The Bet: Repercussions YES

Her favourite thing was lying on the sofa with me or the kids using a knitting needle to scratch the itch on her arms under the plaster. After six weeks the x-rays showed her arms had healed enough for the plasters to come off. Toni brought light weights for Kirsty to work with to build up her muscles again.

About a fortnight after she had been released, Dee and Pete came over. Kirsty had been fretting about this visit for several days beforehand despite me trying to tell her not to worry. We decided the kids shouldn't be present, well Kirsty did. I think she feared the worst.

Dee like Kirsty still had a few bruises though most had gone. I offered but no one wanted anything stronger than tea.

Dee began in a controlled tone. It was obvious she was nervous as was Kirsty. Pete had confided in me that she hadn't spoken to him about that evening.

"Gordon, Pete, you have always been supportive to us and the others in the group. You trust us when we go out and until that fucking Friday night, you had no reason to be concerned. The girls, drank, laughed, told tall tales about you all. What was and is still clear, we all love the man we are with.

"The evening began with me picking up everyone. I was the designated driver so I drank only water. We all take turns. It's handy having big soccer moms' cars. We went to that new French restaurant. The meal was excellent, the banter great and the wine flowed. Everyone was happy.

"We had talked about perhaps going on to a club to dance. Kirsty had us in stitches with you being happy for her feet; you not being there to stand on them. We've all suffered from your feet. We went to the club. What I never realised until long after was that those players were in the restaurant. I don't know if they followed us or had intended going on to the club.

"The club was already quite busy when we arrived. We got our drinks. I had a bottle of water and used my spikey top to prevent anything being put in it. Pete had bought a few years ago for me. The others had wine. We found a table and started dancing with each other. Soon some men as well as the players began asking for dances and we did dance with a few of them.

"One of the players, Benjo, they called him wanted to buy me a drink but I refused. I told him designated driver. He didn't seem happy and went off to dance with someone else. Back at the table there were fresh drinks there. The waitress pointed out Smith and Mahers and said they came from them. We didn't think anything of it. Soon they were at the table and asking for dances. Most of us danced a few dances with them. The others came over with more drinks.

"Benjo tried everything to get me to have a drink. I must have had four in front of me untouched.

"I was getting concerned as some of the girls were behaving oddly. The players were taken liberties on the dancefloor, touching bums and breasts. No one had ever allowed that before. Benjo's jaw was red after I slapped him when he tried it on with me.

"I went to the toilet and while there decided to get everyone out of there. I just knew something was wrong. When I came back some of the girls had left with the players.

"Smith was always with Kirsty. He wouldn't let her dance with anyone else. I intervened a couple of times and he didn't like that. Kirsty was always having a fresh drink put in her hand. I followed Smith up to the bar and warned him, I was going to call you and he would be in hospital. He shoved me away and the bouncer put me outside. I didn't have time to get my handbag with my phone. I would have called Pete to get all of you over. I knew something was wrong.

"It was about fifteen minutes after that, I saw Smith walking with Kirsty. I tried to stop them but she was not in this world. Smith just told me to fuck off. I managed to get in to get my handbag and was phoning Pete when I saw you Gordon.

"You looked so bad. Not the bloody nose and lips but your eyes were so dead like someone had killed you and you hadn't realised that. What you said devastated me. I knew Kirsty had said those words to you as you would never have thought of them otherwise. It only confirmed what I suspected.

"I headed to the hotel. Pete never answered the bloody phone. I was mad when I arrived and saw the girls. It was obvious they had been drugged.

"I grabbed Kirsty away from Smith, shouting at her that they had beaten you up. She responded like a zombie, "Gordon!"

"I said something about Smith and the next I knew I was doubling over with all the wind knocked out of me. I felt a few kicks but thankfully I was quickly unconscious.

"The rest Pete says you know."

Kirsty was crying. "I don't remember much about the evening at the club. I recall Smith being at my side always speaking in my ear. What he said I don't remember. I do know I went to the hotel with him. Gordon when you appeared, it shocked me in some way. It was like I was two people. One half, my better half, was glad as you would rescue me but the other side, I never knew I had screamed at you first. The words, young cock, old man, hated you are all I remember. My true self was outraged at this. Your eyes told me how badly I had hurt you. I was devastated but I couldn't move from his side.

"All the rest of the way to the hotel I was arguing inside myself. Smith had a smug look when he looked back. I assume he saw the bouncers beating you up but I never knew anything until Dee came in.

"When she said that, my true self awoke. When Smith hit Dee I had to protect her. I don't recall what happened."

