Jessica and Luke are siblings who have experienced a whole world of pain and hurt in their short lives. When it seems that, for once, things are finally beginning to improve, a local drug gang invades their existence, and their world threatens to crumble down around their ears. Read on to see how they and their friends fight back.
Chapter One.
Jessica was Luke’s older sister, being some twelve years her sibling’s senior. Ever since their mother’s early death from breast cancer Jessica had looked after her brother. Though they had different, albeit unknown fathers, they shared a close bond, a bond born out of adversity, but one that was unshakeable.
Jessica, now twenty-two, had given up her university education where she’d been training to become a maths teacher, to care for her brother. She’d been eighteen at the time and Luke, who’d been eight became her responsibility, when, within a matter of months after her initial diagnosis, their mother succumbed to the disease and left them on their own. Given her young age, the local Social Services Authority wanted to place Luke into the Foster Care system, however an incensed Jessica fought tooth and nail to become Luke’s legal guardian. She’d taken on a series of menial low paying jobs to keep them both fed, clothed and housed. Such love and devotion was not lost on Luke, who loved his sister more than most siblings loved each other.
Things seemed to look up for the two of them when Matthew, a slightly older man started to show an interest in Jessica. The relationship seemed to thrive at the outset, and, within a few months, Matthew moved into Jessica’s small flat and life for the siblings became a little smoother. The money Matthew contributed to Jessica’s meagre earnings certainly made life easier, and although he wasn’t too pleased that his girlfriend devoted so much time and effort on her young brother, he acknowledged that someone needed to care for Luke, and apart from Jessica, there wasn’t anyone else to provide that love and devotion.
Matthew was always very vague about exactly what he did for a job, just that he was in the distribution business. He seemed to work odd hours and had two mobile phones, the ringing of one of which could result in him leaving the flat at a moment’s notice, often returning hours later in an angry mood, with bruised knuckles. Jessica soon learned not to ask questions as he would tell her to mind her own business, and the less she knew the better for them all.
So, life carried on in a comfortable existence, Jessica working long hours as a waitress and Luke doing his best at school, although he was a lonely child. He wasn’t into sports, no doubt due to food being in relatively short supply during his earlier years, he was of slight build. Much like his mother and sister, he wasn’t too tall either. Matthew tried to interest Luke in football, and particularly in following Liverpool F.C., Matthew’s hometown club, but Luke couldn’t understand why he should be fascinated in a club over a hundred miles from his own hometown, and, even more so in a sport he wasn’t particularly interested in. Matthew grew less involved in Luke and began to get abusive towards Jessica. Demanding meals no matter what time he arrived home from his work, and insisting on sex, whether Jessica was receptive to his advances or not!
Matthew slowly altered the atmosphere within the home the three shared. What had been a poor, but loving home, slowly became a little more affluent, but with the sense of an impending, brooding storm becoming more and more omnipresent.
Matthew began arranging packages for Jessica to take to work with her, for collection by various contacts Matthew knew, and for Jessica to receive and bring home large, sealed envelopes, that would get dropped off for him at her cafeteria. Matthew would also give Luke pocket money to make deliveries for him, usually to quite run-down houses in their immediate area, with the residents making Luke feel quite scared.
One Wednesday evening Jessica came home from work, shattered after another twelve hours on her feet racing from table to table, keeping customers happy, to find Matthew fiddling with the carpet by his side of the bed they shared. His glare told her not to ask what he was doing, so she quietly left to check on Luke.
“I’m going out, not sure when I will be back so don’t wait up, see you later!” called Matthew, as the front door closed loudly behind him and his footsteps could be heard receding down the stairwell.
“He had me go to that horrible house up on Hillside Drive again!” mumbled Luke, as he sat on end of the sofa with his legs pulled tightly to his chest, half watching his Loony Tunes® DVD. “The man pulled me in the door by my arm, and he really hurt me he squeezed it so hard! I don’t like going there, it makes me scared!”
Jessica sat next to her brother and pulled him close to her, “Come here Luke, let me look at your arm!”
Luke cuddled up to his sister, pulling up his shirt sleeve as he did so, revealing the bruised imprint of a large hand around Luke’s arm.
Jessica’s eye’s narrowed as she saw the bruises and the scared expression in Luke’s eyes.
“I’m not having that Luke, leave it with me, I’ll speak to Matthew and stop him sending you there anymore!” and she hugged him to her side.
“It won’t make any difference Jess, I told him what happened when I came home, and I showed him my bruises!”
“What did he say?”
“He laughed! Said it would toughen me up!” responded Luke with tears in his eyes. “He said that with the big summer school holidays starting on Friday he would be getting me to make more deliveries for him each day, that I could earn a few pounds to help you with bills, that I should stop whingeing like a little girl and grow up into a proper man like him! But he, he scares me Jess, I want to help you! Honest, I do, but, I don’t like where he makes me go with his parcels. And then, when I get back, he’s always asking me if I have opened any of the envelopes I bring to him, and honest Jess, I never have, but it seems that he doesn’t really believe me! He said if I ever did steal from him, he would hurt you, then me! I don’t think I like him anymore Jess, but I don’t want to become something you two argue about, so, perhaps, you should let me go into Foster Care, then you can get on with him better and I won’t be in the way!”
Jessica sat bolt upright taking Luke’s shoulders in both her hands, “Now look here Luke, you are more important to me than Matthew, or anyone else for that matter! So, no more of that talk, do you hear me? It’s you and me Luke! Always has been and always will be, I’ll speak to Matt when he gets home, so don’t worry!”
Luke moved to hug his sister, “Thanks sis, I love you so much!”
“And I love you to Luke, never forget that, now, it’s time you were in bed ready for school tomorrow!”
“Oh please Jess, just another few minutes, I haven’t seen you all day, and nothing is happening at school with us being so close to the school holidays!”
“I tell you what, you go and get yourself ready for bed, I’ll make us a nice cup of tea and we can watch some more of the cartoons!”
“Yay!” exclaimed Luke as he raced off to the bedroom.
Jess smiled at the back of her brother as he ran off, and with a sigh she pushed herself upright and went to put the kettle on.
Matthew didn’t return home Wednesday night, there was no sign of him Thursday either.
Chapter Two.
Friday morning Luke went off for his last day of school. Jess checked herself in the mirror by the front door and as she opened it to go to work two men rushed into the hallway and each grabbing an arm, roughly pushed her into the wall. One had his hand clamped tightly over her mouth stopping her from screaming. She vaguely recognised both men as having been with Matthew.
“Right sweetheart, if I remove my hand do you promise not to scream?” the ruffian asked, A wide eyed Jess nodded her head. “Make sure you don’t, I wouldn’t want to have to hurt you, or your brother either! Understand?”
Jess nodded her head again, even more scared if that was possible.
“Right sweetheart, where is that scum boyfriend of yours?”
“Matthew? I haven’t seen Matthew since he went out Wednesday night!”
“Where did he go?”
“I don’t know! He had a phone call, and just announced he was going out and not to wait up for him!”
“What time was this?” the second man asked.
“I’m not exactly sure, about half eight, quarter to nine! I hadn’t been home long from work!”
The obvious boss of the two thugs said to the second man, “Go, check around the flat see if you can find that bastard!”
Then holding Jess roughly with one hand pinching her cheeks and jaw as he did so “You better hope we don’t find him here, not only for your sake but for that little wimpy brother of yours too!”
Crashing and banging was heard from elsewhere in the flat, not that there were many places to hide, but the second man returned to the front door and looking at the man holding Jess, “He’s not here!”
“Right sweetheart, you be a good girl and you don’t tell anyone about our little visit this morning, but the moment you see that boyfriend of yours, you tell him that George is wanting to have a discussion with him!”
Jess could only nod her head.
“Good! Make! Sure! You! Do!” as with each word he banged Jessica’s head against the wall, then letting go of her she slid down the wall and crumpled onto the floor as the two thugs left slamming the door behind them! Jess subsided into an outburst of emotion and cried her eyes out for ten minutes, before she pulled herself upright and closed the front door.
Jessica phoned in sick that day, too shook up to face the questions from her employers about why she looked so upset and where had she gotten her bruises from? She was also desperate to talk to Matthew. Where was he? What had she seen in him? What was he up to? What had she got herself and Luke involved in? Where the hell was Matthew?
As she put the kettle on she glanced out of her kitchen window and noticed a car parked across the street, and one of the thugs was sat in the vehicle with a second, unknown man. What was she to do?
All day she kept a low profile and pondered what she should do next? Close to the end of the school day she decided to walk to Luke’s school and meet him to walk him home. Jess was aware of being followed to the school by the thug who’d been sat outside her flat all day.
Luke trudged out of the school, presenting a lonely, isolated figure as he did so. He broke into a beaming smile as he saw Jess at the school gates waiting for him and he ran to meet her. The smile slowly faded as he noticed Jess’s red eyes and slightly swollen face.
“What’s happened to you Jess? Did Matt hurt you? I’m going to kill him!” exclaimed an agitated Luke.
“Hush Luke, please, not here!” Jess bent down so her face was close to Luke’s “Wait until we get home, and I’ll tell you what’s going on, not that I know much, please Luke, just act normal for me, please, okay!”
One of the larger boys with a group of friends walked past Luke and Jess. “Oh look, the pansy’s Mommy has come to pick him up from school! Oh, but there again, your Mommy’s dead!” and with various cat calls, yells and laughter they all ran off.
Jess looked at Luke and noticed his moist, glassy eyes fighting back the tears.
“Oh Luke, why didn’t you tell me they were hurting you like that?” said Jess holding his hand.
“I didn’t want to make you more worried about me than you are, and anyway, it would have only made things worse!” mumbled a dejected Luke.
Two girls walked up to Luke and Jess, one rubbed her hand up and down Luke's arm. “I am so sorry Luke, they are just mean jerks, you have a good holiday and maybe we’ll see you during the summer!” and then they walked off.
“They seem nice!” stated Jess.
“Yeah they are, that’s Carole and Stacy, they’re in my class, they are usually the only ones to speak to me!”
“Oh!” replied a stunned Jess, “Let’s get you home, get something to eat shall we, what do you fancy?”
“Don’t laugh, but could we have cheese on toast?” asked an uplifted Luke. “Is Matthew home?”
“No Luke, I haven’t seen Matt nor heard from him!” raising her voice slightly, so the man following her would also hear her response. Chattering away about inconsequential trivia they walked home, both climbing the stairs to their flat to find the front door wide open! Jess stood transfixed wondering what she should do next.
“Do you know what, I think I am right out of cheese! Come on Luke, let’s go to the café, we’ll eat out like we’re made of money, well, almost!” laughed Jess, grabbing Luke and leading him back down the stairs, glancing over her shoulder at the flat door as she did so.
Within a few minutes they entered the café where Jess worked, the couple behind the counter looked up and saw Jess and Luke hurrying in through the door, their smiles fading as they noticed the swollen face on the young girl they almost considered a daughter and the scared expression she wore.
With a surreptitious shake of her head, Jess breezed up to the counter and said with false humour and bravado in her voice, “My little brother has broken up from school, and to celebrate, he want’s cheese on toast, I ask you, cheese on toast! But guess which big sister has run out of cheese? Yup! That’s right, me!”
“Well Luke, it’s a good job we have plenty of cheese, isn’t it?” said Tina as she walked around the counter to give Luke a hug and Jess a thorough appraisal over Luke’s shoulder. With her eye’s she signalled to Jess to go into the kitchen.
“Come on Luke, let’s get you settled on a stool up here at the counter!” said Tina, then in a stage whisper “I suppose you would like one of Mike’s world-famous milk shakes to go with your cheese on toast?”
“Yes please!” chuckled Luke.
Mike approached the counter and leaning on his elbows looked down at Luke with a beaming smile.
“Well young man, let me use my psychic powers on you!” Mike closed his eyes, “Yes, I can feel your thoughts, coming from your mind and, yes, they are entering my brain!”
Luke chuckled.
“Well, if you do have Luke’s thoughts entering your brain Mike, they’ll be on virgin territory, as you have not had any thoughts in your brain all day, you big wally!” snorted Tina with a chuckle, giving Luke a hug in the process.
“Well, that’s nice, oh wife of mine! If I had feelings, I would be deeply hurt!” responded Mike tousling Luke’s hair, “Let me guess Luke, yes, it’s almost clear in my mind! A chocolate milk shake, yes?”
“Yes please!” laughed Luke, “But you know I always have a chocolate milk shake whenever I come here!”
“Shhh!” said Mike giving the universal sign to keep silent my pressing a forefinger against his lips, “I’m trying to impress the rest of this crowd with how clever I am!” as he winked at Luke who giggled again.
“There’s little danger of that!” retorted Tina, “You get your finger out Michael, and make Luke his milk shake while I go out back with Jess and make the best cheese on toast in the area!”
“Now see what you’ve done young Luke, you have got me in trouble, she called me Michael, she only ever calls me Michael, when I am in trouble, or she wants something!”
“I HEARD THAT!” shouted Tina from the kitchen.
“Ears like a bat too!” whispered Mike to Luke as he placed a tall chocolate milk shake in front of him. Luke giggled yet again, he loved hearing the banter between Tina and Mike, he knew they kept a close eye on Jess and himself almost like how he imagined grandparents would.
Tina came out moments later with Luke's cheese on toast. Placing it in front of Luke she said to him, “Okay, Luke, can I leave you in charge for a moment, I need some more sauce from the storeroom and Mike’s the only one who can reach it, so if anyone comes in, you ask them to sit and come and get me from the kitchen.
“Okay Tina, I can do that!”
“Thanks Luke, now you enjoy your cheese on toast while it’s nice and hot, Now, you Michael, you come with me!” and playfully grabbing Mikes ear she led him into the kitchen.
Luke sat on the stool, legs swinging idly back and forth enjoying his meal when he heard the bell above the door ring and a man entered the café. He looked around and as Luke started to move to get Tina, he realised that he’d seen the same man not far from his school moments earlier.
“Excuse me sir, If you will take a seat, I’ll get Tina out to serve you, I’ll just be a moment!” Luke slid off the stool and headed towards the kitchen.
“Tina!” Luke called, “Customer!”
However, as he said that, he heard the bell chime again, and glancing back over his shoulder he noticed the same man leaving the café and slowly cross the street and get into a car.
“Oh Tina, I’m sorry!” said an almost tearful Luke, “I did ask him to take a seat and that I’d get you to serve him, but he’s just walked out!”
“I know you did Luke, don’t worry, you get back on the stool and finish your meal.”
Luke had a lift from Tina again and climbed back on the stool, Tina was right, she made excellent cheese on toast and Mike’s milk shakes were the best he’d ever had.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Tina and Jess were quietly informing Mike of the events of the last few days, including this morning’s visit by the two thugs and that the customer who had entered then left the café without waiting to be served, was one of two men that had been observing the flat all day and then tailing Jess.
Now Mike became angry, and then even angrier at the thought of his “family” being in trouble. He had never liked Matthew and always had deep rooted suspicions of his so-called business dealings, but he’d also known that to give voice to his fears to Jess would potentially have driven a wedge between them all, as people in love will always think the best. But now, his adopted family were in trouble, and Jess was palpably scared, for herself and Luke and didn’t know what to do.
Mike had served twenty-five years in the Para’s, part of the UK’s elite armed forces before buying this café with his wife Tina. They had a daughter Karen who lived in Northeast Scotland where she taught Geography. Karen and Jessica had first met in school and had both gone to university together, at least up until Jess was forced to drop out. Now, Mike bristled at the thought of Jess and Luke being in such a potentially precarious position.
The first thing to do was to check the flat, had Matthew come back or were some unsavoury characters lying in wait for Jess and Luke?
Mike took his whites off and put his coat on ready to accompany Jess back to the flat. Before leaving the café, he approached a couple of his regular customers sitting in the back of the premises drinking their tea after enjoying some bacon butties. After exchanging a few words, he headed back to the counter.
“Now young Skywalker! Sorry Luke, couldn’t help myself!” laughed Mike who shared a love of all things Star Wars with this young boy.
Luke having to wipe his face after snorting chocolate milk shake down his nose, coughed and spluttered at Mike’s teasing.
“You big Idiot Michael Arthur Smith!” scolded Tina, “Look at the state of Luke, you’re hopeless, go on, get out while I wipe Luke down!” she smiled nervously at her husband, then quietly added “You be careful, you hear me, and don’t you dare let anyone else hurt our Jessie, or you either!”
Mike kissed his wife “Don’t worry, my insurance will be following us just in case we need any assistance!”
Jess knelt down in front of Luke “Cor, look at the mess you’re in Luke!” as she surveyed his chocolate milk shake stained shirt front and shorts “I take you out for a treat and look at you!” then noticing the look of worry that crossed Luke’s face quickly added “Hey, I’m only teasing, I’m just popping out with Mike for a short while, so you stay here with Tina and do what she tells you, Okay?”
“Yes Jess! Are you going back to the flat?”
“Yes Luke, I’m just going to check things are Okay. Why do you ask?”
“Because I saw the broken door before we left to come here! Are people looking for Matthew?” asked her brother.
“I sometimes forget how clever and observant you are Luke, and yes, I think people are looking for Matt!”
Luke threw his arms around his sister’s neck, “Jess, please be careful!”
“I will be, Mike is coming with me to help me check things out, so don’t worry, Okay?”
Luke then hugged Mike around the waist, “Promise me that you won’t let anyone hurt my sister, nor you either?”
Mike hugged the small boy back, “I promise you Luke, that we’ll both be back safe and sound before you know it! Now you look after Tina and do what she tells you, just like I do!” saying this Mike winked at Luke and followed by Jess he headed out of the front door.
Moments later, the two men Mike had spoken to earlier sauntered out of the door and ambled down the street.
“Right Luke, let’s get you cleaned up!” stated Tina as she led Luke out the back towards the staff room. “I’ll have to see what I have for you to wear while I put these things of yours in to soak before they’re ruined!”
Chapter Three.
As Jess and Mike climbed the stairs to the flat, Mike placed his hand on her shoulder, and, pulling her back slightly entered the flat first. Jess gasped as she saw the devastation in front of her. Even from the front door it was obvious that the flat had been ransacked, with all their meagre belongings strewn all over the place. She stood there with her hands held to her mouth and tears forming, prickling at her eyes. As she looked around at the upturned furniture with the cushions and pillows slashed, she couldn’t stop herself from openly crying. She stooped to pick up a broken picture frame, containing one of the few mementoes of her with her mother and brother in happier times.
Mike put his arm around her shoulders and pulling Jess behind living room door placed his finger to his lips, in the universal sign for keeping quiet. As Jess stood there, she heard heavy steps coming up the stairs, then entering the flat.
Mike stepped forward, “Excuse me gentlemen, can I help you?”
“Piss off old man! Where’s the bitch? Our business is with her not you! Now fu*k off out the way unless you want to get hurt!” the leader of the pair snarled, the second, so far silent thug let an iron bar slip from up his sleeve into his hand, smacking the bar into the palm of his other hand in a threatening manner!
“Now that’s not a nice attitude is it sonny, does your mom know you use that mouth of yours to speak such filth?” Mike said to the first thug, then addressing the second man “I’d drop that bar if I were you mate, I’d hate to take it off you by force!”
The weapon wielding thug laughed and launched an attack on Mike. Before Jess even knew what exactly Mike had done, the thug was lying on the floor with blood streaming from his nose, whist nursing an obviously broken right arm with his left hand, wailing like a banshee.
The first man then made a massive mistake and drew a knife, pulling his arm back ready to thrust at Mike’s exposed side. A huge hand appeared from behind the thug and with a quick twist snapped the wrist of the knife wielding assailant. There in the flat’s doorway stood the two customers from Mike’s café.
“Thanks Steve! Some people have the most abysmal manners these days, don’t they?” mused Mike.
“You don’t know who you’re fu*king dealing with old man!” spat the would be knife attacker. “You’re going to regret tangling with us!” he added with a whimper creeping into his voice.
“Oh dear me, I am so scared! Not!” snarled Mike, “Well Geoff, it seems this gentleman doesn’t know when to keep his opinions to himself, would you be so kind as to explain to him the error of his ways?”
“Be my pleasure Mike!”
The second of Mikes customers grabbed the knife man by the scruff of his hoodie, and picking him up, delivered several jabs into the thugs kidneys, before slamming his face into the wall! “Now mate, if I were you, I would apologise to Mike and then the young lady!”
“Fu*k you!” replied the thug.
“Dear me, that’s not the response I was looking for mate!” said Geoff, slamming the thugs face back into the wall with several follow up punches to the solar plexus for good measure. “Want to try that again?”
Silence! The bar wielding thug tried to rise to his feet, only to find himself slammed back into the floor with Steve standing on the mans broken arm for good measure, “And where do you think you are off to mate?”
“Nowhere!” was the screamed response.
“Now, let’s see who we are dealing with, shall we?” snarled Mike as he quickly and expertly frisked the two would be assailants.
Jess looked on in amazement at the events unfolding before her. She’s always known that Mike and Tina had a soft spot for ex-servicemen who were struggling to adapt to civilian life, just as Steve and Geoff had. She’s known they were both ex Royal Marines who were struggling to keep from having to sleep rough and were part of a group of men that Mike and Tina gave special mates rates so they could eat the end of the day. Usually giving them food that was getting close to its expiration date. She knew they’d all received military training, but she’d never seen it in action, until now!
“So, now then what do we see here?” asked Mike rhetorically, as he went through the men’s belongings. “Well look at all this cash, I think that will go some way to pay for all the damage and destruction you two have caused here, don’t you?”
“Nuck off!” was the garbled response from the would be knife man. Which earned him a couple more kidney punches from Geoff.
“Still no manners I see!” said Mike. “Now I think you two gentlemen, and I use the term lightly, are looking for Matthew? Am I right?” not getting a response, he carried on, “Well, as you no doubt know, he is not here, has not left any of his belongings here that you or your bosses are looking for, and neither my friend nor her brother know where Matthew is, they don’t know when or if he’s coming back and want nothing further to do with him anyway, do you understand?”
Silence!
“I asked, DO, YOU, UNDERSTAND?”
Following squeals from both thugs as further pain was inflicted, both men reluctantly nodded.
“Now gentlemen, my friend doesn’t want to see your ugly mugs in her life ever again, nor any of your colleagues, so you can tell your bosses if they don’t leave her alone, then the police will be given your two wallets, minus the cash of course, along with information as to your exploits of late! Do you understand?”
Both would be thugs nodded.
“Right gents, I think you need hospital treatment, being as you accidentally fell down the stairs, don’t you? Geoff, Steve, could you help our friends to their vehicle?”
“No problem Mike, although I think they might need to call the breakdown people out as I think their car has a flat tyre!” smirked Steve.
“Yeah, a flat tyre on each corner, never seen anything like it myself Mike, have you Steve?” said Geoff, who then added, “And tell your friends to stay away from Mike, us or any of our friends, as we despise scum like you, you give parasites a bad name! Any hassle and you two could well be needing hospital care, again, understand?”
Without waiting for a response Geoff and Steve shoved the two thugs to their feet and out the flat door. As sounds of feet were heard receding down the stairs, cries were heard and tumbling sounds made its way to Jess’s ears.
“Oh dear! What a shame! Never mind!” said Mike laughing as he quoted the line made famous in the BBC comedy “It ain’t half hot Mum!” “It seems our friends have actually fallen down the stairs, at least they can tell the truth to the paramedics!”
“Ok Jess, we need to get both of you out of here before our two friends start blabbing to their friends! Gather what you can for you and Luke that hasn’t been destroyed into a case or bags and let’s get going, whilst Matthew’s colleagues are otherwise occupied!”
Jess looked about her at the devastation caused to their belongings, “It doesn’t look like much has survived, but I’ll see what’s left! Oh Mike! What are we going to do?” she asked as she collapsed into Mikes arms. As they stood together the blare of an ambulance siren was heard getting ever closer.
“Don’t worry about the details of the next few days love, let’s get you sorted out here first, so come on Jess, show that determination and that fire in your belly you displayed when Social Services wanted to take Luke from you! You are strong Jess, show it now! Okay?”
Jess looked up into Mikes face, “Okay Mike, you’re right, I can do this!” so saying she started to go through the flat picking up the few items of clothing and nick-nacks that she could salvage. As she went through the remnants of her bedroom the image of Matthew kneeling by the side of the bed came into her memory. So, she went around the far side of the bed, and stooping down lifted the carpet from the corner of the room to find a loose floorboard. Lifting the floorboard revealed wads of cash and bags of white powder. The exclamation she’d uttered had brought Mike to her side.
