Lost Girls

He kicked again and hit her left elbow.

  ‘Stop it,’ Charlie screamed.

  ‘Don't worry, your turn is coming, little girl.’

  In the darkness Kim tried to crawl out of reach. She knew what he was doing. He was disabling her from all angles so she would be unable to move. Just as he had with Inga.

  His next blow caught the top of her left thigh. A slight roll had prevented his foot from shattering her knee.

  She fought to think through the pain that was consuming her from every direction.

  Another blow landed on her right ankle.

  By the light of her phone she could see the pleasure in his eyes. He was just getting warmed up.

  Kim thought of the people who were now crawling all over the property. And not one of them could help her.

  She felt like the appetiser before the main meal. When he was done with Charlie, he'd return to her for dessert.

  He stood back and admired his handiwork. Kim couldn't identify one body part she could move with ease.

  She was powerless to fight. The agony flooded her body but she would not cry out. Only the sound of Charlie's soft whimpering from the corner forced her to hold on to consciousness.

  The nausea rose in her throat. She coughed it down and her whole body reacted to the movement.

  She had no weapons. He had the knife and she could barely move an inch.

  Symes turned his attention to the far corner. A growl of anticipation sounded from his throat.

  Kim blinked the threat of darkness from her eyes. If she succumbed to the pain for even a minute the child would be dead.

  Symes started moving away and Kim could not follow.

  He moved towards his prize; his payment for a job well done. Kim was powerless to stop him.

  And then the phone light went out.

  One Hundred Seven

  Kim could hear voices on the other side of the door but they couldn’t get through. Charlie cried out from the corner.

  Kim tried to focus as a thought tried to form, something Alison had said.

  She put every ounce of strength into the one thing she could move. Her mouth.

  ‘Soldier, what the fuck do you think you're doing?’

  She sensed the stillness that fell in the room.

  ‘You think we got time for this, soldier?’

  ‘B-but …’

  Kim seized the advantage. A sudden hope infused her and dulled the pain.

  ‘Is this what you trained for, soldier?’

  She moved a few inches across the floor. Her body screamed for her to stop but she refused to listen.

  ‘Since when did we hurt little girls, soldier?’

  Another few inches.

  ‘I'm … I'm …’

  ‘When did we train you to do this, soldier?’ she shouted to hide the slow movement of her body along the floor. The pain travelled all the way to her voice but she fought to keep it firm. She hoped the repetition of the title, ‘soldier’, would confuse him just long enough.

  ‘You think your squad would accept you now?’

  ‘But … I'm not … not any …’

  ‘You're always a soldier,’ Kim barked.

  ‘I don't … see …’

  ‘Of course you see me, soldier,’ Kim shouted. In the darkness her eyes could just make out his stance. He stood, legs apart, two feet away from Charlie.

  Just another few inches.

  ‘Stand down, soldier, and return to your barracks.’

  ‘But … you're not … real …’

  Kim pulled her left leg back and shot one good kick to his right calf. He toppled to the ground, falling forward.

  Kim heard Charlie shuffle out of the way.

  The fall brought him back to his senses and his focus was back on Kim.

  ‘You fucking bitch,’ he screamed. She could hear the anger in his voice as well as the pain. But she knew the blow wouldn't incapacitate him for long.

  Kim tried to crawl away, heard him crawl right behind her. Her knees crunched on the broken glass from the smashed light bulb.

  His hands lunged for her ankles. She fell forward onto the ground, face first.

  Within a second his knees were astride her. He threw her onto her back.

  Kim tried to wriggle beneath him but his weight forced her down. She bucked again and he laughed.

  She felt the cold metal rest at her throat.

  ‘I'm gonna enjoy every second of this – and then the kid gets it.’

  Kim could feel the puddle of blood beneath the palm of her right hand.

  She lifted her hand from the floor and opened the palm wide, splaying her fingers, stretching the gash.

