Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 21 - Part 4||

"First, we need to find the keys. I don't think I'll be able to pick the locks on all of these."

Hagakure nodded. Momo stood and helped her up. She glanced at the bodies lying still on the floor. "Can you look here? I'll go check the men outside."

Hagakure nodded, and Momo hurried back towards the entrance and froze.

There was only one body in front of the doors. A dark patch of blood pooled on the ground where the other man was supposed to be, but there was no body.

Momo jerked her head up and looked down the dark street; however, Momo didn't see anyone.

She swallowed over a tight throat and quickly knelt down to check the body of the other man for the keys. His chiton was empty. Her heart pounded in her chest, Momo could feel their time to free the slaves growing shorter.

She turned and rushed back inside. "Did you find the keys?"

Hagakure straightened and shook her head, expression tense. "They aren't here."

Dread twisted in Momo's stomach.

The men and women in the cages moaned and called out to her.

"What if they come back? Hurry up and free us."

"Free us!"

"Please..."

The prisoners' cries filled the warehouse, ricocheting off the stone walls.

Momo's chest rattled. Her mouth was dry; she swallowed and stared at Hagakure. "One of the men got away," she said in a low voice, so the men and women in the cages couldn't hear.

"What?"

"Two men were guarding the door. I thought I had taken care of both, but one wasn't there when I checked."

Hagakure's eyes flashed. Her expression showed similar panic as she realized the repercussions of the man having escaped. "I'll get him!" She started forward, but Momo raised her arm to block her.

"We don't have time. We have to get these people out of here first." Momo swallowed. "Can you pick locks?"

Hagakure nodded quickly.

"Start from the far end," Momo ordered. "I'll start here. Let me know if you have any trouble."

She hurried to the nearest cage and crouched down in front of the lock. Her hands were moist. She wiped them on her chiton and then, using the tip of her spear, began to work the lock.

After a few attempts, the door swung free. Momo's shoulders dropped with relief. Her fingers ached from the delicate operation of opening the mechanism.

"Get out of here as fast as you can and get away from the city," she called as she moved towards the next prison.

The slaves' feet pounded against the floor as they ran out of the doors.

In the distance, a low shout of alarm sounded.

Momo's heart felt like it dropped into her stomach. They had run out of time. It would be only a few minutes until forces were assembled to round up the escaped slaves.

Slavery was too profitable of a trade to the city for officials to overlook the escaped men and women. The slaves' best chance for freedom was to take advantage of the commotion and try to break through all at once.

Momo redoubled her efforts to unlock the other cages. The wooden door finally flung free, and the captured prisoners pushed out in a commotion.

Momo didn't wait. She stood and rushed to the next prison. She skidded and nearly fell as she reached the cage.