The Truth Healer: A Riveting Spiritual Psychic Thriller

by J Gabriel-Smith

  Chloe spun the car round, and sped off as fast as she could, leaving the angry sound of shouting and hollowing behind her. Her hands were visibly shaking as she kept checking her rear view mirror to see if they were following her. She looked across at poor Tom, who was still gagged.

  ‘Here.’ she said, reaching across to rip it off.

  ‘Aaargghhh’ he grimaced, wiping his saw mouth against his shoulder.

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.’

  ‘Thank you for saving me… but who the hell are you?!’ Tom inquired, looking at Chloe shell shocked.

  ‘I…I’ve been working as a journalist following Jozsef Halasz.’ Chloe replied lying.

  ‘So you were at the house when you saw us be taken?’ Tom questioned, tensing up as Chloe swerved in and out of the traffic.

  ‘Yes, which is why I knew Sadie was in the car.’

  Sadie looked up confused. ‘I thought you said you knew Lucy and Tom.’

  ‘Oh err yes, well I heard them calling each other’s name so thought I’d better tell you that to reassure you.’ Chloe quickly added, hoping she had got away with it.

  ‘I can’t believe they have got my wife!…it wasn’t meant to be like this.’ Tom fretted. ‘We have been so stupid to put our lives at risk, especially when we have our darling little boy at home waiting for us.’

  ‘You didn’t know that was going to happen. It will be ok Tom. First you have to change hotels quickly, then you have to phone the police.’ Chloe instructed, resting her hand on his.

  He looked over at her. ‘Without a shadow of a doubt, we are definitely calling the police now!’

  Chapter 29

  Lucy tried to open her eyes and focus on her surroundings, but they appeared blurred and unfamiliar. The right side of her face felt cold, and she could feel the left of her forehead throbbing. One of her eyes remained half shut no matter how hard she strained to open it, and as she licked her lips, she flinched as the tip of her tongue touched a raw bloodied wound.

  She realised she was lying on a hard cold damp floor, and as she tried to push herself up into a sitting position, her body felt bruised and battered. Where was she, and where was Tom? How did she get here, and why was she here? She couldn’t think beyond how much pain she was in right now, but what she did know was that she was very much on her own.

  As she looked around the room, it was the epitome of a hovel. Plaster was coming off the wall and any paint still remaining was flaking off. It was decorated with graffiti, which actually brightened up it’s depressing interior, and the pungent aroma of damp emanated from every corner of the room.

  There were a couple of dirty mattresses thrown on the floor, each homing the remnants of their inhabitants limited wardrobe, whilst last night’s dinner was hosting a few uninvited guests buzzing around the leftovers.

  Lucy knew that no amount of antibacterial wash was going to make her feel better in this hell hole. She could hear some children playing outside and some muffled male voices coming from the next room. As she looked around for her bag, it was nowhere to be seen, which immediately made her vulnerability rise tenfold as with no money or phone, she had no idea how she was going to get home.

  She slowly rolled onto all fours and managed to hoist herself up to walk towards the dented door. With her ear pressed against it, she could hear two men having a conversation. It sounded heated and aggressive, and as she touched her bruised head, her panic started to intensify as to who these men were.

  She turned and limped back to where she was sitting and tried to rack her brains as to how she got there. Her last memory was being with Tom in the car, but where were they going?

  As she manoeuvred in to a more bearable position, she heard something rustle in her pocket. After grimacing in pain as she reached inside it, she managed to pull out some receipts. She discovered one was for some sort of transport ticket called a Funicular. It had Castle Hill written on it for two adults and one child, and was dated 18th August. The second receipt was for a Hotel Oasis dated the same day, where they had bought a beer and two lemonades.

  She looked at her watch and it still said 18th August ….7.26pm. She looked back at the receipts and the Funicular ticket was bought at 1.27pm, while the drinks at the hotel were bought at 2.23pm.

  She was even more confused as to how she could get from there to here so quickly. There appeared to be no addresses on the receipts but as she turned the hotel receipt over, it had an address in Budapest.

