Chapter 13
After the initial few nights at the new place, she was led out the back door to what looked like a dog kennel. She had water, and a bucket to pee in, but the floor was cement, and there was no bed, nothing to get comfortable. They were treating them like animals.
At least they had fans and were in the shade, so the blistering sun didn't burn her to a crisp during the day.
At night, the winds were chilly, and all she had was a thin sheet to cover up with.
After she ate the food they'd given her, she stretched out, closing her eyes so she could at least pretend to try to sleep.
She didn’t know how long she’d been lying there when a noise sounded off to the left. She rolled to her side, searching the darkness. There were few lights in the back area where they were kept. She suspected they didn’t want any of the guests to the place to discover how they were really treated.
Was that movement she saw, or were her eyes playing tricks on her? She squinted, trying to make out the shadows, when a light came on at the back of the main building, catching her attention. What was going on?
Apple had gone to work like a normal day, but when they'd left, they'd piled into two cars after dropping them off at their homes and headed to Nevada.
Now they were dressed in black, their identities obscured as they prepared to sneak onto the compound and rescue Amelia.
They'd arrived with enough time to set up in the hills above the range and watch.
They knew exactly where Amelia was located and planned on going down close to midnight.
There were six women in total being kept in the pens. He suspected all six were women who had gone missing from their lives and were being held against their will. No one would voluntarily live in a cage like they had these people in.
As the time counted down, his worry grew. The place seemed quiet, but was it too quiet? What if their surveillance had already picked them up? Could they actually sneak onto the property and rescue Amelia without being caught?
Sharp was in charge of this mission, and they moved out when he directed. Apple was close to the rear, fighting every urge to rush forward. Drawing attention to himself wouldn’t save Amelia.
He was about five yards from the cage where she was being kept when a flood light flashed on. His heart rate spiked, and he feared they were going to call the whole thing off, but Sharp waved them forward and picked up the pace.
Amelia moved to sitting as they approached then she stood. When Griz started cutting the fence wires, she stepped back. Apple kept watch on the main building, waiting for movement. Nothing happened until Griz pulled the fence wires back, making a hole big enough for Amelia to get through.
Then, it sounded like a pack of dogs had been released on them. They had just the thing, industrial pepper spray to stop an attack. They also had zappers to shock any dogs that got too close. He hated hurting the dogs, but zapping and spraying was better than killing them.
Amelia was right behind him. Maybe she didn't recognize him, or maybe she did, but she said nothing as they raced away from the house and the light.
They were lucky, and the dogs didn't follow them into the hills.
Amelia was slowing them down, so Griz picked her up and carried her, then Squat took a turn, carrying her before it was Apple's turn. That's when she realized who he was.
“Avery Owens. What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t leave you in that place.”
“How did you find me?”
“It’s a long story. Once we’re out of here, I’ll tell you.”
“Lainey?”
“She’s safe.”
She clung to him, tears slipping down her cheeks. They'd really found her. She was free. They had a lot to work through, but at least she was free, and they could work through their issues.
Amelia couldn’t believe Avery was here to rescue her.
She’d thought she would die in that place.
How had her ex found her? There were so many questions flying through her mind, but they were focused on escaping.
She hated that she was slowing the guys down so they had to carry her, but she had no shoes and couldn’t go fast. She doubted she could keep up with them even if she had shoes. They were very fit and moved fast.
They’d been running for about twenty minutes when the guys took off to the left, and then slowed. She was still in Avery’s arms when they switched to a walking pace.
“I can walk.”
He shook his head. “No. You still don't have shoes, and the ground has rocks and fallen limbs with thorns. Your feet would be torn up.”
“Our vehicles aren’t too far from here,” one of the other guys said.
They stopped about two minutes later when they approached two cars. One of the guys popped the trunk and handed over a shirt and shorts. Relief slid through her as she pulled on the shorts first then the shirt. They gave her a bottle of water then Avery led her to the back door of one of the cars.
“Get in,” Avery said.
“Who are you all?”
The guys glanced around, and Avery took her hand and helped her into the back seat. “Let's get out of this area, then we'll talk.”
Amelia settled in the backseat, glad to be free. She couldn't think too deeply about what had happened, or it would rock her foundation. She had to be good for Lainey.
Tears filled her eyes as she thought about her daughter. She’d feared she would never see her daughter again. Now she was headed home.
Relief filled her, and exhaustion hit. She woke to the car pulling to a stop out in front of a house. Avery opened the door, and she rubbed at her eyes, wondering if this was real.
“Where are we?”
“My place. I have to be up for work in a couple of hours, so we all need sleep. Come on in.”
They stepped from the car, and she told the guy who'd given her the clothes that she would get them back to him soon.
“Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll see you tomorrow afternoon, and we can talk more then.”
“Sure.”
She followed Avery inside and showered in the bathroom he’d shown her upstairs. She couldn’t believe she was free. Later, she would figure out everything, but for now, she was happy to no longer be captive.