by Beth Abbott
“It’s Ok, sugar.” Another female voice joined in. “Everyone around here knows that the best things come in small packages.”
Gregor looked around yet again, and his mouth dropped open.
Carolina Jordan, the country singer, stood behind them, another military looking guy just behind her, a beaming smile on her face as she carried a young child on her hip.
He glanced quickly between the two women.
“You’re mother and daughter, right?” He whispered.
“Yep. That’s my girl.” The singer said proudly. “The ultimate Queen of Badass! And don’t let anybody forget it!”
Chapter 11 – Tulli
Two hours later, they were sitting in a large family room, and Tulli’s head was a chaotic mess.
She’d been introduced to a couple of dozen men, women, and children, and while she thought she recognised a few of the men from the rescue, they were now just blending into a sea of faces.
A couple of times the noise level had increased to the point where she’d thought she was going to have an anxiety attack. It had initially seemed reminiscent of the noise the men in the Castille camp would make, when they were having a drunken rampage through the camp, dragging the girls from the shack to inflict God only knew what kind of horrors on them. But Tulli had found that by concentrating on who was making the most noise, which tended to be the women and especially the kids, who were shrieking with laughter, she found she could regulate her breathing until it quietened down again.
Tulli glanced around and picked out the people she’d spoken to already.
Hannah had been sitting quietly, talking to a few of the women until her husband arrived, and Tulli had watched in amazement as he’d lifted her up, taken her seat, and then positioned Hannah on his lap, like that was the only place she should be.
For her part, Hannah hadn’t blinked an eye, and the women’s conversation hadn’t faltered.
The only acknowledgement Hannah had given that anything had happened, was a few seconds later, when Tulli watched her slide her hand over her husband’s and interlink their fingers.
Danny, for his part, was already in conversation with a couple of the men, but he lifted Hannah’s hand to his mouth and kissed it, before settling her back against him and wrapping his arms around her.
Watching such a big man being so gentle and loving with his tiny wife almost brought tears to Tulli’s eyes. She couldn’t help but wonder what it might be like to feel so protected and cherished.
She glanced to the man sitting next to her, engrossed in a conversation with Tuck, and the man she’d been introduced to as JT. JT was about the same height as Gregor, and just as dark haired, but the British accent was strange when pitched against Tuck’s American accent, and Gregor’s Russian/American hybrid.
They were having a serious conversation about the mission, and more especially about the Castille cartel.
Obviously, this wasn’t the first time Tuck and his people had come into contact with Castille, although from the tone of the conversation, they certainly hoped it would be the last.
“Tulli? Our friend Cole, from the FBI is here.” Candy squatted down in front of her. “Do you feel up to talking with him?”
Tulli’s muscles tensed instantly. Was she ready to talk to anyone?
She felt Gregor’s warm hand close around hers, and she glanced up at him.
“I’d be happy to come with you, if you think it would help.” He said quietly.
“Or one of the ladies could come in with you.” Candy offered. “Abbey or I, maybe?”
Tulli bit her lip. She didn’t want to offend her hostess, but she felt more comfortable around Gregor than her new friends.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I think it would help me if you were there.” She looked up at him and saw the relief and warmth in Gregor’s smile.
“I’ll stay with you as long as you want me to.” He reassured her.
They stood and followed Candy along a brightly lit hallway, the walls covered with family photos of every man woman and child in the Alpha-Stalwart family, at various parties, in a multitude of poses, but always smiling, laughing, and seeming to be having the best time.
“It must be wonderful having such a big family.” She murmured. “So many people to help give you strength when you need it.”
Candy slowed and looked over her shoulder.
“You know they’ll all be here for you both as well, don’t you?” She smiled. “If ever you need help with anything, we’ve got your back.”
“What?” Tulli stopped walking. “They don’t know us. Why would they want to help me? They’ve never met me before this week.”
Candy chuckled.
“I think they call it degrees of separation.” She explained. “All of the Alpha-Stalwart family are connected either by the links they formed in the military, or by marriage, or sometimes both. It almost seems like each year the family grows, as people are added.”
“But how do I fit in there?” Tulli shook her head. “I’m not military, and I have no connection to anyone else in the family.”
“Well, that’s not quite true.” Candy folded her arms, taking up an obstinate stance. “Alex and Sophia seem quite taken with each other, so if that relationship develops, it may be that Gregor and I could end up being related through them. You are living with Gregor at his house, that makes you family to him, which makes you family to us. See? Degrees of separation.”
“No! No, Gregor is allowing us to live there out of the kindness of his heart, but that doesn’t make us family.” Tulli blushed. “As soon as we’re able, we’ll be finding somewhere else to live, and he’ll be free of the burden he’s taken on.”
“Tulli, having you and your sisters living in my home is far from being a burden.” Gregor reassured her. “And the invitation to stay is open-ended, so there’s no rush for you to be going anywhere. I actually like Candy’s suggestion that we’re family. It helps define us.”
Tulli was going to argue, but realising she would sound ungrateful, she held back the protest that was literally on the tip of her tongue.
“Shall we go and meet with the FBI agent?” She forced a smile.
