The Taken

by Casey Kelleher

  He hadn’t told Kush that yet though, but he would soon. Things were going to change around here. Kush was doing well for himself, granted, but Ramiz had real plans for the place. They were going to make some real money.

  After he tested out some of the merchandise for himself.

  Clasping a clump of the girl’s hair now – Ramiz had picked well with this one – she was working hard to satisfy him. He was almost at his peak now. The point of no return.

  He could hear Anya gagging. The strained noise vibrating in her throat only heightening his climax. He stared at her red face, her bulging eyes; her expression one of fear as she fought to breathe.

  Ramiz shoved himself into her mouth more violently. Closing his eyes, he pictured the horror on Lena’s prissy little face when she realised what he had in store for her.

  All those men fucking her.

  A young timid girl like Lena – her body being abused over and over again. She was going to make him a fortune.

  He exploded then; the sudden rush of ecstasy releasing inside him as he emptied himself into Anya’s mouth. He pushed the girl away from him, his earlier desire for her replaced with revulsion. She looked exactly what she was now. Cheap. Used.

  Slumped on the floor, her sagging white belly hanging loosely over the top of her knickers, brash red lipstick smudged all over her face. She wiped him from her mouth with the back of her hand as she stared at him expectantly. She was waiting for her money, he realised.

  ‘You think you’re getting paid for that?’ Ramiz smirked. ‘That, Anya, was a lesson in quality control. Next time you’ll work harder. Now go and get yourself cleaned up, you’re making the place look dirty.’

  Smiling to himself as he watched the girl gather her clothes and scurry out of the room, humiliated, Ramiz slumped back on the bed as he fastened up his belt.

  Yes, this place could work out very nicely for him. First thing in the morning he would speak to Kush. Get the ball rolling. Kush would be keen, Ramiz was sure.

  Maybe he’d even let Kush try Lena out for himself.

  Smiling now, Ramiz had big plans for his wife.

  Big plans indeed.

  26

  Waking with a start, surrounded by darkness, Ramiz felt disorientated.

  He’d fallen asleep. Upstairs on Anya’s bed.

  ‘What the—?’ He jumped as he spotted the shadowy figure standing next to him. Cursing as he realised it was only Korab, he relaxed once more.

  ‘You’re back?’ Sitting up, Ramiz glared. ‘Where is Lena? Downstairs?’

  ‘No.’ Korab tried to speak, but Ramiz had fixed him with a cold hard glare, his eyes penetrating. He was going to be angry. Ramiz had given him strict instructions not to leave the girl on her own. Not to let her out of his sight.

  Reaching for the bedside lamp Ramiz flicked the switch.

  He could see Korab properly now. The man was shaking, his eyes nervously scanning the room. Something had happened.

  ‘The child, is she dead?’

  Ramiz hadn’t thought that the child might actually die. To be fair, he hadn’t thought about Roza at all.

  ‘She was really bad for a while though, Ramiz. She almost didn’t make it. The doctors saved her life… ’

  ‘Good.’ He realised then he was glad the child had survived. Roza was his bargaining tool. Threatening to take the child from his wife would be the only way that he could ensure that Lena would do exactly as she was told.

  If Roza had died, Lena would have been no good to him.

  ‘Where are they? Downstairs?’

  Putting his shoes on, Ramiz stood up. The sooner he put his plan into action the better. He was looking forward to telling Lena what he had in store for her. Looking forward to the look on her face when she discovered her new destiny.

  ‘They’ve gone Ramiz… ’ Korab’s voice shook, betraying him. His eyes were locked on Ramiz’s gun, poking out from where he’d just tucked it inside his belt.

  ‘She ran from the hospital, Ramiz. She took Roza. I only closed my eyes for a few minutes. I must have dozed off. I didn’t think she would take the child. Roza was still wired up to the machines and monitors—’

  ‘You fell asleep?’ Narrowing his eyes, Ramiz pursed his lips. He must have misheard Korab. ‘I told you to keep an eye on Lena at all times. Not to let her out of your sight, and you fell asleep?’

