Chapter Five. The end is nigh
Jenny arrived back at the flat she shared with Debbie on Monday evening and was
surprised to find her not there. Not only that, nobody appeared to have been in
since she left to see her sister's new baby. Everything was just as she had left
it. "Either Deb has got herself laid or she's in trouble," thought Jenny.
Picking up the phone she dialed Debbie's mobile number. It rang in the bedroom.
"Damn, she didn't take it with her. Perhaps Alistair will know." Alistair was a
sort of part time boyfriend. More a good friend she took to parties and
concerts. He lived in Southend and she knew he intended to go to the rave but
although he had offered to pick Debbie up, it was quite a bit out of his way so
Debbie decided to make her own way there.
"Alistair, did you meet up with Debbie at the rave on Saturday?" She explained
her feelings to him over the phone.
"No, she wasn't there. I did look for her but although it was crowded I'm sure
she wasn't in the building. I just assumed she decided not to go."
Jenny next tried Suffolk police headquarters at Martlesham to see if she had
been arrested and again drew a blank. The Essex police couldn't help either.
They had no reports of accidents involving a teenage girl and asked if she
wanted her reported missing. Jenny left it for the time being, she might turn up
at college in the morning having shacked up with a boy for the weekend.
No one at college had seen Debbie since the previous Friday. None of the boys
she might have been with was missing and everyone confirmed she had not been at
the rave. Jenny reported her missing to the police. Thursday came and nothing
seemed to be happening. The police seemed to be keeping Debbie's name on file
but not making any enquiries. After several abortive phone calls, Jenny finally
got through to Essex Radio and spent several minutes on air appealing for help
in finding her friend. The appeal was repeated during radio news bulletins
during Friday and on local television news. This did have the effect of stirring
the police to look into the matter more seriously.
The radio broadcast was picked up at Grebe Farm during breakfast on Saturday.
Henry, who had been in a good mood since his thrashing of David, suddenly
changed. "Go and tidy the bedroom, girl!" he ordered. Debbie tried to listen to
what was being said in the kitchen. They were arguing for certain but she was
only able to catch a few words. David she could tell, was opposing whatever his
father wanted to do. The argument raged with Henry furious at his son trying to
argue with him but for some reason hadn't resorted to the belt. Presently it
quietened a little. Footsteps came up the stairs and Henry appeared shotgun
under his arm. Debbie believing he was going to shoot her there and then
screamed at him, pleaded for mercy, pleaded to be allowed to live, promising not
to say anything if she was freed. Henry silenced her with a back hander across
the face. Taking one of the straps from the headboard he bound the girl's wrists
and ordered her downstairs.
"Don't kill her dad. We'll go to prison for the rest of our lives," David was
still trying to prevent her death.
"Only if they find her body, nobody has seen her here. Stop being a wimp and
lets get going." They didn't bother to dress her. Henry poked the barrel of the
shotgun in her back and forced her outside and then had David hold her on the
back of the tractor while he drove it to the 15 acre field he had started to
plough.
Debbie noticed the digger attachment was on the front and correctly had the
feeling it was for her grave. Shakingly she whispered to David, begging him not
to kill her. He said he wouldn't but had to go along with what his father
decided. "You'll get caught and go to prison," Debbie wailed, "Several people
know I came here. The people I had lifts with. The people in the village where I
asked the way. They'll all remember."
"I'll do what I can for you Deb, but he may well turn the gun on me too if I go
too far." Henry kept looking back to see what the pair were up to but couldn't
hear their conversation above the noise of the tractor. "I'm going to loosen the
strap on your wrists Deb, so you should be able to free yourself but for the
moment keep it looking like you're tied." Debbie felt the buckle being undone
and she took the free end of the strap between her fingers to make it appear
tight.
The tractor arrived at a place about a third of the way from one hedgerow and
midway between two others and not far from where Henry had finished ploughing
the previous day. Getting down from the cab he ordered David to operate the
digger. It was only when the gun had been pushed under his nose that David did
as he was told. Debbie could have run but she knew she wouldn't have got very
far. She was naked, barefoot on rough soil. Her only way out she thought was to
get the gun. But how? Henry never allowed her close enough to grab it even if
she had the strength to wrest it from his grasp.
