Auction Ch. 10-11

Still holding her collar, he brought a curled fist up hard between her legs which such force that she was lifted bodily off the floor and screamed in pain. He reverted to slapping her breasts again but was finding it more difficult now that she was actively using her arms to block his blows. In frustration, he swung his fist down hard on her arm.

Dianne screamed and fell, clutching her injured arm and curling up into a tight ball. Helmut was totally out of control and swung a foot at the poor woman as she lay, hitting her squarely on the hip and drawing yet another scream of pain. A second kick followed and suddenly the door flew open.

Maria threw herself over Dianne's prone body to shield her from further kicks while Helga, with surprising strength, wrapped her arms around her master and pushed him backwards until he fell onto the bed, sobbing.

Carefully Maria helped Dianne out of the room and into her own. She gently laid her on the bed and disappeared for a moment, returning with a first aid box from the kitchen. Firstly she dug out a couple of pain killers, passing them over with a glass of water. A shaken Dianne gratefully swallowed them and winced as Maria applied an ice pack to her wounded arm. It was already swelling and she wondered if a bone might be broken or cracked but there was no time for a detailed examination.

While Helmut was brutalising Dianne, the two girls quickly realised that they needed to intervene and readied Dianne's travel kit and clothes, which were selected for mid-summer. It was very cold outside now so the clothing she had was totally unsuitable, but there was no real alternative. Maria found a heavy overcoat in their wardrobe, and whilst it was much too short for Dianne, it at least offered some protection from the biting wind.

Dianne checked quickly to make sure that her airline ticket and passport were in her carryall and gingerly followed Maria to the main entrance, where she found another surprise. Her little Mercedes hatchback was lined up at the doorway and ready for a speedy getaway.

"We could not risk the limo," Maria explained. "Master could phone the driver and insist he bring you back again. We will drive slowly into the city, find a quiet all night café, and leave for the airport just in time. We really do not want to meet Master while he is this mood."

"What will you and Helga do?" she queried.

"We will leave the estate quietly when Master is not there, and never come back," she said grimly. "We have seen Master lose his temper before and we have always known of his cruel streak but we have never seen him lose complete control until now. It was very frightening for us too."

"If you want to get out of Germany, I would be happy for you to come to Australia and stay with me and my husband - if I still have a husband. He will be very angry with me. As soon as my plane has left the tarmac, would you send him an email to tell him I am on my way home? I'll write his email address down for you."

"Of course. I will use one of the public computers in the terminal."

"Maria, I don't know how I can ever thank you for your kindness. You are an extraordinary woman in so many ways and what you did for me tonight may have saved my life. How can I ever repay you?"

Maria just smiled back. You already have repaid me by breaking the destructive cycle that our lives have become. Who knows what might have become of us? Helmut is not really an evil man, but he is a terrible manipulator and as you have seen, has a terrible temper also."

The two women found a quiet little all night café near the city centre, settled into a comfortable booth and ordered a hearty meal and indulged in some animated chatter until daybreak, when they returned to their car and made their way to the airport. Dianne looked down at her left hand momentarily and realised that she still wore Helmut's ring. She tore it off, handing it to Maria.

"I never want to see this again and I certainly don't want to give Helmut an excuse to chase me to reclaim it. Please return it to him when you get back."

At the security checkpoint, the women were forced to say their goodbyes. They hugged closely and with eyes filled with tears, separated.

"You have my cell number and email," Dianne ventured. "Please stay in touch. And don't forget that you and Helga are both very welcome to stay with us in Australia. I hope you can make the journey. Please don't forget to email Steve as soon as my plane takes off!"

Nursing her bandaged arm and a badly bruised and swollen face, Dianne attracted her share of stares as she queued prior to boarding. The airline attendant looked concerned and sought Dianne's assurance that she felt well enough to travel.

Dianne fell into her assigned seat and nervously waited for the doors to close, fearful of the possibility that Helmut could somehow sabotage her attempt to leave Germany. After what seemed to Dianne like an eternity, the doors closed, the big jet was pushed backwards away from the terminal, the engines roared to life and Hamburg disappeared in the distance.

Dianne was a mess. Her thoughts were with the two brave women who helped her escape, were coming to terms with the controlling bully that Helmut had proved to be and the love she held for her husband. How could she have been so stupid as to accept this six-month commitment without giving Steve the opportunity to veto it? Finally, she submitted herself to a painful slumber.