Bab’s new year’s resolution.

Chapter 4

List of Characters.

Barbara. Chief Protagonist AKA Bab’s.
Lola (Seventeen) Barbara’s oldest adopted child. Transgendered girl rescued from an attempted murder.
Olivia. (Fifteen) Barbara’s second adopted daughter: Black lesbian girl fostered out of care then adopted. (With Olivia’s consent!)
Joyce Banks. Bristol Social worker.
Aaron Talbot Surgical registrar – married to -
Shirley Talbot Lecturer at Local university.
They are a married couple who own a narrow-boat on the canal. Friends of Lola
Mickey Talbot (Twelve) Aaron and Shirley’s oldest child.
Jessica Talbot (Eleven) Aaron & Shirley’s middle child.
Bianca Talbot (Nine) Aaron & Shirley’s Youngest child.
Billy Medical colleague of Aaron’s – he also owns a narrow boat in Bristol.
Sandra Her parents also own another Narrowboat in Gloucester.
Jackie Sandra’s friend (a bit headstrong and ‘adventurous’)
Julie Third member of the threesome, (more level-headed and sensible than Jackie).
Jason. (Black) London Gang member deals in drugs at the children’s homes
Tyrone (Black) Also a gang member, friend of Jason. Also a dealer.
Tyson (White) Also a gang member into drugs and trafficking girls.

000ooo000

Barbara (AKA Bab’s), was just pouring a cup of tea when the anticipated call rang through. She was pretty certain it would be Lola, her oldest adopted transgendered daughter calling from the high-school with news about her exam results.
By the time she had put the kettle down and stepped across the kitchen to pick up her mobile, her younger adopted daughter Olivia had already appeared in the doorway. Her expression of eager anticipation and hope told Barbara everything as she picked up the phone.

“How’s she done?” Olivia demanded as she leant close to Barbara’s ear.

“Hold on girl. I’ve only just picked up the flipping phone!” Bab’s protested.

On the other end Lola let out a chuckle as she realised her younger sister Olivier had been waiting with as much anticipation as Lola had for Lola’s results. She could almost see Olivia hopping from foot to foot with excitement.

“So how’ve you done darling?” Barbara asked.

“As expected mum, A’s for both maths papers and physics; and a B in chemistry.”

Barbara felt a wave of relief and excitement sweep over her as Olivia let out a whoop of joy.

“Has she got in?” Olivia almost screeched impatiently.

“Yes. I’m in,” Lola confirmed to Bab’s while Olivia struggled to listen in. Lola continued talking to her adoptive mother.
“Let Olivia have the pleasure of telling Aaron and Shirley, they’ll be down on the boat just now, preparing to cruise the canal up to Gloucester.”
Barbara had hardly drawn breath to congratulate her adopted older daughter before the younger Olivia was dashing along the towpath to deliver the news. As she arrived at the marina she skidded perilously close to the water’s edge and scuffed up a shower of gravel against the beautiful new paintwork of Aaron and Shirley’s narrowboat. The racket of flying gravel against the metal side of the engine-room and after bedroom caused Aaron to come lunging out of the boat in high dudgeon.

“What the bloody hell’s going -! Oh it’s you, what’s happened?”

“Great news, Lola’s passed her exams and she’s got into uni!”

Aaron shouted the news to his wife Shirley who was in the galley preparing lunch. In response to Aaron’s call she popped her smiling face out of the galley window amidships.

“Celebrations tonight then?”

“Lola said you were off to Gloucester.” Olivia replied with a note of disappointment.

“We can always delay it a day if you and Lola want to have a celebration party, or alternatively, the two of you can come with us to Gloucester, and Barbara if she wants.”

“Gosh will there be room enough?”

“You’ve worked on this boat long enough to know she’s got ten berths. You and Lola can share the forward bedroom.”

“That’ll be brilliant, thanks aunty Shirley!”

“Now,” Aaron declared, “when you scrunched all that gravel against the engine-room decorated panel, did you chip any of your own handiwork.”

“I dunn’o,” Olivia giggled, “I can always tart it up if I have.”

“Yes, well it’s important young lady. There’s a ‘Best decorated boat’ competition in Gloucester dock regatta this weekend and we’ve entered it. Your artistry will be on display and if our boat wins, it’ll mean more work -and more money-, for you.”

