Hearing voices to her right, Brie headed in that direction but took a wrong turn and ended up at a dead end. She retraced her steps but soon found herself at another dead end.
“Where are you?” she yelled, heading down another hallway.
Brie stopped in her tracks when she heard muffled cries coming from the row of doors ahead. When she tried to open the nearest door, she found it locked. Fumbling through the different keys, she eventually found the correct one but was frustrated when she found the room empty.
“Hello! Can you hear me?” she called out. Unable to pinpoint which door led to the room where the voices were coming from, Brie started frantically unlocking every single door while the hallway began to fill up with smoke.
Panic set in when she dropped the keys. Not willing to run, Brie cried, “Shout as loud as you can until I find you.”
She closed her eyes and remained still, straining to hear their voices. Certain the muffled cries were coming from the right side, Brie began unlocking that row of doors. She had to blink away the tears from the stinging smoke, concentrating hard to slide the key into the lock.
Opening another door, Brie saw the twins frantically straining against their chains. They’d been gagged and bound on opposite walls. Closing the door behind her to keep the smoke out, Brie raced to the nearest one and tried every key until she managed to unlock the metal cuffs.
Brie hurried to the other twin once the girl was free. After removing their gags, Brie explained, “The building is on fire, but I have no idea how to get out of here.”
“We do,” they both answered.
The nearest twin grabbed Brie’s hand while the other opened the door. As they started down the smoke-filled hallway, Brie noticed fresh wounds on the girls’ naked bodies.
“Are there any others in this hallway?” she cried.
“No, our Lord keeps us separate from the others.”
Turning a corner, they ran into a group of rescuers. Brie heard Sir’s stern voice. “What the hell are you doing. Brie? You’re not supposed to be here!”
Brie held out the keys to him with a shaking hand. “I brought more keys so you could rescue them faster.”
Sir snatched the keys from her and barked to the twins, “Get her out of here. Now!”
The twins each took a hand and raced Brie down the hallway toward safety. Glancing back, Brie was frightened to see Sir heading in the opposite direction.
“Come with me!” she begged.
He turned and commanded, “Wait for me outside.”
Brie whimpered, terrified she might never see him again as the twins continued to propel her forward.
“I love you, Brianna,” he called out.
Everything in her wanted to break away and turn back, but she’d made Sir a promise she could not break. “Come back to me!” she cried as she lost sight of him in the haze.
By the time they made it outside, all three of them were choking on the smoke. Titov quickly guided the three to a triage area where the team of medics was waiting for them.
While the medical staff administered her oxygen and gave her more blankets, Brie stared in horror watching the entire back of the building engulfed in flames. Her gaze was drawn to the entrance of the building as she desperately waited for Sir to appear.
Wrapped in warm blankets, she watched as group after group of Captain’s men emerged from the billowing smoke, leading survivors to safety.
Brie closed her eyes, silently praying that Sir would be the next person to walk out.
When she opened them again, she screamed in sheer terror as a portion of the roof collapsed. Bolting to her feet, she attempted to run back inside, but Titov grabbed her and forced her to sit back down.
“You’re not going anywhere. Rytsar’s orders.”
“Where’s Captain?” Brie asked him, scanning the crowd of people. She was certain he would know where Sir was.
“He hasn’t returned yet.”
Brie frowned. “Have you seen Mary?”
“Nyet, Mrs. Davis.”
Brie stood up again. “I can’t just sit here and do nothing!”
“But you will,” Titov insisted, pushing her back down.
“I can’t lose them all…” Brie whimpered. A feeling of helplessness washed over her as she stared at the entrance billowing with smoke.
Titov assured her, “I’ve worked with Captain before. He will not jeopardize his team.”
While Brie knew in her heart that what Titov said was true, it didn’t quell her growing fear as she watched the fire burn even brighter.
Brie’s heart leapt with joy when Mary finally emerged, leading four young women out. All five were struggling to breathe after inhaling the thick smoke. They were immediately led to the triage station.
“Mary, where’s Sir?” Brie shouted from where she sat.
Mary pointed back toward the building.
Brie frowned, panic setting in. Several minutes later, Captain walked out with Master Anderson and Baron who were leading nine more people to safety.
Captain stated proudly to everyone assembled, “We’ve got them all.”
Brie held her breath as she waited for Sir to emerge at the tail end of the group. When he didn’t show, she slipped out of Titov’s grasp and ran headlong toward Captain, screaming, “Where’s Thane? Where’s my husband?”
Shaking his head, Captain wiped the soot from his face. “I thought he made it out before me.”
Master Anderson immediately volunteered to re-enter the burning building. Brie whimpered when Captain answered, “No! It’s not safe.”
Instead, Captain headed back to the entrance himself to find Sir.
Brie cried out in relief when Sir suddenly emerged from the dark smoke, bare-chested, using his shirt to cover the face of a tiny baby cradled in his arms.
“Thane!” Brie sobbed, racing to him.
He handed the infant to a medic but refused care for himself. Pulling Brie into his arms, he told her, “I couldn’t leave once I heard a child was missing.”
She looked up at him through her tears. “I’m just grateful you’re safe…”
The medic caring for the baby asked, “Where’s the mother?”
Sir looked sadly at the baby, “I was told she passed away several days ago.”
Brie glanced at the dark van that housed the man responsible for this evil and raged, “May he rot in hell forever!”
Looking back at the building, Brie watched with satisfaction as the flames consumed it. It was fitting that this hellish place should be consumed by fire.
However, it was surreal how the inferno continued to grow while the rain drenched the forest around it. It felt as if God Himself wanted to rid the world of the evil bound up in this place.
Sir kept his arm tightly wrapped around Brie as they watched the entire building collapse, the fire gutting it from the inside out.
Mary walked up to them but avoided eye contact with Brie when she asked the medic, “Will the baby be okay?”
“His vitals are stable, but he is severely underweight. With proper care, however, he should recover.”
Mary picked up the tiny baby. Looking down at the infant, her voice caught when she said, “You didn’t deserve this…”
Captain came over to speak to Sir. “The local authorities have been contacted and are on their way.”