Bab’s New Year’s Resolution 25

List of Characters.

Barbara. Chief Protagonist AKA Bab’s.
Lola. (Seventeen) Transgendered girl rescued by Bab’s 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 young girls.
Angela (Angie), Olivia’s trafficked, drug-addicted friend (Rape-gang Victim and important witness)
Sergeant Davis, (Bridie) female police bodyguard for Angela.
Detective Sergeant Davies. (Brian) Bridie’s twin brother.
Inspector John, Heading up the anti-rape-gang operation in Birmingham.
Erica. Another girl victim thought originally, to have been killed by the gang,
Belinda Harrington. Lola’s new girlfriend in college.

Chapter 25

Once they were clear of Birmingham’s city limits and trundling down the motorway as only Land-rovers can, Gareth pointed to a ‘Motorway-Services sign and suggested they swap over again to let Lola drive the remainder of the way.

“The more practice the merrier girl.” Gareth opined as Lola nodded vigorous agreement.

“Anybody want a wee?” Lola asked as Gareth eased into the slip lane then turned into the car-park.

Three voices sounded simultaneously and within minutes the four girls were relieving themselves while Gareth and George took it in turns to wait discreetly outside while also relieving themselves.

As Lola emerged first from the female loos she grinned at Gareth.

“It must be the tension.”

“Now there’s a thought,” Gareth replied with a grin.

Suddenly, Lola’s happy demeanour changed and she whispered urgently to Gareth.

“What do we do if we think we’re being followed?”

“Are we – being followed that is?”

“I can’t be sure but that Merc outside the Burger-King outlet seems familiar. There was a silver Merc just like it outside the hospital and that one had a missing front hub-cap as well.”

Gareth instructed Lola to wait within the loos and to warn the others while he did a discrete check on the number plate.

Within minutes the answer came back. -Car belongs to a Saleem Mahar. A gentleman with a previous conviction for drug dealing and suspected to be still active. Also a conviction for ABH (actual-bodily-harm).

Armed with this information Gareth gathered the girls and George to plan a strategy.

“Right everybody. We cannot be certain that they are interested in us; it might just be a ‘county lines’ coincidence but there’s a strong possibility they’re stalking us. We shall leave by the door at the other end of the service building then work our way around through the lorry park. The shrubs that hide the bulk of the lorry park should help to hide us if we walk on the far side of the lorries. Then we can get into our land-rover at the back of the car-park. That way they may not spot us until we actually exit the carpark via the tunnel past the coach park.

If they are following us, I’ll park amongst the busses and they’ll reveal themselves before they realise they’ve been spotted.”
With the plan agreed, Gareth’s strategy exposed a very high probability that they had clocked the land-rover and that was a real cause for concern. The Mercedes swept past the busses as it accelerated onto the motorway approach road and rocketed off south in a vain endeavour to catch up with the land-rover that they presumed to be speeding south ahead of them and out of sight.

Gareth immediately called the motorway police to organise a ‘stop-and-search’ of the Mercedes while they waited back at the service station for the results. It wasn’t long before the message appeared confirming that the car was carrying class A drugs in quantities that were deemed proof of dealing for legal purposes. A check of the mobile phones indicated that the Mercedes had nothing to do with following the land-rover but it had lots of information concerning dealers and couriers all over the midlands.

“Sorry to have wasted your time,” Lola apologised to Gareth and George.

“Not at all kiddo,” George replied. “We’ve got a mountain of intelligence from the idiot’s phone. He hadn’t locked it.”

“Immediately the three girls whipped out their phones and asked the police to check if any of their contact numbers were on Saleem’s phone; especially Jason, Tyrone or Tyson. There was a concerned silence when confirmation of Tyson’s number appeared amongst a discreet barbell cluster stretching from London to Birmingham.

“Are there any dates related to calls to our numbers?” Olivia asked.

“Yes, but they are old; from before you were found and rescued. There’s nothing since they’ve been remanded, pending trial.”

“Well that’s the number of my old phone, there’s nothing relating to my new phone so we should be okay.” Erica offered hopefully.

“It still begs the question how they traced the land-rover and to whom. They must have somebody on the inside at the hospital who’s been watching you.” Gareth explained. “They possibly watched you leaving the clinic and noted you departing from the clinic block.”

“What shall we do then?” Lola asked.

“I’ve had Inspector John put a police block on your vehicle registration number with the DVLC in Swansea. And so far they’ve had no inquiries about your vehicle since this morning. Hopefully, the block is working. I’ll know within a couple of days now that your vehicle’s got a police tag protecting it.”

“I hope so.” Lola replied softly.

Once the issue of the stalking Merc was resolved, they resumed their journey but diverted to Gloucester police HQ where the girls were transferred to a police car while the land-rover was temporarily impounded at the police pound until any interest was demised. The police car took them home via a convoluted route through the lanes and it was long after nightfall before the girls got home. Having been made aware of the problem, Bab’s was waiting for them as they arrived.

As pre-arranged, Lola slept on the narrow-boat while Erica slept in Lola’s old room. Brian and Gareth shared guard duties that night and throughout Christmas at the cottage. Despite the concerns, everybody contrived to make their first Christmas an enjoyable one for each of the girls and indeed, for Bab’s as well. It was the nearest thing to a ‘Family Christmas’ that any of them had had in many a year.

Immediately after Christmas, the police camera surveillance system was expanded to include the communal car-park at the top of the lane. Seeing the extent of the increased security preparations had a sobering effect on the girls and the New Year’s party preparations were somewhat muted. The only seemingly bright spot being the news that Aaron and his family would be down to join the festivities.
Sensing Lola’s disappointment, Bab’s arranged for Sergeant Bridie to bring Belinda to the party if she wished.

On receiving the telephone invitation, Belinda squealed with delight and immediately accepted before she informed her parents.

