by Bella Lamour
Julie laughed, her hair billowing in the wind from the open window. Yuki realized, looking at her trusting smile, seeing the sun glint off of her fiery tresses, and after everything that she had put on the line for a revenge scheme that was not her own, that Julie was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
“Let's end this,” She murmured before settling back into her chair.
*
The fourth stage of Rape Recover is Pain, which usually covers two issues: avoiding and feeling. Attempts to avoid feeling physical and emotional pains resulting from an attack might include depression, acting out or self-medicating with alcohol or other "numbing" medications or drugs. When the pain gets through, sadness, fearfulness and confusion come to the forefront.
“So…we just sit here and watch his hotel?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I dunno. Just thought it would be a bit more exciting, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry, the exciting part will come later. For right now, we camp and watch that door like our lives depend on it.” There was a murmur of protest from the back and Yuki sighed. “Looks like the drugs are wearing off. Let me just re-dose them.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and clambered into the back. “We don’t want any surprise wiggles, now do we?”
They didn’t say anything, mostly because they couldn’t move their lips enough to articulate actual words. Nonetheless, she grabbed the syringe and gave them another quarter dose. She didn’t want to kill them, but she certainly didn’t want them active.
“I think I see him!” Julie cried from the front. Yuki scrambled to join her, and sure enough the towering man was walking down the sidewalk towards a taxi that was waiting for him. He was dressed in yet another impeccable suit, making Yuki wonder if he was born already swaddled in a well-tailored jacket and dress pant. Quickly, she grabbed the paper she had been doodling on and wrote down both the taxi ID and its license plate. That’s right about when the reality of the situation hit her.
They were two twenty something women with no experience in law enforcement who were going to try to covertly follow one of a thousand different cabs they would see tonight. They had no help, other than their own two brains, no fancy equipment, and a bright white van.
She should have thought this last part out better.
But desperate times called for desperate measures, and she nodded to Julie, who put the van into gear and started carefully after their target.
The difficulty of the situation was not lost on her, and sweat dripped down the back of her neck as she tried to control her nerves. Julie wove in an out of traffic, always staying as far behind Julian as possible without losing him. His cab navigated into the deepest part of the city, doing all those dangerous little time saving maneuvers that taxi drivers liked to pull that Julie just couldn’t replicate.
Somehow they kept him in their sites until he finally began to pull over. Julie quickly swerved down an alley before slowing to a stop.
“He went into the Pan’s,” Yuki said, pulling her kit to the front. Digging into the bag, she pulled out a thigh strap that was meant to hold a diabetic pump, and slid several capped syringes of the paralytic in it.
“I saw. So what’s the plan.”
“Similar to all the others. Let him see me. Let him chase me outside. You take him down.”
“Understood.”
“It’s probably not going to be as easy as the other two. Julian is smart. Too smart to fall for this. The only way I’ll be able to trick him is by playing to his incredible ego.”
“Are you sure you’re okay going in there alone?”
“It’s the safest I’ll be. It’s not like he’s going to try to kill me in public where everyone can see.”
“I know, I just worry.”
“Worry is good, it’ll keep you sharp.” Yuki took one last look at her reflection in the side view mirror before sliding out of the car and power walking towards the club.
Darkness had now fallen, adding an edge to the air that wasn’t there when she had kidnapped the other two men earlier. The flashing lights of the club’s marque cut through the night, making the whole situation seem that much more surreal. This was the stuff of movies and horror novels.
Yet here she was, little Yuki Kobayashi, about to take down the Big Bad before he could hurt someone else.
Julian was nowhere to be seen outside the club. No doubt he had used the VIP entrance. Yuki would have to hope he stayed long enough to get through the queue.
But she wasn’t exactly dressed to pass the bouncer. Frowning, she looked down at the baggy flannel and sweatpants she had on. Thinking quickly, she took off her bottoms and tossed them to the side, then used her scarf as a waist tie. She mussed her hair and adapted the best come hither look she could manage before strutting over to the line.
People chattered in front and behind her, but Yuki kept her mind trained on her only goal. When she finally reached the bouncer, he gave her one look up and down, then furrowed his brow.
“Are you even sixteen?”
She donned her best flirtatious grin. “You don’t know how often I hear that. Here’s my ID. Here’s my college ID card, and here’s a picture of me graduating from high school three years ago.”
“You carry all this around in your wallet?”
“Like I said, you don’t know how very often I hear that.”
He smirked and handed her back her things. “You’re alright.” He acknowledged, unhooking the velvet rope barring her. “Go in.”
“Thanks,” She breathed before slipping into the very mouth of the lion.
The club was filled with electricity born from the fervently dancing crowd on the black-lit dance floor. The music pumped wildly, and strobes flashed at a dizzying rate. It was wild, and alien, and intimidating all at the same time.
Gulping down her fear, Yuki scanned the crowds for her predator turned prey. It was hard to distinguish any sort of prominent features in the vacillating levels of light, but she knew she could pick out that cologne and suit anywhere.
