The Dark Star - Aftermath Pt. 04

Why the hell did she crave those feelings again, why despite the visions of that evil mask every time she dared shut her eyes did, she want to be back there with him?

Sophie wiped the tear from her cheek as she scrolled through Spotify restarting the Billie Eilish playlist. Trying to shut her overactive mind off for the briefest of moments. She watched a little taken aback but immediately distracted as the next-door neighbour's ginger and white cat jumped up on the window ledge the other side of the window, chasing a fly or was it a wasp. She watched as the cat batted away haphazardly at the poor doomed insect.

The hand fell on her shoulder. Sophie gasped and involuntary screamed out, "Get off me you Cunt."

"Jesus Fucking Christ Soph" she heard her sister Sarah say as she pulled out her earbuds, her heart beating heavy enough in her chest that she felt as though it would rip through her chest.

"Either turn the music down or..."

Sarah stopped dead as she chastised her, "Are you alright... have you... have you been crying?"

"I'm fine," Sophie said riding abruptly and pushing past her older taller sister, "I'm fine."

Her quivering voice betrayed her as she made her way up stairs to the spare bedroom in the two-bed house. Slamming her fist against the wall to the side of the window as she stood gazing out across the cul-de-sac in which the Semi-detached house sat. Fresh tears ran down her face.

She heard her sister approach cautiously turning to see her stood there in her gym gear. A weak smile etched over her features.

"You're not alright, are you?" Sarah said extending a hand which she wrapped around Sophie's waist and pulled her into a hug "You're not alright are you little Fee?"

At the use of the name, she affectionately called her since they were little more than babies Sophie broke down in tears clutching on to her older sister.

"You've not been yourself for a couple of weeks, have you?" Sarah pressed.

Shaking her head, the tears soaking her sisters shoulder Sophie trembles.

"Something..." she sucked up the emotion long enough to finish her sentence, "...Something happened to me."

**********

I walk in through the back door into the kitchen, in truth my mind on what we'll be having to eat. It's a Wednesday we always have Chilli on a Wednesday. Immediately I sense the atmosphere and the unnerving silence.

Looking from Sarah to Sophie I can see the tear-stained eyes of both of them. Sophie looking far more dishevelled than Sarah if I'm comparing. I look back to Sarah who without so much as a welcome stands from the kitchen table and ushers me immediately from the kitchen down the hall to the lounge.

"I have to ask you to do something," she states with a heavy breath as soon as we enter the room. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Her face is pale, and her hands are shaking I try to reach out, but she pushes me away, starting to pace the lounge around the dining table.

"I understand ... and I know what you've told me, and I know you don't want any more association but..."

"What?" My mind races trying to second guess her; genuinely I have no idea what she's referring to her words seem muddled; she makes no sense.

"You... you used to be involved ...you used to work at The Phoenix ... that's what you once told me."

I nod still having no genuine idea what this is about.

"I need you to get back in touch ...I need you to call anyone you know from there ... I need you to speak to someone."

Immediately Chloe comes to mind and it's as if I hear that chuckle of hers echoing in my mind, I see that subtle little grin she'd give. Immediately I also know I can't do what she asks of me.

"No ... No Way," I answer without the need to think.

"You have to Jack," Sarah turns to me her fists balled, "Or give me the fucking contacts then."

Her face now flushed with anger tears welling up in her eyes.

"What the fuck is going on Sarah?" I ask the question I should've asked the moment I walked in. In the hallway I hear heavy footsteps head thundering up the stairs quickly followed by the slam of a door.

"It's ... it's Fee," Sarah pulls a chair from the dining table and crashed down heavily her legs seeming to give beneath her.

I walk over and crouch before her. I don't push her I wait for her to continue.

"I'm... I think I'm still trying to process this myself, but she went to the Phoenix two weeks ago".

"What when we were there... that night?"

"Yes," Sarah sucks up a snivel as a single tear falls down her face. "She ...she was attacked."

"Attacked?" I appreciate what she says but I don't understand.

