People Trafficker (31 page)

“How did you know I’d be ill?” she asked.

“Your mum came to see me, she told me of your condition and how urgent it was for you to have an injection, besides get you home. I’d hoped it was the work of Saeed and this would be where they would bring you, so that’s why I’m here.”

She gave her a smile. “I’m glad they did then. Anyway I love the getup, Karen, it’s dead sexy, but that isn’t a real gun you’re carrying, is it?”

Karen laughed. “You bet it is, beside grenades, a handgun and an ankle knife. You don’t go after these bastards without protection; believe me.”

“No I suppose you don’t, so is that how you got out last time, by shooting your way out?”

“Sort of, but there were lots of times, before I got a gun, that I was forced to agree to do anything they wanted of me.”

“I wish I could be like you. I fell to pieces virtually the first day they took me. Just accepting there was no way I could escape alone.”

Karen smiled. “Well don’t worry about anything. Now you’re with me they won’t get near you. But before the medic arrives, what happened to the other girls?”

“They had a sale, it wasn’t here though, it was somewhere else. I think they were taken immediately after the sale. An old woman was looking after me, probably them as well but I don’t know as we were all kept separate until the sale. Then we weren’t allowed to talk, but I did manage to speak to Dawn for a couple of minutes. She told me she’d had the same done to her. The old woman always had someone with her who carried a stick that gave you electric shocks if you didn’t do as they said. It was awful, Karen, they removed my body hair and that woman kept pouring oils on me. I was so ill at the sale no one wanted me, so I was to go to some brothel, but I collapsed and they brought me here. I suppose thinking it was just flu or something and I’d get over it so they could sell me later.”

“Well that’s all in the past now, you’ll soon be home. Maybe we’ll meet back in the UK?”

“We’d better, Karen, you’ll at least have to come for a weekend. Saturday night we’ll go out and have a great time.”

“Yes I’d like that.”

Then Angela looked more serious. “There’s another girl, she wasn’t one of the competition winners. It was terrible Karen. The old women dragged her into the room naked. She was so young and scared and just went into hysterics when they started touching her. That old woman used the electric stick on the girl. All of them stood round enjoying her body being contorted every time the stick touched her. They only stopped when I made them feel ashamed of themselves, telling them to have their fun with me rather than her. You have to find the little girl, Karen, she’s so young and frightened, her mother must be beside herself.”

“I’ll do my best, Angela, but it won’t be easy.”

“I understand, god I can’t even believe you’ve found me. But I’m really glad you did.”

By then the medic had arrived and Karen stood to one side as he opened his bag and pulled out a tiny bottle full of liquid, which he filled a syringe with. Seconds later he injected Angela. After assessing her he decided Angela wouldn’t be able to walk herself to the helicopter, so they opened up a stretcher.

As she was being taken out of the room she looked at Karen stood there. “Are you coming as well?”

Karen shook her head. “Not just yet, I’m going to find out where the others are. If they are still in this country I’ll go and get them.”

“Good luck, I hope you find them and the people who have done this to us.”

“Oh you can believe that, Angela. But this time if our paths cross I really will make sure the bastard is dead.”

Coming back down the stairs the Captain stopped her. “Good work, Karen, do you want to go with the medical team and we’ll finish off here? The old lady is very shocked, we’ve had to use our medic to stop the bleeding and calm her down.”

“It’s okay; I’m staying for the moment. Besides, the old hag will be playing you up. She’s as tough as old boots that one and bloody good at pretending to be a frail, little old lady. She won’t do that with me, I’ll cut her throat if she doesn’t give me the locations of the other girls.”

“Yes I suspected that what’s she doing, but I don’t think we’ll get much out of her in the state she’s in.”

“We’ll see,” she replied.

Saeed’s mother looked up as Karen came back in.
“You got the child then?”
she asked in French.

“
Of course, now it’s time you started to remember the other girls’ locations, after all you’ve had plenty of time to think.”

She shrugged,
“I don’t know. But you’ve got one that’s enough. Besides the others are settled with their new owners.”

Karen leaned on the side of the table and looked down at her.
“I’m glad you said that.”

She frowned.
“What are you saying child?”

Karen didn’t reply at first, but took the gun from its holster on her belt and clicked the safety off.
“Well it gives me the opportunity to try out my ‘loosen your mouth’ techniques. So for a starter how about I give you five seconds then blast your foot, then the kneecap before beginning on the next leg. It’ll be a bit painful, as Saeed found out, but at least you can sit side by side with him in wheelchairs and compare each other’s injuries.”

The woman’s eyes went as large as saucers.
“You wouldn’t dare, Saeed would kill you.”

Karen grinned.
“You don’t get it do you? I couldn’t give a stuff about him. I’m not even interested in your so-called threats as to what he’d do to me. Besides, he’d look a bit stupid chasing me down the street in his wheelchair. Anyway your five seconds are up, talk or lose your foot. I prefer the latter.”

She raised the gun aiming for the woman’s foot.

“I’ll give you them, for what good it’ll do you,”
she suddenly shouted in panic when she saw the gun raised.

“Shit, why can’t I have a little target practice, OK then tell me?”
Karen muttered with obvious disappointment.

“
You’re sick you are, anyway give me some paper and I’ll write them down.”