“We’ll be disappointed you won’t be attending the party with the rest of us at the Golf Club,” General Harrington declared, “but we understand.”

“What? Being nice to a bunch of old fuddy-duddies bragging about their golfing handicaps while their over-sexed sons are all trying to get into my knickers! Come on daddy, get real. I can stay over with Lola because she’s invited me to stay over at hers for a few days. At least she won’t get me pregnant.”

“Belinda!!” Her mother exclaimed. “Please! Show a bit of decorum girl! We didn’t spend all that money on sending you to Cheltenham Ladies College for you to make comments like that!”

“Sorry mummy. But, well; a weekend with Lola is a bit more attractive than listening to daddy’s friends drone on and on about golf, or worse, their wives all trying to out-do each other by bragging about their children’s antics – sorry; achievements.”

Secretly, Martha felt bound to agree with her daughter. The golf-club wives were truly a boring, pretentious crowd.”

ooo000ooo

On New-year’s eve, Bridie collected Belinda in her own car to ensure anonymity and delivered Belinda to the cottage. On the drive from Cirencester to the cottage, Bridie filled Belinda in on some important facts that almost frightened her into not going.

“Yes. It’s that serious Belinda,” Bridie warned her. “Would you believe I had to do a ‘background check’ on you and your family before Lola was allowed to invite you. This is a hugely sensitive business.”

Belinda swallowed nervously.

“I suppose it’s a good job my dad is General Harrington then.”

“It helped Belinda; it helped a lot. Now here we are. We get out here and walk down to the cottage. You’ll note that the gate has a lock and all boat owners have a key. There’re also hidden security cameras everywhere, so might I suggest no uuuhm, canoodling when you’re coming back from a day out or something. You are being watched.”

“Blimey! What about the bedroom?”

“You’ll learn about that when we get there. Come on, be careful, the lane’s slippy.”

They each shared a strap of Belinda’s bag as they picked their way down the lane only to be met by a dementedly happy Lola dashing halfway up the lane after she had spotted them arriving on the cameras. After a desperate hugging and kissing session, they relieved Bridie of her load and continued down to the cottage.

At the garden gate they met Bab’s who explained that Olivia, Angela and Erica where upstairs getting ready for the party.

“You’d best go and get ready yourselves,” Bab’s suggested. “Those three will be hours yet; you know what fifteen-year-olds are like.”

The arrangements were explained and Lola prepared to take her fried and partner onto the boat,

“So you and I share a house-boat with one or even two armed coppers,” Belinda giggled on learning of the arrangements.

“It’s the safest place.” Lola explained. “Come on; I’ll show you my cabin – sorry, our cabin.”

“Lead on MacDuff.” Belinda replied as she noted Bridie preparing to follow them.

“Do we get a police escort everywhere we go?” Belinda wondered aloud.

“No you silly goose!” Bridie chuckled. “I’m just going to change for the party.”

After Lola and Belinda had settled into their cosy little cabin. Bridie brought some coffee and explained the full situation to Belinda.

“The two girls at risk are Angie and Erica. They are both victims and primary witnesses to the crimes and some very powerful people are implicated. To a lesser degree, Olivia is also a witness but she’s not a victim in this particular case.”

“What about Lola?”

“She’s not involved in the case at all. She’s just a transgendered victim of transphobic parenting and an insensitive care system. She ran away from some incompetent adoptive parents and first started ‘sofa-surfing’ in friend’s flats. One night she ended up with a friend of a friend who tried to rape her and when that failed he tried to dispose of her in some bin bags. Bab’s found her and rescued her so we have Bab’s to thank for Lola’s amazing turn-around.”

“My god! She’s never spoken of that in college!”

“Well she wouldn’t, would she? Now that’s enough about Lola’s past. If she want’s to tell you, she’ll tell you herself – when she’s good and ready.”

“What’s in that section?” Belinda asked in effort to change the subject.

“That’s an armoured refuge for the girls if the criminals try to get at them.”

“Bloody hell!”

Having been fully briefed, Belinda joined Lola in their now cramped cabin and prepared for the party, but not before a physically emotional re-union on the bed.

A couple of hours later Lola, Belinda and Sergeant Bridie joined Sergeant Brian and they returned to the cottage where preparations were pretty much complete. There Belinda met Olivia, Angela and Erica for the first time. She also met Aaron and Shirley plus their three youngsters.

The party proved to be a memorable eye-opener for Belinda on several different levels. Not least being human trafficking.

At midnight they all trooped outside to let off some fireworks for the Benefit of Aaron and Shirley’s children then eventually, as younger heads became heavy-eyed each partygoer made their excuses and headed for bed.

“I’m surprised that Bab’s allows Olivia and Angela to sleep together.” Belinda declared as she snuggled up to Lola.

“They’re old enough at sixteen and they can’t get pregnant,” Lola countered.

As they lay together in the dark, Belinda giggled thoughtfully before observing.

“I’ll bet Erica’s as jealous as sin seeing us and those two sharing our beds.”

Having spent a childhood with good parenting and high quality schooling, Belinda neither saw nor sensed her transgendered friend’s visceral grimace as Lola reflected upon all that had happened in her life and those of Olivia, Angela and Erica. It was testament to Lola’s recovery and her affections for Belinda that she managed to remain calm and good tempered as she spoke of Erica’s circumstances.

“I should think that Erica’s just glad to have a safe, comfortable bed free of any unwanted attention. It’s gonna be a long time before she’s over it, - if ever.”

Belinda fell into a guilty introspection as she considered Lola’s words. She realised that she might just have overstepped the mark and concluded that a policy of ‘least said; soonest mended’ was the best tactic. In the following silence, she eventually fell asleep spooned into Lola’s embrace.

ooo000ooo