Olivia’s eyes widened with anticipation and she immediately bent down to check the side of the narrow-boat for damage. Fortunately there was none but she guiltily rinsed then wiped the gravel dust off the panel. Aaron grinned and Olivia stepped aboard with all the familiarity of the fourth child she had virtually become in Aaron and Shirley’s family.
Shirley had already opened the biscuit barrel as she added.

“Aaron’s picking up our three later, d’ you want to go with him and pick up Lola.”
Olivia nodded eagerly as she bit into the biscuit. A trip into Bristol was always welcome. After offering her thanks she skipped back to the lock cottage and cleared the arrangements with Barbara.

“You’d best phone Lola and organise a rendezvous in town if you’re meeting her in Bristol.” Bab’s advised. “Oh and if you’re going up to the regatta, you might as well tow my little open cabin cruiser behind the narrow boat. It won’t be much fun at the regatta with all of you squeezed into Aaron’s little jolly boat.

Soon everything was organised on various mobiles and by five o’clock, Aaron and the five kids were back at the marina.
At six, they departed up the canal towards Gloucester and it was just getting dark as they edged their way into Gloucester docks to moor at their pre-arranged berth. As a treat, Aaron and Shirley let the youngest kids stay up and they went for a stroll around the historic docks before stopping for a pizza at one of the several cafes still open. It was close to midnight as the exhausted younger children crashed into their bunks while Lola celebrated her exam results with Olivia and the adults over some bottles of champagne.

Needless to say, the two ‘younger adults’ over-indulged the celebrations and did not emerge from the forward cabin until Saturday noon – and only then after Aaron’s oldest son Mickey had been sent to wake them at eleven.

“Sleep well?” Babs inquired with a wide grin as the bleary-eyed pair finally crept into the narrow-boat’s main saloon.

“Uuuuuuuuugh!” Olivia moaned softly as Lola giggled guiltily.

“That’ll teach you to over-indulge!” Bab’s censured them mildly, “the others have gone to the waterways museum, you’d best get yourselves tidied up, they’re judging the boats at three.”

Both teenagers sagged into the comfy chairs while they nursed their mugs of coffee.

“My head hurts!” Olivia groaned.

“You’ll learn.” Babs opined as she sipped her tea. “You’d best go and hide ashore when the judges come. Have you left your cabin tidy?”

“I thought it was just the best decorated boat.” Lola protested.

“Yeah, well cabins decorated with unmade beds and scattered towels carry points against. Go and tidy it up before you go to the museum.

“Let’s just finish our coffees first please Nina” Olivia begged.

“You’re a right pair of lightweights you two!” Barbara teased them. “Go on! Get those coffees down you and then get to work. I’ll be in there at two to check up.”

True to her word, Babs checked in on the girls and found things satisfactory. She cut them some cake in readiness for Aaron’s return with his family and when the family returned, a quick snack was consumed to allow all the kids to make themselves scarce before the judges descended on their boat. Lola took the younger children to the cathedral and up the main tower to savour a fine view of the wide Severn valley and its river.

Olivia was intrigued by the wide and dramatic meanders because she had just had a physical geography lesson about rivers at school. When they returned to the boat, Aaron was holding a cheque as a prize for their success in the boat decoration competition.

“Apart from the money,” Aaron explained particularly to Olivia, “They were extremely impressed with your art-work! One of the judges has left his card with a suggestion concerning you and the royal academy. You’re really good kid.”

“But I can’t go to the royal academy yet, I’ve only just turned fifteen.”

“They’re not interested in your age girl, just the quality of your work. Their offer is for the future if you’re still interested. There’s obviously an academic side to their interest as well, but it’s a brilliant start kiddo!

Olivia fell into a thoughtful silence that Babs immediately picked up on.

“What’s wrong. Don’t you want to go to the academy?”

Olivia continued her silent introspection so Babs pushed a little harder but gently.

“If they’re interested in your work already, it’ll be a fabulous chance girl. Besides, your don’t have to go until your eighteen. Plenty of time to make up your mind.”

Eventually, Olivia opened up.

“It’s in London isn’t it?”

“What? The royal academy? Yes of course it is.” Lola answered. “Just think, all those fabulous museums, art galleries and exhibitions. You’ll be in your element.

“I don’t like London.” Olivia declared softly.

“Why ever not?” Lola wondered as Babs squinted at Olivia curiously.