Finally, Sarah breaks with silent tears streaming down her face. I hold her finding myself kneeling on the floor with her in my arms as wrap around her as I hold her close to me. I don't want to, but I have to ask, fearing the worst knowing what some of the people there are capable of. "How do you mean attacked?"

"She ...she was abducted ... they kept her locked up ... she won't admit but ... she was ... they raped my little Sister Jack... they raped her."

The blood chills in my veins I feel sick as I clutch Sarah. My mind now fully imagining the worst-case scenario.

"Who runs that place Jack? ...you must know ...what she said ... what she told me happened to her ... someone there must know what happened Jack ... someone must know?"

I stand the room spinning as I leave Sarah slumped on the floor. Running my hands through my hair as I turn from her realising that the horror and the evil of that place is back to haunt me in the most cruellest of twists of fate. Poor young Sophie snared and taken in like so many before her, like Lyndsay. Just like; I look over at Sarah knelt there in the carpeted floor. I can barely bring myself to recognise how she'd seemingly been unknowingly been abused, a situation to which I'd been party to. The sordid vile secret of that night never more sickening than right now. Sarah may have met a similar fate as her sister, and she didn't know it.

"Did they ...did they drug her?"

Sarah looks up at me her eyes wide and alert "Why? ...Why do you ask that?"

"I dunno I just..."

"Jack," Sarah's on her feet her eyes wide; frantically she grips my upper arms, "What do you know Jack ...why did you ask that?"

"I don't know anything," I break her grip knowing I've said too much. "But... there were rumours... just rumours I never met anyone who was involved or anything... I swear to you."

I lie to her my words stuttering and stammering, "There were rumours of these pills they'd give to girls to coerce them... that would make them..."

"Blueys" I'm almost grateful Sarah cuts across me, but I'm shocked she knows to what I refer.

I nod "You've ...you've ..."

"Yes, I've heard of them... some new ecstasy type drug...when I worked at Servitu we were always warned to look out for them... drinks being spiked that sort of thing."

"Then you know what they do?"

"Depends on the individual I've heard ...enhances ... or destroys the mind."

"Or both," I state ruefully.

"That," Sarah's hand slips over her mouth "That'll explain the ..."

"Explain what?" I press as Sarah hesitates.

"Something she said, something Fee said about ...about confusion ... when they... when he..." she can't finish her sentence.

I second guess what she was about to say thinking of how Lindsay had described her experience, senses heightened, inhibitions lost yet able to remember every moment of the night that had unfolded at the hands of Spider and the others. I look at Sarah not sure how she can be so unawares of what happened to her. Surely, she must have some start point of that night, some memory loss, at the very least some point at which she came to after the effects of the 'bluey' that they'd given me to feed her. I can barely bring myself to look at her.

I need a drink I selfishly think to myself I need more than one drink and a fucking big joint would be in order. My mind wanders to the small stash I have upstairs in a tin sat in the drawer of the bed side table.

"I should call the Police, shouldn't I?" Sarah looks over at me, "They can't get away with this those sick bastards can't get away with this how many others Jack ... Jesus how many other victims are there?"

"Does she want the Police to be involved?"

"Of course, she wants the fucking Police to be involved she's a young girl... she's been ..."

"I don't want the fucking Police involved!" Sophie hollers from the doorway, neither of us had noticed her or heard her approach. She turns on her heels and heads back upstairs once again her feet land just as heavy on the stairs as they had done earlier.

"Fee..." Sarah calls after her leaving me and following her.

I stand there my mind still racing barely able to comprehend the knowledge of what I've come home to.

My hand reaches into my suit trousers pocket and I slip my phone out. Pressing my thumb against the button the screen unlocks. Immediately I scroll through the contacts list. Not far down I have to scroll back to her name, I glance to the small circular photo against her name. Pausing I take a deep breath. Too much time has passed, but conversely not enough time has passed. What the fuck had Sophie been thinking going to The Phoenix? We'd warned her off that night she'd been here when Sarah and I had talked about attending the most recent event. What was I thinking risking even going back to that hell hole; the place was better off in the past. The place would be better off burned to the ground.

