Chapter 32

Chapter 32

‘Help! Please, someone, help us …'

Naomi's cries bounced off the wall, mocking her, but she persisted nevertheless. Going out of her mind with worry, terrified by her captor's threats, she had to try.

‘We're trapped down here. If you can hear us, please, we need your help …'

Naomi was shattered after fifteen minutes of solid screaming, sweat trickling down her dirty face, her throat parched and sore. But she knew she couldn't relent. She couldn't stay down here, waiting for that loathsome creep to return. She had to get away.

‘My name's Naomi Watson. I've … I've been abducted, we're being held down here against our will …'

The words stuck in her throat, so alien, so sickening.

‘We're desperate, please help us!'

Finally she ran out of steam, exhausted. For a moment, the gloomy space was filled with an awful, desperate silence, then suddenly she heard Mia croak:

‘You mustn't give up.'

In normal circumstances, this pained wheeze would hardly have been audible, but in this close space it filled the room, startling Naomi out of her lethargy. It was clearly painful for Mia to speak, but she seemed determined to try, continuing:

‘You can survive this, you can beat this piece of shit …'

Mia petered out, the effort of talking clearly too much for her. Desperately concerned, Naomi hurried across the room, kneeling down next to her.

‘Are you OK, Mia? Is there anything I can do for you?' Naomi asked urgently.

Mia stared at her, but said nothing.

‘Please …' Naomi continued, feeling suddenly panicky. ‘Whatever I can do to help, I'll do it. Are you cold? You look like you're shivering. You can have my jumper if you like …'

She was already tugging it off, determined to help, but a slight shake of the head from Mia stopped her in her tracks.

‘There's nothing you can do,' her friend whispered weakly. ‘Only he has the power to stop this. He's in charge here.'

Naomi stared at her friend, wishing with all her heart that she could breathe strength, breathe life into her, but she knew it was hopeless. The damage done to this innocent girl was far beyond anything she could repair.

‘What … what did he do to you out there?'

The words tumbled from Naomi unsolicited, fear and anxiety forcing them out. For a moment, Mia didn't respond, her deadened gaze holding Naomi's, before she dropped her eyes, shivering violently.

‘Do you really want to know?'

What could Naomi say to that? Part of her had to know. But another part wanted to bury her head in the sand and pretend that none of this was actually happening.

‘Not if you don't want to tell me,' Naomi replied quickly, painfully aware of how difficult this must be for her.

‘It's better you know.'

She didn't need to explain why, Naomi clamping her eyes shut in horror as the fear of future tortures consumed her.

‘First …' Mia began hesitantly, her voice shaking. ‘First, he makes me take my clothes off. In front of all of them …'

‘There are other men there? In the room with you?'

A brief shake of the head.

‘No, they're on his computer, a Zoom call or something, there must be a dozen of them …'

Naomi stared at Mia, aghast.

‘Some have their cameras off, so you can't see who they are. But others have theirs on, so you can see their fat, sweaty faces …'

Anger flared in Mia's voice now, a righteous, bitter anger.

‘Those ones are the worst, they're the ones who really enjoy themselves. Telling that creep what to do, how to do it …'

‘Oh Mia, I'm so sorry,' Naomi gasped, breathless, sickened.

‘There's this bald Scottish guy. He's the one in charge. He's the worst. His … his voice is so cold, it goes right through me …'

Naomi was crying now, unable to process this horror, unable to offer even a token of comfort or solace.

‘And there's this greasy, fat red-headed guy. I call him the Ginger Pig. He's disgusting …'

It was beyond awful. Not just what Mia had had to endure, but that she actually had nicknames for her abusers.

‘They never speak to me. Just him. Telling him what to do, like he's their puppet …'

Instinctively Mia was curling herself up into a ball, as if to protect herself from further harm. But the damage had clearly already been done.

‘Oh, Mia, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what you've been through …'

‘I've never fought him, never resisted,' Mia cried bitterly. ‘I thought … I thought if I did what he said, then maybe he'd get bored or take pity on me, let me go. But there's no pity in him, none. He'll never stop …'

Naomi held her tight, wanting to find the right words to comfort her. But what on earth could she say?

‘Which is why you must stay strong, Naomi, why you must fight him. You can survive this, but it's too late for me …'

She paused, gulping down a heartfelt sob, as she concluded:

‘… I'm never getting out of here.'