Fourth Fight

by Mary Abshire

  “Sure,” Andrew said.

  Sweat dripped from Andrew’s forehead and his eyes started to burn. He rubbed them again.

  “Are you okay?” Leo asked. “You look beat.”

  “I haven’t slept but a few hours since my wife left,” Andrew said.

  “You’re welcome to strip down and sleep in one of the tents. There’s another one set up in the house, but it’s cooler in here during the day,” Tony said.

  “Since we’re not leaving until later, you should try to get some rest. Everyone needs to be ready to go tonight,” Leo added.

  Andrew looked at Troy.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything until we’re out of this fucking hell hole,” Troy said.

  Andrew believed him too. If Troy wanted to pick a fight, he’d wait until after Emily was safe. He’d likely try to convince her again to walk away from Andrew. What Troy didn’t know was that Emily loved him and vice versa. Andrew had no fear she’d leave him, but he wouldn’t let Troy know that.

  He rose from the crate. “I’ll lie down in the tent and try to rest.”

  “If any messages come through the satellite phone, we’ll pass them along,” Leo said.

  “Sweet dreams, angel,” Troy said as Andrew passed by.

  Too tired to respond, Andrew kept walking toward the tent. He removed his shirt and began unfastening his shorts. Resolve brought a slight grin to his face. They had a plan to get Emily and the four women out of Mexico. Before the next morning, he’d be able to wrap his arms around her and smother her with kisses.

  He entered the tent and found Stan lying on his back in his boxers along one side. Andrew slid out of his shoes before he let his shorts fall. With only his underwear on, he lowered to the ground on the opposite side from Stan. He used his shirt, shorts, and shoes as a pillow. With happy thoughts of Emily running through his mind, he closed his eyes. Soon, he’d have the woman he loved back in his grasp and he’d never let her go.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Emily paced in her prison cell while she held her swollen hand near her rib cage. Her efforts throughout the day had worked. She’d moved around more and now felt numb to the pain in her back and hand. Her steps came quicker too. She could even open her eyelid and see blurred shapes from her injured eye. Determination to escape helped give her strength. Cheryl and Emily were the only ones the guards hadn’t taken away, but Emily knew they’d come for her soon. And when they did, she would be ready.

  The sun had gone down over two hours ago according to Jenny’s count. After they’d eaten Mexican rice for dinner, Emily began pacing in her cell again. Jenny had had counted steps until sixty and then used a rock to mark the wall. Jenny didn’t seem to mind tracking time. Emily suspected it helped Jenny keep her mind distracted from her turmoil the night before.

  “If we do escape, where will we go?” Jenny asked softly. “We don’t have passports to get across the border.”

  Emily stared at her dirty feet as she walked back and forth. She really needed a bath. “Well, if we can make it to a phone, I can call a friend of mine. I know he’s looking for me. He can find a way to get us back into the US.”

  She hoped Andrew had destroyed the demons by now. If he hadn’t, she would have to kill Christopher and Annie herself.

  She wondered how close Troy was to finding her. Andrew would’ve contacted him, but it was possible Troy had no way to track where she’d gone beyond San Diego. If he could get to her within twelve hours, she and the other gals could probably wait somewhere out of sight. They could do it if they had to.

  Troy’s hot temper concerned her too. He’d threatened Andrew for his involvement in getting her incarcerated in New York. Odds were high he’d want Andrew to suffer worse now. Once she got back, she’d have to work hard to convince Troy to let him live.

  A snap from the door alerted Emily. She hurried to the corner, fell to her knees, and then slid them around so they were flat on the floor in front of her. By the time a Hispanic walked into the room, she looked as if she hadn’t changed from her position the last time a guard had visited them.

  The short man had dark hair and a mustache. Emily recognized him as the same one who’d stripped her clothes away before Don had whipped her. His button-down shirt looked a size too big and his baggy khaki pants bunched near his shoes. He slid the keys into his right pocket. Emily didn’t see a gun on his belt, but she’d seen a guard pull one from his back the night before. She assumed he had his weapon hidden too.

