by Rachel Lynch
‘I’m arresting you on suspicion—’
He slapped it away with one hand and got her by the throat with the other. It was the second time today that she’d been assaulted, and it pissed her off. Her body left the floor and she felt as though her head would come off. She kicked him in the groin as hard as she could, and he howled in pain and let go of her. Thank God she’d worn heavy boots.
She ran in the same direction as the girl, calling Phillips at the same time. Another man stepped out in front of her. This guy was a giant, and she remembered Darren’s description of someone he called Curtis. He swatted her to the ground with one huge hand.
Her mind went into overdrive. As she crawled on all fours away from Curtis’s massive frame, he slipped on the shiny wooden flooring, buying her seconds. She jumped over the back of a sofa and ran into a room that turned out to be the kitchen. She grabbed the biggest knife she could find, hit the last call button on her phone at the same time gabbling as soon as Phillips answered. .
‘There’s at least two of them. Get here, Will, yesterday!’ She hung up. She had to concentrate on avoiding these men at all costs, because if they got hold of her, she was sure they’d kill her. Come on, she willed the response team.
She heard footsteps approaching the kitchen and stood with her back to another door, holding the knife. She was well aware that bringing a knife into the equation wasn’t the ideal scenario when faced with men who probably knew how to use them properly, but she was flat out of options, and she might at least cause some damage. They knew she was a police officer; they’d already worked out too that she had balls, so they approached with caution, it never crossed their minds that they might need firearms to subdue a woman.
‘Where’s the girl?’ she asked, looking from one to the other. Her voice was raspy from having her throat grabbed twice in one day.
‘What are you planning to do with that, Miss Porter?’ Marko looked at the knife.
‘It’s called self-defence, arsehole,’ she spat.
Marko laughed, and Curtis joined in. They looked like mean motherfuckers. Kelly would love nothing more than for them to run out of time in their arrogance.
‘Armed response vehicles are on their way,’ she said.
‘Tut, tut. I doubt it. They’ve been sent elsewhere, haven’t they? You’re all alone. Otherwise you wouldn’t have come in.’
‘It’s over, Marko. We know everything. We know about Tomb Day. We know about the shell companies and the art. Clever. It was always going to end badly. Colin Day was too sloppy, wasn’t he?’ She had to buy time.
‘Go get the girl, Curtis, let’s have some fun,’ Marko ordered.
Kelly watched him. He was unarmed. She could rush him, but he’d easily overpower her and turn the knife on her. She’d felt his strength when he’d grabbed her earlier. She tried to think. If ‘the girl’ was Gabriela, that meant she was still alive.
‘Don’t make your situation even worse by losing it over a police officer, Marko. It’s taken very seriously in this country.’
Marko laughed.
‘You English, you think you know everything! I’m leaving you here when we’re done. I’ll be a thousand miles away before they find you.’
Kelly realised that he had a plan and she was somehow part of it, and it bothered her. With Curtis gone, she thought she might perhaps stand a chance but she didn’t yet know where Gabriela was, or if anyone else was in the property. Her gut turned over as she realised the danger she was in. She knew that she was simply collateral. These men who made a lot of money from the suffering of others would have no problem snuffing her out. Her palms became sweaty, her head pounded and her vision blurred. Still she heard no sirens.
Curtis returned with Gabriela, and Kelly felt a mixture of relief and terror. The girl was sobbing, and Curtis put his mighty hand over her face and leaned her backwards. ‘Shut up, bitch!’ He was English. Kelly looked her in the eye and willed her to be strong. It would be over soon.
‘You are a woman of the law, are you not, Miss Porter?’ Marko’s question took her by surprise: now he wanted to make a fucking speech. He was standing in the same position; neither of them had taken a step forward. He folded his arms. Kelly kept the knife in front of her.
‘What kind of question is that? I’m a police officer. But you know that.’
