Rising Up: Finding Me book 1 (23 page)

Pulling my knees up to my chest I sob and sob till I lose track of time. Jake got dressed and told me he was going out and not to wait up.  Left alone I rushed to the bathroom to shower and scrub every inch of my body before brushing my teeth and rinsing my mouth out at least twenty times but I don't think I'll ever get the taste out of my mouth.

“I packed a bag and walked out never intending to go there again."

"Why did you then?"  I don't think I can take much more of this, Ginny's voice is so empty and monotone that I don't know if I'll ever get her back again and this is breaking my heart.  "D'you know what babe, it's nearly one o'clock why don't you rest now, and if you want to tell me some more tomorrow, or another night, even if you don't want to mention it again then that's fine with me too."

"Mason?"  Her head turns to face me and even in the dark I can see the brilliance of her emerald eyes.

"What babe?"

"Do you still want me, I mean are you able to love me and love my body now that you know this?  I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to touch me again."

"Imogen, you've asked me this before and my answer is the same now as it was then.  I love you and I love your body and always will."

"Will you show me?"

"Anytime babe, anytime."  I roll her over onto her back and cover her body with mine and slowly and gently enter and love her thoroughly until we are both quietly panting and satiate.  Falling asleep with our legs tangled together and our faces close.

"I want to finish telling you what happened, if that's okay?"

"Sure, but babe I'm not sure how much more I can take."

"I'll keep it short then..

I get back home and see that it's only my mother in the house.  "Where's Dad?"  I hate being alone with her she's always asking about Jake.

"He's at the college, he'll be back later.  What are you doing here?  Is Jake with you?"

"No he's not and if he calls will you please tell him I'm not here."  Walking away I start going up the stairs to my old room.  Half an hour later the doorbell goes and I can hear my mother talking, shit!  She's telling him I'm here.  There are footsteps running up the stairs and my door flies open.

"Heidi, precious.  Come on darling it's time to go home.  I'm sorry if I upset you, and really you know you enjoyed it otherwise you wouldn't have come."  His face is looking at me serenely but I know it's just to appease my mother.

"Go on Heidi, go home with Jake.  You shouldn't have made him come here, you know how busy he is."  My mother is virtually panting at the sight of him, but I get up to go.

"You should be ashamed of yourself Mother, you look ridiculous."  I'm pulled by my arm out of my room and down the stairs.  Jake is cursing at me quietly all the way out of the house.

"When we get back home I get thrown against the wall and crash to the floor, my head was bleeding but he doesn't care, he kicked me hard in the stomach and in the ribs before trying to choke me again.

"Don't you ever walk out on me again bitch?  I fucking own you!"  Standing over me I'm curled up into a ball but he kicks my back.  "Will you fucking look at me when I'm talking to you?  I shouldn't have to do this but you bring it on yourself."  Looking up at him he's masturbating over me, he comes hard and sprays all over my face.  "Get up and get into bed bitch."

"I had three broken ribs that time, so things just carried on, every three or four weeks I would be tied up and raped by him and a friend or two.  I think he enjoyed beating me in to submission as much as he did fucking me.  I knew if he'd hit me about his apology would lead to him inviting a friend or two round.  Sometimes they would just watch him fuck me or hurt me, and they would take photographs of it all."

"What happened before the final attack?"  My voice sticks in my throat but I think I need closure on this as much as Ginny does.

"Again that was nothing really.  I'd been out for a couple of drinks with Maddie because we had just had these jobs confirmed, keeping all of this secret was so hard but he only ever thinks about himself, so I was lucky that he never questioned my mail or things like that, and he found out so after beating and abusing me he went out and just said he'd be bringing his friends back with him. 

I never thought he meant all of them and well you know the rest.  It was Vanessa, my doctor friend, who originally persuaded me to leave and Maddie was amazing too, she was ready to start afresh too so we changed our names by deed poll and applied for jobs over here and you know the rest."

