21. Iris
Iris
I don’t have time to share my plan because the warehouse door is thrown open and an older man comes in with Kyle and Matteas.
I glance over at Brent who shrugs. Does that mean he’s never seen this man? He’s tall and broad with grey cropped hair and a grey moustache. His eyes are ice blue and his expression tells me this is the last place he wants to be.
‘Are they all ready to be moved?’ the man asks, and I detect an eastern European accent.
Matteas nods. ‘Yes, sir.’
‘And Kyle, you’ve organised the transportation?’
‘All done, mate. Sorry, Gregor.’
‘You can call me sir,’ he says, and the look he gives Kyle could kill.
‘Sorry, sir.’
‘I can’t believe the mess you have made of this organisation. Can’t trust anyone these days,’ Gregor says to no one in particular.
So, there’s now Kyle, Matteas, the guard outside that Brent mentioned and now this guy, Gregor.
Four. There could also be drivers, and God knows who else outside.
There are too many unknowns. Even if I had a chance to communicate my plan with Brent, it wouldn’t matter, I’ve lost all confidence.
I feel deflated. I picture Billy, Sadie and Lara and wonder how they are.
Hopefully, they have no idea what’s going on and are going about their day as usual.
Mummy’s just on a little holiday. I look around at the children behind the bars, innocent lives that will never be the same again.
It definitely hasn’t been a holiday for them.
A ringing breaks the near silence of the warehouse and Matteas brings a phone to his ear. His mouth turns into a straight line, his eyes widening. ‘Okay,’ he says, and hangs up. He turns to Gregor and Kyle. ‘The police are ten minutes out.’
‘Fuck,’ Gregor says, and the three of them rush out the door of the warehouse.
As soon as the door closes behind them, Brent speaks. ‘That’s the boss. Flown in from America, but originally from Russia. He’s dangerous. Like seriously dangerous.’
‘The police are ten minutes away, it’s fine,’ Carly says.
My heart aches for her naivety. ‘Carly, Taj, why don’t you start a whisper chain and tell the other kids to get ready to move from their cell. Tell them not to be frightened.’
They do as I ask, and I turn back to Brent. ‘Will they get here in time?’
‘It’ll be touch and go. Fourteen kids, plus two adults loaded in ten minutes, which they’d want to get done in at least seven.’ He rubs at the stubble on his chin, still tinged red with his blood.
‘You’re not telling me something.’
He drops his voice lower. ‘I don’t know what they’ll do with you and me. We’re dead weight. No use to them.’
Shit. I hadn’t even thought of that, but I can’t let the thought take life and expand because I need to get home. I must get home. ‘We’ll delay them. The police will make it,’ I say, trying to convince the both of us.
The three men come back moments later and unlock the cells.
This time they’re armed. They were probably armed before but they’re making a real show of it now.
It’s a stupid strategy in my opinion because children don’t tend to be scared into submission, a gentle approach is best. And on cue, there are screams and the sound of children crying.
‘Everybody out and straight into the truck outside. Now.’
No one moves.
Gregor aims his pistol at the roof of the warehouse and fires a shot. Some of the bigger children move, running as much as is possible when you’re malnourished and have barely moved your body for God knows how long.
The younger kids are still frozen.
‘Six minutes,’ Matteas calls from the warehouse door. ‘Five assets on board.’
Gregor strides up to Taj and Brent’s cell. He lifts the gun to Taj’s head.
‘No!’ Carly screams. ‘Stop!’ She runs out of her cell. ‘Come on, Taj. Please come.’
Gregor grabs Taj’s upper arm and yanks him out of the cell before kicking him in the back toward Carly.
Carly helps him to his feet and they run outside. That leaves seven little ones. All no older than five years old. Probably a similar age to Billy.
The maternal rage inside me takes over. ‘Leave the kids. You’re out of time. Take Brent and I.’
Brent’s body sags in the cell next to me. I wish I didn’t have to throw him under the bus.
‘Sir, five minutes. Seven on board.’
‘Fuck!’ Gregor shouts. He moves toward me and grabs me by my arm and brings the gun to my head. ‘Fine, you two get in the truck.’
Brent doesn’t move.
He’s going to get me killed. I stare at him, tears in my eyes, terror in my blood, the cold end of a pistol to my temple.
Gregor turns the gun to Brent, and Brent instantly raises his hands. ‘Okay, okay, I’m moving. What about the kids though?’
‘None of your damn business.’
Gregor continues to hold me by the arm, his fingers digging into my skin, while pointing the gun at Brent. We walk towards the door.
‘Kyle, get the kids out of the truck,’ Gregor says. ‘Lock them back inside.’
‘What?’ Matteas protests. ‘They’ve seen our faces. They know our names.’
‘Kyle, get them inside,’ he repeats, shooting a warning glare at Matteas.
The kids begin moving back inside the warehouse until the truck is empty again. Sirens can be heard in the distance and I allow the tiniest bit of hope in. Maybe they’ll make it in time. Gregor’s hold on the gun is tightening, he is clearly pissed off and doesn’t know his next move.
‘Alright, Matteas, take the pig and the bitch in your car and drive to the meeting place.’
‘Can’t we just kill them? We don’t need them and they know who we are.’
My heart stops. This is what we were afraid of. It feels like minutes tick by but it must only be seconds before Gregor shakes his head.
‘He’s a cop. She’s a cop’s wife. They could come in handy later.’
A small sigh escapes me and Gregor’s grip tightens, reminding me this isn’t even close to over. They’ve only agreed to not kill you now. Who knows what’ll happen later.
‘Kyle, make sure all the kids are accounted for in there, and then light the place up.’
‘What?’ Kyle says. ‘No, that’s not part of our agreement.’
Gregor looks at him, his blue eyes icier than before. His hand doesn’t let go of my arm, but he slowly moves his gun so it’s pointing at Kyle now, not Brent.
‘Our agreement also didn’t involve you bloody working alongside a cop. I asked you to burn the place, do it.’
‘I never agreed to kill a kid.’
‘No, you only happily kidnap them and feed them before we sell them to the highest bidder. Bravo, Kyle, you’re a hero.’
Kyle looks like he’s about to protest again before Brent lunges for Gregor’s firing arm.
He wrestles Gregor, both of them with a hand on the gun.
In the struggle, Gregor lets go of me and I run back towards the warehouse.
I only get a few metres before Matteas tackles me to the ground and gravel scrapes my face and arm.
‘I told my wife to stay away from you,’ he says, as he drags me up, my arms pinned behind my back.
He leads me to his car and that’s when the gun goes off. I look over my shoulder in time to see Brent slump to the ground. Gregor aims the gun at Kyle. ‘You’ll never disobey me again.’ Kyle falls, a perfect red circle in his forehead.
My legs give way beneath me. ‘Brent!’ I scream. But he’s not moving.
Gregor drags their bodies into the warehouse before grabbing a jerry can from the truck. He pours it in front of the entranceway.
Matteas piles me into the trunk of a car. The sirens are getting closer. He slams down the lid but not before I see Gregor pull out a lighter. I scream, banging my fists into the side of the car. He can’t burn the place down—not with fourteen children, plus Brent and a dead Kyle inside.