bunker is through the prison,” Kane finally said, sounding thoughtful.
“Yes.” She paused. “Your team got into the prison once. You can do it again, right?”
He shook his head, a lock of blond hair falling onto his strong forehead. “We went in there to get you. One person, Abby. You said there’s twelve, thirteen girls down there?”
She nodded. Tried desperately not to picture those dirty, terrified faces, but the image was burned in her mind.
“They’re taken care of, though,” she said. “The guardsgive them food and water, so they’re not starving or dehydrated. I think they can make it out without much help.”
“It’s too risky. We can’t go in the same way we did last time. We’d have to lead a dozen girls across that compound, get them to the fence and then run to the clearing. I’m sure Blanco beefed up security after we got you out. The compound will be swarming with guards. Chances are, most if not all the girls will be shot down, not to mention me and my team.”
He was right. Abby bit her lip, wincing when her teeth sank into a healing cut. Fortunately it didn’t rip open. She ran her tongue along the cut, soothing the ache. “Damn it. I was
in
that prison, Kane. I could have—”
“Done nothing,” he finished. A sharp laugh burst out of his chest. “I can’t decide if you’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met or the stupidest.”
Her nostrils flared. “I had a chance to get them out.”
“No, you didn’t. In your condition, you’d have been lucky to get the girls out of the prison without fainting.” When she tried to object again, he held up his hand to silence her. “We’d need to place someone on the inside.”
“I
was
on the inside,” she muttered.
Kane ignored the remark. “A bidder,” he said suddenly, his eyes becoming animated.
“Huh?”
“We need someone to pose as a prospective bidder. Someone who can get an invitation to the auction.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You want to pretend to be interested in buying a sex slave?”
“No, not me. It’ll take more than a week to get the kind of cover in place that we’d need for this to work. Besides, Devlin knows me. We need someone he won’trecognize.” His forehead creased in thought. “I think I know who could do it.”
“Who?” She couldn’t hide the urgency in her tone.
Without answering, Kane got to his feet. “Let me make a few calls and talk to the guys, okay?” Moving toward the bedroom door, he tossed a glance over his shoulder. “Go down to the living room and read a book or something. I might be a while.”
She shot up from the bed. “Wait—so you’re going to help?”
He hesitated in the doorway, his broad shoulders sagging a little. “Maybe,” he said, and then he was gone.
Maybe?
Abby stared after him in dismay, that feeling of helplessness once again rising in her chest. She’d been hoping for a more solid commitment from him. Noelle hadn’t seemed enthusiastic about the idea, which meant Kane and the men were her only option. She supposed she could call some of her colleagues, but Noelle’s chameleons rarely took on assignments without approval from the boss. Isabel might do it, if Abby played her cards right. Other than Noelle, Isabel Roma was probably the closest thing Abby had to a friend, but again, her participation would rely on what Noelle said to her.
Damn.
She left Kane’s bedroom and went back to her own, where she slid a pair of yoga pants up her legs, then changed into a loose yellow tank top. The welts caused by Devlin’s whip still hurt and tight clothing probably wouldn’t help them heal. Sleep might do the trick, but she was too wound up to go back to bed now. It was past one a.m. and she was wide-awake.
After pacing the guest room for a few minutes, she released a sigh and decided to follow Kane’s advice. Ittook her a few moments of wandering the enormous main floor before she finally found the living room. The sheer size of it made her
“Yes.” She paused. “Your team got into the prison once. You can do it again, right?”
He shook his head, a lock of blond hair falling onto his strong forehead. “We went in there to get you. One person, Abby. You said there’s twelve, thirteen girls down there?”
She nodded. Tried desperately not to picture those dirty, terrified faces, but the image was burned in her mind.
“They’re taken care of, though,” she said. “The guardsgive them food and water, so they’re not starving or dehydrated. I think they can make it out without much help.”
“It’s too risky. We can’t go in the same way we did last time. We’d have to lead a dozen girls across that compound, get them to the fence and then run to the clearing. I’m sure Blanco beefed up security after we got you out. The compound will be swarming with guards. Chances are, most if not all the girls will be shot down, not to mention me and my team.”
He was right. Abby bit her lip, wincing when her teeth sank into a healing cut. Fortunately it didn’t rip open. She ran her tongue along the cut, soothing the ache. “Damn it. I was
in
that prison, Kane. I could have—”
“Done nothing,” he finished. A sharp laugh burst out of his chest. “I can’t decide if you’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met or the stupidest.”
Her nostrils flared. “I had a chance to get them out.”
“No, you didn’t. In your condition, you’d have been lucky to get the girls out of the prison without fainting.” When she tried to object again, he held up his hand to silence her. “We’d need to place someone on the inside.”
“I
was
on the inside,” she muttered.
Kane ignored the remark. “A bidder,” he said suddenly, his eyes becoming animated.
“Huh?”
“We need someone to pose as a prospective bidder. Someone who can get an invitation to the auction.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You want to pretend to be interested in buying a sex slave?”
“No, not me. It’ll take more than a week to get the kind of cover in place that we’d need for this to work. Besides, Devlin knows me. We need someone he won’trecognize.” His forehead creased in thought. “I think I know who could do it.”
“Who?” She couldn’t hide the urgency in her tone.
Without answering, Kane got to his feet. “Let me make a few calls and talk to the guys, okay?” Moving toward the bedroom door, he tossed a glance over his shoulder. “Go down to the living room and read a book or something. I might be a while.”
She shot up from the bed. “Wait—so you’re going to help?”
He hesitated in the doorway, his broad shoulders sagging a little. “Maybe,” he said, and then he was gone.
Maybe?
Abby stared after him in dismay, that feeling of helplessness once again rising in her chest. She’d been hoping for a more solid commitment from him. Noelle hadn’t seemed enthusiastic about the idea, which meant Kane and the men were her only option. She supposed she could call some of her colleagues, but Noelle’s chameleons rarely took on assignments without approval from the boss. Isabel might do it, if Abby played her cards right. Other than Noelle, Isabel Roma was probably the closest thing Abby had to a friend, but again, her participation would rely on what Noelle said to her.
Damn.
She left Kane’s bedroom and went back to her own, where she slid a pair of yoga pants up her legs, then changed into a loose yellow tank top. The welts caused by Devlin’s whip still hurt and tight clothing probably wouldn’t help them heal. Sleep might do the trick, but she was too wound up to go back to bed now. It was past one a.m. and she was wide-awake.
After pacing the guest room for a few minutes, she released a sigh and decided to follow Kane’s advice. Ittook her a few moments of wandering the enormous main floor before she finally found the living room. The sheer size of it made her
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