by Karen Clow
Walking over to Gladys and putting his arm round her shoulders, he said, “You know I love you Gladys, now get the fucking kettle on!” Leaning over he affectionately kissed her on the cheek as she stood up. Smiling she said, “I’ll make you three a drink, but I’ve got to be going my Arthur will want his dinner.”
After putting the kettle on she returned to the lounge and said, “Right kettles on, pots tea’d so I’m off. Nice to see you Mickey, say hello to the family for me.” “I will, you take care now Gladys, regards to Arthur,” replied Mickey. Then she looked at Maria and said, “I hope to see you again love, and keep away from that ex-boyfriend he’s bad news that one.” “I hope we see each other again too, bye Gladys.”
Mickey noticed how much calmer Maria seemed. When he asked her how she was feeling, he was relieved to hear her say “Better thank you,”, because he wanted to speak to her about what she knew about Nick. Talking to Gladys had obviously been good for her, but he didn’t want to start questioning her straight away about her time at Nick’s. For the time being he thought it was best to wait, his theory being that the more comfortable she felt, the more she would tell them. Jimmy came in from the kitchen carrying three mugs of tea. Smiling he said “So how did you get on with Gladys then babe?” Without hesitation she replied, “Oh she was lovely, and it was so nice to hear her talk about her family.” Mickey piped in and said, “I don’t suppose you managed to get a word in did you?” “Not really, but I enjoyed listening to her. What could I have said anyway, the last three years of my life have been as a prisoner.” They both noticed she looked tearful. Jimmy tried to cheer her up by saying, “Don’t worry about the last three babe, let’s look forward to the next three.” His words seemed to have the desired effect as she nodded her head and smiled.
They talked about Gladys for over an hour. Mickey could see a change in her as she chatted, then he thought to himself that apart from Shaun’s wife Ann, Gladys was probably the only female she had actually talked to for the last three years. Jimmy could also see that she was looking and acting more relaxed, that was until he said “Right then babe, as all three of us are here maybe we should talk about Nick.” Immediately her whole demeanour changed. Mickey looked at her and said, “How about we leave it for another time, after all Nick’s out of the country so there’s no hurry we’ve got a few days.” With a look of relief she smiled and nodded her head, as Mickey added, “I can’t stay much longer anyway; I’ve got to go over a court case that’s being heard in the morning.” “You’re welcome to stay and eat with us,” said Jimmy. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll grab something on my way home, but before I go, what’s happening tomorrow night Jimmy?” Usually they would go to Dixie’s, but with her staying there Mickey wasn’t sure if their plans would change. Jimmy grinned and said, “I’ll probably give the club a miss tomorrow mate. I’ll have the night in with Maria,” he jokingly added, “Now she’s actually talking to me!” Interrupting them she said, “Please don’t change your plans for me. I’ll be fine here on my own. If you like I could do some baking.” They both smiled then Jimmy said, “Actually babe I’m happy to give the club a miss, but I might need to pop out for an hour about eight. If you’re sure you’ll be ok, you can do whatever you like. If you want to cook I’ll sort you out some stuff, just write me a list; I’ll get it for you.” Mickey interrupted and said, “Where are we going tomorrow night at eight?” “No you’re all right Mick, I’ve just got to see someone down the Paradise Club, shouldn’t take long.” Mickey grinned he knew he was referring to Alfie Stubbs. Jokingly he said, “Fuck me Jimmy for Christmas I’ll get you a fucking cape and a mask, your becoming a right fucking super hero!” They all laughed as Jimmy said, “Piss off! I can’t let it go, Simone’s a good kid, thought I’d just help her out that’s all.”
Maria just sat there looking at them, until Mickey smiled at her and said, “It’s alright babe, like you one of the girls down the club is having a bit of ex boyfriend trouble. It must be the fucking week for it! So shall I pick you up about half seven then Jimmy?” “I don’t expect you to go with me Mick; I’m only going to have a friendly chat with Alfie that’s all.” “That’s what worries me,” joked Mickey, “I’d best go with you, just to be on the safe side.” “Cheers mate, half seven’s fine.” Five minutes later Mickey left.
Jimmy explained to her about Simone and the trouble she was having with Alfie. When he finished talking she said, “You’re very kind, Simone is lucky to have you as her boyfriend.” “I’m not with Simone; she works for me. In fact I haven’t had a regular girlfriend for well over a year.” Pulling a sad face he jokingly added, “No one wants me.” Judging by the look on her face she was happy to hear he didn’t have a girlfriend. In fact he was really beginning to notice how she had come out of her shell; maybe she was beginning to trust him.
By the time they turned in for bed he had managed to get her to chat quite a lot, although he deliberately didn’t mention Nick, simply because he didn’t want her to feel pressured. Her last words to him before saying goodnight were, “What would you like for breakfast in the morning?” “Anything will be fine, as long as you eat with me,” he replied with a grin.
The following morning saw her cooking the breakfast. Since her arrival, with one exception, she always said that she had eaten earlier. Jimmy’s theory on that was, she probably hadn’t eaten at all. So from that morning he would make it clear he would like her to join him for breakfast.
