Defending Hannah

escaping so many times she lost count. Tonight would be different though. She had everything mapped out in her head. She would wait until they were being lifted into the truck and she would strike down the guard and race to the ocean. She knew it was close because she could hear the waves. It was somewhere behind these thick walls she just had to reach it and swim out to sea. She’d be picked up by a fisherman or find shore and send for help. She hated leaving the other women behind but knew if she could escape she could find them help. Hannah was a good swimmer. She would rather take her chances with the sharks then live in this existence one more day.
Hannah lay back on her cot and tried to get as comfortable as she could, which was hard being handcuffed to a bed. It was going to be a long night. "I am Hannah Grace O'Connell. My older brother is Garrett Patrick O’Connell; my younger brother is Jason Peter O'Connell. I live at 2304 New Mesa Road in Portland Oregon; I have a cocker spaniel named Cocoa. My best friend is, was Judy Snow." Hannah tried recalling other places she had lived in but they all felt a distant memory. "I'm going home," she vowed to herself.
Hannah was just relaxing when the door flew in and banged against the wall. She immediately sat up thinking it was Alejandro's men coming for them. It was too soon, she thought. None of the women screamed in terror. They were used to Alejandro’s muscle bound men coming in and taking women away or drugging them into a stupor.
The men who filed into the room didn't look like Alejandro's men though. They looked like real soldiers. That was the vibe she was getting from the black uniforms and weapons. These were no warlords looking for Alejandro's drugs and weapons. These men had soldiers of fortune stamped on them.
"Holy Shit," the one in front of the group muttered when he took in the sight in front of him. It wasn't every day someone saw eight half-naked women only in sports bras and shorts, chained to a bed. Some of the women were drugged out and didn't seem to notice where they were or that they were about to be rescued or abducted again. "Sunshine, Cricket let’s get them out of here." The men spread out and picked the locks. Once the women were free a few tried to run down the hall but soldiers from out of nowhere outside the door caught them and put a hand over their mouth to quiet them.
“Shit woman," one cursed when a woman bit his hand. "Do you want to bring all the guards on the property to us?" All the women quieted down but the damage had already been down. They could hear men yelling in Spanish from down the hall. Any moment they would come pouring in and these men would be slaughtered and she would be sold off.
The room was erupting into chaos. Girls were quieter but still trying to run out of the room with no thought of the danger on the other side of the door. Hannah knew there weren’t many soldiers on the island but there were several underground tunnels where the men lived and spread throughout the property. It was how Alejandro smuggled a lot of his merchandise on and off the island.
She watched carefully as the man she assumed was the leader approach her and grabbed her chain attached to the cot. His face was covered in black paint concealing his identity. She calculated her odds of getting past him and making a break for the water. The other men had easily subdued the other women so she knew her chances of escape were none. She’d never get past them all. Fear clogged her chest. No, she had been so close to escaping. She had planned everything so carefully this time. Alejandro’s men she could get past or knock down and make a run for it but these guys looked trained and hardened. Were they enemies of Alejandro and stealing from him? They may look like American soldiers but they could be anyone. They wore no insignia. They spoke perfect English though the one in front of her eyeing her up and down had spoken with a southern drawl like he was from Texas. Something about him nagged the back of her brain but she didn’t know why.
The man in question dropped down to one knee in front of her and immediately set to work on unlocking her. It took him a little longer than the one guy to set her free. Once free she pushed him out of the way and make a break for it. Maybe the element of surprise would be on her side.
“Ma’am, it’s okay. We're here to rescue you. I’m with the military.” He said quickly before she hurt herself trying to fight him off. She paused in her struggles but didn’t say anything. “We're here to take you home.” She sagged against him for a moment giving up her fight but quickly pushed him again when a door down the end of the corridor opened. Alejandro’s men were coming. There was no way for everyone to escape.
"Go," she whispered to him. Hannah wanted her freedom more than anything but not at the risk of others. The women recently captured needed medical help and quickly. She could buy them all some time to get the women out. Her plan to escape was gone but she could save the others.
The man looked at her in shock and shook his head no even as he looked back towards the empty doorway. Probably calculating the odds of them all getting out in one piece. When he turned back to her he looked at her as if he were studying her.
"Alejandro's men will be here any second. Just go and get the girls out of