  Korab nodded, feeling terrified now. ‘I’m so sorry, Ramiz. The first I heard was the commotion in the corridor; the nurses and the security staff all chased her, but it was no use. She escaped.’

  ‘If you’re lying, I’ll fucking kill you… ’ Ramiz gritted his teeth, grabbing Korab roughly by the scruff of his neck and pinning him up against the wall. ‘If I find out you helped her to escape, you’ll have signed your own death certificate.’ Snarling now, a thick vein pulsating above his right temple, Ramiz was seething. He should have just gone to the hospital himself. This would never have happened if he’d have been there.

  Lena would never have run away; he’d have made sure of it.

  Ramiz was starting to realise that if he wanted something done around here, it was best off him doing it himself. Korab was fucking useless.

  ‘I promise you, Ramiz, I didn’t know. When I realised that she’d gone I ran after her. I tried to catch up with her, but she was already out in the car park by the time I reached the main entrance.’

  ‘And what, she outran you, did she? Is that what you’re going to tell me next? That you couldn’t keep up with a young girl holding a baby?’

  Ramiz released Korab now. Letting go of him, he stared at him, hard.

  There was no way that Lena could have got away. Korab could have caught up with her. He could have stopped her. There must be something Korab wasn’t telling him.

  ‘She got into a car!’

  Ramiz was about to really lose his shit. ‘What fucking car?’ Ramiz asked. ‘A taxi? A police car?’

  ‘I think it was Vincent Harper’s.’

  ‘Who the fuck is Vincent Harper?’ Ramiz shook his head. The name familiar, yet he couldn’t place it.

  ‘My boss.’

  Korab hadn’t been sure at first. Vincent was the last person he’d expected to see, but there had been no mistaking that big stocky frame. The broadness of the man’s shoulders. Vincent hadn’t seen him, but it would only be a matter of time before Lena told the man where he could find him.

  ‘If Lena tells him that I’m alive and that I didn’t even try and contact him, he’ll be fuming.’

  Korab knew the drill. The first thing he should have done when he made it to England was contact Vincent, but he hadn’t. Instead he had gone along with Ramiz, and made his way to London.

  ‘What the fuck would your boss want with Lena?’ Narrowing his eyes, Ramiz bristled. Poking Korab hard in the chest, as the man looked down at the floor, he was starting to lose his temper now. This was all Korab’s fault. If he’d just done as he was asked and kept an eye on Lena, none of this would have happened. ‘What does he want?’

  ‘He wants me.’ Korab shrugged now. ‘The boat sinking has been all over the news. Vincent would have assumed I was dead, that I had drowned like all the others. If Lena tells him that I’m alive, laying low, Vincent will be fuming. He’s already questioned my loyalty once. He’ll come for me.’

  ‘Why is he here in London?’

  ‘London is his home. His brother has a club somewhere in Chelsea. I have no idea how he found Lena.’

  ‘Did he force her into the car?’ Ramiz asked, trying to make sense of the news.

  ‘No, she looked like she was going of her own free will. Like she was desperate to get away. The nurses were chasing her, the hospital security too… ’

  It went unsaid that Lena must have been desperate to have sought help from the likes of Vincent Harper. If her only other option was to come back here to Ramiz, she’d obviously decided to take her chances.

  ‘You think he’s going to use Lena to find you?’
/>   Korab nodded. It was the only thing that he could think of, the only thing that made sense.

  ‘We need to leave, Ramiz. Tonight.’ Korab cringed at the tone of his voice; he hated that he sounded so weak and pathetic, but he was terrified. ‘Vincent won’t like any loose ends. I know how he works… ’

  Ramiz was fuming now. Silently, he shook his head. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

  He had plans. He needed Lena back here, working, needed her to start making them some money.

  ‘If this Vincent is coming for you, then let him. We’ll be ready.’ Ramiz was shouting again now. His voice loud with indignation.

  Closing his eyes briefly, Korab felt his stomach churn. Ramiz just didn’t get it. He didn’t have a clue who he was dealing with. Ramiz might think that he was a force to be reckoned with but Vincent Harper would annihilate him. The Bodi family had nothing on the Harper brothers. Men like Vincent and Joshua didn’t mess around. They’d want him and Ramiz dealt with immediately. Korab knew that there was no point even trying to reason with Ramiz now, his mind was made up. Ramiz might want to sit this one out and wait for Vincent to show up, but Korab had no intention of hanging around. The first opportunity he got he was out of here.

