Thick bars greeted my eyes—but it was what they held inside that caught my attention. Lying on her side, a woman was curled into a ball in the corner, her hands and feet tied, her head tucked down. She was immobile and motionless. Despite the warmer air outside, the small box she was in was frigid.
At the sound of the door opening, she didn’t move.
“My name is Marcus,” I said, running my hands over the bars, looking for a lock. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help.”
She didn’t stir. I crouched down, making myself eye level with her. “I’m going to get you out.” There was still no movement, no sign she even knew I was there.
I grabbed my radio. “Damien. Find the leader. Look in his pockets for keys. Look in the office if they aren’t there.”
The radio crackled a few moments later. “Got them.”
“Third floor. Hurry,” I snapped.
“I’ll have you out in a minute,” I promised. “We’ll get you warmed up and somewhere safe.”
She still didn’t move—not even a twitch. I couldn’t even tell if she was breathing. The bars were backed up with a metal mesh inside, so I couldn’t get my hand inside to find out. “If you can hear me, move something. Anything.”
It was slight. Barely a twitch, but her feet moved, hitting the wall, and suddenly I understood the sound I had heard. She’d been trying to get someone’s attention. My attention.
Damien arrived, Leo following him, their faces shocked when they saw what I was looking at. Leo held the light high, and I used the keys Damien brought, sliding one in and opening the door.
“Get me blankets, Leo. Water. Now.” I looked at Damien. “Tell Egan to double-check. Make sure there are no more of these godforsaken cages hidden in the walls up here.”
They hurried away, and I leaned into the cage, ignoring the smell.
“I’m going to lift you out of here. I promise you that you are safe. I will not harm you.”
She was tiny and frozen in my arms. Her skin was damp with sweat and cold, her bones showing through at her wrists and knees as I carried her to the bed. I grabbed my knife, cutting through the rope that bound her hands and feet, then grabbed the blanket off the bed, wrapping it around her. Unable to do much else, I picked her up in my arms and sat back on the bed. Her shallow breathing became faster, her anxiety building. I rocked her, murmuring assurances. That she was safe. That she would be looked after. I rambled comforting words until Leo appeared. He handed me two more blankets, a bottle of water, and then lifted his other arm.
“There was coffee in the office. I added sugar. I thought maybe the warmth…?”
“Good idea,” I said, reaching for the cup. “Tell Egan I’ll be down shortly. No timer until I do.”
“Gotcha.” He turned and hurried away.
I spoke quietly. “Sweetheart, I need you to tip your head back so I can get some warm coffee in you, okay? Can you do that?”
Slowly, her head tilted up, her heavy, matted hair hanging around her face. I pressed the cup to her cracked lips. “Sip this if you can. One little sip.”
Her mouth worked, the liquid disappearing. She made a low sound of distress, and I brought the cup back to her mouth, letting her drink the warm liquid. A few moments later, she pulled back, and I set the cup on the table beside the bed. Carefully, I pushed the hair from her face, frowning at the bruises and marks I could see among the dust and dirt etched into her skin. Her body trembled in my grasp—partly, I was certain, from cold, and part from terror. I could help with the cold; the terror would take a long time to overcome.
“Can you open your eyes?” I asked.
Slowly, they fluttered open, blinking and unsure. The irises were a pale green, soft and mossy. Set against the pallor of her face, they were stunning. I couldn’t tell her age, but the horror her eyes held made her seem old, even though I knew her not to be. Our gazes locked, and I lifted my hand, stroking her cheek with my finger. “You are safe, sweetheart. I will not hurt you. My men will not hurt you,” I repeated.
Her mouth opened, lips forming a word, but no sound came out. I was certain she was asking who.
“I’m Marcus,” I said again. “My team came here to rescue the people being held against their will. And I found you.”
Thank God, a voice in my head said. If we didn’t use heat source detection or I hadn’t felt something was awry in the room, she would have died in the explosion. Simply the thought of it made my arms tighten. I pulled another blanket around her, tucking it under her chin. I opened the bottle of water and let her sip from it. The effort it cost her was great, and she was panting once she finished swallowing a few sips.
“I’m taking you to a safe place now.”
Her eyes watched me, scared and wary.
“You will not be hurt. You’ll be protected. You will get medical attention, clean clothes, and help. Food, water, whatever you need.”
I was shocked when her shaking hand slid out of the blanket and fisted in my shirt. I stared at her—this tiny, broken woman in my arms. She had been locked away for a purpose. Kept separate from everyone else. I had no idea what she had experienced, except I knew it had to be horrific. I covered her hand with my own. “Protected,” I repeated.
She opened her mouth and made a sound. With a start, I realized she had said the word “you.” She was asking me if I was going to protect her.
I started to assure her she was going to be well looked after by a team of professionals. Except as I looked at her, a strange feeling began in my gut. If she’d been locked away, that meant someone might be looking for her. The danger she had already faced might not be the greatest danger she had to overcome.
There was only one person who could really protect her.
I met her terrified gaze. “Yes,” I said. “I will protect you. No one will touch you as long as I’m around.”
I radioed Damien. “Have the car ready. Blast the heater.”
“Right.”
“Tell Egan to go ahead with the timer as soon as I’m out.” I stood.
She pushed against me, the movement weak but still startling me.
“I won’t hurt you.”
She shook her head, looking defeated. She wanted something but was unable to say it.
“Show me.”
She touched the blanket I had pulled from the bed, the look of distaste clear on her face. Something about it bothered her. I set her down, making short work of pulling it off her body. I re-tucked the other one around her, then pulled off my coat, wrapping it around her body. It was warm and covered her. I added the other blanket Leo had brought, making sure she was bundled. Then I picked her back up in my arms. Her head settled against my shoulder as if it was made to go there.
“I won’t let anyone near you,” I promised and headed downstairs, rushing to get her out of this horrible building. Wanting her as far away as possible.
I slid into the back seat, holding her close.
“Boss?” Damien asked, waiting for instructions.
“Everything set?”
“Yep. Egan is waiting in the car behind us to start it.”
“Tell him go. Take me home. Call Sofia and tell her we have a patient.”
His eyebrows shot up, but he knew better than to question my orders.