I step away from the door and hurry to the heavy metal door Daisy told me about. I’m almost to Danyella. I turn the knob and it gives way under my hands. I pull my knife out of my back just in case it’s a trap. When no alarms go off, I turn left and count my steps. Once I reach fourteen, I turn. The buzz like noise is distant but I hear it. In front of me is an open door. I slowly approach it and there’s one man with the Bloody Scorpions cut on. His back is to me so I sneak to the left and wait in the shadows. He turns on his heels and walks in my direction. I hold my breath and steady my heartbeat. He walks right past me and out the door, heading the way I just came. Holy shit, that was close.
I count out thirty steps and look left then right. There’s a door slightly ajar to my left and I walk that way. Inside is the most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever seen. So many girls are cuffed to their beds. Their backs are to me, so they have no idea I’m here. It looks like most of them are sleeping. The smell of urine and feces is strong and I have to cover my nose from the stench. Faint cries pierce the quiet room. I hurry to the cage and pick the old lock. Once the tumbles move, freeing the door, I slip inside. I don’t lock it, but I do close it just in case that Bloody Scorpions member comes back. No one pays any attention to me. It’s like they all lost hope. I head in the direction Daisy told me she stayed with Danyella.
What I see next buckles my knees and I almost fall from a broken heart. Danyella’s hand is cuffed to the bed, but she’s stretched as far as she can go, curled up on another cot, holding a crying child. Her back is to me, trying to soothe the little girl.
I approach Danyella carefully, not to startle her. “Danyella,” I whisper.
Her skinny body stiffens, and she slowly turns her head. The once vibrant green eyes, I’m used to seeing are gone. Instead they’re cold and defeated.
“What do you want?” Danyella snarls. “I’m trying to keep her quiet. Leave me the fuck alone.”
I approach her and the little girl so she can see me. “It’s me, Monica. I’m here to get the two of you out.”
“Monica? How’d you? Where’d you?” She exhales a deep breath. “Oh, never mind. I’ve lost my mind again. There’s no way Monica would be here.”
“But I am. I’m going to uncuff you and her and we’re going to get out of here.” I hurry to where her hand is outstretched and pick the cuffs.
Once the spring releases, Danyella snatches her hand and soothes it over the little girls’ head. “Shh… it’s ok baby girl. I’m not going to let them hurt you.”
I uncuff the little girl and reach down to help her up. She’s light as a feather in my arms. “Danyella, come on. We have to go before the guard comes back.”
Heavy footsteps alert me that it’s too late. He’s already on his way back. “You have to hide. Please, Monica. If they see you, they’ll torture you to get to Capone.” Danyella pleads.
I set the little girl on the bed and look around. There’s nowhere to go but under the beds. “Is this still Daisy’s?”
“Yes. How do you know her?” Danyella asks. There’s a panic in her voice.
“That’s how I found you. I’ll explain later. Act natural and I’ll hide under her bed.”
Danyella slips her cuff back on but doesn’t latch it all the way. She does the same to the little girl and lays back down. I slide under Daisy’s cot and wait. The footsteps are getting closer. I close my eyes and send up a prayer to the biker God’s that if they can hear me, this guy will move on. The footsteps are right at the cage doors, I can see him from here. He’s the first guy in the room with the other girl. I don’t have time to think about where she is when he rattles the bars.
“Whoever’s still awake, you’re going to come join us in a few minutes.” He sneers, grabbing his nasty dick in the process. No one moves or makes a sound. He turns and walks away.
I slide out of my hiding spot not thinking about what I was laying in and help Danyella with the little girl. Danyella’s too weak to hold onto her. I tuck the little girl’s face in my shoulder and turn to Danyella, “Come on, follow me. I might need you to take her if we run into any problems.”
Danyella nods. Together we quietly walk to the cage door. I push it open and Danyella takes a hesitant step. She’s terrified of what will happen if we’re caught. I squeeze her hand, giving her moral support. “It’s ok,” I whisper. “I got you. I got both of you.” Danyella steps all the way out and I close the door and relock it.
We hurry back the way we came, no guards in sight. This is too easy. I keep alert with every step we take. Once we’re up the stairs and outside, I take a deep breath, inhaling the clean scent of the city.
I don’t stop at the room where the Bloody Scorpion was. It was shut and I didn’t want to jeopardize Danyella’s life. Once we reach the safety of my car, Daisy is out of the passenger seat and hugging Danyella. The two of them are silently crying and holding onto each other tight.
“Girls, I hate to be the asshole, but we have to move,” I say wiping tears from my eyes.
Daisy releases Danyella. She opens the back door and looks at me while Danyella slides in. “Thank you.”
Shots ring out and Daisy is thrown against the side of the car. I don’t know how bad she’s hurt. Danyella screams and the little girl in my arms wails uncontrollably. Danyella grabs Daisy and pulls her in the car. I shove the little girl into the back seat and pull out my gun. My body turns numb as I fire back blindly into the dark alley.
A bullet whizzes by my head and that snaps me back into reality. I have to get these girls out of here safely. I throw myself into the driver’s seat and peel out. Tings of bullets against metal pierce the car. I find my phone sitting on the passenger seat and I grab it while trying to keep us on the road. I dial Blayze and he picks up on the first ring.
“Monica. What the fuck.”
“Blayze, I need help. Daisy’s been shot.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m on the corner of 6th and Lambert, heading back to our clubhouse.”
“OK, Dagger will be there waiting. You and I will be having a little conversation when I get there.” He growls.
“Xander, I have Danyella. But it’s bad. I mean really bad. Bloody Scorpions have all those women in a cage, handcuffed to beds. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life. We have to help them.” My voice trembles.
“What you need to do is get the girls back to the clubhouse now. We’ll handle the Bloody Scorpions.” Blayze is still so pissed off right now.
“I’m on my way. And in case I haven’t told you, I love you, Xander.”
“I love you too, Bug. Don’t ever pull this shit again.” He hangs up the phone before I can say anything else.
“How is she?” I ask, looking in my rearview mirror.
Danyella has tears rolling down her cheeks and she shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, Daisy. I’m so sorry. This shouldn’t have happened to you.” Danyella sobs. She hugs Daisy’s limp body to her chest. The little girl holds Danyella around her neck, soothing her.
Bright lights gain their way behind me. “Shit, hang on,” I shout. The lights get brighter and closer until they’re right on my bumper. I push the gas harder, trying to outrun them. Traffic ahead of me hits their brakes for a red light and I know if I stop, we’re all dead. I gun the gas and cut into the other lane. Horns blare and lights glare at me as I weave in and out of oncoming traffic. I let off the gas at the next intersection, brake hard and crank the wheel hard to the left, drifting around the corner.