“Right, now we have locations, Karen, I’ll call control, give them the information and ask for new orders,” the Captain said after Saeed’s mother had written them all down. He turned and left the room, expecting her to follow, but she didn’t.

Turning to Saeed’s mother, she sighed. “
Saeed’s just not doing well in his profession, since I came on the scene, is he? But unfortunately it’s going to get worse. You see old woman I want all the money that you’ve brought back for him. But don’t for one moment try to kid me you got paid by cheque, gave credit or any other shit. You wouldn’t have, it’d all be cash because I know your son has a real distrust of banks.
”

She glared at Karen.
“You won’t get a penny out of me. That money is for my son’s medical treatment, caused by you.”

Karen frowned.
“Yes I admit, old woman, it was caused by me, besides I was really upset when I heard he’d actually survived. After all I’d pumped a fair amount of bullets into that fat little body of his. So I’m thinking of going down to the hospital and blowing his brains out, just to make sure he’s really dead this time.”

Saeed’s mother’s eyes went as large as saucers.
“You will leave my son alone. He’s all I have.”

Karen laughed.
“I suppose so, if you insist, how about I just blow yours out instead,”
she replied indifferently.
“After all it’s the money, you or your son’s life. I’m not really bothered which. Well I am really, I’d rather just put a gun to your head.”

They both fell silent, then Karen shifted position, still messing about with the handgun and pulling back the stock to arm it.
“Right I’m off. I’ll not say it was good seeing you again, it wasn’t. Perhaps you can put a word in for me when you answer to God. Then I’ll slip over to the hospital and tell your son personally I’ve just blown your brains out. You see I remember once when he considered you more valuable than the money he was going to get for me. Very insistent if I hurt you in any way I could expect a good beating and then I’d be left to burn up in the desert. But it would seem you consider yourself less valuable than the money you’ve collected for that son of yours. He’ll be really grateful for your consideration when he’s still got money to pay his bills and bury you.”

Karen raised the gun to her head. Saeed’s mother panicked, the girl was so matter-of-fact and actually was going through with it.
“I’ll get you the money,”
she suddenly said.

“
Oh…” Karen sighed. “You’re not playing fair today, this is the second time you’ve stopped me from using the gun. I would rather like to see if any brains came out of that head of yours, if there are any, as I suspect, they’re all in your bottom.”

Saeed’s mother said nothing and stood before making her way out from the bedroom and into another opposite. Inside there was a huge double bed with two wardrobes and a large chest set against the far wall. She pulled out a key from under clothes inside a drawer of an old dresser and opened the chest. Removing a black leather doctor’s bag she threw it down in front of Karen.
“The money is in there. Take it and get out of my house.”

“Open it,”
Karen demanded.

She opened the top and Karen looked down. Inside she could clearly see bundles of notes. Not neat and tidy but in wads of mixed old notes. She bent down and pulled a bundle out flipping through to see if it was all notes and not paper.

“Thank you, old woman. I hope you’ll send Saeed my regards? Tell him I’m sorry I missed him this time; perhaps next time when I pass this way, he and I can get together? Not for the sex bit, more for me to finish the job and send him to his maker.”

“You are a very bad person, Karen Marshall, Saeed will hunt you down.”

Karen shrugged, changing back to English. “You have it wrong old woman. It is you and your son who are the bad people round here. It isn’t me who has taken young boys and girls and sold them into a life of hell. I suppose your son grew up in a loving family, played out on the street in safety. Sat round a table on birthdays to blow the candles out, maybe even received presents. You took all that away from the children who came through these doors and you have the nerve to call yourself a mother? I’m ashamed of you as a woman and you’re very lucky I was brought up a Christian otherwise you would be dead now. Perhaps when your son finds out all his money has gone, he will decide to hunt me down? However, remember the hunter can also be the hunted.”

Then she left the room, slamming the door shut, before going down the stairs.

Saeed’s mother sat for some time until she was sure the house was empty. She was very frightened of this girl. A girl who Saeed should have just dropped off at a brothel as arranged. She had only brought disaster into their lives for the sake of a few more dollars. However, she knew there was only one man who could bring this girl to her knees, and he would pay money for information as to her whereabouts.

Shuffling down the stairs she went into the kitchen, pulling a book from a pile stacked up alongside the telephone. She opened it and went down the listings till she found what she wanted. Quickly she dialled the number. It rang out for what seemed an age - eventually it was answered by a not-too-happy person.

“I want to speak to Sirec,” she demanded.

“Do you know what time it is woman, he’ll go mad if I disturb him, call tomorrow.”

“No you don’t understand it’s very urgent. Tell him...” she hesitated for a moment. “Tell him Karen is in the country and I know where she’s heading.”

“Wait, I’ll tell him.” Then the phone fell silent.

After a short while she could hear voices, someone coming down the stairs, then the handset lifted. “Sirec here, what’s this about Karen?”

“Sirec, I’m Saeed’s mother. She came tonight. She was with others and was heavily armed. She took all our money, but I know where she’s heading.”

“Tell me?” he demanded.

“I will, but we have lost everything and my son needs money to pay his bills,” she replied, keeping her fingers crossed.

“I will pay his bills old woman, but I want the location otherwise your information is worthless.”

Five minutes later she replaced the handset. A smile was spreading over her face. “Let her go up against Sirec and see how she fares,” she muttered aloud, then began laughing.