Now just to figure out where on Earth.
A loud clang sounded from behind us. Josian pushed me and Lallielle aside and he stepped forward, hands raised. The door at the far end was opening. We fell silent, waiting as keys clanked and a whistling man stepped inside.
“Time to wake, you disgusting wastes of good quality air.”
I felt a small relief that he had the distinctive clipped tones of Brooklyn. We might still be near New York.
Suddenly the room lit up. One by one, each cell came alight.
We remained crouched in the darkness near the back of the room. As each cell was illuminated, the inhabitants began to move behind the bars, as if they had been in stasis until that moment.
I shoved my glasses up to rest on top of my head and squinted into the brightness for a moment. Finally the scene before me came into focus.
Noise was suddenly everywhere, sobs and groans echoing throughout the stone walls. There were about twenty cells, ten lining each wall.
The occupants had moved forward to grasp at the bars of their cages.
For the first time I could see every one of them.
A hand covered my mouth just as I was about to scream out loud. I looked up. Brace was beside me, and it was his hand preventing my shriek of outrage.
The girls from the compound filled many of the cells. But that wasn’t all. Lucy was there, and she looked terrible, thin and pale. Her hair was limp and dirty, hanging in swirls around her face.
I tried to wriggle out of Brace’s grasp, but he tightened his hold. I had to get to Lucy. Her expression was blank, as if she had seen it all and nothing affected her anymore. Something inside of me crushed, seeing her so broken.
I bit down into the fleshy pad of Brace’s hand.
“Naughty, Red, don’t make me spank you,” he whispered into my ear.
I spun around to glare at him. At the same time my elbow flew back into his abdomen. He released me slightly.
“In your dreams, douchewad.” I muttered.
“I know this is probably beyond your capabilities, Abigail, but try and exercise a small level of patience. We need to assess this threat before we act.” His tantalizing voice was still low in my ear, sending shivers along my spine.
I was way too hot-blooded to assess anything before acting. I was ‘action first, consequences later’, thank you very much.
Lallielle’s gasp had me spinning back around, searching for the source of her concern.
“Sammy?” Brace murmured.
What? My brother was here as well? I craned my neck trying to see into all of the cages. A tall, dark-haired man, who looked eerily like Lallielle, but without her green eyes, moved forward into the light. He was in the cell next to Lucy’s.
He’d just reached through the bars to squeeze Lucy’s hand. He was hovering over her protectively, glaring at the man jauntily making his way through the cells.
The whistling intruder was easy to see now. He was short, with a large stomach protruding over his dirty pants, and a filthy white shirt, buttons missing so that his fat rolls hung prominently on display.
Brace’s silky hair tickled my ear as he leaned in close to murmur, “That’s a quality packaging that man has.”
“Don’t be jealous,” I whispered back. “You’re bound to be that attractive one day.”
He exhaled loudly. I ignored him, continuing my observations of the man. He was around fifty years old, his face dominated by a beaky nose and small angry eyes. He was walking in our direction, pausing at each cell and throwing a brown paper bag through the bars.
The occupants snatched at the bags before scurrying back into their cells.
No one had noticed us standing there, but I was over waiting. We could take out this one little rat-man.
As if she’d read my thoughts, Lallielle bolted into the light. Josian’s attempt to stop her was useless. He was close behind but she got to rat-man first.
She hit him hard. He was turning at the sound of her steps when she right-hooked him straight in the jaw. His eyes rolled up in his head before he crashed to the floor.
To be honest: I was impressed.
Josian laughed out loud. “Taught her that.”
“Mom! How are...? Where did you come from?”
Samuel had their beautiful accent; his was just rougher ... husky, as if something had damaged his vocal cords. Lallielle headed toward him. I was distracted by Lucy.
“Abby. Oh gods. I can’t believe you’re here.” The dead expression she’d been wearing wavered and suddenly she was crying, tears pouring down her face.
She pulled her hands free of Samuel and held them out. I ran into her arms, hitting the bars hard.
She winced as I pulled her close. I loosened my hold a little.
“Are you okay?”
She smiled, with a fraction of her old joy. “I’ll be much better when you get me out of here.”
Lallielle was hugging Samuel through the bars to his cell. Brace and Josian were right behind, huge grins on their faces. Quarn was crouched over rat-man on the floor.