“Just as I thought!” murmured Mike.
“He is a drug dealer? How could I have been so stupid not to notice what he was up to?” asked Jess to herself.
“Love makes us blind Jess! Leave that to me to sort! Go finish gathering what you can and I’ll meet you at the front door shortly!” said Mike.
A few minutes later Jess stood by the door to what had been her and Luke’s home, their sanctuary, and now the place where their lives had been almost completely shattered.
“Give me that bag Jess, and let’s get out of here!” stated Mike as he guided her down the stairs as she pulled a large, wheeled suitcase behind her and away from the flat. As they left the main entrance, they saw an ambulance crew working on two somewhat injured individuals who had seemingly fallen down some stairs. Within a few minutes Mike and Jess entered the rear of the café which was now closed for the day. As Mike had looked up and down the street, he’d seen both Steve and Geoff smile and raise their thumbs in acknowledgement, he settle with them both the next day. First he had to get Jess and Luke to safety, then make an anonymous phone call to the police information hot-line telling them about Matthew’s stash and his seeming disappearance!
Quickly getting Jess and Luke into the back of their car at the rear of their premises and covering them with a blanket to keep them hidden, Mike and Tina drove home after locking the café and setting the alarm. Mike kept a well trained eye to ensure they were not being followed. Giving Tina the Okay, Tina turned to the two young people in the back of the car, “Stay hidden until we get the car in the garage, and the door closed, then we’ll get you into the house!”
“What’s going on Jess?” asked an obviously scared Luke.
“Wait until we get into Mike and Tina’s house, and I’ll explain it all to you, I promise!” responded Jess. Luke just continued to hold tightly onto her hand.
The four of them were seated in Mike and Tina’s kitchen drinking tea, each quietly thinking over the last few hours. Mike had popped out not long after he’d smuggled the youngsters into the house, he’d made the phone call tipping off the police and had received a message from Geoff to say that the flat was now a crime scene with the authorities crawling all over the property. Evidence bags had already been removed from the premises, with members of the drug dealing gang probably in the crowd observing developments.
Luke had been distraught to hear what had happened within the place he knew of as home, he was even more upset to know exactly what had happened to Jess that morning and his own, unwitting role in drug dealing.
“That means he was using me to carry drugs for him, and his drug money too!” Luke had muttered as he’d hugged his sister who was as equally horrified with events! How could she be so blind and so stupid, now she’d placed her custody of Luke at serious risk by her association with Matthew. The real question now was, what to do next? Were the police looking for her and Luke? More importantly were the drug dealers looking for them too? Whatever she decided, she had to protect Luke no matter what, but what to do?
Later that evening, after settling Luke to sleep in the spare room she was to share with him for the night, Jess was sat with Mike and Tina watching the local television news. The main item was the breaking story of a police investigation into a significant drugs haul with possible links to major drugs distribution throughout the city. Apparently two arrests had been made. Jess sat forward with her face in her hands.
“What am I going to do? I am in so much trouble, and I have put Luke at risk, I’ll never forgive myself if they take Luke away from me, I promised mom I’d look after him no matter what, now look what has happened? I am so bloody stupid!”
“Don’t you dare belittle yourself Jessica!” snapped Tina shocking Jess with the tone of her response. “You were not to know what Matthew was up to, you were in love and deserved better, none of this is your fault, do you hear me?”
“Yes Tina, but”
“No buts Jess, None of this is your fault! Is your life more complicated now? Yes! Are the next days going to be difficult? Yes! Can we sort this all out? Yes! Are you on your own in this situation? No! Can we keep Luke safe with you? Yes, we bloody well will do! So, let’s get our collective heads together! But, not tonight, we are all tired, and we need to get our thinking caps on, you stay here with Luke tomorrow, stay away from the windows, don’t answer the door and we’ll sort this tomorrow evening, now get yourself off up to bed, you’ve had an awful day so get some sleep, we love you like you two are our own and we will keep you safe, you have our word!”
“But tell me Jess, have you noticed anything odd about Luke's body of late?” queried Tina.
“I can’t say have Tina, normally he’s either on his way to school or on his way to bed! I mean I know he’s the smallest in his class, but he’s always been small, and dainty really, I suppose, it’s something that’s always been the case. I did think it strange he hadn’t grown much while I was away at university, but I assumed that was just the way Luke was built and if anything was wrong, then Mom would have sorted it, why, do you think something is wrong with him?”
“I don’t know Jess, when was the last time he was seen by a Doctor?”
“I’ve no idea Tina, it’s been so chaotic of late, and he never complains of feeling ill, so it has never crossed my mind, come on Tina, what have you noticed?”
I don’t know Jess, I’m not a Doctor, but it might be an idea once we get you away from here to get you to take him for a check-up, just to be on the safe side!”
“Oh my God Tina, now you are scaring me even more, what have you noticed, please!”
Tina took Jess’s hands in hers, “I don’t know Jess, honestly, but as he complained about his joints aching, or his chest hurting at all?”
Jess thought for a moment or two, “No Tina, he’s not complained to me about anything like that, other than when one of Matt’s friends hurt him the other day, but now you mention it, I have noticed him absently rubbing his chest, especially when he’s engrossed in his cartoons, but I just assumed it was a habit of some sort!” Jess put her head in her hands, “Arrgh, I have not only put him at risk from mobsters, but I’ve neglected his health too, some big sister I am!”
“Now stop that Jess, you’ve had too much to deal with of late, so do me a favour, once you get somewhere safe, take him to someone for a check-up, just to put your mind at rest, now, bed young lady, you need to get some sleep.
Jess stood and turned, giving both Tina and Mike a hug and a kiss and before going off to bed, and in spite of how worried she felt she was soon fast asleep. When Tina looked in on Luke and Jess, they were both deeply unconscious and snuggled up in each other’s arms.
As Mike got into bed he looked across at his wife and saw the intense concentration on her face.
“You have a plan! Only I recognise that look!”
“I have an idea, am I ready to tell you what it is? Not yet, I’ve a few details to sort out first, but I’ll tell you tomorrow after the breakfast rush!” With that, both settled down to their individual thoughts until they too were asleep.
Hiding in Plain Sight – Part Two of Seven.
Jessica and Luke are siblings who have experienced a whole world of pain and hurt in their short lives. When it seems that, for once, things are finally beginning to improve, a local drug gang invades their existence, and their world threatens to crumble down around their ears. Read on to see how they and their friends fight back.
Chapter Four.
The next morning, Mike and Tina left for the café as usual. Luke and Jess spent a quiet, restless day keeping a low profile. Several times the house phone rang, and they ignored it, twice people came to the door ringing the bell, and again they were ignored. Both were too worried for the other to do much more than to cuddle and watch mindless television.
During the morning Tina left the café to Mike and the two Saturday girls who came in to work to cover Jess, who’s usual day off was Saturday so she could spend time with Luke. Tina returned laden down with a new wheeled suitcase which she quietly placed in the boot of the car, refusing to tell Mike what she’d bought.
The café always closed early on Saturday afternoon, so they were both home not long after three o’clock. They had barely got in the house before a couple approached the front door and rang the bell. Making sure Jess and Luke were still safely ensconced upstairs, Mike answered the door.
“Mr Smith?” asked the man.
“Yes!”
“Ah good, I am Detective Sergeant Jones, this is Detective Constable Wright, I wonder if we may ask you to spare us a few moments of your time?” Both officers showed their warrant cards.
“What’s this about?” asked Mike.
“Who is it, Mike?” asked Tina as she emerged from the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel.
“It’s the police love.”
“The police? What do they want with us?”
“I was just wondering that myself Tina!”
“May we come in for a moment? Just to ensure some privacy!” asked the policewoman.
“Yes, I don’t see why not, please, come in.” said Mike as he stepped back and Tina showed them into the front room.
“We won’t keep you long, we know you are just home from work. I wonder if you know where we could find Miss Jessica Carter or her brother Luke?” asked DS Jones.
“No, we haven’t seen her since yesterday, today is her usual day off!” answered Tina.
“So you have no idea where either of them are?” asked DC Wright, glancing upwards as she asked the question.
“No, we haven’t seen either of them today, have we Mike?” answered Tina truthfully, as both Jess and Luke were still in bed when they’d left for work.
“Nope, not me, not heard hide nor hair of either of them since yesterday, why are you looking for them? Are they in some kind of trouble?” asked Mike.
“No, neither of them are in any trouble, we just want to speak to Miss Carter about her boyfriend Matthew Gibson.”
“Him! He’s trouble if you ask me!” stated Mike.
“Why do you say that Mr. Smith?” asked DS Jones.
“I don’t know really, he is just too shifty, he’s never looked me in the eye, he seems to be a control freak, especially where Jess is concerned, I know Luke is scared of him. Matthew is just the sort of character that makes you want to not waste any time and dislike him from the outset, but, Jess is besotted with him, so I keep my opinions to myself!” replied an obviously annoyed Mike.
“Are you looking for Matthew too?” asked Tina.
The two police officers glanced at each other, then DS Jones said “We know where Mr Gibson is at the moment, he’s in the mortuary. We understand from our informers that Matthew may well have been siphoning drugs and funds from his employers, and it seems they took exception! We recovered significant amounts of drugs and some cash from the property Matthew shared with Miss Carter, and we just need to ask her some questions.”
“Well, she was upset when I last spoke to her, but she didn’t say where she was or if she was going to go away!” said Tina to the officers.
“Well, we won’t disturb you any longer. If you do hear from Miss Carter, please ask her to speak to us on this number, or, if she prefers, to pop into the station and ask for either of us if you would!” and both officers proffered business cards with their contact details.
“Certainly!” said Mike taking the cards, and with that both officers left, but not without DC Wright glancing up the stairs again as she left.
“Well, that calls for a cuppa if nothing else!” said Tina heading back to the kitchen, “Mike, be a love and fetch me the suitcase from the boot of the car please!” Mike shrugged and headed back into the garage to comply with his wife’s instructions.
“You can come downstairs now, you two!” added Tina as she closed the slats of the kitchen blind, “We need to have a talk!”
Jess sat quietly weeping for Matthew. Despite the chaos he’d brought into their lives, particularly over the last few days, she still felt something for the man, but he’d placed her care of Luke into jeopardy, and she’d never forgive him for that. Luke just sat in stunned silence. His life, which apart from these three people around him now, especially his sister, had been pretty miserable anyway, now, everything was up in the air and the dread of being forcibly parted from Jess was tearing him apart.
“Listen up everyone, I have a plan to deal with the current situation!” stated Tina with authority. “You two are probably free and clear as far as the police are concerned, but we can’t be one hundred percent sure, maybe even Matthew’s drug lords may not be too interested in you now either, but who knows what they are thinking for definite. They will assume that the police have recovered the drugs and money that he’s stolen from them. No, the real problem, as I see it is Social Services. And who knows how they’ll react, so it’s best not to find out by giving them chance to speak with either of you at the moment, so, you need to disappear for a while, Jessica and Luke Carter need to vanish off the face of the planet!”
“But! What! How?” spluttered Jess as Luke just stared at Tina.
“Where will we go, we don’t know anyone else but you, I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do once we got there?” exclaimed Jess.
“Yes you do!” stated Tina with authority, “You will go to stay with Karen up in Aberdeen.
“No!” said Jess with some vehemence, “I have dragged you two into this mess, I am not asking my best and only friend to get involved too!”
“No, you don’t have to ask Karen for help Jess, I knew you wouldn’t want to ask for her assistance, so I asked her for you! She’s expecting you the day after tomorrow!”
“WHAT! But! But!” spluttered Jess, “I can’t Tina, I simply can’t involve Karen in my mess!”
“I’ll give you that Jess, but Jessica and Luke Carter have disappeared so anyone looking for a brother and sister by those names will be unlucky, as they’ll be nowhere in sight!”
“I don’t understand? What do you mean Tina?” asked Luke.
“Well sweetheart, you will both need a disguise!” replied Tina “This will really, really need you to be bold and brave Luke, as your disguise will require you to become someone completely different, so different it will probably feel really strange, especially to start with, but, perhaps not so bad after what we were speaking about yesterday!” Tina looked intently at Luke whose face coloured a deep red and he could only stare at the floor. “Jessica is going to change from being your sister to your mommy, and you, my dear, sweet Luke, are going to change from a brother to a daughter!”
A wild-eyed Luke stared at Tina, “You, want, me, to be a girl?” he whispered.
“No! Definitely not! I am not asking Luke to pretend to be a girl!” thundered Jess rising to her feet and staring at Tina.
“SIT DOWN JESS, please, sit down!” said Tina quietly, Jess slumped into her chair looking for all the world more like a petulant teenager than a would be mother.
“Think about it Jess, you need to disappear, at least for a while, and this way no one will suspect who you truly are. You just need to change your make-up a little and alter your clothing to an older style, change your hair colouring and we can pass you off as a young mother in her late twenties, who just happens to have a young child, teen pregnancies happen you know!”
“Yes, I can understand that part of your plan, but you can’t think of passing Luke off as a twelve-year-old girl of all things, where will we get clothes? what do we use for money?”
“Well Jess, money isn’t a problem, you see, the money the police recovered wasn’t everything that was originally under your floorboards!” said an embarrassed looking Mike. “I took the liberty of, err, liberating some of it for your use and to repay you for all the damage and stress those hooligans put you through! I took the view it is better to seek forgiveness rather than ask for permission, so in my coat pockets when we left your flat yesterday, I had hidden some cash, money that Matthew stole from who knows who!”
“No Mike, it’s drug money!” said Jess.
“I know love, but if you don’t use it for the pair of you to get back on your feet, should the drug gangs keep it, or the government get their greedy hands on it? Take it Jess, put it to a far better use than it was intended, you need it love, you need it!” said Mike quietly.
“The money is one thing, but I can’t ask Luke to become a girl, no matter what the reasons!” said a tearful Jess.
“Jess, you have always told me you’d do anything to keep us together, absolutely anything, did you mean that?” asked Luke looking intently into his sisters eyes.
“Oh Luke, sweetheart!” replied Jess, “You know you mean everything to me, and yes, I’ll do absolutely anything to keep you with me, you know that don’t you?”
“Yes Jess, I’ve always known it, so Jess, will you become my Mommy?” said Luke quietly. “Because I can be your daughter! I will do absolutely anything to keep us together too, including becoming a girl if needs be, as long as you will still love me?”
“Come here you!” said Jess as she opened her arms to hug Luke, looking across at Tina, she asked “I suppose you have a good reason for suggesting this level of subterfuge?”
“Well, it occurred to me yesterday when I was helping Luke get out of his stained clothes after the milk shake incident, I was struck by how small, slight and generally underdeveloped Luke is. And like I was suggesting last night, he reminds me of Karen when she was little. Then, when I was talking to Luke, he let little things slip, and he told me how much he hates his body, as his outside doesn’t match his inside! Isn’t that right Luke?” Tina asked as she held his hand, Luke could only nod. “Then when I was thinking through my idea’s last night it struck me as the perfect disguise, we can pass Luke off as a young girl quite easily, especially after what I’d observed yesterday in cleaning all that milk shake from his body.”
“I don’t know how to be a girl!” whispered Luke.
“No, you are right, you don’t Luke, but Jess does, and so does Karen, and if I think far enough back, even I can just about remember!” said Tina smiling.
“But what do we do about clothes, we need to get away before we can go shopping!” exclaimed Jess, Mike smiled as a lightbulb went off in his head!
“Already been sorted!” said Tina, “I popped out and bought you both the bare essentials today, only enough for a few days, but enough to get you started, it’s all in that case over there! Any more objections?” she asked to no-one in particular. No-one had!
Jess took Luke’s chin in her hand and raised his face to look at her. “What do you mean Luke, your inside doesn’t match your outside?” she asked tenderly.
Luke’s eyes filled with tears as he stared at his sister, he simply shook his head from side to side.
“Come on Luke, you can tell me, and no matter what you say, I will always love you and be at your side, you know that right?”
With a big sigh Luke closed his eyes and started talking. “Ever since I can remember, I have always felt that I was in the wrong body. I should have been a girl. My only friends are girls, the boys hate me because I’m different, they like to make me cry and tease me all the time. I don’t understand them, but I do understand girls much better. I used to pray every night for God to correct His mistake and make me a girl, but He never did, But then I used to pray for Him to heal mom, but He didn’t answer that prayer either!” Luke then broke down as sobs wracked his body.
“Oh Luke, why didn’t you ever say anything?” asked an equally distraught Jessica as she hugged him tightly.
“Oh Jess, how could I, I was going to tell mom, but then she got ill because I’m a freak, I thought I could tell her when she got better, but she never did, because I’m a freak, and, it was my fault she got ill and died, then, afterwards, you were so busy fighting to keep us together, how could I risk that you would think I’m a freak too and stop loving me!” replied Luke in between his sobs as he gasped for air.
“Oh sweetheart, I will love you always, no matter what!” replied Jess, equally distraught as she hugged Luke tightly to her chest. “Never, ever, be afraid to tell me anything, do you understand me, you are all the family I have! You are not a freak, none of this is your fault, not Mom getting ill or Matthew being an evil man, I need you by my side! Always! Now then sweetheart!” as she held his shoulders and pushed him away from her slightly, “Does my daughter have a name?”
“Luke looked at his sister’s face, “Lisa!” he whispered, “My real name is Lisa!”
“Well Lisa, I am pleased to meet you, I hope you will be a good girl for your mommy!” smiled Jess.
“Oh Mom!” exclaimed Lisa as she hugged Jess tightly, “I will always be a good girl for you, I promise!”
An emotional Mike and Tina looked on at these two youngsters, two individuals who had already faced major distress in their short lives, pain etched in both their expressions.
“We need a new name for you too Jess, and a surname for you both to be known as!” said Tina quietly.
“I will use moms middle name of Carrie, and how about her maiden name of Brown?” asked an emotional Jess, as she rested her face on top of her new daughters head, tears cascading down her cheeks.
“I think that will work fine, don’t you Mike?” asked Tina.
Mike didn’t trust himself to speak properly given his emotions, and simply nodded his agreement.
“Lisa and Carrie Brown have a lot to do tomorrow, so I suggest an early night for us all.” Said Tina, “Given how our emotions are all over the place, a good night’s sleep will do us all a world of good. Tomorrow, we perfect your disguises, and check to see if I have forgotten anything you will need. Then on Monday, you will need to be a New Street Station to catch the 14:07 to Aberdeen, arriving at 21:13 where Karen will meet up with you!”
Lisa just looked up at her new mom, Carrie just nodded at Tina “I think you are quite right, I for one could do with some rest, how about you young lady? Lisa just nodded. “Come on then, we both could do with our beauty sleep!”
Lisa broke free of Carrie’s embrace and approached Tina and Mike.
“Thank you for looking out for us and thank you for not throwing me out of your house!” she said as she embraced them both. Mike lifted Lisa up into his firm embrace, “Listen you, don’t you ever doubt our love for you and Carrie. We loved Luke as a grandson, we will now love Lisa as our granddaughter! Now, if only you had chosen the name Leia, I could have called you Princess Leia Skywalker, Luke’s beautiful sister!” said Mike smilingly, Lisa giggled, a sound that had been noticeably absent since yesterday.
“Oh grandad, you are so silly!” replied Lisa, resting her forehead against Mike’s.
Mike’s eye’s gave up the fight with gravity and tears rolled down his cheeks at Lisa’s use of that term of endearment, a term that Mike didn’t expect. He pulled Carrie to his side. “No matter what the future holds for you both, know that Tina and I are always here for you, and we love you both, no matter what!”
Tina joined the group hug.
“Go on you two, off to bed, lots to do tomorrow, lots to do!” The youngsters headed upstairs hand in hand.
Tina hugged her husband, “You know something Michael Arthur Smith? You are a big softy under that brusque exterior, I love you, always have, always will! Now, lock up and let’s get to bed ourselves!”
Within fifteen minutes, the house was secure and in darkness, but, down the street a nondescript car was parked up in shadows cast from the streetlights, and the glow from a barely dark summers sky. Inside, the bright red end of a cigarette being drawn on was the only sign that there were any occupants. It was going to be a long night for the observer.
Chapter Five.
The next day was a busy one within the Smith household and it started just gone seven o’clock. The first task was to change the long dirty blond hair that Lisa had the day before, to a reddish ginger colour, which, along with a trim changed Lisa’s appearance more than she ever thought possible. She was mesmerised by her reflection and kept pushing the base of her hair in amazement.
“I think we’ve created a monster!” quipped Tina to Carrie, whose own hair had been changed from a light brown to a rich mahogany colour, with a shorter bob cut.
“Lisa, come and try on these jeans!” added Carrie. Lisa showed no sign of having heard Carrie’s request. Carrie walked up behind Lisa and placed her hands on her new daughter’s shoulders. “Earth to Lisa!” smiled Carrie.
“Huh! Did you say something?” asked Lisa looking up into her new mother’s reflection.
“Yes sweetheart, I asked you to come and try these new jeans on that Granny bought you yesterday! But I take it you like what you see?”
Lisa looked back at her reflection but only nodded.
“What are you thinking sweetheart?” asked Carrie.
Lisa continues to examine her reflection, “I, I never imagined I could look, so, that I could look so, so!” her voice failed her at this point!
“That you could look so different? That you could look so beautiful?” asked Carrie, “Because you look so very beautiful, you look just like mom when she was your age!”
“Do you think so?” asked an excited Lisa as she turned to face Carrie, “Do you really think I am beautiful and that I look like mom?”
“Yes Lisa! Yes, I do, and if mom could see you now, well, she would be so very proud of you and she would tell you how beautiful you are and how much she loved you too!”
Lisa enveloped Carrie in a big hug, “Thank you Carrie!” She whispered, “She would say you are beautiful too!” and reaching up on her tip toes Lisa kissed Carrie’s cheek.
With a big smile Lisa said “Well come on Mom, let’s see if these clothes Granny bought for me yesterday fit me okay!”
Tina smiled at the pair of them, “Okay young lady, strip, and let’s get you kitted out for your new life!”
Within minutes Lisa was standing in front of Tina and Lisa in a pair of pale blue satin panties and a matching A cup bra, which she more than filled. After having the shoulder straps correctly adjusted, Lisa was swaying from side to side admiring herself in the full-length mirror. Carrie glanced across at Tina and nodded, noticing for the first time, just how feminine Lisa’s body was becoming.
“Are you alright sweetheart?” asked Carrie, “You look a little pale!” Lisa was once again lost in her own little world!
“I think we’ve definitely created a monster!” exclaimed Tina full of smiles.
“I think you are right Tina, come on Lisa, you can’t go out in just your undies now, can you? Come and try this blouse on then these jeans!” laughed Carrie. “I asked if you are feeling okay, you look a little paler than normal?”
“Ok Mommy, I’m coming!”
“I asked if you feel okay?”
“Sorry Mommy yes, I feel a little sick, and my tummy aches a bit, it does every now and then, but I’m alright, just scared I suppose!”
“I’m not surprised Lisa, anyway, come here and let’s get you into some outdoor clothes!”
Within moments Lisa was stood in front of Carrie and Tina wearing a white embroidered anglaise blouse with short puff sleeves and a snug pair of pale blue jeans with heavy embroidery at each pocket and around the base of each leg. On her feet were black penny loafers with a one-inch heel. On her left wrist she wore a slim watch with a silver bracelet on her other arm, around her neck was a heart shaped locket.
“Wow Lisa, you look so grown up, although you could do with your ears being pierced!” remarked Carrie.
“Well Lisa, if you trust me, I can pierce your ears now, I used to do all my friends when I was younger, it doesn’t really hurt, and the sooner you have them done the sooner you can wear more ornate earrings like other girls your age!” stated Tina.
Lisa looked at her mom, and seeing her nodded agreement said “Okay Granny, I trust you! Let’s do it!”
Twenty minutes later, using the old traditional method of an ice cube to numb her ear lobes, and by using a large needle and a potato behind her lobes, Lisa now proudly displayed two piercings in each ear with a gold stud in the upper hole and a sleeper loop in the lower. To say she was pleased was a massive understatement.
