My body hurts like hell and I think something might just be broken. I’m having a hard time breathing. That could be from too much smoke inhalation or a broken rib. Quite possibly both.
As I roll the rest of the way over, I catch the sight of someone falling through the hole in the ceiling I caused. He bounces on the bed and flies through the air.
I roll as fast as I can to get out of the way as I see Cyprian’s face looking frantically at me. “Cami, move!”
It hurts to roll but I do it and manage to get out of his way. Like a cat, he springs up after he lands and picks me up. I groan as it hurts so bad and now I am certain I have broken ribs on my right side.
“Baby, there’s not time to stop and get you out of this fucking duct tape. You’re going to have to hold on, while I throw you over my shoulder and get you out of here,” he tells me as he searches the room.
Pulling off the bedspread and the sheet under that, he runs to the bathroom that’s attached to the bedroom. I watch as he tries the water in the sink but nothing comes out of it. Not waiting a beat, he opens the toilet lid and plunges the things into it to wet them as much as possible.
He comes toward me with the blanket and wraps it around me like a cocoon. I can’t see a thing but know he’s wrapped the wet sheet around himself and then I’m tossed over his wide shoulder.
I cry out with the pain in my ribs but he can’t hear that with this shit covering my mouth. “Just hold on, baby. I love you. I’m going to get you to safety.”
Closing my eyes, I start praying as I know this house in close to being engulfed in flames. And then we’re moving and the pain of me being bobbed around has blackness coming.
I can’t take it…
Chapter 7
CYPRIAN
As I get into the second-floor hallway, I see there’s no way we’re getting out through the stairs. I race to a bedroom at the very back of the house and lay Cami on the bed, so I can open the window.
She lies still, so I pull back the blanket and see she’s passed out. Looking around the room for something to at least cut the tape off her mouth, I find nothing and decide to hurry to get her the hell out of here.
I run to the window and push it open then push the screen out. It falls to the ground but no one’s back here. I see a neighbor in a backyard, two house over and shout, “Hey! Hey!”
He looks up at me and his eyes go wide. “You need to get the hell out of there!”
“No shit, Sherlock! Can you go tell one of the firemen about me? There’s no other way out. I need a ladder and I have a woman here too.”
He nods and hauls ass inside his home. With a bit of time, I go and start to pull at the tape, covering her mouth. I find the end of it and begin to unwrap it. I can see it was ran around her head four times, as I unravel it.
I’m gently tugging it away from her skin and hate finding the red welts it’s leaving on her face. I kiss it all over. “Cami, wake up.”
Her breathing is shallow and she’s not waking up. Finally, I hear voices outside the window. “Wait there! We’re coming up to you.”
I look out the window and see six firemen with a tall ladder and one is climbing up to us. “Thank God!”
I go and pick up Cami, waiting for the man to get to me. As he sees her, he gasps, “Someone wanted to kill her.”
“You’re right. Can you get her? I can follow you down, on my own,” I say as I move her over to lie across his shoulder.
“I have her. Come on,” he says and starts down the ladder with her.
I wait a second and take in a breath. Relief washes over me as I know she’s safe. The bedroom door bursts open as the flames have found me. Moving quickly, I climb out the window and onto the ladder and get out of the burning house.
Once on the ground, I watch a couple of the firemen cut the tape off her wrists and ankles. A couple of paramedics come with a stretcher and put Cami, who’s still not awake, on it.
I make it to her side and run my hand over her face. “Cami, wake up.”
“We have to check her vital signs out. You can meet us at the emergency room.”
I nod then kiss her forehead. “Tell her I’m right behind you, if she wakes up. Tell her, Cyprian said he loves her more than anything in this world.”
The woman paramedic gives me a nod and they slide her into the back of the ambulance. Wasting no time, I spot Ashton and wave at him to get to the car. He rushes to me. “I told the police. They were rushing to the airport. I have no idea what else has happened. So, you found her?”
“She was all taped up. I found her in a bedroom but I think she fell there from the attic. She was awake when I found her but me moving her had her fainting. Follow that ambulance.” I get into the back of the car and fasten my seatbelt as Ashton gets in and we take off, after the vehicle that has my life in it.
My hands are shaking as I make the call to Cami’s parents. “Cyprian?” her father answers.
“That piece of shit had your daughter bound and gagged in the attic of the house. And he must’ve set some kind of a timed contraption to catch the house on fire. She was nearly killed. I got her out and she’s on the way to the hospital right now. I’m right behind her.”
“My God!” her father shouts. “What in the hell has happened? Did you talk to her? Is she okay?”
“She was awake when I found her but when I moved her, she fainted. Her mouth was covered with tape. I didn’t get a chance to hear her say anything. But I will get back with you as soon as I know anything. The police were sent to get Peter and his brothers. You should call Catarina and find out if she’s managed to stay hidden.”
“I will. I let you know.” He ends the call and I find we’re pulling into the emergency room parking lot.
Hurrying to get out and get back to her side, I put my phone in my pocket and find Ashton coming right behind me. I turn back to him. “Can you call that cousin that was going to the airport to check on things and let me know if he knows anything?”
