Whispers Beneath the Pines

by Whispers Beneath the Pines

  “Now look Lady. You have to come with us. As I said, we don’t want to hurt you but we will if we have to. Do you understand?”

  She nodded. “Yes,” she muttered. The realisation took her breath away; she gasped which led to her hyperventilating. She felt an overwhelming heat rise across her chest and up her neck. She inhaled then screamed as she exhaled, her whole body trembled uncontrollably. Her breath deepened and quickened and black spots clouded her vision. The moon's light was now speckled and blurred as tears gushed down her cheek. She tried to speak but the words would not come out. Opening her mouth she tried to shout but all she could do was gasp. She felt the men grab her arms and drag her along the gritty ground. With every movement a stone or a pine needle pierced her skin. She tried to move her legs but the strength had gone, she was beaten.

  Moments later she felt the icy water once again. Mehmet was pulling her through the water. On the riverbank Sadik had the gun pointed directly at her. “No funny business Lady,” she heard him shout. She closed her eyes as her body glided through the water, almost hoping for the end. Her breath now came in short sharp bursts and her body shook from the chill. She was cold but she felt warm, she was awake but she felt like it was nothing more than a dream. Peace almost came over her as Mehmet continued to swim. She allowed her eyes to close, her breathing slowed down. She had accepted whatever was to come.

  “Pay day as they say.” Guz said with a smirk as he dragged Eve’s exhausted body from Mehmet.

  She parted her eyelids and looked up at the man; there was no strength in her to fight them. In the distance she saw Celile sitting on the ground holding a piece of rag against her head. Behind her Sadik got out of the water after crossing the river behind them.

  "Please don’t let me die.”

  “Die. You play the game you will live and I will be a rich man.”

  She had no idea what he meant, but she had to play along to live. She had to please them, do as she was told. It was the only way. Kevin, she wondered if they had got him. If they had, what would they do with him? Was he part of their plan?

  “I think they will be happy with this one,” Guz called to Sadik. “She’ll do. Probably ship her off to the Arab States or Russia even. Who knows? Who cares? But she’ll be earning her keep. Did you hear that Lady? I hope you heard every word. I practised that speech in English just for you Darling.”

  Eve lay on her back and watched on, pleading with her inner self to regain some strength. Who will be happy? Earning my keep. Thoughts ran through her head. Was this happening to her? It all sounded very much like she was about to be trafficked. A single tear escaped own the side of her eye and meandered into her ear. Every part of her body was gritty, her eyes, her body, her hair.

  “Get her onto the jeep and tie the Bitch up.” Guz yelled.

  Mehmet and Sadik grabbed her under the arms and lifted her off the ground, she had no control; once again they dragged her over the grit and through spiny shrubs. Trying to kick was no use. She stared up at Mehmet. “How can you let them do this to me?” She saw his face turn and she recognised the look of shame but he didn’t stop, he did as he was told and fulfilled his duty to his comrades. She looked harder at his face and saw the glint of skin under his nose that she had shred with the branch and she realised that there was a big chance that he had lost all sympathy for her.

  As the others passed, Celile turned to Eve and spat in her face, “Bitch, look what you did to my fucking head,” she yelled. Eve stared up at the stars as they painfully dragged her and dreamed that one day she would go home. Trafficked means she would live, what that life would mean was another question. While alive she could always plan to escape, once she had some strength back she would get away. She hoped that people would question where they were and then despair set in. They had left no trail of where they had gone that day and she wept, this time the weeping was dry. There were no tears left, only sore dry eyes. ‘Trust your instincts,’ the old woman had said, maybe she would remember them but what good would that do? She had trusted her instincts all day and this is where it had got her.

  Bang, she heard the back door open on the jeep before they flung her onto the bench in the back. She felt the rough rope bind her hands behind her back and tie her feet together. Then she felt a sharp pain across the back of the head. All went black.

  Chapter 37

  “Take her back to the house. Put her in the outhouse down the bottom of the garden and don’t let her out of your sight.” Guz yelled as he placed the jeep keys into Sadik's hand.

  “We’ll go now, before she wakes up.” Sadik said.

