Chapter 14

Ethan abruptly halted, making a swift hand gesture for me to stop as well. He firmly placed his hand on my shoulder, the pressure strong but not painful. "Stay close," he whispered, his words causing a shiver to run down my spine. I nodded in response, my heart pounding loudly in my ears.

The echoing silence enveloped us as the SWAT team disappeared around a corner, their footsteps as silent as death itself. The hallway stretched out before us, the dim lighting casting eerie shadows on the worn-out walls. Each door we passed held the potential for danger, heightening the tension in the air. Ethan tightened his grip on his rifle, his body poised and ready for whatever awaited us.

With precise fluidity, he motioned for me to follow him as we stealthily advanced down the hallway. The thick carpet beneath our feet muffled our footsteps, adding to the palpable anticipation in the air. The atmosphere felt heavy, as if it held its breath in anticipation.

As we approached the end of the hallway, we caught up with the SWAT team and they signaled for us to stay behind them. They crouched low, their rifles trained on the door ahead. One of them cautiously reached for the doorknob, turning it slowly before nodding at another team member to enter.

Some members entered the room while others continued down the hallway, diligently checking each door. Following the first team, we stepped into the small and sparsely furnished room. Only a single window allowed a sliver of natural light to filter in. Within the darkness, several girls were scattered, shielding their eyes from the harsh beams of the flashlights.

I felt a surge of anger and disgust well up inside me as I scanned the dimly lit room. The beams of the flashlights cast eerie shadows on the walls, intensifying the atmosphere of fear. The girls, their faces pale and tear-stained, huddled together, their trembling bodies a stark contrast against the cold, concrete floor. The stench of fear and desperation hung in the air, mixing with the faint scent of mustiness.

Ethan moved silently across the room, then crouched down next to one of the girls, his voice low and reassuring. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. We’re here to help you.”
The girl remained motionless, her body racked with silent sobs, her fragile state painfully evident.

Kneeling down beside another girl, I spoke softly, my voice barely a whisper. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re here to help you.” The room seemed to shrink around us, the weight of the situation pressing down on my shoulders. I reached out, my fingertips gently touching her shoulder, but she flinched, her body tense and rigid. The depth of her trauma was etched in her tear-filled eyes, and I promised her that we would get her out of this nightmare. She remained silent, her despair overwhelming. Glancing at Ethan, I saw the frustration in his eyes as he questioned another girl, seeking any information that could aid our mission.

His subtle shake of the head conveyed the lack of substantial leads. The girl beside me continued to stare blankly at the floor, her body trembling with the weight of her ordeal. I treaded carefully, not wanting to add to her distress, but the urgency to find any other potential victims compelled me to gently press for information. With a soft, soothing tone, I spoke to her again, my hand cautiously resting on her shoulder. "We're here to help you. Can you tell me if there are any more of you here?"

She seemed to shrink further into herself, her eyes darting around the dimly lit room as if searching for a way out. Finally, she took a shaky breath, her trembling fingers brushing away tears, and managed to meet my gaze. The room felt suffocating, the air heavy with a mix of fear and desperation. "I-I don't know," her voice quivered, breaking with raw emotion, and she started to cry again. The sound of her sobs echoed off the cold, bare walls, amplifying the sense of despair. "Please, I just want to go home."

I wanted to assure her that we were going to make sure she did, but uncertainty gnawed at me. I glanced around, my eyes scanning the room, wondering how deep their clandestine network extended and what kind of protection Morales and the others had set up. All I could do was try to keep her safe for as long as possible.

One of the Swat members motioned for us to follow him. We crept out of the room, our footsteps barely audible as we tiptoed down the dimly lit hallway. The faint flicker of our flashlights illuminated the darkness, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

As we moved, the walls seemed to whisper their secrets, adorned with posters of scantily clad women, their objectified bodies a grim reminder of the horrors that took place within these walls. It sickened me, but it only fueled my determination to put an end to this place and rescue as many girls as possible.

The Swat member motioned for us to continue following him into another room. This one was larger than the previous ones, with rows of metal beds lining the walls. The beds were unmade, their rumpled sheets and pillows scattered about haphazardly. The faint smell of stale sweat and fear lingered in the air, a haunting reminder of the suffering endured by those who had been trapped here. At the far end of the room, a heavy door stood, guarded by a menacing figure, rifle in hand. The Swat member signaled to the other team member, their hand movements precise and silent.

The tension in the room grew palpable as they began to carefully inch their way across the room, their footsteps barely making a sound against the cold, hard floor. They crouched down beside one of the beds, their eyes focused and their rifle trained on the guard. Time seemed to stretch, each second ticking by agonizingly slow as we held our breath, waiting for the perfect moment.

I took a deep breath, the air heavy with anticipation, and followed Ethan as he moved toward the door. The adrenaline pulsed through my veins, heightening my senses. The guard, lost in his own thoughts, didn't seem to notice us until it was too late. The Swat member's shot pierced the silence, the sharp crack of the rifle resounding through the room. The guard crumpled to the ground, a lifeless heap, the weight of his sins having finally caught up to him.