The Golden Anklet

by Beverly Hansford

  ‘You brought it on yourself,’ snapped Mel.

  Jane said nothing.

  Mel seemed to relent. ‘OK, but you’ll have to wait until later, and I want your promise that you won’t try anything.’

  ‘I promise,’ Jane replied softly. Her need to be clean would have to temporarily overrule her desire to escape.

  Mel made no reply and quickly left the room.

  Left on her own, Jane drank a little of the tea Mel had brought. She picked at the breakfast, but it had gone cold, and in any case she had no appetite. The soaking she had received the previous night, and the clamminess of her clothes drying on her had aggravated the cold or flu that had been bugging her on and off the previous day, and now it appeared to be gathering momentum. She had a general feeling of being unwell, her throat was sore, and she was feeling hot and cold by turns. She lay back on the bed and tried to recoup her strength.

  It was quite some time before Mel returned. She regarded Jane sternly. ‘OK. You can have a bath now, but remember your promise. No tricks, and Carl is only a call away downstairs.’

  She led Jane to the bathroom. Jane was surprised to see that the bath was already filled with water. After Mel released her hands, she lost no time in stripping off her clothes. She no longer cared that Mel was watching her. Once in the bath, she began to realise how dirty she was. The soles of her feet were black, and it took a good deal of scrubbing to clean them up. As she did so, she examined the sole of her right foot. It looked red and inflamed, but she couldn’t see what the problem was. The palms of her hands had been punctured by the barbed wire on the gate and the blood had dried on her hands, which were now painful. She took her time over everything, oblivious to Mel watching her from the corner by the bathroom door. She even managed to wash her hair after a fashion. When she looked into the mirror she received a shock. One eye was bloodshot where Carl had hit her. The surrounding area was red and there was every indication of a black eye developing.

  ‘I’ll get you something for that,’ said Mel from her perch on the bathroom stool.

  When Jane had finished, Mel waited for her to dress and then replaced the handcuffs. Jane walked back to her prison cell feeling a little better despite the fact that she was still wearing the filthy, torn clothes. She was surprised to find Carl there replacing the screws in the window. She hurriedly lay back on the bed and pulled the blanket over herself. Much to her dismay Mel disappeared, leaving her alone with Carl.

  Carl appeared to make a big effort to tighten the screws. At last he had finished and he turned to Jane. ‘You won’t get those out with a nail file, darling,’ he sneered.

  Jane made no comment. She closed her eyes.

  She heard him collect his tools and then to her horror he sat down on the bed close to her.

  ‘We need to get acquainted,’ he said quietly.

  Jane snapped her eyes open. She held her hand to her damaged eye. ‘I think we have, thank you.’

  Carl wasn’t put off. He spoke again, more softly still. ‘You’ve got a good body. You need to exercise it more. Experience a good man.’

  Fear struck into Jane. She knew what Carl was about. ‘If you come near me I’ll scratch your eyes out,’ she replied coldly.

  He grinned. ‘I like women with a bit of fire in them.’

  He made a move to grab her, but his action was brought to an abrupt halt.

  ‘Leave her alone, damn you.’

  Mel stood in the doorway, a tray in her hands. She turned angrily on Carl. ‘Keep away from her. I’m not going to have you messing things up at this stage.’

  Carl had already jumped up from the bed. ‘She’ll have worse where she’s going,’ he growled.

  ‘Get back downstairs. If you’d done your job properly in the first place, she wouldn’t have got away. It’s only by luck we don’t have a bullet in our backs.’

  Carl muttered something under his breath, but quickly disappeared.

  Mel put the tray down on the bedside table. She held a hand to Jane’s forehead and looked down at her. ‘You’re a bit feverish. I’ve brought you some stronger tablets. We need to get you fit to travel.’

  ‘What did Carl mean? Where are you taking me?’ asked Jane.

  Mel made no answer. She unlocked the handcuffs.

  ‘Please tell me,’ pleaded Jane.

  ‘I don’t know. We weren’t told,’ Mel replied curtly.

  ‘Carl knows,’ insisted Jane.

  ‘Don’t listen to his rubbish.’

