And then, suddenly, there he was.A loud roar presaged hisarrival, then the Scania truck swept past the Shell garage, his dark, angular profile visible in the driver’s seat.Offering up a silent prayer, Emilia eased off the handbrake, speeding across the empty forecourt and onto the road.Fifty yards ahead the truck lumbered on its way, its driver utterly oblivious to the fact that he now had a tail, one that would stick like glue to him until his inevitable downfall and disgrace.Things had not gone totally to plan for Emilia – she had hoped to investigate Dearham Farm herself, before calling in the police, but the high-level security had put paid to that.Still, it was better to adapt to a changing situation than mess things up in the pursuit of perfection.Life was never straightforward and you had to take your victories where you could find them.
And what a victory it would be.This moment had been fifteen years in the making and Emilia intended to enjoy herself, her eyes straying to the Nikon camera nestling in the passenger seat.How sweet it would be to capture the moment of realization, when the man who’d tried to crush her all those years ago discovered that he had been outwitted by the woman he failed to destroy.If it was a good photo, Emilia might even frame it, a permanent testament to her cunning, persistence and nerve.Revenge, redemption, rebirth was now only a matter of minutes away, the unwitting trafficker enjoying what would prove to be his last few moments of freedom.Smiling to herself, Emilia leaned towards the phone cradle, keeping her eyes firmly on the truck as she punched in three digits – 999.
It was time to set the trap.
Chapter 91
She reacted instinctively, turning away sharply from the blinding light.Viyan had been lying in the dirt, forlorn and despairing.Then suddenly the metal door had burst open, her betrayer stepping into echoing cylinder.Shocked, Viyan tried to rouse herself, but she was too slow, a heavy boot pushing down on her cheek, grinding her into the dust.
‘Are you ready, Viyan?Any last words?’
Viyan said nothing, merely groaning, her lips coated in filth.
‘No?How disappointing.I was hoping you’d at least beg, especially as you’ve got a captive audience …’
Her tormentor laughed as she gestured to the gloomy faces watching through the open door.Returning her attention to her captive, she leaned forward, increasing the pressure.Viyan could feel the rubber ridges of her abuser’s sole pressing down hard on her, threatening to crack her cheekbone at any moment.Was this how it was going to end?Crushed by a woman who’d promised to save her?Viyan would take that, at least it would be quick, but predictably her tormentor now raised her boot, determined to deny her prisoner any respite, any clemency.
‘I really did do my best for you, Viyan,’ she continued, shaking her head in disappointment.‘I raised you up out of the dirt, gave you a job, a roof over your head, a purpose in life and how didyou repay me?By plotting and planning and conniving.Poor, deluded Viyan.Did you ever think you could succeed?That you could outwitme?’
Viyan refused to look at her, wanting no part of her sick games.
‘When will you understand that I can’t be beaten, I can’t be stopped?In this place, I ameverything.’
Viyan clamped her hands over her ears, couldn’t bear to hear any more of this delusional bullshit, but Leyla’s voice cut through.
‘I am the dispenser of charity, I am the bringer of retribution.I can give life … but I can also take it away.You should have thought of that, before you dared to betray me.’
Raising her boot, Leyla turned away.Released from her vice-like grip, Viyan struggled to her feet, but her captor was already in the doorway, casting one last, gloating look back.
‘What a shame your family will never see you again.I’ll make sure to send them your regards …’
Stepping out of the incinerator, Leyla slammed the door shut.The heavy lock lever now fell, then to her horror Viyan heard footsteps pounding the perimeter to the control box.For a second, there was a terrible, pregnant silence, then with an ominous creaking sound, the machine came to life.The roar of a flame, the clanking of heating metal, the sound of death.
Scrabbling up onto her knees, Viyan clamped her hands together and began to pray.
Chapter 92
The fence was high and forbidding, razor wire curled maliciously around the top.Helen had spent ten minutes stalking the perimeter, looking for holes, but there was nothing.It was clear that Leyla Rashidi and her cronies were determined to keep Dearham Farm free of prying eyes, numerous signs on the fence warning of dire consequences for trespassers.But Helen had no choice – if she wanted to rescue Viyan, she had to get over that fence.
Tugging off her jacket, she took a deep breath, then wearily launched the heavy leather garment high into the air.Wary of tossing it up and over the fence, she put too little energy into it and it fell back onto her.Annoyed, she tried again and this time she judged the trajectory correctly, the flapping jacket landing on top of the razor wire.She did this with a heavy heart, concerned that her favourite jacket would pay a high price, but there was no other way.The razor wire glinted wickedly in the sunlight, promising to lacerate fingers and arms, a thought which made Helen shudder.She would need all her limbs, all her strength for what lay ahead.