He nods and goes to a small outdoor area to make the call. I get to Cami and see her eyes are open. “Hi,” I whisper.
“Hi,” she says with a hoarse voice. “Thank you. You’re my hero.”
“You’re my everything. Are you hurt?” I ask her as I run my hand over her red cheek as they hurry to get her inside.
“My ribs are most likely broken.” She closes her eyes.
“I didn’t do that when I tossed you over my shoulder, did I?” I ask, praying I didn’t do that to her.
“No,” she opens her eyes and looks at me. “It happened when I fell through the floor of the attic.”
We’re hustled into a small examining room and a doctor comes straight to her. “Hello, I’m Doctor Bennet.”
The paramedics give him their papers as he shines a light in Cami’s eyes. I stand beside her and hold her hand while he looks her over and asks her questions. My mind is numb as I think about how close I came to losing her.
Some chattering in the hallway draws my attention as a woman says, “Did you see the breaking news, Jules? There’s a situation at the airport.”
Listening a lot harder, I hear the other woman say. “I did. It’s awful. Some woman and her kids are being held by some men from Africa. The police are trying to negotiate with them for their release but they’re at a stand-off.”
“Shit!” I hiss, under my breath.
“Why’d you say that?” Cami asks me.
“It’s nothing,” I kiss her cheek. “I need to make a phone call. Are you going to be okay for a minute or two?’
“We’re going to take her to get x-rays,” the doctor says. “You can wait in here for us to bring her back, if you’d like.”
I nod and give her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be here.”
She watches me as I walk out of the room and I find her looking at me like she knows I’m not being truthful with her. She can be mad at me later. Right now, she needs to worry about nothing, except getting herself taken care of.
&nb
sp; “Hello, Papa, I need a diversion sent to the airport. Get together a large group of the escorts and get them headed that way. I’ll get in contact with you in just a bit.”
“Is this about that hostage situation? Do you know those people? They haven’t released any names yet,” he says.
“I know who it is. It’s mostly my fault it has come to this. So, I need to do what I can to fix it.” I find Ashton outside and go over to him, “Bye, Papa.”
“I found out all about it. More than the news people know. I have two of my cousins who went to go find them. What they came upon was the beginning of the whole thing. Catarina and the kids were being pulled out of one of the ladies’ rooms by Peter and three other men. I was able to send them pictures I took of them, secretly. I had a feeling I’d need some pictures of them.”
“Okay, you were right. I know that now and if you’d like to know, I will always follow your advice from now on, Ashton. But you have to admit, ignoring your advice about Cami was a good thing.”
“Anyway,” he says as he takes a seat. “The men have Catarina and the kids holed up in another restroom. They say they have knives and will kill her and the kids if the police don’t allow them to get on their private jet and go back to South Africa.”
“The news of there being a woman in the house should speed up the process with that situation, I should think,” I say as I take a seat too.
“Maybe. What gets me is the fact no one has seen a knife. They have had gone through customs and the x-ray machine and there were no knives found on them. I think they’re bluffing. But the cops won’t take that risk.”
“I think you’re right. And you said you have two men there right now?”
“I do,” he says with a nod.
“Are they capable of helping me take those men out?”
“If you’re talking about fighting, not killing,” he says with a wink.
“I am only talking about that. Getting into that restroom and getting them subdued while we get Catarina, Sadie, and Sax out. Then the cops can take care of them.”
“Can I help?” he asks with a grin.
“I think so. There’s four men and four of us. We should be able to make things happen. And I have a caravan of women heading that way. They can be between us and the police. We can look like a group of people who know nothing is going on and then only us men will swoop into the restroom and take out the trash,” I say and he nods in approval.
“I think that might work. Make it happen, Cyprian.”
Can this really work…
Chapter 8
CAMILLA
“What do you mean, you’re going to go home to get me some comfy clothes to wear?” I ask Cyprian who’s making all kinds of excuses to leave me here in the hospital.
I was admitted for the broken ribs, I knew I had, and so they can watch me for 24 hours to be sure I’m going to be fine. And he’s acting shady as shit.
“That hospital gown looks so uncomfortable. I’ll bring back a cozy pajama set and pick up your toiletries. I want you to feel completely comfortable, Cami. It won’t take long. I promise.”
“Just tell me the real deal, Cyprian.”
A knock at the door has us looking to see who’s come and I see three uniformed police coming into my room. “Hello, Camilla Petit. We have to get your statement.”
Giving Cyprian a look, I say, “Go get the stuff while I tell them what happened to me and please hurry back to me. I miss you already.”
With a kiss to my cheek, he’s gone in a flash and I just know he’s up to something and he doesn’t want me to know a thing about it. One of the officers asks me, “How are you dealing with the news, miss?”
Cocking my head to the side, I ask, “Which part?”
The other officer looks sad as he says, “You know, your sister and her kids being held by her husband and his brothers?”
“Oh that news,” I say like I knew all about that. But I had no idea. And now I know what Cyprian is going to do.
Play hero again...
CYPRIAN
About fifteen women meet us at a lobby near where the situation is occurring. The airport is trying to keep it under control by moving people around the area that’s been contained.