  She smacked her hand down to the ground and felt the glass shards from the light bulb embed in her wound. The nausea was strong and immediate. A hundred knives danced in her palm.

  She swallowed frantically as the pain tried to take control.

  Fireworks exploded in her eyes as his face suddenly lit up. Charlie was holding the phone, blinding him with sudden light.

  Symes’s eyes were wide open, trying to adjust.

  Kim raised her right hand from the ground and smashed her palm into his eye. The glass shards sticking out of her palm pierced his eyeball.

  He screamed like a wounded animal. The knife clattered to the ground as his hands rose to his eyes.

  Charlie was quicker than Kim and grabbed the knife from the floor.

  Kim scooted over and grabbed her, forming her body around the child like a shell.

  Symes rolled on the floor, screaming.

  Suddenly, the metal door swung open. And in that moment Kim could have cried.

  ‘Jesus Christ, Guv,’ Bryant said, shining a torch right at her. A spare key hung from the lock.

  She held up her hand against the light to shield her eyes.

  Nuggets of glass fell from the wound.

  Bryant stepped back into the corridor.

  ‘Paramedic, down here now,’ he screamed. Blood continued to drip from her hand.

  Dawson was the first body to appear. He immediately hauled Symes to his feet. Bryant offered her a hand, but she ignored it and pushed herself to a standing position.

  Symes tried to lunge towards her but Dawson held him firm.

  She staggered one step towards him. ‘And all they sent was a bitch, eh?’

  ‘You fucking wait,’ he spat as a mixture of blood and intraocular fluid rolled over this cheek. ‘I'll fucking get you.’

  She took a last look at his one good eye.

  ‘Kev, get him out of my sight.’

  Dawson shoved him roughly against the wall. Symes cried out in pain.

  ‘Oops,’ said Dawson, pushing him into the corridor.

  Kim turned to Charlie who sat shivering against the wall.

  ‘Charlie, it's okay. He's not coming back. I promise.’

  The little girl nodded, the disbelief showing in her eyes. There was little Kim could do to reassure her right now but over time she would come to believe it.

  ‘You were so brave just then. Your parents will be very proud.’

  ‘Guv, can we call?’ Bryant asked.

  Kim shook her head as a paramedic entered the room. Not until they had Subject Three.

  ‘See to her foot,’ Kim said, pointing at Charlie.

  Bryant passed the torch to the second paramedic who shone it down towards the child.

  Bryant stepped forward and picked up Charlie like she was nothing. ‘There are ambulances upstairs. He needs to take a look at your hand.’

  Bryant carried the child up the stairs.

  The paramedic took her hand gently. The other shone the torch onto the wound.

  ‘I'm gonna need to get you to the hospital. There might be nerve damage.’

  Kim shook her head. ‘Take out the glass and wrap it up.’

  ‘No, you need X-rays. You've taken quite a beating.’

  Kim pulled her hand away. ‘Do it, or I'll do it myself.’

  There were still unanswer
ed questions.

  He offered her a look of disapproval.

  ‘You'll have to sign a disclaimer.’

  She looked down at her hand and raised one eyebrow.

  He smiled. ‘Yeah, okay, fair enough.’

  Kim stared at the wall while he used tweezers to prise out the glass. Most of the pieces had embedded themselves in Symes's eye.

  ‘Can you go quicker?’ she asked. The feeling was returning to parts of her body and she still had work to do.

  ‘I'm trying to do it gently,’ he snapped.

  ‘Well, don't. Just get it out and clean it up,’ she snapped back.

  By the time Bryant returned, her hand was covered in gauze and bandage and was three times the size.

  ‘You have to get to hospital as soon—’

  ‘Yeah, yeah; are we done?’

  The medic closed his case and shook his head. ‘She's all yours,’ he said to Bryant.

  ‘Cheers, mate,’ Bryant responded.

  Kim eased herself slowly to her feet. The pain sent a dozen reminders around her body.

