Page 29 of Rush

“What’s wrong with them?” asked Ian.

“I think they’ve found something. Or someone,” said Sniff. He let the dogs take the lead as they smelled the wreckage, then began to dig. “Hold, boy. Hold. We don’t want you to cut your paws.”

Gabriel knelt down on the crumbled rock, leaning on all fours. The others were silent as they listened.

“H-help,” came the small voice.

“There’s someone in here!”

“Lift the rubble from the top,” said Noah. “Make a chain and pass it off before moving to the next piece.”

The men did exactly as he said, lifting massive blocks of stone and brick and moving them to the other side of the wrecked building. Every few moments, they would stop and listen, still hearing the pleading voice. Beast and Monster were aching to get inside, but it was still too dangerous. As a massive stone wall was lifted, Moose lay on his belly and stared into the darkness.

“Flashlight,” he called, reaching backward. Red slapped the lantern into his hand, and he shone the light down the dark hole. Looking up at him were huge brown eyes, the face barely visible with all the dust.

“Hold on, we’re going to get you out of there,” he said. The eyes nodded, and the men began moving quicker. When the body became visible, they realized it was a young woman. She was dressed in Western-style clothing but appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent.

“Where are you hurt?” asked Moose.

“I-I’m not sure,” she said. “My leg is trapped, but I can’t feel if it’s damaged or not. What day is it?”

“Wednesday,” said Moose.

“I’ve been in here for four days,” she said as she started to cry. “I’m sorry. I think I’ve messed my pants.” Moose chuckled, shaking his head.

“Honey, I would have shit my pants too, if I’d had a building fall on me. You’re alright.” A few moments later, the debris was moved, and Moose crawled down into the hole, checking the woman’s injuries.

“How bad?” asked Nine.

“Leg is broken, maybe her pelvis. Get me a backboard so we can get her out of here.” Alec and Noah created a makeshift backboard from a door, tying the woman down then lifting her from the hole. Once above ground, they began giving her water, wiping the dirt from her face.

“I can’t believe you found me,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought I was dead.”

“You’re American?” asked Gaspar.

“Yes. I was born in America, but my parents are from Turkey. They asked me to come and check on my aunt and uncle. I couldn’t find them, but I was searching this building when it suddenly crumbled during an after-shock.”

“What’s your name?” asked Moose.

“Ece. Pronounced like s-e, two letters,” she grinned. “I’m really starting to hurt now.”

“Moose, take her back to Istanbul and get her medical treatment. Red? You go with them. We’ll let you know where to meet us,” said Nine.

“Okay, beautiful Ece, your ambulance awaits. It has bad shocks, no cushion to the seats, and rotten tires. But we’ll get you there. One way or another,” grinned Moose.

The men watched as Moose and Red took off back toward the city with Ece. That was one lucky woman, but they’d spent nearly three hours getting her out of that hole. Moving quickly to the side of the hill, Trak was staring at them like they were late for Sunday church services.

“We found a girl in the rubble,” said Sniff. “I mean, Monster and Beast found a girl in the rubble. Moose and Red are getting her to the hospital.” Trak nodded, then pointed down into the valley below.

Exactly as they’d been told, there was an abandoned wool factory with some of the corrugated sides gone, filled with young men and boys. They appeared to be between the ages of thirteen and thirty, many so thin they could barely stand.

“Are they there willingly?” asked Baptiste. He no sooner finished his sentence when a man slashed a boy with a bullwhip, his cry echoing through the valley. Alec stiffened, turning to his older brother.

“I think that answers your question.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“How many guards?” asked Nine.

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