  Her mind was flipping over and over, trying to piece together her last few hours of the day. Why was there only one child on the train ticket, when she had two - her beloved Sam and Rosie.

  Rosie… Rosie. She kept saying her name over and over in her mind trying to recollect what had happened. Then suddenly it came to her. The wave of emotional pain she had become used to living with, came flooding over her once again. She remembered that her gorgeous girl had gone missing.

  She had come searching for her with Tom. She was getting flashbacks of being in Austria, and being inside the house cellar. Then walking around Vienna…and yes!… she remembered the key turning point… finding Katrina…who was actually called Sadie.

  She glanced at the receipts again and could slowly picture them arriving at Budapest. She remembered them walking around the city and then heading back to the hotel. So what happened then? She rummaged in her other pocket to see if she could find anything else and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. As she opened it up, there was a name and address written on it. A Jozsef Halasz, 5 Rubin Utca, Briskolc, 2684.

  She had a distant memory of a yellow building. She was walking around it. Tom was with her, and she remembers hearing him call her name out ….but then nothing.

  Who was this Jozsef Halasz? She kept saying his name over and over, until it started to click into place. That’s right….they had gone to his house to find further clues to Rosie’s whereabouts. They’d found his name through the campsite in France, and he had links to the man in Austria. Lionel, no, Laurie, Laurenz…yes that’s it! Tom and her had found a photo of him and Jozsef. They had also found other photos of young girls.

  So how did she get here? They must have caught her at the house…. but where was Tom? She prayed he and Sadie were ok, and if they were ok, they must be worried sick somewhere.

  Lucy heard some movement outside the door. She braced herself as the door was unlocked. A black haired man with a heavily lined tanned face entered and headed towards her. He stopped and towered over her with his deep set eyes and prominent nose.

  ‘You awake now?’ he demanded aggressively.

  Lucy just stared at him and nodded. She recognised his face from the photo. Jozsef Halasz.

  ‘You trespass my property…who are you?’

  She gulped and hugged her knees in tightly. ‘I, I was looking for my little girl.’ she replied, feeling extremely small against his intimidating and threatening demeanour.

  ‘Why you think she is at my house?’ he asked with disdain.

  Lucy didn’t know what to say. She was frightened for her life, and he may just end it for her, right there and now, if she told him the truth. Then Rosie would never be found, and Tom and Sam would have to suffer another huge loss in their life.

  She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been playing detective. Why hadn’t she gone to the police earlier? Everyone was saying she should, but she kept putting it off. They may have caught these despicable human beings by now if she hadn’t been so pig headed. If she didn’t tell him the truth, he might kill her anyway, so she had nothing to lose.

  ‘My ..my little girl was kidnapped from England two years ago and I am searching for her. My research led me to your house.’ she said meekly, trying to meet his loathsome gaze.

  ‘So you play little Miss Detective?’ he surmised, pursing his lips. ‘I was warned someone was trespass around Sinti village in Austria…I guess this was you, huh?’

  Lucy recoiled slightly as he moved closer to her.

 
‘You are playing with fire missy.’ he snarled, bending down and grabbing her face until the red had drained from her cheeks.

  Lucy squealed as she grasped onto his forearms. She could see the satisfaction in his tormenting eyes as he watched her momentarily suffer. After a few seconds, he eventually let go of his grip, leaving a whimpering Lucy to rub her aching jaw.

  ‘So the question is…what am I going to do with you now?’ he toyed, pulling at his top lip in deliberation.

  Lucy could feel her breathing escalate as her hatred for the man squatting down in front of her intensified. She had always wondered what she would do if she came face to face with the man that took their precious Rosie away from them.

  What gave this man the right to take away Rosie’s childhood and their wonderful family memories. She could feel the venomous angst rising up inside her at the audacity of this man. He didn’t care that he was wrenching the heart out of families all across the world with his vile abductions.

  As Lucy watched his smarmy, ugly twisted face debating what to do with her, she suddenly found herself launching at him, landing her right fist firmly on his creased face. A fist that was loaded with the months of pain and anxiety he had caused.

