‘Please, Mike, just a minute,’ she begged, placing her hand on his forearm.
He viewed her grip with distaste and shook himself free.
‘I know how much I’ve let you down,’ Alex said, launching into her speech before he had a chance to speak. ‘But I’m better now. I’ve just had a lot of illness over the last few weeks but I’ve got it together now and—’
‘Save it, Alex. It just ain’t happening. You’ve let me down too many times.’
Alex realised that this was going to be harder than she’d thought. Mike’s arms were crossed firmly in front of him. His stance was rigid.
‘But it’s true. I promise. I’ll be here on time and I’ll work hard and I’ll be in for every single shift.’
‘What’s happened to you, Alex? Your clothes are creased, your hair is greasy. Your skin is blotchy and dry.’
Alex detected a note of concern in his voice and decided to make the most of it. ‘I’ve had a virus and I just couldn’t shake it. I was taking antibiotics and I had some sort of reaction to them. I’ll be completely better in a couple of days. The doctor said—’
‘You just can’t stop, can you?’
‘It’s the truth, Mike, I promise. Please believe me.’
Mike shook his head and when his eyes met hers they were filled with disgust.
‘I’ve been fair to you for eight years. I’ve overlooked your occasional transgression because you were always good at your job, but this is too much. You’re an alcoholic who can’t even tell the truth any more.’
Alex was shocked at his words. Yes, she liked a few drinks and maybe she had been drinking excessively over the last few weeks but she could stop any time she chose. She wanted to argue the point with him but there was still begging to do.
‘But I’ve changed, Mike. I’ve stopped drinking and I want to come back to work. You just said yourself that I can do the job, so why not give me another chance?’ She offered her best winning smile.
‘You’re a fucking alcoholic. I’m not giving you a job in a bar.’ He sighed heavily. ‘It’s too late. I’ve filled the vacancy.’
Alex felt desperation biting at her heels. ‘Oh come on, Mike. You can soon get rid of them. Just pay them for the night and put me back in my old job. I’ve told you that I won’t let you down. I promise—’
‘Stop it, Alex,’ Mike said, holding his hand up and looking away. ‘It’s too late. You blew it.’
She sagged against the wall. ‘Maybe just for a week or two so I can sort out some of my bills. I’ve got stuff that’s way overdue and no way to pay for it.’ Alex felt sick to her stomach. Never before had she begged so blatantly for anything in her life but if she didn’t get some cash soon she’d be thrown out of her bedsit.
‘Here, take this,’ Mike said, holding a few purple notes towards her. ‘Call it redundancy pay,’ he said, closing his wallet.
Alex wished she was in a position to refuse but she was desperate and Mike knew it.
She took the money from his hands and mumbled some incoherent words of thanks without meeting his eyes. She stopped to speak to no one and headed straight for the door. Once outside the cold wind drove long sharp needles of rain into the skin on her bare arms. The money from Mike together with the funds from her jacket would pay the electricity bill or half of her rent arrears with a little bit left over.
The bright lights of Mellie’s Bar called to her as though with a beckoning finger. She felt powerless to resist.
Sultry, thumping music greeted her as she entered the club. She pushed herself through gyrating female bodies to get to the bar. Mellie’s was always packed full on a Thursday night and Alex felt the tension begin to leave her body. This was just what she needed. A few cold drinks, a nice warm body and she’d worry about her money problems tomorrow.
She squeezed into a seat at the bar and ordered a double vodka. The heat of the liquid left a trail of fire from her tongue to her stomach as she downed it in a single swallow. She ordered two more, which went the same way. The familiar sensation of well-being began to cloak her as she sipped the fourth drink more slowly.
She cast her eye around the heaving bar, unconcerned about the worries that had troubled her earlier. They were quietly dissolving in vodka. She’d worry about them tomorrow with a clear head.