Half an hour later and Lisa had tried on all the clothing Tina had bought for her disguise. She was now wearing a pale blue sun dress that came to just below her knees. She had open toed sandals on her feet with two-inch heels. Again, she was lost in her reflection from her red toenails to her ponytail perched on the top of her head, she was stunned by the girl in the mirror.
“I always dreamt of how I would look, but I never thought I would get the chance to be the real me! I am sorry that our lives have been wrecked by Matthew, but I am also really pleased.” Lisa almost whispered, then turning to look at Tina and Carrie. “You won’t stop loving me will you, because I am a little freak?” she asked with her lower lip quivering and the start of tears in her eyes! “I couldn’t live with myself if you stopped loving me!”
Carrie picked her new daughter up and stared into her face. “Lisa Brown, I don’t want you to ever, ever use that term to describe yourself again, do you hear me?” She asked with a proper mother tone in her voice. “I WILL ALWAYS, ALWAYS LOVE YOU, DO YOU UNDERSTAND MISSY, YOU ARE MY PRECIOUS DAUGHTER, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING, OKAY? Understand?”
Lisa nodded resting her head on Carries shoulder, “Thank you Mom, even if this is only for a short time, I will be a good girl for you, I promise!”
“Well sweetheart.” Said Carrie speaking to the top of Lisa’s head. “You might be my daughter for a while, who knows how long, but perhaps, if you want to that is, once this all blows over, we will become sisters, Okay Lisa?”
Lisa’s head shot up to look in Carrie’s eyes. “Do you think so? You promise? Because, I have always, always thought of us as sisters, even if no-one else thought so, but I would give everything I have to always, always be your sister.”
“I promise, that no matter what it takes, you will always be either my daughter or my sister, if that is what you want, if that is who you are. To be honest, I can’t really think of you as anything else than a female. The difference in you is like night and day, so Lisa Brown, are you happy?”
Lisa nodded and kissed Carrie, as Carrie put Lisa back on the floor. Lisa brushed her dress skirts back into place, a completely subconscious action, which both Carrie and Tina noticed and smiled at each other.
Tina turned Lisa to face her. “You, young lady are most definitely not a freak, and like Carrie has said, I don’t ever, ever want to hear you refer to yourself by any other negative, derogatory term either. You are you, and you are a young girl on the cusp of becoming a young woman, you are pretty, you are beautiful, and you are loved! So, no more feeling that you are not worthy of our love, Okay? Carrie loves you, I love you, your Grandfather loves you and Karen can’t wait to meet her new niece as she loves you too! Now Missy, we won’t have this conversation again! Right? There is nothing to fear in being true to yourself, our love is never ending, well, unless you become a Birmingham City supporter, your grandfather might draw the line at that, you know how he is about his beloved Aston Villa?”
Mike came into the kitchen looking a bit hot and bothered after being out cutting both the front and rear lawns. “What might I draw the line at?” he asked smiling.
Carrie answered “If our Lisa became a Blues supporter!”
“Wash your mouth out with soap and water woman!” he chuckled, “I’ll have no swearing in this house, a “Scum” supporter!” Never!” with that he pretended to shiver and then burst out laughing. It was then that he took a close look at Lisa and how she had changed during the morning’s beauty treatments.
He beamed a big smile, “Wow, look at you, looking all grown up! Come here, give me a hug and a kiss!” So saying he bent at the waist and made a kissy face at Lisa and pretended to reach out for her. She squealed, and laughing out loud ran and hid behind her mom.
“Eww Granddad, you are all sweaty, and smelly!” giggled Lisa.
“Stop it Mike, you blooming idiot! You’ll get Lisa’s nice new clothes all dirty!” stated Tina as she playfully smacked him up the side of his head.
Mike exchanged a knowing glance with Lisa and Carrie.
Carrie turned to her daughter and said “I’ll tell you what Lisa, why don’t you go and watch one of your Loony Tunes® DVD’s while we get this case sorted! And don’t get your dress all creased, Okay?”
“Yes Mother!” came the reply, with a mock sigh as Lisa skipped into the front room.
As the well known sounds of the introduction tune was heard coming from the living room, Mike spoke quietly to Tina and Carrie.
“We have company, just down the street is a large silver car with a bloke in it who, although he is trying not to show it, he seems very interested in this house, I’m pretty sure there was a car parked there last night too when we saw the police officers to the door. So, I reckon whoever is in the car is more likely to be friends of Matthew’s than the “Old Bill!”
“Oh Mike! What am I going to do?” exclaimed a slightly panicked Carrie. “I have to protect Lisa at all costs!”
“Don’t you worry about it Carrie, leave it to me! I promise you nothing will happen to either of you, I expect they are just keeping an eye on us in the hope that Jess and/or Luke show up on our doorstep, and we all know that’s not going to happen don’t we!”
“But how are we going to get to the station tomorrow?” asked a less than convinced Carrie.
“You leave that to us Carrie, leave it to us!” said Tina as she hugged Carrie, “And you Michael Arthur Smith, go and have a shower and change your dirty clothes!”
“Blimey! In trouble again, Yes Boss! Right away Boss! Three bags full Boss!” laughed Mike as he dodged a swipe from Tina and headed off to the bathroom. As he passed the front room, he looked in to see Lisa sat on the sofa, her legs drawn up under her skirts in a typically feminine pose he’d observed so often from his wife and daughter. How could they all have not been aware of the conflict within Lisa? But, he promised himself that no-one, absolutely no-one, was going to hurt his girls. He had places to be and people to see, but first he needed a shower!
As Carrie and Lisa sorted the case out, Carrie stopped what she was doing and said to Tina “What am I going to do for identification? Someone, somewhere is going to ask us to prove who we are and we won’t be able to!”
“Don’t worry about that love, I heard Mike on the phone first thing this morning, he has contacts from his time in the Para’s, I don’t know what he has asked or who he has asked, but it is in hand, so don’t worry, okay?” Carrie nodded. But still looked concerned.
Chapter Six.
Mike came downstairs after his shower and as he passed the front room door, he looked in to find Lisa slumped over the arm of the sofa fast asleep. He quietly went into the room and taking the T.V. remote control from her unresponsive hand, he turned everything off, dropped a small blanket over her sleeping form and stealthily leaving the room he pulled the door to behind him and entered the kitchen hoping someone had made a pot of tea.
“She’s spark out on the sofa, so I turned everything off and covered her up, poor little sod must be knackered!” he said with tenderness in his voice.
“She has to be stressed beyond belief” said Carrie slumping into a chair.
“She’s tougher than you think Carrie!” responded Tina. “I had chance to have a long deep chat with her Friday, she eventually laid her soul out to me, which is why I knew this disguise, or this new reality would work so well! She loves you deeply and would do anything for you Carrie, but she was a tortured soul, almost at breaking point, and that was before Matthew managed to make such a mess of everything, yet she kept it together for your love, she would walk through broken glass bare foot to show her love for you. It’s not going to be easy on either of you, but she has an iron will, she has had to pretend to be something she wasn’t for all these years, now, she has the chance to be herself, and show her love for you with every breath she takes. She’ll just need your guidance, your support, your experience and your love, that’s all she needs. I think you’ll find she knows more about how to be a girl than any of us expect. She’s been enviously studying her friends for years, now she’s the chance to put all that observation she’s soaked up into practice. I think you’ll find that Luke really has gone for good, not that he ever really existed, and Lisa is here to stay, with little apparent effort.”
“I know” replied Carrie, “I just can’t believe I never noticed before, that this what was causing her so much anguish. I knew she’d had problems at school, but I didn’t realise the extent until I met her at the school gates Friday. The taunting was beyond hurtful, I feel I have really let her down all this time!”
“It’s easy to be wise after the event, but the main thing is you are supporting her now, beyond her wildest dreams I bet.” Said Mike quietly taking hold of Carrie’s hand. “You now know what makes her tick, that’s half the battle, knowing what you are facing. You are a good girl Carrie, she couldn’t ask for a better role model and someone to aspire to emulating!” said Mike tenderly. “Now to business, we’ll give her an hour or so to sleep, then we need to smuggle the two of you out, I’ve got to get some passport type photos of the pair of you, so we’ll pop over to Merry Hill Shopping Centre and get lost in the crowds a little, then we can openly bring you back to the house to confuse our friends across the street, and make tomorrows expedition that bit easier!”
Carrie looked at Mike, “What do you need photographs of us for?”
“Ah, that my dear is on a need-to-know basis, and you don’t need to know, yet anyway!” replied Mike winking at her. Carrie could only sit moving her mouth silently up and down imitating a goldfish. “Be careful dear, you might catch a fly!” laughed Mike as he pushed her jaw closed.
The three of them continued to discuss tactics, for the rest of the day and tomorrow. Eventually Mike looked at his watch, “I think it’s time that Sleeping Beauty was woken up, we need to get weaving!”
Carrie rose and went into the front room, Lisa was still soundly asleep, a smile playing across her face as she contentedly sucked her right thumb. It was such a beautiful vision it took Carrie’s breath away, as she stood there with her hand over her heart, she felt Tina standing next to her.
“Oh my God!” Tina exhaled, quietly. “Just look at her, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?”
Carrie nodded her agreement. “She used to suck her thumb when she was a little girl, but she stopped when she started school and that’s when her depression started”
“Did you hear yourself then Carrie?” asked Tina.
“What do you mean?”
“You said she used to suck her thumb when she was a little girl!”
“I did, didn’t I, is it really that easy for us to accept her transformation, to think of her always being a little girl, my little girl?” said Carrie rhetorically.
“Yes sweetheart, I think it is, whatever she’s dreaming about she obviously happy, a happy little girl!”
Mike came up and putting his left hand on Carrie’s shoulder and his right on Tina’s. “What are you two whispering about?” he asked as he finally looked at the figure asleep on the sofa.
“Bloody Hell!” he muttered. “She looks like one of those old Pears® soap adverts doesn’t she! Such innocence, such beauty, she deserves to be a happy child, and by God that’s what she’s going to be, happy, contented and safe! And I promise you both now that the two of you will indeed be happy, contented and most of all safe, or my names not Michael Arthur Smith!”
Tina turned and kissed her husband, who was just absently smiling at the vision before him.
“I’ll wake her up or we’ll be here all afternoon!” said Carrie as entered the room and knelt before her daughter. “Lisa, come on Lisa, wake up sweetheart!” as she gently shook Lisa’s knee. “Come on Lisa we need to get moving!”
Lisa extracted her thumb from her mouth, dribble slid gently down her chin as she stretched uttering soft moans as she slowly opened her eyes to see her sister staring at her lovingly with Mike and Tina in the background. Then she noticed the T.V. was silent, no futile efforts of Wile E Coyote® trying to catch the Road Runner®!
“I was watching that” Lisa said as she sat up and gently tubbed her eyes with the back of her hands.
“I know, but you’ve been asleep for almost an hour and a half, we need you to get up now as we have to pop out for a short while, so I need you to go to the loo, and wash your face too, Okay?”
“Yes Mommy”
Lisa made her way to the bathroom; did everything she needed to do and came back downstairs to find the three adults waiting for her. Mike knelt so he was eye to eye with her.
“Ok Lisa, what I want you to do is get back into the car, and as you and Carrie did yesterday, I want you to hide under a blanket until I tell you it’s ok to sit up. There’s nothing to worry about, we’re just popping over to Merry Hill to get some photos of you both, then we’ll come back here. But then, I don’t want you to hide, what I need you to do is to act a bit younger than you really are, be like it’s a really exciting day and you are just so happy with life, can you do that Lisa?”
“Ok Granddad, if that’s what you want me to do, then I shall be your adorable little Granddaughter!”
“That’s a good girl, ok ladies, let’s get you all in the car.”
Carrie and Lisa slid into the backseat and Tina and Mike gently covered them with a blanket. Lisa couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped her lips.
“What’s so funny?” whispered Carrie.
“Nothing really, I just realised that I was so busy concentrating on what Granddad was saying, I completely forgot I was wearing a dress to go outside for the first time in my life!”
“Are you ok with that Lisa, are you scared?” asked Carrie.
Lisa thought for a moment “Not really Mom, it’s something I have wanted to do my whole life, so it feels more special than scary, at least it does at the moment, it might be different when we get to the shopping centre, but I just keep thinking of my reflection in this dress and even I can’t recognise the old me anymore, so if I can’t, then no one else probably won’t either. You will stay close to me though won’t you?” she said squeezing Carries hand, seeking reassurance.
“Of course I will sweetheart, you hold my hand all the time okay? And if you need to pop to the loo, don’t forget to sit like a good girl.”
“Yes Mommy, I’ll hold your hand tightly, and I always sit on the loo, it’s always felt the right thing to do, so I always have!”
“That’s my girl, another thing, if Grandma or I need the loo, us girls always go together, so you’ll come with us too, we’ll just leave your Grandfather with the bags!”
Okay Mommy!”
At that moment they felt Mike getting into the driving seat of the car as Tina opened the up and over garage door. After starting the vehicle and reversing out of the garage Mike climbed out of the vehicle as he went to close the garage, before going into the house, setting the alarm and locking the front door then he re-entered the car. While he was doing that Tina had got into the passenger seat and whispering. asked her two rear passengers if they were Okay? Receiving positive replies, she nonchalantly looked about her under the pretence of checking her nail polish. The heavy-set individual in the car hiding down the street had suddenly become more agitated and seemed to be preparing to move off himself.
Tina whispered, “Okay girls, stay where you are, we have company but there’s nothing to worry about. We’ll tell you when it’s safe to sit up.”
Fortunately, it was a mild day so it didn’t get too hot and uncomfortable under the blanket. Mike drove past the partly hidden car, and under the pretence of having an earnest discussion with Tina, he quickly studied the driver. As they got several hundred yards down their street, the mysterious car pulled out and the driver hurried to catch them up, trying to not be too obvious he was following them, but failing miserably, especially to someone who had honed specialist offensive and defensive driving techniques whilst in the armed forces.
“The blokes a complete muppet” remarked Mike, “He might as well have flashing blue lights and a siren on his motor, talk about sticking out like a sore thumb!”
“Is everything alright Mike?” asked Carrie.
“Yes, no worries girls! We have the one tail at the moment, but as far as I can tell no-one else is interested in us, so just stay where you are and it’ll all be Okay!”
As they approached the main shopping area, Tina suddenly said to Mike, “I’ve just thought of something that’ll add to our ruse, pull up just by the toy store, I won’t be long!”
“Your wish is my command Madam!” said Mike jokingly. As he pulled into the parking space Tina quickly exited the car and entered the store. Mike casually watching their follower, who’d parked up a few spaces away. As the car was warming up a little, Mike opened both front windows to allow a through breeze and cracked both rear windows an inch or two. “That should help keep the temperature down girls, just make sure you’re well covered by the blanket, our friend is coming up for a looksee, so stay still and keep quiet!”
Carrie made sure that the tartan blanket was completely covering both her and Lisa.
Mike had a rock station gently playing on the radio. Their tail nonchalantly walked past the car trying to surreptitiously’ look inside. He wondered up to the toy store and after perusing the store window, he must have observed Tina approaching a till as he started to walk back to his own vehicle. As he got near to Mike’s vehicle he nodded as if acknowledging an acquaintance.
Mike returning his nod spoke “All right mate?” The standard local greeting.
“Yeah, not bad ta, nice motor, always wanted one of these, what’s the mileage like?” he asked as he half approached Mike’s window sneaking glances at the interior.
“Not bad, get about thirty eight miles to the gallon if it’s driven carefully, but if you go belting up the motorway you can almost watch the tank contents needle going down.
The supposedly clever tail realised that the wife had just returned to the vehicle and climbed into the passenger seat.
“I’ve got a lovely doll for our Lisa, it’s been so long since we’ve seen them I do hope she hasn’t got this particular one, I’ve got her a load of outfits and accessories to go with it too, I can’t wait to see them” said Tina as she made a big show of putting the large bag in its distinctive plastic bag onto the rear seat. The tail, after hearing this exchange made his way back to his own vehicle ready to commence following the couple. He pulled out thinking what idiots this couple were and how come these would be “Middle Class” losers always had the same tartan blankets to protect their rear seats, what stupidity.
He carefully followed Mike into the queue for the main multi-storey car park, it was obviously full as they were only allowing one car in for each vehicle that left. This might be a problem he thought. But luckily, three cars left almost simultaneously, so Mike, the tail and a third car all entered at the same time. As Mike slowly made his way up through the floors, he noticed a car on the main deck just pulling out allowing him to quickly reverse into the spot. His tail was now flummoxed, how was he going to keep a close eye on these two, then as he stayed where he was, trying to decide what to do, the car behind blasted his horn. The follower gave the universal sign of two fingers. The driver of the third motor vehicle climbed out of his four by four, it was obvious that he was a determined body builder, as he was a huge mass of muscles and well over six foot two inches. The tail decided that discretion was better than valour and quickly drove off to find a parking spot. He tried to keep an eye on his target’s vehicle, but it quickly became lost in the mass of parked cars. The tail ended up parked on the roof level and was rushing to get to the lifts to descend to the shopping level, when his shoulder was gripped in an iron like clamp, as he turned round, he realised it was the man mountain who snarled at him.
“I would be carful who you wave two fingers at mate if I were you, I don’t like being told to fu*k off by little wankers like you, right mate?”
“Yeah sorry pal, won’t happen again!”
“Make sure it doesn’t, I might not be so reasonable next time, got it?”
With that the man mountain strolled off with that very wide stiff legged stance usually seen in overly muscled individuals. The “tail” was now in a real quandary, he needed to quickly get down to the shopping arena, but he didn’t want to get to closely involved with that huge bloke, it could be detrimental to his health. Glancing around, he spotted a staircase at the other end of the parking deck, so he set off for the stairs at a run, rushing down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. He crashed through doors, frantically looking around for the couple he was following, with them nowhere in sight he started frantically pushing his way through the crowds, his eyes darting from left to right.
My apologies, this is the chapter three of seven I should have posted!
Jessica and Luke are siblings who have experienced a whole world of pain and hurt in their short lives. When it seems that, for once, things are finally beginning to improve, a local drug gang invades their existence, and their world threatens to crumble down around their ears. Read on to see how they and their friends fight back.
Chapter Seven.
Whilst the confrontation was occurring up on the top floor, Mike and Tina quickly ushered Carrie and Lisa from the back of the car, having given them their instructions of where to meet and how to act. Carrie headed off, dressed in a conservative two-piece maroon skirt suit with a soft pink camisole top under her jacket and three-inch black heels. In her right hand she towed a battered wheeled suitcase, while in the other hand she held onto Lisa who was skipping along beside her. They disappeared into the crowds of shoppers thronging the retail area. They slowed their walk down and window shopped as they worked their way to the central arena with its large hanging clock, there, they sat quietly waiting for phase two of Mike’s plan to kick into gear.
After allowing Carrie and Lisa about a five-minute head start, Mike and Tina set off to follow in the girls’ footsteps. Tina was carrying the present she’d already purchased from the toy store. Hand in hand they meandered through the precinct, acting like any other couple out for a casual Sunday afternoon’s shopping. Mike would keep glancing at his watch and surreptitiously glancing around. Bending down seeming to indicate to something to Tina in an ornament shops window, pointing at some Royal Doulton® figurines, he whispered in Tina’s ear.
“Okay love, time to go meet the girls, our friend has finally caught up to us, he looks like he run a marathon, so I guess he’s not having a good day! Let’s keep him confused and off balance. Time to meet up, so get your tears of happiness ready! Okay?”
“I’m more than ready Mike, the next five to ten minutes will make or break our plan, so get your emotions ready to overload too!”
“Okay boss!” said Mike kissing his wife’s cheek. With that they set of for the rendezvous.
Meanwhile, on the benches, sat waiting for Mike and Tina to appear, Carrie was still holding Lisa’s hand.
“You all ready kiddo?”
“Yes Mommy!”
“Good girl, don’t forget you haven’t seen your Grandparents in absolutely ages, so go over the top with your greetings!”
“Yes Mom, I am a bit scared though!”
“There’s nothing to be scared about sweetheart, just be yourself, let your instincts guide your actions, you’ll do fine! Now, your Grandparents should come along at any moment. In fact, I think I can see your Granddad’s head just coming into view, so get ready!”
Moments later Carrie leapt to her feet and started frantically waving. Mike smiled and pointed towards Carrie and Lisa, Tina broke out into a big smile, and Mike stooped forward with his arms outstretched wide. Lisa took off from Carries side, and with skirts flying launched herself into Mike’s arms, who enveloped her in a huge hug and lifting her clear off her feet, and spun her around and around, as Lisa squealed her greetings showering kisses onto Mike’s face. Tina and Carrie were also in a tight embrace, rocking each other from side to side. Then, moments later, they’d swapped partners, with more hugs and kisses being exchanged. The tearful group returned to the benches where Carrie had abandoned their suitcase, they all sat and caught up with each other.
Their somewhat sweaty and still out of breath, follower took advantage of an empty seat behind them and casually sat down to surreptitiously listen in to what was being said. Tina was sat in the middle with Lisa on her lap giving her a tight hug with her left arm, to her right, under her arm was Carrie with Mike to her left.
“It is so good to see you both again, you don’t know how much we’ve missed you both!” said Mike.
“We’ve really missed you both haven’t we sweetheart?” murmured Carrie.
“Uh-uh!” sniffled Lisa, “I’ve missed you guys so much!” she said as she leant back into Tina’s embrace.
“We’ve missed you too sweetheart, and here’s a present for you, as I know you lost all your toys and belongings in the fire, go on darling, open it.” Tina handed a bashful Lisa the carrier bag she’s been carrying. Lisa sat up on Tina’s lap and taking the bag from her Granny’s hands she peered into the large bag.
“Oh Granny, it’s Elsa!!” Lisa frantically tore the bag off the box, peering through the plastic panels, a huge smile almost creasing her face into two halves. “How did you know, she’s my favourite film character, and I love the song to bits!”
“You should hear sing along to it Mom.” Said Carrie to Tina.
“Can you sing it for me Lisa do you think?” asked Tina.
Lisa sat up, and with a bit of an embarrassed expression, started to quietly sing, looking down at the floor, then with her eye’s closed, she increased in volume
“The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand and here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiralling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never goin' back, the past is in the past
Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand in the light of day
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway ®”
When Lisa finished the song, she was stunned when she opened her eye’s to find a sizeable crowd had gathered around her and they all broke out into spontaneous applause. Lisa’s faced coloured a bright red and she buried her face in Tina’s neck.
“Come on sweetheart, stand up and take a bow!” said Carrie taking her hand. Reluctantly Lisa stood and made a half curtsey to the crowd who’d either been recording the little girl’s performance on their phones or just standing their open mouthed. Many came up to her and said how well she sang, and they hoped she would continue to sing as she had a special gift.
Even their follower had recorded part of Lisa’s performance. He’d gone off to a quieter part of the mall, and reported into his boss man.
“Hi boss, it’s me, . . . yeah, yeah I followed ‘em to the Merry Hill, . . . , yeah, yeah, they’ve met with their daughter and grandkid who’s just given a performance of that snow song. . . .no, not that one, . . . it’s called “let it go” I think, . . . yeah boss I got some of it filmed on me phone, hold on, I’ll send you the clip, half a mo’ . . . . . there, you got it? . . . . yeah, she is good in’t she? . . . . . . . . yeah, I’ll keep watching, but there’s definitely no trace of the bitch or ‘er brother, . . . nah, I’m positive, . . . . yeah I’ll keep an eye on ‘em, . . . Okay boss, speak wiv yer later!” with that he sauntered off keeping a watchful eye on the family gathering as they walked through the crowds. What he didn’t realise was that Steve and Geoff were keeping a close eye on his antics, as well as Mike being fully aware of his whereabouts.
“I’ve never heard you sing so well Lisa, why didn’t you sing like it before?” asked Carrie.
“I used to sing like that when I was on my own, I sang it once with Carole and Stacy at school in the playground, but all the boys laughed and teased me for ages!” whispered Lisa with a sorrowful downcast expression, “Then, I only sang on my own at home. But one day, HE came home and I didn’t hear him come in, HE laughed at me, and after smacking the back of my head a few times, he said he didn’t want to hear me singing like a girl ever again or he’d tell you and you’d be disgusted with me and throw me out of the house! So, I have just sung along in my head!” said Lisa now in floods of tears.
Carrie hugged Lisa tightly, “Oh Lisa sweetheart, I am so, so sorry, but promise me that you will keep singing, you have a real talent, and you know I love you more than anything or anyone else, don’t you?”
