I glared at her. “Yes, you did. And you almost got yourself killed. If you think I’m going to just let that go, you have another thing coming.”
“But isn’t that what you did earlier for me?” She grinned innocently, as if she hadn’t almost just given me a heart attack.
“Touché, mi pequeña reina viciosa, just remember that when all of this is done, you will be punished.”
She kissed my cheek. Then her expression turned serious. “We can take a second if you need to process. Our men should be here soon.”
I took a deep breath. Catalina was safe, but we still had a job to do. “No. It’s better for me if I keep moving. Let me call our men to let them know what happened, then we’ll go to the bunker. And any surprises we come across we’ll handle,together.”
She nodded, linking her hand with mine. “Together.”
Catalinaand I dashed through the woods, using the dense foliage as cover in case Felipe's men were still alive. Reaching the bunker, we found five bodies strewn across the ground.
Anthony had likely killed them before doubling back to ambush us.
Apparently, he couldn't be loyal to anyone.
Catalina and I exchanged a glance. If Anthony had killed these men, had he killed the women, too?
I fished out the keys from one of the guard's pockets and opened the door.
The stench hit me first—a mixture of piss, shit, blood, and sweat. I stepped inside and when one of the women flinched, another scent became apparent, one that made my stomach churn. She'd been raped recently. And it sickened me even more to think it might have been Anthony's doing.
Dozens of women huddled in the far corner of a large cage, their bodies pressed together in a desperate attempt to hide them from being targeted. They were filthy, their clothes tattered, stained with blood and grime.
But it was their vacant eyes that broke my heart. There was no fear or hope there. But when their gaze slowly moved to Catalina, a flicker of emotion finally crossed their faces. Pity.
They think she’s going to be locked in here with them.
How could anyone do this? What these women had gone through...
"Lina," I whispered, my voice barely audible, "I'll unlock the cages, but I think I should stay outside." The last thing these women needed was another man in their space, even one here to help.
Catalina gulped beside me, then nodded stiffly. Together, we opened the cages, but the women didn't move.
My heart ached as I looked at them. We had saved their bodies, but it would take a long time before they found their souls again.
I stepped outside, leaving Catalina alone with them, and called Carlos.
"Carlos, things here are… they're bad. I need you to get any women who can stomach cases of sexual assault and trauma here to help. Tell them I'll pay them double, triple whatever they earn, anything they need, as long as they'll come. These women… they can't have men around right now."
"Okay." Carlos's voice was tinged with the same agony I felt. He took a deep breath. "Okay," he said again, more firmly this time, "I'll make the calls and have them bring food and water."
"Towels, blankets, and clothing, too."
"Yes, boss. What about the men? They're coming down the road right now."
"Have them get whatever they need to set up a temporary shower, then establish a perimeter. Also, get someone to bring two buses. We'll let them stay in the condos until they're ready to go home."
"Will do, boss."
I hung up with Carlos, listening to Catalina's voice, so soft and soothing as she spoke to the women.
Eventually, someone moved, another woman sobbed, and it felt like the air had gotten easier to breathe.
Whatever Catalina had said had gotten through to them. They finally understood we were here tosavethem, not hurt them.
Catalina peeked outside of the door.