*****
Detective Inspector Clive Marshall was now convinced Deborah Richards was in
trouble and had a fair idea where she might be. Mrs. Bannock had spoken at
length to him giving him all the details of the girl she had taken to Marks Tey,
where she was supposed to be headed and what she expected to find. For once he
was pleased to have a gossip to interview. He was mustering a team from
Colchester to go to Aldham when Mike Fothergill phoned. He had taken the girl as
far as his farm and showed her the way to Grebe Farm. He hadn't actually seen
her since but was sure she hadn't returned back by his place. "A father and son
live there," Mike informed him, "Strange pair, and there was all that talk of
what the old man did to his wife and how she had run away because of sexual
cruelty although nothing came to court over it. He has a shotgun, you know and
he's very good with it."
Clive decided to call for armed response unit back up. Meanwhile Mike drove his
modern tractor as close as he could to the boundary between his property and the
Stavenger's. He arrived on top of a knoll and found a space where the hedge was
more open and watched as his neighbour's tractor stopped in the middle of the
field. Fortunately he kept a pair of field glasses in the cab for bird watching.
Now they came in more than useful. He could clearly see the young naked girl,
and the digger start to work. "Oh my God, they are going to kill and bury her."
Dialing 999 he eventually got through directly to Clive Marshall and described
the scene. The police were still on the A12 and it would be fifteen or more
minutes before they would get anywhere near. "I'll try and get near," Mike said,
"But there is no direct route from where I am to where they are."
"Stay where you are and keep us informed," Clive ordered, "If you disturb them
they might kill her before we get anywhere near. I'll scramble the chopper."
That too, he knew might not arrive in time.
*****
"Get a move on David, we haven't got all day and I want that hole really deep so
the dogs won't smell her and I can get this lot ploughed over." Eventually the
hole was deemed deep enough. "Sorry girlie, time to say your last prayers."
Henry raised the shotgun.
"CRACK!" For a few seconds Debbie knew she had to be dead. There was blood
everywhere.
"Deb! Grab the gun." She opened her eyes and saw David on top of his father, the
gun was to one side. Microseconds before Henry's fingers would have reached it
she'd released her wrist strap and grabbed the weapon by the barrels. Henry
pushed his son to one side and stood up. Both men were covered with blood which
appeared to be coming from David's arm. Slowly Henry advanced on Debbie.
"You're not going to get away with this girlie. Both of you will die now."
Shaking Debbie held the unfamiliar shotgun to her shoulder. "Stop where you are,
Henry. I may not know much about guns but I do know that if I pull both triggers
one of these barrels will fire and if I aim at your balls, you won't rape anyone
else and at this range even I can hardly miss."
"You wouldn't have the guts to shoot me, girlie."
"After the hell you've put me through, I can and I will."
Mike couldn't hear what was being said but he relayed the action to the police.
They were just hoping beyond hope the helicopter would arrive in time.
Debbie backed away as Henry slowly advanced. He knew he had to get that gun or
his life was dead anyway. She was scared of him, that he knew, but would she
have the guts to fire it? There was another noise in the air now that caught
Debbie's attention and she stepped back to look up. Unfortunately her bare foot
landed on a thistle and upset her balance. She fell backwards and the gun went
off but harmlessly in the air. A few pellets did catch Henry but only enough to
cause him to falter in his stride for a few moments. Those moments were long
enough for Debbie to roll out of his way and to swing the gun she now held by
the barrel. The butt caught Henry behind the knees, knocking him to the ground.
Debbie was horrified by the crack as the weapon hit. She knew beyond any doubt,
she had broken at least one leg. The noise of the helicopter now filled the air.
Words came over a loud speaker but she didn't hear or understand them. She stood
very shakily and went to David, still lying on the ground and bleeding profusely
from the shoulder wound he sustained when trying to upset his father's aim.