“The gangs.” Olivia replied. “If I bump into a gang member they’re bound to try and mess with me again. You know, suck me down in to their stuff - drugs and all the other shit .”

A silence settled as the party mood changed to one of concern. Eventually Aaron tried to reassure the girl.

“London’s a big place darling. It’s very unlikely that you’d meet one of your old acquaintances. They operate south of the river don’t they?”

“Yeah, but. They infest the tube and now they’re involved in those scooter crimes; you know snatching wallets, scooter thefts, smash-and-grabs all over London. I could meet them anywhere, any time. They’d already marked me out as one of the S.S. kids and fair game before I came to live with Nina. I was lucky I moved down here; in fact it was one of the reasons I moved down here after what happened to my friend Angie.”

“But you’ll be moving in different circles darling,” Babs’ repeated, “Aaron’s right, the chance of encountering a gang or gang member is very small.”

“That’s as maybe, but I’ll always be looking over my shoulder, won’t I?”

“You can change your look girl.” Lola encouraged. “There’s a million ways a girl can alter her appearance. Even a pair of sunglasses or fake glasses can alter things; not to mention wigs and stuff. And anyway, you’ll look a lot different at eighteen than you do now.”

“We’ll see,” Olivia conceded glumly. “Anyway, there are plenty of other art colleges all over the country.”

Shirley had been busy with the food up until this juncture but eventually she joined the discussion.

“It doesn’t have to be all about Art kiddo. You’re pretty good at maths aren’t you.”

“Not as good as Lola.” Olivia conceded.

“That’s got nothing to do with it. I saw your mock results and you’re maths is okay. There’s always architecture and that requires good imagination as well as drawing skills and maths.”

“Well, we’ll see. I suppose Lola’s right, I can always disguise myself. But I do prefer art,” Olivia sighed resignedly. “I’ll just have to suck it and see. Come on, let’s take the jolly-boat and join the festivities.”

“That’s the spirit girl. Plenty of time yet.” Babs’ agreed, glad that the moment had temporarily passed.

As a treat, to cheer Olivia up, they allowed her and Mickey to take Babs’s little cruiser while Lola took the jolly boat. It was almost dark when the five children finally returned to the narrowboat soaking wet and thoroughly dishevelled.

“Water-wars!” Mickey explained joyfully as the five of them stripped off in the forward well before showering then gathering around the hot stove in the saloon.

“Who won?” Aaron chuckled as the five tucked into chocolate, wholemeal biscuits and hot cocoa.

“The two swans with the cygnets,” Lola confessed with a grin.

“They chased the two boys in the kayak and pecked them; then they pecked Olivia’s bum as she was sitting on the gunwale of the cruiser.” Mickey explained as he squealed with laughter.

“She should have shared her cake with them!” Aaron’s youngest daughter Bianca squawked joyfully. “That’s what Jessica and I did.”

“Bribery! Nothing but bribery!” Olivia snorted derisively. “You just watch, they’ll be pecking on the galley door in the morning, expecting more
‘Dane-geld’. By the way Uncle Aaron, is my bum bleeding?”

“Don’t be silly Olivia, they are swans not eagles.”

“But can you check?”

“Certainly not. Babs’ have a look just to put her mind at ease.”

“Turn around darling so the boys can’t see.”

Olivia turned around, lifted the hem of her dressing gown and tugged down the waistband of her knickers. Bab’s made a brief show of inspecting the supposedly injured butt then declared it undamaged. With dignity restored discussions fell to eating out and they ended up at a ‘Chinese’. As on the Friday, it was after midnight before they returned to the boat.

Not having imbibed at the Chinese restaurant, the children were up early on the Sunday while Bab’s had a lie in, in deference to her age. Aaron and Shirley woke shortly after the children, to find them feeding the swans at the amidships galley door just as Olivia had predicted.

“Where’s Lola?” Shirley asked.

Olivia nodded towards another narrowboat where Lola was chatting to some other girls who had also finished high-school that summer. Ever alert to Lola’s emerging independence, Shirley called across.

“We’re going into town. Bab’s has got the key and she’ll be following us later. Make sure you’ve got a key if you leave the boat.”

“Oooh! Can I go with Lola?” Olivia pleaded.

“Go and ask her then check with Babs’” Aaron replied.

Needing no further inducement, Olivia skipped ashore and approached Lola optimistically.

