Georgie squeezed his arm. “It’ll be alright. They’ll work it out.”
Josh gave her a weak smile.
Another scream tore through the night, weaker and shorter this time, sending a fresh burst of frozen spiders rushing over my skin. She was suffering horribly. “We have to go now,” I breathed.
Michael tried to call Rodney again, but still he received no answer.
Ethan turned to me, his features tight. “Do you have your weapons?”
I bobbed my head.
“Good, I’m going to carry you closer.” His lifted his eyes. “Josh, you carry Georgie. We will move quickly, but not so quickly we aren’t aware of any unpleasant surprises.”
“Front or back?” Josh asked Georgie.
“Back, and I’d crack a joke about that, but I’m not feeling very funny right now.”
“That makes two of us,” Josh said. “Also, I want to keep my tongue.” He squatted and Georgie clambered on.
I stepped behind Ethan and he squatted so I could climb on. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs around his waist.
“Hold on.” He moved so fast my body whipped back and my hands almost let go. The air rushed against my face, stinging my eyes and roaring against my ears. Michael ran in front, Josh at our side, his strides long and effortless as if he was floating.
I closed my eyes and tucked my face in the crook of Ethan’s neck, my breath bouncing off his skin and warming my face. I could swear he shivered.
Ethan placed me on the ground in front of a large metal door. Josh lowered a green-faced Georgie gently to her feet. She staggered, her hand bracing against a wall as she sucked in breaths, fighting not to be sick.
We all paused.
The wind rose suddenly, wailing against the huge brick structure, catching loose guttering in its teeth then snapping it back down again.
Michael turned to Ethan, his hands braced on his shoulders. “Whatever you see, do not go for him, Ethan. In his rage, he may not be able to control himself.”
Ethan’s teeth clenched, a low snarl slipping out of him. “I can’t promise.”
“You must, or you wait here. We need to talk him down, not rile him further.”
Ethan drew in a slow, deep breath and grated, “Fine.”
Another gut-wrenching scream jerked my entire body.
Michael turned to me. “I must warn you. You will not like what you will see. The man in there may behave in ways that are nothing like the one you know.”
The screaming as if she was being ripped apart was brutal enough to tell me whatever he was doing would be horrific.
“I know,” I whispered.
“He will do whatever he thinks he needs to do to flush Sarah from hiding.” Michael’s jaw was taut as he opened the unlocked door.
We stepped inside. The warehouse was huge, with high ceilings that were crisscrossed with different-sized pipes, red brick walls, and small, framed windows barred by thin black rails that allowed scant moonlight to seep across the room.
Ahead, light foamed at the end of a long hallway.
Georgie’s footsteps seemed to pound on the concrete, each echoing between the sparse walls to announce our arrival. Josh swept her up into his arms.
A ferocious, furious voice rumbled from somewhere ahead. A voice I knew but barely recognized.
“Please, stop,” a woman sobbed. “Please, you don’t have to do this.”