Lisa nodded, with her head downcast but peering up into Carrie’s eyes “You promise?”
“Yes Lisa, I promise, I will always, always love and protect you, cross my heart!” Lisa threw her arms around Carrie’s neck and hugged her tightly.
Mike and Tina had heard the quiet exchange.
“If that bastard wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him myself!” muttered Tina, tears in her eyes.
“Only after I’d smacked him around a good bit first and made him really suffer!” growled Mike.
Lisa who had overheard this exchange suddenly shot upright and looked from Mike to Tina and back again before looking into Carries eyes, then she whispered “Of course, HE’s dead?”
Carrie put her finger to Lisa’s lips, “Shhh! Yes, that’s right but we can’t talk about it here, okay?”
Lisa nodded, then putting her mouth to Carrie’s ear “I’m sorry Carrie, I know you loved him, but I am glad he’s dead! The way he was treating you was getting worse and worse, but I couldn’t stop him! But he can’t hurt you anymore now can he?”
Both of them had tears in their eyes, “No Lisa he can’t hurt either of us anymore, we just need to get away for a while and let the dust settle! Anyway, lets get you to the ladies and wash both of our faces, we have to get some photos, and we can’t have them taken with red eye’s, or me looking like a panda now can we?”
Lisa giggled, “Perhaps you should get some waterproof mascara?”
“That’s not a bad idea, come on, let’s pop into Boots’ the Chemist® and see what we can find shall we?”
“Carrie, do you, . . . err, . . do you think, . . . that, . . . I, err, . . that I could wear some make up too?” asked an embarrassed Lisa.
“Oh sweetheart, you are a bit young to be worrying about make-up yet!” replied Carrie, “We’ll have a look around and we’ll see, okay?”
Lisa nodded a bit dejectedly.
“What’s up?” asked Tina.
“Lisa was asking about make-up, because we got talking about water-proof mascara and I told her she was a bit young yet!” replied Carrie.
Tina stooped down to Lisa’s level and said “Your Mommy’s right really, but we’ll have a look in Boots®’ and see what we can find! Okay?” and as she stood she gave Lisa a big wink. Then turning to Mike she said, “You might as well stay here Mike, we’re just nipping into Boots®’ then we’ll be popping in the ladies, we won’t be long!”
“Famous last words!” muttered Mike as he returned to his seat.
Chapter Eight.
Meanwhile Tina, Carrie and Lisa entered Boots®’ and made for the cosmetics counter where beautiful but heavily made up ladies were busy trying to interest passing customers in their wares. Carrie found a few age-appropriate cosmetics for herself, which she placed into the shopping basket she was carrying.
“Can I help you at all?” asked one of the white coated assistants.
“No thank you” answered Carrie.
“Lisa here is looking at all the cosmetics, desperate to be able to wear them herself!” added Tina who’d a firm hold on Lisa’s hand.
The beautician lent down to Lisa’s level, “You are already beautiful sweetheart” Your Mommy and Nanny are right, you don’t really need any artificial help yet, but, if your Mommy says it’s Okay, you can come and sit in my chair and I can make you look like you aren’t wearing any make-up, but make you look a little more beautiful, we’ve all been where you are now, desperate to be more grown up, and get our hands on cosmetics or more grown up clothes! So, what is your name beautiful?”
“Lisa!”
The woman stood up and turning her attention on Carrie she said “Well what do you think Lisa’s Mom, is it ok if I work on her for a few minutes, if you don’t like it, I will clean it all off, no worries, no inducement to purchase anything, it will give me something to do for a few minutes, and let your daughter get a glimpse into her future, even though she’s really beautiful as she is!”
Carrie looked from the woman to the bashful but hopeful expression on Lisa’s face.
“Go on then, but nothing to heavy please, she’s only twelve!”
“Don’t worry Mrs ?”
“Brown, Carrie Brown, this is my daughter Lisa and that’s her Granny, Tina.” Replied Carrie.
“Wonderful, wonderful, right Lisa you come over here and let’s get you on my stool, now, let’s get this cape over your pretty dress, my you’re stunning. You’ll have the boys all asking you for a date before you even know it. Right, my name is Diana! Am I right in thinking that was you I heard singing “Let it go” a little earlier?” Lisa nodded bashfully. “Wow, not only beautiful but exceptionally talented too!” Lisa giggled in embarrassment. Diana then shook Carrie and Tina’s hands and then went into her spiel to the slowly gathering little crowd around her workstation.
“Right Lisa, there’s not much I can do to enhance your natural beauty, but we’ll see what I can show you Okay? We’ll start with this headband to keep the rest of your hair off your face while I work, I love your ponytail like that by the way. Okay, the first thing to do is to cleanse your face, so I’ll just spread some cleanser, . . . Like that! . . . Now we wait for a moment or two” Diana then quickly spoke to several of the other beauticians working at other brands stalls before returning to Lisa’s side. ”There now, we’ll clean it all off with a cotton wool ball, . . . See, look how much dirt was trapped in your pores, . . Now just some gentle moisturiser to keep your skin hydrated. . . Excellent, . . . now Lisa, how does that feel?”
Lisa stretched her face and a beaming smile spread across her expression. “Wow, it feels wonderful!”
“That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say! Now comes the fun part!” then Diana looked at Carrie, “Is it Okay if I just neaten up her eyebrows a little bit, just to remove a few strays?”
Carrie nodded, “Not too thin though please, if Lisa want’s them done that is?”
Lisa excitedly nodded her head. Diana smiled at Lisa.
“Okay sweetheart, this will sting a little, but us girls have to suffer a little for our beauty don’t we, so, are you sure?”
“Yes please!” replied an excited Lisa.
“Okay Lisa, I am just going to tilt the chair back a little, so no worries Okay? So, close your eyes for me and keep them closed” said Diana as she tilted the chair back, then placing some carefully shaped sticky cloth strips under each of Lisa eyebrows she quickly pulled them free leaving Lisa to jump a little. “That’s the worst bit Lisa, now just one or two stragglers to pull out, . . . Okay sweetheart?” Lisa nodded even though she had tiny tears in the corners of both eyes. Moments later Diana put her tweezers down and dabbed both of Lisa’s eyes with a little cleaning pad, then she sat her up once more. Lisa looked across at both Tina and Carrie who both smiled back at her and nodded their pleasure.
“Now Lisa, let’s get to the fun part, shall we?” asked Diana. Lisa beamed a huge smile and nodded excitedly.
Diana went into her presentation spiel to the small crowd that had gathered around her. She reiterated that Lisa was really a little young for make-up and needed minimal enhancement, but there were always little things that could be done here and there. She demonstrated several looks, and at the end of each one Carrie took several pictures on her phone, especially when Diana spun Lisa around in the chair to view her reflection in the mirrors. Finally, Diana used an eyebrow pencil to emphasise Lisa’s brows, a little pale brown eyeshadow in the creases of her lids, a darker shade on her lids, the merest touch of a very fine mascara, a gentle brush of blush and a pale pink lipstick that almost matched her natural lip colour. This time when Lisa saw how she looked she was speechless, then she turned in the chair and gave Diana a huge hug.
“Thank you so much Diana, I always dreamed of what I’d look like with some make-up on, now I know, thank you, thank you!” With that Lisa returned her glance to the mirror.
“Thank you, Diana.” Said Carrie, “She’s had a rough few days, but I think you have her given a real boost!” With that Carrie clasped both of Diana’s hands within her own, then headed off to remove the cape from Lisa’s shoulders and they both approached the mirror a bit more closely.
“Oh Mom, thank you for letting me try some make-up!” Lisa spoke to Carries reflection.
“You are welcome sweetheart, I thought you were pretty before, but, wow, you are a stunner!”
Lisa turned to hug Carrie, “I might be pretty but you are beautiful, and, when I grow up, I hope I can be as beautiful as you!”
Carrie returned the hug. “Thank you, Lisa, I love you!” And they gently swung from side to side.
While they were talking to each other, Tina approached Diana.
“I think you have made a little girl very happy today, can you give me one of everything you used on her please Diana, she deserves a little treat I think!”
“Of course Tina, no problems, she seems a lovely child, so pretty and polite, not like some of the would be divas that come in demanding this and that and expecting something for nothing, often their mothers are even worse!” Diana glanced over her shoulder at Lisa and Carrie still hugging each other, “They seem very close, that is beautiful in of itself!”
“Yes Diana, they are extremely close, Carrie is just escaping from an abusive relationship, and both of them are a bit traumatised by events of the recent past, that’s why today has been a real treat for both of them!” Tina picked up Carrie’s basket from where she’d left it “Can you ring me up for these while you are at it please?”
“Of course Tina.”
Carrie and Lisa dragged themselves away from the mirror and joined Tina whist Diana was working the till. Tina handed her card over, punched in her PIN number and Diana gave her the receipt and the bag containing their purchases.
“There you go Tina, if you ever need anything else just ask for me, here’s my card! You can always contact me and book an appointment in advance if needs be, you too Carrie, you have a very special daughter there!”
“Thanks Diana, you’ve been brilliant, I’m sure we’ll be back at some stage!” replied Carrie.
Diana stooped down to look at a beaming Lisa, “And as for you Lisa, the beautiful little songbird, you stand there for just a moment longer please!” Diana then grabbed a bag and going to the rear cupboards started pulling various small boxes from here and there, and after going to several of her colleagues returned to stand in front of Lisa with several bags bulging with boxes whist several of the other white coated ladies crowded in the background.
“Here you are sweetheart, in these bags you will find several different products from most of the different manufacturers we promote, we usually give out a few samples to our favourite customers, and you, young lady, are definitely one of our most favourite customers, plus there’s some items that are getting close to their sell by date, but as long as you keep them sealed and in a cool drawer they’ll be fine and be things for you to practice with, and if she’s really nice to you, you could always lend to your Mom!” She winked at Lisa who was furiously blushing and giggling. “Although strictly speaking you shouldn’t share make-up, especially eye make-up, but a mother and daughter should be ok. There is also a list of good YouTube sites that do excellent tutorials, but, please, don’t go bonkers with it if you are going outside, and promise me you will get into a good night-time beauty regimen, and cleanse, then moisturise every night before bed?”
“Yes Diana, thank you so much, you don’t know how much this means to me and how much fun this has been!” said Lisa hugging her once again as Carrie took the bags from Lisa to free off her hands.
Lisa rushed from woman to woman, thanking each of them in turn, and giving them a hug.
Carrie hugged Diana, “Thank you Diana, you’ve done a wonderful job, but I think I shall have a real problem getting her to remove her make-up before bed tonight!”
Diana chuckled, “I’m sure you will Carrie, I remember my own daughter when she first started wanting to wear make-up, the excitement of growing up! I am sure you’ll cope, at least there is so much help and advice on the internet these days, not like when I started experimenting a lifetime ago! But she has a real talent with her voice, most of us rushed to the shop entrance just to see what angel was singing so clearly and beautifully. The emotion she put into the words made the hairs on my neck quiver, and it wasn’t only me she affected in such a manner either, that talent needs to be nurtured, that’s partly why so many of my colleagues wanted to provide a few samples, she made our day. Dealing with the public can really wear you down!”
“You don’t have to tell me Diana, I was a waitress until recently, you get some lovely people, and you get a lot of people who drive you up the wall!” responded Carrie with a smile.
“Exactly” laughed Diana, “Please come back, I’d love to see how she grows up in the years to come! And you look after yourself, you be happy too Okay?” she hugged Carrie tightly, who silently nodded on her shoulder.
Lisa returned to Carrie and Tina still wearing her extra-ordinary smile. “
Right sweetheart, let’s go find your grandfather, he’ll be thinking we’ve emigrated.” Said Tina, and after saying their goodbyes and waving to the other beauticians made their way back to the benches by the clock.
“Wakey wakey Mike!” said Tina kicking his leg.
“Huh!” mumbled Mike rousing himself from his nap, “Do I know you? You look vaguely familiar?” he teased his wife.
“Come on you daft sod, let’s get going before you start moaning about how long we’ve been!” teased Tina back.
Mike looked at the three of them laden down by more bags for him to carry. He then gave Lisa a very theatrical frown, “Excuse me young lady, can I help you at all, you look a little familiar, but I’m not sure I recognise you!”
Lisa, who was holding Carries hand securely then gave Mike a bashful smile, “Oh Granddad, it’s me, Lisa!” then she giggled an embarrassed giggle!
“No! Not my little girl Lisa surely, you are to grown up to be my little Lisa!”
Lisa slapped his arm, laughing loudly, “Oh Granddad, stop teasing, you know it’s me!”
Mike leant over and gave her a peck on the cheek, “Yes sweetheart, I know it’s you alright; it’s just you look even more beautiful than when I last saw you, and I didn’t think it was possible to improve on perfection, but they have! You wouldn’t believe the number of people who came up to me to say how much they enjoyed your impromptu a Capela singing, and who were you? They wanted to be able to say they’d heard you perform before you were famous!”
“Wow!” muttered Lisa, “Really?”
“Yes Lisa, really, anyway, now you are looking beyond beautiful, let’s go get your photos taken, Granddad has places to go and people to see!”
With that they retraced their steps popping into a photographers shop to get portraits of Carrie and Lisa taken, both separately and together as well as a group shot of the four of them.
As they made their way back to the car, Tina was admiring the group portrait, “I have just the frame for that, it will look lovely on the mantelpiece!”
Their tail, after carefully watching them enter their car and pull away to join the queue to leave the car park, scurried off to the stairs to rush to his own vehicle so he could tail them back to the house. As he rushed up the stairs, crashing through the stairway door and smacked right into the body builder he met earlier in the day.
“You again?” the man mountain rumbled, “I did warn you to keep out of my way and stop pissing me off did I not?”
The tail could only silently nod, he was used to being the alpha male in most situations, “S, . sorry mate, I didn’t see you there!”
“I noticed!” by now he’d got hold of the tail’s shirt in his left fist, then he pulled his right fist back and rammed it into the tail’s stomach winding him completely, “Last warning mate, do not piss me off again, or I might get really annoyed. Got it?” with that he dropped the tail to the floor and walked off. While the tail was desperately trying to suck air back into his lungs, he failed to notice the body builder and Geoff cross paths and exchange a high five, nor did he see the two hundred pounds that was passed to the man mountain in the process. By the time the tail had recovered enough to get to his car, Mike, Tina, Carrie and Lisa were three quarters of the way home.
Mike pulled up in front of the house rather than going onto the driveway. After disembarking from the vehicle and extricating the suitcase and all the shopping Mike kissed his three girls Goodbye and drove off.
“Where’s Granddad going?” asked Lisa.
“I’m not sure sweetheart; he said he might be a while so not to wait up for him, but he’d be as quick as he could be!” replied Tina.
“Oh, okay!” answered a dubious Lisa.
Chapter Nine.
As the three off them slowly walked up the drive, a car drew up at the kerb in front of the house.
“Excuse me Mrs Smith!” called out the driver as he pushed the car door open, “May we have another moment of your time?”
Tina turned to the man, “Of course, Detective Sergeant Jones, isn’t it?”
“Yes Mrs Smith, and my colleague Detective Constable Wright, you may remember her from our visit yesterday?”
“Of course, won’t you please follow us in? Carrie dear, could you open up for me please?”
“Yes Mom, come on Lisa, grab those bags off your Granny while she talks to the nice Police Officers!”
“Yes Mommy!” Lisa took the bags from Tina and hurried to catch up with Carrie.
“Oh blast!” muttered Carrie, “Sorry Mom, but I’ve left my keys in my other handbag in the house, can I borrow your keys please?”
“Of course, let me dig them out of my bag! . . . Here they are!” and she handed them to Carrie having caught up with her and Lisa.
Carrie opened up and disabled the alarm, which she knew was the same code as the café. She went through into the kitchen, “I’ll put the kettle on, would either of you like a tea or a coffee?” she called out.
Tina led Lisa into the front room as the Police Officers followed them into the house closing the door behind them.
“Tea would be lovely please.” called DC Wright, “White and no sugars please, for both of us thanks.”
“Please have a seat.” Tina said pointing to the sofa as she sat in an armchair opposite pulling Lisa onto the arm of the chair, “This is my Granddaughter Lisa, we’ve just been shopping!”
“Hello Lisa, I see you’ve been to that large toy shop up in Merry Hill, have you something nice?” asked DC Wright.
“Yes, my Granny and Granddad bought me an Elsa doll and loads of things to go with her too!” replied Lisa hesitantly.
“Ooh, my niece loves Elsa too, can you show me?” asked the Policewoman.
“Okay!” replied Lisa as she struggled to get the box out of the carrier bag.
“Here, let me help you with that!” offered DC Wright as she held her arms out to Lisa and the carrier bag. “Oh, look, you haven’t had chance to even open it yet! Do you want me to help, or do you want your Mommy to do it for you?”
Lisa looked enquiringly across to Tina, and seeing her nod said, “That’s Okay, you can help me if you like!”
“Okay Lisa, why don’t you sit here in between Eddie and I, my name is Lorna by the way, so you call me that while we work out how to open this and get Elsa out of the box, there’s always that many different fixings and bits of wire it can take ages to remove everything!”
And for the next few minutes they both worked to extricate the doll and all the accessories from the box, a little banter and a few chuckles passed between them as they worked.
Just then Carrie entered the room with four mugs of tea and a glass of juice for Lisa. “The teas are all the same, so, please help yourself, there’s some chocolate digestives to if you would like one!” she said.
“Thanks!” said DS Jones, “We’ve been on the go all day, so this is really welcome! I don’t think we’ve been introduced, I’m Detective Sergeant Edward Jones, and this is Detective Constable Lorna Wright.”
“Hi, I’m Carrie Brown and this is my daughter Lisa.”
“Okay, but I thought you just had the one daughter Mrs Smith, by the name of, now let me see.” With that DS Jones pulled his notebook from his inside jacket pocket, “Let’s see, ah, here it is, that’s it, yes, isn’t your daughter’s name Karen?”
Both Tina and Carrie’s complexion flushed whilst Lisa stopped interacting with Lorna and sat rock solid with a frightened expression on her face.
Tina recovered first, “That’s correct officer, our daughter Karen lives in Aberdeen these days, Carrie was our foster child who we unofficially adopted, and we’ve always considered both her and Lisa as our own flesh and blood! They’ve been spending a few days with us, Carrie is escaping from an abusive partner, so they left with little, if anything to their name. They’ll be leaving us tomorrow for a little holiday, and then we’ll see what will happen next!”
“Okay, so you are Carrie ?” as DS Jones.
“Brown, Carrie Brown!”
“So do you know Jessica Carter, or her brother Luke?” he asked.
“Only vaguely, why?”
“Do you know a Mr Matthew Gibson?” at this Carrie went as pale as a ghost, and Lisa started to tremble.
“It’s ok sweetheart!” said Lorna putting her arm around Lisa’s shoulder, “He can’t hurt you anymore!” with that Lisa wailed and throwing off Lorna’s arm threw herself across the room into Carrie’s arms, “I’m sorry Mommy, I’m so, so sorry, please, please, don’t let them take me away!” she wept uncontrollably into Carrie’s shoulder oblivious to movement around her.
“Shhh, sweetheart, we aren’t here to take you away, we just want to speak to you both, that’s all, come sit over by me and we can finish unpacking Elsa and all her bits and bobs, Okay?” with that Lorna led a still sobbing and tearful Lisa back to the sofa.
“Right, so I take it I am really speaking to Jessica and Luke Carter?” asked DS Jones, Carie could only nod.
Tina spoke up, “They have both been through hell and back, particularly over the last few days, Luke has always been transgendered and both of them have been threatened and terrorised by Matthew and his contacts. They’ve had cars parked outside of their flat and now this house is being watched by those thugs! We were even followed to the Merry Hill, so they needed disguises and to disappear for a while! Knowing them both as well as I do, I came up with the idea of changing them from sister and her brother to a mother and her daughter. They needed to be kept safe from those mongrels of Matthew’s, plus Social Services, as we felt sure they’d want to take Luke into care, and none of us were having that, so Carrie and Lisa were born, and they’re going away for a while until this blows over and we can work out what to do next!”
“I can fully understand your concerns over Matthew’s contacts, they’re not pleasant individuals, although we have two of them in custody at the moment, they claim to have fallen down the stairs, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you Miss Carter?”
Carrie shook her head, “No, but when I last left the flat there were two men being attended to by paramedics, but I don’t know who they were or what happened to them!”
DS Jones smiled, “Well, whoever phoned for the ambulance did us a real favour, as perhaps that individual “helped” them before, during or after their little accident, and may also have been responsible for the thugs’ getaway vehicle suffering four flat tyres! That car has been a veritable goldmine of evidence, and our two friends are singing like canaries’!”
“Now, can I ask where Mr Smith is at the moment?”
Tina answered, “I’m not exactly sure where, but he often goes to play cards and swap stories with a few of his old army friends, he said he may be a while and not to wait up for him!”
“No worries, I don’t need to speak with him just at the moment, so if you prefer, I will use your new names of Carrie and Lisa, but don’t worry, I shan’t be writing down your names, I’m just interested in what you can tell me, about Matthew, his habits, his friends and acquaintances and what has happened to the two of you these last few days, the more information you can provide, anonymously, the stronger our case!”
Lorna who’d had her arm around Lisa as she’d slowly regained control of her emotions lifted Lisa’s face with her finger, “I think you are a very brave young lady, with a wonderful voice, and looked even more stunning after your make over!”
“You, you were there?” asked an amazed Lisa.
“That’s right, we knew those gentlemen were watching this house for some reason, so we were watching them, you have been under covert surveillance the whole time you were out shopping, although you did confuse us a little with your sudden appearance in the shopping precinct!” she smiled at Lisa, then looking across at Tina she added, “Your husband has obviously had excellent training, and you have equally good protective instincts!”
Tina smiled, “These two girls may not be of my own flesh and blood, but they are my babies, and God help anyone who threatens them! I will drop on them like a ton of bricks with all my teeth and claws bared, whoever they may be! No-one, and I mean no-one hurts them while I am around, then, my husband will have something to say in the matter too!”
“Anyway, back to basics, can you start at the beginning Carrie, and tell me how you met Matthew, everything that happened up until his disappearance, then, what has happened between them and now. If you don’t mind, can I use an old-fashioned Dictaphone® to record what you are saying, we shall transcribe the relevant sections and then we both give you our solemn word the recording will be wiped clear and the tape itself destroyed.” Asked DS Jones.
Over the next three hours and two further cuppa’s both Carrie and Lisa described in great detail everything they could remember, descriptions, the few names they knew, the addresses Luke had been sent to, the frequency of the visits and Matthew’s hurrying from the flat, the suspected hidey hole by the bed, Tina added a few bit of information relating to dubious café customers, before the events of the last few days were described.
“Thank you so much for that, this is going to enable us to get somewhat further up the gangs’ hierarchy than just taking a few foot soldiers off the streets. It will take us a while to get our case laid out and arrests made. I take it you two still intend to disappear tomorrow?” asked the Policeman of Carrie.
“Yes, I want to get Lisa well away from here, not only from the gang and it’s henchmen, but I am terrified that Social Services will say I’m not a fit parent and take her into care, it would be a disaster for her, and I would never forgive myself for breaking my promise to her and our mother not to look after her. I gave up my degree course to become Lisa’s guardian, I was in my last year of studies with just my final exams to take when our mother died, if I lost her now, then all these years of struggle and the sacrifice I made would have been in vain. I had a tremendous battle to become Lisa’s carer and I will not be beaten now, plus, I had no idea if you thought I was involved in whatever Matthew was up to. It is so obvious now, but at the time I loved him and didn’t realise what he was doing, I feel so stupid, Mum and Dad didn’t like him from the outset but said nothing out of concern for myself and Lisa, they were afraid I’d get all bratty and fall out with them!” with that she put her face in her hands and quietly wept.
They were all interrupted by a quiet snore from Lisa. She’s been sat next to Lorna but had slumped back on the sofa and gently fallen asleep, her head slumped on her chest, obviously shattered by the questions but also from the emotional distress she’s been under. All four adults smiled in her direction.
“I think on that note we shall call a halt to today.” Said DS Jones, “If you could tell me how you intend to leave the area, I’d like to make sure you are not followed by any of our “Friends”, then, if we need to speak to you again, we’ll contact you via your Mom and Dad!”
