Page 67 of Twin Threats In Austin
If this was some kind of trick to catch her off guard, she would deal with that too. Heart pounding, she made it to the small clearing.
The noises intensified. But this time, she recognized them as human.
“Cover me,” she said to Benny as she focused on finding the source. Walking straight into the light, she stepped on a wood plank.
Rochelle looked down. “I found something.”
Benny kept his gaze focused on skimming the area for any signs of movement while she checked for a trap. She found a trapdoor instead with a small gym lock on it.
“Hello?” she said into the slats. “Is there anyone down there?” She identified herself as law enforcement as muffled wails came from the other side of that door.
She crouched down beside the door and checked the lock. “I need something to break this open.”
Benny bent down while keeping focus on the woods, ran his hand along the ground until he found a rock and tossed it over. “It isn’t much.”
“Might work, though,” she said, using the rock to slam into the cheap device. The sounds from below intensified. “I’m not here to hurt you,” she reassured. “We’re here to get you out.”
There was more than one person down here. The thought she might have just found Justina gave her even more resolve to break this lock and get the people below to safety. She had no idea what condition either person would be in, so she steeled herself as she smashed the rock a third time. Turned out, three was her lucky number.
Immediately, she pulled the metal hood off the door lock. And then, she opened the door. The stench of urine and sweat slammed into her full force as she lifted the wooden barrier. Light filled the eight-foot-deep concrete hole.
Two women.
“Justina, I’m going to get you out of here and to safety, okay,” she reassured the women, who clung to each other as though for dear life. Dirty, tear-soaked faces stared up at her, drawing back from the light as though their eyes couldn’t take it.
Arms and legs bound, mouths gagged, they couldn’t make the climb as they sat huddled together. They looked weak, pitiful, but they were alive. They were safe.
Lifting them wasn’t an option for Rochelle. “Let’s trade places, Benny. You’re going to have to pull them out. I can’t.”
Rochelle stood up in time to see a figure dart behind a tree. She bit back a curse. Asher? He was the only one who would hide.
“Did you see that?” she asked Benny.
“I sure did,” he stated, moving to a nearby tree trunk to put some mass in between him and person hiding.
“It’s Kage,” the person shouted.
What the hell?
“Step out from behind the tree and let me see you, hands up,” Rochelle demanded, moving to a tree on the opposite side of the door. She and Benny exchanged a look that said they weren’t moving. These ladies deserved protection, and Rochelle would have to be forcibly removed from this sight before she would willingly abandon them. “Hang in there,” she said to them, hoping it was enough reassurance to tide them over.
“Don’t shoot,” he said.
From this distance, it looked like Kage. Sounded like Kage. But he had an identical twin.
“How do I know it’s you?” she asked out of desperation.
“We’ve been down this road before,” he said, and then whistled the tune.
He was wearing a blue flannel shirt and jeans earlier. This was Kage.
“Come toward us but keep your hands where we can see them,” she said. At this point, she had to risk trusting him. She turned toward Benny while keeping her gaze fixed on the man walking toward them. “Help the ladies, please.”
“Okay,” Benny said as he went to work.
She had no idea how the ladies would react to seeing a man. “My partner is going to help you out of here. I trust him and you can too.”
Kage approached as Benny struggled.