Gripping the wire, Helen took a deep breath.She had never felt so hollow, so lethargic as she did today.Part of her doubted she would even be able to make it to the top of the fence, letalone effect Viyan’s rescue, but the imprisoned woman’s needs were more pressing than her own, so gritting her teeth, she put one boot on the fence and started to climb.Weaving one hand over the other, she clambered clumsily up, her determination propelling her towards the top.In less than five seconds she was there, clinging to the edge of the chain-link fence, as it swayed back and forth under her assault.Gathering herself, she raised one foot onto the top of the fence, levering herself upwards, arching her body up and over the razor wire.She was straining every sinew not to touch her jacket, not to expose herself to danger, but this came at a cost, the effort suddenly making her feel dizzy and unstable.For a minute, she thought she might collapse onto the deadly blades, but closing her eyes, she managed to regain her composure, sliding one leg over and raising her torso over the top.Her foot now made contact with the other side of the fence, her toe desperately, digging in.Now she hauled the rest of herself over, confident she had defeated this deadly obstacle.
But now disaster struck.Her leading foot suddenly slipped from its mooring, throwing her off balance.Now she was falling, tugging at her jacket in desperation to arrest her fall.With a savage ripping sound it came clean away, exposing the cruel wire.Pushing away from the fence she tried to jump clear of it, but her trailing hand ripped over the wire, tearing flesh and belching blood.
She landed with a crash on the ground, her hip jarring nastily on a rock, the impact rippling through her.For a moment, Helen lay there, shocked and breathless, before slowly pulling herself up onto her knees.Looking down, she saw a long, deep gash on her left hand, which oozed crimson.The sight made her world spin and for a moment she thought she was going to faint, the trees seeming to dance around her.Helen clamped her eyes shut,willing herself to be strong, but as she knelt amidst the foliage, she heard a noise that froze her blood.Footsteps coming fast towards her, pounding through the woods.
Her eyes snapped open.Two muscular thugs were tramping along the perimeter, their gaze alert and suspicious.Desperate, Helen scrabbled forward, forcing her narrow frame into a thick gorse bush.Immediately, she was set upon, a thousand tiny thorns tearing at her skin.The footsteps were getting louder now, so gritting her teeth, she crawled in deeper, completely consumed by the foliage.Holding her breath, she kept a careful watch eye on the sentries as they passed by unawares, laughing and joking with each other.Only once they were well clear did she emerge from her hiding place, rising to her knees and stumbling on into the woodland.
Progress was slow and faltering, tree roots and rabbit holes conspiring to trip her at every stage.Helen did not relent, however, convinced that every second counted now.And before long, the forest started to thin out, revealing a sprawling farm littered with tumbledown buildings.At the heart of the site was a large, two-storey farmhouse, its interior gloomy and lifeless.The yard, by contrast, was alive with people.A handful were at work, emptying sacks into battered industrial bins.The vast majority of the workers were gathered towards the rear of the yard.Helen marvelled at the numbers, there must have been at least fifty immigrants here, all dressed shabbily, their body language listless and defeated.Creeping forward to the fringes of the undergrowth, she scanned the terrain, looking for the spider at the heart of this tangled web.
Leyla Rashidi was standing at the back of the site next to a giant, cylindrical structure, hectoring her charges, who surrounded her in an uneven circle.To her dismay, Helen now realized the horror of the situation.Something – or someone – wasin the deadly incinerator.There could be no other explanation for Leyla’s strange behaviour, the enraged gangmasters shouting abuse at the machine, occasionally turning to admonish the knot of workers, who surrounded it, some looking sheepish, others sickened.Desperately, Helen scanned the yard, searching for Viyan, but there was no sign of her.Helen could draw only one conclusion – the young mother of three was about to be burned to death.
Helen took a step forward, straining to see what was going on, then froze in her tracks.Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed something, turning to see a tiny electronic device hidden in the trunk of a tree, flashing red at her accusingly.Cursing, Helen realized her presence had been detected, the hidden sensor reacting to her movement.There was nothing for it, she would have to move fast now, throwing caution to the wind.She hadn’t planned it this way, but there was no point prevaricating.Reaching down, she scoured the ground for a weapon, seizing upon a fallen branch.
‘Hello again.’
Straightening up, Helen saw the heavily scarred thug approaching, flanked by his sidekick from yesterday’s ambush.Helen’s eyes narrowed, this was the third time she had faced off with this vicious bully and she was determined to make it their last.Gripping the branch firmly, she stepped forward to confront him, only for her intended victim to raise his gun, levelling it directly at her.