After eating together he said, “Do you fancy going out somewhere today?” Shaking her head she nervously replied, “I’d rather stay home if you don’t mind, but thank you for asking.” “Course I don’t mind, I just thought you’ve been cooped up in here for days. I thought you might want to go out for a drive or something, get some fresh air?” Without replying she started to cry as she stood up to clear the table. Touching her hand he said, “You don’t have to get upset babe, it was only a suggestion.” Trying to smile she nodded her head, before heading for the kitchen. Wishing he’d never mentioned it he followed her. Aware that she was crying as she stood at the sink, he walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder, but before he could say anything, she turned and hugged him. Totally surprised by her reaction he reciprocated the show of affection. Pressing her head into his chest she sobbed and sobbed as she tried to say, “I’ll never be able to leave the apartment.” “Of course you will, especially once everything has calmed down.” Holding her close to him he waited for her to reply. Raising her head to look at him, she said, “Nick has people everywhere. I could never risk going out, but it doesn’t matter because I like being here, I feel safe.” It was in that moment he felt an overwhelming desire to kiss her. Gently placing his hand at the back of her head he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Unsure of what her reaction might be, he removed his hand and placed it round her back. They kissed for several seconds before she pulled away and said, “Please don’t, we cannot do this!” “Why not, I thought you were enjoying it?” Turning away from him she began washing up. Gently he held her arm and pulled her back round to face him, but she couldn’t look at him. Raising her chin with his hand he said, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” “I wanted you to, but if Nick finds out he will kill us both.” “Well he won’t find out, but maybe it’s too soon. I’ll wait ‘til you’re ready.” Tenderly she kissed him on the cheek before saying, “Shall I make us a coffee?” “That’ll be great babe,” then he walked back to the table and sat down. Whilst making the coffee she thought about what had happened, her mind was in turmoil, although she had wanted to kiss him, she had found herself gripped with fear when she had.
The day passed quickly with her baking and him making calls. Neither of them mentioned the earlier incident. Jimmy got ready for his trip to the Paradise Club as the time approached seven that evening. Hearing Mickey’s car horn outside, he said, “Sounds like my rides here babe, are you sure about staying here on your own?” “Yes I’ll be fine, anyway you said you
’d only be gone a couple of hours.” He nodded.
After waving to them from the window she set about baking some cakes. Expecting them to be gone two or three hours she was surprised when just over an hour later the two men returned. They explained that Alfie hadn’t been working that night; so they would have to wait ‘til Thursday to speak to him. Mickey only stayed ‘til half ten then he went to Dixie’s.
Jimmy joked with her and said, “So do I get one of those cakes then?” Instantly she went into the kitchen, returning a few moments with a plate of cakes and scones. Complementing her on her cooking success, he ate almost half of them. They watched a film, before finally turning in around one o’clock.
CHAPTER 9
Time had passed quickly in the Ukraine; Nick had now been there for six days, he’d had another meeting with Sven earlier that week and accepted his business offer.
During his stay he’d begun to realise his new business associates were not to be messed with, but as always he was arrogantly confident he could fit in with them. Nick liked the idea of making large sums of money, along with power. The Russians would make good allies should he ever need their services back in England. The girls who were to be sold meant nothing to him, they were purely a means to make money. One thing was clear though; the Russians were far more ruthless than any bosses back in England. With a very corrupt police force, men like Sven and Uri could virtually get away with anything. Fear played a large part in their success; everyone knew if an individual stood up to them, not only would they be eliminated, but their entire family too. The Russians were brutal that was for certain, with connections all over the world buying and selling children and teenage girls from many countries.
The more time Nick spent with them, the more aware he became that the poorer the country, the easier it was to obtain the merchandise, especially places like the Philippines and Thailand, where poor families would readily sell their children. They were easily deceived into believing that the child would actually have a better life. In many cases they would sell them for as little as the equivalent of a few English pounds, which in their country would take them several years to earn. Most of them came from small villages with no formal education and the most basic of living conditions and again like the Ukraine, the police could be easily bought for little money. Sex trafficking was big business, with big money to be had and Nick wanted a bite of that cherry.
Most of his time there had been spent with Uri; who had taken him to several brothels and strip joints. It was obvious Uri was second in command, Sven was the big boss. That particular day Nick would see firsthand just how powerful the Russians were. Uri and his driver, who was also his personal body guard, had picked Nick up just before midday and taken him to a small restaurant; as soon as they walked in Nick could tell it was somewhere that business took place. At every table there was a boss with at least two body guards. Nick watched as Uri kissed several of them on each cheek before sitting down at his table with him and his guard. He didn’t introduce Nick to anyone.
A large fat man came out from the kitchen to speak to Uri; obviously the chef and owner of the restaurant. Uri stood up and after kissing him they spoke in Russian, although Uri did introduce Nick to him in English before adding that he was the best chef in the Ukraine. After the chef had returned to the kitchen; a young waiter came over with a tray of drinks. Nick noticed that Uri put an envelope on the tray; his instinct told him it was money.
