Page 75 of Unplanned Target

As we reach the first door in this new hall, the smell from earlier intensifies.

“They have girls here.” Butch’s voice is low behind me. “This smells just like that basement Becca and I found.” He stops at the door, peering through the metal grate set into the panel. He shakes his head. “I can’t see anything.”

“Hello?” A female voice carries out from a door down the hall. “Is someone out there?”

I go still, because that almost sounds like⁠—

“The fuck?” Butch is past me in an instant, flying down the hall and skidding to a stop in front of the last door. Without hesitation, he flicks on his flashlight and shines it through the grate. His eyes snap to where I stand.

And I know.

It wasn’t just a woman they brought in. Somehow, it was Miranda.

And I let those guys die with just a bullet to the brain.

“Hang on, Mir.” I shove Butch out of the way. “I’m coming in.”

“You can’t. They’ll see you.” Another voice whispers out from the room next to us. “They have cameras in our rooms.”

I look from Butch to Luca. All our eyes shift around the hall we’re in, searching for cameras that could have already given us away. I’m normally good at keeping an eye on that shit, but then I heard Miranda’s voice and⁠—

“We’re clear.” Luca steps up to the grated window of the room next to the one Miranda’s in. “I want you to stay exactly where you are. Act completely normal. We’re going to unlock every door and then we’re all gonna move together at the same time, understand?”

“Yes.”

Together, the three of us get to work cutting through the deadbolts holding each woman hostage. It’s not a fast process, and I go through my whole pack of files, but we finally slice the last one.

“Here’s what’s going to happen.” Butch moves from room to room as he explains. “When your door opens, run out and get as close to the other girls as possible. Our friend Raven is here, and she will help you. Me, and my two friends are going to get you out of here. Do not get separated from us. If someone starts shooting, two of us will branch off. Stay with those two. Got it?”

A quiet chorus of got its reaches my ears.

“On the count of three.” Butch meets my eyes as his hand grips the first door. “One. Two. Three.”

We start flinging doors open, one after the other. Raven quickly collects the girls, keeping them together as we add to the group. The last door I open is Miranda’s. Not because it’s what I want, but because I know it’s what she would want. And I honestly, don’t have time for her to fucking argue with me right now.

But she doesn’t come right out like the rest of the occupants. She lies exactly where she is.

Because those fuckers have her hogtied.

I race in, pulling my knife out as I go. Working quickly, I slice her ankles free. Once that’s done, I haul Miranda to her feet, helping her walk as I cut through the binds on her wrists. By the time we reach the girls, she’s able to move on her own and jumps right into helping Raven, keeping everyone as calm and collected as possible.

“Time to go.” Butch takes up the rear with me as Luca steps into the front.

We attempt to go back the way we came, but the sound of yelling forces us to turn the opposite direction. Soon, the whole group is running, moving quickly through the labyrinth of a building. I have no clue where we are, but Luca seems like he does, so Butch and I let him lead, focusing our attention on making sure the girls stay safe and no one gets left behind.

The yelling gets louder behind us, making it clear that not only have we been noticed, we’ve also likely been found.

“They know where we are.” I meet Miranda’s eyes. “Keep going no matter what. Get these girls out of here.”

She nods, but the set of her jaw tells me all I need to know. I can’t get shot, because that woman is going to try to drag my ass out of here. And will probably get herself shot in the process.

Then her brother really will fucking hate me.

The first man following us comes into sight. I immediately pick him off, pissed that I don’t have any other option. A quick death is too easy for him, but I need to keep these girls—especially mine—safe.

Butch handles the next guy. I get the third.

Then things get eerily quiet.