Candy returned the smile and led the way into a large office, where Tuck was standing with an older distinguished looking gentleman.
“Aah, Tulli, Gregor, thanks for coming in.” Tuck smiled and beckoned them forward. “This is Cole Arthurs, our good friend, who also happens to be head of the Philly Bureau. He’d like to ask you some questions about your experiences in Colombia, and find out what you know about the Castille operation down there. Is that Ok?”
Tulli nodded.
“That’s fine.” She whispered.
“I’ll make this as fast and painless as I can, Ms Mazur, but I do need to ask you some very difficult questions.” Cole Arthurs explained. “I’d like to film the interview if I may, and then I’ll let you have a copy of the transcription at a later date. Time isn’t our friend at the moment, so this needs to be done tonight.”
“That’s fine.” Tulli blushed, feeling more uncomfortable than she had all night. “I don’t mean to be rude, but do Candy and Mr Tucker need to be here? The more people listening, the harder it will be.”
“Of course not, sweetheart.” Candy reassured her. “We’ll leave as soon as you give us the word that you’re ready to get started.”
“I just want to get this over with, so I’m happy to start right away.” Tulli admitted.
“Ok, we’ll get out of your way. You know where to find us if you need anything.” Tuck stood up and led Candy from the room.
“Are you sure you want me to stay?” Gregor asked quietly. “If there are things that make you uncomfortable to discuss in front of me, you only have to say, and I’ll leave.”
“I think I’d rather you stay for now. If, later… well, I’ll wait and see what Mr Arthurs has to ask me.” Tulli hesitated. “Unless you’d rather not stay?”
“Tulli, I told you I’d be
here with you throughout, and I meant it. There’s nothing you can say that will make me admire or respect you less, I promise you.” Gregor squeezed her hand, gently.
“If we’re ready, could you sit on the sofa, just here, Tulli? I’ll be filming with my phone, which as you can see, is propped up on the desk. It’s less intrusive than having a camera shoved in your face, and is fully encrypted, so you don’t need to worry about security.” Cole smiled at her.
Tulli took her seat, and Gregor immediately sat next to her, still holding her hand.
“Is this Ok?” He asked the FBI chief.
“It’s fine.” Arthurs nodded. “I’m zoomed in, so you’re out of shot, anyway.”
“Then let’s get started, shall we?” Tulli smiled nervously, rubbing her now clammy free hand on her jeans. “The sooner we start, the sooner we finish.”
Cole pulled a chair forward, and sat down, placing his glasses on the end of his nose so he could read from his notes.
“Can we start from when you were kidnapped?” He waited for her nod. “Tell me about that day…”
Chapter 12 – Gregor
Gregor sat quietly as Tulli began her story, explaining to Cole Arthurs how she and her sisters came to be in Colombia in the first place. He found it hard to fathom that a simple vacation with her family to attend a relative’s wedding, had turned to horror so quickly.
She described how her parents and brother had been murdered in front of her, and how poor Mischa, who’d been standing with their mother, had been covered in their blood.
Arthurs was sympathetic, and as considerate as he could be under the circumstances, but he carefully kept the questions coming at the same pace, not allowing Tulli time to stop and dwell on the past.
Next, she described the journey to the camp, and how they had been thrown into the shack with the other women. Nobody had come near any of them for a couple of days, and she didn’t speak Spanish, so they had no warning of what was to come. But they soon realised that the men who inhabited the camp must have been away for a few days, because when they got back, that was when the nightmare really began.
When she paused to take a drink of water, Gregor repeated his offer to leave, if the next part was going to be too difficult for her to talk about with him there.
“Stay. Please?” She whispered, and that was all it took to keep him rooted in his seat.
“Tulli, I’m sorry to have to ask you to relive it, but can you tell me what happened next, to you and your sisters?” Cole asked.
Tulli nodded, fidgeting in her seat.
“The first time they took us from the shack, we kicked and screamed until they beat us.” She explained, staring at a picture on the wall over Cole’s head. “While we were semi-conscious, they raped us. Several of them.”
Cole glanced at Gregor, but neither men spoke or even changed their facial expression, even though Gregor could tell that Arthurs must be filled with just as much rage as Gregor felt in that moment.
“That happened every night for about a week. There were three guards, I think they must have been in charge, as they seemed to have their pick of the women.” Tulli seemed to have settled into a calm place. “By the end of the week, Mischa had gone into herself, and the men seemed too scared to touch her. She didn’t fight, but she screamed, and I think one of the men thought she was casting a spell on them. Something ridiculous like if they touched her again, their penis would shrivel and fall off.”
“Communities like these are full of superstitions.” Cole nodded.
“Yes, well… Lara and I decided that we wouldn’t go on like the other women who were being held captive. We were probably naive, but we decided that if they were going to kill us, it was going to be on our schedule, and not theirs. So, we really started fighting them. We kicked and punched, and scratched and spit. We behaved like animals, until one night when one of them tried to force himself in my mouth. He was so drunk he probably didn’t see the danger, but I took the opportunity I’d been waiting for, and I bit him.”
Tulli blushed as she said it, and when neither man said anything, she glanced around to see if they had heard her properly.
