People Trafficker (41 page)

Inwardly Karen was already scared. She never imagined it was going to be like this. She’d expected to have just collected the girls with Halif and his men, finding little opposition, and gone back to Sirec. The last thing she wanted was what little confidence she had being pulled down by this girl.

“I know you don’t think much of me, Annette, but I will get you home, I promise you that.”

Annette didn’t ask the obvious question as to how she intended to do that, she was interested in why Karen was really here. “I read in the paper, before I was abducted, you got yourself home, didn’t you?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“So you admit you were actually home and away from all this?”

“Yes.”

“Then why come back?”

“To get you and the other girls out.”

Annette took a cigarette out and lit it slowly, and then she looked at Karen. “You’re telling me out of all the resources of the British army, it came down to them giving a girl, just out of school, a few weapons for her protection and telling her to go alone into a country, already embroiled in a civil war, because she was the only person stupid enough to actually agree to do it? Come off it, even I’m not going to believe the government would let the military do that?”

“I suppose you could have been right, they may have stopped me if they suspected I was actually going to stay here. But the Captain in charge never checked, just accepted I had my own orders he wasn’t party to, so that’s why I’m here,” Karen replied.

She frowned. “Then they really were the SAS you walked out on?”

“Yes, what’s that got to do with it?”

“A great deal, Karen, when you’re talking about people’s lives, particularly mine and by what you’re telling me two other girls’. Because, correct me if I’m wrong, we’re in a foreign country on the run from god knows who, just because you had this idea you can run around a country shooting and killing, and no one would notice? Now you seem to be saying we’re miles from a point the British army can pick us up. Isn’t that a bit naive on your part?”

Karen put her hands to her face, she didn’t need this. Then she looked at Annette watching her. “You’re right, this is hostile country, but the British Army couldn’t get near you, it would have started a war. So you would have been lost to your family, to your friends, forever. I’m no female Rambo, Annette, nothing special. Sirec, the man who purchased me wanted me back, so I agreed to exchange myself for the three of you. He supplied help and transport, that’s why I’m here. When you get on the helicopter to go home, I can’t, I have to stay. Now please, we have a long way to go and this really isn’t the time to discuss the rights and wrongs.”

Annette stared at her, unable to believe what she’d just heard.

“You’re wrong. This is the time, Karen. You really are insane aren’t you? Why would you think we’d accept that our only way of getting home is to swap ourselves for another girl? I for one won’t and I’m bloody sure the others won’t either. We got ourselves in this mess; you’re nothing to do with it. Now you’re expecting us to just go home and forget a girl has given her life, her freedom up for us? I’m sorry, it doesn’t work that way. You stay, we all stay, otherwise you come with us.”

Karen stood and looked down at her. “I’m not insane, maybe a little stupid for even bothering to come to collect a girl with your attitude. I’ve done my best, risked my life to get you out. The least you can do is humour me and believe I’ll get you home.”

Annette stood; she could see tears forming in Karen’s eyes, so she put her arms round her, holding her tight. “I’m sorry, Karen. I accept you’ve done your best and risked your life. I witnessed it in that house. You’ve got more guts in your little finger than I’ve got in my whole body to actually take on these people. I really am grateful you came. But no matter what you say or think, I will not leave this country without you.”

Karen sighed. “I’d think very carefully about those words, Annette. Because I’ll tell you now, come with me to take Saeed and Sirec out and you will be signing your death warrant. Because if we fail and my back’s up against the wall, I will kill you rather then let them take you again, have no doubt about that,” she said softly. “Anyway we really must go; we need to get back to the two other girls. They’ll be getting panicky if we delay too long.”

They set off, keeping close to the side of the road, ready to scramble for cover if anything approached. Only two vehicles travelling the other way passed them. Each time they had plenty of notice to hide from view, in the scrub on either side of the road, until they passed.

“So how have you coped?” Karen asked as they had now left the main road and were heading down the track towards the quarry.

“All right I suppose. Lomax was really nice in lots of ways. My clothes were all new and he took me to choose them. I always ate with him and we’d talk, watch movies, then he’d take me to bed. I hated that part. I was just something to shag until he’d had enough of me, then he’d push me away and I’d have to go to my own room. There was no affection, no love. In his book I was bought and paid for, so I did what he wanted, not what I wanted. The hardest part was not being able to talk to my mates, see my mum and dad. I was facing the rest of my life alone. He told me I’d soon have kids, but I didn’t want kids at my age. I wanted to go out and party, but he never took me out, not in public anyway. I did go to another house last week and sat around a pool all day, while he was in some sort of meeting. There was a really cool lad there, my age. I think he was the owner’s son and he kept looking at me. Mind you, it was understandable, I had this bikini on to die for, and with my long legs, I knew I looked good with it on.”

“Sounds like you’d settled and started to enjoy it,” Karen said.