  He gazed at each of the women. Nausea rose from the pit of Emily’s stomach, knowing what his intent was. Men were sick fucks to force anyone to do things. When he returned his attention to Emily, her heart started beating faster.

  He stepped up to her cage and unlocked it. Lips pressed together and breaths increasing, she tried to remain calm. She’d played the role of a hooker before. Surely, she could pretend to be a weak, battered, and scared woman.

  He stopped inside her cage and spoke to her in Spanish. Not understanding him, she shook her head. When he waved his hand toward the exit and spoke again, she gripped a bar with her good hand. He grabbed her arm and tugged. A twinge of pain shot through her back. She screamed as she fell forward. She smacked her good hand on the floor to keep from falling face first. Of course, she didn’t ache nearly as much as she portrayed. He pulled on her arm and she shrieked again. She slowly rose to her feet. He said something in his native tongue as he tugged her arm.

  “No. Please, no,” Emily cried with fake tears rolling down her face.

  She had to go since he was pulling on her arm and the slightest movement was supposed to be bringing her pain. She brushed her feet over the floor with each slow step. The girls watched her with mournful eyes. Natalie cried for her. The guard didn’t put much force into getting her to move and Emily didn’t resist. It took a while to reach the door, but when she did she cried harder.

  “Please don’t. Please,” Emily bawled, playing hurt and helpless.

  He ignored her pleas and led her out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

  She continued acting weak and sore as he escorted her down the hall. They passed a bedroom on one side and bathroom on the other. The house sounded quiet. She hoped they were alone. Reaching the last room, she gave a small tug on her arm to show she didn’t want to go in.

  “Please let me go,” she cried. “Please, don’t.”

  He tightened his grasp and pulled her into the room. The mattress had a white sheet on top and two pillows. Through the thin cover she could see stains on the bed. A nightstand on each side of the headboard held cheap glass lamps. The lights illuminated the room. An idea quickly came to her head.

  The Hispanic shut the door before he gently pushed her toward the bed. She sidestepped around the mattresses, moving closer to the lamp. He said something and gripped her shirt. Crying and shaking her head, she continued stepping away from him. By the time she reached the nightstand, he had his pants undone. When he enclosed his arms around her waist, her adrenaline spiked.

  She twisted in his grasp, placing her sore back to him. With a deep breath, she tensed her arm with her broken fingers and shoved it into his ribs. He grunted and dropped his arms from her. As quick as she could, she grabbed the lamp and yanked the cord from the wall. She turned and found him reaching behind his back. Before he could raise the gun in his hand, she smashed the glass on his forehead. Shards fell around him. He dropped his gun and stumbled. She pushed him onto the bed, blood rolling down his face. She swiped his weapon, tearing open several wounds. Ignoring the pain, she climbed onto the bed. Rage consumed her as she beat his skull with the butt of the weapon. He eventually stopped moving. She gave him a few more whacks to make sure he stayed out of commission for a while.

  Heart stomping and breaths heavy, Emily’s body shook. She stared at the man’s bleeding head and felt no mercy for him. She would’ve killed him if she had time, but someone would come looking soon. She had to get the girls out.

  She d
ug into his right pocket and snatched the keys. Sweat trickled down her face before she realized how hot she was. Keys in one hand and gun in the other, she crawled off the bed. If she had to fire the weapon, she wasn’t sure how good her aim would be since she could barely hold the gun with her fingers broken.

  She inched the door open and listened for sounds. After waiting several seconds and hearing nothing, she entered the hall. The house remained quiet. She headed for the door in the back and lifted the keys. There were several on the chain. Pulse racing, she slid one into the knob. When it didn’t turn, she tried the next key. Sweating profusely, she licked above her lip and tasted salt. She inserted another key and twisted it. The knob turned.

  The moment the girls saw her, they jumped to their feet. Emily left a small crack in the door before she headed to the first cage.

  Jenny rushed to the end of her cell. “I knew you’d do it.”

