Breaking the Circle (11 page)

‘She’s a cop’s daughter,’ Gerard said.

The man in the suit turned his gaze on Gerard and Gerard shrivelled.

Shiny suit is the boss
,
Maya thought, as he advanced towards Gerard, jabbing, slapping and shouting at him
.

‘You brought a cop’s kid here?’

A look of sheer panic flew across Gerard’s face as he dodged the blows.

‘Think about it, Stefan. She could be useful. ‘Er mum’s a top cop. We could get money for ‘er.’

Stefan grabbed Gerard’s throat. ‘We’re not in the ruddy kidnappin’ trade. How’s she mixed up in this?’

Gerard’s eyes bulged. ‘She was a mate of the kids on the estate.’

Stefan hoisted Gerard off his feet and shook him. ‘So, what was she doin’ in your house?’

‘She was tryin’ to steal my stuff,’ Gerard gasped. ‘She and Kay, they’re in it together.’ He pointed at Kay. ‘She thinks she’s gonna get
somethin’ out of it, thinks the girl’s mum will help ‘er, stupid cow.’

Stefan let go and Gerard staggered back.

‘Is that right?’ Stefan asked Kay. His voice became softer, but took on a chilling note. ‘Are you doin’ the dirty on us?’

‘No. He is the dirty one,’ Kay protested, pointing to Gerard. ‘He double-cross you. He is cutting drugs to make money.’

‘She’s right,’ Maya spoke up. ‘I haven’t told the cops anything. My mum didn’t ask me to steal the drugs, she wouldn’t let me do anything so dangerous.
I was trying to get the heroin because it’s poisonous. He gave my friend some and she’s unconscious – in hospital.’

‘And my friend Leila, she disappear after he give her bad stuff. Her clothes, her shoes. . .’

Gerard got up, grabbed Kay by the arm and shoved his hand over her mouth, stifling her words. ‘Don’t listen to ‘er, she’s talkin’ bullshit.’

Stefan sprang towards him, pulled out a gun and waved it in Gerard’s face. ‘Shut up!’ He levelled the gun at Kay’s head. ‘All of you, shut the hell up!’

There was immediate silence. Gerard and Kay froze like statues; the four women clung to each other and shuffled backwards to take refuge behind a brick pillar. Maya tensed, ready to act if any
shooting started. None of Stefan’s men spoke. The air crackled with tension, everybody wondering what Stefan’s next move would be.

What nobody expected was laughter – a rolling, gritty sound like pebbles pushed by the tide.

‘This is unbelievable,’ Stefan said, lowering his gun. ‘Unbelievable,’ he repeated, still cackling. He looked over at Ginger. ‘We’ve nearly done it –
we’re so close to pullin’ off one of the biggest drugs consignments ever to reach these shores and this happens. What do you think, Ginge? Should we clip ‘em all?’

He strode over to Maya and put the gun to her forehead. ‘Are you on the level, cop’s daughter? Are you tellin’ me the truth? Is he double-crossin’ me?’

‘Check if you want to,’ Maya said coolly. ‘Serena’s in hospital, Leila’s disappeared – the drugs in the bag are contaminated. That’s the only reason I
was stealing them. I haven’t told anybody about your operation because I didn’t know anything about it. I thought Gerard was just a dealer. I had to destroy the drugs to stop other
people getting hurt.’

Stefan shook his head. ‘Had to? What are you, Miss Community Service?’ Another short, sharp laugh turned into a sneer and his face grew angry. He threw his arms out in exasperation,
waving the gun and spitting out words like fireworks. ‘I don’t know which one of you’s lyin’ and I don’t care! What a ruddy cock-up! Months of plannin’ and this.
. .’ He turned to his men. ‘Get ‘em out of my sight while I think what to do.’

Maya, along with Kay and the other girls, was seized and marched up some wooden steps at the back of the warehouse. They went quietly, it was no use resisting tough men with guns. Upstairs, they
were pushed inside a dimly-lit room which held a rickety table and some benches near the far wall. Kay sat down, shaking. Maya put her arms round her.

‘It’ll be all right,’ she muttered.

‘No, they will kill us. Stefan does not want any problem, not now, not with the big delivery. We will die.’

Maya turned away; she didn’t want Kay to see that she was terrified. Downstairs Stefan was deciding their fate and he was seething with anger. If she could convince him she hadn’t
informed on the gang they might have a chance, but he wasn’t in the mood to listen.

Get real, Maya, she told herself, unless you escape, you’re doomed.

