“I have to bring you to him. He wants to chat with you. Clear up outstanding issues. I’m to bring you to the emergency exit down the corridor,” she seemed to speaking these instructions as if from memory.
“Who, Libby?” I gasped.
The knife was pointing at me, raised and threatening.
“My new boyfriend. Well, if Jason doesn’t want me, then I’ll find another. Well, he found me actually. Turns out he knows you, very keen to meet you. He’s promised me a night of great sex if I take him to you. Boy, can he fuck. It has been a revelation been fucked by him over the last couple of weeks.”
I felt faint. I knew who she was talking about and my worst fears were materialising before me. My nightmare was coming to life.
“No, Libby, please. I can’t come with you. He’ll kill me. He wants to kill me,” I spoke rapidly and urgently.
“Well if he does I don’t care. But we have to go, he’s waiting.” She forced me around and pushed me up against the sink. “Put your mask back on.”
I did as she asked because the knife was now poking into my back. The point was sharp and digging into me. I fought back the desire to retch.
“We’re going walk out of here,” said Libby. “Don’t talk to anyone and we’re going to head to the door. If you say or do anything I will stick this into you.”
She jabbed me again and I cried out. I was sure she had pierced my skin. We headed to the door, my legs shaking terribly. She walked behind me, very close and breathing rapidly on my exposed neck.
“Libby, please, don’t do this,” I pleaded with my h
eart in my mouth.
“Shut the fuck up,” she hissed in my ear.
The noise of the ballroom was deafening. A throng of disinterested people. Nobody recognised me or seemed to realise anything was wrong with the way Libby was escorting me. We had a few metres to cover before turning off down one of the corridors. She knew where she was going. I winced as she poked me again. I looked out over the crowd, desperately seeking out Jason. I spotted him, he was on the other side, so far away. His lion mask was clearly visible. I tried to catch his distant eyes. He stopped and I thought he was looking at me.
“Keep fucking moving.” I heard Libby say breathlessly in my ear.
I looked back across the room and Jason had turned his back on me.
Hell no! He did not see me! He was facing the wrong way.
We were heading down the corridor, double doors in front. She pushed and shoved through another set of doors into a quieter service corridor with laminate floors rather than soft carpeting. There was a service exit in front of us. I tried to pull away from her hand, but it was gripping my upper arm tightly while the knife remained stuck in my side. She pushed on the bar of the door and kicked it open with her feet. I heard it slam behind us but my eyes were fixed on the person greeting me.
There he stood, leaning back on the side of a car, denim legs crossed casually. The same crew cut hair, muscular physique and gold chain necklace. I had forgotten about his necklace, the way it had jangled over me while we had sex. He grinned widely at me, dark wild eyes, as they were the night he assaulted me. I could barely take him in. A haze of extreme fear had shielded my sight. I wanted to vomit and my legs were starting to give way. In his hands, a pair of handcuffs and duct tape.
“So, Gemma. Didn’t I tell you I’d find you? Remember what I said I was going to do to you? Fuck you. Fuck you dead!”
He uncrossed his legs. There was no sign of the knife he had promise to use on me. Libby was routed to the spot next to me with her mouth gaping at him.
“What about me? You said you were going to fuck me. Great sex you promised me tonight,” she shrieked at him wildly.
“You, you prissy, fucked up girl. You can piss off! You’ve served your purpose. I don’t have any desire to fuck that skinny arse of yours again,” he laughed at her with his well-practised humiliating snort of derision. He re-focused on me. “You on the other hand. I want you.”
He started to move toward me and I could not move or speak. I was frozen rigid with my feet growing roots into the tarmac. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Libby raise her arm up, her knife in hand and she let out a blood-curdling cry. I did the only thing I could think to protect myself. I dropped down to my knees and curled up, head in hands. Suddenly I found my vocal cords and I screamed like I had never screamed before. Not out of sexual lust or sensual pain, but because I was terrified for my life. As she moved, I shut my eyes tight and held my breath. I had merely a second to accept it was over for me.
Chapter 19
Monday 10 am. Interview with Mr Jason Lucas.
Conducted by Detective Inspector Clark.
DI Clark: Thank you, Mr Lucas, for coming this morning. You’ve no problem with the voice recorder being on?
Mr Lucas: No. What do you need to know?
DI Clark: I want to run through Saturday evening’s events. Can you describe in your own words for me what you saw happen.