The Dark Star - Aftermath Pt. 06

"Shall I pour you a Tea Mica?"

**********

Chloe tapped out the text message on her phone and pressed send

Sat back in the office the remnants of their earlier McDonald's still littering the desk in the corner of the Porta-Cabin.

"Let's see if he responds to that," she smiled pulling the hem of her black dress to her knee a little "...um Mr Wolf"

"Yes" he said barely looking up from his own current constant exchange of messages.

"Well..." Chloe adopted her best sickly-sweet accent, "...I expect to be well rewarded if I lure young Jack back to my side."

"I've given you a Dockside flat today ...what more could you expect?"

"Diamonds, fine dining, lingerie, flowers... I mean I could go on," Chloe teased standing and walking over to the desk the heels of her little black ankle boots heavy in the suspended floor of the cabin. The Wolf looked up as she leant forward giving him enough of a glimpse down the front of her black dress to suitable tease him. "We've a fucked-up relationship Mr. Wolf you know I'll always settle for you tearing me apart"

Her eyebrows raised as he pushed away from the desk and headed towards the door

"Later Blondie" his eyes she knew would be on her ass and the backs of her legs, his mind hopefully on how he'd be tearing her apart.

"Later" he reiterated

**********

Callaghan pulled into the Car Park of Police Head Quarters, the prospect of another long evening ahead of her.

Mica Wise had spilled information at her over the course of nearly two and a half hours. Most of the information had been haphazard, her memory's fragile and perhaps understandably distorted.

Kept locked in the same cell in which she'd been discovered for the majority of her captivity. She'd become an object, a plaything for the grotesque individual who was the Wolf. Freed from her cell only for the briefest of periods to be used for his sexual gratification.

Callaghan snatched her bag from the Passenger seat, she climbed out her car and headed for the main reception doors.

Mica had detailed the various torturous devices she'd experienced which placed hideous visions in Callaghan's mind as she recalled both first-hand visions and the subsequent evidence photos of the barbaric medieval looking equipment they'd unearthed and recovered from the basement at Stirchley Green Mills. Calling the lift, she headed to the basement of the Police Headquarters herself instead of to her office. Minutes later she walked between the same cruel devices, now wrapped in plastic to avoid contamination. Callaghan could only imagine the fear Mica Wise must have felt locked into or down on to such barbaric equipment.

Not just Mica though, as it transpired Mica had given her two names, at least one Callaghan had never heard of, other girls Mica had come into contact with while held captive at the Mill. One named Song and another named Ali. Though she'd pressed her Mica had been unable to recall surnames of either girls and had no context to the times and dates that the girls had been there. They'd only ever spoken through closed doors in their enforced cold and lonely darkness. Song a new name that Callaghan knew nothing about, intrigued her but sounded as though it could be a nickname or pseudonym. Ali with the briefest flicker of hope she could at this stage only presume be Alison Hughes but without proof or evidence it was a dangerous assumption to make. The reports from Forensics on the empty cells were taking forever to reveal any secrets. Worryingly Mica had said that both girls had been absent, using her parlance 'a long time' and even more worrying The Wolf had openly goaded Mica that he'd 'disposed' of Song as punishment. A sickeningly worrying prospect.

Two more names for the 'Crazy Board' the Investigation Chart that already spanned two notice boards in the investigation's office down the corridor from hers.

The 'Crazy Board' that contained already a photograph of Sophie McAllister whom Mica held no knowledge of.

Casting her eye over a steel and leather chair with menacing looking stirrups Callaghan shivered but inexplicably reached her hand out, tracing her fingers along the back of the chair in morbid fascination. What sort of a psychological animal was this Wolf?

Mica could give very few details about him. The Wolf was a rare presence in her subjugation, other than immediately prior to subjecting her to his cruelty before disappearing 'like a ghost', words that echoed his own, immediately after the raid when Callaghan had come face to mask with him. Others dressed in black with obscured faces would lead her to and from her imprisonment. Mica never saw him without the mask, and she claimed that he always spoke in riddles that confused her, 'like he was trying to be misleading'. Mica suspected he was the only person involved in her abuse, this by his constant physical presence and his accent. The only exception to this being the occasion by which she'd been kept restrained then sedated as the outline of a star had been tattooed on her wrist by a skinny individual whose face had been hidden by a balaclava.

