Babs’ New Year’s Resolution 63 © Beverly Taff 2021

List of Characters.

Lola Smith Bab’s adopted trans daughter.
Callista Denton (Callie). Transgendered Duchess of Denton.
Margaret Denton (Maggie). Callie’s wife.
Molly Denton Callie’s grandmother
Ellie Denton Callie’s mother.
Bab’s Barbara Smith. Lola’s adoptive ‘Nana’
Olivia Smith Bab’s adopted daughter. (Excellent Artist.)
Angela Smith Bab’s newly adopted daughter
Erica Bab’s foster daughter.
Sergeant Bridie Davies Lady Police detective protecting the girls.
Sergeant Brian Davies. Bridie’s twin brother.
Inspector John, Heading up the anti-rape-gang operation.
Gareth Jenkins, Police office trained in firearms and protection.
Belinda Harrington Bab’s university girlfriend.
Aaron Talbot Surgical registrar – married to –
Shirley Talbot Lecturer at Local university.
Mickey Talbot Aaron and Shirley’s oldest son.
Jessica Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s middle daughter.
Bianca Talbot Aaron & Shirley’s youngest daughter.
Henry Denton Callie’s only son.
Charlotte Denton Callie’s only daughter.
Beverly Callie’s maternal great aunt (Ellie’s paternal aunt)
Wendy Smith Beverly’s Operations Manager for Hull
Louisa Wendy’s Daughter
Griselda & Mia Wendy’s younger twin daughters.
Susan Harvey Prosecution counsel advocating for Erica in court.

Chapter 63.

The senior prosecution counsel firstly had to establish Erica’s identity and even this simple detail proved to be stressful for the girl. When he asked Erica to give her full name she was unsure if she was still being fostered by Bab’s or had completed being adopted. When she hesitated, Susan her own personal counsellor stepped in to explain to the court.

“Her Birth name your honours, was Rossington, then she was fostered into care and she was known as Ross. Now she is in the process of being adopted and her legal new name will be Smith.
I’m afraid frequent name changes are not uncommon in such disjointed childhoods.”

Erica sensed that the mood in the court seemed censorious of her dysfunctional history and she found herself staring defiantly at the judges. The senior, old lady judge sensed Erica’s belligerence and she decided to uncork the girl’s resentment straight away.

“Young lady, how would you like to be referred to in this court?”

“Smith; Miss Smith! But my own counsel can call me Erica.”

“Would you object to me calling you Erica?”

The question unsettled Erica. Throughout her young life, she had learned that anybody using her given name was usually trying to find some way under her armour or about to scold her. She paused uncertainly for long moments as she wrestled with the idea. Finally she chose ‘Miss Smith’.

The judge easily recognised the girl’s endeavour to somehow hide behind the formality. This was unusual in teen-aged girls, so she nodded and smiled as Erica suddenly remembered that she had not responded with the words ‘Your Honour’, and she hastened to add them.

“Your honour!”

“Very well Miss Smith, now I’m sure that your counsel has advised you that this will be a long ordeal and a very stressful one. This court will extend to you every effort to help you get through any difficulties. We have sighted the video evidence that the prosecution has supplied but I’m afraid you will be asked to corroborate much of the evidence and even answer difficult questions. If your memory serves to add to the evidence when sighting the videos we will be pleased to hear it. I will repeat again that this court will assist you if you find the ordeal too onerous. Are you happy with these arrangements?”

“Yes, - - - your honour.”

“Very well Miss Smith. Counsel, you may proceed.

Susan stood up and smiled at Erica as she swept her hand dismissively towards the huge brute in the dock.

“Now Erica, do you recognise this man?”

“Yes!”

“Can you describe how you came to know him?”

“He was the enforcer in Nottingham and in Antwerp and in Frankfurt, and finally in Istanbul.”

“So he accompanied you wherever you were being taken.”

“Yes and he would beat me up – or worse - if I tried to resist.”

“When you say worse would you be prepared to corroborate some Video clip I have here.”

“I’ll try.”

“Let the record show this video of a girl being brutally and forcibly penetrated by a so-called sex-toy at the hands of the prisoner in the dock.”

The video, complete with the sound-track of screams, showed a girl’s rear being exposed and her being vaginally penetrated so violently with a dildo that blood was spilt. Finally a red hot branding iron was pressed against the girl’s butt and the girl was seen to collapse unconscious. There were gasps around the court followed by murmurings of anger before the senior judge banged her gavel for order. Susan exchanged an inquisitive glance with Eric who nodded that she was okay to carry on.

“Can you confirm that was you in the video Erica?”

“Yes!”

“How?”