  ‘You look a bit banged up, Guv.’

  ‘I'll live,’ she said, heading for the corridor.

  ‘Err … do you want any help up the stairs?’

  ‘Oh, Bryant, please ask me that question again.’

  ‘Got it. I'll go first.’

  She silently thanked him. If he was ahead of her, he would not see her struggle.

  Kim knew she had to get back to the Timmins’ house, but there was a final piece of the puzzle that had to be resolved.

  She reached the third step up and paused.

  ‘I can't,’ she said.

  ‘I told you to—’

  ‘Not that,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘I can't just leave.’

  The remains of another child were here somewhere and out there was a mother who dreamed of their return.

  She stepped back down into the corridor. Bryant followed and lit the area with the torch he’d taken back from the medic.

  ‘Guv, what are you hoping to find?’

  ‘Get the keys,’ she said, pointing to where they still hung from the open door.

  Bryant removed the keys and Kim headed to the left and the dead end. There was a second metal door.

  ‘Open it,’ Kim said. Her gut churned in response as the key turned in the lock.

  She took the torch in her left hand and shone it around the silent room.

  The shaft of light rested at the top right-hand corner.

  Kim closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds and sighed heavily. There was a mother who was about to get her wish.

  They had found the body of a little girl.

  Jenny Cotton would be able to bury her daughter.

  One Hundred Eight

  Kim waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and approached the shape in the corner.

  Her heart stopped for the briefest of seconds.

  ‘No fucking way, Guv,’ Bryant whispered behind her.

  Yes, she had seen it too. The figure in the corner had moved.

  Kim stepped forward slowly, her eyes refusing to blink.

  ‘It's okay, Suzie, you're safe,’ Kim murmured.

  The tiny form forced herself further into the corner, her head turned into the wall.

  Kim pushed at Bryant’s torch so that it was aimed in Suzie’s general direction but not shining directly upon her.

  Although a year older than Amy and Charlie, this huddled shape looked so much younger.

  She wore a pair of black leggings and an oversize shirt that dwarfed her upper half. Her light brown hair had been cut short, hacked close to her head.

  Like the room next door, a bucket was placed in the corner. The floor was littered with drinks cartons and wrappers.

  Kim felt the tears sting her eyes. The child had been down here for thirteen months.

  She swallowed the emotion in her throat.

  ‘Suzie, the bad men have gone. They've been taken away. They are never going to hurt you again.’

  No response.

  Kim felt Bryant step into the room behind her but she waved him back out.

  She moved a couple of inches closer.

  ‘There's no need to be frightened any more. I promise you're safe.’

  No response.

  Kim's heart ached for the terror this child had experienced. She had to give her something familiar.

  She moved closer again. ‘I met your mum, Suzie. She misses you so much.’

  Suzie shook her head into the wall.

  ‘Are you angry with your mum, Suzie?’

  Another shake of the head.

  Kim took another few inches. She had to make the child look at her, to let her know she was safe. But Suzie hadn't budged from the safety of the corner.

  Kim cursed her own stupidity. How many times had the child imagined that door opening, praying for her release?

  ‘Are you scared to look at me?’

  Kim took the lack of response as a yes.

  ‘Do you think I'll disappear?’

  No response.

  Kim realised the child thought she was imagining the intrusion and if she opened her eyes it would disappear. Kim bit her own lip to fight back the tears. She wanted to run to the corner and gather the child in her arms but she couldn't risk adding to her terror.

  ‘Suzie, I'm going to reach out and touch your right foot. If you feel the weight of my hand you'll know that I'm not in your imagination and I'm real, okay?’

  No response.

  Kim touched the girl on the ankle. The contact acted as a catapult, as Suzie launched herself from the corner and into Kim's arms.

  Kim closed her arms around the small, fragile body and closed her eyes.

  The tears were loud and wracking but Kim was pleased there were tears.

