Broken Birds, Part 32 Janet by Deneb

Part 32

JanetThough she would rather not visit the States, Alice decided she needed to go there to see if Janet could be helped. Shoshana felt she had to help, though in reality, she’d suffered terribly to protect the little 12 year-old girl almost seven years ago. Tim had found her, of course. Alice suspected she might be too far gone to save. As she could hurt Shoshana terribly, Alice wanted to evaluate her before bringing her to the compound.

She still traveled in disguise, though she thought it ridiculous. She’d had facial surgery. The crush of people at LAX shocked her. She’d become accustomed to Australia where crowds were rare.

Tim waited outside customs control and flew with her to New York. Along the way he filled her in, though she knew she would remember little. The jet lag was just too much.

“Janet was actually 11 when they raped her. She turned 12 the next day. Thomas befriended her in a clothing store. She thought they were going to have a birthday party for her. They figured she’d never tell if they made her suck the dog.”

“You don’t have to tell me the rest about that night,” Alice said sadly. She’d spent several harrowing nights with Shoshana in her cabin reliving every detail.

“Anyway, when she got home, she told her Mom who called the cops. Because she’d been cleaned up, there were no forensics, just evidence of penetration that could or could not have been consensual. Still it was statutory rape. The kids’ parents bought the father and mother off. Settlements were sealed, but it looks like they got about $250,000. Janet never saw a penny. She went to counseling for a while, but stopped when it started to eat into the settlement. The money went into a new house, some vacations for her parents and a couple of new cars.”

“About six months after the rape, she began to act out pretty bad. Lots of fights at school until they threw her out in eighth grade and sent her to a troubled kids school. She did OK, but then her brother apparently had sex with her, at least that’s what the counselor at the school thought,” he said expecting the next question, “Janet signed a release so I could get her records. I don’t think she knows it’s in them.”

“Then it got pretty sick. She was passed around to his friends, got the clap three times, other STDs and started on drugs, mostly cocaine. She turned to performing on Internet sex sites to get money. Eventually she went all out and joined an escort service specializing in young girls.”

Tim handed her a large envelope. When she emptied the contents, she had a lapful of pictures, papers, a memory card and a flash drive.

”The cops never found the flash drive. It’s got her rape and Shoshana’s rape and torture on it. They recorded everything. They were sadistic animals. The girl was worse than Thomas.”

She looked into Tim’s hard eyes. Though it had never been spoken out loud, she knew they were all roasting in hell, a place they probably welcomed after Tim and his friends had finished. In fact one was still alive. He was a quadriplegic after being knifed from behind. Frank knew his anatomy.

“You watched it?”

He nodded angrily, but continued, “The mom and dad split about three years ago. Apparently Janet had a lot to do with that or maybe it was the brother having sex with her, but the divorce got pretty nasty. The son joined the Army. The mother started to drink and eventually threw Janet out. She went to a shelter and started talking to a rape consular. She left a couple of days later when a friend took her in. She’s been turning tricks since.”

“I found her through an escort service, told her who I was and that someone wanted to help. She signed the release with no question. I think she wants the help, just can’t get it.”

Alice thought that interesting.

“Tim, you’ve known a lot of punks. Is she one of them? Michael said you had the best people instincts he’s ever seen.”

Tim’s eyes warmed, knowing that his friend respected his skills.

“I don’t think so. I think she’s been so badly used, you may not be able to save her, but I didn’t get the sense that she was trying to play me. She’s gotten a complete physical. I’ve got the reports for Jennifer if you take her back. I’ve got her in a suite near the office. I told her that if she turned another trick or did drugs, all this would end. According to my guys, she’s sticking to the rules.”

Alice began to go through the papers and photos. The first one was of a young girl with fine brown hair and luminous green eyes and delicate features. She had a high forehead and flawless, pale complexion; a long, thin upturned nose and an oval mouth with a pouting lower lip.

The next was of Janet now. The same basic features, but with no smile and hard green eyes. Without those eyes, she would have been beautiful. Another picture was from an Internet site. She had upturned breasts and pink, almost red nipples and a tramp stamp tattoo on the small of her back.

Alice picked up the reports from Tim’s men and began to read. Tim had condensed nearly fifty pages into a five-minute briefing. He hadn’t missed anything of importance. Maybe that’s why he was the boss.