  He stumbled backwards, caught off guard by the strength of the battered woman in front of him. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she was not going to let this monster get away with not knowing how she felt. He needed to know what suffering he was causing, even if she had to suffer the consequences.

  ‘Aarrghhhh!….You evil, evil man!’ she shouted. Lucy followed up her right hook, with continued ferocious kicking, as he desperately tried to fend her off up against the wall.

  ‘I know you took my Rosie, and lots of other girls…..you are sick, sick, sick!’ she screamed, spitting with anger, as she moved on to pummel his chest. Her hair was now splayed across her face with a clump stuck to her bloodied forehead.

  He managed to grab hold of her arm, just as ‘back up’ in the form of a shaven headed brute, rushed in and pulled her off of him. She was forcefully thrown back on to the floor as Jozsef sat in shock nursing his wounds. His accomplice was about to raise his hand to slap Lucy across the face, when Jozsef yelled out. ‘No, leave her!’

  The raised tattooed arm paused and slowly came back down again, as the accomplice looked back in confusion.

  ‘What?’ he questioned.

  ‘I said leave her and leave this room now!’ Jozsef bellowed, rubbing his chest.

  ‘But..but I don..’

  ‘Just leave, I will deal with this!’ Jozsef demanded, with annoyance at his interference.

  The accomplice finally complied and left the room.

  Lucy stared back at Jozsef, waiting for his wrath to swipe her across her face in return. She didn’t care though. It had felt good to unleash the wolf of contempt that had been festering inside of her for the past two years.

  He moved forwards until he was towering over her again, before breaking into a hearty laugh.

  ‘You are certainly a feisty little one aren’t you?’ he remarked, shaking his head.

  Lucy looked up at him, not sure how to respond.

  ‘So you think I am evil do you?

  ‘Anyone who does what you do is evil….can you not see that?’ Lucy responded, wiping her hair away from her face.

  ‘Well yes, maybe, but I see it as business.’ he said coldly.

  ‘But don’t you see that taking a child away from it’s parent is the worst thing you can do?’ Lucy challenged, searching for any sign of compassion.

  Jozsef wandered over to the crack in the boarded up window. ‘Children have to pay their way. That is how I grew up, and that is how I see all children should grow up. Money makes the world go round, and unfortunately, if money is to be made from children, then so be it.’ he proclaimed callously.

  Lucy sat shaking her head. ‘I don’t understand how you can see the world so differently. Children are here to be treasured. Life is hard when you grow up, so children need to enjoy being children while they can. Do you not see that what you are making them do is wrong?’

  ‘It is the world I have grown up in, and when the children are older they are free to go off and do what they like.’ he replied dismissively.

  ‘But that child has been taken from it’s family and will be damaged for life, after the ordeal they have had to endure with you.’ Lucy argued.

  He smirked ‘You live in a dream world…. life is not like that in reality.’

  ‘No….. only because the likes of you destroy it!’ Lucy admonished in disgust.

  Jozsef walked back over to one of the mattresses and sat back down on it. ‘So….tell me… who is your little girl then?’ he asked.

  Lucy sat stunned for a moment by his sudden interest in acknowledging Rosie. ‘I…I have a photo on my phone…do you have my bag?’ Lucy asked, praying that he would comply.

  Her hopes were raised as Jozsef turned and yelled out to someone outside. After a few moments, his accomplice returned, bringing Lucy’s bag in. The shaven headed brute hovered until he was instructed to leave again.

  Jozsef routed around Lucy’s bag for her phone, before summoning her to sit beside him to show him a photo. She shakily flicked through her gallery until she came to a photo of Rosie.

  ‘Here.’ she said, showing him a picture of her last day with Rosie at Bernie’s camp.

  He took the phone and analysed the photo before nodding.

  ‘What is it….do you have her here?’ Lucy pleaded desperately, trying not to cry.

  He stared back at her. ‘Maybe.’

  ‘Maybe…what does that mean?’ Lucy implored angrily.

