“Oh my god, how?!” Maggie is in near disbelief, almost suspicious that this is happening, and not without good reason. “Are you some kind of officer?”
“I’m a few things,” I say simply, sticking my head out into the hallway. “Let’s save that for the car ride though, we’re not out of hot water yet.”
“What should I—” Maggie starts, but she’s cut off as I take her by the hand and move down the hallway with my pistol raised.
“Keep my hand and move when I tell you to,” I say, and without another word, I take off as fast as I can manage to get Maggie to run.
Up ahead, I can hear voices and footsteps down the stairs. I feel Maggie start to reflexively freeze up, and without another moment’s thought, I guide her into a different cell just as two men arrive at the door with guns out.
As Maggie screams, I roll into the room with her as shots hit the wall behind us, and as soon as they’re off, I reach around and blind-fire two shots before popping out of hiding and shooting one of the men dead as he dives for cover. The other man hits the ground, having been caught in the leg by my blind shot, and I sprint forward, but not fast enough that he can’t let out a cry of pain that rings through the compound before I put a bullet in his head and finish the job.
Maggie peeks out of hiding, and I give her a nod to come catch up with me, and I take her hand to pull her along before she can let her gaze dwell on the bodies around her too long. There are mixed emotions in her eyes, and I can only imagine she feels some measure of satisfaction in seeing such vile men put down.
We move up the stairs, and I’m relieved to see nobody standing at the top of them waiting for us. But I know the men who saw the body on the way down will have called for backup, so we don’t have much time.
I guide her down the hallway, and I’m about to round the corner towards the front door when a man lunges from the bathroom on my right, slashing across my face with a knife. I feel a sting on my cheekbone as it draws blood, and I stagger for a moment. I raise my gun as he curses and starts to lunge forward again, but the next instant, he falls to the ground with a scream as Maggie lurches forward and kicks his knee in, surprising even me with her strength. She staggers back, surprised at herself before I shoot the man in the back of the head as he holds his leg.
“Good work,” I say to her with a nod, and she mouths something as I take her hand and bolt out the front door with her.
“We’re still in France,” she says as we cross the courtyard, and I realize she must have been blindfolded for most of the transfers. I wonder how badly these past few days have affected the passage of time for her.
“Just outside Paris,” I say grimly, and I glance back to see her ashen face at the realization that all this horror, all this vile slavery has been taking place right in the heart of metropolitan civilization. It’s a reality that shook me to the bone when I first learned of it. From Paris to London to New York City, it’s often the epicenters of culture and civilization that hide the darkest vices.
We run towards the car, but from the building behind us, I hear shouts and the sounds of running feet. Reinforcements from the second floor must be on the way, and we need to be out of here already.
I hear the voices grow closer as we near the corner of the wall, not far from where my car is parked. Getting my keys out in one hand, I turn around to fire a few rounds with a new pistol at the door, and I see the four men who’ve come after us start to scatter as shots are exchanged.
We round the corner and start sprinting for the car, and I look down at the keys in my hand.
There’s a trickle of red staining the shining metal of the keys, and as it starts to pool in my hand, my eyes move to my upper chest to see a small hole where the bullet hit me.
23
Liv
I’m sitting in our opulent terrace suite, chewing my lip anxiously, waiting for any updates from Max. It’s nearly midnight and we still haven’t heard back from him. All day, the three of us spent hours strategizing and trying to figure out the logistics of our next move. The two guys pored over an old map for a long time, Max showing Felix where he would be headed tonight just in case he needed to call for reinforcements or something. He assured me that it wouldn’t be necessary anyway, that he had a solid plan. He knew the area well enough and he had enough experience dealing with creeps like these — he would be able to find Maggie and get back out without too much trouble.
But nothing he said could assuage my deep concerns. I have finally found the love I never knew I needed, and now I am poised to lose him if anything is to go wrong. I’m sending this most precious object of my affections into direct danger. And knowing his background, his extensive experience in dealing with the Chechen mafia in the past, does nothing to relieve my worry. Even though I’ve seen his skills in action, I know that it’s been a long time since he last delved into such an intense situation. Until now, he’s been living a totally different life, walking a tamer track. That’s not to say he’s out of shape or anything in the least — the way his muscles ripple under his clothing, the ease with which he can scoop me up and move my body… he’s as strong and powerful as he ever was, I’m sure.