‘Yes, but there are police officers who care nothing for law, and you are not one, are you? You believe in what you do. I see it in your eyes. You wouldn’t have come here alone if you did not care about the girl. That’s the only reason you came, isn’t it? Your colleagues would have got here soon, but you couldn’t wait. You had to try and save her. It’s admirable. I wish you worked for me.’ As he said this, his smile broadened, and Kelly knew that he meant every word.
‘I’d be a damn sight better than Darren Beckett.’ She tried stalling him and whatever he was planning for her.
Marko laughed. ‘I’m sure you would. I should have killed him when I had the chance.’
Kelly glanced at Gabriela. She didn’t look dishevelled or as though she’d been accosted in any way; just very afraid, with good reason.
‘Is Teresa Joliffe here?’
‘She was another mistake. She’s upstairs, ready to go to prison.’
‘Why are you still here?’
‘Because I wanted to meet you. And I wanted you to watch something. You see, you have single-handedly fucked up my business, and I can’t allow that. You must feel the loss I feel.’
‘I haven’t single-handedly done anything, arsehole. You would have been caught sooner or later.’
‘Perhaps you are right. Perhaps not. But all I have to do is tie up a few loose ends and then I’ll be gone. You English police are stupid, your government weak; they allow people like me to exist.’
‘So it’s our fault?’ Kelly shook her head and laughed. Time was running out. She couldn’t hear any sirens yet. Her mind played tricks on her and she wondered if she’d given Phillips the right address.
Marko turned to Curtis, who took something from his pocket and wrapped it around Gabriela’s wrists. The kitchen was gloomy, with only a small light burning over the hob, and Kelly couldn’t make out exactly what he was doing. Gabriela panicked and resisted, and Kelly’s instinct was to run to her and protect her, but she knew it would be a mistake.
‘Gabriela, stop struggling,’ she said quietly.
‘Yes, Gabriela, stop struggling.’ Marko copied her.
‘Leave her alone. She’s done nothing. Let her go.’
‘Why would I do that?’
‘Look, the police will be here any minute.’
‘I can’t hear them. Such an isolated spot, and the lodge is quite tricky to find, isn’t it?’ Marko was cocky in the knowledge that the address supplied to the police by Sasha was the one in Glenridding.
Curtis took something else from his pocket and gagged Gabriela. Next, he tied a length of material around her neck. She coughed and spluttered, fighting for air. Kelly watched in horror.
‘Stop it! What the fuck are you doing? Why make it worse for yourselves?’ She was desperate, and torn over what to do.
‘Detective, you took something from me and I’ll never get it back; now I’m going to take something from you that you’ll never get back. Your sense of duty, your loyalty, your integrity and your peace of mind.’
Kelly had no idea what he was talking about. She was sure he was crazy – the power he’d wielded for such a long time had gone to his head – but then she heard Curtis undoing the fly on his jeans, and she understood.
Chapter 58
The two armed response units sped along the northern shore of Ullswater, heading towards an address in Glenridding. Adrenalin flowed as the crews readied themselves inside the vehicles. The units were governed by strict rules of engagement, and no firearms officer ever went to a job thinking he’d kill someone.
Tonight they were dispatched under the 1971 Immigration Act, and were followed by two immediate
response vehicles, two convoy vans, and finally two detectives. Together they covered all bases, but it would be the ART who went in first. The vans contained rams and door-breaking kit. The atmosphere inside all the vehicles was tense, but prepared. Instances like this one were rare in Cumbria, but as drugs moved out of Manchester and Preston, the units noticed they were needed more and more.
This was a suspected people-trafficking case. It made them sick, but only one thing was on their minds: securing the properties and making arrests.
It was fully dark now, and the flashing lights came as a shock to the visitors to Glenridding who were enjoying a pint or an evening meal in one of the many pubs. People stopped what they were doing as the vehicles sped past, sirens blaring. Everybody wanted to know what was going on.