  “Help me get the others out,” Emily said as she tried key after key to unlock Jenny’s door. When it finally clicked, Jenny pushed on the bars. Emily gave her the keys.

  “How did you get them?” Cheryl asked.

  Emily scrubbed her arm across her wet head. “I knocked him out and beat him with the gun.” She held up her shaky, blood-smeared, swollen and throbbing hand.

  Jenny unlocked Natalie’s cage and then moved to Cheryl’s.

  “We don’t have much time. Someone will come looking for him, so we have to be out of here before they notice.” Emily switched the gun to her other hand. She could fire left handed, but her shooting accuracy would be off.

  Jenny let Cheryl out of her prison. She had one more to go. Pamela stood inside close to the bars.

  “How do we get out of here?” Natalie asked, her voice shaky. “Did you notice all the men when we arrived?”

  “I saw trucks when we arrived. If can make it to one, maybe one of those keys will start it. We can knock down the gate to get out of here,” Emily said.

  “They’ll come after us,” Natalie said in a dire and scared tone. “They’ll shoot at us.”

  “We move fast and I shoot back,” Emily said firmly. “This is our chance. Do you want to stay or get the hell out of here?”

  Cheryl put her arm around Natalie. “We’re coming with you. I’ll help her.”

  Pamela and Jenny came to stand near the two other gals. “I can drive if you can shoot,” Jenny said.

  “Deal,” Emily said before she passed them and headed for the door.

  She quietly stepped into the hall. Glancing behind her, she held a finger up to her lips. Jenny stood closest to Emily and nodded. She relayed the signal to the other gals.

  Emily reached the bedroom with the unconscious man. She pulled the door closed so the girls wouldn’t see him. Reaching the end of the hall, she paused near the wall. She still didn’t hear any sounds in the house. She quickly peeked around the corner. Shades covered the window and the room was empty. She flipped the safety on the gun. After she gave a nod to the girls, she stepped around the corner with the weapon raised.

  Step after slow step, she entered the living room. When she reached the cut-out portion of the wall to the kitchen, she aimed inside. Finding the room empty, she lowered the gun.

  She wiped her head again as she headed for the window. Jenny stood at the other end of it. They separately took a glimpse outside while the other three gals stood near the kitchen.

  “There’s no one around,” Jenny whispered.

  “Shh … listen,” Emily said.

  The masculine voices were difficult to hear, indicating they were close. Lights from above the buildings shined on the ground. Emily peered around the curtain again and searched for shadows. She couldn’t see any, but if she had to guess, the men chatting were outside a nearby building.

  Jenny came to stand near her. “What now?”

  The others approached her too.

  “We’ll have to make a run for it,” Emily said. “I’m not sure which side the men are at, so I’ll go first. The trucks are down to the left. I’m not as fast as normal and I may run out of bullets fast, so we’ll have to hurry.” She glanced the three scared women. “No stopping. No pausing. You have less chance of getting shot if you’re moving. If I stop, you follow Jenny. Squeeze together into the truck. Sit on each other if you have to and try to stay low. Got it?”

  Each one nodded in understanding.

  The fast pounding of Emily’s heart continued as she moved toward the door. This was their chance to escape. The burning in her back and the ache in her spine were bothering her, but she had to keep going. She was so close now she refused to let any injury prevent her from getting the girls to freedom.

  She reached the door and put her hand on the knob. After she twisted it, she inched the door open. At an arm’s with from the frame, a loud crash made her jump. Two large trucks plowed past the gate. Within seconds, gunfire broke up the silent night.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Andrew braced one hand on the dashboard as Troy steered the truck toward the entrance of the compound. The anticipation of seeing Emily again was fueling his anxiety and rage. He clenched the automatic weapon between his knees and was ready to shoot anyone who dared threaten her or the other women. After Leo had received news from his friend and sent the images confirming the ladies had arrived, Andrew hadn’t been able to keep still. Waiting for Matt to reach the coast had nearly drove Andrew insane. At ten miles out, they’d decided to put their plans into motion.

