Rose Pt. 05

It wasn't a garage... It was a concrete room, with what looked like a set of stocks, an axe and an industrial meat grinder with a platform above it... While the room was clean, there was still a few obvious marks on one side of the stocks, that told me whoever carried out the deed, wasn't always the most accurate. After all, they did to these poor women, they couldn't even guarantee a quick and painless death... Stifling my anger I closed the door and started my search on the rest of the house. Stepping around the corner, I came face to face with the man from earlier. He opened his mouth to yell, but my fist caught him in the throat before he could utter a sound. Now, coughing and gasping for air, I drove my fist into his diaphragm. The man collapsed on the ground, unable to breathe through a combination of crushed windpipe and distressed diaphragm. I grabbed him under the arms and dragged him back to, what I could only assume was the recycling room. Closing the door behind us, I was thankful that the concrete would keep the room well insulated for sound.

The man struggled as I dragged him up the loading ramp for the meat grinder. But a couple of quick punches to the stomach and groin and the man was in too much pain to continue. Dragging him up the last couple steps, I pushed him into the grinder, where he found himself wedged with his legs holding him just above the grinding wheels. I just turned to the industrial scale remote beside me and hit the green button. The man still couldn't breathe properly, but he defiantly kept himself safe. Drawing my pistol, I aimed for his lower calf and squeezed the trigger. The sudden pop wasn't clearly heard over the sound of the machine. But neither was the gurgles he made in agony as the bullet tore through his leg. But still, he held...

Aiming lower, this time I shot him in the thigh. His eyes opened wide in panic as his leg fell limp. I watched in grim satisfaction as his body, now unstable, rolled, allowing his injured leg to be caught in the teeth of the gears. The man's face twisted in agony for only a few seconds, before he was pulled abdomen, then torso through the meat grinder. His last sight would have been my blank stare as I put down another animal. Shutting down the machine, I made my way back out and turned the corner as I had a few minutes prior. Straight ahead, was a slightly ajar door with the words 'Doc Brown' written on it. This was obviously my next stop... Any doctor that would aid these bastards deserved no less...

What I didn't expect, however, as I pushed open the door, was for Doc Brown, to be a beautiful young woman. She was standing in the centre of the room, staring at me in shock. But as I raised my gun, she put up her hands and I paused.

"Please, don't shoot me," she said softly, eyes open wide with terror.

I was about to demand why I should let her live when she shifted and I heard the clank of metal. That's when I spotted the chain around her ankle linking her to a metal cot, bolted to the floor. It had obviously been there for a long time. The scars from chafing were clearly visible, as were the tissues she'd stuffed between the metal and her skin, to prevent it from getting worse. She was a victim too...

I lowered my weapon and moved closer to the terrified woman. "I'm getting you out, where's Jim and the other girl?"

The woman shifted uncomfortably, "they're... They're not girls, not technically-"

"I rescued 27586 a few days ago and named her Rose." I interrupted, "she's waiting outside in the getaway car for me to come back with her sisters. If you want to come with, I need to know where the short brunette is." I didn't want to growl, but I needed to do this fast.

Doc Brown just stared at me, "you're not the police?"

"No, ex-special forces. I'm here alone. The three wranglers are dead. Now I just need Jim and we can all leave."

Doc Brown seemed to stand a little taller now. "Head back out and keep moving down the hall. His office is the last door on the left. Inside you'll find his computer and a set of master keys to release everyone. But he will be with 27589 in the door opposite. You have to hurry, the buyer will be here any minute. I just finished cleaning her up from when Jim interrogated her about... Rose, escaping."

I nodded my thanks and crept back out of the room. I quickly checked the only other door in the hallway, revealing a basic bathroom. As expected it was empty, so I moved on. The door on the left, as Doc Brown said, was an office. Sure enough, on the desk, was a chunky laptop... Which looked kinda military... A quick search of the room and I found a set of keys. Stuffing them in my pocket, it was time to meet the boss. Not worried about stealth this time, I planted my boot beside the door handle. With a bang and a spray of splintered wood, the door flew open, revealing what was inside.

There was 27589, naked and sprawled out over a large stuffed unicorn. Between her and myself, was the middle-aged man I'd photographed the previous day, holding a camera. The two of them stared at me in shock for a split second, before Jim suddenly lunged for the brunette. Acting on instinct, I fired a round, shattering his knee before he'd made three steps. He collapsed, screaming in pain, a metre short of the young woman, who stared at him in terror. I just grabbed him by the good leg and dragged him back out of the room and into his office. Grabbing the laptop, I stuck it in his hands.

"Password," I growled.

"Fuck-"

I cut him off with a second-round in the soft muscle of his thigh. "Password!"

Once he'd regained his composure, he typed in his password. Sure enough, it was military hardware. I quickly found the password reset and changed it to something I could remember. This would be useful, as these laptops were almost impossible to trace. They changed their IP address automatically and bounced their signals around the globe, making them almost impossible to trace. Satisfied I had everything I needed, I stood up and shot Jim with the remainder of my magazine in the chest. Reloading, I took the laptop and moved back to check the brunette.

I found her hiding behind the stuffed unicorn. When she saw me, she looked scared, but there was a strength to her, just like Rose.

"Please, don't hurt me." She said in a soft voice. "I'll be a good cow, promise."

My heart just about broke. "It's okay. You're safe now. I rescued 27586 and now I'm rescuing you and your sister."

Her eyes just about bugged out of her head. "Really?"

She seemed to lose her fear of me rather quickly, so I gently took her hand and helped her stand. She was still very naked... But sure enough, there was a chain around her ankle. Bending, I found the appropriate key and released her. Just as I heard tires on gravel as a vehicle pulled up out front. Taking her by the hand, I smiled reassuringly and lead her from the room. Swinging into Doc Brown's office, I made it inside, just as I heard someone knocking on the front door.

"Quick, we gotta go," I said, reaching for the lock on her ankle.

Doc Brown had spent the time here packing. It looked like she had an old school bag filled with different medical supplies, a couple of books and an old teddy bear poking out the top... I had no idea how long she'd actually been here... Pressing my finger to my lips in an 'shh' motion, I lead the two ladies out of the room. The knocking on the front door was getting frantic now and I wanted to get out the back. We got the back door open, just as whoever was at the front, decided to kick it down. I pushed Doc Brown and the brunette through the door and spun around in the same movement. Raising my pistol, I fired twice through the open door. The scream I heard, told me I'd hit someone.

Racing out the door, I grabbed the ladies and dragged them to the barn. Shooting the padlock, I handed the keys to the doctor.

"Get the last one, she's chained in the middle of the room," I said to the doctor. Turning to the brunette, I smiled, "hide behind me, get ready to run. I promise I'll keep you safe." That smile almost melted my heart.

Sudden voices caught my attention, and I spotted a face peering out of the back door. In a flash, I raised my pistol and fired a couple of rounds. I didn't really expect to hit anything at this range, but the splintering wood and bullet fragments must have hit something because he cried out in pain and ducked back inside. I smiled grimly, thinking how much better off I'd be if I brought my M4.