  “Good idea. We have five hours. I’ll bring the other girl, waste the man and sort out the bodies.”

  “Why don’t we take the other girl, Rachel now?” Celile said as she rubbed her wounded head.

  “Because,” Guz said as he moved closer to her, “I said I’ll bring her with me.”

  Celile stared deep into his eyes; he knew that she knew what he was up to. So he wanted to have a private look at the girl before he brought her in. Product inspection, he knew The Boss wouldn’t disapprove. It was nothing she wasn’t going to have to get used to in her new future. His Celile had better things to do anyway; he had felt it in her lack of enthusiasm earlier that evening when they'd made love. But at least he’d had her, she was his and he could rub that fact into his slimy little brothers face as soon as this was all over.

  “Whatever,” she replied as she got into the passenger seat of the jeep.

  “Mehmet, you ride in the back with the girl, keep an eye on her.”

  “I don’t want to ride in the back, please I don’t want to look after the girl," he replied.

  “Just do as your old man says,” Guz yelled as he slapped the young man across the head. Mehmet opened the back door and climbed into the jeep. Guz watched as he edged his way to the bench trying not to touch Eve’s unconscious body. “She won’t bite you,” Guz said as he slammed the door hard and grinned.

  He turned to Sadik and Celile. “You two, go now, let’s get this thing over. I make it five hours that we have until collection. That’s all the time we have to get this wrapped up. If we screw this up, The Boss will screw us up. Do you both understand?” Celile walked off and got into the passenger seat. “You need to take a car, take Sadik’s car,” he said as he dragged Celile back out of the jeep and thrust another set of keys at her. “I’m working with imbeciles. We can’t leave a car behind; I can only drive one back.”

  “There’s no need to pull me about,” Celile said.

  “Just get in the car and drive back to the house.” Celile did exactly as she was told without looking back at him. He waited to see if she would look but she only turned to Sadik as she got into the car and drove off up the gravel path. “I’ll see you back at the house as soon as I’m done here.” Guz said.

  “See you later Brother,” Sadik said as he turned the engine and reversed.

  Brother; who needs a brother like that? Guz turned away from him, didn’t want to watch him leave. He heard the jeep trundle past. He turned to his own car and popped open the boot. He placed the loaded gun with the safety catch on in his belt and he grabbed the dirty shovel. To his delight he spotted half a roll up that he had dropped in the boot earlier that day. After lighting it he inhaled, enjoying every drag before he set to work. He grabbed a warm bottle of flat cola and took a long swig; it was just what he needed. Leaning on the dirty shovel he watched as the light from the jeep disappeared in the distance. He had to get the Rachel woman into the car, eliminate the injured man and deal with the clean up. Three easy tasks and one that could be harder than it sounded. He had the gun; as soon as the man surfaced he would give him one straight between the eyes. He grinned as he nubbed out the roll up between his thumb and forefinger before flicking it into the boot as he closed it. He balanced the shovel against the car, he would need that soon. Now it was time for work. Five hours and it would all be over. He would be packing up to leave.

&
nbsp; Chapter 38

  Eve laughed as Harry dragged her in his little cart, she heard him giggle back as he pulled her over the bumps on the grass. It was soon time to pack up and finish for the day, time to have tea, to watch The Jungle Book and to get out the chocolate buttons. Always her favourite part of the week. She tried to sit up but her body failed to respond, maybe she had dislodged something whilst bumping over the fields. “Harry,” she called. There was no answer, just another giggle. She smiled. “Harry, Mummy Eve needs some help from her little man.” Again no answer. “Mummy Eve loves you, I have chocolate buttons. Harry? Mummy loves you.”

  Quietness fell and the light blue sky started to turn grey. “Harry.” She called. “This isn’t funny. Mummy Eve needs a hand.” As she moved her stiff neck to the side the sky purged itself of rain that landed violently across her left cheek. The water fell until the little cart had almost filled up. Struggling to breath, Eve tried to flap her arms. Trapped in the little cart, she couldn’t move; her back was still lodged. She kicked but her legs were restricted. More water? Please no more rain, she thought. She closed her eyes as the water caused her to gargle; she could no longer call for Harry. The cold water swished down her closed throat and into her lungs.

