“Get the bullet out,” I growl.
“What?” Bull asks.
“Get it out.”
“Boss, I can’t...”
Ace is beside me now, tearing into my shirt. He was the eyes of the situation, and if I had looked to him first, I wouldn’t have gotten fucking shot.
“We got to get this out,” Ace growls, “we’ve got minutes, if we’re lucky.”
Ace digs around in his jacket and pulls out a small knife. I look away, focusing my attention on Angel and Rusty gathering the girls quietly. Thankfully for us, those girls are doing as they’re told. Ace shoves the knife into my shoulder without warning and Bull stuffs a shirt into my mouth just as the agonized scream leaves my throat. The burning pain shoots down my arm, and for a moment I’m sure I’ll black out. My body begins trembling from pain, and my vision sways.
“All done, we got it.” Ace says, wiping the blood from his hands.
“Wrap it,” I order, hoarsely.
Bull digs through the pack on his back and pulls out a bandage. He tips raw alcohol onto my shoulder, and I let out a bark of pain. Ace shoves the shirt back into my mouth. Bull wraps it quickly and when it’s over I realize I’m on the ground. I didn’t even feel myself fall. I don’t remember the last few seconds. I guess I blacked out. It’s about fucking time, too. My body was late to the show on that one. Bull hands me two pills and I toss them into my mouth and wash them down with water. I’m thankful that the boys thought to pack a first aid kit in those bags.
“We gotta move, boss,” Ace says, his eyes scanning the trees. “Can you walk?”
I close my eyes for a second. I have to get up. I have to keep going. I shove to my feet, hissing in pain. I walk with trembling legs towards Angel and Rusty, who now have the girls in order. I stop in front of the girls and count them. Possibly one or two missing, but we don’t have time for that right now.
“Right, you ladies want to get out of here alive, you do as these guys ask.” I say in a thick, pained tone.
“We’ve got a boat,” Ace announces, “we’re going to take you all home and get you some help.”
I scan the woman as Ace says those words. Some seem to come to life, their eyes widening and hope flashes across their faces. Others just stare at the ground, completely broken. I don’t know if anyone will ever be able to put those girls back together again. There is only so much you can fix. But, at the very least, they’ll have a chance.
“Alright,” I say roughly, “onto the boat.”
The guys drag the boat back down to the shore and take the women, leading them towards it. That’s when one decides she doesn’t want to go. She opens her mouth, and she screams, then she spins and darts off towards the trees. Rusty is after her in a split second and he reaches her quite quickly. She doesn’t let up and continues to kick and thrash as he drags her back down. Screaming so loudly it’s almost deafening.
“Bull, knock her out. She’ll fuckin’ give us away,” I bark.
Bull pulls a bottle of chloroform out of his bag and rushes over. I have to look away as they tackle the poor woman to the floor. She’s scared, frightened, and sadly has come to know her masters here and possibly even thinks she loves them. I can’t imagine what that does to someone. Rusty lifts the slumped girl over his shoulder and carries her towards us.
Another thing they thought through was bringing something to sedate a person.
Clever fucks.
“Any more of you scream, and you’ll have the same thing happen. We’re here to help you, not hurt you.”
The other women don’t acknowledge me speaking. They just continue moving. God, they really are just broken bodies. There is no life left in any of them. No soul. We begin loading them onto the boat and settling them down beside each other. I turn and stare back at the island, hoping I’ve done enough. I’m about to climb onto the boat with the men when I hear someone call my name. I turn, squinting, and see Huck running through the trees towards me. What. The. Fuck.
How the hell did he get here?
“Jagger!”
I leap off the boat and rush towards him, wincing in pain as my body is forced to move. When Huck reaches me, he’s panting, bloody and terrified. Something is wrong, something is very fucking wrong. There is fear in his eyes, the kind of fear that makes my stomach twist and my body freeze.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Huck?”
“You can’t blow this island. You can’t.”