Carrie and Tina shared enquiring glances of each other, and shrugging Carrie said “Before I tell you, do you promise none of this information will be shared with Social Services, if they try to come after Lisa it will destroy her, and I’m not risking that for you or anyone else for that matter.
“I promise you Carrie, that neither I, nor Lorna, I mean DC Wright will breathe a word about you, your whereabouts, or anything else to do with you to anyone, not our superiors, the barristers, and definitely not Social Services. You are right, some of their actions are debatable, as equally can be some of their inactions, which have caused us both sleepless nights in the past. It is obvious that the two of you, no, make that, the four of you share a really special bond, she’s safe, she’s loved, well cared for, so I have no hesitation in keeping quiet. Both of you, get away, relax and enjoy life for a while free of all the stresses of here! No doubt your parents will keep you aware of developments, but if I can give you one piece of advice Carrie, investigate finishing your degree, if you were that close to qualifying, then a few months of extra study before taking your exams will be worth it for the two of you, tell me, what were you studying?”
“I was going to be a Math’s teacher and was on course for a first class degree, I’d even got my first years probationary teaching post lined up when mom died and everything skidded to a halt.”
“Well Carrie, definitely investigate retaking part of your course, the Government are offering Golden handshakes for teachers in certain subjects, one of which is for Mathematics, so look into it, wherever you are in the short term, Okay?”
“Yes, I will, I need to be able to provide a steady environment for Lisa, she’s going to have a lot to deal with as it is, so I will look into it, I promise!” Then she told the officers where and when they’d be leaving Birmingham, and loosely where they were going.
“Thanks Carrie for trusting us. Tomorrow, should you see any familiar faces, just ignore them okay, at least until we are sure you are safe!”
Both officers stood to leave, Lisa murmured something in her sleep, Lorna kissed her own fingertips and lightly touched them to Lisa’s forehead who murmured again. “She’s adorable!” and they all left the front room.
At the front door both officers shook hands with Tina and Carrie, then Lorna and Carrie hugged. “We’ll be in touch!”
Back in the front room, Lisa slumped sideways and curling herself into a ball, continued to dream.
Jessica and Luke are siblings who have experienced a whole world of pain and hurt in their short lives. When it seems that, for once, things are finally beginning to improve, a local drug gang invades their existence, and their world threatens to crumble down around their ears. Read on to see how they and their friends fight back.
My apologies one again, I accidentally posted this episode as part three as opposed to part four.
Chapter Ten.
Once Lisa had been reassured that she wasn’t going to be separated from Carrie and had had something to eat she reluctantly agreed to allow her Mom to supervise the removal of her make-up and to perform her night-time beauty regimen as advised by Diana at Boots’® earlier in the day. Lisa wearing a long pink nylon nightgown looked into the mirror at their joint reflections.
“Mommy?”
“Yes Lisa?”
“Do you think? . . .”
“What do I think?”
“Well, . . . If we have time tomorrow, . . . Before we go to get on the train, . . . If you think? , . . . Well, . . . Could you,? . . “
Carrie took Lisa face in her hands, “If you don’t hurry up, you’ll still be asking this question tomorrow, and then the answer will definitely be no! So just come out with it and ask me about your make-up!”
“Okay! . . . Wait, how did you know I was going to ask you if I could wear some make-up tomorrow? All the other girls in my class wear a little, even though we’re not supposed to wear any to school!” asked a truly astonished Lisa.
“You are silly, I was a little girl once too, you know, and I was desperate to wear make-up too, I nearly drove mom mental! I kept asking her over, and over, and over again!” Carie smiled at Lisa. “So the answer young lady is yes! But only if you go straight to bed now and fall asleep quickly, plus, mind you, no whinging in the morning when I wake you up, or no deal! Fair enough? And do you realise what you just said?”
”Err . . . If I could wear make-up?” Lisa asked hesitantly,
“You said all the OTHER girls in your class wear make-up, you think of yourself as just another little girl don’t you?” smiled Carrie.
“I did, didn’t I, but then, I have always felt like a girl, in my head, in my heart, and in my soul! But, . . . You will still love me won’t you, your love is so important to me Jess, I will be Luke if that’s what you want me to be!” said Lisa not able to look Carrie in the face.
“Oh Lisa, Lisa, you know as well as I do, that Luke is gone forever don’t you. I love Lisa, she means the world to me, I always, always want Lisa in my life. You just have to be your real self, and be happy, okay?”
Lisa threw her arms around Carries neck, “Oh thank you, thank you, you’re the best!”
Carrie swatted Lisa’s backside, “Flattery will get you no-where, now scoot, into bed, and don’t forget to take Elsa with you!” Giggling her head off Lisa shot into the bedroom, bounced across the bed she shared with Carrie, and with Elsa snuggled under her arm, pulled the bedclothes up and screwing her eyes shut pretended to be asleep. She then twitched, her knees shooting up to her abdomen, “Oww!” she exclaimed.
Carrie quickly sat at her side, “What’s up sweetheart, sore tummy again?” she asked.
“Yeah, just a shooting pain, it’s gone now.” Said Lisa.
“I’ll tell you what, when I sometimes get a sore tummy, I find a hot water bottle helps, shall I go get you one?”
“Yes please Mommy, if you don’t mind!”
Carrie went to the kitchen, “Tina, you wouldn’t have a hot water bottle handy would you? Lisa’s tum just gave her a twinge!”
“Sure Carrie, I have one of those new-fangled ones you heat up in the micro-wave, let me get it out for you.” After placing the inner bag in to warm up “She’s complaining a lot about her tummy at the moment, isn’t she?”
“She is, and I am worried, I saw her body today, really saw it, I saw her body for the first time in a long time, and I’m frightened Tina, she looks much more a girl than a boy, I can’t believe I missed it, I’d take her to the Doctor’s now, but I want to get her away from Matt’s thugs more than anything else, so I shall have to get her to an appointment up in Scotland as the first thing I do!”
“Yes Carrie, you will, I think there’s more going on with Lisa than any of us have realised, more even than Lisa herself. You might have a bit of luck there though, Karen’s partner Ruth is a Paediatrician at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. Perhaps she can have an initial look at her for you, and give you some professional advice!” Just then the microwave pinged, and Tina handed the grain filled bag for Carrie to place in its outer cover before she took it up to Lisa.
“Here you go sweetheart, you cuddle that as well as Elsa, and get some sleep, okay, real sleep mind, Lisa! Not that pretend version!” laughed Carrie as she smoothed the bedclothes out, kissed Lisa’s forehead and added “Goodnight, Sweetheart, sleep tight!”
“You too Mommy!”
Carrie switched off the light and headed back downstairs, just as she heard Mike driving into the garage. She headed into the kitchen and put the kettle on as Mike was always ready for a cuppa. After giving both women a welcoming kiss, he sat at the kitchen table and listened to the tale of the events that took place after he’d left them that afternoon.
Chapter Eleven.
“So where did you go Mike?” asked Tina as she laid her hand atop his.
“Well, the less you know the better, but, our two girls will need some identification, and not some crappy versions run off by some pimply Herbert with a laptop, a printer and a laminator, but something that will stand up to relatively close scrutiny! So that my dears, is what I have been arranging. Through my past employment I have various contacts, many dubious I know, but, who will, for a price, provide a bespoke custom-made service. It will take some time to provide, but the wheels have been set in motion, and just for now, here are your new details!” With that he took a folded piece of A4 paper from his jacket pocket and slid it across to Carrie, who took it, unfolded it and started to read out loud.
“Carrie Jenna Brown, Date Of Birth 22nd January 1997, Lisa Kirsty Brown, Date Of Birth 25th May 2015.”
Tina’s hands shot to her mouth as tears flooded her eyes, “Oh Mike!”
Carrie looked confused from one to the other, “What!”
Tina took her hand and after wiping it on her skirt took Carrie’s hand in hers. “A couple of years after Karen was born I had another child. The labour was prolonged and the baby, another daughter, got into severe distress. She was born via caesarean, but she only survived for a few hours and we were advised that I could never have any more children. We named her Jenna Kirsty!” With that she flew into Mike’s arms, sobbing!
A tearful Mike looked across at Carrie, “I had to come up with middle names really quickly, and I knew your birthday was the same day and month as Jenna was born, so the idea took, so I hope you don’t mind but I used Jenna Kirsty for the two of yours middle names, it seemed a good way to remember her, I used both your real birthdates, I just made you two years older and Lisa two years younger, which means you gave birth when you were eighteen. Our Lisa is such a slight, small, innocent soul, I thought she wouldn’t mind reliving part of her childhood as the girl she was always meant to be, if necessary?”
“Oh Mike, thank you, thank you so much for this honour! Both of us will be proud to commemorate Jenna Kirsty in this way, and I for one would not be surprised that when Lisa changes her name legally, that she will want to keep the new middle name you have bestowed on her!” With that Carrie hugged both Tina and Mike as they all cried.
Carrie and Tina returned to their seats, both looked at the sheet of paper with other details specified, new National Insurance numbers, places of birth, previous addresses, parents’ names, their dates of birth etc.
“Mike, how on earth am I going to pay for all this, let alone our train fares and board and lodging up in Aberdeen? I know you “Confiscated” money from those thugs Friday and you found Matthew’s drug money, but surely there’s not enough to cover all this, what am I going to do?” said an increasingly tearful Carrie.
“Hey now you! None of that, now shush!” said Mike sliding into the seat next to Carrie. “Money is not a problem, not in the slightest, now stop worrying!”
“But!” splutter Carrie.
“No buts either young lady!” Mike said hugging her tightly. “I have been busy in more ways than one, first off, the confiscated money liberated from the thugs amounted to Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty Pounds, so your fares, your shopping, living expenses and so on are covered for the immediate future. So when you get to Aberdeen, Karen and her partner are going to take you shopping for new wardrobes, so bugger the expense, go mad and treat yourselves, you can afford it!”
“But Mike, “It’s drug money!”” whispered Carrie.
“Yes sweetheart, it is, it comes from misery, but there is no way to return it to those who got involved in the drug scene probably as users first, then pushers afterwards! Even if you did, they’d probably spend it on more drugs from another supplier! So, turn it into happy money, put it to a really good use, spend it on yourself and Lisa, you look upon it as wages if you like, wages earned by falling for that scumbag Matthew, and the fear that you and especially Lisa endured!”
Carrie stared down at her hands as if contemplating her decision before silently nodding her head, “Yes Mike, you are right, I don’t really have a choice do I, not until I can find another job anyway!”
“No you don’t, but before you go looking for another job, you are going to investigate getting your degree, and both of us are determined on that, that is what you are going to do, just like that copper suggested, there’s two good universities in Aberdeen so take advantage of them, or perhaps you’ll be able to come back here and enrol somewhere, but, you, young lady are going to qualify, no more waitressing! Make use of your brain, for the both of you, you owe it as much to Lisa as you do to yourself. Plus the sacrifices your mom made to get you to university in the first place deserve to be honoured!”
“But Mike, almost Five Gand won’t last that long!” Carrie responded.
“No, you’re right, but, there’s more than almost Five Grand! You see Carrie, when I took the liberty of going through Matthews hidden reserves, I told you he’d been a naughty boy and had obviously been siphoning proceeds of the drug trade from his bosses, which is why it has all hit the fan this week in all likelihood. What I didn’t tell you was just how naughty he’d been. I was only able to do a quick calculation based on the size of the bags of cash he’d hidden under your floorboards. So I took the liberty of removing just over a third of his takings, then I left the rest and all his drugs behind for the boys in blue to find. The drug lords will already probably know how much money in drugs and cash were seized Friday, and I doubt very much if they know exactly how much he’d skimmed from them, but based on what I brought home he must have stolen almost Three Hundred Thousand Pounds, plus who knows how much in actual drugs. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that early this morning I did a rough counting up of the money I brought home with me Friday, and there is something in the region of One Hundred and Ten Grand!”
“One hundred and Ten Grand?” repeated both Tina and Carrie, both equally stunned.
“That’s right, now obviously we can’t just open a bank account and drop One Hundred and Ten Grand in it! We’ll have different Police and other authorities down on us like a ton of bricks. So, once you have some actual I.D., you’ll go to one of the big banks in Aberdeen, and open an account, then once that’s gone through, Tina and I can start making random deposits on your behalf, so you needn’t worry about money for a year or two ,at the very least, longer if you are careful. So, no excuse not to finish your education, plus Lisa is going to have needs that money will help accelerate, you literally have the bank of “Mom and Dad” behind you!”
Carrie threw her arms around Mike’s neck, “Okay Mike, you have me convinced, but, won’t your contact want a lot of money for all his efforts to provide us with new I.D.?”
“Yes he’ll need paying, his normal fee is somewhere around Twenty Grand or so, but, when I explained to him who it was for, family, and why, well, I won’t tell you exactly what he said, but his language was more than a trifle blue, so he said he’s do it at cost, which was somewhere around Five Grand. Then, the strangest thing happened, he looked at Lisa’s photo, and he got all pensive and gently ran his thumb over her face, and had genuine tears in his eyes. A real hard bloke turned to jelly in front of me. It transpires that him and his wife fell out big time over something or other when he was serving with “The Regiment”, anyway, when he returned to his base in Hereford after a mission in Iraq, he found she’s upped and left him, taking their daughter with her and he’s seen hide nor hair of either of them since. It seems our Lisa looks a lot like his daughter did the last time he saw her, so he’s doing it purely for the cost of the materials, so a case of decent red wine, and Two Grand. I’ll settle up with him once he’s got the items we need!”
“Thank you, Mike, thank you, and please, thank your friend for me next time you see him!”
“I will do Carrie, right, once you get up to our Karen’s go and buy yourself a small, decent car, for cash, and register it at Karens’ address, then, once you have the registration document back from Swansea’s Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority which will take a week or so, plus an insurance certificate, you can open your bank account as you’ll have some I.D. with proof of address on it. I’ll give you about Fifteen Grand or so to take with you tomorrow, so that should tide you over in the short term. But, if you find yourself running short for any reason, just give us a bell and we’ll send you a registered envelope with additional funds in it, so don’t fret right, everything will work out, okay?”
“Okay, Mike, you certainly seem to have all this worked out in advance, I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do!”
“That’s alright sweetheart, I suggest you go and get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a long day!”
“Thank you both!” said Carrie rising to her feet and giving them both a kiss, “I don’t know what Lisa or I would have done without your help and support, I am so, so sorry to have dragged you into all this mess!”
“Hey!” said Mike as he placed his arm around Carrie’s waist, “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, I am sorry Matthew invaded your lives, which I am almost sure he did, so you two would provide him with a bit of a smoke screen in the local community! To be honest, I have enjoyed the cloak and dagger stuff! Just like old times! But, neither of us will ever forgive him for what he’s dragged you into. So, no self-recriminations, you are human, you were lonely, stressed and he offered you support and love, or as you thought anyway! So, no looking back, just look forward Carrie love, and everything will sort itself out, you’ll see!”
“Okay, goodnight both!” and Carrie headed off to bed. Twenty minutes later Tina and Mike also retired.
Across the street a different member of the drug gang settled in to keep watch on the Smith household. He wasn’t looking forward to a long and cold night.
Chapter Twelve.
An hour later Tina was disturbed by blue flashing lights just down the street. She nudged Mike awake and after looking out the window, he quickly put on his dressing gown and slippers and hurried downstairs and out the front door, telling Tina to stay where she was.
He made his way down the street to find a policeman rolling on the floor with a sizeable man who was desperately trying to avoid being handcuffed. Pushing his way through a small group of numbskull bystanders, one or two more interested in filming events than helping out, Mike dropped on the bloke he was sure was observing his home, he was sick of the interference, so he drove his elbow into the thugs shoulder before he grabbed the crooks arm, ramming it up his back, almost to the point of dislocation, before he whispered in the blokes ear,
“Carry on mate, I’m quite happy to break your bleeding arm unless you pack it in, you’ve interrupted my kip, so I’m royally pissed off, so up it’s up to you, you have to the count of three to stop struggling!”
“One!”
“Nuck you!” muttered the thug.
“Two!”
“Gerroff! Bastard!”
“Please yourself!”
“Three!”
With a wrench, out popped the thugs shoulder joint! Screams from the thug woke other residents as lights popped on up and down the street and most front doors opened, as more residents came out to investigate what was going on.
“I did warn you mate!” then loudly, so others could hear, “Oh dear pal, have you hurt yourself, you shouldn’t have resisted the officer, here let me help you!”
With a quick twist Mike relocated the joint he had so recently dislocated. The mans screams stopped to be replaced by whimpers as he moaned to himself as he was quickly cuffed, the somewhat out of breath Policeman reported into his radio that the situation was now under control, sirens could be heard approaching from several directions as the officer had obviously activated his “Officer under attack” alarm. Within moments several Police cars and a van were in the street, blue lights flashing everywhere.
The dishevelled copper reached across offering his hand to Mike, “Thanks mate, he had me worried for a moment or two there!”
“No worries, I can’t just stand by and watch unlike some, or even to be happy to film events on their phones, bloody morons, I was in the Para’s, and I have a few moves still, So what was going on?”
“I don’t really know, we’d had a report from someone out walking their dog of some bloke sat in a car looking like he was watching a house, he got snarky when I started asking questions as to why he was here chain smoking, then it all kicked off when I requested back-up, then just when I was getting a bit out of breath, you arrived!”
“Glad to be of help, names Smith, Mike Smith!”
“Thanks again Mike, I’m PC Chris Bradley, could you do me another favour, my Sergeant is going to want a short statement from you if you don’t mind, so could you hang around for a moment or two.”
“No worries Chris, Okay if I just pop in the house to put something a bit warmer on, it’s a bit nippy to be out just in me jammies!”
“Sure Mike, no problem, which house are you from?”
Mike pointed across the street. As he entered the front door Tina was at the bottom of the stairs.
“Are you Ok Mike? What’s going on?”
“I’m fine love, I’m just going to slip something a bit warmer on as I have to give a statement. It seems our drug gang friends are still interested in this house, the Police were checking reports of a stranger watching from the shadows, and he wasn’t too keen on answering questions, then it all kicked off, until I persuaded him it was in his best interests to co-operate! He took a little convincing, but once I put his shoulder out of joint, he saw the error of his ways!”
“Oh Mike, you didn’t?”
“It’s alright, I put it back for him!” replied Mike smirking pulling a tracksuit and a heavy jacket on over his pyjamas, “Do me a favour love and keep warm, I shall want to cuddle my little hot water bottle in the none too distant future!”
“Mike!” Tina muttered as she slapped his upper arm in a playful manner. “You’re enjoying all this aren’t you?”
“You know, I think I am, anyway, go woman, warm me bed, I won’t be long, I’ve got my keys!”
Mike rushed back downstairs and out the front door which he locked behind him. Carrie joined Tina at the top of the stairs where she whispered.
“What’s going on Tina?”
“I’m not sure love, I think we had someone watching the house, and they’ve been arrested. Mike helped out and he’s just got to give a quick statement that’s all!”
“He’s alright though isn’t he?” Carrie asked a bit more alarmed.
“Yes love, he’s fine, he’ll be back before you know it, so go back to bed, there’s nothing to worry about, I’ll tell you what, I’ll get him to pop his head around your door to let you know he’s back, okay?”
“Promise?”
“Yes Carrie, now back to bed before you disturb Lisa! Go on, scoot!”
“Yes Mom!” replied Carrie with a quick kiss before going back to her room. Tina climbed back into her bed and picked up her Kindle® to carry on reading until Mike got back. Meanwhile out on the street, Mike approached the Officer he’d assisted.
“Hi Chris, that’s me back, more suitably attired!”
“Thanks Mike, this is my Sergeant, Pete Davis, this is Mike Smith, the man who helped me out just in the nick of time!”
“Many thanks Mike, I’m Pete Davis, so, can we have a chat about events tonight, well, this morning really?”
“Yeah no problem, do you want to do it here in the street? In your car Or do you want to come in for a brew?” The two policemen looked at each other, consulted their watches and said that a cuppa would be very welcome. Once the thug had been ensconced in the back of the Police van and taken to the local station for questioning. A further officer was going to wait with the suspects car for it to be recovered for further analysis, the street returned to its usual peaceful state.
Tina heard the front door open and quiet voices entering the kitchen, so quickly donning her dressing gown she hurried downstairs. Thrusting her head around the door, “Here, let me do that, I’ll make the tea!” So for the second time that day Officers of the law were entertained in Mike and Tina’s house.
After introductions had been made, Pete got down to obtaining a short statement as to Mike’s involvement with that mornings ruckus. As to the question of why a well-known member of the local drug gang was watching houses in their street, Mike explained about how one of their waitresses boyfriend had been involved in drugs distribution, unbeknownst to them all. About his sudden disappearance, and the threats made against Jessica and her brother Luke, and their subsequent disappearance too! They gave them the contact details of the two Officers they’d already spoken too.
“That great, thanks for all that both!” said Pete closing his notebook. “Now we can go and bend our friends’ ear, with a bit more information than he’ll think we have!”
“I’m sure Eddie and Lorna will want to speak to him too later today, I think his day has just got significantly worse!” added Chris. “No doubt his phone, the contents of the car and other odds and sods will all add to the case we’re building against these individuals! We’ve been after them for a long time now, they seem to have imploded with internal conflicts, which is giving us a great chance to take them down!”
“I hope so!” said Tina hugging her mug.
“Yeah, but sadly, you get rid of this lot, and someone else will move in and establish a new supply chain before you can blink!” said Chris sadly.
“Still, we better get ourselves down the station and bend our friends’ ear, thanks again Mike, we all really appreciate your help this morning, it’s not often a member of the public will step forward to help Police Officers in the execution of their duties, especially one so well qualified as yourself. I’m sure you will be contacted by someone higher up than us, have you ever about taking up a position with the force, full time or even as a “Special”, you’d be a real asset! Think about it! However, if you do hear from Jess or Luke, I’m sure you have Eddie and Lorna’s contact details!” said Pete as he quietly walked to the front door. He motioned with his eyes upstairs.
“It’s okay, our daughter and granddaughter have been staying with us for a few days and they’re asleep upstairs!” whispered Tina.
“That’s nice, I hope we’ve not disturbed them with all the racket outside and our voices in your kitchen, thanks again!” said Chris “Hope you can get back to sleep after this disturbance!”
“After all my years in the forces, I can drop off to sleep at the drop of a hat, you learned that skill quite quickly as you never knew when you’d get the chance for another forty winks!” smiled Mike. The after handshakes all round, the Officers left to continue their night shift.
“Right, you, upstairs! Pop into Carrie and reassure her you are okay, if she is still awake, which I bet she is! But you disturb Lisa, I’ll batter you myself, Michael, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes Mistress!” said Mike, giving Tina a mock salute as if he was the Genii from Aladdin’s lamp!”
Tina smacked his head playfully anyway, “I’ll just put the mugs in soak, make sure everything is off and secure, and I’ll be right up!”
As Mike got to the top of the stairs, Carrie quietly opened her bedroom door and pulled Mike into an intense hug. “Are you okay Mike?”
“Yes love, I’m fine! I promise!”
“I’m so sorry Mike, I’ve!”
Mike placed his fore finger over Carrie’s lips. “Shush, not another word, none of this, absolutely none of it is your fault, do you hear me, so if I hear one more apology, I shall be really annoyed Carrie. Do you understand?”
“Yes Dad, you know Mike, my mother would never tell me anything about my biological father, or Lisa’s if it comes to that, I think she was ashamed of her behaviour at times, but, I want you to know both you and Tina have been more than a Mom and Dad to the pair of us, we’ll always love our birth Mom, don’t get me wrong, but ever since I first met you through Karen at school, I have always thought of you as my Dad, and I know Lisa adores you as her Grandfather!”
Mike almost crushed her in a hug, “That, Carrie or Jessica, is the best thing you could have said, and is more than enough thanks than I deserve, now go to bed, you’ve a busy day today, besides I don’t want to get an earful off Tina if I disturb Lisa!”
The bedroom door opened a little further, a half asleep Lisa appeared rubbing her right eye with the back of her hand, “Wass, goin on? Is it time to gerrup?”
“No sweetheart, it’s early yet, come on, let’s get you back into bed before we get your Grandfather in trouble with your Granny for waking you up!”
Carrie kissed Mike’s cheek before leading a zombified Lisa back to bed as Mike pulled the door too behind them gently.
Tina quickly made her way up the stairs, “Michael Arthur Smith!” she hissed, “After all my warnings, did you disturb Lisa?”