  Yanked out of her nightmare Eve opened one blurry eye and coughed up a load of water. She squinted as she gazed at the small wood and concrete building she was restrained in. She felt a wetness dripping over her face and another jug of water splashed against the side of her head. She tried to move her arms but they were lodged. Throbbing pain seared through her head, a rough rope rubbed her wrists, she was bound to the wooden wall of the building. Her hands were tied closely above her head and her arm was bent sharply at the elbow. She tried to kick, her legs were also bound.

  “Mummy Eve, I’m coming to help you,” called Harry.

  “I know you want to help me.” Eve smiled as she closed her eyes again. She pictured Harry coming towards her, bounding in his childlike way, pulling his green dungarees up so that he wouldn’t trip over.

  “Mummy Eve.” Her little man’s voice became distorted. Why was he speaking in a foreign language? “Seni Seviyorum.” Why was Harry telling her he loved her in Turkish?

  “Harry? Harry?” Eve opened her eyes and she sucked in air in sharp bursts, coughing hard as she choked on the small amount of water that was aggravating her windpipe. Had they tried to drown her? She looked around at the old structure; it was nothing but a woody blur. Drawn to her left, she turned her throbbing head. Sadik and Celile she thought. The harder she stared the clearer they became. She watched as Sadik placed a jug on the bench before grabbing the woman’s hair in an almost violent way. Celile responded by lifting up his tee-shirt, her hands ran all over his caramel coloured skin and soon led to his belt. He pulled her head back by her long hair and kissed her hard as he thrust her back against the door, she responded by kissing him back hard and desperate.

  Eve tried to trace the rope with her hands, hoping that they would remain diverted by passion. She yanked it with her arms hoping to free it a little, no movement. She looked down at her bound feet; they were tied together and looped through a metal ring that appeared to have been concreted into the floor. A few feet away from her, the couple began grunting as Sadik began to undo Celile’s shorts. The one low light began to flicker and the couple stopped and mumbled in Turkish. Celile stared in Eve’s direction before pushing Sadik off her. The man spoke to her; she spoke back, not once taking her eyes off Eve. She watched as Celile took her hair in her hands, rolled it up and tucked it into a messy bun.

  Bang, the door. Both Sadik and Celile tidied their clothing up as Mehmet entered. “She’s awake,” he whispered.

  “We know,” Celile replied. “She is awake aren’t you Eve?” Sadik stared at Eve. "What are you looking at?” Celile yelled as she grabbed his chin and moved his head in her direction.

  “Nothing Celile. I was looking at nothing.”

  “Well don’t.” Mehmet stared at Celile. “Just do what you’re paid to do Mehmet.” Celile responded. The young man looked away.

  “Please don’t hurt me. Please, I need to get back to my son. My little boy.”

  “Yes we know. Harry isn’t it?” Celile replied.

  Eve shuffled against her binds. How did they know? “Please, what are you? How do you know my son’s name?” Fine tears began to fall down the side of her dirty face.

  “We are no one, just here to make some money. You’re son, well you never shut up about little Harry on the journey to get here,” Celile said as she stared into Eve’s eyes. As the woman stepped closer Eve turned her head away.

  “Where am I?”

  “That doesn’t concern you either." Celile walked back and forth before kneeling down to Eve’s level. Eve flinched as Celile’s hand brushed the wet hair from her face. “What does concern you though is the state of my head,” she yelled as she slapped Eve across the face. “Look.” The woman parted her hair and showed Eve the long deep scratch that the blow from the rock had caused.

  Eve looked away. “I’m sorry. I was scared, you were all chasing me.”

  “Pass me a knife. Let’s value this piece of shit.” Celile spat as she held her hand out. Mehmet fidgeted and argued with her in Turkish. The woman stood, slapped the boy across the head and yanked his knife from his belt before pushing him out of the door. Sadik yelled at her, she pushed him back and held her free hand up to him. He backed down and smiled. Celile kneeled down in front of Eve.

