“Maria.”
“Do you know the other women?”
She shrugged and nodded but seemed uncertain.
“Inessa speaks no English,” she said, pointing at the next door.
“Can you translate? Tell her we’re getting you out and not to scream?”
She nodded, then crouch walked to the next door. That’s when I noticed she had a fucking dog collar on and her back was covered in angry red welts—some raw and open. I felt ill.
She frantically whispered through the next door. When I went to pick the lock, she cocked her head. Then she pointed at the wooden cabinet. I picked the lock and opened the doors to find five keys hanging on the inside of one door, and the rest of the cabinet filled with vicious-looking items. It was beyond BDSM. They were things designed to seriously harm someone.
When she pointed at the second key, I handed it to her, then took the third key to the third door. A dark-haired woman came out of that second door and clung to Maria. I avoided staring at their nudity.
I tossed Maria the fourth key and grabbed the fifth as I stuck mine in the lock of the third and asked, “Are there clothes in here anywhere?”
Maria went to the closet and pulled out several short silk robes. Inside, I cursed, but they were better than nothing. “Use the right switch,” Maria said, and I nodded.
The woman sat in the corner rocking with her back to the door and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. “I’m turning the light on. Can you come out? I’m here to help,” I repeated to her as I’d told Maria. Instead of the bright blinding light I’d shone on Maria, it was an amber-colored one.
Slowly her head turned. Her wheat-colored hair was tucked behind her ear, and she peeked over her shoulder at me. Gray-blue eyes damn near stared through my soul, but she didn’t make a move to come out.
“Eliska?” I asked and watched her eyes widen in surprise. Then she nodded.
“I’m here to take you home,” I said, and a tear ran down her cheek. “We need to hurry.”
Pressing one arm over her breasts, she crawled out on one arm and her knees, then curled in a protective position. I held my hand out to Maria for a robe. When she gave it to me, I draped it over Eliska’s shoulders, and she carefully put her arms through the sleeves. Not before I saw the bite marks on her, though.
“Jesus,” I whispered and immediately regretted that it slipped out because silent tears coursed down her cheeks.
“What about the last door?” I asked the women.
“There are only four of us right now. The fifth… she… she’s gone, and they haven’t replaced her,” Maria whispered.
I didn’t want to think about what that meant, because regardless, we were too late for her.
Looking into four sets of frightened eyes, I was torn. I was only supposed to bring Eliska. The rest would be rescued by the FBI when they came in. But what if something happened and they didn’t make it in time? Or the assholes running the house killed them when they got raided?
I couldn’t leave them.
Roughly, I rubbed my gloved hand over my mouth.
“Do you think you can keep up?” I asked them. They nodded. Barefoot, naked except for a flimsy, short robe, they were so desperate for freedom they were willing to leave like they were.
I pulled out the pistol strapped to my thigh, and Inessa gasped. “Shhhh,” I said, placing a finger over my lips. When Maria comforted her, I checked my weapon again.
“If I have to use this, please donotscream. I’m trying to get you out of here with the least amount of disruption. The people here outnumber us by a long shot.” They all nodded at my request. I motioned them to follow me.
“Is there a way out on this level that won’t set off an alarm?” I asked.
Maria appeared worried. “No.”
“Shit. Okay, we’re going out the way I came in,” I muttered. Except I would be completely visible to anyone we came across.
Hawk was going to fucking kill me—if we made it out alive.
“Stay close,” I told them, praying they’d listen as we started up the stairs.