Brandy Creek (Book Two Completed)

Part 7

Natalie

Bjorn leads us to the nearest house near one of the openings, to the back door and slowly opens it. Why they didn't lock their doors will be a mystery. He pushes it open and I follow the door inside, gun drawn, shoulders up and knees bent so I can make myself a small target. The back door opens to a small hallway that has a door to the left and turns to the left after. I crack open that door to just find a sizable pantry. I saddle up to the edge of the corner as Micah enters in after me, and Bjorn behind him. With the two men its cramped. I count to three before popping around the corner to find.. nothing. Just a little kitchen table inside of a little kitchen, a light on over the stove and a small living room to the right. It would of looked like the perfect little house except for the stack of beer cans and pile of dishes in the sink and along the counter.

The place has dirt, grime and trash pushed to the sides. There's a stair case across the floor from me, against the far wall. I move towards it, letting the guys clear all the corners of the first floor, which we could pretty much see from walking into the room. I swing my gun to follow the line up the stairs, the only light is from a window letting in the moon light. I test each step for creaking as I go up, then I turn left down the hall. There's three doors, only one open at the end that I can see is a bathroom from here.

Bjorn slides up to the first door as I aim my gun at it, he gives me a quick nod as he turns the knob and pushes it open. The room that the door opens to is small, a bed right in front of me the headboard against the middle of the wall and two people on it. One is a small women, in tattered clothing, clutching at a thin sheet sleeping at the edge of the bed. The other is a man, spread out on his back, snoring loudly. He's just in his pants, prison tats on full display. As I get closer I can make out a few in the moon light, the black ink against his pasty skin also helped. Most are a prison style, gang tats showing he's a proud member.

Micah walks past me, towards the man then motions for me to go over to the women. I move over to her, seeing bruises on her fair skin. Micah halters his gun then pulls a knife from his belt. His hand is placed onto the mans mouth, and in seconds before the sleeping drunk could register there's a knife shoved into his eye. His body jerks harshly in the bed and I see the women's eyes open.

I lunge forward to cover her mouth with my hand. She try's to scream, her voice is raspy and it barley makes any noise but she try's to move back. Bumping into the man next to her stops her from moving to far and I put a finger up to my mouth. She's panicked but I think she's beginning to see that I'm not one of the men who've been torturing her and the others. With wide fearful eyes she nods her head a few times.

Movement to my side catches both of our attention, I know its one of the guys but the women jerks her head around to where Bjorn had been and shes scooting herself to the headboard of the bed. I lightly touch her shoulder having her attention jerked to me again and I put my finger back up to my mouth. I point to Bjorn then Micah who walks towards the door, gun loosely at his side almost out of sight.

I give the women's shoulder a squeeze before I move aside to let her slip from the bed. Her body shakes as she moves to the wall, arms around her middle she watches us with wide eyes. At least she's not screaming anymore. Micah motions for Bjorn first, me second. We leave the room, hopefully the women would have the brains to stay behind and not try to make a run for it.

Bjorn makes it to the next door and I walk to the front of it when I hear a low raspy voice say. "Wait!"

Its the women who grabs Micah's arm, then recoils. He looks down to her and gives her a nod. She looks to me and I wait for her to walk over to where Bjorn is, giving him room so she doesn't brush up against him. He stops her from going for the door knob though and she pulls back. "Its just my friend in here, they broke her leg a few days ago. I've been trying to keep her safe."