The desperate sobbing of a girl sitting opposite reminded her she wasn’t the only one in trouble. Annika, the girl who Maya had found tied up, had her arms round a girl who was crying.

Sensing that Maya was staring at her, Annika looked up and met Maya’s eyes.

‘Where are you from?’ Maya asked.

‘Macedonia. This is my sister, Tanya,’ she said, stroking her sister’s hair. ‘They tell us we can have good husband in the UK but when we arrive here, they tie us up and
take our passports.’

Maya looked at the two girls, who were hardly any older than herself. ‘You came here to get married?’ she asked.

‘It is the only way,’ Annika explained. ‘In our country, we have no work, no money, no hope.’

Maya reached out and put her hand over Annika’s, and her heart filled with pity for these girls.

Annika’s sister Tanya raised her head. ‘We have become nothing,’ she said, sniffing back her tears. ‘Men tell us we have to work for them, we have no rights. We have to
do what they say. They treat us like slaves.’

Annika nodded. ‘See,’ she said, pulling up her sleeve and showing Maya a huge bruise on her arm. ‘I ask for information and they hit me.’

Another girl, who looked to be the oldest of the group, a girl of about nineteen with strong, dark, good looks, spoke up in clear English. ‘It is disgusting,’ she said. ‘They
treat us like animals.’ She sniffed at her armpits. ‘I am disgusting. I smell. We have had no wash, no food for three days.’ She clenched her fists on the table. ‘I gave all
the money I have to come here. They said I can choose a good husband.’

Maya sat in the growing darkness, feeling desperate. She wanted to help the girls, but could do nothing when she was a prisoner herself.

Kay leaned her head on Maya’s shoulder. ‘I am in big trouble,’ she said. ‘Gerard tell them I am a traitor. I know their business. They will show no mercy.’

‘I don’t think Stefan believed him,’ Maya whispered, but they were the last words she had the chance to say – suddenly the door opened and Ginger, Gerard and the boss
entered, accompanied by three heavies.

‘Right, you four are goin’ to your new residence,’ the boss announced, looking over at the girls. He rubbed his hands together. ‘You’ll be given new names,
identities, then a wash and brush up before we introduce you to your place of work.’ He moved closer, his eyes travelling over each of the girls. ‘Not a bad lot, not bad at all. You
two,’ he ordered, signalling to two of the heavies, ‘take them to the hostel.’

He laughed as the girls were herded out. ‘Like a bit of company do you?’ he said, as they passed him.

The door slammed behind the girls. ‘She’s bad news,’ the boss said, pointing at Kay. ‘Get rid of her.’

The third man pushed Maya aside and seized Kay’s arms. She protested, screaming in her own language and kicking out at him. Behind her, Maya tried to grab Kay’s waist and pull her
back, but Ginger strode over. His elbow jabbed into Maya’s neck and she fell back, choking. Her eyes were streaming, she coughed and clawed her way onto her knees. Blinking, she raised her
head and was just in time to see Kay being bundled out of the door. At the last moment, Kay hung onto the door frame and managed to turn round and look at Maya.

‘Please, help me,’ she screamed. ‘Do not forget me!’

‘Take her away,’ Stefan shouted. Then he turned his gaze on Maya, his eyes glowering beneath a shock of silver grey hair. ‘You’re trouble, too,’ he said.

Ginger hauled Maya to her feet. Stefan took out his gun and levelled it at her chest. Maya’s head span into space, she coughed and trembled while he made a soft explosive sound
–‘Ppff!’

Stefan raised his eyebrows and moved closer to her. ‘Frightened, cop’s daughter?’

‘You have a gun,’ she said.

He laughed cruelly. ‘I have devised a plan,’ he said, ‘a little entertainment.’ He put his hand out and Ginger handed him the blue bag which contained Gerard’s
stash of drugs. Thrusting his hand into the bag he pulled out a small foil-wrapped package and held it up to the light. Then he shoved the package at Gerard. ‘You take a hit of this and
we’ll see who’s tellin’ the truth, eh?’

Gerard went pale. His eyes darted round the room, as if looking for escape. Then he took a deep breath and smiled. ‘Yeah, just what the doctor ordered.’ He snatched the package and
held it up. ‘Can’t say better than that – a dose for free. This stuff is clean, man, pure.’ He looked round. ‘Anyone wanna join me?’ He stared round the room.
There were no takers, but his gaze settled on Maya. ‘She should try some.’

