Page 37 of Cowboy
"I overheard Mr. Blackwood on the phone," Maria explains in a hushed voice. "They're coming to collect what he owes them, and..." She hesitates, her eyes darting to the sleeping Saoirse. "They're interested in the merchandise here."
A chill runs down my spine. "When?" I ask, my mind already racing with possibilities. This could be our chance to escape, but it could also mean even worse danger.
Before Maria can answer, gunfire fills the air. “They’re here,” I breathe.
The sound of gunfire sends a jolt of adrenaline through my body. I quickly scoop up the now-awake and terrified Saoirse, holding her close.
"Maria, what do we do?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Maria's eyes are wide with fear, but there's a determination in them I haven't seen before. "We need to get out of here. This might be our only chance."
I nod, my mind racing. "But how? The guards..."
"They'll be distracted by whoever's attacking," Maria says. "If we're careful, we might be able to slip away in the chaos."
Just then, we hear heavy footsteps in the hallway. Maria presses a finger to her lips, motioning for us to be quiet. We hold our breath as the footsteps pass by our door.
"Now," Maria whispers. "We need to move now."
With Saoirse in my arms, we creep out into the hallway. The sound of gunfire is louder here, punctuated by shouts and the occasional scream. My heart is pounding so hard I'm sure it'll give us away.
We make our way down the stairs, pausing at each corner to check for danger. When we reach the ground floor, we see bodies, guards, lying motionless on the marble floor. I turn Saoirse's face away, shielding her from the gruesome sight.
"This way," Maria hisses, leading us toward the kitchen. "There's a back door..."
But as we enter the kitchen, we find we're not alone. A group of men, heavily armed and dressed in black, are there. They turn as we enter, their weapons raised.
"Well, well," one of them says, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Looks like we've found some of the merchandise."
I clutch Saoirse tighter, my body tensing to run. But there's nowhere to go. We're surrounded.
"Please," I say, my voice shaking. "We're not merchandise. We're people. Let us go."
The man laughs, a harsh, mirthless sound. "Sorry, love. But you're worth far too much to let go. Besides, our buyer is particularly interested in fresh stock from this location."
My blood runs cold at his words. We're not being rescued. We're being stolen.
Before I can react, one of the men grabs Maria, while another reaches for me. I try to fight, to hold onto Saoirse, but a sharp pain explodes in my head and everything goes black.
When I come to, I'm in darkness. The air is stale and I can feel the vibration of an engine. A truck, maybe? Or a plane? I try to move, but my hands are bound behind my back.
"Saoirse?" I call out, my voice hoarse. "Maria?"
"I'm here," I hear Saoirse's small voice whisper from somewhere to my left. "I'm scared, Caoimhe."
"It's okay, sweetheart," I say, trying to keep my voice calm despite the fear churning in my gut. "I'm here. We'll be okay."
"Maria?" I call out again, but there's no response. My heart sinks. I hope she's alright, wherever she is.
The vehicle we're in suddenly lurches to a stop. I hear muffled voices, then the sound of doors opening. Bright light floods in as the back of the truck is opened, momentarily blinding me.
"Alright, ladies," a gruff voice calls out. "Time to move. And don't try anything stupid. We won't hesitate to hurt the kid if you do."
My blood boils at the threat, but I know I can't risk Saoirse's safety. As my eyes adjust to the light, I see we're at some kind of airfield. A small private jet waits nearby.
Rough hands grab me, hauling me to my feet. I stumble, my legs weak from being bound for so long. As they push me toward the plane, I catch sight of other women being herded in the same direction. My heart sinks as I realize how many of us there are.
"Caoimhe," Saoirse whimpers as they push us up the steps into the plane.