She very much doubted the arrogant Julian would let himself intermingle with the masses on the dance floor. No, he was definitely on the second level, no doubt in the VIP section, entrapping his next victim.
That very thought set her blood aflame, and she searched for the stairs. It took her quite a white to navigate through the crowd and actually get to them, but by that time she was sorely wishing for pants once more. She never understood why these sweaty, alcohol infused creep fests were so popular among her peers, but maybe that was the bookworm in her. Either way, she strode up the stairs like she belonged to this writhing germ-factory.
The second floor was pretty much exactly what she expected. Lower lighting and swanky, cushioned couches covered with men fronting to crowds of easily deluded girls, or couples straight up making out with a side of heavy petting.
She didn’t see Buck in the immediate vicinity, so she cautiously moved forward. Making out couple, making out couple, an escort working her client, a show off…no millionaire rapist asshole though.
Suddenly something gripped her wrist and yanked her backwards. She whirled, jerking her wrist down while twisting it. She managed to free herself just in time to come face to face with the crystal blue eyes and strong jaw of one Julian Warbucks.
“Scream my name,” He ordered, teeth gritted as his blunted nails dug into her scalp. “Scream it like a little whore.”
She opened her mouth, but all that came out was a piteous squeak. She wanted to obey. She wanted the pain to stop. But Buck had no mercy for her weakness and slammed her body back down against the edge of the trunk.
“Scream it!”
“…Julian.” She breathed, practically biting her tongue as he gave a particularly vicious thrust. “Julian, please.”
“Sakura,” He growled, voice low and primal, shaking her out of the flashback she almost slipped into. His cologne hung heavy in the air, overpowering the scents of stale alcohol and perspiration that had b
een so prevalent just moments before.
“Buck,” She said flatly. She wasn’t giving him anything until she decided how she wanted to play this situation.
“You’ve been a very, very bad girl. It didn’t have to be like this, you know.”
“What, you didn’t like my presents? But I worked so hard on them.”
“You should have just stayed in the trunk.”
“So you could take me out and use me again? Beat me until I couldn’t wake up? Dump my body in the nearest body of water? How many girls have you done this to, Buck? I know I wasn’t the first. You were too calm, too matter of fact about everything.”
He smirked. “Oh Sakura, or, Yuki, should I say? Are you wearing a wire? Did you really think that I would just self-incriminate then let you walk away?”
“Of course not.” It was such an odd juxtaposition: their tense standoff in the center of the electronic music, and amorous club goers writhing around them. But it was those very same, half-drunk patrons that were protecting Yuki from Buck attacking her. “I don’t think you ever plan to let me walk away. Even if I shut up and moved away, that wouldn’t satisfy you at this point. You would hunt me down, and find new ways to hurt me.”
“So perceptive. And so pretty.” His smile grew into a snarl. “You would have been so much fun.”
“Aw, did you not like when the toy bit back? In all fairness, you just lost a flattering charity position, I lost my sanity. My sense of security. For a little bit, I even lost me. That doesn’t sound fair, does it?”
He took a step towards her, closing the distance between them and towering over her by almost a foot. “Is this part of your plan then, to make things fair? Follow me around in public places where I can’t touch you?”
“Maybe.”
“See, that’s where you made your error. There isn’t a single place on this earth where I can’t touch you.” With that he reached out and snatched her arm again, twisting up behind her back, hard. He quickly turned her about, still keeping his grip on her elbow. “Walk.” He ordered.
She didn’t struggle. She figured he was leading her outside, away from wandering eyes and video cameras. He had no idea he was playing directly into her hand.
He forced her through the crowd, nails biting into the tender flesh of her wrist. “Don’t forget to smile, Yuki dear. Don’t try to tip anyone off.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” That wouldn’t be conducive to her plans for the night.
Finally, they moved onto the smoker’s balcony. Since it was colder, there were only a group of three girls puffing away in their wind breakers. Yuki wondered exactly how he planned to get them out of the way.
“I’ll give each of you one hundred dollars if you leave immediately.”
The three of them exchanged looks, and shrugged, then held out there hands. It was a touch comical as Buck let go of Yuki to dig into his pocket, grab his wallet and dole out the money to the girls, who shuffled back inside. If the med student didn’t want Buck to be outside, she would have been appalled that they had been bought off so easily.
But the distraction was all she needed. She quickly bent down and slid a syringe from the holster at her thigh. By the time Buck turned to her, she had it ready and stabbed it into his hand, depressing the plunger before he could pull away.
“You little bitch!” He screamed, backhanding her across the balcony. She slammed into the black wall of the club, but managed to recover in time to scramble out of his way as he staggered towards her. “What did you do?” He spat, face reddening as he tried to swipe at her again.
Yuki nursed her jaw, watching as he slowly stiffened and eventually fell over. “Just a little drug to make the transport part of our night a little easier. I learned that one from you.”
He looked like he wanted to curse her, but the paralytic had already reached his jaw. Giving him a slight smirk, Yuki pulled out her pay-by-the-minute phone and dialed Julie.
“We good?”
