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“Cages?” Brent growls. When I nod, he turns to the nearly passed out prisoner and slaps his face. “Wake up, arsehole. Where are the keys?”
The man mumbles a garbled sound that’s both pained and incoherent.
“Keys!” Brent spits in his face. “Tell me where they are, and I’ll give you a full ten minutes before I hit you again.”
“Drawer,” he slurs.
I go round the kitchen opening and slamming empty drawers until I find a set of keys and I run them back downstairs. Annika is still crouched by the cages but one of the girls has come forward and is holding her hand through the bars.
“Have you got the keys?” one of the boys asks.
“Yes,” I say, unlocking the first cage and opening the door, the boy stays inside his cell as I do the same for his brother. When they’re both free, they step out and hug each other. “Stay there,” I tell them, moving over to the girls.
“We’re not going anywhere without them,” one of them says, looking at the girls still cowering in terror. “There are two more upstairs.”
“It’s okay,” I tell them. “We have them, they’re safe.”
When the doors are unlocked, two of the girls crawl out and clamber to their feet, running to the two boys, hiding from us behind them. The third girl stays curled up in the corner of her cage, unmoving and my heart is in my throat wondering if she’s even alive. Annika crouches by the open door to her cell and gently reaches out her hand.
“Hey, you need to come with us now, okay?”
The girl makes a small whimper and I breathe a sigh of relief that she’s awake.
“Come on, I promise we won’t hurt you,” she persists.
“I-I can’t,” a small voice replies.
Annika screws her face up, unsure how to answer that. I step forward and speak gently. “Are you hurt?”
She flinches at the sound of my voice but then nods.
“I’m going to help you up, okay darling? I’m going to put my arm around your back and lift you up, is that okay?”
Before she can answer one of the boys jumps between me and the cell. “Don’t touch her!”
I hold my hands up. “I’m not going to hurt her, but we have to get all of you out of here and fast.”
“I’ll do it,” he snarls back. The boys are tall but skinny—too skinny—and slightly older than the other girls, seventeen maybe. He ducks down and shushes the girl as she whimpers and cries, he soothes her with comforting sounds and is painfully gentle as he puts his arms around her and lifts her into his arms. He wobbles with her weight, weak from malnourishment and lack of movement, but he holds her tight, bringing her out of the cell.
When they emerge, it’s clear the girl’s ankle is broken, black with bruises and swollen. “It’s okay Min, I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” the boy whispers in her ear as she snuggles into him.
“You’re going to be able to carry her up the stairs?” I ask him and he gives me a defiant nod. “Fine. Stay close and tell us if you need help.” Another nod.
We head back up the stairs, my weapon still at the ready. However, I’m pretty sure the guys have taken out all the perps. I gesture for the group to halt, and I poke my head in the kitchen door, keeping it pulled close to me to stop the view of the prisoner tied to a chair from reaching the wrong eyes, but he isn’t there, just a pile of bodies…which also aren’t for young eyes.
“Hey,” I call, and Lee, Brent, Lance, and Murray all turn around from where they were huddled around the pile. I step in the kitchen and close the door, tugging at the fastenings on my vest and start taking it off. “I need two more t-shirts.” I take my shirt off and start putting my vest back on over my bare chest.
Brent and Lee are quick to follow. “How many?” Lee asks, pulling his t-shirt over his head.
“Seven,” I answer, gritting my jaw. “Five girls, all naked. Two boys, they have underwear on.”
“Fuck.” Brent scrapes a hand over his bearded face.
“Young?” Lance asks impassively.
“Between thirteen and seventeen maybe.”
“Fuck,” Brent curses again and hands me his black t-shirt. Lee does the same and I head back out to the hall. Handing each of the girls a top to cover themselves. The brother not holding the girl with the broken ankle tucks the t-shirt around her delicately. I lead them out to the van where Stuart leans against the side. When he sees us coming, he heads to the back to open the doors. I turn to check Annika and the kids are all okay behind me and time slows down. I watch as Annika’s eyes catch on something over my shoulder and her face dropping.
