Prologue

"Mom! Dad!" Margo screamed, bolting up from her nightmare.

Nightmare was putting it lightly. No. That night was the beginning of hell as she screamed her voice hoarse hoping and praying that someone would hear her. She had spent most of her life aware of the world's dark deeds. Still, nothing could have prepared her for that night or her life after. It was the night that she had lost everything. Now she knew that it was up to her to get herself out of the situation that she was in as she stared at the tiny lifeless form laying on the rusted cot next to her. Tears filled her eyes as she cradled the infant against her breasts.

Margo knew that no one would be coming for her. She didn't know how long she had been there but enough was enough. She was tired of being beaten and raped. She had never submitted and that was something that she would be forever proud of.

Margo had begun to plan her escape when she realized that she was on her own. That was also around the time that a maid had happened upon her naked and bleeding in her cell. Their planning had taken too long though and had cost her something very precious. When they had finally planned everything  out, the maid, Laurel stole a butter knife from the kitchen and snuck it down to her cell.  Once it was sharp enough she was more than ready to deal some damage to her captors. They had learned their schedules and had been biding their time. She knew that they would never get a chance better than this.

The man responsible for her nightmare was out of town on some business deal. She didn't know where or for how long he would be gone, but they had overheard some of the guards discussing it. She knew it was now or never. No more planning. No more waiting for the next beating, not after the last time.

"Never again." Margo whispered into the darkness.

Margo palmed the butter knife and took a deep breath, working up the courage to do what she had to do. Tonight, there would be blood on her hands. On shaky legs she pushed herself up off of the blood stained cot. The whole thing was rusty and squeaked with her every move. The room smelled of piss and shit, rot and death. She knew that what she was about to do put a strain on her recovering body but this was her only chance. With that thought in mind she grit her teeth and let out a blood curdling scream as she curled into herself on the ground. Making sure to keep her shiv hidden from view and luring her prey into her trap.

Moments later she heard the approach of heavy footsteps. Margo began to cry softly as she heard the slide lock slip out of its latch. With a grunt the heavy door was pushed open as it squealed on its rusty hinges. She mentally counted the approaching steps as she squeezed the handle of her shiv tighter in her sweaty palm.

"Look here, you stupid bitch! I don't know why you're screaming and I don't really give a shit. Now shut the hell up!" A deep voice growled before rough hands yanked her up from the ground by her hair.

Margo stared at her attacker and tormentor with hatred. Wide eyes stared at her and a silent curse left his lips the moment he realized his mistake. Her shiv stuck out of his neck as blood began to fill his mouth.

He quickly dropped her on the ground. Margo tracked his movements as one hand flew to his wound and the other reached for the gun at his hip. She knew that she couldn't let him get to his gun. One shot was all he needed to alert the entire compound that something was up. Margo cursed and then ran at him full speed, throwing all of her weight into him as hard as her tiny malnourished body could.

They fell to the floor in a heap as she straddled him. She grabbed two handfuls of his hair and began to slam his head into the hard cement floor repeatedly as his hands wrapped around her neck. She didn't stop until he laid completely still under her.

Margo ignored the blood covering her body. Now she was focused on successfully escaping. She needed to stay focused on their plan. Once Margo pulled herself together she assessed the situation. She couldn't take out all of the guards with her shiv. The gun would draw too much attention. Margo looked at the dead guard for a moment before deciding on a course of action.

She stripped him of his shirt and slipped it over her naked body. She buttoned it quickly ignoring the blood then grabbed his belt and holster. She found a knife in his boot and used it to make a notch in the belt so it would fit her waist.

Margo looked around the room one last time. Her eyes landed on the infant that she had carried for seven months. She was so small. Tears filled her eyes as she walked back to the cot. She picked her up and swaddled her in a thin sheet. She didn't have a say in when or how she had been conceived. She never even got to hear her first laugh or cry. Margo pushed back the sad memories and wiped away her tears. She vowed that even if she was dead, her little girl wouldn't be left in this hell. After all, she was just as much a victim in all of this just as Margo was, and she couldn't bring herself to hate  the child. 

Margo stood shaking and exhausted outside of her personal hell for the first time since she had been taken. It was her first breath of fresh air in just as long. She was standing with her face upturned to the night sky when she heard the sound of foot steps. She turned ready to attack with her blood stained knife.

The person approaching her held up their hands showing that they meant no harm. Margo remained cautious as she eyed what she could now see was a very large man. His silver eyes seemed to glitter at the unknown woman who remained obscured by the night's shadows.

"I wasn't expecting this..." The man murmured.

"You never fucking saw me." Margo growled. "You will turn around and let me leave or so help me I will fucking kill you myself."

"Woah!" The man said, noticing her shaking hand holding the knife. "I don't work here. I was asked to pick someone up."

"You know the person that helped me?" Margo asked with narrowed eyes.

"They came to us. She said someone was trapped here."

"Fuck! That wasn't part of the plan. Dammit. I need to disappear." Margo said, slightly panicked.

"Okay. Okay. Its just going to take a few days. Come with me and lets get you somewhere safe." He said trying to calm her down.

"That's not happening. I don't even trust the people I know." Margo mumbled, remembering how she had ended up here. "No. That definitely won't do. Meet me at The Coffee Palace in three days time. Leave a message for the owners if I'm not there. They'll know how to get it to me." She mumbled, turning towards the forest at the back of the property.

"Here. At least take this." He said, holding out a duffel bag.

"What is this?" She asked suspiciously.

"She said that you would need clothes. There's keys to a car and a burner phone as well as money." He said, as she slowly approached the bag.

When Margo stepped into the light he was shocked at the state she was in. She was just skin and bones. Bruises covered her face and her mahogany hair was completely matted. Her bloody shirt was basically a dress and five sizes too big. The only shape to it was from the belt at her waist. Green eyes looked from him to the bag and then down at the bundle in her arms as she gnawed on her bottom lip.

"I can hold it if you-"

"You will not touch her!" Margo growled.

"Her?" He asked as she hefted the bag on her shoulder.

"Where will I find the car?" She asked, ignoring his question.

"Its parked just beyond the woods off of the highway. One of my men dropped it off and rode the rest of the way with me."

"Okay. Um... Thank you... Aside from Beth no one has been so kind to me in a long time." She said, slowly backing away from him

The man stood there for a moment and watched as she darted off into the night. Then he remembered her words regarding The Coffee Palace and began to wonder just what his sister had gotten herself mixed up in. He continued to watch as she began to blend into the shadows and then disappeared into the forest. He turned back towards the house just in time to see it and everything else go up in flames then slipped into the shadows thinking of the young woman he had just encountered.

When she got to the tree line she turned back one last time. Her eyes watched in fascination as the man gave a slight nod before turning back to the compound. She saw as he gave a signal and then everything went up in flames. She had never felt so happy to see something burn. A slightly satisfied smile lit her face before she turned away and headed towards freedom. Her only regret was that he had escaped being consumed by the flames.