Chapter 129: Chapter 129: The Girl Who Was Hunted - Chapter Forty-Five

MICHAEL “This ends here, tonight.” James locks eyes with Haswell, who nods.

He’s right of course. And, he may be my closest friend, but even I know that James has a dangerous side.

Her ‘Dark Angel’ she called him?

Just so.

“What do we do? One’s accounted for. It’s seven against three.”

“Five against three.” murmurs James.

“Five? Why five?”

He nods towards the window again. “She’s got her hands around the balls of one, and another’s about to shove his cock between her teeth. What d’you think will happen to them when we burst in?”

Despite myself, I cringe inside. Richard flinches, staring upwards.

“You have a point.” I concede.

“Stay there a minute,” says James. “I’m going to see if there’s a rear entrance. Klempner’s got his back to a door there. If I can get behind him….”

He vanishes into the darkness. Richard takes another quick look inside and chuckles. “I don’t believe it…. She’s got them, quite literally with their trousers down and they’ve put their guns to one side.”

“Mmmm… yes. James is going to knock her sideways when he gets his hands on her, but she’s done what she set out to do….”

“As always.” murmurs Richard.

James reappears, holding a crowbar, a large spanner and a hammer. “Yes, there’s a side entrance. I can get behind him. You want these?” He keeps the crowbar but offers the other tools. “They were in a shed to the rear. Can I suggest that you two go for the pair over by Beth, keep them from taking her hostage. I’ll take Klempner….”

“And I think we can rely on Charlotte to do as much damage as possible….” I say.

James flashes his brows, clicking his tongue, then, “As soon as you see me appear behind Klempner, get in there, and we’ll take out as many as possible while we have surprise on our side.”

Poised by the entrance, I wait. Half a minute later, the door behind Klempner opens and James appears, moving carefully, the crowbar in his hand.

Charlotte, naked, on her knees, but watching, sees him and….

There is a shriek: two shrieks.

The man face-fucking her drops, screaming. His companion drops too, curling in on himself, clutching at his groin. Charlotte scrambles up, spitting blood.

For the smallest of moments, the tableau freezes as her would-be rapists, clearly not believing what they have just seen, hesitate. Everyone is staring at her, standing naked, her mouth dripping red.

Then chaos breaks out….

James, swinging the crowbar, brings it squarely across Klempner’s head. Klempner screams, reeling, but turns to grapple with his attacker, knocking the bar from James’ hand, to clang to the ground.

Richard and I burst through the door. Caught off-guard, my mark, a spanner smashing into his temple, shrieks and falls. Richard’s puts up more of a fight, trying to go for a gun, but Beth sweeps her legs past his ankles, and as he falls, Richard, seizing him at the throat, smashes him backwards against the wall, where he drops, unconscious.

James and Klempner are still struggling, hand to hand. Stretching to reach James’ throat, Klempner’s face is contorted, twisted with… what? Hate? Fear? James’ is cold, impassive.

The two are all but evenly matched, but Charlotte breaks into the fight. Snatching up the crowbar, now she swings it, bringing it down on Klempner’s outstretched arms with the crack of breaking bones.

Klempner howls and falls, writhing in agony.

Now, the surprise gone, the remaining three gang-members are scrabbling for their weapons. A gunshot whistles past my face, smacking into the plaster behind me. Another shatters through the window….

…. there is the wail of sirens, many sirens. In the darkness outside there is the flash-flash of blue lights and the squeal of brakes.

The three remaining gang members pause, looking at each other, then, the first holds up his hands, dropping his gun. The others hesitate, but….

“It’s over,” says Richard. “The police have come armed, and half the City force is here. You can’t win now, and you’ll not escape.”

Two more weapons drop to the floor. Quickly, I kick them to one side.

Charlotte flashes a smile at James, but his gaze is furious. Eyes flashing. “Get some fucking clothes on.”

Her face drops. Quickly she gathers her clothes, much torn, pulling them on as best she can.

