The Dark Star - Aftermath Pt. 05

"That's ...oh my god... I mean that's terrible" Chloe offered with a false sincerity "I ...I mean personally nothing was brought to my attention on the night".

"That's well she couldn't have ... I mean at the time ... she thinks she was held here for several days ...in the basement".

"Not possible" Chloe sharply answered with a shake of the head.

"Why ...Why not?" Sarah questioned not liking this girl in the slightest, there was something about her demeanour that she couldn't put her finger on.

"Not possible because Miss uh..."

"McAllister" Sarah prompted her.

"Because Miss McAllister there is no basement at these premises... I mean shit there's barely four walls to some of the older buildings" Chloe stated as she stood from behind the desk and Sarah watched as she pressed her finger none to surreptitiously to her ear.

"You're sure?" Sarah could barely refrain from scowling.

"I think I know my own property," Chloe indignantly answered. "I know it very well".

Sarah sensed she wasn't going to get the truth out of this conversation perhaps she was doing more harm than good just being here. "Well thank you" she stated, "I guess... do you have ...did I see cameras?"

"Cameras?" Chloe asked feigning confusion.

"Yeah, CCTV or anything" Sarah responded, the thought process literally only just coming to her as she stood there. "I just wonder if there'd be any recording of her here that night."

Chloe considered for a moment "Cameras... CCTV... Yeah we have them but they're surprisingly unreliable and never record the moments they probably should."

The response confused Sarah a little and nearly distracted her from the next subtle nod as Chloe pressed her finger to her left ear. At that moment Sarah spotted the blinking red light in the corner of the room over Chloe's shoulder. She felt him behind her even though she hadn't heard him approach. Sarah also felt the hard blunt object pressed up against her ribs through her dress under the short denim jacket. She didn't have time to react.

The jolt of the taser at full power shot through Sarah McAllister's body causing her to release a pained yelp before the convulsion caused every muscle in her slender body to spasm. Chloe barely made the short distance between the two of them as her legs gave way and eyes rolled into the back of her head. Catching her fall Chloe lowered her limp body to the dusty floor of the makeshift office.

"Take her downstairs," she stated coldly. "The Wolf wants to speak to her."

**********

The warm evening heat only served to symbolised what a glorious day I'd missed selling the dream, or advertising space.

It's been a tough week, a tough couple of weeks ago, if truth be told the distraction of the situation at home hadn't helped. Fortunately, finally landing a six figure multi subscription account that I'd worked on for the last few weeks spectacularly bridged the gap in my until now faltering target. Even by sheer fortune putting me ahead of target for the next few weeks. Had it not been for Sophie's disappearance and the dark cloud that it cast on life things couldn't really have been going much better today.

My hand slips into my pocket to the twenty quids worth of weed I'd bought for my own little celebration later.

"Hey there Jack, how are you?"

I look up my from my distraction to see the pleasant face of our neighbour Jackie Grayson and her daughter heading down their drive. In a tight black vest with cut-off Jeans, I couldn't help but notice how for an older lady Jackie still had an incredible figure.

"Hi Jackie... good thanks and yourself?"

"Oh, you know can't complain" she smiles her attractive face lighting up "Besides... there's no one to listen to me even if I did."

Her daughter, Daisy, climbs into the passenger seat of their SUV without saying a word. She's attractive, like a younger Jackie, I've no idea how much younger than me she is, but at a guess she still appears stuck in the sulky teenage rut, so given she's still living at home may actually be some considerable years younger and look deceptively older.

"How's Sarah I've not seen her in a while?" Jackie enquires as she walks around the vehicle.

"Yeah, she's all good," I lie.

"Tell her we'll have to open a bottle or two of White sometime..." Jackie looks to the sky, "Don't want to waste the Summer".

"I'll let her know," I say barely questioning and appreciating how suburbanised I've become; although the exchange wouldn't have been so out of place between Mum and our Neighbours before life so dramatically changed following my parents' divorce.

Neither of us say a goodbye as Jackie slips into her SUV and I head up our drive, only just realising Sarah's car isn't here.

Turning a key in the door I question my own response to Jackie "Yeah she's good" when I know full well, she's anything but good and I can't think of any way to help her; the girl I'm falling in love with.

