Page 5 of Guarded By Atlas

An innocent woman.

The memory of the girl in the red parka stepping out of that building, so trusting of her environment, has me pushing the bike to its limits and no doubt breaking a couple of traffic laws, but I can’t stop, and Blaze sticks with me. Luckily for me, we make it to the address without being pulled over.

The building is as Scarlett described it.

A hulking, three-story shadow against the dark sky. Under the moonlight, it looks abandoned, decaying and forgotten, but something about it feels…off. We park down the road and cut our engines, watching keenly for any sign of life inside the derelict building.

Nothing.

It’s quiet. The silence broken only by the faint hum of the city around us.

I knock down the kickstand before climbing off my bike. My gun is in my hand as I approach the entrance, Blaze a shadow on my heels. There’s no need for words between us. An enforcer like me, Blaze is accustomed to situations like these, and we’ve always worked well together. I motion for him to head around the back, and he nods in response before raising his gun and creeping around the side of the building on silent feet.

The lock on the front door is new, gleaming against the weathered wood, which means someone has been here recently. Still, I hear no sound coming from within, but I won’t take chances as I raise my Glock, ready to shoot as I kick the front door in, splintering the rotted wood of the door frame. It gives away with a sickening crunch and the door swings open, revealing the shadowy interior. I instinctively move to the side in case someone is waiting to attack, but nothing happens.

Maybe our instincts were wrong, and there’s no one in here. The fucking Vipers probably took her to their old clubhouse just as Saint thought.

Even so, we can’t leave without giving the place a full sweep. I hear another crash from back of the building and assume Blaze has made a similar entry. I can’t afford to make assumptions though, so I carefully make my way toward the source of the sound.

The darkness swallows me whole when I step inside, the only light coming from the sliver of moonlight filtering through what seems to be broken windows. The air is thick and musty as I step deeper inside. The main level is huge and empty, the floor covered in dust and debris. It looks like it was once a commonarea of sorts, broken and rotted furniture scattered around the open space. In the darkness, it’s impossible to distinguish any signs that someone has been here recently.

Just as I turn toward a doorway leading to the back of the building, Blaze steps through. I lower my gun and give him an inquisitive look. He shakes his head, then gestures to a set of stairs to my right. I nod, and we move toward it, taking the stairs to the second floor carefully so as not to make a noise or risk breaking through a broken board.

The stairs lead to a large hallway, doors to either side that must lead the apartments. There are no windows up here, so we both take out our phones and turn on our flashlights. Blaze heads left as I go right. The first door I come to is halfway ajar, so I slip inside the apartment easily. It’s a small studio with a kitchenette, bare of any furniture. It doesn’t take long to search the single room and bathroom—both empty.

I’m just about to step back out into the hall, when I hear a faint noise behind the open entry door. I pull the door closed and notice another behind it, likely a closet. I hear a shuffling noise from inside, and even though it’s likely a rat, I have to check. The door is locked, but the wood around it is just as rotten as everything else in the building, so I’m able to muscle it open.

“Help…”

I freeze for only for a second as I make out a small figure huddled on the floor, her strawberry blonde hair covering half her face, her hand raised to block the beam of my flashlight. My heart drums fast in my chest as I quickly holster my gun and drop to my knees in front of her, lowering my light just enough so it illuminates her face without blinding her.

She drops her hand and, finally, I see her face, pale and drawn, large blue eyes wide with fear.

I have a moment of uncertainty when I realize the girl is not wearing the red parka I saw on the surveillance video. Could she be someone else? Fuck, have those fucking Vipers been kidnapping girls off the streets?

God, what did they say her name was?

Mary…Maria… “Marie?” She chokes out a sob when I say the name. “It’s okay,” I tell her hoarsely. Fury burns my throat when I realize her legs and hands are bound to a pipe running along the closet wall. I grab the knife strapped to my boot to cut away the ropes before helping her to her feet. “I’m…friends with Scarlett. I’m here to help you, I promise.”

“I… They…”

“You’re okay. I’ve got you now,” I assure her, stripping off my jacket when I notice she’s shivering and draping it over her shoulders. Those fuckers must have taken her coat. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She stumbles when she tries to take a step, so I catch her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close before gently lifting her into my arms in a bridal carry. She’s light, almost too light, and I am surprised by the sudden protectiveness that fills my chest. The Steel Rebels have a dark reputation in the city, and we’re always skirting the law, but we would never do anything like this.

They just left her locked in here, tied up and defenseless… Fuck!

With her safety assured, I welcome the rage. The tightness in my chest that sends every ragged breath heaving out and nostrils flaring. My jaw is clenched tight as I carry her into the hall.

She jolts suddenly and presses in tight to my side, her body shaking. I look up quickly to see what has caused such a reaction and see Blaze approaching us.

“Hey,” I say gently, “it’s okay. He’s with me. We came here to find you. Do you know if anyone else is here?”

“This floor is clear,” Blaze says.

“I-I don’t think they’re here. Only one of the men who grabbed me was here, but he got a phone call that made him really mad, and he left after locking me in the closet,” Marie says.

“Let’s get out of here, then,” Blaze says. “I'll head out first to make sure the coast is clear and call the others to let them know. You got her?” he asks me. I nod, and he disappears down the stairs.

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