“No Mam, not me, I was whispering to Carrie and she stumbled out on her own, but I bet she’s asleep again by now as she was never really awake in the first place!” Whispered Mike holding both hands up palms outwards in show of surrender, “Blimey woman! You’re worse than any Regimental Sergeant Major I ever came across, and that’s saying something!”
Tina pushed past him and entered their bedroom first before turning to stare down Mike, “Wait a moment, when you retired you were the R.S.M.!”
Mike closed the door, and looking at Tina sheepishly, “Exactly, I rest my case, now come on, let’s get some sleep!”
Jessica and Luke are siblings who have experienced a whole world of pain and hurt in their short lives. When it seems that, for once, things are finally beginning to improve, a local drug gang invades their existence, and their world threatens to crumble down around their ears. Read on to see how they and their friends fight back.
Chapter Thirteen.
That Monday morning was all rush in the Smith household. Lis and Carrie each had a rolling suitcase with their new belongings, Lisa was also carrying her Elsa doll along with a backpack Tina had picked up for during her shopping expedition on Saturday. She was dressed in her pale blue jeans, white sneakers, her white embroidered anglaise blouse with a blue cardigan and denim jacket. Carrie was dressed almost identically only she had a sizeable black handbag draped across her chest, with all her essentials in it.
As she had been promised the day before, Lisa had been allowed to wear a little make-up, which really excited her, as did the prospect of making her very first journey by train, however, all four of them of them could not ignore the elephant in the room, their impending separation. Lisa became quieter and quieter, she spent a good chunk of her time sat on Mike’s lap and leaning into his chest as they both sat silently watching cartoons, Mikes arm clamped protectively around her, talking to her quietly from time to time.
After an early lunch of sandwiches and fruit that none of them felt much like eating, Tina said, “Come on them, everyone, none of us are looking forward to this much, but we need to get moving, trying to find a parking spot near Birmingham New Street is not easy at the best of times. I have pre-booked and pre-paid for your tickets and reserved your seats.” So saying she handed some printouts to Carrie.
“You’ll be travelling first class, that way you’ll have your cases directly behind your seats, and a bit more room to move around.”
Mike then said, “Right, here are two new Apple iPhone®, this one is yours Carrie, and this one is for you Lisa.” Carrie looked questioningly at Mike with an eyebrow cocked, whereas Lisa, who’d never had a mobile phone just wore a wide-eyed smile.
“For me? She asked looking into Mike’s face, “It’s all for me?” Mike nodded, “Look Carrie, a phone, a phone of my own!”
“Yes Lisa, I can see, a nice pretty pink cover too, here, let me put it into you backpack for you, you can have a look at it properly later and read the instructions, and keep the charger safe!”
As Carrie was loading up Lisa, Tina was placing the same things into Carries handbag. Mike looked at Carrie.
“I take it you haven’t turned on your own old mobile phone since I told you to turn it off Friday afternoon!”
“No Mike!”
“Good girl, give me your old phone please!”
Carrie took her new bag from Tina and after rummaging around in its depths, she handed him hew old, battered handset.
“Thanks love!” with surprising dexterity he soon had the unit out of its case, with its cracked screen, and popping open the back had removed the battery. “I don’t want to take the risk of some-one working out how to follow you via modern technology. You both have consecutive telephone numbers, the only contacts you have are each other obviously, Tina, Karen and myself. That’s all you should need in the short term, just be careful who you add for the time being, refuse all in-coming calls from numbers you don’t know, and to be fair, even from numbers you do recognise for the time being! No both of you have the latest bells and whistles, internet, music etc. etc. So, we expect regular WhatsApp® messages and face video calls okay!”
Both nodded, Carrie more glassy eyed than Lisa who was more excited than anything else about having her own mobile phone.
With that, they left the house for the journey into central Birmingham, Mike glanced across at Tina.
“It looks like we’re still of interest to someone, there’s a red estate, three cars back, two blokes, they’ve been following us for a while, I don’t think they’re the boys in blue, as they would be more likely to use cameras and technology, so presumably they’re our druggie friends. Anyway, just be aware of who is around you, especially once we get near the station!”
Tina nodded her acknowledgement.
They were fortunate to come across an empty parking bay at the bottom of Hill Street. All four of them exited the car and made their way through the crowds and onto the main station entranceway, the large information board constantly being upgraded with the various arrivals and departures taking place across the almost twenty platforms in use. After obtaining platform access tickets, Mike and Tina escorted Carrie and Lisa down onto platform eight just as their train drew in, it’s electric motors gently humming as it drew to a halt. By luck, the first-class carriage was positioned almost opposite where they stood. It didn’t take long to get Carrie and Lisa settled into their seats.
“Now girls, don’t forget you have to change trains in Edinburgh, and you get to ride across the Forth Rail Bridge, one of the greatest Victorian structures made anywhere in the world. You can phone us anytime you like, and Karen will be waiting for you in Aberdeen, so enjoy yourselves, and all being well, we’ll come and visit you in a few weeks’ time. Now, come here, give your Granny a big hug and a kiss and do as your Mommy tells you, okay?” said Tina to Lisa.
Mike was giving Carrie an all-encompassing hug.
“Take care of yourself, you hear me, and don’t forget everything we’ve told you, finish your education, look after our princess and stay safe, we’ll be in touch, and we’re only ever a phone call away!”
Both Lisa and Carrie were speechless with tears. Tina and Mike returned to the platform and walked with the train as it slowly gathered speed to start it’s journey to Edinburgh, Soon the dark confines of the station and its access tunnels was left behind as the train rapidly gathered speed. Once they’d dried each other’s tears, Lisa was drawn to the view from the window. As she had her face pressed to the glass, she jumped back with a squeal as an express travelling in the opposite direction thundered past, so close it seemed they were almost touching.
Carrie laughed, “That made you jump didn’t it!”
“I never realise they travelled so fast and so close!” giggled Lisa.
“If I remember correctly, we’ll be travelling at up to One Hundred and Twenty-Five mile an hour at times!”
“Wow!!” murmured a still excited Lisa as she absorbed all the sights, sounds and sensations of her very first ever train journey, Carrie smiled protectively and kissed the top of her daughter’s head as she placed her arm over her shoulder.
Chapter Fourteen.
Meanwhile, Mike and Tina had done a little shopping in “The Palisades” precinct that was part of the station complex before heading back to their car. As they got closer, they realised a large man was leaning against the wall adjacent to their vehicle casually looking up and down the street. As they got closer, he pushed himself upright and stood right in Mikes face.
“You Mike Smith?” he asked.
“Might be, who wants to know?”
“Never mind who wants to know!” the thug intoned, “We want to speak to that bitch who works for you and her brother!”
Mike stepped forward into the man’s personal space, “Funny, I don’t have a bitch working for me, so I’ll thank you to mind your language in front of the Mrs!”
“Look mate, we only want to speak to her about her poxy boyfriend Matthew!” the thug tried to intimidate Mike by stepping forward, but Mike didn’t budge. So the thug tried to make his point by jabbing his forefinger into Mike’s chest “Listen, (prod) Tosser, (prod), We, (prod) Wanna, (prod) SQUEAL!!!!!!!”
With lightening movements, before the thug even knew what was happening, Mike had a firm grip on the thugs’ finger he’d been prodding Mike with, “Now, you listen to me, mate, I don’t like being interrupted by scum like you, but especially when I am out for a nice day off with my wife!” With a loud crack and another scream the thugs’ finger was broken, but Mike continued to bend it until the thug was on his knees pleading for release.
“Now, why don’t you just fu*k off, leave me and my Mrs alone, before I get really annoyed!” hissed Mike.
The thug was trying to get Mike to release his damaged hand by using his other hand to release Mike’s grip. Mike passed the bags he’d been carrying over to Tina.
“Can you hold these for me love? I just need to have another quiet word with matey here!” After he’d passed the bags over, he grabbed the thumb of the thugs second hand, and in seconds had that bent back at almost impossible angle too!
“Now, mate, this is the last time I’m going to say this, I don’t like Matthew, I don’t know where Matthew is, I don’t care where Matthew is, I don’t know what your beef is with Matthew, nor do I care, all I care about is my wife, my family and my friends. Now, if I hear you coming anywhere near my family or my friends ever again, me and my friends will unleash a whole world of pain and trouble on Matthew, his friends, you, your friends and anyone else who we deem worthy of our actions. Now, have I made myself clear? Your lot upset my waitress who now is not involved with that low life Matthew, which I made clear to some of your colleagues. She never wants to see him again, so, when you do find him, you can tell him that if I ever see him anywhere near her, her brother, me, my wife, my premises or my friends ever again, he will be partaking of hospital food, through a straw! Understand?
The thug frantically nods his head.
“Speak up, I can’t hear you!”
“Yes, I’ll pass your message on! Now lemme go!”
Mike released the thugs’ hands, who struggling to his feet, nursing his hands tries to stagger away, issuing a stream of vile invective as he did so, he banged his elbow against the window of a car parked a little further down Hill Street. The door was pushed open and the thug collapsed into the passenger seat and after whoever was inside had slammed the door shut, the car roared away down the road.
From a recess between two buildings DS Jones, appeared and walked up to Mike and Tina.
“That was well done Mike, we know both those two idiots and will keep an eye on them. Nice the way you repeatedly said that you didn’t know Mr Gibson was dead, so we’ll have to see if they take the hint or not! We will be keeping you, your wife and your premises under covert observation until we know whether or not they had lost interest in Jessica and Luke. It does appear that the disguises have worked a treat, DC Wright is on the train keeping an eye on Carrie and Lisa to ensure they are not being followed. Anyway, thanks again, and I’ll be in touch in due course.” After shaking both their hands he sauntered off.
Mike and Tina got settled into the car.
“Are you okay Mike, and do you think Carrie and Lisa are safe?”
Mike leaned over and gave his wife a quick kiss.
“I am fine Tina, honestly, although these idiots are beginning to seriously piss me off, but yes, I do think Carrie and Lisa are safe, let’s go home I could murder a brew!”
Chapter Fifteen.
With that they drove home to a quiet and desolate house, neither of them realised just how much Carrie and Lisa had filled their lives over the last few days, they would both miss the youngsters more than they knew.
Sometime later, on a speeding northbound train Lisa awoke from a snooze rubbing her chest and moaning as she rubbed her stomach too. Carrie sat her up and looked at her daughter closely, before putting the back of her hand on Lisa’s forehead.
“Mmm, you feel a bit warm; you look a bit pale too, are you alright love?”
“Yes Mom, I’m okay, just my chest is really itching, and my tummy is a bit sore and I feel a bit sick! I must be tired, and worried about you!”
“Oh Lisa, you don’t have to worry about me, I’m here with you aren’t I, let’s sit you up and get you distracted! Do you want me to get Elsa’s extra bits and pieces from your backpack for you to play with, it’ll pass the time!”
“Okay Mommy, sounds like a good idea!”
So, the two of them spent some quality time together, playing with Elsa and admiring the spectacular countryside and cities they passed through. Around an hour before they were due to arrive at Edinburgh Waverly Railway Station, a tall woman with long blond hair and clear spectacles stopped alongside the end of their table and spoke to Carrie.
“Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here for a while, only there aren’t too many free seats available, and I couldn’t help but notice you and your daughter playing together so nicely whilst you pass the time.
“No of course not, please, make yourself comfy! I’m Carrie and this is my daughter Lisa!” the stranger placed her handbag, a small attaché case and a large carrier from a well-known toy store on the seat before sliding in after her luggage. The two women shook hands while Lisa looked coyly on, trying to work something out that was gnawing away at the back of her mind.
The stranger looked across at Lisa.
“I see another young lady with a love of Frozen®. I have a niece who has all the dolls, and her bedroom walls are covered in posters or Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf! I think I like Olaf the best. I met a girl yesterday who loves Elsa! And this young lady had the most tremendous voice when she sang the “let it go!” song!”
Carrie had already worked out who this stranger was, Lisa looked closely at the stranger, then at Carries smiling face, then back at the stranger! She knew the voice, but from where?
“As I say I think I like Olaf’s the best, he’s so funny!”
Lisa leant forward and peered at the woman, before realisation hit her as to who it was. The stranger put her fingers to her lips to signify silence.
“Yes Lisa, it’s me, your fiend Lorna, fancy us bumping into each other on the train!”
“Hello Lorna!” whispered Lisa.
“It’s nice to see you again Lorna.” Said Carrie quietly, “I didn’t expect to see you for a while, and I like the new look!”
Lorna pulled at her long blond hair that was so different to the short dark brown bob she’s worn yesterday.
“It’s useful to have few different looks in my line of work, makes it easier to merge in the background! How are you both doing?”
“We’re fine thanks Lorna, relieved to be on our way, although Lisa here is feeling a bit under the weather!”
“I’m not surprised you’re feeling a bit out of sorts Lisa, stress does funny things to different people, and that’s amongst us adults, to such a youngster as yourself it must be even more disturbing. But I’m sure once things settle down, you’ll be as right as rain!”
“Thank you Lorna, I hope so!” whispered Lisa.
“Anyway young lady, You remember Eddie from yesterday?” Lisa nodded. “Well, we both thought you had been incredibly brave, so we wanted to buy you something nice as a present for all the help you have been to us, so before I got on the train, I picked you out a few more toys from us to help start your collection. Here you go sweetheart, accept these from Eddie and I with all our love and think of us when you play with them!”
As Lorna said this, she handed the carrier across to Lisa.
“Thank you, Lorna, thank you, can I look in at what’s in the bag?”
Lorna laughed, “Of course darling, they’re yours!”
Lisa opened the bag and looking in, her eye’s got as big as saucers,
“Oh wow, look Mom, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf! Wow, thank you, thank you so much! I don’t know what to say!”
Lisa clambered across the table and threw her arms around Lorna’s neck and rocked her from side to side in a tight hug!
“Aren’t you a lucky girl Lisa!” added an equally dumbstruck Carrie.
“Well, we knew she had little to her name given the way events unfolded, and we thought she deserved something nice and special, to try and make up for some of the trouble that’s come her way of late, well, both of you really.”
“Thanks Lorna! You’ve no idea what a boost it’ll give her!”
As the two women spoke quietly about events, Lisa, after looking at the bag with her new character dolls within it started digging through her backpack before kneeling on the seat and tugging at Carrie’s sleeve.
“What’s up sweetheart?”
Lisa held her new phone out in front of her, Carrie looked at her at little confused.
“Would it be ok if I asked Lorna to put her details in my new phone, just so I have another number in my contacts, then I could message her from time to time, because I really, . . . I really, . . . I really think I’d like to be a police lady just like her when I grow up, so, . . . so I could help others like she has helped us, unless I become a singer, or a teacher like you are going to be!”
Carrie explained to Lorna that this was Lisa’s first phone and how Mike had bought the two of them new phones just in case someone tried to trace Carrie via her old handset. Carrie was torn about what to do for the best and glanced across at Lorna.
“I tell you what, Lisa, if it’s okay with your Mommy, I will give you my personal mobile phone number rather than my official one, that way we can swap WhatsApp messages, or even video Chat from time to time. I would be honoured if you chose to become a Police Officer like me in the future, I think you would make a very good one too!” Carrie nodded her agreement, and Lorna quickly entered her details.
“Just remember Lisa, I might be busy and won’t always be able to answer, straightaway, but I promise I will reply at some stage, okay?”
“I understand, thankyou Lorna, I promise not to be a nuisance!” replied a very pleased Lisa.
“Right ladies, I am going to disappear now. I will be on your next train, but you may not recognise me but don’t worry, I’ll be keeping an eye on you, but I am almost certain your disguises are perfect, enjoy your stay but we will meet up again at some point, your information has been crucial to our investigations. And don’t forget to message me Lisa, okay?”
Lisa nodded and after quick hugs all around, Lorna disappeared down the carriage. It was soon time to gather their belongings together and work out which platform they needed for their next train onto Aberdeen. They had almost an hour to waste, sat on a platform bench before a train from Aberdeen drew into Edinburgh, ready to retrace its journey North back to the Granite City. The thrill of travelling slowly across the Forth Bridge was something that would stay with them both for quite some time.
After almost eight hours since they had left Birmingham, the two exhausted travellers climbed from the train in Aberdeen, stretching their legs and stopping to find the platform exit, so they could meet up with Karen and her partner Ruth.
Jessica and Luke are siblings who have experienced a whole world of pain and hurt in their short lives. When it seems that, for once, things are finally beginning to improve, a local drug gang invades their existence, and their world threatens to crumble down around their ears. Read on to see how they and their friends fight back.
Chapter Sixteen.
Carrie and Lisa dragged their wheeled suitcases behind them, thankful that they didn’t have to physically carry them as they had enough to cope with, what with their packs and bags, plus the new toys Lorna had given Lisa. Although they looked around, they didn’t see Lorna again that day. They trudged through the platform exit before shouts and someone was observed waving frantically. A younger, taller version of Tina rushed up to them and with squeals of delight clasped both arms around Carrie and rocked from side.
“Oh Carrie, Carrie, it’s great to see you again, it’s been too long, it really has!”
Then turning to Lisa this human dynamo, grabbed hold of her squeezing her tightly!”
“Oh Lisa, last time I saw you, you were just a tiny tot, look at you, you are so, so pretty, just like your mother! Here, give me your bags, you must both be shattered after all this travel. Come on, this way, Ruth is in the car!
Still chattering away ten to the dozen Karen led them from the station through to large shopping complex at Union Square. Karen who had a firm grip on Lisa’s hand led them to a top of the range Toyota RAV4 hybrid vehicle. As they approached the car a tall slim woman climbed out of the driver’s seat as the rear door automatically rose to allow access to the boot space.
After quick introductions, all four climbed into the vehicle and they made their way out of the city. Lisa was amazed at the size and number of ships in the harbour opposite the shopping area. Karen turned to her and explained that they were oil support vessels that were normally far out in the North Sea servicing the oil rigs, they here huge and had masses of extremely bright lights all over them.
Before Lisa knew it, they were parking up outside some really nice apartment buildings on Riverside Drive overlooking the River Dee. By this time, Lisa was that tired and being still bothered by a sore tummy she went to bed cuddling Elsa and a hot water bottle. The three adults talked way into the night, catching up on recent events and but more importantly, what to do about Lisa.
The following morning, Lisa wandered through to the kitchen, Carrie and Karen were sat at the table talking quietly.
“Morning Lisa, how are you feeling this morning? You look very pale still!” asked Carrie finding it difficult to hide her concern, “Come here Love, let me feel your forehead.” After running her hand over Lisa’s forehead, she said “You’re still running a temperature!”
“I sill have a tummy ache, and I feel a bit sick still, I thought when we got here, and we were safe from “Them!” I would be better, why I aren’t I better?”
“I don’t know Lisa, but I want you to let your Auntie Ruth check you over when she gets back from work okay sweetie!”
“But Mom!” Lisa then spoke quietly, “She’ll know all about me!” Lisa nestled into Carrie with tears forming in her eyes.
Carrie hugged Lisa to her chest and rubbed her back.
“Oh sweetheart, she already knows, Tina spoke to her and Karen all about you, remember? She wasn’t trying to embarrass you in any way, but we are all worried about you! For one, things are changing on your body that we didn’t expect, it looks like you are starting to develop breasts, doesn’t it? Secondly, certain things we would have expected to see, like hair on your legs and other things you don’t want, haven’t appeared. Plus, your tummy aches and your pale colouring worry me, I am worried, Your Grandparents are both worried, Auntie Karen is worried, Auntie Lorna is worried, and Auntie Ruth is worried too! So, your Auntie Ruth’s popping out on her lunchbreak to give you an initial look over and she’s going to take some of your blood back to the hospital with her to get tested, then tonight, she’s going to check you over a bit more closely. But I will be with you all the time, Okay?”
“Not needles!” spluttered Lisa.
“Yes love, just a very tiny one, to get some blood, it doesn’t really hurt if you don’t watch!” said Karen softly, “Then once that’s over, I’m going to take you into Aberdeen to some of the big shops and we’ll get you and Carrie, your Mom sorry, Get you both lots of nice new pretty clothes, probably some toys and things to pretty up your bedroom, because even though you are sharing with your Mom, you deserve to have lots of pretty things about you, you both do!, all pretty girls do”
Lisa looked from Carrie to Karen and back to Carrie.
“Err, okay, I think, but Auntie Ruth, she won’t hurt me will she?”
“No sweetheart, besides, you are Lisa aren’t you?” asked Carrie even though she already knew the answer.
“Well, duh, of course I am, I have always been Lisa!” was the response she received, which is exactly what she expected.
“Well, Lisa, at some point we were going to have to see a Doctor, to make sure you grow up to be Lisa don’t we?” replied Carrie.
“Well, yes, . . .I know, . . . I just didn’t expect it to be now, I, . . I’m scared, . .”
“What are you scared about?”
“Telling other people about me, and them telling me I am a freak!” said Lisa, tears streaming down her face.
“They won’t tell you you’re a freak I promise! I’ve already told you; you are not a freak and not to ever call yourself that again haven’t I!” responded Carrie.
“Yes, but, . . . but, . . . “
“But what love?” asked a concerned Karen.
“What if, . . what if they say, . . . they say they won’t let me become Lisa, but that, I, . . I have, . . I have to be him?” Lisa wailed into Carrie’s shoulder.
“Hush Lisa, come on hush!” Carrie took Lisa’s face into her hands and looked intently into her eyes, “I hereby promise you, that you will grow up to become a fine young woman called Lisa, okay, cross my heart!”
Lisa’s tear laden eyes stared at Carrie.
“Well, go on then!”
“Go on what then?” asked a confused Carrie.
“Cross your heart!” smiled Lisa.
Carrie took her right hand removed it from Lisa’s cheek, extended her forefinger, licked the tip and made the crossing sign over her heart.
“I, Carrie Jenna Brown do hereby solemnly promise that Lisa Kirsty Brown will grow up to be a lovely young woman, that everyone she meets will love her to bits, I, Carrie Jenna Brown do give her my pledge that I will do all it takes to make this a reality! Now, do you believe me?”
Lisa nodded through her tears.
At the moment a tear-streaked Karen’s phone beep to signify an incoming message.
“That’s Ruth just saying she’s leaving the hospital and she’ll be here in ten minutes; can we make sure Lisa is up, and that the kettle is on for a cup of tea!”
“Are you okay Karen?” asked a concerned Carrie.
Karen nodded as she entered the open plan kitchen and set the kettle to boil.
“Yeah, I’m okay thanks, it’s just hearing your new middle names rekindled some memories for me!”
Carrie rose and crossed over to her best friend and taking her in a tight hug whispered, “It’s okay love, Mike needed to pick us new middle names at short notice, and we are both honoured to have your dear sisters names as part of our names, aren’t we Lisa?” Lisa rushed over and hugged Karen’s waist.
“Yes Auntie Karen, I never thought of a new middle name, just my first one! I feel special to share my name with your sister and I’m so sorry she didn’t get to grow up!” said Lisa looking up at Karen.
“Thanks both, that means a lot to me!” they all continued to share a hug until the kettle clicked off, “I’ll make a pot of tea, Ruth may want more than one mug, she’s a demon for her tea!”
Chapter Seventeen.
Meanwhile, some four hundred and twenty-five miles or so South, outside a certain café in Birmingham, a top of the range black Range Rover drew to a halt. The front seat passenger leapt out and rushed to open the rear door. The passenger on door duty was a stocky, well-built man, but due to his right hand forefinger being heavily strapped to adjacent fingers, he struggled to open the door smoothly.
Mike glancing up from the café counter recognised this man from the altercation in Hill Street the day before. Mike glanced across to Steve and Geoff who were in their usual spot in the back of the café to ensure they were alert, as were another two customers at an adjacent table, also ex colleagues from Mike’s from their time serving in H.M. Forces, both with Military Intelligence, which most service personnel classed as the ultimate “oxymoron”.
From the rear of the Range Rover stepped a smartly dressed businessman. He was about five feet ten inches tall wore an obviously expensively tailored suit and shiny handmade shoes. He looked out of place in the district he currently found himself in and wrinkled his nose with distaste at these surroundings, however, he waited for another rear seat passenger to come round the rear of the car and open the café door before he entered the premises, making a beeline for Mike.
Tina had been about to leave the kitchen with an order before she noticed Mike’s body language and retraced her steps slightly. Placing the plates she’d been carrying down under heater lamps; she returned to enter the body of the café to stand at the end of the counter.
