by K Leitch
They hit the dual carriageway at over eighty miles an hour and they were closing in on the van now. No matter how hard Nellie pushed it, it would be no match for Frank’s BMW. Nellie must have realised that he had nowhere to run, because suddenly he turned the van off the main road and onto a small side road. Swearing fluently as he missed the turn Frank had to waste some time reversing back up until he was on the right road again.
It was a while before they had sight of it again, obviously Nellie had made good on Frank’s mistake but then Carla spotted the van up ahead. It was flying along the tiny road swerving and screeching round every corner.
‘Bloody hell he’s going to topple that thing over if he’s not careful,’ Carla said as the van practically went up on to two wheels to turn a corner.
‘This road is slippery too,’ Frank said, ‘it’s covered in mud and leaves from the rain, I’m struggling to keep this from skidding and I’ve got ABS, I bet he’s having a nightmare.’
Almost as soon as the words were out of Frank’s mouth the pair watched with horror as the van hit a bank and flipped over, it flew over a hedge and rolled a few times before coming to a stop just in front of a small wooded area at the bottom of the field.
Carla and Frank arrived a few minutes later. Carla called for an ambulance as Frank, oblivious to the sheeting rain, climbed over the hedge and made his way down to the crumpled van which was sitting on its side about five hundred yards away.
Carla pulled her waterproof jacket around her fastening the hood tightly beneath her chin and followed Frank down through the field. He was kneeling on the sodden ground at the front of the van, as she got closer he stood up shaking his head in disbelief.
‘He’s not here Carla…he’s fucking gone…how the hell did he manage to survive that?’ he said, frustrated, ‘He must have legged it into those woods.’
‘He can’t have got far,’ Carla said peering into the van. ‘I’ll get some men into those woods…I mean where can he go, we’re miles from anywhere.’
Frank started towards the woods but Carla stopped him, ‘Frank wait for backup to get here…he is still a dangerous man no matter how badly injured he is.’
‘I’m just going to see if there’s any trail we can follow, although in this rain I can’t imagine there will be.’ He wandered off towards trees while Carla looked over the van and waited for her team to arrive.
Soon she spotted the flashing blue lights of an ambulance and a police car following it, she had just started back up the hill to meet them when a thump and a faint moaning sound stopped her in her tracks. She walked back to the van and put her ear to the side…nothing…no wait there it was again, there was someone moving around inside the van.
‘Frank,’ she called in a loud whisper, beckoning urgently to him, ‘Frank get back here…there’s someone inside the van.’ Frank came running back and put his ear to the van until he heard it too. He put his fingers to his lips and motioned for Carla to move away.
‘It might be Nellie,’ he whispered to Carla when they were a few yards away. ‘He might have thrown himself into the back or he might have been thrown into the back when he rolled the van.’
Carla nodded, ‘Looks like backup has arrived just in time,’ she said as they saw DC Sam Warren and DC Midge Jones who had followed the ambulance running down the field to join them. She quickly explained the situation and all four of them surrounded the back door of the van, while Frank used a crowbar to prise open the doors which had been jammed shut when the van had rolled.
Just as they were about to fling the doors wide though, one of them was kicked open from inside the van, as with a desperate scream, Carla was knocked flying by a delirious and panic stricken Tracy, who, sensing freedom, had made a determined and focused effort to rush the doors only to fall flat on her face on the ground outside the van.
Carla, realising that the filthy bloodied creature that had knocked her to the ground was none other than her best friend, screamed with delight and called desperately for the paramedics. On a hunch Frank ran back over to the van flinging both of the back doors wide, he let out a shout of fury and clambered on board. Linda who was still unconscious and bleeding lay, almost covered by a black plastic sheet, in the back of the van. Frank called for another ambulance and covered her with his coat, holding on to her until they arrived.
Sobbing with relief Carla clung onto Tracy’s hand as she was being treated. She didn’t think Tracy had any idea that she was there, but she wasn’t letting go of her for now. She called Simon on her mobile crying again when she heard his almost animal like howl of relief as he broke down. Unable to speak he handed the phone to Maggie who had happened to be with him, they had been going through the wording on the website appeal.
