All that remained was to make sure that Tara would be ready. He was looking forward to telling her what he had planned. Smiling to himself at what lay ahead, he left the room and headed upstairs.
***
She heard footsteps approach the door, and turned from where she was sitting by the dresser to face the door as it opened.
“It’s time.”
“Are you going to kill me?” Tara asked, resigned now to her fate.
“You know the rules. You betrayed me, so now you have to pay the price.”
“Sergei, please. Do what you want to with me, but please, please let me just see her once before I die.” She tried hard to appeal to him, hoping that he would let her have this one final wish.
“She’s not here. I told you that already.”
“Please, I just want to see her once. That’s all I ask. Can’t you wait to punish me?”
“You’re in no position to ask anything, are you?” The satisfied smile on his face betrayed how much enjoyment he was getting out of her pleading. “Anyway, it’s already arranged and our guests will be arriving soon.”
“Guests?” She was confused now, her stomach fluttering
“Yes. I’ve arranged a special game. You see, when you walked out on me you left behind some very unhappy customers. Now you get to make it up to them.”
Tara felt sick to her stomach. She had assumed he was just going to get rid of her. “You can’t make me go off with someone again. I’ll leave at the first chance I get!”
“I know that, silly. That’s why you’re not going anywhere. You’re staying right here.”
Tara really was confused now. What did he mean? “I don’t understand.”
“Well, I’ve had to change the rules a bit, you know, to accommodate the circumstances.” He looked very pleased with himself. “Tonight you get to entertain each and every one of the players. They are not playing to win you, they are playing to decide who gets to go first.”
Tara actually thought she might throw up now. All of them? She could see that her reaction was giving him pleasure, so she tried to keep the fear and disgust from showing on her face.
“Yes, each and every player will get an hour with you to do whatever they want. Obviously, they’ll all want to go first. After all, who knows what state you’ll be in by the time the last player has a go?”
This couldn’t be happening! Gripping the back of the chair until her knuckles were white, Tara didn’t trust herself to say anything.
“Now, get ready. I think my favorite black dress tonight don’t you? They’ll be here soon and we want you looking your best, don’t we? If you’re not ready by the time they get here, I’ll send Joey up to help you.” With this last threat, he turned and walked out the door.
***
Alone again, Tara started to shake, just a shiver at first but growing in intensity until her whole body was wracked with great shudders. This was it. There was no way out. If she could have just seen her daughter, just once, it would have been worth it. To lay her eyes on the face of the child she had borne, to see for herself that she was alive and well, would have been worth the price. But for all this to be for nothing was unbearable.
The walls she had always had were gone now, and the idea of all those men touching her, doing things to her, made her physically sick. Running to the bathroom, she made it to the toilet just in time. Throwing up until she was empty, she curled up on the bathroom floor and cried. Cried for the child she’d never known and now, would never know. Cried for the life she had glimpsed with Kyle and the happiness she was not destined to have. Gradually, her sobs subsided and she became calmer.
Pulling herself up off the floor, she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy and her skin was pale.
Climbing into the shower, she let the hot water flow over her body. This was going to be the hardest act of her life, but she was not going to let Sergei win. Yes, he could humiliate her, let others abuse her and ultimately, she was sure, kill her, but it was up to her whether she gave him the pleasure of seeing her fear. Glancing in the mirror, she was pleased to see that her eyes were no longer puffy. There was no way she was going to let Sergei see her despair.
Back in the bedroom, she carefully applied her make-up and did her hair so that it framed her face and fell in waves down her back. Putting on one of the dresses that Joey had packed for her in London, she sat down on the bed, placed her hands in her lap, and waited for her cue.
Forty-Eight
By the time they’d cleared customs, rented a car and found their way across London, it was early afternoon.
“So what do you want to do? We can’t just go storming in there,” Kat asked.
“No, there are far too many people around for that,” he said as he watched yet another man walk through the casino doors. As with most casinos, it didn’t seem to matter that it was the middle of the day. They were open and had plenty of customers. Kyle chewed on his bottom lip, trying to remember what Tara had told him about this place.
“I know Sergei’s office is above the casino, but I don’t know if you have to go through the main casino to get to it. There might be a back door.”
Kat nodded. “Yep. That would make sense. They’d need another exit in case of fire.”
“So, let’s go and find out.” Kyle stepped out of the car, closely followed by Kat, and they crossed the busy road to the casino. The front of the building faced onto a busy boulevard and it was attached on both sides to other businesses, with no sign of a way to get around the back.
Kyle took the lead as they circled the block, looking for any way to get behind the casino. It took them a while, but they finally found the entrance to an alley that ran the length of the street behind the shops a few doors down, almost invisible between a liquor store and a bookie.
Making their way down the alley, they came to the back of the casino and Kyle was pleased to see a set of metal stairs going up to a door on the first floor.
“That’s got to be it,” Kat said excitedly. “Now what?”
