Fractured (Dividing Line #4) (25 page)

“She’s not in Moss Side now, she’s in the business district of the city,” said Mikey.

“Oh shit that’s miles away,” groaned Ryan. “So where’s he holding her?”

The address Mikey recited back made Jez swear.

“What is it?” demanded Ryan, frightened by his reaction.

“We knew Alex was up to something behind our backs,” explained Jez. “We tracked one of his cronies there. It’s a high class brothel.”

“Why has he taken her…” Ryan abruptly stopped talking, closed his eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. “Mikey, fuck the speed limit. Put your foot down.”

CHAPTER 28

The redhead called Danielle left the room and Rachel was alone. She bit her lip as tears filled her eyes, unable to believe Alex was doing this to her. He’d killed Martina too, his own mother, but how? The autopsy had said she’d died of a stroke but Rachel was sure there was some poison he could have given her to replicate that. She just prayed Martina didn’t know Alex was responsible, it would have broken her heart.

Rachel swallowed back her tears. Rather than mope she had to figure out a way to escape. She tried tugging at the handcuffs but they wouldn’t budge. Her only hope was that Ryan arrived in time but if Gus had left he wouldn’t be able to track her.

The door opened and she feared her time had already run out but a woman with short black hair and big blue eyes walked in. Like the redhead she was stunning but she looked pale and sickly. Rachel guessed she was a drug addict. In one elegant white hand she carried a black bag.

“What’s in the bag?” said Rachel.

The woman looked back at her blankly.

Great, Alex had sent her someone who didn’t speak English. The woman put the bag on the bed beside her. It was a relief when she opened it up to reveal make-up.

“Do you speak English?”

The woman ignored her and pulled out a foundation sponge.

“Can you help me get out of here?”

She remained silent, starting to apply the foundation in smooth practised sweeps, Rachel grimacing when she ran it over her bruised cheek.

“I’m very rich. If you help me get out of here I’ll give you anything you want.”

The woman replaced the foundation in the bag and took out an eyeliner pencil. She indicated that she wanted Rachel to close her eyes by demonstrating the action herself but Rachel ignored her. “The keys to the cuffs are hanging on a hook over the bed. All you have to do is unlock them and you can have everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”

The woman didn’t reply but Rachel had the feeling she was listening.

“You can understand me, can’t you? Stop that,” she said, tilting her head away when the woman tried to apply the eyeliner.

She sighed and got to her feet, closing up the bag.

“Don’t go, please. I’ll get you whatever you want, just name it.”

The woman left the room without uttering a single word, gently closing the door behind her.

“Damn it,” said Rachel, tears prickling her eyes, fighting back the despair and the horrific images her mind kept conjuring up as to what she was about to endure.

Rachel’s head snapped up at the sound of voices outside the door. Her heart pounded as it swung open to reveal a sophisticated-looking blond in her early fifties dressed head to toe in Armani, hair held back in a French plait, make-up perfect. She gave Rachel a pleasant smile and quietly closed the door.

“You can’t possibly be Sheridan?” said Rachel.

“I am,” she replied, putting her handbag and expensive leather jacket down on the chair in the corner of the room. She was dripping in gold jewellery and was obviously extremely wealthy.

“I was expecting a man.”

“They always do.”

“It’s not your first time here?”

“Oh no,” she said so nicely they could have been at a garden party.

“You do know what this place really is? The women here are being held against their will.”

“You must think me very naïve My Dear.”

“It’s owned by Alex Maguire, the most powerful criminal in the north of England. If the police find out your life will be destroyed, you’ll go to prison.”

“We pay handsomely for anonymity.”

“If you think you’re untouchable then you’re a fucking idiot.”

“Please don’t swear, I don’t like it,” she said sweetly.

“You’re a complete psychopath, aren’t you?”

“I just have exotic tastes,” she said, perching on the bed beside her.

“You touch me and I’ll rip your head off.”

“And how will you do that without the use of your hands?” she replied, running her fingertips across Rachel’s bare abdomen, grazing her skin with her long blood red nails.

