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He turned back, instinct leading the way. We had no choice but to follow. Carven stepped in next, leading the way as he let London, then me inside. It was some kind of airlock arrangement, leading to another door. One that was locked. Colt tried the handle, letting the hard thud echo through the space.
“We need an access card,” London said as he moved to the secure keypad.
“You mean one like this?” Carven lifted his hand.
A blood-splattered card was in his hand. One jerk of his head and Colt moved aside, leaving his brother to sweep it across the sensor. The tiny red light turned to green, signaling the door was open. Colt pulled the handle and wrenched the heavy steel door open. What the fuck was in there?
The scent of cleanliness hit me instantly, bitter alcohol and filtered, cool air. Colt stepped inside, but through the hiss of air came another sound, muffled and quiet. But the more I focused on that sound, the more I realized what it was. A chill swept through me as I stopped walking.
London jerked his gaze to me. “What is it?”
“That’s cries I hear. Cries from women…lots of women.”
He swung back, moving faster. We all did, heading to the far side of this. Carven slammed the card against the scanner on the wall and, as Colt yanked the second door, we saw what hell waited for us. A terrifying, sickening hell that was their lives. The room expanded to a floor of cages and medical equipment. A woman was cuffed in place on one of the beds, her wide eyes fixed on us as we neared.
“No.” She shook her head. “Don’t hurt my baby.”
I froze at the words, my eyes shifting to the bump of her belly. Revulsion slammed into me, tearing a sickened sound from my throat. There were machines everywhere, beeping and pulsing. This place looked like something out of a horror movie. Half science. Half hospital.
“Easy now,” London urged. “We’re not here to hurt you.”
Those cries grew louder, so loud they were all I could hear. My pulse was racing, that cold, empty feeling met and swirled with the fevered rush of adrenaline. I scanned the row of doors at the end of the fucking horror room, finding movement in the small glass panels.
“Get them out of there.” I shook my head and stumbled forward.
It could be Ryth in there.
It could be Helene.
Or me…it could be me in there.
“London…” I swung my gaze to him, desperate. “Get them out now.”
He stepped forward, grabbed the card from Carven, and slammed it on the scanner of the first door. It opened with a clunk as he stepped to the next. I moved forward, slowed at the woman cuffed to the bed, and touched her arm. She flinched at the contact, pulling away from me.
“It’s okay.” I moved closer. “I’m a Daughter, just like you.”
She stopped fighting and her eyes widened as her lower lip trembled. “Y-you are?”
I gave a nod as more doors were opened. “Yes, baby. I am. Carven…” I swung my gaze to him.
“Already working on it, baby.” He growled, searching the room for anything he could use to get her free. He moved to a desk, swept aside pages and keyboards to snatch a set of handcuff keys from the mess, and strode back to me. I grabbed them, my hands shaking so bad I couldn’t get the key in the lock.
A wounded sound vibrated in the back of my throat.
“It’s okay,” she whispered, her focus fixed on me.
Tears welled as I shook my head, finally driving the key into the lock. “No, it isn’t.” I twisted, unlocking one hand, before I rounded the machines connected to her body. “None of this is okay.”
The rest of the cell doors were unlocked now as I unsnapped her last cuff. She rose carefully, her hand moving to her belly.
“I’ll get these off her.” Carven started unhooking the monitor leads.
She helped, pulling the cords free, and peeled the tape off her arm before yanking the plastic catheter from the vein in her arm. Blood flowed instantly.
“Shit,” Carven snarled, lunging to grab a wad of gauze and slap it over her arm. “You could’ve waited for me.”
No. No they couldn’t.