Mica first met The Wolf the night Alex Russel had taken her to an unknown address to meet friends of his at a party. Her memories of the night fractured and difficult to recall but she sobbed recounting remembering the mask and waking for the first time shackled by her ankle to the wall of the cold dark cell. She couldn't confirm if Alex Russel was The Wolf and using the mask to disguise himself despite admitting their similar frame. She tearfully suspected that whoever was the Wolf was also the Father of the child she bore. She had admitted to consensual unprotected sex with Alex Russel prior to her abduction. Medical records showing her to be 27 weeks pregnant. She'd been missing for 26 weeks and 2 days. Given her ordeal the Father of the child could be one of five.

Callaghan swiped her security pass on the way out of the evidence room and signed herself out with the desk officer.

"See anything you like Ma'am?"

His grin inferring that his comment was meant as dark humour, but Callaghan could find no such comedic relief. Not least from a lowly officer only fit to only be working the duty desk of the evidence room on what would now be the night shift.

She clocked his badge number and recognised him by number alone; PC Lee Baines who'd belatedly supplied her investigation with the body cam footage of The Phoenix which linked the venue to Alex Russel. She should have been grateful and expressed such gratitude for the evidence that facilitated the raid. His comments made though having obviously monitored her on the bank of CCTV screens sat behind him instantly made Callaghan feel a little uneasy in the circumstances.

"Officer ... such crass remarks and such little regard for colleagues are probably the reason why you're stuck down here on the graveyard shift." Scribbling the time against her signature Callaghan didn't give him the satisfaction of eye contact as she turned and walked away. His silence alone spoke volumes.

Pressing the lift to ascend to her office Callaghan felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. Casually she slipped the phone from her pocket; the front screen still illuminated the sender identified by initials only. AB, Andrew Baxter

The short simple message fully visible without entering her pin code.

SENDER: Andrew; Would you like to meet next week?

She stowed the phone back in her pocket. The distraction was not welcome parking further thoughts of their encounter she stepped into the empty waiting lift. She had interview notes to type up.

By time the lift doors opened on the sixth floor she had sent her reply and slipped her phone back into her pocket a second time; after deleting the two short messages of their exchange.

***********

"I hate this place"

Jamie Pierce said looking out through the front windscreen of the black Mercedes as he settled into the leather passenger seat on her left-hand side. The Docks a hive of activity even in the dead of night.

"I heard that... my apologise for making you come down here... but it was necessary"

"I was surprised to hear from you after so long," Jamie stated taking a glance at him as he sat there, trying to ignore the roguish grin on his face

"It's been a while, but you knew we had a long-term arrangement... And no doubt heard our operation ground to a halt," he spoke without any regret or remorse.

"It made the local TV and the Papers... Jesus Christ you abducted girls and held them prisoner... Who are you?" Jamie turned to face him. "What have I ended up involved in?"

He ignored her looking into her eyes, "Like I say it's been a while ...you're not compromised by your association, but I do need your assistance once more."

"I'm not going to like this am I?"

"You might do...as you may stand to benefit... significantly." he didn't grin this time his sincerity apparent from his calculated stare "I've decided to legitimise business ...As legitimate as it can be ... One person though could be a substantial fly in our ointment... Someone we therefore need to remove"

"No, I don't like this already." Jamie confirmed second guessing him with a subtle shake of the head "Laura Mancini?"

"You're astute Jamie ...I hear since her Daddy suffered an unfortunate massive and hopefully painfully fatal heart attack ... I hear her brother is making a shit show running the inherited empire and she's not exactly benefitting from the years of favour Daddy gave his blue-eyed girl."

"You're not far from the truth," Jamie confirmed "So you're planning a hostile takeover."

"Hostility isn't my thing," he chuckled "I just need you to detail her movements... Specifically when she's at the Club what's her routine ...how long is she there ... how does she get there ...when does she normally leave?"