“Okay, but no mention of my trans’ stuff, okay. None of the girls know. I’ll ask if they’re happy about you coming.”

“Where are you going.”

“There’s a sister rock festival in the meadows across the river. It complements the regatta.”

Olivia’s eyes widened with anticipation then delight as Lola returned with the good news.

“It’s okay, go and check with Nina.”

A soft knock on Bab’s cabin door alerted her to a ‘soft approach’ seeking a favour. Bab’s knew her adopted daughters only too well.

“Coo-ome in,” she sighed expectantly.

“D’ you want a cup of tea Nina?”

“And what do I have to do in return?” Bab’s grinned knowingly.

“Ah Nina! Have we ever-?”

“Yes, frequently. What is it this time?”

“Dammit, foiled again!” Lola giggled before pressing her suit.

“Can Olivia come with us to the music festival across the river?”

“Do you promise to keep an eye on her, she’s only fifteen remember.”

“Yes. Please can we have money for tickets?”

“I knew that was coming next.”

Bab’s reached into her handbag and took out the requested sum before once more cautioning Lola to look after her younger sister.

“I mean it now! Look after her, you know how headstrong she can be!”

With permission granted, Olivia finally sneaked into Bab’s bedroom and plumped down on the bed to hug her adoptive nan.

“Thanks Nina, I promise I’ll be back before ten.”

“You’d better be girl or your grounded until forever! And keep your mobiles to hand, you never know when there’s a problem or something!”

“We promise Nina,” Lola agreed as she brought in the tea and toast on a tray.

Then she turned to her younger sister.

“Come on. Let’s get ready. I’m going to have to get you ready if you want to look eighteen.”

“No drinking girls. It’s okay when your amongst us adults but out there, there’s plenty of traps for the unwary.”

By the time the girls were ready, Bab’s was up, dressed and lounging in the fore well while savouring the summer sun. Lola and Olivia emerged to meet the three other girls from the family boat in the next berth.

“Nina these are Jackie, Sandra and Julie. Sandra’s parents are still aboard and these are their mobile numbers.”

Bab’s duly made a note of the mobile numbers and double checked with Sandra’s parents in the next boat.

“Now, Lola, I don’t have to warn you, you know already how stuff can go pear shaped, so remember. You other girls, listen to Lola, she’s been there and her girldar is fine-tuned!”

“What’s girldar?” Jackie asked.

“Teenaged girl radar young lady. It’s like gaydar but more sensitive.” Bab’s explained. “Keep it switched on at all times.”

The last comment Bab’s heard amidst the giggling and banter was ‘Your nan’s a star Lol’

Shortly before lunch Babs’s phone rang with an invitation from Aaron and Shirley to join them for lunch down by the river.

“Then we can pay a brief visit to the music festival. Not for long though. Bianca and Jessica have had enough late nights,” Shirley opined with half an eye on Babs’s stamina as well. Active though she was, Babs’ was getting on in years.

After a light lunch they crossed the river and entered the field where the music festival was in full swing.

“Let’s not bother the older girls,” Aaron suggested. “We don’t want to appear to be spying on them.”

“They’re probably in the crowd by the main stage.” Shirley observed. “I’m more interested in finding a suitable violin for Mickey. He’s outgrown his old one, though Bianca has shown some interest in learning, so she can use his old one.”

“The shopping tents are over there,” Bab’s observed. “D’ you want me to take Mickey while the girls go on the rides?”

“That’s very kind of you. Can you play the violin?”

“I play the fiddle,” Bab’s grinned, “well I used to but I haven’t done so for several years now. Not since the group I belonged to had an accident in their van and one of them was killed. I lost heart after that.”

“Oh I’m sorry to hear that.” Shirley commiserated. “Have you never played since then?”

Bab’s wagged her head silently and Shirley quickly sensed that the memory for Bab’s was painful. She let the matter drop as Bab’s led Michael to the instrument stalls while Aaron and Shirley let Bianca and Jessica loose on the rides.

It was close to four o’clock when Babs’s phone rang, - it was a distressed Olivia.

“Hello darling, how’s things?” Bab’s asked.

“Not good Nina. I’ve just spotted Jason and Tyson. They were two of the gang that used to abuse the girls at the home. They are with a group of other men I don’t recognise but they’re definitely dealing here on the field.”

“Shit! Did they recognise you?”

“No. Julie lent me her sunglasses and my hoodie covered my hair.”