She smiled to herself, content that everything would be fine. She’d find another job within a couple of days and her landlord wouldn’t pursue his threat to evict her at the weekend. She’d talk to him tomorrow and straighten everything out. She’d have the money for him soon and he’d understand that. She sighed deeply, content that she had been worrying for nothing.
She continued to gaze around the bar. Her eyes met those of a woman with short bleached, spiky hair who had a half-smile on her face. Alex held the gaze for a moment and by doing so indicated her interest. The woman looked a little butch but Alex wasn’t fussed. Tonight she was in the mood for some mindless sex with a good-looking stranger and the girl who was approaching through the crowds fitted that bill perfectly.
‘Buy you a drink?’ the woman asked.
‘Vodka.’
‘Hmm… A woman with expensive tastes.’
Alex smiled and said nothing as the woman ordered a pint of lager and a double vodka. Alex decided she could get to like this one. She took the drink and downed half of it. Her head began to swim and she welcomed the sensation.
‘Dana,’ the woman said, offering her hand.
Alex downed the last of her drink.
‘Can I get you another?’
Alex nodded.
‘So, do you come here often?’
Alex almost laughed at the absurdity of such a stupid question but something about the woman’s expression stopped her. There was a glint in her hard blue eyes that Alex found a little dangerous and erotic at the same time.
‘Stop working so hard. It’s a done deal, okay?’
‘Your place or mine?’
Alex decided that this butch beauty was in danger of spoiling the whole mood with phrases like that.
‘Neither, I’ll meet you outside in a few minutes,’ she said, negotiating her way off the bar stool. She headed for the toilets and threw some cold water on to her face. The effects of the vodka were catching up with her and she wanted to be sober enough to enjoy what was about to happen. She dried her face on a rough paper towel and headed outside. There was an alley between the bar and an Indian takeaway next door, which didn’t normally get busy until throwing-out time.
The cold air hit her and caused her to weave into the alleyway. Although the rain had stopped, the air still held a dampness around her bare skin. She saw a shadow halfway into the alley and headed for it. As her eyes adjusted to the reduced light she immediately recognised the Amazonian stature of Dana.
No words passed between them as Alex reached the substance of the shadow. Immediately she felt lips on her own and the hard, muscled body of the woman pressing her against the wall. Heat surged through her as the rough lips pressed down on her.
Dana took hold of her wrists and raised them above her head, forcing her bare arms against the rough, hard brick. Alex winced at the pain. With her hands above her head and her whole body exposed to Dana, Alex felt vulnerable and powerless to act.
The feeling sent a shiver of anticipation through her body. Dana used her free hand to caress Alex’s breast and Alex gasped with pleasure as her nipple began to harden. She wanted to free her arms to roam the uncharted territory of a fresh new body but Dana held her arms firm as she pulled up Alex’s T-shirt and covered her breast with her hand. Ripples of desire shot through Alex as Dana’s mouth fixed on her breast, her warm tongue manipulating her aroused nipple to hardness.
Alex felt a spear of regret when Dana’s mouth began to move away, but was rewarded when she felt Dana’s free hand unbuttoning her waistband. She heard the grating noise as her zipper was undone. A strong hand worked inside her panties and Alex groaned out loud. She stroked gently, bringing Alex to
a state of frenzy. Her body began to arch towards Dana, willing her to work faster and satisfy the need within her.
Dana pulled back slightly and her hand moved up and rested on Alex’s hip. ‘I wondered where you’d got to,’ she said, turning her head to the left.
Alex hadn’t noticed anyone approaching, but she turned to see a small Chinese girl with dyed orange hair. She gently stroked Dana’s arm.
‘Well, I’m here now so quit hogging all the fun.’
‘Hang on a minute,’ Alex protested, unsure just what they had in mind. A threesome had never been part of her plans.
Dana held her wrists above her head. The danger that Alex had seen hovering in her eyes earlier was now blatantly apparent within the voraciously hungry expression on her face.
‘Don’t tell me you’ve never been spit roasted?’
Alex again struggled to get her arms back down from above her head but Dana was strong and held her easily.
