Pages 20-25

Lacie thought about it for a moment. ‘Sophia and I will think of way to get it in, if you can just get the food for us, please.’

Bryce nodded slowly. ‘I promise I will help you. I have to go now. But I will see you tomorrow night.’

Lacie stood and started dressing. ‘No. To avoid suspicion tomorrow you must see Sophia.’

‘I don’t think she likes me very much,’ frowned Bryce. ‘You think she’ll go along with this?’

‘She is just scared,’ replied Lacie. ‘She is my sister; she will not let me down.’

Before Bryce could reply Alik opened the door and greeted the both of them to an annoyed look.

'You have over stayed your money my friend,' he said to Bryce. 'Suggest you remove yourself or be removed.'

Bryce nodded quickly and left the room. Alik looked at Lacie suspiciously.

'What happened' he asked.

'He got nervous and couldn't go through with it,' replied Lacie. 'Not the first time that's happened.'

'No,' said Alik. 'But it had better be the last.'

‘So what did he say?’ asked Sophia as Lacie sat down next to her and ordered another drink.

‘He’s gonna help us,’ she replied. ‘But that thing you did, almost blew it.’

‘I know,’ sighed Sophia. ‘I wasn’t thinking.’

‘No you weren’t,’ said Lacie. ‘We need this guy Sophia.’

‘Yes I know,’ she replied. ‘It won’t happen again.’

‘You get anything yet?’ asked Lacie changing the subject.

‘One,’ said Sophia. ‘The usual.

‘A quick pop and a sudden stop,’ laughed Lacie.

‘Exactly,’ said Sophia sipping her drink slowly. ‘You think Miranda’s right about God?’

‘You mean do I think he is testing us?’ replied Lacie.

‘Yeah,’ said Sophia. ‘’She says he loves us. But if that’s true how could he watch us and do nothing?’

‘All I know is I have been here for twenty-three years now,’ said Lacie. ‘If God was going to help me he would have done it by now. If we ever want to escape this or make our lives anything else then we have to do it ourselves, we can’t wait for some super being to help us.’

‘You’re right,’ smiled Sophia. ‘Besides it’s a little late to be looking to heaven for help.’

‘Come on,’ said Lacie standing up. ‘It’s almost time to go.’

Detective Babatunde Ariyo walked into the apartment and was immediately assaulted by the foul smell of rotting flesh. The windows and curtains were closed and he only light came from the door behind him. Detective Ariyo had been around enough dead bodies to instantly recognise the smell, he quickly drew his gun and cautiously edged into the living room.

‘Anybody here?’ he called. ‘I am police and I’m armed show yourself.’

Still the room was silent, Detective Ariyo holstered his gun and walked to the nearest window and ripped the curtains open and instantly wished he hadn’t. The sun poured in through the windows and brought light to rotting corpse on the couch directly opposite him. The eyes were dry and staring right at him, the flesh around the eyes and most of the face seemed to be moving. Detective Ariyo covered his mouth and stepped towards the body and prodded her cheek with the barrel of his gun, instantly the flesh burst open and blob of thick yellow puss teaming with maggots landed on his hand. He swore loudly and jumped backwards shaking the foul smelling concoction of his hand and wiping it clean on the couch. After he had composed himself he pulled out his cell phone with his clean hand and dialled dispatch.

Sarah Hartley stood on the side of Sepiw Road. She was not alone, they were five other women standing at different spots of the same road. Sarahs life had taken a bad turn after Alex’s untimely death. She had lost her job and could no longer afford to pay the rent on their apartment, she knew that when the landlord came to collect rent he would find Alexs body and call the police so Sarah had left three days before the end of the month. She had taken nothing but a picture Alex, Sophia and herself with her, it was all she cared about, it helped her remember the times when they were just a bizarre but very happy family. When she left her old behind Sarah had tried to find honest work, but when they didn’t work she had eventually turned to drug dealing and for a while sold crack but her clients were violent and most just threatened her and took her supply from her, with all roads blocked to her she had only one path to turn to, prostitution.

It had taken the forensics team four hours to move Alex Hartleys body out of the apartment and into the van. They had to care extra not to rupture the skin and release the maggot filled puss.

‘Have you identified the body yet?’ asked Detective Ariyo.

‘The victim is female, her dental records have confirmed her identity as Alexandria Hartley,’ replied Annabeth. ‘She died of multiple stabbings to the chest.’

‘We still haven’t found the partner,’ said Detective Ariyo. ‘It seems as if Sarah Hartley has just disappeared off the face of the earth.’