“Are you together?”

“No, that’s just it. Lola, Julie and I are together but Sandra and Jacki have gone to the front of the crowd, they’re fans of the group that’s playing on stage now.”

“Well. They should be safe in the crowd.”

“That’s just it though. Julie says that Jackie is a bit of an idiot when it comes to trying drugs. If she finds out that there are drugs around, she’ll be there like a shot.”

“Can I speak to Lola darling?”

Olivia handed her mobile to Lola.

“Hello Nina. What d’ you think?”

“Stay together and try and reach the other two.”

“Olivia says the two boys she knows are real trouble. They deal in crack-cocaine and used other drugs to date-rape the girls in the home when she was there, and they are not fussy about forcing a girl to take the drugs if they can get away with it. I must say, the other people in the gang don’t look very savoury either. Olivia’s really spooked!”

“Look, I’m by the tent that sells instruments. Make your way to me while I call Aaron and Shirley.”
Within five minutes, all of Aaron and Bab’s group were gathered but Julie was particularly worried about Sandra and Jackie as she explained.

“Sandra’s not the sharpest knife in the box and she can be easily led but Jackie’s just wilful at venues like this. She’s always looking for extra kicks. Though I’m more worried about Sandra than Jackie.”

“I think we’d better speak to the police.” Bab’s opined. “Olivia, d’ you want to come with me and point the gang out.”

“Will I be safe? The last thing I want is to be outed by some dumb copper. These guys are dangerous. In the home, two girls disappeared and we were convinced Tyson had something to do with it. One of the girls was a really good friend and I know she would never have just ‘dropped out of sight’ willingly. The last guy she mentioned to me was Tyson and he was the last guy I saw her with. I really miss her cos she was one of the few really bright kids in the home.

None of us were safe, the gang members could come and go at will cos the social workers turned a blind eye. Secretly I think they were afraid of the gang.”

As the pair crossed the field to the security tent Bab’s eventually spotted a police incident transit van with several uniformed officers.

“There they are,” Bab’s declared with some relief.

Then Olivia’s hand grabbed Babs’s as she cursed softly.

“And there’s bloody Tyrone. He’s another of the gang, the sneaky one. He’s the lookout, just wait here by this music stall and watch. See, every time any of the cops leaves the group he’ll be telling his mates around the crowd in front of the stage. Just stand here a while and watch.”

Babs watched dumbstruck as Olivia’s observations proved correct. Two officers left the police compound and immediately Tyrone was speaking into his phone.

Olivia added, “If I go to the cops out there in the open, Tyrone will realise I’m a black girl and he’ll be doubly curious. Have a look around; there’s not many of the sisters on the field, are there?”

“So how do we do this?” Bab’s wondered out aloud.

“I’ll wait here, you walk over to the police. Tell them I’ve got information about a drug gang operating at the festival then arrange a hidden rendezvous. Text me with instructions and I’ll slip by them. There’s an exit at the back of this marquee. I’ll go out that way. Try and organise a plain clothes copper, any black girl talking to the police will alert the brothers.”

Bab’s strolled away and eventually sauntered towards the police van as though she was casually visiting the display laid out by the drug abuse team. Once inside the tent, she struck up a conversation with one of the officers and explained that she had an anonymous but very reliable source about some drug dealers who had started operating at the festival. Always keen for good intelligence the officer immediately made some calls and Bab’s was quickly introduced to a higher ranking officer via her mobile.

Upon promising them solid information concerning a gang that was currently active at the festival they agreed to speak to Olivia on her mobile. After that, it was all done by mobile phone and Olivia was thoroughly relieved to not even go near any police. While Olivia sat eating a burgher, three plain-clothes members of the drug squad unwittingly sauntered past Olivia just as they were being described to her by the control room. Olivia recognised them and reported back.

“I think I’ve just spotted your officers; they look like three scruffy tree-huggers. One’s got a purple jacket and another one’s got a knitted multicoloured scarf. The third one is a girl in a long pleated skirt.”