The smartly dressed individual approached Mike with a sickly false smile plastered to his face.
“Mr Smith? Mr Michael Smith?” and he extended his hand.
Mike stared at this individual and ignored the proffered hand.
“Mr Jessop, Mr Raymond Jessop!”
Clearly taken aback, the café visitor withdrew his hand slowly, trying to out stare Mike.
“Well, I see you have done your homework Michael, do you mind if I call you Michael or Mike?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Actually, I do object to your use of my first name, I reserve that honour for my friends and family, and I certainly don’t class you or the thugs working for you as friends or family, so, if you want to speak to me, you can call me Mr Smith, or Sir, I don’t mind which!” replied Mike with a smirk.
Raymond Jessop, looked like someone had slapped him, his face coloured and the fake smile was replaced with a sneer.
“I don’t think you know who you are dealing with MR SMITH!”
“Well Ray, you don’t mind me calling you Ray, do you Ray? Have you ever heard of Sun Tzu?”
An increasingly annoyed and confused Ray couldn’t believe someone, especially a troublesome café owner was showing him such disrespect. The thug who had opened the café door started to step towards the counter to teach some manners to this oldish man despite the damage he’d inflicted on his colleague the day before. Ray lifted his hand to stop the approaching employee.
“Well Mr Smith, in answer to your question, if I know Sun Tzu, was it you said? Unless he owns the restaurant down the road, I can’t say I am aware of the gentleman, and yes, I find your use of my name offensive!”
“Well Ray, I am glad I offend you, because I find everything about you offensive. For your information Ray, Sun Tzu was a Chinese General. He wrote the first handbook on war back in two hundred- and fifty-years B.C. The most famous part of the book has held true for all the years since and simply states “Know your enemy!” Ray. I know you as my enemy Ray, I know your address in Edgbaston Ray, I know your wife is called Suzanne and what car she drives Ray. I know your two daughters’ names are Tamsin and Trinia and where they go to school Ray. I know where your drugs business is run from, all three addresses! What else do you want me to tell you about yourself Ray? How about the dodgy nightclub near the town hall?”
Ray stood there dumbfounded with the colour draining from his face.
“Now, Ray, you threatened me, threatened my family and you threatened my staff! Now Raymond, my friends and I know you and your associates are nothing but parasitical scum! You will regret the day you were born if you are not careful. Don’t let my greying hair fool you Ray, I have had that much specialist training, as have my many friends, that not only will we ruin your day, but I can ensure that the “Old Bill” will wonder where you and your associates have disappeared to! Not only that, but they also won’t find any remains of any of you either. So, Ray, you threatened me and mine, and that was a big, big mistake, I have resources you can only dream of, don’t mistake my present occupation for someone you can just roll over or stamp on! I have many more friends in this city in both high and low places and they are primed to take your crummy operation apart bit by bit. Now Ray, a Second World War R.A.F. Air Marshall by the name of Sir Arthus “Bomber” Harris said of the Nazi’s that they’d “Sown the wind” by bombing Britain but they were going the “Reap the whirlwind!” and Germany was flattened. The same applies to you. Now, unless you are going to order a meal, and I can’t guarantee that my waitress won’t spit in your food!”
“Oh, I can guarantee with one hundred percent certainty that I WILL spit in his food!” piped up Tina as she walked up to Mike’s side.
“So Ray, there are many, many people who have the same information on you that I have just specified, anything, and I mean anything happens to one of us, then Ray, the authorities will mop up any pieces we leave behind! You have a lovely family Ray, let’s keep it that way shall we? Now Ray, our specials are on the board behind me if you are interested, if not, bog off back into the hole you crawled from, and let me get back to serving genuine customers! Oh, by the way Ray, I have no idea where Matthew Gibson is, just thought I’d mention that in case your moronic friends forgot to mention it to you!”
Ray just didn’t know what to say or how to respond. He looked from Mike to Tina then back to Mike before spinning on his heel and storming out of the door without waiting for his henchman to open it for him. He pushed the man with the damaged hand out of his way too, and after all three men were back in the car, it made a swift get away from the kerb and headed towards the city centre.
The two thickset men who’d been sat by Geoff and Steve quickly left the café after giving Mike a wink, and climbing in their car they headed off in the same direction as Ray.
Chapter Eighteen.
Back North in Aberdeen. Karen stirred the teapot. As she placed a cosy over the pot keys were heard to engage with the front door and as it swung open a cheery voice called out “It’s only me, hope the kettle’s boiled!”
“What did I tell you!” said a smiling Karen rolling her wet eyes, “It’s boiled, so hold your horses, I’m just brewing a pot full of tea!
“Oh goody, I hope there’s some biscuits to go with it, especially chocolate covered ones!” Answered Ruth as she entered the kitchen giving Karen a kiss, and a bit of a funny look as she placed a plastic tray with various implements within its recesses on the counter. As she sterilised her hands “Oh good, my victim is awake!” she smiled at Lisa as she made her eyebrows go up and down repeatedly. Lisa just giggled at her antics.
“Sorry I haven’t much time, I had a bit of a break and I wanted to get a good look at our Lisa this morning!” said Ruth as she crouched on her heels looking Lisa in the eyes. “Come over here in the daylight Lisa, let me have a close look at you, if that’s okay?” Lisa nodded. Ruth, taking her by the hand led her in front of the sofa where a shaft of sunlight streaked across the room. Ruth sat on the sofa and placed Lisa in front of her as she began her scrutiny. Carrie followed them into the seating area placing Ruth’s tray on the coffee table before taking a seat at the other end of the sofa so she could observe Lisa’s examination and offer encouragement.
“Hmm, you are a pasty little thing, aren’t you?” Ruth stated rhetorically, Lisa’s eye’s shot across to glance at Carrie before Ruth spoke again.
“Is it ok if I take your temperature Lisa? I just have a gizmo to stick in your ear, it’ll only take a second!” Lisa nodded her acquiescence. Ruth noted the results on a scrap of paper.
“Now I have another machine that’ll take your blood pressure, it just squeezes your arm, it doesn’t hurt, and it takes a few seconds too!
Okay?” Lisa nodded again. “Brilliant, sit next to me here on the sofa, just a cuff to go on your arm!” The test ran and Ruth made more notes on her paper. “Hmmm, tell you what, let me test your other arm just to see if that has more blood in it? Okay?” The second test ran and again Ruth frowned before folding the cuff and putting the machine away and taking more notes.
“Okay Lisa, stand up for me again please!” as Lisa returned in front of Ruth, Ruth yelled “Oi, slave, where’s me tea? Honestly Lisa, you could die of thirst around here!” Lisa giggled, “Now that’s a lovely sound!
“Here mistress, here’s your tea, hot, milk, two sugars and a dose of poison, just as you like it!” said Karen winking at Lisa as she placed Ruth’s tea on the coffee table.
“Thanks love, you’re a life saver, as always!” and taking a big slurp of her tea, Ruth returned her attention to Lisa, and examining the whites of her eyes, and felt all around her neck and looked in her ears.
“I have to be nice to the domestic help around here Lisa, or I wouldn’t get any choccy biscuits, wait a minute, (Shouting) Oi, I haven’t got any choccy biscuits!!! You just can’t get reliable staff these days, you don’t fancy the job do you Lisa, or perhaps you could see about giving your Auntie Karen some training!” Ruth winked at Lisa again. Karen came back, made a pretence of slamming her plate on the table causing the biscuits to slide around and stuck her tongue out at Ruth, before she too winked at Lisa, who giggled yet again.
Ruth looked directly at Lisa, “Now sweetheart, I need to have a look at the rest of you so I am going to need you to take off your nighty for me, now, we can do it here or you and Carrie can come into your bedroom, it’s up to you, wherever you’ll feel most comfortable!”
Lisa looked across at Carrie who shrugged at her. “No, it’s okay, we can do it here if you like!”
“As long as you are happy, mind you, I am glad you chose here, I can have another slurp of my tea, and another biscuit, I might even be able to get me top up, with a bit of luck!” smirked Ruth.
“You hold your horses, I’ll leave the room so I am not embarrassing Lisa!” stated Karen.
“That’s okay Auntie, you can stay, you’re bound to see me undressed at some stage, I don’t mind, besides, I think Auntie Ruth is really thirsty!”
“Aww, I’ve always wanted to be an Auntie!” said Ruth hugging Lisa tightly, “I saw a photo frame once and it said “Auntie, Like a Mum, Only Cooler! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Here, let me help you off with your nighty!” Ruth grabbed the hem and lifted the garment clear of Lisa’s body and began her visual examination. She couldn’t help the frown that crossed her face, albeit fleetingly. “Okay, turn away from me please, sweetie!” She ran her fingertips over Lisa’s hips tracing their outline.
“Okay face me again Lisa and hold your arms up high for me please. Okay, arms down please! Hmmm! Right Lisa, if I move my fat bum out of your way, do you think you can lie on your back on the sofa for me please?
“Okay Auntie, but, I don’t think you have a fat bum!”
“Aww, me and you young lady are already best friends!” said Ruth giving Lisa a one-armed hug.
“Creep!” called Karen from the kitchen. Ruth pulled her tongue out at her! Lisa giggled.
Ruth knelt alongside Lisa as she lay with her with her head pointing towards Carrie. “Okay sweetie, I am now going to press and feel different parts of your body. I won’t hurt you, but I will admit my hands may be a bit cold.” Ruth began palpating Lisa’s chests. “Okay, Lisa, has your chest always been as big as this, do your nipples itch at all?”
“My nipples itch all the time, and sometimes, when they get banged, they hurt for a little bit! But they have started getting bigger lately, I just thought it was because I really, really want to grow up as Lisa”
“I know sweetie, I know, you want to be Lisa! When did you notice them growing do you think?”
Lisa scrunched up her face in concentration. “Since before Christmas I think, but much more so recently! Some, . . some of the boys at my school, they have, . . . . they have always picked on me, . . . but, . . . but it got worse once one of them noticed I was growing, they . . . they called me even nastier names than usual, and they’d squeeze my chest and make me really hurt, until some of the other girls, they, . . they chased them off!” tears leaked from both Lisa’s eyes into her ears, Tears escaped Carrie’s and Karen’s eye too! Ruth brushed some stray hair from Lisa’s forehead.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that sweetheart, children, some of them anyway, can be positively evil little b . . . ! They can be spiteful, let’s hope you don’t have to face that sort of behaviour again eh! So you’ve noticed changes for about eight or nine months roughly? Lisa nodded.
Carrie looked horror struck. “Oh Lisa, why didn’t you tell me? I could have taken you to the doctors!” she said rubbing Lisa’s forehead.
“You were always so busy and so tired, you might have told Matt and he would have teased me even more, besides, . . . !”
“Besides? Besides what Sweetheart?”
“I liked that they were growing, and I didn’t want the doctors to give me medicine to stop them growing, I wanted them!”
“Okay sweetie, we’ll talk about this later, but I want to have a feel of your tummy, is that okay with you?” Ruth asked, Lisa nodded.
Ruth worked her way around Lisa’s abdomen, watching Lisa’s facial expression as she did so.
“So, your face tells me your tummy is still sore there, and there, yes?” Lisa nodded as she bit down on her lower lip. “Is it sore every day? Does it go away for a while, then start up again? Tell me what it’s like Lisa, the more information the better!” Lisa went on to describe how she’d have pains for a few days, then everything would be fine for a week or two, then it would start up again, when pressed she couldn’t be more specific than that.
“That’s excellent information Lisa, that’s really, really useful! Now, this might be embarrassing for you, but I do this every single day, okay! Is it okay with you if I pull down your panties a little and have a look at your front bottom?” Again, Lisa nodded.
“Hmmm, okay Lisa, almost finished! I want you to lie on your side, facing me and then if I help you off with your panties, I want you to pull your top leg up to your chest and place both hands around it and hold it there, I won’t touch you, I just want a look at things, okay?” asked Ruth tenderly. Again, Lisa nodded.
After seeing what she could see, a frown again crossed Ruth’s face.
“That’s brilliant sweetie, one last thing to do and then that’s us done. Then you can get ready to go shopping! Come on, sit-up and let me help you get dressed. She slid Lisa’s panties back up her legs and dropped her nighty back over her head.
“Right young lady, I am afraid I am going to have to take some blood, I promise it sounds worse than it actually is, after all, I sent my fangs out to get them extra sharpened!” she said with a mock horror tune on her lips. Lisa just frowned at her. “Honestly, It will be over and done with before you know it!”
“Do I have to?” asked a more than pensive Lisa.
“I’m sorry Lisa, but yes, I need just a bit of your blood, let me show you what’s involved, shall I?” Lisa nodded and Ruth showed her the paraphernalia, the butterfly needle, the fine tubing and different coloured test-tubes. “I want you to sit on your Mom’s lap, then I want you to talk to her and Auntie Karen, then, before you know it, it all be done with and then, look out shops, Lisa’s coming!” Ruth was washing her hands with sterilising solution again before grabbing a pair of sterile gloves.
Lisa climbed onto Carrie’s lap and Karen knelt alongside her, but the opposite side to Ruth. The tourniquet was tightened around Lisa’s upper arm and with a nod from Ruth the process of distracting Lisa began. Carrie held Lisa’s hand tightly and Karen spoke.
“Your Granny was saying that when you went to Merry Hill, you sang the “Frozen” theme tune, and loads of people stopped their shopping to listen to you and gave you a big round of applause! Do you think you could sing some of that for me and Ruthie?”
“Ruthie?” asked Lisa.
“Yes, Ruthie, I know most nick-names shorten people’s names, but this one makes her name a bit longer, I use it when her head is getting bigger, I had a friend at school who was called Ian as his parents didn’t want a name that could be shortened, but everyone just called him E!, anyway, could you sing “Let it go!” for us!”
Lisa closed her eyes and started quietly singing, slowly increasing in volume.
“The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore!”
“There we are Lisa, all done! You know I was almost tempted to keep taking more blood just to keep listening to your sweet voice, you’re beautiful and talented!” said Ruth kissing Lisa on the forehead as she pressed a ball of cotton wool into the crook of Lisa’s arm.
“How many of those tubes did you fill?” asked a stunned Lisa.
“Just six!” replied Ruth.
“Six?” asked a stunned Lisa.
Yes sweetie, I need to run a few unusual tests, so I needed to take a little more than I planned. Now, I want your Auntie Karen to pour you a nice big mug of her lovely tea, with two sugars and at least two of my favourite chocolate biscuits before you get up and move around. But while you are sat here, I want you to go on YouTube® and watch “The Blood Donor sketch by a man called Tony Hancock!®” it is brilliant! Mind you, I shall be asking you questions tonight, okay little lady?”
“Yes Auntie Ruthie!”
“Now, I know this is a daft question, but would you like a plain old boring sticking plaster on your arm or one with the “Frozen®” characters on it?”
Lisa rested her head on her fist and just looked at Ruth.
“Plain it is then, . . . not!” just before Lisa protested.
Chapter Nineteen.
The three adults entered the kitchen where Karen was sorting Lisa’s mug of tea, Ruth noted Carrie’s concerned expression as she filled in name details on the test-tube labels. What’s her date of birth, and her real one in case I need it? Somethings going on with our young lady, I have my suspicions, which is why I have taken extra samples, and I hate to do the whole Doctor keeping secrets from patients bit, but, I want to be sure of certain things before I say anything, If I race back to the hospital now I can get a rush on these tests and possibly get some results back today. Make sure she’s taken on plenty of fluids and get some Calpol® from any chemists, that’ll help her pain. Anyway, must dash, see you both later! Enjoy the shopping, Lisa!” and with that Ruth swept out of the flat.
Karen took a small tray over to Lisa, who was engrossed in the video clip.
“Right Lisa, pause that for a moment, drink loads of this tea, it’s got extra milk in it, then I want you to have three of Auntie Ruth’s biscuits, then finish the tea off and watch the end of the video. We’ll go shopping soon, okay?”
“Okay Auntie Karen!”
As Karen stood, she noticed Carrie had gone into the bedroom she shared with Lisa and was sat slumped on the bed, with her shoulders shaking with silent sobs escaping her body.
“Hey, hey, we’ll have none of that here Carrie! This is so strange, it is really tempting to call you Jess, but oddly I can only think of Lisa as Lisa! Now, tell me, what’s got you so upset, other than a scumbag boyfriend, drugs gangs and being uprooted in such drastic fashion!”
“Oh Karen, what an awful, awful big sister, legal guardian, whatever you want to call me, I am! I have failed Lisa big time!” Carrie glanced back over her shoulder at Lisa chuckling away at Tony Hancock’s antics. “She deserves someone better than me to look after her, I have done a really shitty job so far, everything I have tried to do has just fallen apart big time, look at her, a little soul that has already undergone so much crap, what with our Mom dying, abuse from Matt, threats from drug lords for crying out loud! Then, oh Karen, you should have heard the abuse she took on the last day of school from some of the boys, although some of the girls were supportive, but your Mom had a better idea of what was going on with her than I did, I had no idea of the physical changes she’s faced, until Saturday anyway, two bloody days ago! Some Mother I am to that child, I am a pathetic parent!”
Karen stood then quietly closed the bedroom door before returning to sit on the bed facing Carrie.
“Right Jessica, pin your ears back, because I think Lisa will be joining us any time now. You, Jess, have been the one constant in that child’s life. Who gave up her dreams of a teaching career to care for her sibling when, sadly, their mother died? Who has worked her fingers to the bone to provide a roof over her siblings’ head? Who took on Social Services when they tried to take her sibling from her? Who fought them tooth and nail and won the right to adopt her sibling? A sibling who has clung to her like a limpet, not because she was the only constant in that child’s life, but because that child felt the love of their older sister! Who has earned the undying admiration of their sibling? You Jess, you have so far exceeded that child’s dreams, it is untrue how much she looks up to you! Mom told me that, that child was prepared to do anything to keep you safe from those evil bastards who Matt dragged you towards! Have you sunk down to their level? No! You, Jess, you don’t see how much you have achieved in spite of everything life has thrown at you! That child thinks you walk on water and that the sun shines out of your backside! And it’s not blind adoration, Lisa loves you with every fibre of her being. You are her ideal role model! You are her rock! You are all that, that child needs Jess, yes you have to be Carrie, but you are you, pure and simple, and it is the inner core of your being that Lisa loves, isn’t that so love?”
Carrie spun on the bed to face the door which had been quietly opened, to see a tear-streaked Lisa staring at her.
“Mom, and I know you are really my sister! But you have been like my Mom for a long, long time, even before our actual Mom died, she was too unwell to care for me properly, and that wasn’t her fault, she was too ill. But you Jessie, Carrie, Mom, you have always been there for me, and I will never, ever forget that! You are such a special person, everyone else sees it, so it’s about time you did too! I could never get a better Mom ever. I am so sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt, or what was happening to me, both at school or with my body, but I may only be twelve, or ten perhaps at the moment! But I could see what Matt was doing to you, he was abusing you, perhaps not hitting you as such, but he was in your head, controlling you, trying to make you do things that weren’t really you! But he couldn’t really make you be what he wanted you to be, a slave to him, and I worked out why that was, it’s because you loved me, even more than him, and that’s why he was trying to get me more and more involved in his so called business deals, he wanted to use me to control you, he wasn’t a nice person and I am glad he can’t get to you anymore!”
“Come here you!” said Carrie with her arms open wide before scooping Lisa into a tight hug. “When did you get to be so smart, eh?”
“That’s easy Mom, I tried to copy you! I love you Jess, I love you Carrie, and I love you Mom, and I always will!”
Karen hugged the two of them, “So now that’s all sorted, let’s get ourselves ready to hit the shops, shall we girls?”
Carrie lifted Lisa to her feet and said, “Okay, madam, before you can go shopping, someone needs a shower, so scoot!” With a chuckle Lisa rushed into the ensuite and started to get ready for the day’s adventures.
Three quarters of an hour later they were all aboard Karen’s four by four as they headed to the big shopping complex in Union Square. Shops from the likes of Primark for cheap essentials, then some of the more upmarket boutiques provided more quality clothing, a visit to Pandora® started a collection of charm bracelets that jangled from their wrists, along with other jewellery items. A visit to a nail bar, where they all now sported acrylic extensions on their fingers, with their toes painted the same colour! Lisa opting for a pale frosted pink with metal flakes to which were added on image of Elsa® on her forefingers, Anna® on the index fingers then Kristoff® and finally Olaf® on her pinkie fingers. On each thumb was adorned with a giant snowflake, all the images protected with a high gloss topcoat. Lisa was also treated to a more feminine trim than Tina had been able to give her, they’d also stopped in the Marks and Spencer® café for a drink, a toasted sandwich and some cake, although Lisa still wasn’t too hungry!
After they had dumped all their bags and packages into the back of the car Karen said “Come on, one last shop, then we’ll get a fruit smoothie before heading home to get something for our tea’s, then you can give your Auntie Ruth a fashion show, okay love? We’ll go down to Hobbycraft®, get you a few toys, games and some crafty type things to do, okay?”
“Okay, Auntie Karen, but, I am really tired, I have had a great day shopping though, so thank you!” said Lisa quietly.
“I tell you what sweetie, jump in the car and we’ll skip the smoothie, nip down into Hobbycraft® then get you home for a snooze before Ruthie gets home!”
“Okay Auntie!” Within minutes they were trailing around the store picking up, paints, pencils, colouring books and a myriad of other arts and crafts materials including a large Frozen® jigsaw puzzle. Suddenly Lisa raced ahead
“Oh wow, we have to buy this please! Can we? Oh please, I must buy this!”
“What are you wittering on about Lisa?” asked a smiling Carrie.
“It’s this photo frame, look Mom, it’s exactly what Auntie Ruth was talking about this morning, look it says “Aunties, like Mom’s only cooler!” please can I get it for Auntie Karen and Auntie Ruth, please!”
Carrie laughed, pleased to see Lisa so animated about something. “Of course you can sweetheart, chuck it in the basket, I’ll go and pay for this little lot, you go with your Auntie Karen and wait for me in the car!”
“Okay, Mom!” and grabbing hold of Karen’s hand Lisa made her weary way to the car. Just as Karen had opened the rear door for Lisa to climb aboard, Karen’s phone started ringing, after she’s extricated from her handbag she said to Lisa, “Oh it’s just Ruthie, you sit there with the door open and as soon as she’s finished gabbing to me and your mom’s here, we’ll get you home! Karen walked off a little way and then turned and focused her attention on Lisa as she spoke hurriedly to Ruth on the phone.
Moments later Carrie came out of the shop laden with several bags, which she placed in the back of the car through the rear hatchway which Karen had opened for her while she continued to speak to Ruth. Just as the rear door was automatically closing, Carrie went to check that her little girl was securely fastened into her seat, when she realised that Lisa was slumped forward, completely unconscious, an ear-splitting scream rent the car park and Karen sprinted around the vehicle.
Fortunately, an ambulance and its crew were just preparing to leave the shopping precinct after answering a hoax call. After being flagged down by a passerby, they raced to the scene of the commotion. After a quick examination they quickly placed Lisa and Carrie in the rear of their vehicle before, with lights flashing and sirens blaring, they raced through the traffic to the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital. Awaiting their arrival was Ruth and her colleagues.
After being consoled by shop staff and passers-by, a distraught Karen made the lonely trip to catch up with Lisa. A quick call to Mike and Tina let them know what was happening. It was going to be a long, long night!
Jessica and Luke are siblings who have experienced a whole world of pain and hurt in their short lives. When it seems that, for once, things are finally beginning to improve, a local drug gang invades their existence, and their world threatens to crumble down around their ears. Read on to see how they and their friends fight back.
Chapter Twenty.
Two hours later, a red eyed Karen was doing her best to console a sobbing Carrie as they impatiently waited in a side room.
“Oh Karen, why won’t they let me in to see her? What’s taking them so long? Oh my God Karen, I can’t lose her too, I can’t, I promised Mom I’d care for her, and I can’t even get that right! Oh my God, she looked awful! I need to be with her Karen!” with that great wracking sobs shock Carrie to her core.
“I don’t know what’s going on Carrie, but I’m sure that they’ll tell us what’s going on as soon as they can! Lisa’s in good hands; that’s the main thing!” At that very moment Ruth and a stocky man entered the waiting room along with a tall nurse, all were wearing the ubiquitous scrubs, although these were covered with various cartoon characters which were used to help soothe anxious child patients.