  “I’ve always wanted to do this,” Troy said before the engine hummed louder.

  The truck smashed into the silver gate. It snapped free and Troy flattened it like a cardboard box. The loud crash would’ve alerted the neighbors had there been any.

  “Fuck you, motherfuckers!” Troy yelled speeding toward the parked vehicles.

  Two men, one on each roof of the trucks, began firing. Two other soldiers in the back of their truck started shooting too. A man ran from the small post near the gate. He held a gun up. Before he could fire, a bullet hit him and he fell to the ground. More gunfire sounded from the truck behind them.

  Rapid pops continued as Troy approached the parked vehicles. One light after another disappeared. Andrew lifted his gun and pointed it out the window. Troy slowed the speed. Andrew shot at the tires as others in the crew did the same. The tires flattened within seconds of being hit.

  A few bullets hit the vehicle and made a ping. Andrew aimed his gun at men running toward them with their weapons raised. Before he could pull his trigger, the soldiers already had.

  “I see her!” Troy shouted, steering the truck away from the one on their tail.

  Andrew’s heart almost leaped from his chest. A woman with short hair and bare feet stood outside a building. She wore an oversized shirt and held a gun in one hand. Another woman stepped behind her. Andrew gaped and stared in shock when he recognized Emily. He hadn’t expected to see her in such bad shape.

  Troy braked hard before he shifted the gear. Other ladies stepped away from the building. Troy rushed out from his seat. Emily turned and fired her weapon before Andrew’s feet touched the ground. One of the soldiers dressed in black and wearing armor ran from the back of the truck at the same time.

  “Help them,” Emily said as Troy came around from the front with his automatic weapon drawn.

  Andrew hurried to take her in his arms. One of her eyes was swollen, bruised, and barely open. Her hair had been cut and not by a professional. Moisture consumed most of the long shirt covering her. Fingers on her right puffy hand were bent out of place. But none of it mattered. He curled one arm around her and squeezed her close to his body. Her backside felt incredibly damp.

  “I’m not letting you go,” he said before he kissed her forehead.

  She whimpered and her face tightened. “Get me out of here.”

  The pained expression fueled his anxiety. He had to get her away and seek medical care.

  Troy fired his gun. “Let’s go!”

  A soldi
er behind Andrew guarded the women as they made their way to the back of the truck. The second one caught up to them and continued firing at any man with a gun raised. Leo’s plan to free the woman had worked out better than planned.

  Troy ran around the front while Andrew escorted Emily. Bullets pinged the trucks and a few whizzed by. A sharp pain sliced Andrew’s leg right before they reached his open door.

  “Shit!” flew from Andrew’s mouth.

  Emily stopped and looked at him. “What? What is it?”

  “Get in the truck,” he ordered.

  She climbed inside as the nearby soldier headed to the back. He pounded on the side, signaling to go. Fire spread through Andrew’s leg, but he didn’t have time to check it out. He joined Emily in the cab and then slammed the door.

  Troy shifted the gear before he put his foot on the pedal. “Fuck you, motherfuckers. Fuck all of you!”

  Andrew couldn’t agree more with Troy. He hated all the men who had taken the women and hurt them. Dead bodies lay on the ground. Some men were trying to crawl away. He felt no remorse for any of them. And since they all had red auras, they would continue to pay their dues after their death.

  Once they were past the walls of the compound, Andrew flipped the safety on his gun. He lowered it to the floorboard.

  Emily sat stiff as she faced the window. Her lips quivered. Andrew put his hand on her cheek and forced her to look at him. Tears filled her eyes. She started to breathe heavy.

  “You’re safe now and I’m never letting you go,” he said. “You hear me?”

  She closed her eyelids and moisture fell from them. He pressed his lips to hers and thanked the powers that be for allowing her to live. Love swelled within him. All he could think about was caring for her. Whatever had been done, he’d help her heal. She was his and he would always treat her with love and affection. He missed her so much he wanted to take her away and spend the rest of their lives alone together.

  Breaths heavy, she pulled back from him. “What took you so long?”