Page 33 of The Ghost of Rage's War

‘Because you’re my family. That means something. Don’t do anything stupid, Carmelle. I’ll get food sent up. Stay here and keep fucking quiet,’ Volcano typed. After I read it, he deleted the words and then strode back through the door.

Volcano’s actions were enough of a surprise that he had jolted me from my dark thoughts. Was there hope, after all? Or was Volcano playing a sick game?

Several times, I’d seen him with another, smarter-dressed man. Well, I say smarter, he wore jeans and a tee, but he was clean and tidy. He did not wear a cut like the men downstairs, either. A couple of times, I’dseen him move as if to help me, but Volcano had stopped him each time. Was the other guy an exit plan for Volcano?

Honestly, I didn’t know, but I did know one thing. I couldn’t continue like this, and neither could the girls.

Carmelle - 3rdof February - 2019

I had foolishly got my hopes up. Volcano didn’t return that evening or the following day. Food never arrived until the evening. And the next day, upon waking in our prison again, I gave up. Volcano, it appeared, was also playing mind games, and my despair spiralled. My thoughts returned to where there’d they’d been a few days ago.

Suicide.

It was the easy way out. Because whatever waited for me and the two girls was going to be horrific, and I knew we’d suffer before the peacefulness of death. The urge to scream and rail against the unfairness of what was happening to us was nearly overwhelming. Images of our happy life kept flicking through my mind and I searched for any clue that this might happen. There hadn’t been any.

This entire nightmare had been unexpected, and the kids and I were trapped in hell. Because this wasworse than purgatory. Every little sound the girls made frightened me in case someone barged in. They’d learned pretty quickly not to cry or make happy noises. We weren’t living; we were existing, and my children deserved to run free.

They were beautiful babies and had been created with so much love. My mind kept wavering between Beau being dead or alive.

If he was alive and learned what I had done, he’d follow us, I’d no doubt. But if Beau was dead, we’d be together as a family again. That would be perfect. The problem was trying to move past killing my babies. Every time I thought about it, I felt sick. What kind of mother was I?

I’d no doubt our bodies would be dumped in an unmarked grave, but again, that was preferable to staying here and watching my children be hurt.

One man had already told me he was just waiting for permission from Fury to play with Shannon. And he didn’t mean play with toys. Shannon was two and a half. Who the fuck looked at a baby girl sexually?

It was beyond wrong. And the idea of that scum touching Shannon almost made me lose my head. And her screaming in pain made me heave. No. She’d be dead before that monster ever got near her. And Sadie. What would that paedophile do to her? Jesus, I was seriously considering killing my kids to save them. What type of creature was I becoming? How long did I leave it before acting?

If I acted too soon and someone come to rescue us, I’d have cut my girls’ lives short for nothing. If Iwaited and those monsters downstairs got their hands on them, oh God…

I leapt up, dashed into the bathroom, and threw up. There wasn’t much to be sick with, but somehow, I managed it. After five minutes, I leant back against the bath and moved my hair out of the way. Shannon stared at me, her eyes lifeless and her face pale. She’d not left this shithole for weeks. Months had passed, but I remained unaware of the date. I’d no idea what the time was either.

Wrath and his merry band of motherfucking assholes had cut me off completely. I’d no communication with the outside world; shit, we didn’t even have a TV in here. Each day was mind-numbingly boring, and it was slowly killing all of us. We were like the children in that book, the one where the mother locks her four kids in the attic and swans off to have a different life.

That was us now. Tragic flowers.

I stood up and brushed my teeth before crawling back into bed. There was nothing else to do. Closing my eyes, I began singing softly to the girls as I let happier times wash over me. Tonight, I’d be strong enough to do what I needed to.

Chapter Eight.

Carmelle - 3rdFebruary

The door swung open, and I startled awake. A huge hulking figure stood in the doorway, and I opened my mouth to scream.

“Don’t,” Volcano whispered, and I closed it quickly. “Pack shit for the baby, and let’s move. We are on a short window.”

Unsure if this was another mind fuck, I got up and packed everything Sadie would require.

“I’ll carry that and Shannon. Bring Sadie and keep them fuckin’ quiet. If we get caught, we’re all dead,” Volcano announced.

“Okay,” I whispered.

Shannon looked at Volcano, and he gave her a lollipop to suck on. Her eyes widened, and she snatched it and shoved it into her mouth. To my utter shock, Volcano smiled slightly and winked. Shannontucked her head into this hulking monster’s shoulder, and Volcano patted her back. What the fuck?

Volcano motioned for me to follow him. There were a few voices coming from the main room, but it wasn’t loud like usual. I guessed that meant it was very late at night. As we reached the bottom, Volcano beckoned me, and I crept behind him.

Silently, we walked along a corridor with doors in, and I assumed they were more bedrooms. Towards the end, Volcano opened one and shoved us in.

“Carmelle, I’ll be back for you. When you see me, open the window and crawl out,” he ordered.

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