She sounded so sad as she continued, "When I came round I knew I had killed our marriage. I had heard you saying you loved me but I could tell it wasn't the case anymore. I can't say I blame you. I'm glad you're giving me time to heal and time with the kids before we break up. I cannot say to you how sorry I am about all this. To Dee who protected me like a lioness. I don't have the words. I'll still be sorry as they put me in my grave."

I spoke slowly with every word being important, I knew I had only one chance to get this right.

"Kirsty, I won't insult anyone here and say the words you said did not hurt me more deeply than I have ever been hurt. I was in turmoil due to those words and my love for you. I couldn't come to the hospital because of those words. Yet I needed to be there. The kids were mad at me for not being with you.

"Carole made me go. She took me as she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Dee, Pete and Carole believed you had been drugged. I wanted to believe but the hurt was all I could focus on. Even after I was shown the evidence, the drug report, the video which clearly shows you were drugged, those words still come back to haunt me.

"When I saw you for the first time in intensive care, I realised how much I love you and would lose if you were to die or not be in my life. I told you repeatedly this was not your fault and I know that is true. I was going to wait until you are better before suggesting we get counselling to help us through this.

"We both have such strong emotions over this, we need help to get them out and work through them. Together we'll do that. I love you and don't want to lose you."

I gave her a hug and a kiss. She hugged me back.

Then we opened the wine.

The next few weeks went slowly. Each day Kirsty improved and after about two months was able to attend sessions at the gym supervised by Toni. We still haven't been intimate as she needs to heal.

The outside world still turned.

Jock's editorial about the lack of Police response to a series of drug rapes even made the mainstream nationwide papers. The Chief Constable was brought to the Scottish Parliament Justice committee a month later. He took early retirement.

Tolbert tried to get an agreement with me but I was not budging. The average home attendance at the football was under three hundred instead of over 6000. His nightclubs bar one all closed. The staff who helped us were given jobs through us whether in other premises or directly.

It became apparent that the authorities were not going to prosecute. Pete and I held face to face talks with the replacement Superintendent who tried to say our evidence was tainted. Pete had warned me to be quiet. He didn't warn himself obviously.

"You know that the evidence is pristine. Every procedure was followed to the letter. Not by the crooked cops in this town but by highly competent professionals. We have given the evidence of Police corruption to Shona. It shows the two Police officers taking the CCTV from the hotel and giving it to Tolbert. In return he hands them cash. She will prosecute them.

"You have the evidence showing attempted murder on Mrs Bryson and serious assault on my wife with numerous witnesses to it. If you don't charge them, we'll release other evidence we found. Do your job or lose it!"

Shona took the two cops and Tolbert to court. Tolbert hired an out-of-town solicitor who thought Shona was from the sticks. The video (Roslyn?) had put together seemed very authentic. Shona included the assaults on Kirsty and Dee which the Sheriff allowed despite Tolbert's side trying to have it deemed inadmissible.

Tolbert must have seen the writing on the wall when the Sheriff asked the two Detective Chief Inspectors who were from the Complaints Division watching the trial why those three men had never appeared in front of him. They couldn't look the Sheriff in the eye.

The jury found them all guilty of bribery and corruption in a public office. All were remanded in custody. They'll be sentenced after the necessary reports in a couple of weeks.

What happened to those rapists you are probably asking? This is my summation of what happened to those rapists (not players) but I can't say it is accurate. I haven't asked so I don't know for sure.

I was called down to one of our sites. The Police were attempting to ask many of my workers to voluntarily attend at the Police station. I had my secretary call Pete and Iain.

It appears that those workers had ties to the ultras from both football teams. According to the Police an altercation between both factions had happened which spilled over to an area where a few football players had been relaxing. Those players were set upon and had suffered serious life changing injuries.

Pete arrived. He was very brusque, "When did this happen and why do you want them to attend voluntarily?"

The senior officer tried to explain but Pete wasn't taking any crap.

"When?"

"1.45pm" the office replied. It was now 4 pm.

The workers pointed out they had been working. Iain offered to show the officers the CCTV but they couldn't take it with them as they would just destroy it to make their case.

They didn't like that.

One officer tried to be reasonable. "We need to see their ultra-gear to ensure it's not blood splattered."

Before he finished the workers took their overalls off to show their ultra uniforms were not blood splattered. I admit I was surprised as I've never seen any wearing them outside of the football and certainly never at work.

The cop turned to me, "Do you allow this?"

"As long as they behave at work, I don't have a problem with it," I replied.

They left. I thanked the workers for their cooperation which went down well. Seems everyone but me knew what had happened.

I have my suspicions about who organised the vengeance.

I think that in the spas the phones of the players were targeted as they were manipulated by some attractive women. The phones contents somehow ended up with Roslyn. From that she was able to access their personal computers and phones for images of their rapes.

