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“There were a couple of men in suits and one woman who was wearing a flowery dress,” Maizy answers, her downcast eyes going misty.
“Why does that make you sad?” I ask her, bending down on my knees so we’re at an even eye-level. Luca and Country go off to the side, making plans most likely about the best way to get down there without exposing ourselves before we have the entirety of the situation and the danger thresholds understood.
“Because it’s worse when the women come to ex-emamine,” she explains, whispering, never looking upward. She didn’t say the word correctly, but we all definitely understand what she meant, judging from the angry looks that briefly cross everyone’s face. “They’re meaner than the men.”
“Why would women come to examine them, Mera?” Charlee asks, hovering over me.
“The women want servants in different ways than the men do, if you catch my drift,” I state, leaving my words open to interpretation. She’s a smart cookie, she’ll read between the lines without me having to give her all the details and upset Maizy and Connal more than they already are.
“Say what now?” Charlee probes, her scowl deepening as she analyzes what I said. “They need to be put in the gallows. Off with their heads.” Her poor linguistics and imitation of a pirate has the two kids tittering.
“You’ve got your euphemisms wrong. I think you mean they need to walk the plank, pirate lady,” I add, winking at the little ones. Connal’s eyes scan between me and Charlee, he’s not used to playful banter, so he’s expecting some sort of punishment instead of us razzing each other.
“You say tomato, I say tohmatoe,” Charlee excuses, jacking that saying up too, shrugging her shoulders in a flippant manner. “Y’all knew what I meant, didn’t ya?” As she directs that question at the kiddos, their eyes widen as they look at me, not wanting to take her back over mine.
“Whatever. Don’t use your enchanted charms to steal and captivate my people,” I jest, this time both kids emit a full out giggle. There. Mission accomplished.
“We’re your people, Miss Tammera?” Connal asks just as Luca and Country come back our way.
“You are, Connal,” I guarantee.
“Does that mean you’ll be my mommy now?” Maizy asks, sticking her thumb in her mouth. The question takes me by surprise, and my eyes lurch upward and connect with Luca’s.
“Maizy, don’t ask dumb questions. Nobody wants us,” Connal snaps, blowing air out of his mouth.
“That's not true,” I argue. “Connal, why do you say that? What makes you think that?” I ask, bewildered.
“Because, anytime I come up for adoption, everybody walks away. I'm still here, ain’t I?” He plants his hands on his hips, glaring at me as if I’m the source of his pain.
“Buddy, you're still here because you haven't met the right people. You haven't foundyourpeople,” Luca insists, emphasizing the wordyour.
“Whatever,” Connal snorts, tossing his hands arbitrarily out to his sides in a “forget it” motion. “That's not important right now. Are you going to go and rescue my friends or what, mister?”
“He's going, little man, and so are we. Why don't you watch your attitude toward the ones that have come here and have put their lives on the line to make sure you get outta here,” Kruger reasons, or at least, it’s his version of reasoning with a young man who’s cranky at the world. Undoubtedly. With good cause for being so.
Luca interrupts, huddling us in closer together, including the two leaders of the group, Connal and Maizy, declaring, “This is what we’re gonna do.”
Luca
Kruger,Stella, Texas, Malice, Shamus, Jessa, and Star had cleared their sections, and eventually made their way to us. Malice and Jessa are going to stay behind while the rest of us go downstairs to find out what the holy fuck is going on with the teens, visitors, and staff.
Mera, me, Country, and Charlee guide the others from the area, our feet pounding the pavement. It was hard leaving the cluster of kiddos behind, but they’re with our brother and sister, and we know without a shadow of doubt that they’d lay down their lives before letting anything happen to any of them.
Connal and Maizy’s conversation has me stupefied. I wanted to yank Maizy up when she asked if Mera would be her new mama and keep her safe in my arms. That little girl, and the boy broke my heart in half with their pleas and the way they believe they’re so discardable. No child shouldeverbe made to feel that way. It damages their sense of self-worth and is likely why so many young teens turn to a life of crime. They don’t think anyone cares. That shit stops today.
Stopping, I turn around to Mera and ask an important question, “How many kids are we making sure are recovered here? I don’t want anybody left behind.”
She inclines her head sideways while thinking. When her eyes close, and tears begin streaming down her cheeks without a sound breaking through the barrier of her luscious lips, I begin to panic. When she answers me, I know that there’s something big at play, and we need to nip it in the bud. “I didn’t see Cortland, Trayton, Tala, Turner, Winter, Duncan, or Sheraton in the flock of kids. They’d never purposefully leave them behind.” Her body seizes into place and her eyes widen. “Something doesn’t feel right about only the older ones missing, Luca.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Star says, agreeing with her. “Do you think they’re being sold?”
“I think they’re being inventoried; the fuckers are checking out the merchandise,” Shamus matter-of-factly concludes, no emotion laced in his voice. What little I know of him tells me he’s preparing himself for the battle ahead. Because I’m sure that’s what we’re about to walk into—a battle.
My vision takes in the way he reaches out, and supportively squeezes Star’s hand. Then he demands, “No survivors.”
“No survivors,” I reiterate, stating the glaring obvious, it was something we’d already concluded and established before infiltrating the abbey. This operation isn’t only being shut down, the people here who are involved will be executed. There won’t be a heart beating nor a toe twitching by the time we leave this place.
“No time like the present,” Mera grunts, waving her hand, silently issuing the order for us to get the lead out of our feet and press onward. “I want them exterminated.”
