Babs’ New Year’s Resolution 101

© Beverly Taff.

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. Lesbian black artist
Angela Smith Bab’s adopted daughter Olivia’s lover
Erica Powers 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 Lola’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.
Han’s The policeman’s son Erica fancies
Uncle Phillip CIA Agent.
Emily Jackson. Texan girl Kidnapped to Holland & Turkey
Sandra Jackson Sister to Emily kidnapped in Texas as a hostage.
Eddie Emily’s Tandem surfing partner.
Chapter 101

“Hurry up Erica, you’ll be late!” Bridie banged on the bedroom door.

“Coming.”

“You’re going to have to miss breakfast.”

“I’ve had breakfast. I took it early before you lot got up.”

“That’s not like you.”

“I changed my behaviour today; I went for jog before dawn then a shower and early breakfast.”

“You’re not supposed to leave the security cordon.”

“It was dark, nobody could recognise me.”

“Nevertheless, you shouldn’t. Don’t do it again, - please.”

“I changed my routine to upset any bushwhackers. I didn’t see any likely killers in the bushes. Anyway, the run cleared my head ready for today.”

“Come on then, let’s get you down to the APC.”

Refreshed from her shower after her short jog, Erica and met Bridie and they took the stairs down to the car park in the basement.

“Why did you come that way?” Erica’s lawyer asked.

“I decided to break the routine and disrupt any gangland plotters; anyway, the whole building is supposed to be secure isn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” the lawyer conceded as she spotted Bridie’s concessionary nod.

They clambered into the APC and soon the convoy emerged from the garage then picked its way to the court. At ten o’clock the judge took her seat and Erica prepared for war.

“Call Erica Powers!”

The girls all glanced at each other, as they realised that Erica had not been adopted by Babs, she was the only one being fostered. None of them had ever asked Erica for her full real name. They watched with some satisfaction as Erica stepped boldly into the witness box to look directly into the ‘god-father’s’ face.

Her demeanour conveyed all the hallmarks of condemnation and confrontation as her contemptuous glance swivelled back to the judge and altered her expression to a somewhat more respectful posture with an appealing countenance.

The judge could hardly contain her amusement as she recognised the theatricals. However, Erica had shown no disrespect to the court so she was more than content to allow the girl this rare indulgence. Briefly she reminded Erica.

“Miss Powers, I must remind you of course that you are still under oath.”

Erica had been advised by her lawyer that this was a legal formality and in no way reflected on Erica’s integrity, so she replied with a short, respectful smile.

“Yes your honour.”

The judge motioned to the prosecutor who plunged straight in. A quick re-run of identities and a short breakdown of Erica’s previous kidnap set the scene for the days’ events.

“And how did that come about.”

“I was deceived into a trap. Partly through being too trusting.”
"Go on," the prosecutor encouraged.

“It was my thirteenth birthday. There was no celebration in the children’s home. There never was because kids rarely stayed there for very long and the staff didn’t get to know them. We were fostered out almost as soon as we came in.”

“Where you happy in the children’s home?”

“Not really, it was just a bed and three meals a day. Most of the older girls hung around the neighbourhood in the evenings. Eventually, most girls found a boyfriend and stopped out overnight, or until late on.”

“Did this happen to you?”

“Yeah, eventually.”

“The boy I was seeing said he’d take me to a party. I’d been to other parties with him but he said this one was special because it was my birthday.”

“And?”

“I went to the party then I woke up in Nottingham and never returned to London.”

“You were kidnapped; trafficked in other words.”

“I was drugged, kidnapped and trafficked!” Erica emphasised the drugging.

“And then?”

“That was it. I became a prisoner. I couldn’t escape. The house in Nottingham was a secure base where the gang despatched girls to their various brothels.”

“Can you describe these places?”

“Not much, I was strung out most of the time, especially when they were moving us around.”

“I definitely remember Amsterdam, it’s hard not to when everybody is talking foreign. I was told it was Amsterdam by one of the younger men who got beaten up for telling me. The whole strategy was to keep us girls ignorant.

“Anywhere else?”

“There were lots of places, they seemed to move us around easily; well it is easy in Europe there are no borders anymore. It’s easier to traffic girls from Poland to Spain than it is to cross from Louisiana into Texas.”

There was a rustle of incredulity in the jury box as the jurors realised their state borders were actually more secure than country borders in the new Europe. Erica pressed on.

“Then, eventually, they trafficked me to Turkey where their operation was finally uncovered and my friends and I were rescued. I only met Sandra during that raid. She was returned to Texas while I was returned to London. The London gang snatched me again off the streets in London and I was trafficked again to Nottingham but by then the police were getting to grips with the worldwide operation of the gang.

By this time I was totally addicted to coke and heroin and it was months before I could give any coherent information about dates, times or places.

I could still recognise people though and I remembered lots of faces and names.”

“Are there any of those faces and or names in this courtroom?”

“Yes.”

ooo000ooo

After sipping a glass of water, (mainly for effect, for she had been well groomed for this ordeal,) Erica proceeded to identify the ones she recognised and briefly described the where’s and the when’s of her encounters.

She obviously could not give exact dates and times but it was sufficient to list the locations she remembered with chronological sequences of her experiences. The police would be able to fill in the dates and locations from their vast researches and investigations.