“You bit him…?” Cole prompted.
“I bit his penis.” She confirmed. “I almost bit it off.”
Both Gregor and Cole stared at her in shock.
“Almost?” Cole’s voice was hoarse as he spoke, obviously imagining the pain she must have inflicted.
“Yes. It didn’t come completely away, because I didn’t break the skin, but I definitely bit through whatever was under the skin. I felt it give way between my teeth.” She glanced at Gregor, clearly unsure what he would think of her now. “I think the man would have killed me if he could have, but he was in too much pain. They took him away, and I didn’t see him again. The guy who was in charge thought it was funny, and called the man names for being so stupid. He forbade anyone punishing me, as Castille wanted us kept alive, probably for ransom, so we were thrown back into the shed. After that none of the men wanted anything to do with us, so for the most part, we were spared any further abuses.”
“For the most part?” Cole prompted.
“We weren’t raped again.” Tulli clarified. “But occasionally, if the men were drunk, one of them would drag us out of the shack, Lara, and I, along with a few of the other women, and they would strip off our clothes. They would make us stand in the middle of the yard, and throw things at us. Food, or sticks and stones. I realised later that those nights happened when Rafael Castille banned them from having sex with the women, as some sort of punishment for an infringement. The men couldn’t actually touch the women, or Castille would be furious. So, humiliating them, and abusing them was the best they could come up with for entertainment.”
Tulli dropped her head and stared at her hands. Her shoulders slumped, and the energy seemed to drain from her.
“Is there anything else you need from Tulli this evening that can’t wait?” Gregor asked Cole. “Tulli barely had more than a few hours sleep last night, and must be running on fumes by now.”
Cole stared at Tulli, and recognised her exhaustion.
“Just one more thing.” He pulled a pile of photographs from his briefcase. “These are pictures of the men we arrested at the site. There weren’t many left alive, thanks to Gregor’s Russian friends, but those that survived claimed that they only worked in the factory under duress, and never participated in the rape of the women. Would you be able to identify the rapists from the factory workers?”
Tulli immediately held her hand out, and Cole handed her about twenty pictures. She looked at each one carefully before moving on to the next, removing four from the pile.
She handed the four to Cole.
“Those four were factory workers. I never saw them with any of the women.” She confirmed, before turning her attention back to the pile.
“These men are just low ranking manual workers, security and the like. But they are all violent rapists.” She confirmed. “However, none of them are the men that raped Lara, Mischa, and I, so can I conclude that those men must already be dead?”
“As far as I’m aware, and this was confirmed by Hannah with the help of her satellites, nobody escaped from the compound. They’re either dead or captured, and all those captured are the men in the photos.” Cole confirmed.
“Thank God.” Tulli sighed, and then as if realising what she’d said, her hand flew to her mouth. “I…”
“You’re absolutely justified in being relieved that they’re dead.” Cole smiled at her. He turned and reached for his phone, tapping the screen to stop it recording. “Well, I think I’m done with all the important stuff. I may have to ask you a few more questions, but they can wait until I return from Washington. Some of the top brass in DC are mighty interested in what you and your fellow hostages have to say.”
“But if the top people are all dead, what good will it do?” Gregor asked. “Who is there left to prosecute except a handful of lowly foot-soldiers?”
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“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that.” Cole smiled. “We managed to get into Rafael Castille’s computer, as well as his uncle’s phone and laptop. Luis Castille has links throughout the Colombian cartels, and from what I’ve been able to make out, he liked to keep everything documented. With the help of the Colombian authorities, there’s going to be a lot of disruption in the drugs pipeline from South America to the US over the next few months. A hell of a lot of disruption, and hopefully, a few cartels will be taken down in their entirety.”
Cole stood up and gathered his things.
“Would you like me to let Candy know we’re finished?” He asked.
Gregor glanced at Tulli and noticed how pale she was.
“Yes, please. But could you ask her to give us a few minutes? I think Tulli needs a bit of recovery time.” He stood up and shook the Fed’s hand.
“Of course. And thank you, Tulli. Your help has been invaluable.” Cole smiled, before heading for the door.
Tulli didn’t move from the sofa, and with her head bowed, Gregor couldn’t see her expression.
It was only when he saw her shoulders heave that he realised she was crying.
Gregor dropped to his knees in front of her.
“Hey, there… it’s Ok.” He soothed. “Everything is going to be fine now. It’s all over.”
When her only response was to shiver, he did the only thing he could think of. He reached out for her, taking her gently by the tops of her arms, and tugged her forward until he could wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly.
Tulli’s body stayed stiff for all of two seconds before collapsing into him. Her hands gripped the front of his shirt, and he could feel the wetness of her tears through the material as she sobbed into his neck.
He made soothing noises, but let her cry herself out. He reckoned she was overdue to let all of the pain and sorrow out of her system, and if he could help her with that now, he’d consider it his good deed for the day.
Gregor leaned his head down and buried his nose in her hair, the scent of peaches filling his senses. She was beautiful and fragrant and so soft, it made him want to resurrect the bastards who had hurt her, just so he could kill them with his own bare hands!