The People Traders Read Free Page B

trapping her arms close to her body.
    Opening the front door, Frank grasped Karen's hair. "Try to run or shout, kid, and I'll lay you out so fast you'll not know what hit you." He gave a quick look around; the road they were on was deserted, so he urged her forward. At the car he pulled open the passenger door and pushed her inside. He leaned in and unfastened her belt, slipping it out from round her waist. "Get your legs out straight," he demanded.
    She did as he asked and he reached down, taking the belt round her legs and threading it through the buckle before pulling it tight, gripping her ankles. He turned to look at her, his face inches from hers. "That'll stop you running. Try it and see how far you get."
    Grasping the safety belt, he pulled it harshly across her chest, before clipping the clasp. Then he moved his hand onto her midriff between the jeans and short t-shirt. She winced and he grinned. "Bit sensitive, eh? Still hurts, does it? I want to see your hands inside your jeans at all times. Try to pull them out and I'll punch this little stomach of yours and believe me it'll hurt, perhaps do permanent damage. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
    She shook her head and was beginning to feel sick again just at the thought. Frank climbed into the driver's seat and minutes later they were heading out of the city.
     
    ***
     
    It was nearly an hour later when Susan's father arrived home. The front door was wide open, which seemed strange. Entering the house he sensed something was wrong. Shouting first for Susan, then Grandma, he ran up the stairs. Gran was cradling Susan on her lap; the girl was lying motionless on the floor, blood all over her face. Gran knew something was wrong but in her confusion could do nothing about it. He knelt down, gently pushing Gran away, before holding Susan in his arms.
    She stirred and opened her eyes; the pain in her chest and face was intense. "Dad?" she whispered.
    He moved closer.
    "You've got to call the police..." she gasped. "I think he's going to kill her."
    He frowned, not quite sure who she was talking about. "Who, darling? Who's going to kill who?"
    Susan began to cough, the pain beginning to make her feel sick and dizzy. Her father waited and urged her to tell him what she meant.
    "Karen, Dad. The man wanted to kill her. They had a fight and he's taken her. Please, Dad, you must call the police," Susan persisted. Tears came to her eyes and she passed out with the pain.
    He laid her down gently on the floor then made his way quickly to the bathroom with the intention of bringing back a wet cloth. As he entered, he froze, staring round the room. It looked like a battlefield; blood was everywhere, the shower curtain in tatters, clothes, bottles and cans strewn over the floor beside a broken toilet. He was visibly shaken; it must have been one hell of a fight, but his first priority was to get Susan to hospital, then call the police.

CHAPTER 2
     
     
    Karen felt cold and sick; they'd been on the road for three hours and were now moving slowly down a single-track road somewhere in Wales.
    "Not long now," Frank commented.
    She looked at him; the blood from his injuries had dried and congealed on his face. He looked evil and these were the first words he'd uttered since setting off. Trying to talk to him a number of times, he'd ignored her, so she'd finally given up. Suddenly the car jerked to a halt. Turning, he released the seat belt, telling her she could remove her hands from her jeans. Karen did as he told her, rubbing them together to restore the circulation. Frank climbed out of the car and looked back inside. "Stay; don't even think about moving. The nearest habitation's about five miles from here and, believe me, there's no way out but up the way we've come down. I'd catch you in minutes then beat the shit out of you. Do we understand each other?"
    Karen nodded. She wasn't stupid; she'd seen the terrain, grassland to one side and steep hills to the other.
    Just at that