"Armed police. Drop your weapon!" I haven't got the weapon Debbie thought as she
cradled the barely conscious David.
Turning slightly she saw Henry though had the gun again and was stuffing
cartridges in the breach. "You're not getting away this time," Henry snarled.
"Both of you will die before they get me." He hadn't reckoned on the accuracy of
the police marksman. Just as Henry raised the shotgun there was a single
"Crack". One bullet and Henry was dead. For the second time in a few short
minutes, Debbie thought it was her who was being shot and this time she passed
out, regaining consciousness only when in the helicopter.
The story hit the media big time for a couple of weeks. Debbie was allowed home
later the next day but the wounds to David's shoulder required a great deal of
reconstructive surgery. They allowed him home after two weeks but would need
many more operations before he would be able to use the shoulder fully.
Against police advice, twice Debbie visited him in hospital. They wanted her to
support charges of rape and holding without consent but she refused. He had
saved her life and after the trauma of the inquest on Henry, she didn't want to
go through it all again and worse at a trial.
Although she received counseling, Debbie just couldn't get back to studying. Her
life now seemed very flat and empty. Jenny comforted her to some extent when
Debbie sobbed during the night but she knew it wasn't a woman's hand her friend
wanted.
Six weeks later, Debbie plucked up courage to ask Jenny if she thought Alistair
would drive them to Grebe Farm. "He might, in return for a favour or two from
me," Jenny laughed, "But are you sure you want to return to that place?"
"I have to Jen, He did save my life you know and I want to see how he is."
"And you might want his prick in you again?"
"Maybe, No, Maybe, I don't know. Maybe. I told you that sometimes I liked it, at
least when it wasn't being forced in me." Debbie paused. "Or perhaps sometimes
when it was. I don't know. I think I must see him again and then decide to
either make a break or perhaps continue to see him. But at this stage I don't
want to go alone."
*****
With some trepidation, she pushed open the farm gate. "No dog?" Then she
remembered the RSPCA had taken it away when there was no one at the farm to look
after it and the police were having trouble getting passed to enter the house.
The chickens she had fed were still scratching around. Mike's wife had fed them.
Remembering that Saturday, it seemed so long ago now, she walked to the door.
Again it opened before she was able to knock. This time though the man who
opened it didn't carry a gun but looked pale and drawn, one arm still in a
sling. This time too, she had friends with her but she completely forgot about
them as she flung her arms round David's neck. David held her tightly with his
good arm. They stayed locked together for some minutes before Jenny interrupted.
"Are you going to introduce us Deb or shall we go?"
"Sorry, Jen," Debbie apologised and did the introductions. They went into the
kitchen. It was in a mess. David hadn't bothered too much with cleaning
especially as he had to do it one handed. He wasn't expecting visitors. They had
offered him a care worker but this had been refused mainly because he didn't
want any allegations of improper conduct.
Jenny noticed how pale her friend had become, obviously re-living things that
had happened there. "Do you want to leave?" she asked.
"No, Jen. I've got to come to terms with it. It's just when I see things like
this table, I remember what happened to me on it."
"Do you want to tell us?"
"Not now, maybe when we are back at the flat on our own."
The girls and Alistair cleaned up the place and as they left for a quick tour of
the farm Debbie asked, "Did you remember to get some bread from the freezer,
David?" David's face fell as they both remember the consequences of his
forgetting that last time.
*****
Four months later, David had sold the farm. There was no way he could look after
it on his own with one arm still not fully operational. He bought a cottage
still in the country but nearer to a village and Debbie moved in with him on a
trial basis.
After the first night of relatively gentle love making Debbie knew something was
missing. It was enjoyable but lacked the 'bite' that she had felt when in bed
with Henry and his son. She didn't want the belt but she wanted more domination
and more power behind the fucking. "David," she said quietly and they lay
together in the morning, "If you want to keep me, then you will have to use me
like you did before. Make me do the things the way you really want, any time,
any way but remember, we buried the belt with your father!"
Finis
