Free I've Been Waiting for You by Mary Moriarty Page B

water didn’t smell fresh. They both stood there, Sally looked at the water, then at Houda. “Do they leave you alone?”
    “Most of the time . They don’t care about us, but you and your friend, I am afraid it will be different.”
    Sally pulled Houda in and closed and locked the door. She opened her purse and felt around and found her flashlight. Turning it on , she found her phone. Looking at it she saw it had one bar for reception. “We’re going to get out of here. I promise. My family will come for Olivia and me. I already told them about you and your little girl.”
    Sally typed out a text message tried to send it. The message wouldn’t send. Sally swore.
    “Here, Houda, hold this.” Sally climbed up on the tank and then taking her phone stood on the edge of the tank and pointed the phone out the window. She hit send again.
    “Did it send?” Houda whispered?
    Sally watched the screen and then saw it had sent.
    “Yes ,” she stood there waiting to see if they would get a message back. “I’m going to erase these messages in case this gets confiscated.”
    Houda stood listening against the door, then glanced up to Sally. “How is your family going to get all the women out? There are twenty of us plus five children and one newborn.”
    Sally held up her finger. She typed out another message.
    Odin, 20 women, five children and one newborn… I need you and Father…
    * * * * * * * *
    Odin’s phone vibrated as he sat next to the Colum, talking over plans. They would be landing in ten minutes. From there they would transfer to a helicopter to get as close as possible. Pushing a button he saw it was a message from Sally. “It’s from Sally.”
    Everyone sat up and stopped tal king at the mention of the King and Queen’s daughter. “She says she and Olivia are fine.” He read the next one. “20 women, 5 children and a newborn.”
    Quickly ignoring the men and his brother trying to find out more , he typed out a message.
    I know this isn’t the time to tell you, it should be in person . You and I, in bed or on a walk, but I love you...I am coming and it can be an army of women and children we have to rescue, we will get you all. Stay safe and don’t take any unnecessary risks. We have your location and are near. Flying over you as I text. Stay alert!
    Colum looked at his future son-in-law and knew anything that got in his way was going to be destroyed. “We’ll get her back .”
    For the first time in almost one thousand years , Odin felt fear. “Sire, what if we don’t?”
    “We will.” Colum said.
    * * * * * * * *
    They were doing a ten mile hike to avoid detection from the captors. Twenty men , all large, and fifteen of these men were vampires; creatures of the dark, along with five humans who had signed up a few years ago and had given the vampires permission to change them should it ever come to that.
    Colum, as King, was always first in line, followed by Travis and Cormac, with Odin and Thor bringing up the rear. Odin could see Brent in the crowd of men. Having survived the IED explosion they’d had a couple of months earlier, Brent’s brother, Justin, had been mortally wounded and had said to change him. He now jogged alongside Odin.
    “We’re gonna get us some terrorists this morning, sir. Don’t you worry. We’ll get the girls back and clear that cell out.” He turned his face towards Odin and even with his night-vision goggles on Odin could see the crazy red radiating from Justin’s eyes. It took years for men who had been changed to settle down. He would be a one vampire wrecking and killing machine. Brent, was in front of him.
    “C razy as a human, and even crazier as a vampire. Lord, have mercy for those terrorists that took the girls. Justin is coming and hungry.”
    Most of the men didn’t talk about how Justin had been turned. They were happy to still have him around, but all walked and worked warily around him. He was known to start growling for no reason and Odin had to