  ‘It's okay, sweetheart. Those men are never going to hurt you again. I promise you.’

  Suzie nestled further and Kim stroked her hair.

  The rage was burning inside her.

  Kim rocked the child back and forth and whispered reassurance into her ear.

  The tears began to slow.

  ‘Suzie, are you hurt?’ Kim asked, gently.

  Suzie shook her head no but Kim could feel the bones of the painfully thin body in her arms.

  The child had been given enough to survive and, to judge from the facilities available in the house, that had not included one proper meal.

  ‘Okay, sweetie, we need to get you out of here.’

  Suzie huddled closer.

  Kim took her gently by the arms and prised her away.

  ‘Don't be scared. I promise everything is going to be okay, Suzie, but I need to get back up those stairs and I could do with some help.’

  Suzie nodded slightly so Kim moved gently away.

  ‘Okay, if you hold my hand I think I can make it.’

  Again the child nodded and Kim realised that she hadn't spoken once.

  That was not something to be tackled here and now. She was alive and the rest could come later.

  Bryant mounted the stairs ahead of them.

  The staircase was narrow so Kim climbed it sideways, not letting go of Suzie’s hand.

  ‘Well done, Suzie. You're doing great. Now when we get outside there will be a lot of people, but don't worry about it. None of them are going to bother you.’

  She felt the hand tighten within her grip. She kept talking to give the child something to hang on to.

  She remembered the sirens and noise herself when she was six years old and being removed from their flat. She had wanted Mikey’s hand to hold. But she couldn’t because he was dead.

  She pushed the thought away and focussed on easing Suzie’s fear.

  ‘Almost there, sweetie,’ Kim said, as they walked through the house.

  Voices were coming from the control room. The evidence collection was already in progress.

  Kim gripped the girl's hand tightly. ‘Remember what I said. No one is going to bother
you, okay?’

  Suzie nodded as they stepped out into the cold.

  The darkened sky was ablaze with flashing blue lights.

  Suzie's eyes widened as she looked at the activity; two ambulances and three squad cars produced quite a display.

  Kim turned to Suzie and used her hand to tip the girl's chin to look into her face.

  ‘Suzie, this man here is my friend and I would trust him with my life. He's going to take you straight to your mum.’

  The girl clutched her hand even tighter and Kim's bandaged hand instinctively stroked the top of her head.

  ‘I promise you'll be fine, sweetie, but we need to get you home.’

  The child would need to be checked over soon. She was severely undernourished. They would also need to question her at some stage but nothing trumped seeing her mother. Bryant was taking her home.

  Reluctantly, Suzie allowed Bryant to take her hand and guide her up the hill to where Kim had parked the car what seemed like three days ago.

  Dawson materialised beside her and followed her gaze.

  His head snapped around. ‘No way, Guv. That is not Suzie Cotton.’

  Kim allowed herself a smile. ‘Yes, Kev. It is.’

  Their gaze met and held for a moment. He began to shake his head. ‘Guv, I …’ He rubbed at his chin. ‘I mean … how the hell did you know?’

  ‘I didn't; but I couldn't just leave her here anyway.’

  His smile widened. ‘You really …’

  ‘Where are we?’ she asked, glancing around.

  He turned towards the vehicles. ‘Our kidnappers have been read their rights. Will Carter has already been taken to the station. Symes is in the first ambulance with three constables for company. And the girls are with a WPC in the second ambulance just about to leave.’

  She watched as Bryant and Suzie crested the hill and disappeared from view.

  She thought of Jennifer Cotton who was soon to receive a gift. The woman's life had ended with Suzie’s disappearance but now it was going to re-start. Kim marvelled that they had both managed to hold on, such was the bond between mother and daughter.

  Kim was jolted by the notion. Suddenly everything fell into place.

  ‘Dawson, go nick a squad car, now,’ she said.

  Finally, it was time to get Subject Number Three.

  One Hundred Nine