Then she read the counselor reports. Each had noted Janet’s hate of the woman who had prepared her for her rape. Alice wondered why she had left her daughter and her family. Janet seemed to be too far gone for reason to reach her.

Finally she sat back and closed her eyes, trying to decide how to play their first meeting. She’d almost told Michael that under no circumstances should Janet be allowed into the compound, but Shoshana’s pleading eyes had stopped her. There just might be a chance for this girl. Alice cleared her mind of any preconceptions.

Two days later they met at a restaurant near Janet’s apartment.

After introductions, Tim excused himself.

“Tell me about your dreams for tomorrow,” Alice began.

Late that night she phoned Michael.

“She’s badly scarred, inside and out. She’s incredibly bitter and angry. She thinks Shoshana was part of the rape and blames her as much as the boys,” she said to Michael over the satellite connection, “I don’t think it would be a good idea to bring her to the house.”

“Please try to get her to understand what really happened. Please!” Shoshana pled for the girl that hated her.

“Show her the video. All of it. If she still thinks Shoshana was part of it, she’s too far gone with hate and bitterness. Come home alone, Honey. We miss you and love you.” Michael terminated the connection, turned and took a sobbing Shoshana in his arms, “Now it’s up to her, my beautiful wife.”

Her head snapped up. Shoshana routinely called Michael husband, but this was the first time he had called her his wife. She went from dreadful depression to heavenly heights. Alice told him to use the word if he ever had to get Shoshana out of her dark place where hideous pain still waited.

It gave Michael an idea. He put it away for another time.

Alice and Janet sat in a closed conference room in Tim’s facility.

“Janet,” Alice said, “you may not remember, but they recorded your rape. It’s on this machine. If you want me here, I’ll stay. If not, I’ll leave. But watch the whole video. Will you promise me to do that?”

Janet trusted this woman who seemed to be trying to help. Janet knew there was something at the end that Alice wanted her to see.

She reached out and put her hand on Alice’s. “I’m not sure I can go through this alone. Please stay.”

Alice clicked “play” and found herself introduced to hell.

Nearly three hours later, they hit pause with Shoshana being forced to suck the dog. Two visibly shaken women clutched each other, trembling and crying.

Finally Alice got her control back.

“They were going to do that to me?”

Alice nodded, “they figured you wouldn’t tell if they had videos of you and the dog.”

“That woman really saved me? She wasn’t part of it?” Alice shook her head, waiting to see if it had imprinted, but all she saw was confusion.

She clicked “Play” and the video continued.

“Oh my God!” Janet screamed as Shoshana writhed in agony on the bathroom floor, bleeding heavily.

Alice waited as the video ended. Janet had to choose a path, either stubborn hate or realization of the truth.

“Is she alive?”

Alice nodded hope filling her eyes, mentally willing Janet to take the next step.

“I’ve hated her for so long and all she tried to do was help me,” Janet wailed, her world shattering. Hate had sustained her. It defined her. She felt she was falling with nothing to grab onto.

Alice took the weeping girl in her arms, mentally taking exception to the “no mothering” rule.

Three days and many sessions later, they were again in Tim’s offices in front of a video screen. Alice felt she had successfully imprinted hope into Janet’s heart. Her hard green eyes now shone with that hope and a little fear.

During the sessions, Janet had asked Alice many times who was paying for this. Alice refused to tell her.

Alice clicked play.

Beth appeared on the screen. “Hello Janet. My name is Beth. About eight months after you were raped, the same animals raped me. I forgave them because my hate and bitterness was ruining my life and the lives of the people around me.

They took my ability to conceive a child, but my life partner and I found a way around that.

I carry the scars inside, just as you do.

Alice is there because she is part of our family and we want to help. We live very far away near the sea. Honey, we can never change what happened, but if you come to us, we’ll try to help you heal.

There’s a video of me on You Tube. Take a look.

There’s someone else who would like to invite you.

Shoshana appeared.

Alice watched Janet closely for signs of anger or hate.

Janet, I am so sorry I couldn’t stop them. I tried, I swear, I tried. Come to us and let us help you. Please come soon.

The video ended.

“After taking my place, she’s sorry she couldn’t stop those eight animals? Is she crazy? She stopped six of them!”