"Oh babe, I love you so much, you are the bravest person I have ever met.

*

A loud banging on the door wakes us both up and we grab something to wear before answering.

"Hey Mase, open up it's important."  Lucas is shouting through the door.  "I've already got Lake up but I've got something you need to see."

Opening up Luc is standing with his laptop open in his arms.  "What've you got Luc?"  I can feel Ginny walk up behind me and puts her arms around my waist resting her head on my back.  I revel in her touch and the confidence she has in me.  Pulling her round to face me I kiss her.

"The shit is most definitely going to hit the fan now.  Look what I got sent last night by one of my undercover team then read the headlines on today's paper."

Lake and Maddie have joined us now and we sit at the dining table to see the screen.  "Holy shit!" Lake grabs his cell and starts to call the cops. 

The picture is of Jake outside a motel in the downtown region and he is obviously checking the girl out and smiling at her.   The headline is of a girl found dead in the same motel, she's been viciously sexually assaulted and suffocated with a pillow.  Police are looking for any witnesses to come forward.  The girl was only seventeen years old and was a high school student, her picture shows a pretty girl in a cheerleaders outfit, her parents say that she was a good girl and had never been in any trouble.

Looking over at Ginny she has tears running like a waterfall down her face.  "This is my fault.  If I hadn't run out on him and moved here he would never have come over.  I know it was him that killed her, he used to push my face into a pillow until I could barely breathe, he said it made his orgasm stronger, more intense as all the muscles in my body went rigid and clamped down harder on him.  I need to speak to the detectives.  I need to tell them everything now before he does this again."

"Imogen look at me.  This is not your fault, he was going to do this to someone sooner or later anyway.  He is a sadist and has no control or remorse.  He tried to kill you before so this is just his time bomb about to blow up.  The cops are on their way and he's getting desperate now, and is going to make another mistake soon. 

You don't realize how many normal, average looking people I have on my payroll that just go about their normal day to day lives but are looking out for any suspect I show them. He will not be able to get away from us now."  Lucas in down on his knees holding Ginny's hands and is talking quietly but firmly, his authority is overriding any doubts she may have.

Maddie has been making a huge pot of coffee for us and while we wait for the detectives Luc continues to fill us in on the rest of the investigation.  The British police have taken all the computers and paperwork from Imogen's father's house and are questioning him at the station.  Ginny's face drains of all color and looks like she's about to faint again.

"Do you think he's got copies of the photographs and the video on them?  Oh my God, he's watched it and looked at them.  How can these people be my parents?"  The anguish in her voice is palpable though out the room, because none of us can answer her because we just don't know. 

A knock on the door snaps us all out of our melancholy and we all start.  Jumping up and opening it the two officers, Detective Garcia and Detective Mathews, are stood looking just as miserable as us.  "Come in gentlemen, I'm sorry we are meeting again so soon.  Have you any more news for us and if so can it please be good, I don't think Imogen can take much more."

"Good morning Mr. Reynolds, thanks for calling us so quickly, we have some good news and some not so good but can you share what you have first please."

Taking them through to the dining area Maddie jumps up and offers coffee which is accepted enthusiastically.  "Thank you Ms. Stevens I think we are all going to need it."  Imogen starts to shake again at this so quickly pulling her onto my lap I hold her tight. 

"It's okay babe, I've got you.  Let's just find out what's going on."  We all listen while Lucas goes through everything he knows again and see the detectives’ faces when he shows them the photograph from his crew member. 

Imogen then explained what Jake had done to her in the past and it never gets easier to listen to.  Maddie has climbed onto Lake's knee and is quietly crying again but for once Ginny seems calm, almost too calm, like she's waiting for the storm.  The lead cop looks up and begins to speak.  Here it goes.