Maya’s heart fluttered. ‘I don’t take drugs,’ she said.

All eyes were on her, sizing her up, then the boss went over to Gerard and stood in front of him. His voice had an icy, menacing authority. ‘You wouldn’t ruin my business, would you?
You wouldn’t do anythin’ to get me a bad reputation, would you?’

He whipped a knife out of his pocket and thrust it near Gerard’s face. Gerard flinched back against the wall, then slithered sideways. ‘No, no, Stefan. I respect you, respect.’
He sounded out the last word lengthening the first vowel. ‘We do business. You know me. I ain’t gonna cross you.’

‘We’ll see,’ Stefan said, sliding the knife back in his pocket.

At a nod from his boss one of the heavies stepped forward and punched Gerard hard in the stomach. Gerard doubled over gasping.

‘You and the girl, you both take the stuff,’ Stefan ordered. ‘We’ll see which one of you’s alive and kickin’ in the mornin’. Then we’ll know
who’s tellin’ the truth.’

A door was unlocked, a light switched on and Maya and Gerard were pushed inside a long, bare room at the top of the warehouse. Maya lost her footing and fell onto a lumpy,
stained mattress. A strong smell of sweat and urine rose to meet her as she rolled over, sat up and then moved as far away from Gerard as she could.

Ginger came into the room and dumped the blue holdall and a plastic bag on the floor.

‘Right,’ he said. ‘Let’s get down to business.’

He took the foil package from Gerard, put it down on the floor and opened it.

‘This one of your specials?’ he asked, laughing at Gerard, who was still lying sprawled on the mattress.

Taking a burner out of the plastic bag, Ginger lit it, placed some powder on a metal spoon and heated the contents. He watched the spoon, carefully waiting until the powder turned to liquid.
‘Mm, nicely cooked,’ he said. ‘Right!’

Reaching into the bag, he drew out a cellophane packet, tore it open and extracted a hypodermic needle. Maya was mesmerised, her brain seemed to have turned to mush. She couldn’t think.
There was no hope of escape. She imagined the prick of the needle and poison being forced into her veins. In the morning, the men would return and find her body.

‘Who’s first?’ Ginger asked, pointing the needle at the ceiling.

Maya shrank into the corner. ‘Please, don’t do this,’ she begged. ‘That stuff is bad. I swear it is. My friend’s in hospital. I don’t know if she’s
alive or dead.’

Ginger sniffed. ‘Ain’t nothing to do with me,’ he said. ‘I’m just following boss’s orders.’

‘Ask him, ask him,’ Maya pleaded, staring at Gerard. ‘Ask him what happened to Leila, she’s missing. He killed her with the drugs he cut.’

‘That right?’ Ginger asked.

Long seconds ticked by. Maya drew up her knees and hugged them tightly, trying to stop her body from shaking.

Then Gerard took off his leather jacket, rolled up his sleeve and thrust his arm forward. ‘She’s a lyin’ cow. Come on, give me a dose.’

Maya didn’t want to watch and yet she couldn’t tear her eyes away. With utter fascination, she stared as Ginger knelt down beside Gerard. From his pocket, Gerard pulled out a wide
piece of elastic and Ginger wrapped tightly it round his arm.

Ginger pursed his lips and frowned as he flicked at Gerard’s veins. ‘They’re shot,’ Ginger said. ‘Like shrivelled worms – can’t find a spot.’

‘I’ll do it myself,’ Gerard snapped.

He took the needle, pinched his skin and plunged the point into his arm. Within moments, his head went back, he sighed and smiled. ‘Nothin’ wrong with this shit, man.’

He pulled out the needle and crooked his arm. Then he glared at Maya. ‘Do the princess now. Do friggin’ Mulan over there.’

Maya backed away. ‘No, no, please. I don’t want any. I’ve never had any drugs – nothing, not even a smoke.’

‘You were nicking our stash,’ Ginger said.

‘I told you. I was just trying to stop people getting hurt.’ Her voice was hoarse, her tongue dry, she couldn’t speak properly, the words wouldn’t come out. ‘I
didn’t want m-money . . . I . . . just . . . wanted to. . .’

Ginger got up and stood in front of her. He kicked her leg and she cried out in pain. ‘Shut up. Don’t try that crap with me, cos I ain’t interested. You come on our patch and
you take the consequences. Your hours are numbered, darling.’ He looked across at Gerard who was now grinning, his head lolling forward. ‘He’s happy, so what’s your problem?
You’re gonna spend your last few hours high as a kite.’