"You'll be safe," Airiana added. "Everyone on the farm has been through . . ." She trailed off, searching for the right word. "Horrific circumstances. They'll help you with the younger ones."
Maxim looked at his watch. Time was slipping away. He had to get to the engine room. "We have to go now, Airiana."
Lucia straightened her shoulders, her gaze clinging to Airiana's. "You'll come back? Both of you?"
Airiana nodded. "If we're alive after all of this, we'll meet you on the farm. If not, you'll be in good hands. Lexi, my youngest sister, will be particularly understanding. She'll help all of you. We'll come back as soon as possible."
Maxim stood, reaching for Airiana's hand. "We have to go now, honey, we're running out of time." He tugged until she went with him across the room.
Airiana looked back at the four children huddled together. "Be patient. Stay strong. And don't leave this room."
She tightened her fingers around Maxim's, just as reluctant to leave the children as he was. He opened the hatch and resolutely stepped through into the passageway. Airiana glanced back, but she didn't say a word.
Maxim's eyes met Benito. The boy was holding himself very still, but his body vibrated with fear. "I'm coming back for you, kid," Maxim promised again before he could stop himself. "I know everything in your life has been turned upside down and you haven't been able to count on anyone else but one another. I'll find you. Do you understand me? Tell me the password."
"Nutmeg grows in odd places."
Maxim nodded. "Shoot anyone else who tries to come in. You keep your sisters safe and together."
Benito nodded, his gaze still clinging to Maxim. Maxim swore and slammed the hatch closed.
"I want to kill those bastards all over again," he admitted to Airiana, pushing down the rage threatening to take over.
"I wish you could too," Airiana said. "We have to do something for those kids. I know you think I was being impetuous, but I really thought it through. All of them are traumatized. They'll need special help to see them through this. Just the murder of their parents would be enough to traumatize them, but their sister as well? At the hands of a sexual predator. And then Benito and Nicia, the things she told me Saeed did to her . . ."
"She talked to you about it?" Maxim asked. He led the way to the stairs. The engine room was his next target.
"I think she had to. She was so scared and so grateful that you found her. Benito looked as if he worships you."
"Lucia and Benito knew they were going to be killed probably the moment they were brought aboard the ship," Maxim said.
"Nicia said Lucia and Benito told her to do whatever the man said so he wouldn't hurt her. She did it, but he hurt her anyway."
Maxim heard the anger in Airiana's voice. Anger and despair. He stopped just at the top of the stairs and put his arm around her, pulling her into the shelter of his body. "We can't save them all, but we saved these four. For now, that has to be enough, honey, or you'll end up going crazy."
"When we moved to the farm," Airiana told him, "I thought we were done with violence. We live pretty simply and it's beautiful there, and so peaceful. It sickens me to know that this is still going on right under our noses."
Airiana had used the word still. He didn't question her, but he knew she was referring to her youngest sister, Lexi. Of course, the moment he knew Lev and Stefan were involved with two of the women living there, he'd investigated all of them.
"We'll take care of those kids. I don't know how, Airiana, but we'll get it done. Right now, I need you to put everything else aside and give me a hundred percent right here and now. What we're doing is dangerous. We have to disable the ship, but there are going to be men down in the engine room. If possible, we'll round them up and put them in the cargo container they put the kids in. If not, we'll have no choice but to kill them."
"Do we know they're a part of this?"
"They know what's going on aboard this ship. They're paid to keep quiet, and they have in spite of the fact that women, boys and children are brought here, used and murdered. They aren't innocent. In any case, once we're gone, those children will have no protection. If I don't get to everyone, they'll be in danger."
Airiana nodded her head several times. "Okay. I understand. I just wanted to be certain."
"I'm sorry about all this. It was supposed to be simple--snatch you out from under the noses of Evan's men and get you off ship to a waiting sub and to your father where you would be safe. The children complicated things."
"I would much rather have been here where you could help those kids," Airiana said firmly.
Her blue eyes were a little cloudy, but steady. His heart did some sort of curious melt, leaving him wondering at the power of women--especially the one he found himself drawn to. She was small, and seemingly fragile, but her looks were definitely deceiving. She could roar like a lion, and no matter how afraid she was, she moved forward, willing to help him.
He wanted to kiss her again. The urge was strong, but he resisted. This wasn't the time or place and they had work to do. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice once again all business.
She flashed a small, secretive smile that made his insides tighten, but she obediently dropped back to do as he said. She had the assault rifle and the webbing over her shoulder while he carried his war bag over his.
They moved down the stairs in silence. He muffled the sound, but realized she was automatically doing so as well. She learned fast and he appreciated that. Once more, he shifted into stealth mode. He couldn't afford his mind to be anywhere but on his mission. The flight of stairs led to the engine room, and below that was the cargo hold.
Airiana walked in his footsteps, directly behind him, so quietly he wouldn't have known she was there other than the fact that her scent was so alluring to him. Everything about her was and he damned well wasn't going to lose her.
Voices drifted to him.
"Damn that Swede. He was supposed to be right back here. I'm not taking his bullshit anymore. Go find him, Lance, and get him back here."
"He's probably in the galley. He spends more time there than in here. I swear he puts on twenty pounds every time we go to sea." Lance laughed. "Really, Cahill, you need to see the humor in the situation."
"I don't find it so funny," Cahill groused. "Not when we have to do his work."
"We have to do his work when he's here," Lance said. "He doesn't belong in the engine room. He doesn't know what the hell he's doing. I think he's a hired gun. Half the crew doesn't know what they're doing. But the pay's good, and we occasionally get a woman for a while. What more do you want?"
"Someone to help out with the work," Cahill snapped.
"It's never going to be the Swede." Lance laughed. "If you want to find him, go yourself. Maybe you'll come back in a better mood."
Maxim held his fist up, a signal for Airiana to stop moving. He slid his war bag from his shoulder to the floor. Stalking Lance was easy, he'd begun whistling, giving his position away. Cahill had fallen silent after his outburst, but air told Maxim he was moving through the machinery, heading straight for him.
Crouching in the shadows, he sent Airiana reassurance. Just stay very still.
I'm out in the open.
I know. He's going to spot you, but he won't believe what he's seeing.
I'm bait?
He smiled at the outrage in her voice. He doesn't have a gun.
How do you know? What happened to me being so important?
You saddled me with four kids. I'm not certain your worth outweighs that particular transgression.
Cahill rounded the long line of pipes and came to a halt, his mouth open, staring at Airiana. Before he could move, or make a sound, Maxim came up behind him and pressed a gun into the back of his neck.
"You've seen me before, Cahill," Maxim said softly, keeping the thread of sound between them. "You know I have no problem ending you. Call your friend. Be very careful what you say. I killed the Swede and his buddy, so no on
e's going to rescue you. Just keep your temper in check and you'll come out of this alive."
Cahill swallowed hard several times. His face had gone bright red and his fingers curled into two tight fists. "Lance." He raised his voice. "Lance, I need a little help over here."
"Can't you do anything yourself?" Lance called back. "I'm on a coffee break, like the Swede." He laughed heartily at his joke.