die.’
Maya turned away; she didn’t want Kay to see that she was terrified. Downstairs Stefan was deciding their fate and he was seething with anger. If she could convince him she hadn’t
informed on the gang they might have a chance, but he wasn’t in the mood to listen.
Get real, Maya, she told herself, unless you escape, you’re doomed.
The desperate sobbing of a girl sitting opposite reminded her she wasn’t the only one in trouble. Annika, the girl who Maya had found tied up, had her arms round a girl who was crying.
Sensing that Maya was staring at her, Annika looked up and met Maya’s eyes.
‘Where are you from?’ Maya asked.
‘Macedonia. This is my sister, Tanya,’ she said, stroking her sister’s hair. ‘They tell us we can have good husband in the UK but when we arrive here, they tie us up and
take our passports.’
Maya looked at the two girls, who were hardly any older than herself. ‘You came here to get married?’ she asked.
‘It is the only way,’ Annika explained. ‘In our country, we have no work, no money, no hope.’
Maya reached out and put her hand over Annika’s, and her heart filled with pity for these girls.
Annika’s sister Tanya raised her head. ‘We have become nothing,’ she said, sniffing back her tears. ‘Men tell us we have to work for them, we have no rights. We have to
do what they say. They treat us like slaves.’
Annika nodded. ‘See,’ she said, pulling up her sleeve and showing Maya a huge bruise on her arm. ‘I ask for information and they hit me.’
Another girl, who looked to be the oldest of the group, a girl of about nineteen with strong, dark, good looks, spoke up in clear English. ‘It is disgusting,’ she said. ‘They
treat us like animals.’ She sniffed at her armpits. ‘I am disgusting. I smell. We have had no wash, no food for three days.’ She clenched her fists on the table. ‘I gave all
the money I have to come here. They said I can choose a good husband.’
Maya sat in the growing darkness, feeling desperate. She wanted to help the girls, but could do nothing when she was a prisoner herself.
Kay leaned her head on Maya’s shoulder. ‘I am in big trouble,’ she said. ‘Gerard tell them I am a traitor. I know their business. They will show no mercy.’
‘I don’t think Stefan believed him,’ Maya whispered, but they were the last words she had the chance to say – suddenly the door opened and Ginger, Gerard and the boss
entered, accompanied by three heavies.
‘Right, you four are goin’ to your new residence,’ the boss announced, looking over at the girls. He rubbed his hands together. ‘You’ll be given new names,
identities, then a wash and brush up before we introduce you to your place of work.’ He moved closer, his eyes travelling over each of the girls. ‘Not a bad lot, not bad at all. You
two,’ he ordered, signalling to two of the heavies, ‘take them to the hostel.’
He laughed as the girls were herded out. ‘Like a bit of company do you?’ he said, as they passed him.
The door slammed behind the girls. ‘She’s bad news,’ the boss said, pointing at Kay. ‘Get rid of her.’
The third man pushed Maya aside and seized Kay’s arms. She protested, screaming in her own language and kicking out at him. Behind her, Maya tried to grab Kay’s waist and pull her
back, but Ginger strode over. His elbow jabbed into Maya’s neck and she fell back, choking. Her eyes were streaming, she coughed and clawed her way onto her knees. Blinking, she raised her
head and was just in time to see Kay being bundled out of the door. At the last moment, Kay hung onto the door frame and managed to turn round and look at Maya.
‘Please, help me,’ she screamed. ‘Do not forget me!’
‘Take her away,’ Stefan shouted. Then he turned his gaze on Maya, his eyes glowering beneath a shock of silver grey hair. ‘You’re trouble, too,’ he said.
Ginger hauled Maya to her feet. Stefan took out his gun
Maya turned away; she didn’t want Kay to see that she was terrified. Downstairs Stefan was deciding their fate and he was seething with anger. If she could convince him she hadn’t
informed on the gang they might have a chance, but he wasn’t in the mood to listen.
Get real, Maya, she told herself, unless you escape, you’re doomed.
The desperate sobbing of a girl sitting opposite reminded her she wasn’t the only one in trouble. Annika, the girl who Maya had found tied up, had her arms round a girl who was crying.
Sensing that Maya was staring at her, Annika looked up and met Maya’s eyes.
‘Where are you from?’ Maya asked.
‘Macedonia. This is my sister, Tanya,’ she said, stroking her sister’s hair. ‘They tell us we can have good husband in the UK but when we arrive here, they tie us up and
take our passports.’
Maya looked at the two girls, who were hardly any older than herself. ‘You came here to get married?’ she asked.
‘It is the only way,’ Annika explained. ‘In our country, we have no work, no money, no hope.’
Maya reached out and put her hand over Annika’s, and her heart filled with pity for these girls.
Annika’s sister Tanya raised her head. ‘We have become nothing,’ she said, sniffing back her tears. ‘Men tell us we have to work for them, we have no rights. We have to
do what they say. They treat us like slaves.’
Annika nodded. ‘See,’ she said, pulling up her sleeve and showing Maya a huge bruise on her arm. ‘I ask for information and they hit me.’
Another girl, who looked to be the oldest of the group, a girl of about nineteen with strong, dark, good looks, spoke up in clear English. ‘It is disgusting,’ she said. ‘They
treat us like animals.’ She sniffed at her armpits. ‘I am disgusting. I smell. We have had no wash, no food for three days.’ She clenched her fists on the table. ‘I gave all
the money I have to come here. They said I can choose a good husband.’
Maya sat in the growing darkness, feeling desperate. She wanted to help the girls, but could do nothing when she was a prisoner herself.
Kay leaned her head on Maya’s shoulder. ‘I am in big trouble,’ she said. ‘Gerard tell them I am a traitor. I know their business. They will show no mercy.’
‘I don’t think Stefan believed him,’ Maya whispered, but they were the last words she had the chance to say – suddenly the door opened and Ginger, Gerard and the boss
entered, accompanied by three heavies.
‘Right, you four are goin’ to your new residence,’ the boss announced, looking over at the girls. He rubbed his hands together. ‘You’ll be given new names,
identities, then a wash and brush up before we introduce you to your place of work.’ He moved closer, his eyes travelling over each of the girls. ‘Not a bad lot, not bad at all. You
two,’ he ordered, signalling to two of the heavies, ‘take them to the hostel.’
He laughed as the girls were herded out. ‘Like a bit of company do you?’ he said, as they passed him.
The door slammed behind the girls. ‘She’s bad news,’ the boss said, pointing at Kay. ‘Get rid of her.’
The third man pushed Maya aside and seized Kay’s arms. She protested, screaming in her own language and kicking out at him. Behind her, Maya tried to grab Kay’s waist and pull her
back, but Ginger strode over. His elbow jabbed into Maya’s neck and she fell back, choking. Her eyes were streaming, she coughed and clawed her way onto her knees. Blinking, she raised her
head and was just in time to see Kay being bundled out of the door. At the last moment, Kay hung onto the door frame and managed to turn round and look at Maya.
‘Please, help me,’ she screamed. ‘Do not forget me!’
‘Take her away,’ Stefan shouted. Then he turned his gaze on Maya, his eyes glowering beneath a shock of silver grey hair. ‘You’re trouble, too,’ he said.
Ginger hauled Maya to her feet. Stefan took out his gun
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