The judge went to interrupt but Erica had already peeled down her leggings and panties to expose the brandmark on her left buttock. The vicious scar was plainly evident and identical to the video image. For fully ten seconds there was chaos as everybody tried to get a view of Erica’s branded butt. The judge, after recovering her composure, quickly ordered her to cover up.

“I understand your anger Miss Smith but you are not expected to demean yourself like that in future. The prosecution has photographs that will serve this court’s needs perfectly well.”

“I didn’t think the photo’s really told the story your honour. You can see how deep and angry my scar is. I wanted to prove to everybody that that was really me in the video.”

“Did your counsel put you up to this?”

“No. She was expecting me to just ratify the photos. I just felt, - - - I just felt the photos didn’t tell the full story.”

“Well, you’ve certainly done that. You are a very determined young lady, but please. No more exhibitions like that!.”

Erica did not reply. So intense was her anger that she still intended to show the other brandmarks on her breast and shoulder when the time was right. Especially to demonstrate that she was physically present to witness the brutal murder of another younger girl in one of the gang’s ‘snuff movies’. A memory that still burned hot!

As Susan took a sip of water, Erica refused the one offered to her, as if to demonstrate the iron will that had seemingly been burned into her by the abuse she had survived. She even remained standing but the senior judge did notice the white-knuckled grip that betrayed Erica’s determination and rage.

Susan next went on to describe Erica’s enforced addiction and the vicious battle she had fought to escape from, but never recover from what was now a permanent disability. A daily confrontation to resist the insidious call of crack cocaine. This presentation took them to lunch-time when Erica asked for a halt to the proceedings. The stress was causing her to need an injection of her withdrawal cocktail. Susan had to explain this to the judges and they were invited to watch the reaction that Erica suffered.

After witnessing Erica inject herself and the tremors that followed, the judges gained one more insight into the gang’s methods to trap girls. It was a very sober judicial panel that returned after lunch.
ooo000ooo

After lunch, the case continued in the same traumatic vein. Another video was presented showing Erica and another girl being forced to share their bodies with another gang member who had been placed in the dock. When asked where the other girl was, Erica was forced to offer that she had no idea and that she thought the girl to possibly be dead. Probably from some act of perversion that had overwhelmed her at a later time and different place.
As she stood struggling to continue her testimony she suddenly recognised a building that appeared briefly through a window where the video had been made. It was the final frame of the video and it caused Erica to stop talking as she stared at the frozen image. The realisation caused her to squeal with distress.

“I remember where that is! It’s in Turkey! There were some American’s there from a base nearby I think.”

The court fell silent as Erica stared while her memory struggled to connect. She grabbed her scalp with both hands and shook herself with frustration as she struggled to bring it back.
Finally some vague inklings clawed their way into her brain as tears of frustration blinded her.

“It was a town in Turkey before I was moved to Iran. Sit or Sut or Suurrt, that was the name, something like that.”

One of the judges looked up to the public gallery and quickly realised that several observers were busy on their mobile phones. He ordered the ushers to start confiscating all phones and that nobody was to leave the court.
Within minutes, the court was in lockdown and Erica was escorted to a back room where some Turkish and American police were invited to interview her alongside the senior lady judge. The town was established to be Siirt and the modern mosque was quickly identified.

In the safe privacy of the interview room Erica was able to describe the green building opposite the mosque, and the pink house next door with a piece of waste ground behind it where Erica had seen another girl buried close to a small tree. It was possible that the girl with Erica in the video might also be buried there. With Erica too distressed to resume proceedings that day, the court was adjourned.

The following afternoon, while Erica was confirming some other video evidence, the judges were handed a long letter emailed from the police in Turkey. Three bodies had been found. Two of possible Mediterranean origins and one fair haired, possibly north European.

After the court adjourned for the day, Erica offered some remembered names and stumbled up to her bed. The case was becoming too much. Hesitantly, Bab’s tapped gently on the door and waited. Eventually a voice responded.

“Who is it?”

“Bab’s. Can I come in?”

After another pause, the door was opened an a red-eyed, tearful Erica peered through the gap.

“Are you alone?”

“Yes.” Bab’s replied softly.

The door eased back and Bab’s entered slowly to emphasise Erica’s right to privacy. As Bab’s closed the door behind her, Erica reached forward and inveigled her cold hands under Babs’ loose blouse.

“Cuddle me, - on the bed. Just a cuddle.”

Having had long experience with reassuring Lola, Olivia and Angela, it was no step at all for Bab’s to lay the exhausted Erica on the bed and spoon her in a motherly embrace.

“D’ you want to talk or just sleep?” Bab’s whispered.

“Sleep.”

ooo000ooo