Read Beyond Redemption for Free Online

her, the two leaning against one another as if to prop each other up. Angelique pulled her scrub hat off and wiped sweat from her face as she laughed at something Carla said to her.
    They were joined by another doctor, younger than Shepherd. Mitch had seen him in town a few times. He had an eye for the women, the young doc did, and he watched as the man smoothed a lock of blonde hair from his Angel’s face. He wasn’t even aware of the growl emanating from his throat until Seth laughed.
    “Shit, you still got it bad for that little girl,” he scoffed. “You know you’re gonna have to go down there and stake your claim to keep her safe.”
    “She’ll hate me.”
    “For a while, but she’ll understand once it’s over and we get her the fuck outta here. This place is a festering boil on the asshole of the fucking world. Ain’t no way we can leave her and that little nurse here when we evac.”
    Mitch sighed. “Yeah, I know. Goddamn it, here they come.”
    The crunch of many booted feet sounded behind them. ELN fucks escorting cartel fucks and their captives—women and children being taken to the coast for transport to the Peruvian and Western European sex trades—and there wasn’t a fucking thing they could do to help them. The slightest hint that they weren’t what they claimed and they were dead meat, which meant the wealthy media mogul wouldn’t get his precious do-gooder daughter back, and therefore, would withdraw his support of the current administration. Never mind that thugs were selling innocents into a life of slavery and early death.
    * * * *
    Shepherd had been right, and now she was seeing it with her own eyes. Acosta and Boudreaux in the company of heavily armed men leading a ragtag group of women and children roped together. Adam Kingston, the new, young doctor from Virginia, touched her shoulder. “You and Carla need to make yourselves scarce, now.” Angelique flinched when he started herding her and Able in the direction of their quarters. “Go go go. I’m gonna get Shepherd.”
    Angelique grasped Carla’s hand and pulled her into her tent with her. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but if Adam was worried, then she figured she and Able had reason to be as well.
    “Wasn’t that—”
    “Shh,” Angelique hissed, straining to hear what was happening outside. The next thing she knew, there were angry shouts in Spanish, a cry of pain. “Goddamn it. What the hell is going on?” She was about to go outside to see if someone needed help when the door to her quarters flew open and two grimy soldiers with greasy hair rushed inside.
    Angelique backed away, thrusting Carla behind her. “Get out,” she spat in Spanish.
    The men propped their AKs against the walls of the tent, laughing as they grabbed their crotches. The bigger of the two lunged and grabbed the front of Angelique’s scrub shirt, pulling her tight against him. The other lifted Carla off her feet and hauled her out the door.
    He was tugging at her scrub pants, yanking them down, pawing at her with his filthy hands, tearing at her panties. His breath stank of decay and onions as he propelled her back. She screamed, clawing at him. He shoved her onto her back and fell on her.
    “No!” She screamed at him, punching, scratching, biting, jabbing at his eyes with her thumbs. She must have gotten him because he howled, then reared back and slapped her. She barely felt it as she continued to fight.
    “Fucking Yankee puta !” the man screeched. He drew back, ready to punch her, when someone jerked him to his feet.
    Acosta. He looked at her dispassionately, then grabbed her wrist and hauled them both outside. She tugged her scrubs over her hips, frantically searching for Carla, knowing a moment of relief to see that Seth had her held close against his side. Until she realized that didn’t seem to be a good thing either.
    Acosta had a painful grip on her wrist as he shook her attacker. “Stupid fuck!” he shouted in fluent Spanish. He