PART 2
Scully's next memory was of a courtyard filled with noise and light
and movement. As her groggy senses returned she found herself
outside, both hands tied behind her back, guarded by a dangerous
looking armed man. There was shouting and bustle but she couldn't
really understand what was happening.
Ahead of her were wooden gates into a large building and after a few
minutes the gates burst open in a blaze of torches as 4 men strode
towards her. One was obviously in charge and Scully could see that all
the other men now waited for his orders. He stood in front of her,
holding his torch high over her, an interested, amused grin on his
face as he checked over his prize.
In fast Arabic he gave instructions. One man was sent to one side and
set light to whatever was inside a large steel drum, which began to
blaze. The armed man behind Scully must have been told to grip her
firmly from behind as another 2 men closed in on her taking their
daggers from their waist belts. Scully pulled but she was firmly
held.
Laughing faces pushed close to her as the knives pressed towards her.
The leader watched, amused, hand on hip in front of her. For a moment
Scully thought that she was about to die and had a sudden rush of
feeling for all the things that she had meant to do and had never
done. But the knives were only for her clothing. From either side of
her the men sliced and pulled, stripping away Scully's jacket, her
blouse and slacks until she was left in her bra and pants. She
flushed, feeling vulnerable and defenceless surrounded by all these
strange men who held her in their power.
Another order and the clothes that had been cut from her were picked
up and dumped into the flaming drum. A wave of panic rose through
Scully as she thought of her money, her IDs, credit cards - everything
- lost so casually. But she was distracted from the burning drum by
the leader moving smoothly towards her. With an air of ownership he
reached forward to Scully and sliced through her bra and then either
side of her panties. As they fell to the ground, Scully knew that she
was helpless and exposed. His hand reached out to squeeze her left
breast experimentally. His thumb brushed across its nipple and then
released her.
More orders. Sharp foreign commands and the leader turned on his heel
and went back into the building. Three of the men picked up Scully -
one at her head and the other two at her feet - and carried her across
the courtyard. She could not see where they were taking her and so
had no warning as she was thrown into a tank of blue, grey chemical
sludge. Spluttering and coughing Scully broke surface and found that
she was in no risk of drowning. It was easy enough for her to stand
and the sludge only came to her waist. But the chemical smell was
overpowering. Then she realised. She had been put into the sheep
dip. The Arabs had disinfected her!
Shivering in the night air and more than a little offended, Scully was
dragged up out of the tank and was led inside the main building.
Corridors led away to the left and then down stone stairs into an open
room with high ceilings. An enormous black Negro, bare to the waist,
stood in front of her and it seemed to Scully that she was passed over
into his care. With a great, black, hand at the back of her neck
Scully was steered through an ornate door into what she was soon to
find was the harem.
Her nose could smell perfume and she caught the low giggles of other
women, even though she saw no-one. The Negro was silent as he led her
to a small cell, which clearly was to be hers. Pressing her into the
stone wall, he untied her hands and then, without releasing her,
attached her left wrist to a manacle chain that led to the corner of
her bunk. The chain allowed her to move around her cell but not to
leave it. All there seemed to be was her bunk, a hole in the ground
for a toilet and a tap for water. There was no door to the cell but,
with the chain, there was no need for one.
Left on her own, Scully found that she was exhausted. The day had
been too much for her and she curled naked onto the bed, hardly aware
of the hard chain, as she drifted easily off to sleep.