‘They have an argument, it gets heated, one reached for the knife and cuts straight to the point,’ said Annabeth. ‘She panics and flees the scene.’

‘Isn’t it always that way?’ sighed Detective Ariyo.

It was half past ten in the evening and Bryce Donogan was sitting in front of his laptop replying to an email his wife had sent him that morning.  Bryce was a reporter for The Daily Mail and had been sent to Somalia on assignment to write an article about an American ship  The Angel Wings that had been hijacked on its route to Yemen nine years ago. Bryce had asked his editor why this ship was suddenly worth writing about. It was then that editor showed a blurry picture of The Angel Wings off the coast of South Africa, Bryce had asked around in Mogadishu and had had heard from a few people that The Angel Wings was now used to traffic drugs, guns and people in and out Somalia. Bryce took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He saved his work and decided to call it night.

Alik opened the door to Sophia and Lacies room early that morning, when he entered the room he found the girls still in bed. ‘Wake up,’ he said banging loudly on the door until both girls woke u with a start. ‘You are to remain here tonight Lacie; you’ve got a special client.’ He said pointing at Lacie. ‘You are to go on as usual Sophie.’ He turned on his heels and slammed the door behind him.

‘What does that mean?’ asked Sophia slipping out of bed and stretching herself.

Lacie just shrugged her shoulders. ‘Probably some important fellow who can’t afford to be seen doing…..well doing us.’

Sophia shook her head in disgust. ‘They exploit and abuse us, but it’s we who would embarrass them if we were caught. That’s not fair.’

‘Since when has the world ever been fair?’ smiled Lacie. ‘Although, Mr Donogan is different.’

‘I think it is too early to say,’ said Sophia. ‘If he keeps his promise then we can see, if not, well then we haven’t really lost anything.’

‘I think he will help us,’ said Lacie firmly. ‘Now go and get cleaned up darling.’

Bryce bought three slabs of chocolate, two loaves of bread and a small jar of peanut butter, he wrapped them all up tightly in a plastic and stuffed them in compartment usually reserved for tools in the boot of his car. After making sure that the compartment was completely covered by the boot mat he got in the car and drove to Sarhoş.

Sophia did not have to sit at the bar long before Bryce came and sat next to her.

‘Hi,’ greeted Bryce. ‘Wheres Lacie?

‘She is otherwise busy,’ smiled Sophia. ‘Guess you will have to make do with me.’

‘I have spoken to the man in charge and he says I am allowed to take you into my car,’ said Bryce. ‘Lets go now I can’t stay long.’

‘Okay,’ nodded Sophia grabbing his hand and allowing him to lead her out.

‘How far am I allowed to go?’ asked Brcye as they climbed into the car.

‘Don’t really know,’ shrugged Sophia. ‘But my guess is not too far.’

Bryce nodded and they pulled off down the dimly lit street. ‘I suppose we don’t really need to go far.’

‘Thats the first time I’ve heard that,’ said Sophia.

Bryce took one block away and parked in a dark alley. As soon as the car stopped he got out and removed the bag of food from its hiding place and dropped in Sophias lap as he got back in the car.

‘It’s not much but its all I can do right now,’ said Bryce.

Sophia opened and squeeled involuntarily when she saw the three slabs of Cadburys dairy milk chocolate, she immediately ripped one open and bit into the slab. The boot of Bryces car had been rather warm and the chocolate had become soft and as it touched Sophias tongue it melted. The sticky sweet chocolate over powered her taste buds and she closed her eyes and sighed deeply savouring the rich taste that she missed for almost eight years. Bryce watched with a small smile on his face. Sophia eventually opened her eyes and caught him staring at her.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said shyly. ‘It’s just been so long.’

‘Don’t worry,’ laughed Bryce. ‘I understand.’

‘Do you?’ asked Sophia. ‘Do you really think you understand?’

‘Well not like that,’ said Bryce quickly. ‘I just mean I understand why you miss chocolate.’

‘You understand nothing,’ snapped Sophia. ‘You think chocolate has been the biggest concern of my life? You have no idea the things I miss.’

Bryce turned himself so that he was facing her. ‘Then why don’t you tell me Sophia?’

‘Come in!’ called Detective Ariyo to the person who had knocked on the other side of his office door. The door swung open slowly and Colleen Rivers walked in holding her office phone.

‘Sir, we have a gentleman on the line who says he saw a woman matching the description of Sarah Hartley leaving Fazels Bar less than five minutes ago. ‘It’s the first lead we’ve had.’

Detective Ariyo immediately sprang up from his desk and made for his car.