“That’s them young lady. Now the lady called Bab’s has explained you want to remain anonymous so we’ll respect your wishes. “First however, I ‘ve got to thank you for your assistance. This how we do it. You know who these vermin are so all you do is stroll around the field whilst chatting into your mobile just like teenaged girls do all the time. I’ve patched you through to our comms unit so every word you say will be monitored by the whole team on the field today. You know who they are so when you see one of them dealing, describe them and advise our team of the location. Your friend Barbara has described your coat with the hoodie so if you don’t wish to be exposed, keep your coat on and your hoodie up. I’ve now got two plain-clothes men watching your back very discreetly while the others will be following your instructions young lady; and once again, thank you.”

It wasn’t long before Olivia spotted a deal going down and she warned the drug team of the modus operandi. She watched with a deep visceral satisfaction as Jason was caught red handed with several bags and a lot of incriminating cash. Once she saw them take Jason down she briefly revealed his full name and the last address she had for him.

“Strike one!” Olivia congratulated herself silently. It didn’t pay to chatter too much on the mobile. The police may have got her mobile number but they still didn’t know who she actually was or what she looked like. Then she spotted Tyson arguing with a group of people she did not recognise. They looked to be Asian whereas Tyson was white while Jason and Tyrone were black. Tyson did not look very happy so Olivia became a little bolder. Once she was certain that Tyson was definitely connecting somehow with the Asian people she advised her contact on the mobile. There was a long pause then Olivia spotted two of the plain-clothes ‘tree-huggers’ casually drifting out of the crowd towards where Tyson and the Asian people were now talking calmly. Then her mobile came alive.

“Is that your man in the Leather wind-cheater?”

“Yes – and the dark grey denim jeans.”

“Right young lady. We suggest you back off casually. The Asian people are a suspected rape gang though they don’t usually operate at festivals. They tend to target vulnerable kids alone on the streets at night but they may have worked out another modus.”

The mention of ‘rape-gangs’ now appearing at festivals made Olivia’s blood boil.

Olivia was well aware that wayward kids often blagged their way into festivals, indeed she had done so on many an occasion herself and hardly even been reprimanded when she sneaked back to the children’s home, - three days late in on instance. The social workers were just glad she had returned, - ‘like a bad penny’- one of the carers had declared; as Olivia was described as ‘nothing but trouble’.

Having walked the walk on the festival circuit at the tender age of thirteen and fourteen, Olivia was street-wise to many the tricks to survival. Often she had taken her drawing materials and earned a few bob illegally selling portraits without a trader’s permit until getting caught. Sometimes, despite her lesbianism, she even ‘put out’ if things got desperate when the weather had turned bad and she needed somewhere dry to spend the night; though she always insisted on a condom. Naturally she had also had to fight off unwanted advances so she was well inured to men and their unwelcome endeavours. She herself had experienced a rape-gang member trying to groom her and knew full well what techniques they employed.

After seeing the consequences of other girls sucked into the trade and the effects of various drugs employed, Olivia had grown to detest the assorted gangs that preyed on girls.

Now however, she was ‘legal’ at this particular festival and glad to be able to ‘get back’ at the same sort of vermin who had made her earliest teen-aged years a hell. From the safety of food stalls and her ‘hoodie’ she watched with visceral satisfaction as the police went in mob-handed and pandemonium broke out as rape gang members were forced to scatter.

Content that some sort of justice was being meted out for once against such as those who had caused her so much anguish, Olivia turned and bought herself a hot hamburger to sit back and enjoy the show. Eventually the furore died down and she needed to go for a wee. After checking on the phone that the London gang had been rounded up as well as the Asian rape gang she went to the lavatory area and saw Lola walking across the field seemingly also destined for the ‘port-a-loos’.

“Hey sis! Are going were I’m going?”

Lola’s head turned with relief as she answered.

“Ahh! There you are, have you seen Jackie?”

“Isn’t she with Sandra, by the stage?”

“No, Sandra and she got separated and we can’t find Jackie.”

“Have you told the police?” Olivia checked.

“Yes, but they’ve got their hands full. A couple of the gang members got away.

“What, the Asians or Tyrone and Tyson.”

“Definitely Tyson and probably Tyrone. The Police were geared up to net the rape gang from Birmingham.”

“Fuck!” Olivia cursed loud enough to turn heads around her. She realised her mistake and whispered nervously to Lola. “Dammit! How did Tyson avoid being arrested? He’s the worst of the London gang and I’m convinced he’s in with the Asians.”

“He probably got away cos he’s white. The police were pre-occupied with the Asians.”