I have two of the women going to take the attention of the two cops guarding the area we need to break into. We all act as if we’re a group of travelers and kind of a bumbling bunch.
We men have donned crappy leisure suits, fake mustaches, and old hats to disguise us all. Thanks to Ashton’s extensive collection of seventies-wear, it was easy to make the changes.
Ashton, his cousins and I lean on various poles, waiting to see if the girls can get the cops to leave their posts. The situation is a calm one. There’s no brandishing of weapons. No type of communication is going on at all between the cops and the people inside that restroom.
The cops have no choice but wait it out, I guess. But we don’t!
I notice the complacency the officers have. Most are looking anywhere but at the opening of the bathroom. There’s no door, all we have to do is slip in.
I see the officers walking away with the women decoys and gesture for us to get on the move. Being quiet but I have the women talking amongst themselves, seeming distracted. While the other men and I trail along the outer area of them. Just as we get to the bathroom, one of the officers looks up. “Hey, you’re not supposed to be in this area!”
“Let’s go,” I whisper and just like I told them to, the women bunch up, so we’re not seen.
We get into the restroom to find everyone just sitting on the floor. The element of surprise is on our side and I yank up one of the men and wrap a zip tie around his wrists before he knows what’s happened.
Ashton takes another and has to deliver a swift blow to the chin that sends the smaller man to the ground where one of his cousins makes short work of tying his hands behind his back.
Peter is eyeing me as he gets in front of Catarina and her children. His one free brother joins him and I look into Catarina’s teal blue eyes and smile. “You ready to be free of this bastard?”
She nods and when he looks back to see her, I slam my fist into his stomach as the others grab the one brother left and bond his hands. I step back and open my arms as Peter regains his composure and glares at me. “You have ruined my life.”
“You did that to yourself,” I tell him. “Did you tell your wife how you tied up her sister and left her to burn to death in your home?”
Catarina goes pale “Is she alright?”
Peter spins around to look at her. “Do not ever speak to this man.”
He pulls his hand back to slap her and before I can do a thing, Catarina has slapped the shit out of the man. He falls back with the hard hit and then she’s on top of him, beating the hell out of him. “You fucking bastard! I’ll kill you!”
I look past them and see their children hiding their eyes. Then I walk over and lift Catarina off her husband. “There you go guys, tie his hands and let’s take them to the cops.”
Catarina’s cries have me holding her. “Hush now. Your children are watching.”
She pulls it together, stifling her sobs. “Later, though, I will wail like a banshee.”
“That’s cool,” I say and let her go, so I can pick up Sax and hand him to her then I take Sadie and carry her out.
As we leave the restroom, the look of shock that fills the police officers’ faces is comical. “How did you get in there?” one of them asks us.
Ashton fields that question. “We had to use the restroom and found these men holding this woman and kids in there. Why do you ask?”
“Because we’ve been on top of the situation, that’s why,” the officer says as he looks us all over.
Ashton shrugs his shoulders. “Don’t know what to tell you. Here you go, though.” He gently nudges the man he’s holding toward the speechless cop and we all do the same.
“If you’ll excuse us, we have a plane to catch,” Ashton says.
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“I’ll catch up with you. No names, okay?” I ask her to make sure she gets what we’re doing.
With a nod from her, we leave. Making a hasty retreat before one of the officers starts thinking and realizes we should be kept for questioning.
Once we’re back in my car, I call my father to get the girls out of the airport and back to where ever it is they came from. After a quick drop off of his cousins at their cars, I change back into my original clothes in the back of the car and find we’re back at the hospital, thanks again to Ashton and his knowledge of shortcuts.
With a bag his wife made up with toiletries and a set of PJ’s for Cami, I get out and go inside to find Cami is finished with her statement to the police and I meet them on their way out. “Done already?” I ask them as I step back, so they can get out of her room.
“Yes, it’s pretty cut and dry. Take good care of her. She’s a real sweetie,” one of them says.
“I will,” I say and sweep into the room to find her frowning at me. I hold my finger to my lips to let her know to remain quiet. After a moment, I look back out the door to make sure the cops have left.
“I know about Catarina and the kids,” she says as she looks so deep into my eyes, I think she can see my soul.
“No need to worry, baby. That’s handled.” I take a seat on the edge of her bed and push her hair back. “I’m going to take care of everything.”
“Cyprian,” she says but I stop her with a kiss.
When I end it, I look at her. “I love you. I love you so much, I’d do anything for you. I know I’ve done things that started this chain of events. The main thing is you all are safe. Catarina will never have to worry about that man or losing her kids again. And I hope she’s learned something about life from this. I’m going to get her the best lawyers, so she can get a divorce and gain custody of the kids. Peter will be rotting away in prison. I’ll make sure of that too.”
“You seem so sure of everything, Cyprian,” she says, sounding skeptical.
“I hear doubt in your voice, Camilla Petit.” I kiss her cheek and get up to open the curtains and let the sunlight stream into her hospital room. “Never doubt me or my commitment to you.”
The Reconstruction of Cyprian Page 29