‘Oh thank god honey…oh thank god,’ Maggie babbled. ‘Is she ok…where had she been…oh Carla…oh thank god.’
‘I know honey, paramedics are just checking her over, then she’ll be taken to hospital,’ Carla said. ‘I’m not sure how she is yet Maggs to be honest…she doesn’t seem to recognise anybody or even be aware of what’s happening…but anyway we’ll know more once she’s been checked out.’
She rang off arranging to meet them at the hospital later and then went over to where Frank was holding Linda’s hand.
Frank was looking distraught and Carla could see why. Linda’s face was swollen out of all recognition, her nose was bent and bloody and one of her cheeks had a long gash in it that was oozing blood…she had obviously taken a beating recently.
Carla put her hand on Frank’s shoulder, ‘It probably looks a lot worse than it is love,’ she said hoping that she was right. ‘Do you want to go with her to the hospital…I can take your car back?’
Frank turned to her with tear filled eyes and nodded, ‘I need to be with her Carla…what if…’
‘That’s not going to happen Frank’ Carla said firmly, ‘she is so much stronger than she looks. Remember she’s been all around the world…by herself, that takes a lot of courage and strength…I couldn’t do it, and I’m as tough as old boots. Come on you have to be strong for her, don’t let her see that sad face when she wakes up.’
Carla watched as the two girls were loaded up into the ambulances and driven away. She wanted desperately to go with Tracy but she had a man on the run and she needed to see to that first.
Soon the woods near the crash site were teaming with as many officers as Carla could muster. She was determined that Nellie wasn’t going to get away again. The woods were in the middle of farm land and miles from anywhere, it didn’t seem likely that Nellie would be able to hide for very long. But after nearly four hours of searching the light had gone and Carla had to admit that once again he had managed to get away. How the hell did the man keep managing to evade capture, surely he must have been hurt in that crash, the van had been a right off, no one could have walked away untouched she was sure.
CHAPTER 57 - MAGGIE
After dropping Tilly and Zack off with Lena, Maggie had driven a distraught and emotional Simon to the hospital to be there when Tracy was brought in.
They rushed through busy hospital corridors, until finally they spotted Tracy bundled under a red blanket on a hospital trolley. After making sure for herself that this bloodied muddy creature was indeed her friend she gave Simon some space, just blowing Tracy a kiss and then leaving Simon to smother his wife with his own love and kisses. He was only allowed a couple of minutes before she was whisked away to be properly examined and x-rayed. A couple of minutes though, was long enough it seemed for Simon to get himself all worried and worked up again. So for the next hour Maggie tried to sooth him as his fevered imagination had Tracy crippled, brain damaged and irreversibly traumatised.
‘My god Maggie did you see her,’ he asked over and over, ‘she didn’t even seem to know who I was…and her eyes were so vacant…’
‘Yes but remember she has a very high temperature love…that can make you very vague can’t it. And who knows what traumas she has bee
n through over the last few days, give it time darling, that’s all it needs I’m sure. Remember what Duncan was like…’
‘Oh god Maggs I’m so sorry,’ wailed Simon. ‘This must be so hard for you, being here again after what happened to him…’
‘Don’t be silly sweetheart…where else would I be,’ Maggie reassured him, although in truth it was bringing back some awful memories just being in this part of the hospital. Duncan lying unconscious covered in blood…being rushed into surgery to try and stop the bleeding…Maggie shook her head to dispel those images. It was all over now and Duncan was fine…well more than fine actually she thought with a smile of satisfaction.
She took Simon’s hand, ‘I’m sure she’ll be okay sweetheart,’ she said as positively as she could. ‘She was conscious wasn’t she…so that’s a good sign, and…oh here comes the doctor now,’ she finished with relief.
