Alison's Lament Pt. 02

I looked at David, and he gave a brief shake of his head. "Let's find Ali first," he said, and I nodded in agreement.

Carlo pointed at another closed-door further along the passageway. "She's in that cabin."

"You go and get her," I was told by David. "Carlo here can take Jeff to fetch our mister Simon. Bring him to the main salon, Jeff. This gentleman and I will politely ask Antonio to join us for a little discussion."

Carlo and the other bodyguard exchanged a few words in Italian before nodding in agreement.

Ali's door was locked, so I knocked. Shit, it was stupid; I was rescuing my woman, and I was knocking politely on her cell door. There was no response, so I tried the handle.

"Fuck off," Ali's voice was harsh and panicky.

I stumbled to string out a coherent sentence. "Ali, love, open the door, it's me," Then I added belatedly, not sure she would recognize my stressed voice, "Jos."

There was a pause then I heard a key turning in the lock. Then the door opened a crack only to swing all the way open when she recognized me. A blonde rocket launched herself across the gap, thudding into my arms.

"It is you," she babbled as we hugged and kissed. "You came for me. I love you so much. I was sure Antonio was playing another cruel game when the bodyguard gave me the key, told me to lock myself in, and help was coming."

"I'm, we're here now," I told her. "You're safe." She began to sob, pressing her face into my chest.

"You're safe," I repeated, and slowly she managed to compose herself.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"We need to go to the salon. David is waiting for us there. He's taking Antonio and Simon there. Do have you any idea what their game was supposed to be?"

She shook her head and let me lead her along the passageway and up another set of stairs to the main salon. Antonio stood just inside the room, arguing in loud Italian with the second bodyguard.

I couldn't resist the temptation. I stepped close and sank my fist into his belly. He gasped, trying desperately to suck air into his lungs as he folded up, collapsing to his knees. His bodyguard watched him impassively but shook his head when I drew back my arm for a second punch.

He stepped in front of Antonio and said, "One is okay, but no more, we have our orders, his father will deal with him."

Regretfully, I returned to Ali as the bodyguard helped the stricken man to a chair and then took his place behind him. David was talking in a low voice to Ali, reassuring himself she was okay.

We heard Simon before we saw him. Jeff was holding his arm as he was thrust into the room, only wearing only a pair of boxers. Any worries that it would be difficult to find out what their intentions were, was quickly dispelled when he saw me beside Ali.

His face went white, and it was only the fact that Jeff was holding his arm that he didn't collapse to the floor. He stared around the cabin, looking like he hoped that someone, anyone would come to his rescue. The angry faces staring back at him dispelled any hope, then he obviously decided his best bet was to admit everything.

"It's all your fault, you sanctimonious bastard," Simon moaned at me. "We had it all worked out, and then you had to go and be sick."

"What the hell did me being sick have to do with it?" I wanted to know.

"Our little spy told us that both of you would be going back to the club that evening. We were going to be surprised to bump into you, Toni was going to apologize for his behavior and then invite both of you to join us for a drink."

"Why would you think we would have accepted?"

"Toni reckoned that you would have accepted one drink rather than create a scene. The drinks would have been spiked with a special concoction he uses on occasions. It's not a rape drug, more a hypnotic that would have made you and your friends easy to manipulate."

Antonio growled from the chair he'd been thrust into, "Would have fucking worked."

"So why carry on, when it didn't work out at the club?" I wanted to know.

Antonio snapped his head up, a look of madness flashing across his face. "She's mine, and if I'd had a few more days, she'd never want to come back to you."

"What the fuck did you think you were going to do? Keep me strung out on drugs until I let you fuck me," she snarled and spat in his direction.

The cabin grew silent as one of the Italian bodyguards put his hand on Antonio's shoulder to keep him from rising.

"He and that stupid bitch Petra decided to carry on," Simon said. "She spiked Ash's drink and the other bodyguard's bottle of water."

"Who was the third man at the club that night?" David wanted to know.

"That was Herb. The women were his, all ex-models; they had both worked with Ash before. We were going to use whichever one of them in whom Josh showed interest. He's in his cabin, and the women should be in theirs."

Ali was on her feet and had slapped Antonio's face before anyone could react. "How many times have you drugged me in the past? Tell me you bastard."

He rocked back in his seat and then grinned back at her. "You'll never know, will you. You'll use the drugs as an excuse for wanting me, but only I will know if I gave you any."

He eased back in his seat and rubbed his reddening face before fixing his gaze on me. "She would scream out my name as we fucked. Begging me not to stop." He giggled and then added, "l just had to call her name, and she'd come running. I'd fuck her like the whore she is."

I growled and struggled to get to my feet. I wanted to wipe that smile off his face, to pound it into the desk. But David pressed down on my shoulder, keeping me in my seat.

Simon continued, "You weren't there, and the other couple was about to leave, so I thought we'd blown our chance, but Toni used the girls and me to convince Ash to stop for one last drink."

"But what were you going do with us?" Ali asked.

"Nothing you haven't done before; we'd have let the hypnotic do most of the work for us. The pair of you would have come back here, thinking it was your own idea. When we got back here, we would have kept you apart. Toni was supposed to convince you that Josh was playing the field, that he was only interested in you for your money. The drug would have made you susceptible to his words."

He shrugged, "We were going to use one of Herb's girls to seduce your boyfriend. We had a cocktail of drugs that would have made Josh sexually aroused and think he was making love to you."

At that, Ali smirked, "A waste of drugs, he's always eager, I should know."

I was surprised she could see any humor in the situation. She grasped my hand and squeezed it reassuringly. She needed to release some of the tension, and this was apparently her way.

I responded in kind, and it gave me a chance to have a dig at her kidnapper. "That's true, love; I've never needed to use drugs to make a woman love me."