  Mel poured some water into a glass and handed it to Jane with two tablets. ‘Take these. They’ll help.’

  ‘What are they?’

  Mel smiled. ‘Don’t worry. They won’t harm you. They’ll just get rid of the fever. I used to be a nurse.’

  Reassured, Jane swallowed the tablets. It was quite clear that Mel was a closed book as far as her future was concerned.

  ‘Here’s some cream for your wrists, and I’ve brought you an ice pack for that eye.’

  Jane started to rub the cream on her wrists and ankles. Mel watched her for a second and then, with a ‘See you later’, left her alone and locked the door again.

  Jane lay back on the bed, the ice pack over her bruised eye. Carl’s remark had once again rekindled her fear. It was abundantly clear that if Mel did know anything, she wasn’t going to tell her. Misery started to envelop her and with it a feeling of despair. While there had been a chance of escape, it had kept her hopes alive. That chance had gone, thanks to her falling asleep in the barn. Nobody even knew she was still alive. She felt abandoned to her fate.

  The tablets made her drowsy. The day seemed to pass her by. Around lunchtime Mel appeared with some soup, which Jane managed to eat. Later in the afternoon she came back with a mug of tea and a sandwich. She insisted on giving Jane two more tablets. Jane accepted them meekly. Suddenly she seemed to be losing her willpower.

  Jane nibbled the sandwich and sipped half the tea, and then lay back on the bed. Within a few minutes she was asleep again.

  She awoke from a muddled dream hours later. The room was in darkness. She could hear voices downstairs. She lay there with no inclination to stir any further. She felt decidedly unwell, but at the same time there was a strange feeling of dreaminess.

  She heard steps outside in the corridor, and the next instant the door was unlocked.

  Light flooded the room as Mel entered. She looked at Jane. ‘Time to go,’ she announced. ‘They’re waiting for you.’

  Chapter 45

  ‘I don’t want to go. I don’t feel well,’ murmured Jane. She continued to lie where she was.

  ‘Come on,’ encouraged Mel. ‘You’ll be all right. I’ve brought you some clean clothes.’

  Jane raised herself into a sitting position. Her body ached, her throat was sore, and she was feeling shivery.

  ‘Where am I going?’ she asked yet again.

  ‘Never mind that now. Hurry up and get ready.’

  Her body did not feel like the one she was used to. Reluctantly, Jane made an effort and stood up.

  Mel slung the clothes she was carrying onto the bed. ‘Come on now. Quickly. Get these on. You can’t go in those. They’re covered in mud.’

  Almost in a dream, Jane started to fumble with the buttons on the blouse she was wearing.

  ‘You’d better use the toilet. It’s a long journey.’

  Like a zombie, Jane allowed herself to be led to the toilet. Once again she had to use it watched by Mel. She pleaded to be allowed to nip into the bathroom and splash her face in an effort to regain her motivation, but the cold water seemed to make little difference.

  Back in the bedroom Mel became impatient. ‘Hurry up,’ she urged. ‘We’ve wasted too much time.’

  Jane changed into the blouse and skirt Mel had provided. Again they were too big for her, but it made her feel better to be rid of the muddy and torn garments she had been wearing.

  She was shocked and dismayed when Mel produced the handcuffs again.

  �
��You’ll have to have these on,’ remarked Mel curtly.

  ‘Must I?’ asked Jane, her voice subdued. ‘They hurt.’

  Mel made no comment but snapped the handcuffs onto Jane’s wrists. Jane was thankful that at least her hands were in front of her.

  Mel produced two more tablets and a glass of water. ‘Take these,’ she ordered.

  ‘I don’t want them,’ murmured Jane feebly.

  ‘Take them, damn you,’ snapped Mel.

  Her willpower seemingly snuffed out, Jane obliged. All was lost now. They could do what they wanted with her. No one was going to come to her aid.

  In silence Mel led her down the stairs towards the voices. Jane’s foot was now quite painful when she put weight on it. Somehow, though, that seemed to be only a small part of her problems.