“We good.” Yuki answered. “Bring the van around back. I’m coming down the balcony stairs.”
“Gotcha. Be there in ten.”
Yuki crouched down beside Buck. Funnily enough, he was sweating profusely and his eyes were darting about like a wild animal. Then again, that’s why he was here, wasn’t he? Because he was nothing more than a wolf in men’s clothing.
“There, there.” Yuki cooed in mock concern, using his tie to sop up the beads of perspiration on his brow. “You’re not going to be all alone like I was that night. I brought all your favorite people.”
He didn’t respond. He couldn’t, after all, and Yuki rose to watch for the van.
As soon as Julie pulled up, she killed the lights and rushed up the stairs. “Is that him?” She asked once she was on the platform.
Yuki nodded, words failing her for a moment. She was so full of relief, and anger. Giddiness, and an unabating need for violence. Against all odds she had managed to ensnare the men who had tortured her so thoroughly.
“Pig,” Julie hissed before spitting on him.
That made Yuki crack a smile. “Come on, help me get him down the stairs.”
The two of them dragged his massive form. Unfortunately, given the situation, they were none to gentle about getting him into the vehicle. Once the last of the three men was situated across the floor of the vehicle, the two women hopped into the front and took off.
“Go back to their hotel.”
“Pardon?” Julie asked. “Don’t you have some dark and secretive revenge to enact on them? Because that’s the vibe you’ve been giving all night and I don’t recommend doing that in such a public place.”
Yuki gave a short laugh. “Don’t worry. That’s still going to happen. But Jean-Luc videotaped everything they did to me. How much do you want to bet he has that footage squirrelled up somewhere in his lair? Along with any other women they might have done this to as a trio.”
“You know that stolen evidence can’t be used as evidence, right?”
“Oh, we’re not going to steal it. We’re going to be much more productive than that.”
Julie grinned broadly. “I like the way you think.”
They pulled down the street from the hotel, and Yuki patted down Julian for his room key. Before too long, she was walking through the doors into the ridiculously brightly lit lobby.
She beelined for the gold-gilded elevators, and rode up to the penthouse, tapping her foot impatiently the whole time. Now that the impossible had happened, she was craving retribution like she never had before. She could practically taste the justice on her tongue.
And then the doors dinged open, she swiped her card and she was in. The strong hold of the unholy trio. The lap of luxury they had resided in as they tortured her for weeks. This was what it was like to be a wealthy criminal, apparently.
The opulent, open suite was bigger than her apartment twice over. And that was not counting the four closed doors she assumed lead to the three bedrooms and a bathroom. Taking in a slow breath, she took it all in.
There, on the desk. A small laptop with an AV cable still attached to it. Yuki crept over, as if she was afraid some evil force would attack her at any moment. When nothing happened, she sat down and wiggled the mouse.
It sprung away almost instantly. Yuki couldn’t suppress her mirth anymore and cackled, long, loud and deep. How arrogant Jean-Luc was, to assume he was so far above the law that he could leave such evidence unlocked and in the open.
After she got control of herself, Yuki quickly opened his bookmarks. Courriel de Travailler. Work email. It couldn’t be more perfect.
Leisurely, she went to the video card and loaded up the folder. There were at least seven different videos, and judging by the thumbnails, they were all at night. She paused, unsure if she should, or even could watch any of them. She debated for quite a few minutes before loading up the first one.
It was a young woman, younger than Yuki, with long, long blond hair done up in a ponytail. The video started wi
th them shoving her around, calling her a slut and a whore. The med student only lasted about a minute, before she closed out the window. Yuki may have not had the stomach to watch them, but she prayed the women would somehow find out about the justice she was about to reign down on the trio.
She compressed them into a zip file, and labeled it important HR update, before attaching it to an email. She paused for a moment, reveling in the power she was wielding, before sending it to each and every business contact Jean-Luc had saved to his account. She’d like to see how the trio would try to wriggle out of the whole business world knowing what they liked to do in their free time.
And with that, she shut the laptop and moved onto the rooms. Sure enough, she managed to find Thomas’ on the first try, and his computer was sitting in the center of his bed, already on and trying to pirate a new video game. Shaking her head again, she sat down and snooped.
It looked like Thomas was in a bit of financial hot water.
She perused for a bit, before sending the relevant files to McAnany. She debated checking Julian’s room as well, but she needed to get a move on. Feeling resolute, she walked out of the room, whistling.
They thought they were good at destroying lives? They had no idea the force of vengeance they had created.
But they were going to find out.
*
The penultimate stage is Anger. The typical human response to pain is a dramatic reaction. For victims of sexual assault, this reaction is usually anger. The anger might be directed at the self - seen when the victim is intensely focused on their own behaviors (self injury and substance abuse are common), or might be focused on others - either the attacker in particular, or directed at anyone/anything that can become the focus of the feelings, even innocent bystanders like spouses, family members or friends.
“So this is goodbye, huh?” Julie looked somewhat forlornly from where she was standing on the sidewalk.
“Yeah. Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
