Clearly this wasn’t the source of the scream. The body clearly wasn’t moving. I could hear sounds of a struggle and then a car door slammed. I pulled my phone from my handbag and called Peter. Fortunately he answered immediately and told me to stay exactly where I was but to hang up and call the police.
My fingers trembled as I dialled 911. The person who answered seemed bored.
“911, what is your emergency?” as if she had said the same thing countless times before.
“Help me please. There is someone unconscious on the floor and I can hear screaming.” I stuttered.
“Take it easy, lady. Give me your name and location please” She spoke as if reading from a .
“I’m in the car park in the basement of Alton Towers. That’s on the corner of 5th and Mitchell. The apartments are the big white building on the left hand side. I’m on Level B and the body is on Level C. Please help….” I realised I was gabbling nervously.
“One moment please, we are contact your local police precinct. Please hold”. The phone went dead. I looked at it stupidly. The screaming started again although this time strangely muffled. I waited, unsure what to do. I moved left, away from Peter’s car and nearer the shape of the body. I could see a big SUV parked at an angle and beyond that some sort of works van. The noises seemed to be coming from that.
The phone rang again and I started, surprised. Just as I answered it Peter and Daniel came running down the stairs and bursting into the car park. I gestured to the body below and to the left of me. Peter looked at Daniel and then pointed to the ramp separating the two levels. They set off at a run.
“This is 5th Precinct Police Station. How can I help you? ” The voice sounded gruff but authoritative.
“Hello, please help. There’s a body and screaming. I don’t know what to do.”
“Just a moment please. Let’s start by giving me your name and, as precisely as you can, the location where this is happening.” He seemed patient and inviting.
I gave him the same details I had given before, adding “The body is on Level C and there is a woman screaming.”
“We? Young lady? Who is there with you?” He sounded quizzical.
“Sorry, I meant I’m here, not we, there’s nobody else. Please hurry.” I realised that mentioning Peter or Daniel might not be the best idea.
“A unit has been dispatched and should be with you shortly. I would advise you to stay exactly where you are and do not try to intervene. Our officers will be with you inside twenty minutes, I guess.” He seemed unsure exactly how long it would take for them to get to us.
The line went dead and almost simultaneously there were a series of loud bangs in the area below me. I looked down and saw Daniel hammering the side of the panel van with his fists. Peter was out of sight. Just then the sliding door of the van opened with a crash and a heavyset man in dirty jeans and a sweatshirt peered out.
“Fuck off, unless you want to take a beating.” The man growled.
“What’s going on in there? What are you doing?” Daniel growled back.
“None of your fucking business. Now fuck off out of here unless you want a beating too.” The man reached out a meaty paw as if to swipe at Daniel’s head.
Quick as a flash my husband leapt up from where he had been squatting hidden by the hood of the van. He grabbed the arm and pulled sharply. The thug overbalanced and came tumbling out of the van to lie sprawling on the floor.
“Cunts! I’ll fucking teach you.” The brute made it to his knees.
“It’s the bastard from the other day. The one that tried to attack Catherine”, Daniel shouted. At the same time we could all hear the sound of a woman crying from inside the van. I watched in horror as the man climbed slowly to his feet and lurched towards Peter. As he did, an arm covered in scratches appeared from the open area of the van and a woman’s face followed.
“Watch out”, she screamed. “He tried to rape me.”
Almost like a choreographed ballet my brave husband reached out and grasped a hank of the man’s greasy long hair while Daniel kicked him behind the knees, forcing him to the ground again. As Peter held the man’s head up, Daniel launched a full blooded punch to the man’s throat. The man gasped, unable to draw breath. Daniel hit him again.
Despite the battering the big brute reached into a pocket and pulled out a knife which he flicked open and aimed a cut at Peter’s leg. Peter gave a howl as the knife sliced through material then flesh and he swung back out of the way. This gave the rapist the chance he had been waiting for and he struggled to his feet, waving the knife back and forth while coughing and holding his throat.
Daniel saw that Peter was at a disadvantage and rushed in to help his new friend. While the man aimed another swipe at Peter, Daniel dived under the outstretched arm and punched once, twice at the exposed abdomen. I shouted with joy as the man dropped the knife. Peter swung round on his uninjured leg and launched a kick at the man’s genitals which connected with an audible thud and brought a whoosh of breath from the man as he sank to the floor.
Peter repeated the kick to the man’s genitals and then finished it off with another to the head. The man looked almost unconscious. I thought for a moment that Peter and Daniel were going to leave it at that but I saw to my horror that Daniel had the knife in his hands. With one swift downward stroke he jabbed into the man’s crotch and twisted. The man let out a scream like a slaughtered pig and squirmed under the knife. The scream changed pitch as Daniel slipped the knife sideways and I could clearly see blood spurting from the wound. The man fainted and slipped unconscious to the floor.
Peter turned his attention to the young girl who he helped out of the van, limping gingerly as he took the weight of her body on his injured leg. Daniel looked towards the body on the floor and we were both relieved to see that the man was moving, struggling to get to his feet. Daniel helped him to his feet while examining a nasty cut and bruise to the side of the man’s head.
I ran down the ramp to join them, taking over the care of the young woman while Peter and Daniel both supported her partner.
“Guys, I’ve called the police. They are going to be here shortly. What are we going to do?” I asked urgently.
“Don’t know but I’m not sure we can afford to be found down here.” Daniel looked concerned.
Peter looked from one of us to the other. “Daniel, help me get this bastard into the back of his van. I’m thinking that we take it away from here and dump it outside Mercy General. Can you drive the van if I follow in the car?”
“Guess so!” Daniel nodded.
“Let me take these two upstairs while you do that. Peter can you drive with that cut on your leg?” I looked questioningly at my brave husband.
He nodded and limped towards the ramp as Daniel slid the side door shut and jumped into the driving seat of the van. The engine burst into life and the van lurched towards the ramp as Peter got into the Mercedes and started the warm engine. As the van sped past Daniel leaned out of the window and yelled a whoop of exhilaration. Then he was gone and Peter backed out of the parking space to follow him.
Within moments we were in silence. The woman and I put our shoulders under the man’s arms and carefully escorted him towards the stair. I looked behind us and the only evidence of our experiences was a smear of blood on the floor where Daniel had stabbed the thug.
We hit the stairs to the upper level where the elevator began. As I pushed open the door from the stairs I heard the distant wail of a siren. Perhaps the police were better than I anticipated.
The girl and I struggled to get our charge into the elevator although he was clearly regaining his wits and balance. Nevertheless I held him tightly as the elevator started to rise and I felt a warmth in me as I felt his rock hard muscles pressed against mine. I looked at him carefully. He was younger than either Peter or Daniel. A strong clean face and dark hair flopping over his brow. She pushed his hair off his face as we rode to our apartment, looking concerned at the bruise already purpling on his brow.
Cat ran to the door as I rang the bell with my shoulder. Her eyes were full of questions, her mouth open in astonishment as we bundled the couple into the living room. She took in the stranger’s broad chest and his partner’s pretty face and the questions flitted across her face in rapid succession.
“Don’t ask, Cat. Wait until the boys get home. In the meantime a strong drink for this young lady and let’s take a look at her buddy’s head.” I gestured towards the kitchen.
There was lots to talk about and lots to learn but that would wait….
TO BE CONTINUED
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