Annette stopped and looked directly at her. “That’s not true, Karen, again you’re using the wrong words. I was doing my best to try to live, as a prisoner has to. They at least get to see their loved ones; I got to see no one. I may as well be dead. The first nights I cried myself to sleep. But no one came, no one listened or cared. What could I do? I threw myself into it, tried to act pleasant to a man I despised. I dreaded the day I’d be pregnant and then have to bring up a child in what was a prison. He’d even said he didn’t want girls, only boys. I began to imagine he’d want to terminate my pregnancy if it was a girl. How do you think that made me feel? I may not want children yet, but if he’d made me pregnant, like any mother to be, I’d want to keep my baby not keep terminating till he got what he wanted. When you came in the room, I was really happy I’d been found and was to go home. But after the night before with Lomax boasting all the time how he’d send Sirec’s man home, with his tail between his legs, and also take his girl, you can understand I didn’t have much confidence in being rescued. I’ll tell you this though. If you’d said in my bedroom there was only you who’d come, wild horses wouldn’t have got me down those stairs.”

Karen sighed. “I suppose I can’t blame you for thinking that. But at least everyone believed you were still alive. When I was taken they thought I was dead, drowned in Wales so no one would have come to find where I was.”

“Yes, I can understand that, it must have been devastating for you. What of the other girls, how did they get on?”

“They have both had a bad time, particularly the young girl Natasha, who’s just fourteen and has already been raped, and beaten into submission. We’re still a long way from being free, so we have to keep Natasha’s confidence up that she’s going home. The girl would fall apart if she got the idea she might be taken by these men again.”

“So would I, but do you really think we’ll get home?”

Karen shrugged. “There were lots of times I didn’t think I’d get out last time, but I did, so yes we have a good chance, if we stick together.”

They arrived at the vehicle to find the two girls sat on the banking and the soldier asleep by the side of the front wheel.

“Hi, Karen, we were wondering when you’d get back. Is this Annette?” Natasha asked.

“Yes, Annette, meet Natasha and of course you know Sam from the hotel. Now we should all sit together and I’ll try to explain where we’re at.”

By now the man looking after them had woken and he too joined in the meeting. He could speak English, which saved a great deal of gesturing.

“First of all,” Karen began, “I’m not sure just what is happening at the Lomax house. By the look of it, Sirec’s men who came with us have been captured, that means we’re alone and will need to travel at night. I’ve been on the roads then myself and it’s practically deserted. With Halif dead I’ve decided to try to head for a lady I know. Hopefully from there I can call the UK by phone and speak to Sir Peter.”

“Why would you want to speak to a Lord?” Sammy asked.

“He’s head of MI5 or some other oddball department and with three English girls rescued, but on the run, they may just be able to convince the authorities here to help us. Alternatively they will send in Special Forces by helicopter and get you out.”

“But what about Saeed? You said you were going after him?” Sammy asked.

“I am, but alone. I can travel faster that way. I’m also carrying enough firepower to take him out.”

“Not without me you’re not. I told you, Karen, Saeed and his mother owes us. Particularly Natasha who shouldn’t even be here. You are not fighting our battles. You fought your own, this is ours,” Sammy replied.

“I’ve told her that as well, Sam,” Annette added. “She sold me to be raped every bloody night. I’ll break her fucking neck for that.”

Karen smiled. “I’m sorry but you all have to go home. Leave it to me. They both owe me as well. Besides this is a particularly risky operation to go back into their houses, so much could go wrong and I can’t afford to be taken alive. What you have all gone through would be nothing to what they’d do to you the next time. So as a last resort, if I was up against the wall with nowhere to run, I’d take my own life. You would need to do the same, you couldn’t risk being taken again, Saeed would make life absolute hell, believe me, he has the outlets to do just that.”

“She’s right girls. You’re all valuable prizes in a country where young white girls command very high sale value. You’ve already had a taste of what could happen, you shouldn’t risk losing your freedom for vengeance,” the man added to Karen’s words.

“Well that’s where you’re both wrong. Like I said, Karen, if you stay, I stay. I refuse to allow another girl to take my place. So you’d better get used to it or come up with a plan that gets us all home. What do you say, Sam?”

“I’m with Annette, Karen, I too will stay,” Sammy said.

Both girls looked at Natasha.

“If I understand what you’re all saying, is that Karen intends to exchange herself for me,” she asked.

“Yes she does, Natasha,” Sammy replied.

The young girl looked at Karen. “Thank you, Karen, for offering. But I won’t let you. I’d rather return to another Salem, than expect you to go through what I have, just so I could go home. Besides, mum and dad would both understand and I think agree with me.”

Karen now wished she’d not mentioned it, but she had, trying to defend herself as to why she came. She looked at Sirec’s man.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“Abed.”

“You heard them, Abed, you know Sirec. What happens now?”

“As far as I am concerned, Karen, I did not know of the arrangement between you and Sirec, only Halif knew among all the men who came and he’s dead. I will take you all where you want to go and drop you off. You girls should not be here, should never have been taken and must go home. It will be up to your government to do that, I cannot.”

“Thank you Abed,” Karen replied. “We will all go home then, me as well.”

“Yes, thank you, Abed, from us all,” Sammy added.

“Okay, now we have some sort of plan,” Karen began, “I intend to sleep. I’ve been up for nearly two days and we’ve a good five hours till dark. You must all take turns to rest and keep watch. Wake me if you see anything; keep well down and out of sight. This is not a holiday camp. They could come to look for us, or just ignore us, I don’t know, but we have to be prepared for either.”

“You get some sleep, Karen, and don’t worry,” Annette said. “We all understand the dangers and what we need to do.”