I press into the contact details my thumb hovers over the little blue button with a white phone image. What do I even say to her?

My thumb stabs down on the button. The phone rings a half a dozen times.

"Hey, you this is Chloe ... well it's not me it's my..."

I cancel the call somewhat relieved to have only gotten through to her voicemail.

**********

D.I. Rose Callaghan sat back from her screen and removed her glasses; reaching up she pulled the hair band which had been holding her long mousy blonde hair back off her face.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked to her watch. A little after 8pm. Grabbing her phone from beside the computer keyboard she opened the phone and began to type her latest apologetic WhatsApp.

MESSAGE: Sorry been caught up I'll be home before 9 I promise. Xx

She saw the two little blue ticks highlight immediately before she had even time to set the phone down and begin saving the work on the screen of her PC.

A gentle wrap of knuckles on the door to her office snapped her attention and her head up from the desk.

"Sorry Ma'am," She recognises the somewhat handsome face of Detective Steve Parsons, "You busy?"

"When am I not" Callaghan answered and was met with an apologetic smile.

"Ever wish you were back in Uniform with set shifts?"

"Never served time in Uniform ... but no." she honestly answered, "What can I do for you?"

"Might be nothing...might be something... Call handlers took a call from a..." Parsons looks down at the hand-scribbled note in his hand "... A Miss Sarah McAllister about an hour ago."

"About?" Callaghan sat back in her chair casting her eye over Parsons impressive frame under a tailored shirt. No wonder all the girls in uniform swooned after him.

"She reports that at some organised rave".

"The Phoenix" Callaghan cut across him.

"Yeah ... yeah that's the place... she claims that two weeks ago her 17 no sorry her 18-year-old sister was abducted and subjected to a well ...a frankly hellish ordeal by the details the call handler captured."

Callaghan held out her hand for the notes, "Good initiative Parsons."

He barely refrained a smug grin; "Well I know you've been looking into other missing girls and possible abductions locally ...it just red flagged when I saw the details... Uniform are on their way to take statements."

"Like fuck they are ...stand them down." Callaghan grabbed her fitted leather jacket off the back of her seat as she stood; ignoring the ping of the WhatsApp message reply on the screen of her phone as she slipped it into her jacket pocket and checked for her badge.

"Grab your jacket Parsons... One of my persons of interest in the disappearance of Mica West had known connections to The Phoenix ... We'll be the ones to take the statement."

**********

Sophie lay across the bed with her hands tucked between her legs as she rocked gently. Sarah meant well but she was only making it worse. Her interfering, her mothering her it was hideously unfair of her. She had a mother to do that. Actually, that was unfair on Sarah; Sylvia McAllister their mother had been an alcoholic as far back as Sophie could remember. It was Sarah who'd practically raised her since their Father had walked out on them, when she was six and Sarah was eleven. Sarah who'd gotten her up dressed and ready for School, Sarah who'd been there to make her Tea when she got in from School. Sarah who'd always been there for her whatever her issue; no matter how big or how small.

Why then was she resenting Sarah's interference when she arguably needed her most?

On the bedside table her phone vibrated distracting her train of thought. Sophie reached over and snatched the phone. The full message available on the front screen

SENDER: Unknown Number; I want to see you again

It was him behind the unrecognised number, she knew it.

Sliding her finger up the screen she hit reply.

SENDER: Fee Phone; When? Where?

She didn't pause she didn't hesitate. She didn't know why. Watching as three little dots bounced along the screen beneath her reply. Silent the message landed.

SENDER: Unknown Number; Soon. Will be in touch.

Sarah lay there holding the phone above her as she stared at the messages reading them over and over again before eventually placing the phone back on the bedside table. No sooner had she rolled on to her back than she heard the doorbell ring. It's chimes shrilly echoing through the house.

Moments later she heard the door open then voices, Sarah's voice, a Male and a Female voice

"Sophie..." Sarah called up the stairs "...Sophie can you come down".