The doctor, a frazzled looking grey haired man with a nervous twitch, dispelled their worst fears. Tracy was suffering from a severe chest infection, the results of hypothermia and dehydration. She was covered in cuts and bruises but nothing that wouldn’t heal in time. She had been given a CT scan because of the obvious head injuries, but there didn’t appear to be any bleeding or swelling in her brain. It was too soon to determine her mental state as she was obviously slipping in and out of reality as a result of her very high temperature.
‘She was lucky to be rescued when she was, much longer without proper food and water and we would be dealing with a very different scenario,’ he had said. ‘As it is we will give her antibiotics and rehydrate her and see how she gets on, but I don’t anticipate any long term problems.’
Simon was almost embarrassingly grateful to the doctor, thanking him over and over until Tracy was wheeled past them and Maggie pulled him away and into the room with Tracy.
Tracy seemed more lucid than she had been earlier, and desperate to hear about Tilly and how she had been found. Simon was bringing the children up later once Tracy was settled, but despite her first flush of energy it was obvious that she was exhausted and after talking for a few minutes she began to doze off again.
Maggie stayed as Carla popped her head in for a few minutes, and then when Helen came running in, tears of happiness in her eyes, giving up her place by Tracy’s side so that Helen could hold her hand for a while. And they both said they would stay with her while Simon went off to fetch the kids.
The two girls chatted quietly as they sat beside their friend, but after a while she began to stir again. Maggie smiled at Tracy who was looking up at them sleepily, ‘I know you’ve been missing our cauldron meetings love, but this was a pretty extreme way of getting us all in one place at the same time,’ she teased.
Tracy giggled croakily, ‘Well needs must sweetie,’ she said, ‘needs must…if all else fails get yourself kidnapped, it not only gets the attention of your friends, it restores the romance in your relationship and if I’m not mistaken it’s a sure fire way to lose weight!’
Helen and Maggie burst out laughing, ‘That sounds like the Tracy we know and love,’ said Helen squeezing her hand.
The girls chatted about incidental things for a while longer, keeping clear of the subject that they would have most liked to talk about. Tracy seemed to shut down if her captivity was mentioned in any serious way, it was obvious that she just couldn’t talk about it yet so no one pushed her to do so.
Simon arrived back with Tilly and Zack in tow a short time later and Maggie and Helen had to wipe away tears again as they watched the little family being reunited. They felt that they should leave them to it, so Maggie offered to run Helen home as she had been dropped off at the hospital by Maya and had no car.
‘Oh that would be brilliant love if you’re sure,’ Helen said, and the two girls took their leave of Tracy promising to come again the next day and made their way down to the car park.
‘Maya was going to see Andy again…’ Helen was saying in answer to Maggie’s enquiry. ‘Remember Andy…I told you about him, he was taken into care…his sister was the little girl found in the rug,’ she explained at Maggie’s blank look.
‘Oh god yes,’ said Maggie, ‘I do remember you saying that Maya was his teacher…that’s a bit above and beyond though isn’t it…visiting him?’
‘Well she’s really taken an interest in him,’ Helen said smiling. ‘I think he reminds her of herself when she was a child in Poland. She doesn’t talk about it much but from what she has told me I think she had a really awful time when she was little…terribly abusive father I think, she blames him for her mother’s death. And from what I can gather once the mother was gone he turned on the kids, it was Lena that managed to get them away…she saved enough money for Maya to travel to England and then she followed with Sophie a few months later. Anyhow Andy’s situation seemed to touch her, and me, if I’m honest…poor little lad.’
‘Well I’m sure he’s happy, he’s got you two looking out for him,’ said Maggie with a smile. Helen returned her smile but Maggie could see that she was worried about something.
‘What’s up love?’ she asked, ’You’re not still thinking about Tracy are you because she will be fine. Oh I know it’s going to take time, but she’s a tough one she’ll bounce, back you’ll see.’
Oh no sorry Maggs…I know Tracy will be ok,’ Helen said. ‘If you must know it’s Andy I’m worried about…he told us some things the other day and it shocked me to the core…’
‘What things…what’s he been up to?’