“No, I definitely described those London bastards to the police. Tyson’s a clever bastard. He’s obviously pulled of some stunt or switch.”
The pair stayed together as they queued for the loos and Olivia took the opportunity to use Lola’s phone to speak to Aron and Babs. Her own phone was still patched into the police network. Having assured the adults that she was safe but still working with the police on her own mobile, she resumed chatting to Lola about the gangs and her fears for Jackie.

“Tyson’s by far the worst of the bunch and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s somehow tied up with the rape gang.”

As they waited in the loo-queue, Olivia became increasingly nervous. She knew she was exposed and if Tyson or Tyrone approached the queue there was a much higher risk of exposure as and when she entered the ‘port-aloo’ cubicles. To better hide, she leaned closer into Lola to hide her face while seemingly chatting to her friend.

“So what does this Tyson look like?” Lola asked.

“He’s quite tall and actually quite handsome; he uses those attributes to suck girls in. My friend Angela told me that he was offering her cocaine but she refused to take it, then she woke up one morning not knowing where she was or how she got there. I heard them arguing in the street outside the home then I saw him almost dragging her into his car. That was the last I ever saw of her.”

“Did you go to the police?”

“What good would that do. They don’t care. We’re just scum to them. Look what happened in Rotherham.”

“That’s bloody crazy!” Lola almost screeched. “They’ve got their act together now. Anyway, you’re actually talking to them now, even as we speak.”

“Only cos I can see them doing summat for once. They got Jason bang to rights and that’s a start. Anyway, these cops aren’t the Met. Go on, that one’s just emptied, it’s your turn.”

Lola completed her business then emerged to realise that Olivia had gone to another cubicle. After a few minutes Olivia emerged and as they met, Olivia’s expression turned to one of fear.

“Shit! There’s Tyson and he’s got a tray of coffees, where’s he going? Cover me Lola!”

Olivia leaned in close to Lola again and spoke into her phone.

“Hello. Yes it’s me again. I’ve just seen one of the London gang. His name’s Tyson. Yes, white with light brown to dirty blond hair. He’s also changed his jacket. It’s now a red leather biker’s jacket with black and white flashes on the front and sleeves. He’s got a cardboard tray with coffees and he’s walking towards the trees where the picnickers are gathered. Yes, he’s about six -two and he’s got a small scar over his left eye.”

Lola eavesdropped the police response and felt Olivia’s hand grip her waist in what she concluded could only be fear.

“It’s okay now sis. You heard them, they’re onto it.”

“I won’t feel safe until I see him and Tyrone in cuffs.”

Olivia’s phone spoke again and she replied suspiciously.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t count them. There were about three or four, maybe five. He was over fifty yards away. It could not have been more than six, it was one of those green and white cardboard trays.”

“Thank you again young lady. It gives us some idea of what we might be dealing with.”

“Oh! There’s something else. He might be drugging the coffees with rohypnol, the date rape thing. That’s how I think he snared Angie.”

“Angie who?” Came back the police operator.

Olivia tensed as she realised her mistake. She had never reported Angie’s abduction partly through mistrust of the London Metropolitan Police and partly through fear of the gangs.

“Fuck!” She cursed as her fearful grip tightened and began to hurt Lola’s waist.

“Ow. Easy there sis. Your hurting.”

“Let’s go back to Babs and Aaron.”

“They’re with the police by the incident van.” Lola explained.

“Dammit. Can you call Babs again and tell them I want to meet them by the food vans. Not the one that uses green cardboard coffee trays; meet us by the cream and red Thai food kitchen. It’s busy and we can hide in the crowded tent.”

Even as they crossed the field towards the food vans Olivia’s mood relaxed as she saw a high ranking police officer talking to some more plain-clothed colleagues. She hesitated for a moment to watch then realised she could tell the police exactly where Tyson had entered the trees. She tugged Lola’s sleeve to indicate her intentions and explained to the police operator on her phone. Having done this, she asked Lola to go and tell the police inspector.

“Just ask him to stay close to you and you watch my back as I approach the trees. I’m not going into the glade, but I’ll tell the police when I spot them.”

“By liasoning with Police control, Lola soon had Inspector’s attention but she inadvertently identified Olivia’s hoodie to the inspector and Olivia’s previous mention of somebody called ‘Angie’ had piqued the inspector’s curiosity.
The anonymous girl might have some information concerning one of several young drug addicts who had been recovered from the Asian sex-gang’s lair in Birmingham.