**********

"Who's putting a grin like that on your face?" Chloe stated looking over at The Wolf as he slipped his iPhone back into the rear pocket of his dark jeans.

"No one," he said in the tone that spoke for itself, Chloe immediately knew not to press.

"Had an interesting call myself earlier as it goes..." Chloe stated watching him as he looked over at her, "... A certain Jack Hughes"

"You spoke with him."

"Pfftt of course not," Chloe responded "You made it clear let him hang ... although I still find it interesting you choose to just watch him on CCTV when he comes here and still not make an approach."

"Timing Blondie..." he stepped away from her, "...Timing is everything".

"You're in control," Chloe said as she watched his every move.

"Of everything," The Wolf turned back to her. "As pretty little Alison here is about to discover".

Chloe's eyes turned back to the slender naked figure stood behind the clear glass screen on the far wall of the room. Her wrists held by shackles that stretched her arms up above her head in the confines of the temporary prison in which he'd placed her. Looking like a macabre piece of wall art. Her ankles tethered by thick chains. A ball gag dissected her petite face. Her eyes were wide watching as The Wolf approached her, yet she made no sound.

"I guess really Blondie it's your fault she's here," The Wolf stated, "A legacy of your tampering,"

"She's not my legacy, though is she?" Chloe shook her head "Besides... You kept her... I guess I can see why... she's definitely prettier now her hairs grown back, I guess".

Alison's eyes moved from The Wolf to Chloe and back again.

"She's served her purpose over the last 6 months... it was never going to last and the pity for her that not for the first time in her life she never accepted what she had. Some girls are like that... and so... well all good things must come to an end."

Chloe had no idea what he was doing she stood there watching him as he approached the wall to the side of the captive brunette. She heard pipes shudder as he turned a heavy looking metal wheel. Alison shrieked against the ball gag. Chloe could only guess at how cold the torrent of water was that spilled down from the pipe above her as it drenched the poor unsuspecting cow.

The Wolf approached the screen and she looked at him wide eyed as the water cascaded over her. Furiously protesting into the gag on muffled pleas. He said something quietly to her that Chloe could not hear before he turned his back on her and walked towards Chloe; leaving the slender brunette to scream incomprehensibly into the ball gag. Frantically whilst screaming Alison Matthews pulled with futile effort at the chains locked around her wrists as the tank she was held in filled with icy cold water that already came to her knees.

"You're going to fucking drown her?" Chloe stated darkly excited.

"I need the cell ... you might be getting a new neighbour" The Wolf stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling him against her as the water as unobserved the level rose closer to Alison's waist. Still, she begged inaudibly and struggled as the water cascaded down over her pale naked body.

"I got the idea at the Spa ... your little throat slit trick leads to far too much mess to sterilise and clean." As he said this, he ran his finger across Chloe's throat breaking goosebumps on her skin.

Chloe turned her head and continued to watch as Alison struggled in vain, the water level splashing around her shoulders now.

"It needs to be slower," Chloe stated aloud without looking away.

"You think?"

"Definitely" Chloe smirked as the water level passed her nose and mouth the muffled protests lost now beneath the water line. Still, she struggled with her arms but the chains that held them would not release their grip of her.

Her eyes bulging as the last air bubbles left the corner of her mouth from behind the ball gag as the water reached her wrists. Alison's naked body convulsed and spasmed as the ice-cold water filled her lungs. Her body held suspended eerily still her hair floating in the water as the tank filled.

"More History erased," Chloe softly chuckled.

The Wolf pressed a small hard sharp object into her hand.

Chloe opened her palm and looked down on the impressive diamond engagement ring he'd obviously taken from Alison's finger.

"A gift for you ...Be careful if you sell it".

Chloe slipped the ring over her own ring finger, a perfect fit she thought as she stared into Alison's wide lifeless eyes. "This your idea of a proposition Mr Wolf... Aren't you supposed to get on one knee?"

He paused looking at her with a grin she couldn't comprehend.

"Fancy a trip to the Pillory before I put you back in your cell Blondie?"