Ruth spoke first “Okay Carrie, this is my colleague Dr Keith Goodman, and this is one of the nurses who have been looking after Lisa, Christine Rhodes, Now, the good news is that we’ve got her stabilised, but she needs emergency surgery, and the sooner the better, but I’ll let Keith explain the details, okay?” Carrie could only nod.
“Hi Carrie, I’m the consultant urologist and plastic surgeon and I’ve been called in as Lisa is going to need some fairly extensive and invasive surgery, but I promise we’ll take really good care of her for you. Now, fortunately for us, and Lisa, Ruth started all these diagnostic tests on her this morning and since we’ve had Lisa here, we’ve given her a CT scan to see what we are dealing with. To cut to the chase because time is important here, your Lisa has, in reality, always been your Lisa, in spite of physical evidence to the contrary!”
Carrie gave him a confused look, “What do you mean?”
“Lisa is a genetic female, her chromosomes are XX, she’s unfortunately suffering from a birth defect that has masked her true sex. We don’t know the reason butwe can sort out later. She has the same internal organs as you, however, she lacks the exit point that a normal female body utilises to secrete body wastes once a month when undergoing her period!” explained Keith.
“A period, she’s been having periods!” asked a stunned Karen.
“Yes, that’s why she’s been developing all the secondary sex indicators of a female, breast development, widening of her hips, arms developing the normal bend to allow her to walk without constantly banging her hips and so on! Plus the regular bouts of tummy ache. Unfortunately, we think either her uterus or vagina has ruptured and she’s bleeding internally! We need to operate to repair the damage. The sooner we start the better. We’ve got her on Intravenous Anti-Biotics as she’s got a major infection plus, she’s lost a lot of blood so she’s also receiving a blood transfusion. I need you to sign consent forms for the surgery. We won’t know exactly what we are dealing with until we get in there, and she will probably need further surgery at a later date to give her a more normal female appearance, the main thing at the moment is to stop the bleeding, and save not only her reproductive system, but fundamentally she has a life threatening condition! So Carrie, I know this is all coming at you quickly and from so many different directions, but I need you to sign these consent forms!” Carrie stared at him slack jawed, she glanced across at Ruth who silently nodded.
Carrie suddenly seemed temporarily rejuvenated. “Okay, where do I sign? When are you going to operate? Can I see her please, I need to see her!”
Keith pushed his clipboard across to Carrie, “Just sign where the cross is, print your name and date it.”, which Carrie did before looking up at him.
“Thanks Carrie, we’ll go, and we’ll start the surgery as soon as we’ve scrubbed up! If you go now with Christine, she’ll let you see Lisa and give her a kiss, she’ll pop back from time to time to keep you updated, but I promise you we’ll do all we can for your daughter! Okay, we’ve got to dash but I’ll come and speak to you later, try not to worry, stupid advice I know, but try!”
Christine led Carrie by the hand down the corridor and into a small preparation area, where, laid on a gurney was the small, pale and ill looking body of a young child. Her hair was under a cap, both arms were extended with I.V.’s in place, one clear, the other a pack of blood, in her mouth was a plastic tube that was helping her to breath.
“Oh Lisa, Lisa!” sobbed Carrie rushing to her side and repeatedly kissing her forehead. Christine gently pulled Carrie away, Karen lent over Lisa, and spoke quietly into Lisa’s ear. “You get better young lady, you hear me!” and she too kissed her. Christine gently led the two of them back to the waiting room, “Okay both, take a seat, I know you are both stressed beyond belief, but she has the best Doctor’s and Surgeons working on her, I’ll go and make you some tea, I’ll be back shortly!”
Carrie and Karen hugged each other and broke their hearts on each other’s shoulders, it was going to be a really long tense night and a fraught few days!
Chapter Twenty-one.
Heathrow airport was thronged with people as per usual. The queue of would-be passengers at the Japan Airlines check-in desks were dense but seemed to be moving fairly quickly. Only thirty minutes before his flight would be called. Plenty of time to check in his two wheeled cases, and then a quick waltz through security and he’d be in the First Class passengers executive lounge enjoying his first G&T. Yeah, not long now and he could relax, he could do with a holiday, it had been a couple of months since his last break with his wife and their two girls.
Now that’s a bit of luck, they’re opening up another check-in desk. He pushed his way in front of a half dozen other would be passengers, to bad for them, you snooze you loose! He could really murder that G&T! He handed across his ticket and passport.
“Good afternoon Mr Jessop, are you well today?”
“I’m fine thank-you!”
“Good, good, where are you flying to today?”
“I’m off to Tokyo!”
“That’s nice, are you going for long?”
“I’m not sure yet, I haven’t quite made up my mind!”
“Okay Sir, how many items of luggage do you have with you today?”
“Just these two cases and my carry-on bag with my laptop.”
“That’s fine sir, could you place the first case on my scales please, did you pack them yourself, and do they contain any of these items not allowed within the aircraft hold?!
After answering the questions, he hefted his first case on the conveyor. The check-in girl punched a few buttons and printed off a long label which she threaded through the suitcase handle. His first suitcase disappeared, and the process was repeated a second time.
“Right sir, here is your ticket, boarding pass and your passport, thank you for choosing Japan Airlines and enjoy your flight.
“Thanks!”
Within minutes he was through security unable to keep his smirk from his face. He approached the bar and after attracting the barman’s attention ordered a double G&T. Finding a seat with a view across the aircraft apron, he settled in to await his flight.
As he looked into the ice in his glass he couldn’t help his mind wandering through the thoughts crowding his brain! At least he could not be extradited back to the U.K. from Japan.
‘He was going to miss Suzanne, a little anyway, truth be told she’s been spending less and less time with him as their girls had grown.
Yes, he’d miss his daughters Tamsin and Trinia, but he doubted they’d miss him too much, they were too wrapped up with their damn ponies and all the gymkhana’s they attended nearly every week.’
‘Yes, Suzanne had a been quite the catch, he knew he was her “bit of rough!” and the pre-nuptial agreement her parents had made him sign had hacked him off at the time, but unknowingly they’d bankrolled the establishment of his import export business. Yes, the house was in her name only as her parents were determined t protect their daughters’ assets from his grubby council house hands, but he’d his own assets now.’
‘Suzanne didn’t want to know what he did, she didn’t care much either. She’d got her girls; he’d bought her nice presents. He wondered how many days it would take her to realise he wasn’t around. He was pulling away from his business empire earlier than he’d anticipated, but it couldn’t be helped!’
‘It was all the moron Gibson’s fault, he got greedy, far too greedy, and steps had to be taken. He knew that a certain amount of skimming of the profits occurred, but Matthew Gibson became far to much of a problem and an example had to be made. If only he could have liquidated that waitress, and her brother like he’d planned! How was he to know that she knew people even more devious and as despicable as himself. How the hell did that café owner know so much about him, his family and his operation?’
‘Still, what did that matter now, he’d enough cash with him to make a new start in Japan, or even to disappear from there to places far, far away. With his Swiss bank account details safely on his laptop, he was set for many, many lifetimes. Yes, let the good times start!’
‘He’d left well trained replacements behind to ensure that his operations continued to operate smoothly. They’s also ensure he’d receive his dividend from the proceeds, yes, life was good, not bad for a poorly educated kid from a run-down council estate on Pool Farm, Birmingham!’
‘I wonder if I have time for another drink?’
He ordered a second G&T from a passing attendant, a minute or two later the server was just returning with his drink on a tray when he appeared to stumble and tipped the whole lot in Jessop’s lap!
“Oh sir, I am so, so very sorry, I don’t know what happened, please, let me dry you off!”
“Get away from me you idiot!” stormed Jessop, “I’ll get you sacked for this, you clumsy oaf!”
“Please sir, not the sack! Please sir, come with me and we can get you quickly dried up for your flight, it won’t take us but a few moments.”
“II better not miss my flight, I’ll have your guts for garters, go on, lead on!”
Jessop followed the still profusely apologising server through a door to the side of the bar and down a short corridor into a small room. As the server allowed Jessop to enter before him, a door in the opposite wall opened and in walked a man, a woman and a heavily armed Policeman. Jessop turned to try to flee only to see that the server was aiming a Tazer at him with a second armed Policeman behind him. Jessop’s shoulders sagged.
The first Policeman spoke.
Mr Jessop, I am Detective Sergeant Jones and this is Detective Constable Wright, we are with West Midlands Police. So, Raymond Jessop you are now under arrest. I am about to formally issue you your caution, Raymond Jessop, You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?”
Jessop nodded.
“Sorry sir, I need you to formally answer rather than just nodding your head, so, do you understand the caution and your rights?
“Yes, I understand.”
Moment’s later the two suitcases Jessop had recently checked-in, were wheeled into the room.
“I take it these are your cases Mr Jessop?” asked DS Jones. Jessop simply nodded.
“Okay sir, can you give me the keys and tell me the combination to the locks!”
Jessop just stared at the Policeman.
“Look Ray, you can either tell me the details and hand over the keys or I’ll get them cut open, it makes no difference to me, but who knows how a little co-operation may be viewed!”.
“I expect the combinations are things like birth dates, should I try his daughter’s birthdays?” asked DC Wright.
“Oh okay, okay, here’s the keys!” and he tossed them on the table, “And yes, the combinations are my daughter’s birthdays!”
Moments later, both suitcases were open on the table, both packed tightly with bundles of Twenty and Fifty pound notes.
“There has to be several millions of pounds in there?” asked a stunned DS Jones. Jessop nodded.
“There is almost Fifteen million in cash, plus another Two Hundred Thousand in the computer carry on!” Jessop answered hollowly.
“No doubt our analysts will find even more hidden in various offshore accounts?” stated DS Jones, Jessop ignored the question.
“Oh, by the way, Mike says “Hi”” added DS Jones with a wink. Jessop just stared at him open mouthed.
Meanwhile at a whole host of address across the Midlands, Police raids were being executed including Jessop's home address, the three distribution hubs his empire had used and at the homes of those well up in the hierarchy and even lowly pushers. It was one of the busiest and most successful days in the fight against the drug scourge.
The embarrassment of having Police Officers scouring through her home and generally upsetting her daughters drove Suzanne Jessop straight to her families solicitors where she instigated immediate divorce proceedings against Ray with the aim of preventing him from having contact with their daughters ever again!”
Chapter Twenty-two.
Almost four days later.
A strange pungent, disinfectant smell rankled in her nostrils,
“Where am I, never mind, I need, . . more, . . . sleep!”
Later muffled voices disturbed her snooze,
“Don’t they know how, . . . tired, . . . I, . . . am, . .I . need, . . . sleep . . Oi!, . . Keep . . .the . . noise . . . down!”
Twelve hours later machinery continued to keep its monotonous vigil!
“Why can’t someone stop that beeping, . . . someone, . .please, . . turn that microwave timer off, . . . . I need, . . . sleep!”
Different people rotated the wait by the patient’s bedside!
“Who is shining that bright light in my eyes, . . . . go away, . . . leave me alone, . . . sleep! . . .need . . more sleep!”
More clattering and the low murmur of voices.
“My tummy is sore, that blooming microwave beeper is still going, someone turn it off, please!”
“Lisa, come on sweetie, I need you to open your eyes for me love, come on Lisa, open those lovely eyes, look at your Auntie Ruth!”
“I can’t open . . my eye’s, . . why is my tummy . . . so sore? . . . Need more sleep! . . . . So tired!”
“Come on Lisa, please, sweetheart, open your eyes for Mommy, please Lisa, open your eyes just a little, or, can you squeeze my hand love, can you my dear sweet Lisa, come on, my lovely, you can do it, squeeze my hand!”
“Mommy? She sounds strange? . . . If I squeeze her hand, maybe she’ll shut up and let me have some more sleep, . . .so, . . . so tired, . . . why is my tummy sore? . . . . Oh yeah, . . . . squeeze her hand, . . . which hand do I squeeze? . . . .Oh bother, . . . . I’ll squeeze them both, . . . . then I need, . . . need to sleep!”
Squeeze! Squeeze!
“She did it, she squeezed my hand, she squeezed my hand!” Exclaimed Carrie almost dancing in her seat.
“She squeezed mine too! Oh thank God, thank God!” wept Karen
“Lisa, Lisa sweetie, it’s Ruthie your favourite Auntie, come on sweetie, let me see those lovely eyes of yours, come on Lisa, look at me, then you can have another wee sleep!”
“I’ve squeezed their hands, . . . now I have to open my eyes? . . . . Stroll on! . . . . Don’t they know how tired I am? . . . . Got to sleep some more! . . . Let’s see if I can open my eye’s! . . . Hmmm, . . . . This is harder than I remember” . . . Let’s see, . . . . try and open my right eye first, . . wow, . . . that’s bright!”
Oh, good girl Lisa, good girl! Do you think you can open the other eye for me too please, Come on Lisa!”
“That’s Auntie Ruth,. . . I know . . . Auntie Ruth,. . . . let’s see if I can open . . my . . . other . . . eye?”
“Oh well done Lisa, now can you open them both for me at the same time sweetheart?”
“There’s no pleasing . . some people! . . Open your eye, . . . . open the . . other! . . Squeeze a . . hand! , , , I am not going to get any . . sleep, am I? . . . I suppose I better . . . open my eyes again, . . . . and . . . . tell Auntie Ruth I’m tired, . . . I’m thirsty too, come to think of it! . . . . Oh well, let’s open . . my eyes! My tummy . . hurts . . really . . bad”
“Well hello sweetheart, good of you to join us, how are you feeling?”
“Throat . . . sore! Thirsty! Tummy . . . sore! . . . Tired! . . . Tummy!” rasped Lisa.
“Ok sweetie, here, have a suck on this ice chip!”
“OH, . . . . nice! More please!”
“You can have some more in a moment or two, do you know where you are?”
“If she doesn’t know . . where I am? . . How am I supposed to know/”
“In bed?”
Ruth laughed, “Well okay Lisa, you are in bed, do you know where this particular bed is?”
“This is like being . . on a quiz show!, . . . We’re not at the shops still . . are we? . . . No! . . wait,. . . . that beeping noise, . . . . . there’s a lot of machinery here!”
“Hospital? . . No! . . . Noooo! . . . . Not hospital!”
“Shush sweetie!” murmured Carrie, “Shush! Everything is fine, in fact everything is better than fine now you have woken up!”
Lisa frowned “Oh Mom, . . I’m sorry, . . . I’m sorry!”
Carrie quickly hugged Lisa, “Hey! Hey! None of that, you were ill and needed to come to the hospital, let Auntie Ruth tell you what’s happened, okay!”
Lisa nodded, then decided that movement hurt too much and rasped “Thirsty!”
Ruth gave her another couple of ice chips, then sat on the bed, “We had to bring you to the hospital Lisa, you were very poorly, but you’ll feel better soon, I promise! Are you in any pain anywhere?”
“Just my . . tummy! Throat’s . .sore . . . too!” Lisa answered.
Ruth fiddled about with the drip going into Lisa’s arm, “There you go sweetie, you should feel easier shortly, do you want some more ice?”
“Please, . . . Mmmm, . . .Nice, . . . . Hungry, . . . . Tired!”
“Okay Lisa, you are a very lucky girl, but you just have to rest for a wee while, would you like some ice cream!”
“Mmmmm, . . . nice . . hospital, . . . love . . . ice . . . . cream!” and with that Lisa simply went back to sleep.
The adults gathered at the foot of Lisa’s bed, Ruth spoke to the other two.
“That’s an excellent sign, all her observations point to her turning a corner, her pulse is steady, not so thready and her temperature is finally coming down at last, which is the most significant positive indicator. We’ll let her sleep for an hour more, then we’ll wake her up again and she can have that ice cream. It’ll help her thirst, her throat and give her some energy. Then, we’ll need to start getting her to eat a little and keep her awake for longer periods!” Then placing a hand on Carrie’s shoulder and the other on Karen’s she added “I think we can all relax a little now, our little girl will be home before we know it!”
“Thank you Ruth.” Said Carrie putting her hand on top of Ruths’ “You’ve all been so brilliant, I can’t tell you how relieved I feel at the moment, just to see her awake and talking, I thought I was going to lose her!”
“She had us all worried Carrie, it’s been a rough few days, but she’s a fighter, she may be all sugar and spice to look at, but she’s a determined individual. Children are amazing, it’s why I specialised in Paediatric Medicine. They’ll burble along, then they’ll crash on you, but they often bounce back from situations that would knock you or I for a loop. She’s a way to go yet, but you’ll get to take her home soon.”
“Now, after she’s had her ice-cream, she’ll have a good sleep, so I want the pair of you to go home, have a shower and a sleep yourselves, you are both shattered, and you are going to need your energy. We won’t explain what has happened to her until she’s more with it and you are both here and can talk to her at length and answer her questions! Now, do I need to write you a prescription to obey Doctor’s orders, or will I need to call security later?”
Carrie and Karen exchanged nods, “Okay Doctor Ruthie, you win, when will you come home?” asked Karen. “Soon, I promise!” I’ll wait until you’re back and Keith’s on duty, I want to see her out of I.C.U. first and in a sideward.”
In the end it was almost two hours later before Lisa was woken again. Karen decided to pop to a local supermarket that stocked Rizza’s Ice Cream. This is an old established manufacturer in Huntly, a small town in deepest Aberdeenshire, which she swore made the best ice-cream anywhere. Returning with three small tubs, one of vanilla, one of chocolate and the other of chocolate mint chip, Lisa was roused.
“Lisa, sweetie, come on Lisa, wake-up, I’ve got some ice cream for you!”
“What! . . . Wake up again! . . . I have only just got to sleep! . . . Wait, Ice-cream, . . .Come on, eye’s, open!”
“Want . . ice-cream . . . please!” murmured Lisa.
“Hello sleepy head, how are you feeling? Asked Carrie smiling at her daughter.
“I’m tired, . . . my tummy is sore, . . . I’m thirsty, . . . did you say you have ice-cream?” Ruth reached across and fiddled with the I.V. again.
“We’ve got your three different flavours sweetheart! I have vanilla, Auntie Karen’s holding some chocolate and Auntie Ruth has chocolate mint chip, so which do you want to try!” she smiled at a somewhat dozy Lisa.
“Well duh! . . . All of them! . . . please!” To chuckles all around, Carrie managed to get several small spoonful’s of each flavour into Lisa before she fell asleep once more. One of the nurses wrote Lisa’s names on the tubs and said she’d place them in their small canteen freezer and get more into her next time Lisa woke.
“Right you two, home, shower, bed, sleep!” ordered Ruth. As the two women kissed her, they turned to go home and walked straight into Tina and Mike at the door to the I.C.U. “What, what are you two doing here?” spluttered Carrie. Karen smiled knoowingly.
A tearful Tina had Carrie enveloped in a bear hug, “We trained up Steve and Geoff to take care of the café, then once we got the all clear from the Police that we wouldn’t be followed, we flew up to be with our family!”
“Yes, it’s been an interesting day, we flew from Birmingham to Edinburgh under assumed names, from there to Manchester, and then up to Aberdeen, just to ensure we weren’t followed! Although, to be fair, I think the druggies have other worries from what we understand, the Police have cracked the whole lot wide open and have been making arrests left, right and centre, people at the top of the food chain too.” Said Mike.
“Oh my God, Lisa is going to be so pleased to see you, well, once she can keep her eyes open for any length of time that is. Thank you, oh, thank you Mom, and you Dad!” said Carrie throwing an arm around Mike’s neck.
“Our girls needed us, all of them needed us! So we came as soon as it was safe to do so, now, more importantly, how’s our little girl?”
After receiving the latest update, Mike looked at both Carrie and Karen,
“If you don’t mind me saying you two look like sh… er….very tired!” As he wilted under Tina’s glare.
“Actually girls, you both look shattered, go home, we’re here now and will watch our little lady for you, and as for you Ruth, you look worse than they do!” Tina stated with her hands on her hips. “We’ve booked into the local Premier Inn, and have hired a car so we’re sorted, go home, please!”
Then a male voice joined the conversation.
“Yes Ruth, give me your handover, and you go home too!” said Keith, “I’ll have things covered here.”
Thirty minutes later the three young women went home, realising just how tired they were.
Two hours later the nurse brought the three ice-cream tubs to Tina to tempt Lisa awake.
“Lisa baby, come on, wake up sweetie, I’ve got some ice-cream for you!”
“Wake up! . . . I’ve only just got to sleep, . . . I wish they’d make their minds up! . . . . . . . Mmm, . . . .Ice-cream! . . . . Wait whose voice was that?”
Lisa, come on Lisa, Wakey wakey! This ice-cream will all melt if you don’t wake up, come on, open your eyes for me!”
“That’s my Nanny’s voice, . . . can’t be, . . can it?”
“Nanny! . . . . Am I . . . Am I back in Birmingham?”
“No Lisa, you are in Aberdeen still!”
“Is Granddad coming too”
“Who do you think is over here holding your ice-cream sweetheart?” asked Mike.
“Granddad!”
“We thought we would come and see you, as we missed you so much, now which ice-cream do you want sweetie?” said Tina tenderly.
“Can I have some of each one please Nanny?”
“Of course you can Lisa, let me just open them up, and keep your grandfather from eating them, you know what a greedy guts he can be?”
For the first time in many days Lisa giggled.
Chapter Twenty-three.
It took most of the summer for Lisa to recover her health and most of her stamina although that was still a work in progress when she started at a local school in August Three weeks in hospital recovering from lifesaving surgery will take it out of you.
The small conference where it was explained to Lisa that she had always really been a girl and that she’d an unfortunate birth defect that had been fairly easily rectified but she just needed another “clean-up” surgery was a double-edged sword. Whilst the thought of more surgery filled her with a certain amount of dread. The realisation that she would finally completely look just like the girl she’d always dreamed of won out hands down. The news that there was no reason she couldn’t be a mother, if that is what she wanted to do in the future left her wide eyed and open mouthed and so very, very pleased.
Both her and Carrie decided to remain in Aberdeen. They had help, to make their new identities properly official. Both retaining their new names and ages. Carrie was able to transfer her university credits to Aberdeen, where, with a certain amount of revision training she passed her final exams with flying colours and achieved her ambition of teaching mathematics at a school in Aberdeen City.
Lisa enjoyed reliving part of her childhood as the girl she’s always known herself to be. Her first sleepover as part of a group of happy young teenaged girls was a rite of passage, she’d never dreamed of being able to fulfil.
Karen and Ruth married two years later, Carrie was chief bridesmaid to them both which made for interesting dress shopping expeditions. Lisa was beyond happy to be bridesmaid to them both too. They waited the two years to enable Lisa to be fully healed from her second, cosmetic surgery, also performed by Keith and Ruth. The following year Carrie and Keith married, with Lisa as chief bridesmaid.
Mike and Tina eventually sold up, selling the café to Steve and Geoff, before then selling their home and moving up to spend a long and happy retirement being with their girls. Mike never did volunteer with the Police Special Constable, preferring the quiet life Tina was looking forward to a proper retirement, rather than the first time he’d retired after leaving the “Paras”
As for the drug syndicate, after a very long and protracted trial, various individuals were sentenced to numerous terms of anything from three to twenty-five years in prison. “Confiscation of Proceeds” orders amounting several millions of pounds have been made and are being processed. No-one was ever charged with Matthew Gibson’s murder, but Police are quietly confident that his murderer is actually behind bars.
Suzanne successfully divorced Ray, he lost all contact with his daughters.
As for Lisa, well, what is there to say, she was determined to live her life to the full, even if she did eventually become an Aunt to her Mom’s two children, almost a parody of a certain Country and Western comedy song. She was happy, she made real friends, she sang in choirs and Amateur Dramatic groups. Did she pursue singing professionally or join the Police, or become a teacher? Well, that’s for me to know, and you to imagine!!!!
I forgot to add at the beginning of this story the usual disclaimers. All the individuals and events mentioned within these chapters are totally fictitious and any resemblance to any people historical or living is purely co-incidental. The places, trains etc. are all from the real world, especially Rizza’s ice-cream!
Many thanks to everyone who has taken the time to follow this story, especially despite my efforts to confuse readers by posting sections out of order. The number of reads and the comments have been incredible. I am trying to learn the craft of writing tales without grammatical errors, tense errors, spelling errors and errors in general which I hope have not proved too distracting, although the proper way to post linked story segments seems beyond me. Nonetheless, on to my next idea! Thanks again. Iona x