Page 73 of The Caged Girl

“What is your name?” Multiple voices screamed different names, but I crawled toward his voice.

“Myles…” he sobbed.

I padded my hands across the bars. If I could save him, he’d tell his mother what happened. Then, she’d use her following, her presence in this day and age to shed light on Ivory Island. The other children had to be saved, too, but I couldn’t smuggle multiple kids out without notice. They may have been trafficked or sold here. I had to choose someone who had a family who wouldn’t let this go.

A thick padlock kept the crate closed. Patting my head, I tugged out the small bobby pin.

I used to pick locks back in India when we’d run away to find food. Shoving it in and missing because of the darkness had my palms sweaty.

“Shit,” I hissed as I dropped the pin. Running my moist hands through my hair, I began to panic until I felt one last pin.

Myles began screaming at the top of his lungs. “Myles, I need you to calm down.” I wasn’t a mother, so I didn’t realize telling a child to calm down meant they’d retaliate and do the opposite. His screams pierced my ears. I was sure this area was sound-proofed. “Myles, can you tell me your favorite movie?”

He sobbed, and chanted, “No.”

I jammed the pin into the lock and tried to finagle it. “Mine is Titanic. It’s about people on this big ship and a love story of sorts.” I was rambling, but by some miracle, it was working.

The lock clicked and opened.

I slowly opened the door, and Myles flung forward into me. “Mommy!”

“No, sweet boy, but I’ll get you to her. We must go, now.” I couldn’t see him but felt the stream of tears flooding his face.

“I need you to be calm, sweetie. I have to get you out.” Guilt ran through me as I shut the crate and put the lock back on as the cries of the others swirled around me. I couldn’t risk Conrad coming back or telling anyone he saw me here. Time was running out. I whispered my apologies to the children I’d have to leave behind for now.

I waved my badge, and we entered the first space before the door shut and the second opened. I flinched at the bright light and looked down at Myles, who was covering his eyes. He was wearing a small black gown and covered in dirt and feces. I couldn’t parade him out of here like this. I began hurriedly looking around and pushed through a door. It was a hospital room. Shutting the door behind us, I kneeled in front of Myles. “I’m going to clean you up, then drop you off to an airplane with a lady named Sage. She’s going to find your mommy. I promise.”

“I’m so hungry,” he cried.

“The plane will have so much food.” I stood and began looking through cabinets and drawers.

“Bone broth?” I looked at a small jar. “Here.” I handed it to him and, without a second thought, he drank it.

Filling the empty jar with water, I offered it as he excitedly took it and drank it all. I wet a napkin and began wiping his small body. I didn’t have time to coax him or make him feel comfortable; I had to get him out of here. I had to hope his mother would talk about this to the world.

“I need you to tell your mother everything, and tell her that Alister Ivory is running a resort called La Gabbia that has kids and women trapped.” I nodded as he stared at me, probably not even able to comprehend what I was saying.

I found a small white gown stacked underneath the sink and swapped his black one for it. He kept squinting at me. The children must have been put through dark therapy to become obedient for their new families. How sick could Alister be? He used a child’s natural fear of the dark to make them into the perfect addition to some wealthy couple.

“Myles, promise me you’ll tell your mother.” I placed my hands on his cheeks and whispered, “Can I give you a hug?” I fought back the tears in my eyes as he smiled.

“Yes.” Hugging him tightly, I had to put all my hope in a child. He would have to be the messenger.

“Let’s go.” I pulled the map of La Gabbia out and glanced at it. There were employee elevators toward the back that could take me all the way down to the gardens, and then to the golf carts.

I just had to hope no one would see us.

“I hope you rest in peace.” Myles looked up at me as I held his hand in mine, and we walked down the bright white hallway.

“What do you mean?” I asked, swiping my badge and getting into the elevator with him.

“I begged the others to let me out. They hurt us. But you…you must be an angel, and Mommy said angels are dead people. Are you a dead people?”

Nodding my head, I sighed as a tear rolled down my face. “Yes, Myles. I died a long time ago.”

CHAPTERFORTY

“Get insideof this storage box for now, Myles, and then once you’re in the air, Sage will let you out.” He climbed into it. The Rothchilds’ private plane was small but luxurious.

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