“Durov will explain later, babygirl” Sir interrupted. “We have two more calls to make.”
“I have to go,” Brie told Rytsar with regret. “I want you to know I love you.”
“My love for you is immense, radost moya, and I thank the God Almighty my prayers have been answered.”
Sir took the phone from her to dial another number. “She’s safe. I know you want to hear her voice so I am passing the phone to her.”
Brie took it, looking at him questioningly.
He mouthed the words, Your parents.
Brie nodded, her voice catching when she said, “Mama…”
“Oh, my God, you’re safe!” her mother cried.
“Is that Brianna?” she heard her father shout in the background.
“It is, it is!” her mother answered. “They found her, Bill!”
She immediately asked Brie, “Please tell me you’re all right.”
“I am, Mama,” she answered. “Sir saved me.”
“Thank the Lord!” her father replied. “We’ve been worried sick about you, little girl.”
“I never gave up hope, Daddy.”
Brie looked at Sir gratefully.
“I can’t believe it, I’m just so grateful,” her mother sniffled through her tears. “It’s wonderful to hear your voice, sweetheart.”
Brie thought she heard her daughter in the background and asked, “Is Hope there with you?”
“Yes!” her mother replied. “We’ve been watching the children while Thane searched for you.”
Brie’s voice trembled with joy when she asked, “Can I talk to her?”
“Of course, little girl,” her father answered. She heard him grunt as he lifted Hope up.
“Hey, sweet pea. It’s Mommy.”
“Mama.”
Brie swallowed back the painful lump in her throat when she heard her daughter’s beautiful voice.
“I love you, sweet pea!” she cried, barely able to choke out the words.
Hearing her cry, Hope whimpered, “Mama?”
Brie held back her emotions, swallowing several times before she said in a sing-song voice, “Mommy is coming home. I can’t wait to see you and Antony so I can give you both a great big hug.”
Giggling, her mother told Brie, “I know you can’t see this, but Hope is pointing at Antony right now. She has the biggest smile on her face.”
Brie knew she was about to break down in happy tears which would only confuse Hope, so she told her, “Sweet pea, can you give Antony a big kiss for Mommy?”
To her parents, she said, “I’ve got to go, but I want you to know how much I love you both.”
“We love you too, dear heart!”
“I’m not going to believe you’re safe until I see you with my own eyes,” her father stated, his voice strained with emotion.
“I’ll be home soon, Daddy.”
Brie’s hands were shaking, her heart bursting with joy, when she gave Sir back the phone. “Thank you. I needed to hear their voices.”
Sir squeezed her tightly. “Your parents have been out of their minds with worry but have done a phenomenal job making sure our children are cared for.”
Sir dialed the last number and immediately stated, “Brie’s safe.”
He then handed her the phone as he explained, “I promised I would call him when I found you. I don’t think we would have located you in time without his guidance.”
Brie frowned, wondering who it was when she put the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”
Tono’s warm voice filled the air. “Toriko.”
His voice was like a warm blanket to her soul. “Oh, Tono…”
“I knew Sir Davis would find you.”
“He did,” she said, hugging Sir in gratitude.
Tono paused for a moment before stated sadly, “You have suffered much, toriko.”
Brie nodded as tears started to fall. “Sir says you helped to find me.”
“The connection you and I have is still strong.”
Clutching the phone tighter, she confessed, “There were times when breathing was my only escape.”
“I know,” he said solemnly.
Brie’s heart skipped a beat. She wondered if the connection she had felt hadn’t been as one-sided as she’d thought. Before she could ask Tono, she caught a whiff of smoke.
Goosebumps suddenly rose on her skin. “Something’s wrong!” she cried out. “We have to get them out now!”
“Who?” Sir asked, taking the phone from her.
“There are other people locked in the basement!”
“How many, Brianna?” Captain demanded, walking up to them.
Brie shook her head. “I don’t know. At least fourteen that I’ve seen, but there could be more.” She turned to Sir, crying in desperation, “We have to save them!”
Sir turned to Captain. “The lightning must have sparked a fire. We need to get everyone out immediately.”
Captain became all business, telling one of his men, “Alert the medic team that there are more coming.” Pointing to a small group, he ordered, “See if you can locate the fire and put it out.”
To the rest under his command, he shouted, “Head downstairs. It appears we have a minimum of fourteen captives locked in the basement.”
“Yes, Captain,” they answered in unison.
Motioning to Master Anderson, Baron, Titov, and Sir, he stated, “We have no time to lose.”
Sir turned to Brie. “Head outside with Mary.”
“No!” Mary staggered toward the group, tightly clutching the blanket around her. “I’m going with you. I know where they are.”
Captain frowned. “But you are weak, leif.”
She looked him dead in the eye. “I’m not leaving them behind.”
“Me, either!” Brie agreed.
Sir gripped Brie’s shoulders. “I will not risk losing you again. Go outside and wait for me there.”
“But I have to help save them!” Brie told him.
Sir shook her. “I’m adamant about this, Brie. I will help rescue them, but you must go to the waiting vehicles outside. Promise me.”
“There’s no time to lose!” Captain shouted, as he roughly patted down Holloway and found the set of keys on him. He headed toward the stairs with Mary right beside him.
Obeying Sir, Brie headed in the opposite direction and noticed several of Captain’s men dragging Venom to one of the vans. She called out to them, “Wait!”
After a quick search, Brie found his set of keys. She headed back inside, startled to find it already filling up with smoke.
Brie understood that Sir wanted to protect her, but she knew the keys were vital to getting everyone out alive—promise or no promise.
Inferno
Brie headed down the stairwell with the keys jingling in her hand. She shivered in fear when she reached the bottom stair. This place held so much horror and pain that she was desperate to find someone to hand the keys to so she could leave.
She was disheartened to see the light haze of smoke in the basement because it meant there was very little time left…