Kyle’s jaw hardened. “Now we go and introduce ourselves.”
Quietly, so as not to warn him they were coming, they climbed up the stairs. Turning the handle on the door at the top, Kyle was not surprised to find it was locked. Turning to Kat, he saw her reach in her pocket and pull out what looked like a wallet.
“Lucky for you, I came prepared,” she whispered, slipping one of the small tools into the lock. It was a simple lock and Kat made short work of picking it, a trick most officers on the LAPD were able to do.
As the door swung open, they could hear the noise of the casino filtering up from downstairs, a mixture of laughter and the music of the slot machines. In front of them were four steps leading to a landing, a landing which was opulently decorated, a single door at the far end. Looking at each other and nodding, they moved forward. Reaching the door, they paused and Kyle put his ear against it.
“I can’t hear a sound,” he whispered. Taking a deep breath and counting to three, he turned the knob and threw the door open.
There was no doubt that this was Sergei’s office, Kyle thought as he took in the décor. It was far too plush to belong to an employee, the furnishings expensive. His heart sank as he realized it was empty. Walking over to the couch, he sat down as Kat closed the door quietly behind her.
“Damn! Now what?” He’d known there was a risk Sergei wouldn’t be here but he’d hoped that as it was the middle of the working day they would get lucky.
“Wait?” Kat suggested with a shrug.
“For how long? He could be hours. He could be with Tara right now doing God knows what to her!”
“I know, I know, but what do you suggest? Did she give you anything else to go on?”
“There’s her London flat, but I’m not sure I can remember how to get there.” Kyle dropped his head into his hands.
The ringing of the phone, loud in the empty office, made them both jump. It rang a coupl
e of times before the answering machine picked it up and the sound of Sergei’s voice filled the room.
I’m out of the office for a couple of days. If it’s urgent, call my cell.
The caller hung up. They looked at each other in the silence that followed. “That’s it, then. We have no choice now, Kyle.” Kat said gently.
“What?”
“We have to go to the local police. They’ll know how to find her.”
With a sinking feeling, Kyle knew that she was right. He’d done all he could on his own and they needed help now.
“Okay. But I just want to have a look around first. You never know. He may have left something that will tell us where he’s gone.”
He stood up and started rummaging around on Sergei’s desk. With a sigh, Kat joined in. They searched in silence for a few minutes, the only noise that of drawers opening and closing and the rustling of papers.
“What’s this?” Kat held up a letter she had taken from the desk drawer. “It’s addressed to Sergei but the address isn’t in London.”
Kyle snatched it from her hand. “Let me see!”
He glanced at it, quickly skimming through the writing. “It’s a letter from a school in Dorset about school fees.” He held it up triumphantly. “This has to be about Tara’s daughter!”
Kat looked doubtful. “Agreed. But I don’t see how it helps us.” Kyle was grinning at her now.
“Of course it does! Don’t you see? This is where he will have taken her!”
Kat shook her head. “No way. You know as well as I do that he won’t let Tara near her. He’s too cruel.”
“Don’t you see? It’s exactly because he is so cruel that that is exactly where he will take her!”
Kat didn’t say anything for a moment. “You’re right. I never thought of it that way. So, what are we waiting for?”
Stuffing the letter in his pocket, they both left the office and ran back to the car. It was late afternoon now and, looking at the satnav, it was going to take them a good two or three hours to get there. There was no time to lose.
Forty-Nine
Joey led her down the stairs and to a room at the back of the house. It had big double doors which Joey opened dramatically, pushing her forward with the hand he held to her back. Despite herself, her eyes widened. The room was huge and the whole of the wall facing her was floor-to-ceiling glass, giving a view of the gardens to the rear of the house. The wall to the left was home to an enormous fish tank, built into the wall, in which she could see an array of tropical fish swimming around. In the center of the room was a round poker table, around which all of Sergei’s guests were seated. Sergei himself was sitting off to the side in a large, overstuffed, black leather chair.
Standing up, he came over to her. “And here, gentlemen, as promised, is your prize.”
Tara could feel all the eyes in the room turn to her and she could almost feel their gazes against her skin, stripping her bare. The dress she had been told to wear was one of her least favorite and she had only ever worn it once. It was black and floor length, with two slits at the front going right up to her waist which meant that every time she moved, the guests could see far more than she wanted them to. The top consisted of little more than two straps of fabric attached to the front and back of the waistband of the skirt and which barely contained her breasts. She felt totally exposed, which she knew was exactly the point.
“Now, before we start, you’ve all been made aware of the rules. Winner goes first.” He smiled at the laughing and backslapping this comment brought around the table. “But, so you know what you are playing for, you all get to have a look at the goods before we start.” He stepped aside. “If you would, Joey.”