“Get the fuck off me,” snarled Rachel, flinging herself from side to side, cuffs clanking against the metal bed frame.

“Oh good, a fighter. I do so enjoy that.” Sheridan slapped her hard across the face. “But I don’t like the swearing. Stop it.”

“This isn’t a game, I’ve been kidnapped. This is illegal.”

“I’m not a fool, of course I know. It only makes the whole thing more exciting.”

A scream from the next room followed by a man’s angry voice and a loud slap made Rachel’s heart pound. She could hear the poor girl sobbing and begging him not to hurt her.

Sheridan’s hands continued to explore Rachel’s body, causing bile to creep up her throat.

“You really are beautiful.”

“Get off me,” yelled Rachel, her rage erupting but she had no way to vent it.

Sheridan’s hands wandered down her thighs. “I like these,” she said, caressing the stocking tops.

“Yes, they’re very popular,” she replied coldly.

Sheridan roughly grabbed her face, nails digging into her cheeks. Rachel was appalled when her lips crushed against her own. She managed to grip Sheridan’s lower lip between her teeth and bit down hard, wanting to throw up when the woman’s blood trickled into her mouth. Sheridan shrieked and squealed in agony as she tried to escape but Rachel only bit down harder. Her fist found Rachel’s stomach and the blow caused her to release her. Sheridan staggered back, her lip swollen and bleeding, staring at Rachel in horror, who spat her blood out on the floor.

“You bitch, you’ll pay for that,” she mumbled through her rapidly swelling lower lip.

“My husband’s on his way here and when he arrives he’s going to kill you,” Rachel screamed at her. “You’ve no idea who you’re fucking with.”

Sheridan hesitated, the blackness of Rachel’s eyes scaring her but her anger won and she flung open the wardrobe doors, wild eyes scanning the horrible array of implements within. She selected a flogger with a barbed end and rounded on Rachel, breathing hard with anger and excitement. “I think you’re the one who doesn’t know who they’re fucking with.”

Before she could make a move the door burst open and the make-up girl ran in.

“What the…,” began Sheridan, the words cut off when a large black dildo connected with the side of her head and she sank to the floor, out cold. The make-up girl let the weapon drop, closed the door behind her and took the keys down from their hook.

“Nice,” said Rachel, nodding at the unconscious Sheridan.

“It was all I could find as a weapon,” the girl said breathlessly, her accent heavy but English perfect.

“Appropriate if you ask me. Quick, let’s get out of here.”

“Before I release you I want you to make me a promise. I don’t want money. I only want my little sister back.”

“She’s here?”

“No, I don’t know where she is. She displeased Katia, the woman who runs this place. They sold her to a Russian man to use in his brothel. You must save her, she is only seventeen. I know who you are, I heard Katia and her lover talking. I know you can save her.”

“What’s her name?”

“Sabine Jansons, she is Latvian. My other sister Alise came here with us too but she died of the drugs. Sabine is all I have left. It is my fault we came here, they told us we would be working as nannies but I am stupid and I fell for their tricks.”

“Who sent you here?”

“A man in Riga, where we are from. Our parents are dead, we only have each other and already Alise is gone. I don’t care what happens to me as long as Sabine is safe.”

“I will find her, I swear it.”

The woman studied her intently before nodding. When she unlocked the cuffs Rachel leapt up, ignoring the aches in her limbs and back.

“I brought you these, they are mine, we are the same size I think,” she said, handing Rachel a plain white t-shirt, blue denim jeans, black socks and white trainers. Rachel hastily pulled them on. The trainers were a size too big but she couldn’t afford to be picky.

“Here’s a picture of Sabine,” said the woman, handing her a well-thumbed photo of a beautiful girl with the same features and bright blue eyes as her older sister, only her black hair was long. “I have written her name on the back so you don’t forget.”

Rachel nodded and slipped the photo into the back pocket of her jeans. “What’s your name?”

“Laila.”

“I owe you my life Laila and I always repay my debts. Let’s go.”