‘No not him, he’s not done anything, but there was this man working in the home and well…I think he may have been abusing the kids…I told Carla but…’
‘What! Oh my god Helen, what did Carla say?’ asked Maggie aghast.
‘Well she seemed pleased that I had told her and said that they were already looking into the home, but bloody hell Maggie, those poor kids, the most vulnerable ones being preyed on by that awful man, it makes my blood boil. And I am worried now about Andy being there…’
‘I should fucking well think you are Helen love. Can’t he stay somewhere else…isn’t there anyone who could foster him?’
Helen looked a bit sheepish, ‘Well actually we are looking into it…we’ve put a few feelers out just to see if it’s possible and so far there doesn’t seem to be any reason why not. The only possible reason I can think of is that we’re a gay couple…but there are other gay foster parents out there so,’ she paused again, ‘the thing is that from what Andy was saying there seems to be some sort of racket going on in some of the homes…he was talking about being taken to some sort of party…’
‘Hang on a minute…’ interrupted Maggie swivelling round to look at Helen and seriously endangering them both as she swerved the car across the road. ‘Bloody hell…that fits in with something that Tracy told me…it was the day before she was kidnapped, she was up at mine and she was telling me that she had been woken by a noisy party that was going on in that big house…you know the one that backs onto her garden. Anyway she said that she had been worried about some children she thought they must belong to the caterers but they were being loaded up into the back of a van…and this was about one or two in the morning. I told her that I wouldn’t have employed any caterers that brought their kids with them…anyhow I told her that I was going to tell Carla about it…and I did the next day actually…’
‘That must have been what Carla’s was talking about,’ Helen said thoughtfully.
Maggie drove on in silence for a few minutes then she said, ‘It was really strange and a bit creepy earlier when Tracy was first brought in. She was in a real state…I mean shouting with delirium because of her temperature, she really had Simon worried actually, but that’s another story. She had hardly spoken about the kidnap but when she first came round she was saying that she had been thrown into this cold dark place and that Louisa was there…in a blanket…’
‘Louisa...does she mean Louisa Boulter? No she must have got confused Louisa’s not been repo
rted missing has she?’
‘No…and anyway I’m sure Linda would have seen her if she’d been in there with them, but she got really upset about it…saying we have to help Louisa, I suppose it must have been a sort of hallucination or something but it freaked me out I can tell you.’
‘I can imagine…I suppose they will check out wherever it was that the girls were held won’t they…but why on earth would Tracy be hallucinating about Louisa Boulter?’
‘I know it’s weird isn’t it?’ said Maggie, ‘But it’s got me thinking Helen, the reason Tracy told me about the children at the party was because she was convinced that she had caused a row between Tim and Louisa Boulter. Apparently she had mentioned to Louisa that she had spotted Tim leaving the party and then she mentioned the children and how strange it was that they were out so late. Well she said that both Tim and Louisa behaved very strangely with her after that and what’s more when she went back to the house a while later because Tilly had left something there, she heard them really shouting at each other so she slunk away not wanting to disturb them.’
‘I don’t see what this would have to do with Tracy being kidnapped though Maggs…I mean you know Tracy, she could have got the wrong end of the stick…’
‘Yes but when she told me about the row the next day I told her that I was going to tell Carla about the kids that she had seen and she said that she was going round to the Boulter’s again to try and get Tilly’s moomoo back…what if she mentioned to Tim that she was going to talk to the police about the kids at the party…’ Helen opened her mouth to protest but Maggie went on, ‘No come on Helen don’t dismiss it out of hand, remember Tim was a guest at this infamous party…the party that the kids were at. What if he told someone about Tracy seeing the children and they decided to shut her up?’
Helen thought for a moment, ‘It’s a lot of what ifs Maggs,’ she said after a while, ‘and I still don’t see how that would be linked to Tracy saying she saw Louisa Boulter in a blanket in the cellar. But it might be worth telling Carla about it, maybe she should be speaking to this Tim Boulter, see what he’s got to say for himself…I might give her a call, unless you’d like to…’