She made their website which would show they shared those videos for their personal amusement. I'm sure she made the traffic data look as if they did this for over a year.

I think some people viewed the videos and identified quite a few of the women who had been raped. They brought all the male partners together, dressed them as ultras and faked a battle near where those bastards relaxed after training. According to the Police witnesses there were over sixty involved.

When the battle spilled onto the players who had been laughing moments earlier retribution was had. According to the local paper, Smith suffered both knees being smashed, ACLs, MCLs torn. Both his patella's and one femur were broken. His personal package had been cut so badly he lost one testicle and half his penis. There was a long-jagged spike with multiple razor-sharp edges which had been inserted deep into his rectum. Mahers had a broken arm, broken leg, a foot was almost cut off. He also lost both testicles and a large part of his small penis. Bassing lost an eye, not good for a goalkeeper. Both arms and a leg were broken. His testicles were found in his abdominal cavity but they couldn't save his penis. Benjo had both femurs and lower legs broken. His penis was so badly damaged it had to be amputated. A barbed wire spike about a foot long and six-inch circumference was found inside his rectum.

The three others had similar injuries. None would rape anyone again nor play professional football.

The Police have never found who was responsible. When I'm asked, I say the Police were responsible if they had done their job none of this would have happened.

Frances was worth her weight in gold. There are a lot of young people sports teams in the area. Frances saw they needed help with equipment and offered to supply them via a particular small local sports shop. I suspect she over paid.

The shop probably supplied the ultra-gear but that is just conjecture on my part.

Tolbert and the cops he bribed were sentenced about ten days after the incident involving the rapists. He was given five years in jail. The cops, four years nine months. Apparently, some of the inmates found out their partners had been raped by the players he protected. He's had quite a few accidents.

Shona's decision to prosecute them cost her any chance of going further in her career. They wanted to move her to Stornoway for career development. She'll start working with Pete when her notice is up.

The two-bar staff who were identified as plying the drugs had a serious accident when the brakes failed on their car as they negotiated a steep bend going downhill at speed. The racing seatbelts they used may have saved their lives but caused terminal damage to their penis and balls. The Police never found the computer glitch which they alleged caused the malfunction. Apparently, they both had signs of having been beat up and tortured previously but they said nothing.

Tolbert's businesses are up for sale. Marion is doing due diligence for me on all of them as it appears there is a need for those. I would have to bring in the right people to run them. There would be many changes. The first one; the safety of all guests!

The football team's season is going from bad to worse. Tolbert is being investigated for breach of the league's rules. The team is up for sale. Should I buy the football team?

Kirsty is making a good recovery but is still troubled by her ribs. We're told it will take time but she'll get there. We have begun counselling which is helping. She is so full of guilt over what she said to me and how she allowed it to happen. I'm slowly getting over the hurt as I realise it was Smith's words. We are learning about communicating better which can only help in the future.

Sarah has started at university. She phoned so delighted to hear about the rapists' injuries. Kathryn and Gordon watch Kirsty to make sure she does what she is told by Toni and the doctors. They seem to have adjusted well. Like Sarah they were happy to hear about the final incident.

Dave and I made up. Kirsty had seen us 'fight' and was sure it was because I was leaving her. I explained to them all I made it look like that so Tolbert wouldn't have his thugs go after them. I apologised. I did thank him for knocking out thug 2. He did have a broken jaw and concussion.

Two of our more feminist union representatives had an emergency debate at their union's annual meeting. They stole the show with their presentation on how the political party the union supported to the tune of £1.5 million a year had failed to make any changes to governance to ensure what happened to women in our town couldn't happen again. They still posed with celebrities who acted above the law, demeaning and abusing women.

They took the vote so that party has lost the union's funding. Other unions have similar motions so will follow.

Other political parties have motions coming up at their conferences which will highlight the issue. Our area parties have suddenly become very active and extremely well informed. Some very big names have large targets on their backs for failing to ensure the Police did their job. They will fall.

I think that covers about everything. So far.

I was just about to leave for lunch when Lorraine called through, "You've a visitor."

I wasn't expecting anyone.

Kirsty walked in. She looked gorgeous. She had had her hair cut short as she didn't like the reminder of the cut the hospital did. Her face was smiling. She had her makeup on. Red lipstick, red nail polish. She was wearing a lovely, no beautiful burgundy dress which showed off all the work she had done in the gym. It was incredibly sexy whilst not being very revealing. I saw the suspender bumps. I knew her long legs looked lovely in stockings as they were well toned.

My mouth was open in surprise. She kissed me, "I've come for our anniversary dinner in the works canteen."

As we walked out, Lorraine said she'd cancelled all my afternoon appointments.