"Ms. Banks, may I call you Imogen?"  She doesn't speak but slowly nods.  "Imogen, the first thing is good news,  Mr. Halloran and Mr. Jenkins are both fully cooperating with us and have so far corroborated your statement, and have given us some useful information on Mr. Williams' potential whereabouts.  Another positive is that Mr. Cavanagh and Mr. McBride have both been taken into custody in the UK, unfortunately for them, but not for us, is that Mr. Halloran is both of theirs personal lawyer as well, but as far as I know one of the gentlemen is being cooperative but the other isn't."

"Let me guess Marcus is denying everything, he always runs and hides behind his mother’s skirts when things don't go well for him."  She smirks at me.  "His mother is some high court judge and he runs to her every time, once it was just for a bloody parking fine."

"You are a very astute woman, Imogen.  Now for the less pleasant news, are you still comfortable with everyone here listening?"

"I think they pretty much know it all by now, don't you?"  She raises her eyebrow at him and I am in complete awe of her, just how amazing is this woman?

He nods, "As you wish.  We were unable to locate your mother at the Radisson but the hotel have been very courteous and allowed us access to their CCTV and to her room.  All her belongings are still there but as she has as yet to return there. 

Your father has now been arrested, his computer had images and files relating to yourself as well as other women."  Imogen starts to gag at this point and rushes to the sink unable to make it to the bathroom, Maddie follows and takes her to clean up.

I look to the two men.  "While Ginny is gone, she started to explain her relationship with him to me last night and she believes that he will try to kill her when he finds her, and I tend to agree with her.  I know you will need another statement from her but I think she needs to have a rape counselor with her when you do. 

She is battling with many of the demons he forced upon her and the biggest one right now is guilt.  If she hadn't left then none of this would have happened, she is blaming herself for the girl’s death and for any grief she is causing us and this is just the tip of the iceberg."

"That will not be a problem, anyway here she is.  I hope you are okay Imogen, do you want me to continue or would you rather I discussed it with Mr. Davenport, as your lawyer he can deal with this for you."

Watching Ginny look up at Lake I can tell that she wants to know when she slightly shakes her head at him.  "No, its fine carry on please."

"Very well, your fathers computers had recordings of other women also being raped and assaulted by Mr. Williams, and some of his, well shall we call them friends?  The only one not included was Mr. Jenkins, your father has admitted to finding girls at the college and passing on their details to Mr. Williams, and for this he was paid large amounts of money. 

Your mother I believe ran dance classes, and Mr. Reid, your father, has also admitted that she would pass some of the girls on too.  It seems that the girls were only ever used, if that is the right word for what he does, for one time.  Sometimes it was a birthday party or celebration, other times it was just because he wanted too.  Mr. Davenport has already found some of the girls and we are passing their names over to your police."

"Surely my father would have the names on some sort of record?  He was a meticulous note-taker and list compiler it would drive me mad."

"Unfortunately, they were only ever mentioned by a single letter and number.  The photographs are being analyzed, and missing person files are being checked, they have I believe, found three girls and along with the names Mr. Davenport has it may be as many as eight. 

This trafficking of women and girls has been going on for over ten years, maybe even more.  I believe you are ten or eleven years younger than Mr. Williams so we can only presume there were many more before you. 

This means Imogen that you are not at fault or to blame, your parents handed you over to a man they knew to be a violent sadistic man and they are not showing any remorse for it.  But on to another seemingly separate subject.  I understand you have a brother and he left home at seventeen when you were fourteen or fifteen is that correct?"

"Yes, Theo.  But I haven't seen or heard of him since.  I don't know where he is or what he is doing."  Imogen looks both men straight in the eye.  "I can't believe he would be involved in anything to do with this.  He was an intelligent boy with a very high moral standard, the arguments that went on just before he left were horrendous."  And it was like seeing a light bulb going on in her head.  "He knew.  He knew what they were doing. Oh God this makes so much sense."  Turning to face me she speaks again.  "I think they were asking for names of girls he was at college with, there was one night when he shouted that they were sicko's or something like that he left not long after."