The convoy picked its way through the dark lanes behind Glenridding, then slowed as the lead vehicle checked the computer. The tiny tracks around the area were notoriously desolate, and time wasn’t on their side. A colleague was missing and hadn’t been in contact with her fellow detective for a good twenty minutes. She was unarmed and vulnerable, and Eden House couldn’t be sure which address she was at.
The address was located at the end of a small dirt road, and the vehicles halted. The crews jumped out and began preparing to enter. Several officers went to the rear of the property to assess entrance methods and line of sight.
A designated officer approached the front door and shouted: ‘Police! Open the door!’
There was no response.
Over the radio, the commander of the unit ordered them to enter and ascertain any presence of persons or arms.
The teams prepared to ram the door, and two armed officers readied themselves to be the first in. The two detectives had arrived, and waited on the driveway for the unit to enter and the address to be secured.
The door broke apart and the two armed officers entered the building. They shouted warnings into every room and it took them only a matter of minutes to establish that no one was home.
* * *
Phillips took the call; he knew that Kelly was now only a minute away. He’d lost contact with her over ten minutes ago, and as they approached the Greystone property, his gut tightened. He’d read all about Marko Popovic, and he’d seen first-hand what he was capable of during every step of the investigation.
Ten minutes was long enough to die, and Phillips hung his head in shame as he realised that he should have pleaded with Kelly – ordered her even – not to go in. But she was in charge. She was his boss, not the other way round. It was highly likely that after it was all over, there’d be an investigation into what had gone wrong. He willed his car to go faster but the last thing he wanted was to crash into a wayward sheep or a stray deer. The lanes were narrow and winding, and it was taking them a long time to find Greystone Lodge.
The black night didn’t help, and the vehicles up front were on full beam. Finally it came across on the radio that the driveway had been located, and they began moving more quickly.
Eventually they parked up. Now all Phillips could do was wait. He watched the armed response guys get ready and the rams being taken to the door. Other officers disappeared round the back.
He closed his eyes and said a prayer.
Chapter 59
‘You do that and I’ll cut it off,’ Kelly spat.
Curtis laughed. Gabriela was kicking and thrashing about, and the big man stood over her, rubbing himself. Kelly thought she might vomit, and bile came up into her mouth.
Marko was enjoying himself; it was better than a dog fight.
‘If you go for a man over six foot tall with a knife, Detective, that leaves you exposed at the back, and that’s where I come in,’ said Marko.
Kelly hoped it might all be a game to scare her and Gabriela. She stared at Marko. He was right, she couldn’t overpower either one of them, but she might disable him. She should be hearing sirens by now, and she racked her brains to work out why they weren’t here yet. On that road from Penrith, they could have encountered any obstacle: sheep, cows, lost tourists, broken-down caravans. She strained her ears: still nothing.
Maybe Phillips had hit red tape and armed response wasn’t authorised after all; maybe their evidence was too flimsy. Most of it was in her own head and not written up yet. Damn. Phillips might be arguing the toss with the armed response commander right now, and as each second ticked by, Gabriela’s safety and her own spiralled rapidly downwards. She was losing faith in herself and her team.
She made up her mind.
She studied the two men for less than a second: where they were positioned, what they were focused on, and their proximity to exits. She noticed that Curtis had gone into some kind of aroused haze, meaning that in that moment Marko was one man down as his giant pal contemplated rape. He’d done it before, that much was obvious. Had he done it to Gabriela yet? She didn’t know. The girl was tiring, and it looked to Kelly as though she might be resigning herself to her fate.
Kelly knew some martial arts and boxing, but these were two fully grown males with the advantage of height and strength. And when Curtis came out of his fug, he’d be a formidable opponent. She realised that she stood no chance. But she had to try.
She swung around with such speed that Marko didn’t see the blade. She slashed towards him and caught his arm.
‘Fuck!’ He winced. ‘Bitch!’
Curtis seemed transfixed by his victim and barely heard his boss cry out in pain. Marko made a dash for Kelly, but she ducked out of the way and managed to make it to Gabriela. Curtis was on his knees. She jumped on his back and plunged the knife into his body, and he squealed and rolled over, crushing her beneath him. They wriggled together, but Curtis couldn’t quite manoeuvre himself properly and Kelly got free.