**********

Sarah's eyes flickered open in the darkness; her mind fuzzy she had no idea where she was as she slowly lifted her head.

She couldn't move her arms; she couldn't move her upper body. Panic gripped her when she realised, she couldn't move her legs either.

Her jaw aches, uncomfortably so, and it's only then that she realises something was strapped around her head and dissecting her jaw, preventing her from even closing her mouth let alone crying out. Raising her head, she looks down her prone body. The macabre site increasing her panic, but she can't fight. Her jacket removed thick black leather straps lay buckled cross her arms and upper body holding her to the vile contraption, her lower legs held into stirrups with yet further restraint.

Her cloudy vision cleared slowly, allowing her to focus on silhouettes coming into sight and that's when she sees her. Stood there between two balaclava wearing males dressed head to toe in black. Over her pale slender body, she wears only a red lace bra and black panties, her ankles and wrists cuffed in shackles held together by thick chains while a black blindfold cuts across her eyes; but she's instantly recognisable. Sophie.

Sarah attempts to call out but the gag between her mouth brings only a muffled strained noise which barely emanates through the dark damp recess of the room. Her heart pounding suddenly feeling a modicum of relief from the deep anxiety she'd harboured for over a week. Sophie's alive.

A door to Sophie's left creaks open a third taller male enters the room. Sarah can barely take her eyes from her fragile looking sister to focus on the new figure. Tears of relief in her eyes as she attempts to register what's playing out here; barely even concerned by or aware of her own predicament.

"Take her back" his deep somewhat gruff voice states.

Sarah begs thanklessly into her gag as immediately hands grip Sophie's upper arms and drag her towards the open doorway. Sarah struggles for the first time against her restraint. Fighting hard to break free to get to Sophie, fighting the realisation that now she and her sister are trapped in this nightmarish situation.

"Now now ... Save your energy," his voice cut through the darkness as the door closed on the silhouettes of Sophie and her two assailants.

His face draws level with hers at her left-hand side and a scream sticks in her throat as she turns to face him. The vision somehow hauntingly familiar; a white skull daubed on a black mask.

Eyes wide, fists clenched her body rigid with fear she struggles against the grip of the restraint in which she's held. His hand reaches out and sweeps her fringe from her face.

"You're an opportunity I passed by".

Sarah hears his words, but they bear no meaning as she once again attempts to test the grip of the straps across her body.

"Sisters though ... of all the coincidences."

Talking in riddles Sarah can't break her stare from the demon that faces her. Who is he? Why's he doing this to her and her little baby sister? His hand slides down the right-hand side of her face.

"In my experience Sisters are very close ... very protective of one another."

Sarah shivered at his cruel touch and his taunting words.

"So, I'm guessing you want to deliver your little sister from harm?"

Sarah felt a tear of anguish role down her cheek. Briefly squeezing her eyes shut forcing away her emotion determined to appear and to be strong.

"If that's so then perhaps an arrangement can be made."

Arrangement the word bounced around Sarah's mind as he moved away, moved around her. What arrangement? What would he require? Her body tensed as she felt him step between her restrained legs his firm rough hands running up the inside of her thighs. Sarah screamed into the gag shaking her head from side to side as he pushed her loose navy dress up around her waist.

"I passed on you when I had the opportunity a mistake maybe ... a mistake that might now facilitate a trade?"

She felt his hands, felt him pressed up against her. She was powerless, she steeled herself for the inevitable.

"What if you could earn your sister's freedom ...by becoming her replacement?"

She heard his zip being lowered; she closed her eyes tightly as she felt him press against her.

She kept her eyes shut as she was helpless to stop him harshly entering her.

**********

Callaghan looked up at Parsons from the new plethora of files scattered across the floor of her office.

"How the fuck have our colleagues in Uniform never even gotten involved with this fucking place?"

Parsons looked up at her from the sheet of A4 he currently scanned, offering "Indicative of their total lack of resource and manpower... Policing suffers thanks to years of fucking austerity".

"Or a toxic combination of a lack of ability and impotent influence." Callaghan corrected him "Out right ineptitude".