  Mel guided her into a large kitchen, where Carl was sitting at the table with Babs, who had held Jane at gunpoint at the cottage, and a man Jane recognised as the fourth member of the group who had captured her. They all jumped up as Mel and Jane entered the room.

  ‘Is she ready?’ asked Babs, staring at Jane.

  ‘Oh, we’re all ready,’ Mel replied cheerfully, with a glance at Jane who stood silent, dejected and defeated.

  ‘Let’s get going, then,’ said Babs. ‘She’ll have to go in the boot,’ she announced casually.

  Panic overtook Jane and made her find her voice. ‘No, please,’ she begged. ‘Not in the boot.’

  ‘You’ll have to be gagged then.’ Babs was adamant.

  ‘No. No. Please.’

  Mel came to Jane’s aid. ‘You won’t have any trouble with her. She’s well sedated.’

  This appeared to satisfy Babs. Jane tried to force her muddled brain into action. So that was why she felt so dreamy. Mel had been drugging her.

  Babs pushed her almost aggressively towards the door. Outside Jane could see a large car parked next to Carl’s van. Babs propelled her towards it. It had been raining and the ground was wet and cold under Jane’s feet. Mel had not provided her with any shoes, and she no longer cared how she was dressed.

  Babs turned to her. ‘I don’t want to hear a word out of you,’ she warned. ‘One squeak, and you’re gagged.’

  Jane obediently stayed silent. Babs bundled her into the back of the car.

  ‘You can lie down on the seat if you want,’ suggested Mel, not unkindly.

  Jane curled up and Mel covered her with a blanket, for which she was grateful. She was now feeling hot and cold by turns. She was vaguely aware of a parting conversation between the four, and then she felt the car move off.

  She had no clear recollection of the journey. All she could remember was sleeping most of the time and occasionally waking up.

  She was jerked into alertness by the car door being opened and Babs talking to her. ‘You can get out now.’

  Jane stirred into action. It was an effort. She wanted to continue lying there.

  ‘Hurry up. Get out,’ Babs ordered impatiently.

  Somehow Jane found herself standing beside the car. It was still dark. She tried to look around, but could see very little. They seemed to be somewhere near the sea, because she could hear gulls crying. She did not anticipate the next thing that happened. Somebody was blindfolding her.

  She heard a man’s voice. ‘Hurry up and get her on board.’

  Somebody grasped her arm and she was forced to walk. Her foot was quite painful now. She was led a short distance over hard ground, and then she felt a sloping wooden plank beneath her feet. She was manhandled through what seemed to be a door. She heard the same man’s voice order, ‘Down here,’ and she was helped down some steps. The next instant she found herself lying somewhere soft. The people and the voices disappeared.

  She lay there waiting, but nothing happened. Somewhere in the distance she could hear men’s voices, but all was quiet around her. She could feel the bed or whatever she was lying on gently moving up and down. Where was she?

  She managed to pull off the blindfold. Peering around in the gloom, she realised that she was in the cabin of a boat. The bunks on each side and the portholes partly concealed by drawn curtains confirmed it. She raised herself up and tried to look through one of the portholes, but it was still dark outside and all she could see was a bit of water and the shapes of other boats.

  She lay back in the gloom. She was feeling quite ill now. The flu, or whatever it was, seemed to be gathering momentum. She ached all over, her throat was sore, her chest hurt and she felt sick intermittently. She knew she was running a temperature. One minute sweat poured from her, and the next she was shivering. On top of everything her foot now throbbed relentlessly.

  She felt utterly miserable. Where were they going to take her? A grim thought penetrated her clouded thinking. Perhaps they were going to drown her. Dump her overboard somewhere. The thought made her panic for a second, and then logic took over. No. These people were going to too much trouble with her for that. Something more sinister was planned for her. Carl had more or less confirmed that, and Mel had refused to enlighten her.

  Nothing happened for a long time. She watched the daylight creep in and the cabin become brighter. Occasionally she could hear footsteps overhead and muffled conversation. It was not uncomfortable lying on the bunk, in spite of her confined hands. Shivering, she spied a blanket on the opposite bunk and managed to wrap herself in it. She wondered whether there was a toilet somewhere. Desperation made her leave her comfortable position and investigate. She tried several slim doors, but they revealed cupboards crammed with sea-going equipment. She ventured through a narrow opening and found two more doors. One led to a shower, but the other revealed a toilet. It was difficult with the handcuffs, but she managed. She had no idea how to flush the appliance at first. Then she spied a red lever. She pulled it and to her relief the contents of the toilet disappeared.

