by Bella Lamour
“Exactly what you couldn't do, Xavier. And I'm sorry. But I believe you'll find your three perpetrators in the forest not far from the original crime scenes. They're sedated, but perfectly fine. Well, mostly fine.”
“God, Yuki, do you have any idea what kind of situation you have put yourself in? You could be arrested! You could spend more time in jail then they do!”
“I don't think you get it, Detective. None of that matters. Because I'm finally free. By the way, check your email at the precinct when you get a chance. I sent your entire department some very interesting files.”
“What? I...just stay right there, Yuki. Don't move a muscle!”
“Goodbye, Detective White.” She hung up, letting out a long breath that carried the last bits of violence and rage out of her. She felt as light as a feather, and she sent out a single text before taking out the sim card and crushing it in her hand.
She took one last look at the culmination of all her planning. Months of her life, and the darkest chapter was finally closed.
She closed the back doors of the van then clambered into the drivers seat. Then it was the keys in the ignition, putting it into gear and she was rolling out. As she drove along the barely-there road to the highway, mirth started to bubble up. It was just a couple of giggles at first, but it quickly grew into full blown peels of laughter.
Those idiots! She wished she could be there to see their expressions when they all woke up and realized she had given them sleeping pills, not some miracle euthanasia drug. No one else would know but the four of them, but they would have to live the rest of their lives knowing that they were nothing more than cowards. Too weak, too fragile to face the consequences of their actions. She couldn't imagine their self image after that blow.
And of course she wished she could see the ridiculous looks of shock they would have when they realized the testicles in their hands were the ones she stole from the cadaver lab and not their own. Did they really think she actually had the surgical expertise to pull off three procedures like that all by herself in the low light of pre-dawn? She was flattered by their confidence in her, but it was also incredibly hilarious.
They had thought they were so smart. So powerful. So...untouchable. Well she had certainly broken that image down with a sledgehammer. She very much doubted they would ever be able to hurt anyone. Ever again.
Her revelry ebbed as she pulled onto the highway. She had one last pit stop to take care of.
*
The final, and end goal stage of the recover process is Acceptance and Integration. The time, effort, and method of reaching this stage differ with each individual. There's no "schedule" for when a person "should be over it." The unfortunate fact is that many victims don't reach this stage - and certainly those who don't seek assistance have even smaller chances for leading healthy, fruitful lives after sexual assault. For those who get here, this stage includes the ability to put the event behind them (which is NOT the same as forgetting it!) and start identifying and doing new behaviors. This might be going back to school or work, going out with friends again, doing volunteer work, getting involved in outreach activities, or getting to a place where they are ready to resume, renew, or initiate an intimate relationship.
“Hey there pretty lady, can I get a lift?”
Yuki laughed as she pulled up to a familiar red head that was standing at the entrance of the park. “Sure, what brings you to these parts?”
“Oh, you know, the usual. My best friend might have or might not just have become a fugitive of the law and asked me to run away with her.”
“And you're sure you wanna do that? Sounds pretty risky.”
Julie smiled, her emerald eyes shining up at the med student from where she stood at the curb. “What do I have for me here? I'm a hostess with no place to host, no family, no friends, no prospects. With her, I feel alive.” Her grin grew. “Besides, you should see her. She's really cute.”
“Who am I to argue with that?” Yuki unlocked the door and let her friend clamber in.
“You ready?”
“As ready as I'll ever be. Now get us out of this hell hole.”
“I couldn't be happier.”
Yuki threw the van back into gear and drove off. Of course they were going to need to ditch the vehicle, and soon, but for now she just wanted to enjoy the ride with her closest friend.
“What about McAnany?”
Yuki grinned. “Who do you think help me set up an exit plan after I dropped you off? All we have to do is get to upstate NY, and he'll get us over the border.”
“Wow. Is this really happening?”
Yuki noted her tone and her smile faltered a bit. “Are you sure about this? It's not too late for me to turn around and drop you off.”
“Nah man. I'm exactly where I want to be. I just never thought I would really be someone with a future.”
“A future...” Yuki murmured.
But Julie was right. They both had futures now, free from the tyranny of the formerly unholy trio.
She couldn't wait to get started.
Epilogue
Yuki carefully folded the newspaper she had been reading as she waited for her potential client to arrive at the discreet cafe they had agreed on. It had been a little over a year since she had escaped to grand ol' Canada, and she was adjusting nicely.
McAnany was certainly enjoying himself as well. With the free health care, and nearly infinite fishing spots, he couldn't be happier. He often stated he should have helped a known felon earlier, if he had known ex-pat life could be so nice.
And Julie? Julie was doing beautifully.
She worked occasionally as Yuki's assistant and right hand woman, but she also had her own growing career as an author, with a line of electronically published novels about a crime-fighting med student who did what the law couldn't. It was a bit on the nose, but the series had a growing fan base. Yuki was proud of her. She couldn't be happier with the strange, cobbled together family she had. She never thought she would be in her twenties, living with a retired cop and ex-escort.
Life was funny like that.
And Buck? Perhaps their stories were the most satisfied of them all. Of course it was difficult to get much insider news, but McAnany was able to put together a fairly comprehensible time line of events.
The police had found the trio in the forest, and rushed them to the hospital. When they were found to not be in any danger, they were handcuffed and kept in police custody. Apparently the commissioner was none too happy about the videos of seven women being violently assaulted that was sent to his email.