Finally, the prosecution council came to the case of Mr Big, the Guatemalan godfather of the Latin American operation. He had been arrested during a raid on one of the gang’s hubs while he was ostensibly supposed to be there on government business for Guatemala in Germany. He had actually been caught in flagrante delicto with the underaged Erica when the police burst in, and the police body-cam images had recorded it.

In truth the whole court was secretly hoping that the witness would allow the imagery to be shown and Erica was by now so inured and emboldened with age and experience that she agreed.

“So exactly what happened.”

“He had been in the bed with me for most of the afternoon. It was probably the third or fourth time he had done me and I realised he had some sort of special connection with the gang because normally they just kicked punters out unless they paid extra.”

“Four times you say?” The prosecutor repeated for effect.

“Three or four, I couldn’t remember exactly, it was just another day in hell for me.

“Most women would remember how many times a man had raped them.”

The judge jumped in.

“Counsel. I warned everybody in this courtroom to go easy on these witnesses.”

“Sorry you honour, I’ll withdraw the remark.”

Erica now proved her mettle as she turned to the judge.

“Can I answer that question your honour?”

“Really Miss Powers. Are you happy to?”

Erica nodded slowly and silently so the judge allowed her. She turned again to face the prosecutor.

“I am not most women Miss. I’ve spent years as a captive child prostitute trafficked all over Europe. One fuck in a seedy attic in a European brothel is usually much like another. It’s just too easy to lose count! I only remember that incident because it was the incident that freed me.”

“Quite. I’m sorry to have distressed you.”

“You didn’t distress me Miss. I was glad to be given the opportunity to tell it like it was. All I have left is anger. Please show the police footage.”

“Do we need to Miss Powers?”

“Why not?” Erica pressed. “I’ve seen it enough times and there’s bits of it I want to explain. Yes, please show the video and be damned.”

At this juncture, the judge adjourned the case for lunch.

ooo000ooo

Unusually, Erica did not talk to anybody during the lunch break. When Lola and Olivia approached her she simply told them she was going through things in her mind to avoid getting confused in the witness box. Lola advised Erica to simply admit when her memory failed her

“You’ve every excuse for not always remembering things. You were traumatised.”

“Yeah, there’s a word to conjure with; traumatise. The defence will try to come back and say I was delusional. The police body cam will prove once and for all I’m not lying. I need that body-cam video and I want to point out some details that prove other stuff.”

Erica’s argument was watertight. The video would be irrefutable so they backed off and let her nurse her second mug of coffee.

“Did you get much change out of her,” Sergeant Bridie asked.

“Not a lot.” Lola explained. “She’s just keeping her ammunition dry.”

Reluctantly, the lawyers sat back. So far, Erica had performed well in the witness box and the coup-de-grace she was about to administer to the godfather’s career was set to strike.

“She’s not eaten much though.” Bridie observed.

“She’ll fight best on an empty stomach. I saw her take a couple of bites to eat and hopefully, we can save the celebration for tonight. Lola opined.

With that, the call bell summoned them back to the courtroom.

“All rise,” the Usher intoned as the judge appeared.

Then as the court resettled, Erica was invited into the witness box again. The judge caught her eye and Erica gave a reaffirming nod to declare she was ready to face the cross examination.

“Are you prepared for the video to be shown Miss Powers?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be your honour.”

“Very well young lady, if at any moment you are disturbed or upset, don’t hesitate to say.”

Erica nodded affirmation and turned to watch the screen as the judge turned her chair. Then the video was projected on a screen set up at the end of the Judge’s bench.

“Right!” The judge sighed after the video was shown. “I’m sorry to say Miss Powers, that when the time comes, there will have to be questions about these events.”

“Yes your honour.”

Then privately, as she turned to face the defence counsel again, Erica wondered if the judge had at some time been attacked or assaulted by a man because to Erica’s mind, the judge seemed exceedingly distressed as she watched.

‘Perhaps she’s got daughters of her own.’ Erica thought.

Finally, Erica stared impassively at the defence counsel as the woman made some point of double checking her notes.

After a good thirty seconds the judge asked pointedly if the counsel was ready. Erica smiled inwardly at the interplay. She had already concluded that the counsel was trying to pressurise her one way or another so Erica continued staring impassively at the dock and the prisoners.

In addition to conveying to the defence counsel that she was unperturbed by her subtle theatricals, Erica was also letting the godfather know that she was undisturbed by the man’s menacing manner.

Collectively, as they sat together in the ‘set aside’ box; the girls exchanged satisfied looks. The Erica who they had found so broken in the Birmingham hospital in England, had come a long, long way.

Firstly of course, Erica confirmed her identity and then the interrogation started.

Firstly the counsel dwelled extensively on Erica’s story; double checking all the facts and going into some detail when-ever the circumstances got gory. The judge could see that the counsel was trying to distress the witness but she had to show that she was not prejudiced and she had to allow the defence counsel her legitimate course.

The judge watched and listened like a hawk for any signs or sounds of distress from the witness but she had to accept that Erica was truly not showing any signs. Whenever Erica was required to turn towards the judge in answer to some query, the judge searched Erica’s face for the slightest nuance of stress.

Finally they came to the questions about the police raid and the all-important video.

ooo000ooo