Now facing back out into the Docks watching a Shipping Container being hoisted from the Dockside into a large Cargo Ship bearing Chinese symbols along the side of it Jamie gently bit the inside of her lip contemplating what he asked of her before he turned back to face her "Can you do that for me Jamie?"

Silently Jamie nodded her confirmation as she stared out the front windscreen.

"I get the impression I'm not going to be seeing much of my boss in the future" Jamie stated barely able to reserve the slightly sinister tone of her own voice.

The Wolf opened the door of her car his face briefly illuminated in the interior light as he slipped out into the cool evening air.

"All I'll say is ... that it would be a real shame if you also accidentally rebooted the Security Cameras at an inopportune moment... we'll let you know when"

He closed the door and Jamie started the engine. Pulling away from the Docks barely suppressing the shiver that ran down her spine from the hideous memory's that this place held. She almost felt sorry for Laura Mancini but then she started to consider what a cunt her boss had been to her during her time working at Servitu.

**********

With the Mask pulled down over his face The Wolf unlocked and stepped into the Storage container, flicking on the dim solitary light bulb.

She silently rose from the mattress on which she lay looking up at him from under the platinum blonde fringe.

She always dressed in black as he'd asked, he appreciated her compliance. Tonight, in a short black dress, over black stockings the tops of which were barely covered by the hem of the dress, little black ankle boots complemented her look.

He approached her slipping his arms around her waist as she tilted her head to look up at his eye line.

"I've neglected you Blondie" he states brushing her fringe back off her face behind her left ear. "I've been too busy."

She nodded her understanding as she stood there.

With a swift move that drew a gasp from her he turned her away from him. His knee to the back of hers and she crashed down on to the mattress on which she'd just lay. Assuming an all-fours position until he knelt behind her swept her arms away and pushed her face first into the mattress. She shivered with anticipation.

He pulled her slender wrists behind her back and held them there in his strong left hand. Reaching into his back pocket he procured the steel handcuffs and snapped them tightly locked over her wrists.

Obediently she waited blonde hair falling across her face now, as having unzipped his fly his hands pushed the tight black skirt of her dress up over her pert ass, revealing pale skin from the tops of her dark denier stockings up.

The Wolf entered her with a swift hard thrust of his hips. Clutching a handful of blonde hair, he raised her face from the mattress as he felt her tight walls around him.

The best little fuck he'd had all week.

"Who's are you?" He whispered in her ear

"I'm yours" Sophie Callaghan said on a pained little whimper.

Chapter Two; Requiem for a Whore

Chloe struggled; her conscience mind gripped with fear.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't scream.

She couldn't scream because she couldn't breathe.

She couldn't struggle.

She couldn't struggle because of the tight restraint to her wrists, upper arms, thighs and her ankles.

His body weight pinned her naked form to the dirty mattress as he fucked her brutally.

Condensation mixed with sweat tricking down her face, the lack of oxygen she clung on shallow burning breath stifled her lungs, her vision blurring.

The clear plastic bag pulled over her head taped around her neck suffocated her while he fucked her hard and fast.

Tears in her eyes, her vision fading there was no way to even beg for mercy, no reprieve from the genuine terror she felt. Her chest felt as though it would burst the clear bag sucked into her mouth as she felt unconsciousness begin to creep in.

Suddenly air, cold fresh air that filled her lungs and she desperately gasped for the air. She gasped. His fingers ripping open the suffocating bag that still clung to her face. Only now was she aware of his heavy thick climax inside of her as he pulled out leaving her lay across the mattress her breath still frantic, her heart beating heavy like she could enter cardiac arrest at any moment. The relief she gained doing very little to quell the terror that still gripped her body.

"Fuck me," she heard his voice. "Fuck me that was intense."

Chloe didn't answer, she couldn't answer her mind a traumatised mess.

She lay there her body aching from the tight restraint even as he set to freeing her. Muscles clenched tight, lactic acid burning thorough her frail broken body.

Free of the restraints he left her there. Left her to curl into a foetal position drawing her knees to her breasts. Chloe lay there her breathing slowly returning to normal, her heart no longer pounding in her chest.

She heard him leave through the creaking metal door of the Shipping Container. Not a further word spoken such was his lack of respect for her.