  ‘It means she might be here…..depending on what you can do for me.’

  Lucy retreated, clutching at her top. ‘What….what sort of thing?’ she asked, dreading his answer.

  He ran his finger down the outside of her arm and laughed. ‘No… I do not mean that….even though you are a very pretty lady and I could take you, of course. No…. I am talking money. How much is your daughter worth to you?’

  ‘So you do have her!…you have my Rosie…oh God!’ Lucy’s face fell into her hands sobbing, whilst Jozsef watched on emotionless.

  ‘Yes, I have her. She is a good girl. Earns me lots of money, so she is worth a lot to me.’

  Lucy leapt forward, lashing out and scratching at his face. ‘You disgusting man…give her back to me…..Now!’

  Jozsef pinned her back down on the mattress by the throat. ‘Now now, I can see I am going to have to control you better. Maybe you do need to learn your lesson.’ he scolded, ripping at her top and grabbing her left breast. His nose was pressed up against her face and she could smell the strong aroma of garlic as he mouthed his words. He startled to fumble with the zip on his trousers, as Lucy looked on in horror.

  ‘No please, please I beg you. I will get you the money. Anything you want but this!’

  He paused to stare back into her pleading eyes. His clammy hand had already unfastened the top of her shorts and was making it’s way down into her underwear. ‘You get me money?’

  ‘Yes….yes…I will get you the money.’ Lucy whimpered.

  ‘Ok.’ he relented, slowly pulling his hand out of her shorts and dismounting her. ‘Shame …I think I would have liked some of your sweet English honey……but I will keep to my word. You will get your daughter back …but only if you pay me well.’

  ‘I will…we will.’ Lucy stammered.

  ‘But… if your husband decides to go to the police at any point, I shall have both you and your daughter killed. Got it!’

  Lucy nodded, wrapping her torn top around her. ‘How much do you want?’

  ‘500,000 euros’

  ‘500,000 euros!…we do not have that kind of money!’ Lucy gasped.

  ‘I am sure you have a nice big house in England and relatives that can help you out.’

  ‘But how can I communicate with anyone to get it?’ Lucy asked.

  ‘I will let you
phone your husband.’

  Lucy mind started to race. Internally she was panicking over how she was going to get the money, but at the same time elated that she was going to see Rosie again. That was…if he was telling the truth.

  ‘Ok, I will try and get it, but can I see my daughter first?’ Lucy requested, desperate to know she was alright.

  ‘No… money first.’ he growled.

  ‘But how do I know you really have her?’

  He paused….. ‘Ok…. I will get you photo.’

  ‘Why can I not see her in person?’ Lucy begged.

  ‘She is not here right now.’

  ‘Where is she then?’

  ‘Not far from here, but I do not want to bring her here. Take my offer or leave it.’ he ordered, getting frustrated with her demands.

  ‘Ok, I will have to take it.’

  He nodded and left the room, scooping up her bag. ‘I will be back.’

  As he locked the door behind her, she let out a deep sigh, shocked by what had just happened and by what she had found out. Rosie was within her reach, so she couldn’t afford to blow it. She had to get the money one way or another.

  She looked down and saw her phone poking out from underneath the mattress. He’d taken her bag out of the room but hadn’t seen her phone wasn’t in it! It must have fallen onto the floor when he attacked her. Dare she try and text. What if he came back in? It may ruin everything and the deal would be off. She sat staring at her phone with her finger suspended over the ‘new message’ button, when she heard footsteps at the door. She flung the phone back under the mattress, just as Jozsef re-entered the room.

  ‘Here is photo.’ he said, passing her a crumpled up picture.

  Lucy hesitated to take it, scared to see what her baby Rosie looked like now. She slowly reached up and took it from Jozsef’s grubby hands.

  As she pulled it into her eye line, she saw a young girl with messy blond hair, hanging limply around her shoulders. Her eyes looked sullen and lost, and she was wearing a dirty pink vest top and light grey shorts with ties at the knees. The young girl was trying to smile but her eyes said it all.