She felt Joey step up behind her, and before she could react he had sliced through the straps of her dress with a knife, allowing them to fall away leaving her breasts exposed. Taking her wrists in his hands, he stopped her from raising them to cover herself. Closing her eyes tightly, she tried to imagine herself in a different place, anywhere but here, while the men ogled her.
After a minute, Joey released her wrists and she was allowed to pick up the bits of fabric from where they had fallen and hold them over herself.
“Now you know what you are playing for, gentlemen. Let the game begin,” Sergei said with a flourish. “You can go back to your room now. Rest, you’re going to need all your energy later.” He laughed then, along with all the others in the room, and the sound stayed with her as Joey escorted her back upstairs.
She’d expected him to leave and close the door behind him, but he didn’t. Instead he followed her into the room. “What do you want, Joey?”
He smiled. “What do you think I want? What everyone else gets.” He stepped towards her.
“Don’t come any closer.” She took a step back. “Sergei will kill you if he finds out.” He just grinned. “I don’t think he will, somehow.”
“You’ll have to make me, and believe me I’ll fight you. Sergei doesn’t want me damaged before the game.” She was clutching at straws now. She’d always known that Joey had wanted her but he’d always been too wary of actually doing anything about it while she was still in favor.
“You know, I could help you.” This stilled her.
“What do you mean, help me?”
“I can’t help you escape before you get too excited but I can take you to have a look round Anna’s room. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Anna. Her name was Anna. She didn’t dare speak and just nodded.
“But if I’m going to do that for you, you need to do something for me.” He was right in front of her now and taking her hands from where they still held up the front of her dress, he pulled them away. The fabric fell away, leaving her exposed.
Was it worth it? Of course it was. She was going to be passed around later anyway, so she may as well try and get something out of it.
Standing still she made no effort to cover herself up. He didn’t need any more encouragement than that.
***
When it was over, Tara ran to the bathroom and, desperate to get clean, immediately jumped into the shower, turning the water on as hot as it would go. Scrubbing at herself with soap, she desperately tried to wash him off of her, to remove any trace of him.
After a few minutes, she wrapped herself in a robe and walked back into the bedroom.
“Just give me a couple of minutes to get dressed,” she told him, grabbing some fresh clothes from the wardrobe.
“Before what?” he asked, smirking at her. While she’d been in the shower, he’d gotten his own clothes back on and was now standing by the door.
“Before you take me to Anna’s room.”
“Oh, that. Sorry. More than my job’s worth,” he laughed.
“No! We had a deal!” Tara cried.
“You should know better than that, Tara. Desperation has obviously addled your brain.” He turned to leave. “Now, get yourself ready. It’ll be show time soon.” Still laughing to himself, he left the room, so pleased with himself that he forget to lock it.
Tara didn’t notice, though, as she stood for a moment staring at the closed door, so caught up was she in her own thoughts. He was right. She should have known better, but she was so desperate for something, anything, as far has her daughter was concerned that she’d forgotten who she was dealing with. Not bothering to get changed, she curled up on the bed and buried her head in the pillow. It was time. She’d tried everything. She could do no more. The end had come.
Fifty
Anna was not happy at all. Trust her to fall over and break her wrist. Even if she couldn’t ski, though, it didn’t seem fair that she had to come home while the rest of her class got to carry on enjoying themselves.
She’d been adamant that she didn’t want them contacting her father. There was no need. Monika had come along as a parent chaperone and she was the adult that she lived with. If her dad found out, he wouldn’t care anyway, probably wouldn’t even bother coming to see
if she was okay.
She’d stared sulkily out of the car window as they’d driven home from the airport. They’d flown into Bournemouth Airport, so it wasn’t a long drive. She was still angry at cutting her trip short, and she and Monika hadn’t spoken all the way home. The silence was broken as the car turned into the driveway. “Whose are all those cars?” she asked, turning to Monika.
“I have no idea. Your father must be here with some of his friends.”
“Oh, great. Fantastic.” She pulled a face.
Monika smiled at her and, taking one hand from the wheel, squeezed her knee. “It’s okay, sweetie. He won’t be here for long, I’m sure.”
Anna tried to smile at her, but it was hard. It was nice when it was just the two of them. When her dad came to visit, the tension was horrible. She didn’t know why he bothered. He had no real interest in her and she knew that he never had.
When she was younger, she’d wanted his attention, struggled to understand why she never saw him from one month to the next. As she’d gotten older, she’d understood that she just wasn’t important to him. She didn’t really matter.
When he was around, he just seemed to delight in criticizing her and making her feel small if she didn’t do well enough at school. He had never once told her that she’d done a good job of anything, and she much preferred when they didn’t speak at all.
And the way he spoke to Monika really upset her. Monika had been with her since the day she was born, was like a mother to her, and she loved her dearly.
The fact that she wasn’t her mother had never been hidden from her. When she was about five years old, Monika had sat her down and told her about her mother, how she was the love of her dad’s life and that though the doctors had done everything they could to save her, she had died giving birth to her.