‘Run!’ she screamed to Gabriela. The girl froze. ‘Run!’ she repeated, but it was too late. Within the seconds it had taken to stop Curtis, Marko was now fully in charge. He grabbed Kelly and punched her in her side. It hurt like hell and forced the wind out of her. Now Gabriela got up and ran to the door, but Curtis tripped her with his hand; he was mad as hell having been denied his prize and he got up despite the wound Kelly must have caused.. Marko still held Kelly, but she was able to bite him hard enough for him to let go, and she stood panting, figuring out her next move. Curtis’s eyes were murderous.
‘She needs to be conscious; now hurry up!’ Marko said.
‘Please! No!’ Kelly begged them. In her moment of weakness, Marko grabbed her by the arms and she stopped resisting. She no longer had a weapon and she had no choice but to watch. She had to watch: closing her eyes would be abandoning Gabriela.
‘This is your fault, Detective, and yours alone. You need to consider if you’re in the right game,’ Marko mocked her.
Curtis was in pain, but his lust was more powerful. Gabriela was cowering in a corner of the kitchen where she’d fallen, and he went to her and stood over her. The girl was terrified. Kelly could see sores and scratches around her wrists where she’d thrashed against the ties.
‘Gabriela, look at me. Look at me!’ she said. But the girl closed her eyes tightly and tears rolled down her cheeks. Kelly struggled, but she couldn’t shift Marko, who wasn’t going to let her go for a second time. Maybe it would be her turn soon.
Suddenly she stopped moving and turned her head to the door: sirens.
‘Don’t worry, it’ll take them ten minutes to get in, and by that time we’ll be gone,’ Marko said, and smiled. ‘Pity we don’t have time for you, though,’ he whispered in her ear. She threw her head back in to his face, connecting with his nose. He let go of her but brought his hand round with so much force that when it connected with her cheekbone, it rattled her head.
She heard a whimper then, and spun round to look at Gabriela. The sirens hadn’t stopped Curtis, and he was forcing her legs apart. Kelly had never felt such a failure in all her life than in that moment. She kept talking as she walked around the kitchen keeping one step ahead of Marko; an
ything to try to distract them.
‘You pathetic cowards! Is that all you’ve got? Come over here and I’ll show you. Get off her, you fucking animal!’
Curtis was once more engrossed in his desire and Kelly looked around for a weapon. In under a tenth of a second, she made her decision.
Marko came at her again as Curtis got on top of Gabriela, but he missed her as she side stepped and took three paces towards the kitchen dresser, grabbing what looked like a heavy vase and swung it over Curtis’s head.. She’d timed it perfectly, connecting directly with his temple, and she heard the crack as he was knocked out cold and the bone-chilling thump as his body landed on the floor next to Gabriela, who screamed. She tried desperately to roll out from under him. Kelly spun round and realised that Marko was taking the stairs. Instinct told her that he was either fleeing or he’d gone to grab a weapon. She heard a woman scream. Christ, how many people are in here? she thought.
She ran to Gabriela and heaved against Curtis’s body; he was out cold. Eventually she got her free and dragged her over to the kitchen door. She grabbed the knife that Curtis had dropped and cut the girl’s wrist ties, then removed her gag. Gabriela’s shoulders heaved up and down.
‘Stay here,’ Kelly told her. ‘The police will be here shortly. Stay on the floor, and don’t get up.’
She pulled herself away and looked around waiting for Marko to appear again at any moment. Her biggest fear was that he’d gone to get a gun.
The sirens grew louder. Nearly there. She ran to the front door and flung it open, she saw the lights and ran to the end of the lane. She was spotted and she waved her arms frantically. Two vehicles sped up the drive and Kelly sprinted after them. Breathlessly she explained the situation, and the condition of Gabriela, and armed officers entered the property. .