Twenty minutes later as they were eating their meal, two men came into the restaurant and walked straight over to Uri’s table. Standing up Uri embraced the boss before kissing him. The man’s bodyguard just stood behind him, he was huge at least six feet six inches tall with enormous biceps bulging through his shirt. His boss was small by comparison, barely five feet nine with a large rounded belly. Nick wasn’t introduced; he just watched as the man walked away and sat at a table a few feet away from them. Nick had a strange feeling that something wasn’t quite right, but he put it down to not understanding their language. They continued to eat their meal; it was as they finished their dessert Uri stood up and said, “You stay here Nikolai, I will only be a moment;” then he headed towards the kitchen. Uri’s body guard stayed and talked to Nick, despite his English being far from good they managed to communicate, be it only about the meal.
Within five minutes Uri came out of the kitchen accompanied by the chef. Expecting him to join them back at their table Nick was surprised when the two men walked past him and headed over to the table of the man with the huge bodyguard, the man who Uri had kissed and spoken to less than thirty minutes earlier.Suddenly without any warning Uri took out a gun with a silencer attached to it and shot both the man and his bodyguard. Two clean shots within a split second of one another straight in the men’s foreheads. Neither of them had seen it coming; the bodyguard didn’t even have time to draw his gun.
Nick just sat there silently as the chef clapped his hands together to summon some men from the kitchen before walking over to the dead men. No one in the restaurant moved or spoke, even when the chef spat on the dead boss’s body and said something in Russian, everyone in the restaurant just carried on eating as Uri walked back to their table and said, “Come Nicolai we’re leaving.” By the time he had embraced and kissed several bosses, the bodies had been taken away and their table cleared. It was as though it had never happened.
Outside in the car Nick said, “What was that was all about?” Uri smiled and said, “He was a pig who had no respect!” Nick knew at that point he shouldn’t ask any more questions, so in an effort to impress Uri with his no care attitude, he replied, “Well he ate like one!” Uri laughed and replied, “What would you like to do this evening, as this is your last night here, you can choose, but Sven has invited you to a private party later tonight.” Smiling he replied, “Thank Sven and tell him I would love to attend.” “Good, I pick you up at seven thirty. I know very good strip club we go there first then to Sven’s.” “I’d best pack this afternoon then, because my flight leaves at two tomorrow and it sounds like it could be a late night.” Both men laughed.
They dropped him at the hotel five minutes later.
CHAPTER 10
Since Maria had been staying with Jimmy he hadn’t gone out so much in the evenings, so he was quite looking forward to Thursday when he would go onto one of their clubs after he’d spoken to Alfie Stubbs.
With every passing day the transformation in Maria had been remarkable, the more she opened up to him, the more amazed he was as to how she’d managed to survive her time at Nick’s and remain sane. No doubt a lesser person would have given up long ago. The more they talked, the more he understood that it was her belief in God and an inner strength that she seemed to possess, which had brought her through it. Although it was obvious the past three years had a devastating effect on her, she still flinched when he raised his hand quickly and she jumped every time the phone or doorbell rang. Something else bothered him; he couldn’t get used to the fact that she constantly cleaned the apartment and waited on him. If he suggested them having a cup of tea, she would immediately jump to her feet to make it and if he said he would do it, she would look tearful as if she’d done something wrong. One thing was clear though; she was now more comfortable talking to him. He was also aware that she thoroughly enjoyed seeing Gladys, and because the place was spotless they had time to just sit and chat, Maria loved listening to her talk about her family and Jimmy. Gladys had actually commented to him that there was nothing for her to do, so she didn’t expect him to pay her; his response to her had been that her visits were worth every penny, because they were obviously having a good effect on Maria.
Thursday evening finally arrived; he was just waiting for Mickey to turn up when his phone rang, he knew by the number it was Shaun. Answering it he said, “Alright Shaun, what can I do for you mate, or did you want to speak to Maria? I’ve only got five minutes I’m just waiting to be picked up.” “No worries Jimmy, I’m just calling to let you know, Nick
is back tomorrow night; he’s just called me to say he’ll need picking up from the airport.” “With any luck the plane will crash before he gets here!” Shaun laughed and sarcastically replied, “Aye, but knowing his luck he can probably fucking fly!” They both laughed.
As the two men talked Jimmy could see her watching him and that she had gathered from the conversation that Nick was coming home. Noticing she looked worried, he smiled at her as he said to Shaun, “I have a young lady here who I think would love to speak to you.” Before Shaun could reply he heard Maria say, “Mickey’s just pulled up.” “Sorry Shaun I’ve got to go, my ride’s here.” “No worries Jimmy, tell Maria I’ll call her back on the house phone, we’ll have a chat.” “Cheers Shaun I’ll catch you later.” Looking at Maria he said, “He’s going to call you on the house phone, I’ll see you later babe.” “Ok.” Jimmy could hear the house phone ringing as he left the apartment.