Of course, when it came to actually prosecuting, all of Yuki's hard won evidence was thrown out. She wasn't surprised. The American justice system was all about who could argue the best, not who was actually right or wrong. She certainly didn't miss that.
But you couldn't have that kind of sensational crime come to light and not have the media run with it. More women and sex workers stepped forward, detailing the horrific nightmares they had been trapped in. Even foreigners were sending their testimonies to their embassies to bring to the precinct.
It took months of trials, recesses and cross examinations, but eventually the whole crew was charged with a litany of felonies.
Forcible rape, assault and battery, possession of date rape drugs...it went on and on and they were found guilty on every single count. They were never going to see the light of day as free men again.
And news of Yuki's special brand of vengeance/justice got out, spurring a small string of copy-cat victims who tracked down and made their rapists truly sorry. It was an interesting legacy to leave behind, but for the first time there was a sense that sexually assaulting another just wasn't worth the pain.
The one who got the shortest end of the stick was Detective White. He had had to endure and investigation to prove that he was not duplicitous in the scheme. It hadn’t been pleasant, but he was infinitely helped by the fact that Yuki had drugged him.
She and
McAnany sent him post cards from time to time, always vague of course, because they knew that he would have to submit them as evidence to his boss. But it was still nice to make sure he knew they were alive and kicking. Even if he could never reply.
And maybe that was a good thing. He was probably still a bit mad.
“Hiro? Hiro Masayoshi?”
Yuki looked up to see a large, towering woman with rainbow colored hair looking nervously at her.
“That is me. Cynthia, I take it?”
She nodded and sat down. She had the faintest outline of a bruise on her neck, and all of her nails were in some sort of state of re-growth, indicating she had been in some sort of trauma that had their broken them or bent them back. She certainly wasn't a cop. Or if she was, she was a cop that had actually been raped.
“I...I can't believe I'm doing this.”
Yuki allowed her a small smile. “This path isn't for everyone. At any moment you are allowed to walk out that door, and I will forget everything you ever told me. I only ask that you do the same for me.”
“Thanks. I'm just here because I don't know what else to do.”
“That's why most people seek me out. Why don't you tell me what happened? Just what you're comfortable with.”
“This all happened last month. I keep thinking that it will get better, and I can just forget it, but it keeps getting worse. I'm an MMA fighter. Nothing special, just a rookie that a few people around the city know. I...I was asked to dinner with a fan. I didn't think anything of it, he was maybe half my size. And he was funny, and polite. But somewhere about halfway through the night my memory cuts out. When I woke up, I was tied down to a bed in a hotel. He raped me, and choked me with a scarf. I tried to scratch through the rope, or break the headboards, but...but he knew what he was doing.”
“And you went to the police?”
She nodded. “At first they didn’t believe me because of my size and occupation. Then they told me he's untouchable.”
“Untouchable?”
“He's a diplomat's son, and apparently a pretty important one. His lawyers sent me a cease and desist letter. They're threatening to sue me if I don't keep quiet about the rape! My trainer even dropped me. I lost my job because of this guy. How is that right? He rapes me and I’m treated like the criminal?”
Yuki closed her notebook and set down her pencil. “Thank you, Catherine. I know that was difficult. I am willing to take you on.”
“Really? Thank you! Thank you so much! I, uh, don't have much I can pay you until I get a trainer and get booked again though.”
Yuki smiled vaguely. “Don't worry. My only form of payment is that if you ever know someone else who's going through the same thing, you have them come find me. Just like someone did for you. Any and all fees you incur will be paid for by your rapists. As it should be.”
“Thank you, again. You're my last line of hope. I thought that there was nothing I could do.”
“Don't worry,” Yuki comforted, taking the girl's large, callused hands in her own. “My line of work picks up right where all those legal loopholes leave off. We'll get you your justice, Cynthia. We'll turn this tide.”
She stayed with her for a while, talking and taking down as many details as she could. They wrapped up about a couple hours later, and Yuki instructed the woman to go on a very well documented trip to her parent's place in Guelph.
Taking in a deep breath, Yuki strode back to her place. It was time to do a bit of research.
After all, there was so much to do, and so little time.
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About the author
Bella Lamour was born 1978 in Göttingen and has been writing since she was able to hold her first pen. After graduating from university she worked as communication trainer for nearly 10 years. Since 2010 she has been an active blogger, author, video artist and a passionate housewife. She loves dogs, likes to cook, loves to be out in the sun and adores writing. She is the face of the Youtube channel elitepowertv / Digital Fever Publishing and can be found on the web as Anne Engel. Her alias »Bella Lamour« and her first published book »Seven Days of Black« on Amazon are the result of a lost bet.
In 2012, while having breakfast with the boys before shooting a new Youtube Clip, Bella Lamour claimed: »50 Shades of Grey will not be made into a movie!«. She agreed to write a book in the Fifty Shades of Grey format if the film actually came to the cinemas. Bella’s genres are horror, thriller, suspense and crime. Her writing is rich with picturesque scenes, creative expressions. The tempo of her stories is high and witty, Bella loves hard cuts and does not a single thing back.
Bellas Books in English
Cassandra - Mommy and Sexslave (with Loreley Harper)
Frozen in Fire - Hopes Awakening
Kiss of fear - A paranormal Romance