Chloe lay there on the mattress with the remnants of the clear plastic bag over her head, still taped around her neck, feeling scared, cold and alone for the first time in a long time. A very long time.

**********

Dressed in a pair of cut off denim shorts and a red vest top over a black bra the mid-afternoon sunshine beat down on her, as she lit up the cigarette she placed to her lips with a shaky hand, Chloe did not feel the suns warming heat. The cigarette replaced the glowing ember of the one that she'd literally just flicked from the scaffolding that served as a staircase to the stack of eight storage containers that sat stacked two wide and four high.

Inhaling smoke deep into her lungs the nicotine did very little to calm her anxiety. She needed stronger; she needed the escape of something stronger. She brought the open bottle of Vodka in her left hand to her lips and took a heavy swig letting the harsh clear liquid sting her raw throat.

Her insanity danced around her mind, she was agitated and conflicted. Emotionally and physically unstable.

She watched the solitary male figure approach. That familiar confident swagger to his walk his hands sunk into the pockets of his denim jacket as he seemingly idly wandered alongside of the main basin of the Docks.

Watching as he drew closer, she drained another heavy slug of Vodka while dragging harshly on the cigarette.

Suddenly every instinct to scream out to warn him off to beg him to leave here and never return.

The conflict in her mind, the turmoil, she had never had any idea what The Wolf's plan for Jack Hughes was, but she knew him, she knew both of them. One far better than the other, he was stronger both physically and perhaps more importantly mentally.

He spotted her and gave a solemn nod, playing it cool or thinking he was playing it cool as he meandered towards the storage containers on which she stood. Chloe took a deep shuddering inhale as she heard him ascend the staircase. She took another swig from the Vodka. Hearing him step up behind her.

"You changed your hair ... again" she heard his words as he stepped up behind her

"Yeah" Chloe uttered forgetting herself that she'd dyed her hair pillar box red only hours earlier.

"Different." Jack offered. "Suits you though."

"Thanks," Chloe offered weakly flicking the last of the cigarette over the scaffolding pole on which she leant. It creaked even under her minimal body weight. Turning to face Jack as he stood there barely any distance from her. A fleeting memory of a conversation they'd once held in the party house garden sped through her mind. She wanted to grab hold of him she wanted to cling to him plead and beg for him to save her from this existence. Her mind raced the instructions of the Wolf replacing the weakness of her thoughts.

Destroy Jack and then you destroy the Wolf the next thought that bounced around her fractured mind.

Sophie, she heard the name whispered on the gentle summer breeze that swept over the Shipping Containers. She could place the meaning of the name.

"Well," Jack stated.

"Well, what?" She heard herself answer but it felt like a distant voice.

"Well why the fuck have you brought me down here?"

"I... I don't... I..." Chloe's broken mind collapsing in on itself she couldn't form the words she wanted to say.

"What the fucks going on?" Jack scowled, "Are you pissed?"

What the fucks going on? What the fucks going on? What the fucks going on? The first question heard yet struggling to be registered as it repeated in her head.

Chloe stared at Jack, stared through Jack. The vision all too clear suddenly sharpened her senses. Her sister her little baby sister lay there being raped by Jack. Beth cried out, screamed for mercy but still he rapes her his hand clamped over his mouth as he pulls a clear plastic bag over her head. She's suffocating she's struggling tied down across the bed while Jack rapes her. The Wolf claiming another victim. Jack is a cunt. Jack deserves everything that's coming to him. Her sister lay motionless tied to the bed, the life suffocated from her lungs, her skin turning blue as pale blue as the tablets scattered across the bed side table.

"I told you ..." Chloe stated confidently pushing aside the vision in her mind's eye as she moved a little closer to him placing a hand in his shoulder.

"Told me what?"

"That there'd be a next time," Chloe raised her brows suggestively moving past Jack taking his hand and leading him towards the doorway of the Shipping Container that served as her quarters.

She took another swig from the bottle of Vodka before turning sharply and pressing her lips to Jacks instigating the kiss that he rapidly responded to.

"No," he broke away pushing her away. "No Chloe this ain't fucking happening."

Who was he to turn her down?