‘Awww… don’t be like that,’ Dana said, moving her away from the wall so that Dana was behind her and the Chinese girl in front.
‘I’m not fucking into this,’ Alex growled, struggling to get free.
Dana brought her arms down and fixed them behind her back, getting a better grip on her wrists and holding her tight. She used her right foot to kick Alex’s right foot as far as it would go and then did the same with her left so that her feet held Alex’s feet imprisoned against the two sides of the wall with her legs wide open.
‘Pull ’em down,’ Dana instructed the Chinese girl.
Alex felt real panic in the pit of her stomach, the effects of the alcohol long gone. She was no longer a willing party.
‘Let me fucking go,’ she screamed. ‘I’ve told you I’m not into this.’
‘Like we give a fuck, sweetie. You’re hardly in a position to argue.’
Alex writhed as the Chinese girl began pulling her jeans down. The girl looked at her body with desire and licked her lips suggestively. Alex felt sick.
The Chinese girl moved in closer, checking that Alex was being forcibly enough restrained. She touched Alex’s breast and Alex tried to move away from the touch. All traces of desire had long since departed, leaving behind a feeling of terror deep within her.
‘Get the fuck off me,’ she cried, trying to wriggle out of the hold.
Dana laughed uproariously. ‘You’re going nowhere, bitch, so just keep still and enjoy it. We’ve got a long night ahead.’
Alex felt the nausea rise in her stomach. The Chinese girl caressed her breast and her hand travelled down. At the same time Dana’s free hand reached down from behind into the back of her panties. Their hands met in the middle and fondled her roughly. Alex felt their hands link as though they were about to hold hands and she knew what was about to happen. Horror and fear coursed through her. She’d heard about it before and the act could cause serious internal damage.
She spat at the Chinese girl in front of her, which caused enough of a distraction for her to gather every ounce of strength to rip her arms from Dana’s grip. Dana made a grab for her arm but Alex turned and kicked the hand away. She heard bones crunch as the hand smashed against the wall. Dana was still behind her and the Chinese girl was in front. Alex attempted to dodge around the Chinese girl to get away. For a brief second she thought she had escaped but she felt a strong hand clutching at her hair. She felt herself being pulled backwards against Dana.
‘Come here, you fucking tease.’
Alex struggled to get Dana’s hand out of her hair while being yanked backwards. Her legs grew unsteady beneath her and she fell to the ground, a clutch of hair ripped from her scalp.
Her view from the ground was of legs and feet but she didn’t know which ones belonged to who. The first kick to her eye obscured her vision completely, sending her reeling into a world of blackness. She fought blindly against the blows to her body that rained down like boulders being dropped all over her.
As the punches and kicks continued to dent her body she gave up any attempt at fighting back and accepted the vicious blows to her flesh.
Alex had no perception of how long the beating continued. All she knew was that different parts of her body were being torn apart slowly and she welcomed the final blow that would end it and give her some peace. Finally the beating stopped and footsteps faded into the distance but the peace never came. Pain wracked her body and blood mixed with the rain and ran in channels all over her. She couldn’t move. She had no wish to move and hoped that the pain would claim her body and guide her to peace.
She heard a flurry of activity at the end of the alley. She steeled herself for the tormentors’ return and tensed her body in anticipation, unable to defend herself in any other way. Someone leaned down and shouted something into her ear but she lost consciousness. She faded in and out as she felt herself being raised on to a stretcher. Her body screamed out in pain but her mouth remained shut. She felt the movement of a vehicle and the distant sound of a siren. Suddenly everything was white, and bright and busy and noisy. She wanted to escape it all and go somewhere better. Her mind had left but her body was refusing to let go.
So many people, prodding her and moving her limbs around, injecting her. She felt drugs surging around her body and a beckoning wave of light waiting to take her somewhere calm.
As she headed towards the brightness she whispered one solitary word.
‘Catherine.’