  Back in the cabin she resumed her position on the bunk, pulling the comfort of the blanket around her.

  Her solitude was interrupted by the sound of feet descending the short flight of steps leading into the cabin. A surly-looking young man holding a large mug approached her.

  He stared at her. ‘Cup of tea,’ he announced roughly.

  Jane raised her head. ‘Where are you taking me?’ she asked weakly.

  ‘You’ll find out soon enough.’ He smirked at her briefly and left the cabin.

  Jane looked at the mug of tea. It was swamped in milk. Her mouth felt dry and she tried awkwardly to drink a little, but the tea had an odd taste and the milk and the sugar that had been added nauseated her.

  She fell back on the bunk again. She knew she was quite ill now, but who was going to help her? In her wretchedness, she wondered if she would die before they got to wherever they were going. She had reached the point where the combination of her isolation and her illness was beginning to make her feel that she no longer cared what happened to her. It was as if her willpower and determination were slowly being sucked out of her. She had no sense of time. The day just seemed to slip by. At one point the young man appeared again and in silence left her a sandwich and more tea, but she had no interest in food.

  It must have been well towards evening that Jane heard the rumble of an engine being started, quickly followed by a second. Lying on the bunk, she could feel the vibration. The sound of the engines altered and she could feel that the vessel she was in was under way. For a while she felt gentle movement, and then the boat seemed to be bumping up and down much more. She guessed they must be out at sea now. She drifted in and out of sleep, lulled by the movement of the boat.

  *

  It was the sound of voices that woke her. It was now completely dark. The throb of the engines ceased. She felt a bump somewhere alongside. Then there was the sound of footsteps overhead, accompanied by louder voices. After that, there was silence for a considerable period. Jane dozed again.

  She was woken up by the sound of someone climbing down into the cabin. She heard the visitor shout to somebody else.
r />   ‘There’s somebody down here.’

  The cabin was plunged into light and a very tall figure approached the bunk. Jane could see that he was wearing a uniform under a yellow high-visibility jacket.

  The stranger addressed her. ‘It’s all right, miss. You’re safe now. My name’s Greg Johnson. I’m a coastguard officer.’

  In her muddled state, the words Jane had wanted to hear for days did not quite register.

  The officer stooped over her. ‘Are you all right, miss?’ he asked.

  ‘I feel ill. I think I’ve got flu or something,’ murmured Jane.

  ‘We’ll get you fixed up soon,’ replied the officer kindly. ‘Can you tell me your name, miss?’

  ‘Jane,’ she almost whispered.

  ‘And what’s your surname?’

  ‘Hawkins.’ In her fevered state, Jane was completely unaware that she had given her married name. Her eyes half closed, she did not see the officer’s puzzled look.

  ‘I see. We’re going to head into Portsmouth now. Once we’re there the police will want to talk to you.’

  Jane did not reply. She felt too awful. Even talking was an effort now.

  The officer gave her a quick glance. ‘It won’t be long before we’re in port. I’ll be back shortly.’ He hurried away back up the steps.

  Jane could hardly believe what was happening. She had been rescued. Who had arranged it? She would be able to get on with her life. She would see Bob again. If only she didn’t feel so ill…

  There was the rumble of engines again, and she could feel the motion of the boat. At least when they got to land she could rest up somewhere warm and get rid of this wretched flu.

  She dozed off again, and awoke to the realisation that the boat was no longer moving. She heard voices, and Greg Johnson appeared in the doorway.

  ‘We’ve arrived, Jane. I can take you ashore now,’ he announced kindly.

  Jane made a big effort. The sooner she was on dry land, the sooner she would receive help and medical attention. She threw back the blanket.

  For the first time the officer noticed the handcuffs. ‘Who’s got the key to those?’ he asked, clearly concerned.