  If Vincent Harper was on his trail, Ramiz Gomez was the very least of Korab’s worries.

  27

  Glancing at his Rolex, Joshua Harper rolled his eyes as he realised the time. It was almost four a.m. The party had only just finished and he was glad that everyone had finally gone. They’d taken their fill and left. Like vultures, greedily lapping up what was on offer, then disappearing.

  It was just him now, alone in his office with a bottle of Scotch and his laptop and a major fucking headache.

  There was no point going home to bed. He wouldn’t sleep even if he did. Not after tonight’s dramas. He was far too wired for that. Downing his Scotch, his mind was working overtime.

  Aaron Miller had taken the brunt of his anger tonight. The bloke had royally fucked up by starting trouble in his club. Joshua could have let Tyrell deal with him; after all, that was Tyrell’s domain. He was the muscle, the hired help; his job being to sort out anyone that got out of line in the club. But after his conversation with Vincent earlier, Joshua had felt riled up, relishing the chance of something to direct his anger at. Not only did Joshua feel the need to make an example of Aaron, he’d enjoyed every second of inflicting it.

  Aaron Miller acting the cunt had given him the perfect opportunity to let off some steam.

  By the time Joshua had finished with him his cousin had been nothing more than a crying, whimpering mess. All his earlier bravado had upped and legged it as he unceremoniously pissed himself.

  Joshua had left the bloke begging for mercy, as if he was somehow doing him a favour by letting the bloke live. Staring down at his own trousers, he sighed. The fucker had made a right mess of his new Armani suit. It was splattered with deep red stains where he’d bled out all over him. He’d never get the claret out, it was destroyed. Though, as damage limitations went tonight, his suit was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

  Joshua had been stewing back in his office ever since. Nursing his swollen fist as he downed a few medicinal Scotches; for him the party was well and truly over.

  The only people left in the club now other than him were his cleaners. He’d been watching them on the screen, trying to focus on anything other than the fucking headache he had at the top of his skull.

  Being holed up in his office on his own for the past few hours hadn’t been such a good idea, it turned out.

  He’d been digging – scouring the net for as much information as he could get his hands on – but now that he had it he wasn’t sure what the fuck he was going to do with it. All he did know was that unless he sorted this mess out, and pronto, they were going to be in some serious amount of shit.

  Glancing at the CCTV monitor, he watched Vincent let himself in through the side door and head towards his office.

  Finally. They had a fucking big problem on their hands and Vincent couldn’t have timed his arrival any better.

  ‘You all right, bruv?’ Walking into the office Vincent picked up on the strained atmosphere straight away.

  Joshua was staring at his laptop, his jaw clenched angrily. ‘Sit down.’

  Kicking out the chair opposite him, Joshua stared at him now.

  Vincent sat down opposite his brother, a puzzled look on his face. Joshua had a right face on him. He looked like he’d had way too much to drink too, and Vincent knew only too well what a lethal combination that could be. Whatever reason Joshua had for summoning him back to the office, Vincent figured it had to be something bad.

  Joshua wasn’t into playing games, and the thunderous expression on his face only confirmed that.

  ‘Look, bruv, if this is about Aaron then I just want you to know that I’m sorry I fucked up. I thought that if we gave him a chance, he’d sort himself out. He must take after Dad’s side of the family, eh?’ Trying to gauge Joshua’s reaction, he continued, ‘I guess there is no helping some people. He’s nothing but a fucking embarrassment, bruv. He deserved everything he got.’

  ‘Aaron was taught a lesson that he won’t be forgetting in a hurry, but trust me, it’s only because he’s our cousin that I didn’t kneecap the cocky little bastard. No one walks into my club and treats my girls like that. It’s a fucking liberty. Especially in front of the rest of the men, publicly cunting me off like that. It’s not good for business.’ Joshua poured himself another drink, but he didn’t offer his brother one. That gesture alone told Vincent all he needed to know.