Thirteen
Catherine
‘Get out of the fucking way,’ Catherine screamed at a transit van. She couldn’t go around it as the traffic lights were on red. She pummelled the steering wheel with her fists, ordering the lights to change. After what seemed like a lifetime they did, but Catherine couldn’t resist a quick blast on her horn to the transit van as she overtook it on the dual carriageway.
She pulled into the car park of a grey, concrete building and ignored the countless instructions to pay and display. They could goddamn clamp the car for all she cared. She headed past the smokers outside the entrance and caught the lift to the first floor. She was out of surgery, the doctor had said on the phone and in the Nightingale ward.
Catherine found it and headed for the nurses’ station. Two females in differing shades of blue glanced at her disinterestedly.
‘Alex Morgan?’
The younger nurse in the light blue uniform stood. ‘Doctor Thurlow would like to see you first. If you’d follow me.’
The nurse headed out of the ward, frustrating Catherine. She was being taken further away from her sister.
‘He’s just in here,’ she said, knocking on the door of a room in the corridor that she’d just passed.
A gruff voice instructed her to enter. She found an elderly man with a mass of grey hair and a beard. He smiled with kindly eyes. ‘You must be Alex Morgan’s sister?’
‘I’d like to see her,’ Catherine said, remaining by the door.
He nodded his understanding. ‘I won’t keep you long but you need to be prepared for what you’re about to see.’
‘I understand that she’s been badly beaten,’ Catherine answered, wishing the doctor would just take her to Alex.
‘That she has. You must prepare yourself for a shock. She has seven broken bones including one in her face. She’s bruised and swollen all over and she has sustained injury to her kidneys. She has stitches across her forehead and her left eyelid won’t open. It’s not a pretty sight.’
‘Is she going to be all right?’ Catherine asked, fear pounding at her heart.
‘She should be okay as long as she allows her body to recover from the trauma. Another twenty minutes in that alleyway and this would be a completely different conversation.’
‘I just want to see her.’
‘I understand that, but there’s one other thing.’
Catherine closed her eyes. What else could there possibly be?
‘Your sister hasn’t uttered a word since she whispered your name. We know that she’s conscious, occasionally sh
e opens her right eye, but so far she’s refused to speak to anyone.’
‘Why would that be?’
The doctor shrugged. ‘It could be the shock of what’s happened but I sense that your sister is retreating into herself. It’s not uncommon for victims of this type of attack to withdraw, as they find some sort of safe place during the incident itself and find it difficult to return.’
‘Will she be okay?’ Catherine asked for the second time.
‘In most cases, victims are back with us within a couple of days but if it goes on much longer, well… ’
‘What?’
‘Let’s just say that they begin to feel more comfortable where they are and are loath to leave that place of safety.’
Catherine nodded her understanding. ‘May I see her now?’
‘I’ll take you to her.’
Catherine followed the doctor to a side ward with the blinds closed. ‘Not too long,’ he said as he opened the door for her to enter.
Catherine stepped into the room and almost cried out loud. The only part of Alex visible was her head but that was enough. The swollen lump of flesh barely looked like a head at all. Her left eye was completely lost beneath the swelling, her flesh was rising to the colour of beetroot with a shade of cranberry thrown in. A track of stitches ran across her forehead.
‘Oh, Jesus,’ Catherine whispered, taking steps towards the bed.
The form offered no movement and Catherine was pleased that Alex could not witness the horror on her face. She moved closer until she was standing at the head of the bed.
‘Alex, it’s Catherine. I’m here.’
There was no response.
Catherine ached to hold her sister close. To put her arms around her and form a barrier against the world. She wanted to protect her from whatever it was that had led her to this, but Catherine knew she could not protect Alex from herself.
‘I’m here, sweetheart,’ Catherine said, fighting back the tears. Without the acidic tongue and hardened expression her sister looked exactly what she was: lost and alone.
Dear Mother: A gripping and emotional story that will make you sob your heart out Page 12