Parsons raised an eyebrow having not that long ago been a 'Beat Copper' he still resented the disdain in which his former colleagues were held, especially by graduates such as Callaghan who'd walked into roles that others had worked hard to achieve.

"The events ...the gatherings themselves ...illegal alcohol sales ...there'll be the inevitable drugs ...the whole cavalcade of unsavoury's loitering at such a human stew... we've reason enough to go after them for all that" Callaghan stated chewing gently on the arm of the reading glasses she held in her right hand "Seriously... Why's nobody clamped down on them before?"

Parsons smirked "Over the six or seven events that have been held ... on correlating weekends our 'inept' colleagues in Uniform have seen a significant reduction in street crime and associated issues."

"Out of sight so out of mind" Callaghan cocked a brow, "Is that what you're saying?"

"Something like that," Parsons stated as he slipped the noise complaint report, dated from February, back into the manilla coloured file.

"Well now we've got missing persons reports linked to the venue."

"Tenuously," Parsons cautiously countered, "One girl goes AWOL for forty-eight hours after a narcotic fuelled night before returning and then giving her family the slip again... I'd suggest Sophie McAllister is a little more of a teenage tear away than her doting sister wants to accept."

"Don't give me that shit Parsons," Callaghan rose from her chair stretching out her aching back. "You saw that look in her eyes when we interviewed her ... attempted to interview her ...there was something she certainly didn't want to talk about ... whatever the reason."

Parsons picked himself up from his cross-legged seated position on the floor of Callaghan's Office, grateful for his Wife's insistence on attending weekly yoga sessions together. "So, what are you saying because we've got loads of intel but not one person to even go after on the basis of what I've read. The ghost of Elvis fucking Presley could be organising this shit for all we know."

"We've a beast with no head." Callaghan nodded her agreement "So let's see if we can get the beast to show its head. Put in a request for the support of some of your old friends in Uniform and get a search warrant... shake the place down."

Parsons knew it might not be that easy to arrange but he couldn't help but nod his head in agreement.

Callaghan's jaw set firm, "I wanna pay an official visit to these Mills ...the sooner the better".

***********

I look up from the neatly rolled joint between my fingers as Sarah walks in through the front door.

"Hey, you," I warmly greet her "...where've you been?"

"Just out ... you know looking" Sarah responds her shoulders slumped, a resignation in her voice as she kicks off dusty looking white pumps.

I feel for her I can tell how the situation with Sophie tears her apart, but I feel helpless to be able to assist, with my own job to hold down I don't have the time to help but equally and realistically I'm aware we are looking for someone who may not want to be found not a lost kitten. I don't know why Sophie would have followed us to The Phoenix, but I also see the attraction for her.

Knowing only too well what could happen to girls at the hands of some of the people associated with the venue I knew darkly that I also couldn't rule out what she'd told Sarah had happened to there to be true. Knowing full well what had happened to Sarah that she still inexplicably held no memory of. Those little blue pills must really have really destroyed her mind in the short term. Not for the first time I stifle my grimace on such thoughts. Was I any better than the monsters seemingly hidden within those Mills?

My unspoken thoughts that I dare not relate to Sarah realting to Mica's and Leah Davis continued disappearance, the parallels sat none too easy with me. I'd tried everything to get back in touch with everyone I'd known from that time but like ghosts everyone seemed to have disappeared. Only Chloe's number even rang out and that was only to voicemail. With the next event some weeks away, I had no idea on what to do to instigate contact. Had even considered heading up to The Mills but my memories of that place kept me from fully entertaining the notion.

"I'm sure she's fine" I state with a weak smile as I clamber from the soft blue sofa and head towards her.

"She's going to be." Sarah muttered, a slightly strange choice of words I thought as she looked up at me from under her dishevelled hair. She looks exhausted so I didn't press her. I stretch out my arms in offer of an embrace.

"Not now," Sarah slips to the side of me back towards the hallway her words slightly eclectic and hurried "I... I... Need a shower ...Need the day off me ... Need to refresh"

"Right" I say taking no offence "As it's late shall I call for a Takeaway...Chinese? Indian?"

"Whatever you want I'm not that hungry".

"Pizza?"

"Yeah, whatever Jack whatever ... I'm going for that shower before I collapse."

