mexico is.”

The big nurse is watching me. Her smile is small and cruel.

"You know. I can tell," I say to her. "Which femur do you want me to break first?"

"Fuck you."

I carry a Magnum Research BFR. It shoots the largest caliber bullet of any handgun. The first shot shatters her thigh. Screaming, loud and hoarse, she collapses, clutching her leg.

"Give me the location of the airfield."

"I know where the airfield is!" One of the other nurses screeches. "I can tell you, they only left five, maybe ten minutes ago! You can still catch them." She's sobbing, terrified, mascara running down her face.

Hauling the woman up by the back of her scrubs, I drag her from the room. "Give me the directions."

After I get what I need, I shove her towards the phone on the desk. "Contact the pilot. Tell himto wait. Say you're sending over another girl for transport. If you start crying, or give themanyreason to think there’s a problem, I will carve you down to the bone."

She's almost incoherent with fear. Nikandr touches my shoulder. "Pull it back, brother. She has to be able to talk."

I turn to my men, "Vanya, to me." He's been with me a long time, almost as long as Trofim. "Lock this place down, no calls out. I do not want those motherfuckers to get any warning. Make sure any incoming callers are assured that it's business as usual and then trace them." He nods, grimly silent, and strides away to give orders.

"Trofim, you're taking over. Sweep the building twice, have Kolya wipe the camera footage of our arrival and loop the feed."

"Understood," he nods. "There are forty girls here, none are injured."

"Good." I jerk my head at the woman who is still sobbing. "Calm her down so she can call."

Putting his hands gently on the hysterical woman's shoulders he pats her soothingly. "Let's make that call. It'll be all right. You're doing the right thing,” I hear him say as I head to the roof, with Nikandr and our team following.

The helicopter's rotors are still turning. We're racing for the cabin when a bullet pings off the glass, then another hits the body of the chopper. My pilot looks at me, frantic.