Laila crept to the door and peered out. “All clear.”

They snuck out, Rachel’s heart in her mouth, praying Alex had left. As they crept down the corridor she desperately tried to ignore the horrific sounds emanating from each room as she passed, the sound of women in pain and despair. She hated the place and wanted to burn it to the ground, preferably with Alex inside. How could he have allowed himself to sink into such depravity?

Laila peered round the corner then ducked back. “There is a guard on the door.”

“Is he armed?”

“What is that?”

“Does he have a weapon?”

“No. He is just there to make sure the girls don’t escape. Guns would scare the customers.”

“Does he know who I am?”

“No, Alex tells him nothing.”

“Then I’ll deal with him. What’s the name of the woman who runs this place?”

“Katia,” she frowned, spitting out the word as though it were poison. “She is evil.”

Rachel turned the corner and put on her most flirtatious smile. Thankfully the guard wasn’t one of the pair who had cuffed her to the bed. He looked surprised to see her but not at all threatened.

“What do you want? You should be in your room,” he called.

Rachel wasn’t aware she could put on a Latvian accent until she tried, mimicking Laila’s own beautiful rolling voice. “Katia ask me to tell you there trouble in one of rooms.”

“What sort of trouble?” he sighed.

“One of girls try to escape.”

“Right, I’ll sort it. You come with me.”

When he walked past her she kicked him in the back, knocking him to the floor. Then she leapt on him, grabbed a handful of his hair and bounced his head off the floor until he was unconscious.

Laila stared at her with her mouth open before recovering herself and joining Rachel. “He has key to door in jacket pocket.”

Rachel searched him and produced a single key on a Spongebob Squarepants key-ring. The sight caused her a swell of pain and longing. Ethan was a huge Spongebob fan.

I’m coming Babies,
she thought before rushing for the door. It amazed her that it had been so easy.

She unlocked the door and they were outside, running down the alleyway. They were halted in their tracks by a black BMW with blacked-out windows speeding into the alley, blocking their escape.

Rachel looked back over her shoulder but it was a dead end. “Oh shit,” she breathed. She knew it had been too easy. The doors opened and Alex, Gus and Col jumped out.

“Laila, run,” said Rachel, running at the men to try and buy her rescuer some time.

Laila made for a metal fire escape leading up to the roof.

Alex grabbed Rachel and threw her against the car, knocking the wind from her and she slumped to the ground. When she tried to punch him in the leg his fist slammed into her face and she fell face down into the grimy alley.

“There was a camera in that room, you stupid whore,” he said.

As she struggled to get back up, through her hazy vision Rachel saw Col dragging Laila towards them.

“No,” cried Rachel. She’d just killed them both.

Rachel sat in the back of the BMW, Laila on one side and Alex on the other, a gun in his hand. They were driving out of the city into the countryside, back towards Saddleworth Moor where she was held after being kidnapped by the Jordans and it worried her.

“I’m sorry,” Rachel told Laila.

She gripped her hand. “It’s okay, you tried.”

“Where are you taking us?” Rachel asked Alex.

“You’ll see.”

“Why don’t you just give it up? Let me and Laila go before things get out of hand. You’re starting another war and that’s bad for business. What do you think Frankie will do when he finds out about this?”

“I couldn’t give a fuck what that wanker says, I’m sick of him dictating to me. I won’t have to put up with it for much longer though because he’s just as dead as you are.”

“You’re going to take on Glasgow? Are you completely insane?”

“I won’t have to. I’ve already arranged to put the blame on Mikey. They’ll believe it because he’s already tried to take me out and failed.”

“Unfortunately,” she added sullenly.

“Unfortunately for you,” he smirked. “They’ll kill him for it and with you gone too I’ll finally be free.”

“Sorry Alex but your little plan’s already failed. Mikey told me everything. The idiots you hired to hit him and Frankie in The Wherry Tavern botched it. Frankie took his trophies from them.” She smiled when his grin fell. “He knows what you tried to do and now he’s sided with Mikey against you. Ryan is working with them. You’re as good as dead already.”