‘Alright alert all nearby units to keep an eye out and to proceed with caution, she could still be armed.’

Arikawe answered his phone. ‘Yes chief?’

‘I’ve got a lead on Sarah Hartley,’ said Babatunde Ariyo. ‘Witness says she left Fazels just over five minutes ago, we’re on our way down there right now, you need to get there first.’

‘Yes chief,’ replied Arikawe nodding unnecessarily. ‘But why is too important?’

‘Don’t question me Ari!’ snapped Babatunde. ‘Just take care of her.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘And stop calling me chief, I only become chief if this works.’

Sarah Hartley collapsed onto the grass exhausted and wounded she had had a rough night to say the least. she had stood on the side of Sepiw Road until she was eventually picked up by a rather plump Chinese. Sarah never been with a man and was nervous at first as to what she should do, the problem was short lived however, after pondering it in the car with man who identified himself to her as Mister, she had eventually decided she would take the first opportunity she could to steal his money and run, after all it wasn’t like he was going to fetch the police. When Mister had pulled over in front over a dark building Sarah made a grab for his wallet with her right hand tried to open her door with her left, but Mister was quick and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back into the car Sarah screamed out in pain and clawed at his hand and it tightened around her throat.

‘You think you can rob me!’ growled Mister chocking her.

Sarah drew up her knee with all the strength she could muster and drove into Misters stomach, he gasped, swore loudly and released his grip on her throat. Sarah shoved him off her and fell out of the car with his wallet in hand.  Since that moment she had been she had been jumping and running whenever she heard a car. Needless to say sleep did not come easy to her that night no matter she coaxed it. When she had woken her face was badly bruised and her throat was swollen and made breathing an unpleasant experience, Sophia counted the money in Misters wallet and discovered he had seven hundred dollars in large notes. She immediately took it out and threw the now empty wallet into the nearest, she then used some of the money to buy some pain killers and cough syrup. After an unsatisfactory breakfast of Panado and Benylin she walked over to a bar called Fazels and bought herself glasses of wine before leaving. The wine and medication had made her so woozy she had not noticed the bar tender staring at her intensely before picking up his phone and walking out the back.

Sophia had told Bryce a brief version of everything that had happened to her since the day she had been captured. Bryce had listened to her and did not speak until she was finished.

‘I’ve seen and heard about trafficking on the news,’ said Bryce. ‘But I never imagined it was this bad.’

‘You thought it was fun?’ asked Sophia. ’You think any of us would ever choose this? It is too late for most girls to leave her, that is why so many stay and none try to escape, what would they do out there? In a world full evils, it is best, I think, to bare the one you know.’

‘There are good people out here,’ said Bryce.

‘Like you?’ smiled Sophia raising her eyebrows.

‘I’d like to think I'm better than the people who did this to you,’ said Bryce.

‘Remind me again Bryce,’ said Sophia. ‘Where did we meet exactly?’

Lacie sat on her bad waiting for the “special client” to arrive. She was just wondering how things with Sophia and Bryce when the door opened and Alik walked covered by only a rather small looking bath towel.

‘Where’s the client Alik?’ she asked trying not to laugh at his dress situation.

‘Go on laugh,’ smiled Alik stepping into the room and locking the door behind him. ‘Because I have a feeling you’re going to have very little to laugh about in the morning.’

‘Alik what’s going on?’ asked Lacie getting up and backing away from him as he dropped his towel.

‘You’ve been teasing me little girl,’ he laughed. ‘But no more.’

‘I don’t know what you talking about,’ said Lacie shaking her head frantically. ‘If Andrei finds out you know what will happen to you!’

‘Andrei out of town for a while,’ smiled Alik. ‘And if he had to find out when he came back, then something bad might happen to whoever told him.’

Sophia opened the door to her bedroom and walked in quietly so as not to wake Lacie. She had the bag full of goodies in her hand and was rather excited about sharing them with Lacie. As she got half way into the room she noticed that Lacie was not in her bed. Sophia assumed she had gone to the bathroom and paid her absence no more mind while she undressed herself and made for the showers. She walked down the cold narrow corridor to the bathroom, by and by she realised that she had been stepping on little drops of what she assumed was water, but once she got into the light of the bathroom she looked at her feet and had to supress her scream as she saw the soles of her feet were bright red. Somebody had been bleeding on their way to or from the bathroom. Sophia followed the drops into the showers and all the way to the last cubicle. She stopped outside the cubicle door and heard soft sobs coming from within. Sophia knocked on the door gently.

‘Lacie?’ she called.

‘Please Soph,’ sobbed Lacie. ‘Just go.’