All that blood.
She willed herself to find the courage, to finally break free from this man. But Ramiz was laughing now; throwing his head back, full of confidence once more. He mocked her.
‘You see! You can’t do it, Lena. You’re not strong enough. That is why I chose you in the first place. That day on the street when I took you? Because I could see exactly what you were. A stupid, weak little girl – and that is all you’ll ever be.’
55
Stepping off the minibus, Lena clutched Roza to her side as she stared out over the city’s main square.
Beautiful Shkodër.
It looked exactly the same as before she’d left, before she’d been taken. Life had just carried on, as if she’d never been away. Children ran past her, laughing, playing. The market stalls bustled with fresh fruits and vegetables, and people were everywhere. The sound of the traffic, loud, chaotic, filled her ears as a battered old Mercedes beeped its horn at the horse and cart that had slowed its journey.
Smiling as she made her way up the rubble-strewn pathway that crept up the side of the city’s edge, Lena took it all in, soaking up every second of her culture as the warm late October sun beat down on her.
It was good to be back.
Clutching Roza in her arms, she felt nostalgic at the sights and sounds.
The breathtaking view of the mountains that rose up in the east just off in the distance. Her eyes drank in the sight of brightly painted houses, vibrant purples, yellows and pinks, scattered like little gems across the mountainous landscape.
Ahead of her she could see her own house set at the top of the hill. Rickety, worn.
Strewn with rubbish outside. A bald tyre. Empty boxes.
To Lena it was the most beautiful vision of all.
Walking up the old familiar dirt path that led to the front door, she was trembling now. Not knowing what to expect.
Would her parents be here?
Reaching for the handle, shaking, she’d barely had time to register that the front door had opened. Shrieks of pure joy filled the air. Screaming, crying, laughing.
It was Néné, crying hysterically, chanting, pulling her into her open arms.
Båbå came running then too; both of her parents disbelieving what they were seeing; wrapping their arms around their daughter as if they would never let her go again. Néné reached out her arms for Roza. Tears cascading down her face as she held her beautiful granddaughter for the first time.
She didn’t speak then; the moment too precious. Heartbreaking and beautiful both at the same time.
Then Lena saw him standing at the back of the room. The look of shock on his face as he saw her.
He smiled.
Tariq. He was alive. Running to her, they embraced. Néné, Båbå, Tariq and Roza, all of them together in the same room.
Overcome with emotion, Lena fell to her knees, crying once more. But this time her tears were of joy, of love.
She was finally back where she belonged. Back home with her family. She didn’t need to run anymore. Ramiz was gone for good.
Vengeance for him had finally come.
An eye for an eye, spilt blood met with spilt blood.
She’d done it.
Lena Cona had finally set herself free.
Author’s Note
When I started writing The Taken the European migrant or refugee crisis was of epic proportions and, unfortunately, it remains so.
‘The Jungle’ encampment mentioned in the book is a real place. In Calais, France, it was named by the migrants and refugees themselves in ironic reference to how they believed they were being forced to live. After extensive research, the chapters that are set in ‘the Jungle’ in The Taken have been written using inspiration from real-life accounts from migrants, refugees, and journalists who have lived there.
Letter from Casey
Thank you for choosing to read The Taken.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate reviews from my readers. Not only is it great feedback for me but reviews can really help to gain the attention of new readers too. So, if you would kind enough to leave a short, honest review, it would be very much appreciated!
When I first started writing The Taken, I was unsure in what direction the story would take me. As always with my writing process, I had a character in my mind’s eye before I had the actual storyline. Only in this case I had two characters fighting to tell their stories. Lena Cona and Colin Jefferies. Two very different characters, set worlds apart. My challenge was to find out how the two stories intertwined, and how their paths would eventually cross.
Harrowing in places, but a journey nevertheless and one of which I really hope you enjoyed.
I’m currently working on the next book so if you’d like to stay in touch and find out about the next release, you can sign up to my new release email in the link below:
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www.bookouture.com/casey-kelleher
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Or if you just want to drop by and say ‘Hello’ you can find me on Facebook, Twitter and my website.
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Casey x
@CaseyKelleher
OfficialCaseyKelleher
Also by Casey Kelleher
Rotten to the Core
Rise and Fall
Heartless
Bad Blood
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to my lovely editor Keshini Naidoo for not only giving me the opportunity of publishing The Taken with Bookouture but also for her fantastic editorial skills too. Your brilliant ideas and suggestions really helped to shape The Taken into what it is today. Thank you so much!
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I’d also like to thank Oliver Rhodes, Kim Nash and the rest of the Bookouture team. I’m absolutely thrilled to have joined the Bookouture CrimeSquad.
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A special thanks to Christian Threader for answering all my questions on burials and cemeteries. Also to Artan Prifti for your information on Albanian terminology and Louise Fennell for her gambling expertise.
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As always I’d like to thank my extremely supportive friends and family for all the encouragement that they give me along the way.
The Cooper’s, The Kelleher’s, The Ellis’s.
The Besties, The BW Girlies, The AH Girlies.
Too many of you to mention by name!
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Finally a big thanks to my husband Danny – my hero, and our three children Ben, Danny and Kyle.
My world!
Published by Bookouture
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An imprint of StoryFire Ltd.
23 Sussex Road, Ickenham, UB10 8PN
United Kingdom
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www.bookouture.com
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Copyright © Casey Kelleher 2016
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Casey Kelleher has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work.
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-78681-076-2
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