Uniformed police, firearms at the ready, burst into the room, but the scene is already played out. Hand-

cuffing both the conscious and the unconscious, the traffickers are either marched or carried out.

*****

BETH Police work their way around the room, searching the building. White coveralled men appear….

Forensics?

“Charlotte!” James calls her, fury in his voice. “Here. Right now!”

Her eyes roll towards him, then to Michael, who shrugs, folds his arms, looking at her with a ‘Well, you’ve got it coming.’ expression. Certainly, there’s little sympathy there.

“He’s really mad at me, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he damn well is, and he’s not the only one.”

Glumly, she turns and slowly, makes her way to James, standing at the end of the room.

He is livid. “What the Hell do think you were playing at there, Charlotte? What does it take to get you to behave in a reasonable fashion?” he hisses at her.

Michael is listening in. Pacing the room, arms folded, he stares at the floor. Richard, holding me in his arms, is, just as clearly, paying close attention.

James’ raised voice echoes through, furious. Charlotte is subdued, quiet.

“I’m sorry.”

“Are you? What exactly are you sorry for?”

“For what happened outside. I knew you wouldn’t like it, but there was no time…”

“You say you’re sorry, but would you do it again? Running off like that?”

She hesitates. “Yes, I would do that again. I couldn’t leave Beth in here by herself. And I had to stop them realising that you were here.”

His face softens. “Beth is not your responsibility….”

“But she is. She’s my friend. It matters what happens to her. If you’re going to punish me, then get on with it. I’d rather not wait, and I’m sorry for upsetting you, but I’m not sorry for what I did.”

“I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to punish you. Astonishingly, I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

Her voice is all but a whisper.

“I didn’t want Beth to get hurt.”

“And what about you? What about you getting hurt? Michael was beside himself when he saw what you were doing…”

“They were going to gang-rape her.”

“And what about you? Your solution is to goad them into gang-raping you instead?”

“I’m tougher than Beth. And it doesn’t matter for me the same way.” Michael’s head jerks up. Richard, turns, disbelief writ large over his features.

“Doesn’t matter?” James' voice is incredulous. “Doesn’t matter? Charlotte, we’re not talking about fun and frolics at the clubs, with Michael and I close by, watching to make sure things don’t get out of hand.

It would have been violent assault, and there’s a fighting chance you wouldn’t have survived it. Have you no idea…?”

She cuts him off. “No idea? Of course, I have an idea... You know how I grew up. I know exactly what could have happened.”

James is quiet for a moment, then in a calmer voice. “Yes, of course you do.…. But, I can’t believe you could be so unthinking.”

“I wasn’t unthinking…”

Michael interrupts, “James, let me…. Charlotte, tell me exactly what was in your mind when you did….

what you just did. And what do you mean? It doesn’t matter the same way for you?”

She is quiet for a moment, then, “I was thinking that I didn’t want them to touch Beth. For me, it would be just.… just, one more thing that’s happened. You two, it wouldn’t upset you that there’s been other men…. But it’s not like that for Beth. You’ve seen her friends. They’re all polished nails, expensive hairstyles and gossip. If it got out that something like that had happened to her, she’d be humiliated.

And there’s Richard too….”

Michael’s voice is cold now. “Richard? Charlotte, I know you felt you had a debt to him….”

My husband drops his head, nestling his face in my hair. “Oh, God…”

Michael is still speaking. “…. but that debt is paid. And more than paid. Do you understand me?”

Still staring at the floor, she says, “He had to have her back unhurt…. Caesar’s wife.…”

“…. must be above reproach?” Michael expression is bitter as he finishes her sentence. “But you count for something too, Charlotte.”

James stares at her, swiping his hand through his hair. His dark eyes slit, an outstretched finger pointing at her, “This discussion isn’t finished.…”

In my peripheral vision, there is a movement. Michael yells a warning, and runs…. and I scream.

Like some nightmare scene from an old movie, the world goes into slow-motion….

Framed in the doorway is a man with a gun, pointing across the room, directly at Charlotte. It’s Corby, his face, cold and impassive, as he aims…