  Joshua was severely fucked off with him.

  ‘Okay.’ Vincent trod carefully. ‘If Aaron’s all sorted, what’s the problem?’

  Joshua raised his brow now, his face stern, fighting to keep his temper.

  ‘What’s the problem?’ Joshua laughed. Manically. ‘I’ll tell you what the problem is, shall I?’

  Turning his laptop to face Vincent, Joshua waited for him to say something as they both stared at the haunting image on the screen.

  It was the tiny limp body of a toddler. The boy been found washed up on the beach at Weymouth. His lifeless form lay face down in the sand.

  Vincent flinched, but he didn’t look shocked or surprised, confirming Joshua’s suspicions that he’d already seen the image. Of course he had. The whole fucking world had seen it. The harrowing photograph had already gone viral.

  The image of the dead child was currently echoing its way around the world, headlining the front page of every newspaper, every TV channel, every internet post.

  ‘I’d say this is a fucking problem all right, wouldn’t you? Only, ironically you didn’t say it, did you? You kept your fucking trap shut. When you said a body washed up on the shore yesterday you failed to mention that it belonged to a small child. Lay low? How the fuck are we supposed to lay low when the press is all fucking over this? It’s all anyone’s talking about.’

  Joshua spat now, fuming, his fists clenched tightly to his side.

  ‘They’re illegals, bruv. Like you said, who’s going to give a fuck? We’re overrun with them… ’ Vincent spoke with arrogance, repeating his brother’s earlier words, but they sounded hollow now.

  He hadn’t told Joshua for this very reason. He was hoping that things would have died down by the time Joshua heard the full story. But the boat sinking was no longer merely local news. It had made the nationals too. The child’s death had made people from all over the world sit up and take notice. The authorities wouldn’t just sweep this one under the carpet.

  Vincent knew it and Joshua did too.

  ‘Who gives a fuck?’ Joshua shook his head. The anger inside him was so immense now it was consuming him. He was fighting with every reflex in his body to control it. ‘I’ll tell you who gives a fuck shall I? The world and his fucking wife, that’s who gives a fuck.’ Joshua was raising his voice. ‘This changes everything. A dead child cannot be ignore
d. No one’s going to look at this kid with contempt. No one’s going to say that that child’s life didn’t matter, that it was irrelevant. It’s front page fucking news! The press is already having a field day with this. If any of this comes back to us, if anyone finds out about the op, we’ll be fucking slaughtered. Crucified.’ Joshua was bellowing now, his temper finally getting the better of him. ‘It isn’t a case of just laying low for a few weeks, Vincent, and hoping for the best. If our names are linked back to this, my name, I’ll lose fucking everything.’

  Joshua was furious. So far, Vincent was proving to be almost as useless as their poxy cousin.

  ‘So, if there is anything else you need to tell me, anymore fuck-ups that I need to know about, you better fucking speak up now. ’Cause I have had enough of you keeping me in the fucking dark!’

  Joshua sat back and glared. His eyes boring into Vincent’s. He was doing what he did best: reading the man’s every move. Absorbing every flinch, every twitch.

  Vincent shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

  ‘There might be a couple of other loose ends that need tying, bruv.’

  ‘Loose ends?’ Joshua shook his head.

  Vincent raised his hands up. ‘I didn’t know about them until tonight, when I took Misty to the hospital, I promise.’ Vincent looked nervous now as he spoke. ‘I ran into one of the passengers from the boat. A young girl with a baby. She was at the hospital.’

  ‘What?’ Joshua tried to absorb what he was hearing. The last thing they needed right now, with the press all over this, was the chance of anyone talking. ‘But you said there weren’t any survivors?’

  ‘That’s just it, boss; I didn’t think there were. This girl, Lena, she didn’t even know that the boat had sunk… ’ Vincent rubbed his temples, agitated. ‘I think she must have got off, abandoned the boat, and if she did, then she wasn’t alone. She’d been travelling with her husband, some mad-looking Albanian cunt. They were both very friendly with one of the Calais brokers, Korab. I think they are here in London. The three of them and the kid.’