Once she was sure the house was empty, and after listening at a front window to be sure that no neighbors had gathered in response to the screamer, and no sirens were signaling the approach of authorities, she walked back to where Kerry and River were gathered in the kitchen with the kids.
“Brian knocked her out,” Kerry said, pointing to where the wounded girl was lying on a lounger outside the back door. “He’s gone for the SUV,” she continued. “Simpler and faster than trying to get these poor little ones across the street. He can back right up to the where the van is concealed. If no one’s noticed that so far, they’re not going to notice us parked for the few minutes it’ll take to evac.”
Once Brian returned with the SUV, they loaded the older children into the cargo space, then River went back for their prisoner. Meanwhile Kerry and Layla climbed into the back seat and, with Brian’s assistance, distributed the little ones onto laps. The smallest girl, who’d been inconsolable, crying in hard hiccupping sobs through the whole process, immediately stood on the back seat and stretched her arms over to a boy who reached up from the cargo space and pulled her onto his lap. He couldn’t have been more than nine years old himself, but he held her close, kissing the top of her head and making soothing sounds.
Siblings, Layla thought, as the little girl’s sobs died down to soft cries, and then quieted altogether. She watched River return with the prisoner, whom he stuffed into the front passenger seat well, and then maneuvered himself inside with one leg bent and his foot on the seat. It had to be uncomfortable, but it made more sense for her and Kerry to be in back, leaving more room for the kids, and not traumatizing them any further at the sight of a bloody, unconscious body.
Brian closed his door and cruised down the slight slope of the drive, not hitting the gas until he was on the street, leaving the empty house and a dead teenage boy behind.
Arriving at the motel, Layla’s team moved like the well-oiled machine they were. In a change of plans, Layla and River exited the SUV to load up the teenagers in the minivan, and drive back with them, while Brian and Kerry would go straight back to the Fortalesa with the smaller children already in the SUV.
The prisoner remained stuffed into the seat well, but no one cared about her comfort.
Brian had wanted to wait, so they could all drive back together. But Layla wanted those kids returned as soon as possible. She also figured the SUV, with Kerry and Brian, was more secure than the minivan, and certainly less of a familiar vehicle to anyone who saw it. So, after Brian took off, she and River opened the motel room door to find a bunch of guilty looks, while on the TV screen a very buxom woman was making herself very available to three men at the same time. Or “air tight,” as it was called in the porn industry.
“What the bloody hell?” River demanded.
“They’re teenagers,” Layla said, as if that explained everything.
“Christ. I’m not touching a single God damned thing in this room. You mob are loading your stuff and ours. Get on with it.”
Layla, feeling cautiously more relaxed now that the children were at least no longer in the clutches of their captors, chuckled and clapped to get the kids’ attention. “You heard the man, boys and girls. Load up everything that doesn’t belong here. We’ll sort it out later.”
“Wait,” Miri cried, jumping to her feet. “What about my sister and the others?”
“Safe and on their way home,” Layla said belatedly. She should have started off with that, damn it. “The sooner you get everything loaded, the sooner we’ll join them. So, chop chop. Let’s get moving.”
River gave the room a single disgusted look, then marched out to stare at the minivan—most likely in despair that he’d soon be driving it. “Whose fucking idea was that color?” he asked.
“My father’s actually. He figured the kids couldn’t get up to too much trouble, since everyone in town would recognize the vehicle.”
“Well, shite. He was probably right about that. I’m embarrassed to drive it.”
“You can ride in cargo, if you want. No one’ll see you back there.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Get in, you lot,” he said to kids. “I’m evac’ing this cesspool of bacteria permanently. If you’re not in the vehicle in two minutes, I’m leaving you behind.”
Layla made sure everyone was in and belted where possible. It was a tight squeeze, and poor Marcos bit the bullet and volunteered to sit with the cargo, which had her forgiving his earlier bout of teenage sulkiness. When she slid into the front passenger seat and closed the door, she said, “Let’s boogie, Riv.”
“You wound my fine British ears with that ghastly American slang,” he said in his poshest accent, then swung a grin in her direction and took off.
Layla texted both Danilo and Tony once they were out of the busiest part of town, letting them know that Brian would be arriving first. And that all the children and the teens were safe and unharmed. That last was probably a bit of wishful thinking, since the children who’d been kidnapped would probably have nightmares for a very long time. But she knew Xavier would spare no cost to secure whatever counseling or other help they needed. He was a good leader, a good man . . . even if he was a vampire.
Chapter Eleven
THEY PULLED THROUGH the gates of the Fortalesa to the expected sounds of a joyous homecoming, with tears and laughter overriding the few angry demands to know everything she and the others had learned about the kidnappers, and what was going to be done about it.
Layla had to jump out of the minivan, stand on top of the wall above the closed gates, and yell to get their attention, until finally Brian joined her with a bullhorn that he must have dug out of his own gear, or been provided with by someone wise enough to see that all the shouting was getting nothing done. With the bullhorn amplifying his strong male tones, he ordered everyone to shut the fuck up. And when they did, he apologized to the ladies and children, then turned it over to Layla who told them she’d arrange a town hall with everyone invited, as soon as she’d briefed Lord Xavier. He, of course, would be the one making any decision as to what they would do next.
Layla knew he wouldn’t tell them everything—just enough to ease their minds. Certainly, he wouldn’t announce whatever actions he was going to take to hunt down and destroy Sakal and whoever had helped him. But by reminding the people that Xavier would be taking charge, Layla had calmed the crowds enough that they followed her suggestion to use the intervening time to care for their families, while specific arrangements were gotten underway for the town hall.
She remained on the wall until almost everyone had dispersed. Then leaving Danilo and Tony to answer any remaining questions, she joined her teammates. Brian had parked the SUV so that the front passenger door was even with the open door of the barracks. That door was wider than usual to allow various pieces of equipment and weapons to be easily maneuvered in and out. More importantly, it also made it easy to sneak a bleeding and unconscious prisoner inside without anyone noticing that the four fighters who’d rescued the children had also brought home a present for Lord Xavier.