  “Please don’t kill me, please,” she cried. Mucous dripped from her nose and her eyes started to burn from all the crying. She watched the knife as it drew closer, pointing directly at her stomach. “No,” Eve yelled as she closed her eyes. Her whole body tensed as she waited for the knife to plunge but it didn’t. All she heard was a loud tear. They were cutting off her clothing. She opened her eyes and saw Celile cutting her tee shirt first, then her swimsuit. Celile opened it up from bottom to top carefully avoiding cutting her skin. Eve wept as she sat there, powerless to stop them. Her scarring, her vulnerability revealed to her kidnappers. She knew how it looked, Kevin had been kind, had seen past it but most didn’t. If they were hoping to traffic her would this be a deal breaker? Would they now kill her instead? She watched as they yelled at each other.

  *****

  “Oh this is just great,” Celile yelled as she stood. “She is defunct. I don’t suppose they are going to pay us much for this.”

  “How were we supposed to know? They will have her, I’m sure. She’ll do for something,” Sadik replied as he strolled away from the door to have a closer look.

  *****

  It was time to plead; Eve took a deep breath and spoke. “I’m sorry, I had an infection and nearly died,” Eve said hoping to win some sympathy. “Please don’t hurt me because of my scar. Please.”

  Celile handed the knife to Sadik and bent back down. “I suppose you will just attract a worse class of customer. Some ..... what would you say? Some pond life. And this is for what you did to my head,” Celile yelled as she punched Eve hard on the cheek. The same cheek that had also been slapped and dragged. Celile pointed to a small table in the corner of the room and Sadik lifted a scarf off the table and passed it to her. Celile wrapped the scarf around Eve's head and tied it at the back, gagging her. With every breath she inhaled a musty woody dust that hit the back of her throat.

  Every fibre of Eve’s skin now tingled. A bruised battered tingling. She watched as the woman drew back her fist to punch again. Eve turned away and tensed up once again. Sadik shouted and grabbed her fist. Eve turned to watch as the man struggled to get the angry woman out of the building. They shouted as he dragged her to the door, they shouted as they slammed the door behind them. She still heard the shouting as they walked off until they were so far away she could hear them no more.

  Above her, the dim light flickered, insects buzzed around the warm occasional glow casting shadows over the wood's grain and the white concrete floor. The chaos
of the flickering, the buzzing insect noises and the creaking that was caused by her movement only served to reinforce her captivity. Helpless and bound, the only thing that she could hope for is that she wouldn’t get attacked any more. She would do what they said and wait for her chance. One chance is maybe all she’d have if she was lucky. Four of them, one of her and Kevin, she rocked as far as her restraints would allow. Back and forth, back and forth.

  Her life, the fairytale ending with Kevin was a distant memory. He was a distant memory. She had found love, a deep love, a trusting love and a respectful love. Love that only comes once if a person is lucky and now her life had been ruined. She wept dry desperate tears for Kevin, thinking of him, injured, alone and lost in the mountains. He would die, she visualised him being eaten by wild animals. In years to come someone might find his bones. And Rachel, what had they done with her? Had they found her or had Eve hidden her drugged body well enough? Had she killed her friend? If they had found her at least she would have a chance at life. As Eve had hidden her, what would become of her now? Both Rachel and Kevin wouldn’t survive in the wilderness she was sure of that. The moment when she’d ran and she reached the edge of the mountainside; the terrain, the distance to civilisation, they would be hungry. She was sure they’d die. She bowed her head and continued to rock back and forth; as far as the ropes would allow.

  Chapter 39

  Bang, Kevin bolted upright. The ringing in his ears made the dark world around him feel like it was closing in. He felt around in his lap and found his glasses.

  How long had he been out of it? A sulphuric smell hung in the air, gunpowder. He flinched as he tried to move, the rawness of his wound burned with every twist. He felt his leg; wetness had started to soak through his shorts. Where was Eve? Where was anyone? Where did the bang come from? As he leaned forward a branch prodded him in the side of his face, he rubbed the scratch. Nothing hurt like the throbbing in his leg. With one hand grabbing a branch and another placed flat against the tree he hoisted his body up. As he pulled, his knuckles tensed and trembled. He placed all of his weight on his good leg before stepping onto his injured leg and laying it down flat.