I watch her head out the room, hearing the creek of the first step of the stairs. Picking up the spliff from the coffee table I spark it up and step out on to the back Patio the sun setting but the warmth still in the day. The forecast was for even warmer weather tomorrow.

Stood there I can hear the shower from the upstairs window as with each deep inhale the weed ensures the stresses of my life seep from me.

********** **********

Charity Lett crossed the baking hot tarmac of the Shopping Centre Car Park laden down with bags of shopping.

The sunshine bathed her exposed skin in a coral pink bikini top, little denim shorts and flip flops.

Pausing she reached into one of the bags to retrieve the half bottle of water.

She barely noticed the White Van that crawled along at a steady pace through the lines of parked cars. It wasn't until it pulled up alongside of her that she even paid the vehicle any attention. Lifting her sunglasses, she peers in through the open window passenger window.

"Afternoon," the male voice of the driver proclaimed, "I thought it was you."

"You..." Charity stated taken a back a little shaking her head in disbelief "...You've some nerve".

He smirked, "Yeah sorry about how we parted."

"Sorry about how we parted?" Charity shook her head in disbelief, "You fucking well left me naked and tied up on a Hotel bed."

"You had stockings on as I recall... And don't seem remember you object when I was tying you up... or when I fucked you."

His over confidence bordered on arrogance and astounded her, but she felt a flush to her cheeks give way to her memory of that night, a night of reckless abandonment; the night she hadn't even been keen on until she been caught up in the moment and the intensity of the sordid unforgettable experience.

"How's Kelvin?" He enquired.

"Oh, he was fucking livid with you." Charity stated shaking her head a little again with her own smirk as she thought back to the cross examination, he'd given her when she'd finally returned to their hotel room; having been discovered by a very embarrassed Eastern European Chamber Maid

Again, a grin spread across his face "I'll bet... so what you up to?"

Charity raised the bags flashing him a confused look, "Uh ... Shopping"

"No," he stated measured by, "What are you up to now?"

"Going home." again she smirked as she stepped a little closer leaning in through the open window a little.

"So, you wouldn't fancy going for a little drive?"

"A little drive?" Charity demurely enquired, "What kind of a little drive?"

"I think you know the answer to that."

Charity looked around her as if suddenly aware of the public nature of this meeting and exchange.

"Just a drive?" she grinned.

"Well, there's plenty of room in the back of this van," his grin now barely contained.

Charity Lett felt a rush of exhilaration.

biting her lip at the prospect this chance rendezvous provided. Extending her slender right arm, weighed down with bags, she opened the passenger door of the scruffy-looking van, clambering in and sat herself down across the bench seat placing her various bags between herself and the rugged-looking male. She smirked to herself yet again.

"So long as you're not gonna leave me tied up this time".

CCTV captured the blonde climbing into the vehicle of her own fruition and captured the vehicle driving out of the car park its false number plate went unrecognised by the Car Parks automatic number plate recognition system.

Chapter Three; Surrender

It had been a bad idea coming out.

Sarah watched as Jack seemingly without a care in the world knocked back two shots of a flavoured Vodka from the tray of drinks set on the bar in O'Leary's Irish Bar.

The night out had been planned for some time for his friend Harry's birthday. Jack had coerced her out of the house to come along despite her reservations and certainly against her better judgement. Jack had stuck to the mantra that it would help her take her mind of the situation with Sophie. Was he that naive that a night out would ease all her troubles or was he just being selfish?

Knowing where Sophie was pained Sarah more than when she'd had no idea where the eighteen-year-old had disappeared to. Where exactly was she now? What was she doing? What had she been exposed too in the ten days since she'd seen her at The Mills, since she'd encountered the self-proclaimed 'Wolf'. Sarah shivered at the memory, ice cold fear coursing through her veins just thinking about the literal and figurative darkness of that place. Hands bound and with a cloth sack over her head she'd been escorted from the bowels of 'The Lair' as he'd called it. She'd only seen inside the one room that they'd held her in all the time strapped to that chair. That had been enough. She swallowed hard swallowing down bile that rose from her stomach. Reaching out Sarah grabbed two of the Vodka shots from the tray and knocked them back one after the other. Doing little to quell the feeling of nausea that washed over her.