Ali considered what he was telling us then said, "I guess the idea was that I was supposed to find them fucking, feel betrayed because of my old friendship with her, and then I'd break up with Josh. Which of your shoulders was I supposed to cry on, or was it going to be both of you?"

Neither would look at her, but neither did they deny she was wrong.

David tapped his watch, "We need to go before the town wakes up."

No argument from me, I stood, and Ali took my hand. David and Jeff nodded at the pair of Italian bodyguards, who nodded back. We made our way on deck, but not before Ali paused in the doorway.

"Simon, you're dead in the industry; find a rock and hide under it." He seemed to collapse into himself, a small man in a big world. Her gaze settled on Antonio, and I thought she was going to say something, but after a moment, she shook her head dismissively and left the cabin.

We boarded the inflatable and headed back to the 'Girl,' leaving Antonio and Simon with the bodyguards. Waiting anxiously to hear what Maurice had decided would be their fate, I gathered from Jamal that he was less than amused with the actions of his son.

Alison:

David had radioed the Lost Girl as soon as we finished with Toni and Simon, instructing them to head in our direction. Carlo had escorted us to the boat platform, and when I questioned him about Zee and Angie, he had assured me that they would be looked after and let off at the next suitable island with an airport. I told him to tell them that I didn't blame them for anything and if they had any issues, they could contact me through Lucy.

As soon as I'd sat down in the inflatable dingy, Jos had wrapped a blanket around me. I was immensely grateful for that, shivering between the pre-dawn chill and the icy cold spray. I huddled up as close as I could to him, and I was grateful for the arm he wrapped around me. Regardless of the comfort his presence next to me, I was extremely grateful to see the lights of the 'Lost Girl' as they appeared around the headland and knew that it was finally all over.

Mandy had hugged me with tears in her eyes as soon as I stepped on board. Then ignoring Jos's protests, she'd dragged me off to my cabin, closing the door firmly behind her.

"You need to get out of those things," she said and pushed me into the bathroom. "You're freezing; take a hot shower."

She pulled off my damp clothing and ran the water. I stepped under the hot water and hissed at the heat. That's when my body betrayed me, and I collapsed to the floor, sobbing my heart out. All the pent-up emotions from the past couple of days came flooding out in deep, heart-rending sobs.

Mandy let me cry myself out before she turned off the water and pulled me to my feet, wrapping me in a soft towel.

She whispered, "Josh has been beside himself in worry. Blaming himself for not being at the club with you. He threatened to tie Toni to an anchor and toss him overboard if he'd hurt you."

I half controlled my sobs and mumbled, "I... sorta... wish he had, that bastard has been manipulating me for years."

"How?" she wanted to know.

I considered my reply and then decided I didn't give a damn who knew. "The bastard admitted that he'd been spiking my drinks every time we met. I could never understand why he seemed to have such a hold over me. Now I know why, and I despise myself for being so bloody gullible."

Mandy hugged me, and I buried my head into her shoulder, hugging her back.

"It's not your fault," she whispered and then repeated her words.

"It's not your fault. Did he..." her voice trailed off.

I knew what she was asking and shook my head. "He kept me locked up, I think he wanted me to submit to him, but I wouldn't. Then he got a call and just lost the plot. One of the security guards gave me a key and told me to lock the door and not come out."

There was a knock at the door, and I wiped the tears from my face. Mandy opened it, and Jos hesitantly stepped in.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded my head, but it wasn't the real truth. Physically I was fine, but I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been. My senses should have been on high alert as soon as Simon had turned up. The possibility that our meeting had been a chance event was so remote as to be laughable.

My anger grew, what had I done to that bitch Petra for her to set me up? Her words as she'd handed me over to Toni still echoed in my mind. What had she meant by, 'Time to pay the piper, you bitch?'

My silence must have worried Jos because he took my hands in his and repeated the question.

I struggled to regain my composure. "I'm so sorry," I said. "This is all my fault. I should have known that a chance meeting with Simon was unlikely. I ought to have been suspicious, but Petra convinced me everything was okay."

"Petra," he hissed. "David is beside himself in a fury over her. He's traced her as far the airport. There was a light airplane waiting for her, and it took off at first light. That wasn't arranged at a whim, and it took organizing. He thinks she was planted on us."

"I think it was something personal between her and me. One of the last things she said to me was, 'Time to pay the piper, you bitch.' But I can't think of anything I've ever done to her."

"We'll find out when we catch up with her," Jos said flatly. He drew me into his arms, and once again, I felt safe.

"What happens now?" I asked.

"We go home, Mandy and Paul have said that they are willing to take the 'Girl,' on to the Greek islands for us. One of David's guys has offered to help them."

I looked at him, "I thought that this boat was your home."

"It is, but I think it's time we spent some time onshore." He smiled at me and added, "it isn't easy to organize a wedding from here."

Entertainment News organization:

September 30th.

This weekend the wedding of Ashley Bell and Josh Thomas was held at the exclusive resort of Sanlang island. The wedding party comprised of a small group of friends and family. The bride was given away by her stepfather. The happy couple will be honeymooning in their brand-new yacht, 'Found Girl,' cruising the eastern Mediterranean, before starting on a circumnavigation of the globe.

Breaking News:

January 20th

A week after the yacht belonging to the actress Ashley Bell and her husband was reported missing in the Indian Ocean. Search craft have reported recovering flotsam that has been identified as coming from the yacht. The couple married last year and have been on an extended world cruise. Ashley Bell's manager and close friend Lucy Peters has issued a statement that while this news is disturbing, the search will continue as no definitive wreckage from the yacht 'Found Girl,' has been found. The recovered items could have been washed overboard, so we are still hopeful that Ashley and the rest of the crew will be found safe and sound: Report ends

The end?