Will you ever feel safe again?

There’d been a stupid delay getting back from London, and now he was running 15 or so minutes late. Ah well, Kate thought, these things happen. It wasn’t the end of the world after all, although it was undeniably annoying that it was an exceedingly wet November night at about 6.20pm. 15 minutes till the cab got back with Tammy. The only thing she could think of was to walk around the grotty shopping centre.
Although no shops would be open she could at least pop into the toilets as she couldn’t begin to imagine what she looked like right now after walking a mile in the pouring rain. Her hair was blown across her face and stuck to her forehead, despite having put her hood up, and she could feel the denim material of her black jeans clinging to her legs. Her imitation corset was wet even through her hoodie. It was not a pleasant feeling.
She leapt neatly up the steps at the entrance to the centre and entered through the automatic doors which slid open inconspicuously to welcome her silently to the empty precinct, dripping all the way, her shoes making squeaking sounds as she walked.
Most of the lights were off, creating dark shadows in the corners and a haunting atmosphere. But Kate wasn’t frightened; she’d grown up in this place and knew it like the back of her hand. She remembered shopping here with her mum as a child, and now she worked part time in one of the shops. She felt at home here.
It was here that she’d met Tammy, one of the guards, when she started work at the bakery, just over a year ago now. Nothing had ever happened between them up until 2 months ago, when having exchanged numbers, things developed…
Tammy was a few years older than her but she didn’t care. In her view she’d chosen the right one…
Most of the shopgirls in the centre could say they’d slept with a security guard, but if you asked them which one, there’d be only one name that appeared. Ash was a manwhore. There was no other word for it. He was engaged, due to be married the next summer and had fathered two children with different women, yet still he groomed the girls at the centre for sex. He had at least 5 different girls a week, some in the toilets, some in empty rooms in the management suite, some in the various alleys down the side of the precinct, some in the disused core corridors running behind-the-scenes at the centre, and some in his house. It was even rumoured that occasionally he used the security control room.
Kate had been an immediate victim of his grooming attempts, but she saw herself as much better than that. He gave her the creeps, with his deep, deep brow and dark shadowy eyes. He must be in his early 30s, but his behaviour seemed to make him ageless. Yet she could almost understand why girls gave in so easily…there was an undeniable mesmerising element to the way he walked, taking long strides yet dragging his feet along the ground, almost sliding down the corridors. It created an almost slow-motion effect, giving you longer to ponder as to what it was that gave him such confidence around women.
The way he turned his head at you as he walked by, leaving his dark fathomless eyes burning into yours as his body moved away until the very last moment when he disconnected himself from your gazing eyes…utterly mesmerising. But that still didn’t excuse him.
The eyes from under the brow looked out on a different world to what everyone else saw. All Ash saw was women and work and how the boundaries blurred in between. Nothing else. Kate knew to stay well away.
But Tammy was different. He was kind, genuine, true. He was not as dangerous and unpredictable as an unexploded bomb. He was not a risk to her health, whether emotional, physical or mental. He was loving and respecting. He cared whether she lived or died. She trusted him.

Tonight, the centre really was empty. All the shops were shut and security was just waiting for the staff to leave so they could begin to lock the place down.
It was silent mostly, except for the sound of the rain beating down on the glass roof and the quiet humming of the cleaning machine the cleaners used on the varnished floor, almost like an indoor ride-on lawnmower.
The low lighting reflected on the shiny floor, though she felt a bit guilty about traipsing in here with her wet muddy feet after they had finished cleaning. She bowed her head and kept on moving towards the toilets on the other side of the building, passing the manager of the phone shop as she left, locking the shutter behind her. Kate couldn’t quite recall her name but they smiled at each other anyway. That was another nice thing about working in this sort of mini-community – everyone knew everyone else.

She walked down the side-corridor to the toilets which were stuck at the back of the centre next to the fire-escape onto the flat roof. Here it was even quieter…silent in fact. She walked in through the arch that said ‘women’ on it and chucked her bag on the slightly damp wash-basin bank and looked in the smeary mirrors. She was right; she looked a state. She took her long dark hair out and shook it a bit. Droplets of the November rain hit the cubicle doors. She let out a light bubbly laugh.
Life wasn’t so bad really, she thought. Tammy, off to uni next year, out of this shithole and into the real world. Not bad at all considering.
She peered closer in the mirror and re-did the little bit of make-up that she wore; namely being only eyeliner and eye shadow for when she went out. She smiled a friendly, confident smile at herself. Life was sweet.
She stopped still suddenly. A noise had sounded outside, like the scuffle of someone’s shoes or something similar. It was probably time to go. 6.30pm; any later and the boys would not be happy. Time to shift.
She gathered her hair together in a rough braid, chucked her eyeliner back in her bag and swung it over her shoulder and left the toilets, just as the lights switched off.
Suddenly plunged into darkness, she made her way as best she could along the corridor. But then she walked into someone. She hadn’t been expecting that at all. Who would be down here at this time?
“Oh I’m sorry…” she stumbled.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s only me.”
Kate shivered in the greyness. Should have known. That voice was a voice that she’d know anywhere.
“Oh, Ash…” She took a small cautious step backwards. Best to move as soon as possible.
“Where are you off to tonight then? All dressed up and nowhere to go?”
“I’m going to Tammy’s actually. We’re ganna have some dinner, watch a film…you know, the usual.”
“Sounds riveting.” His voice certainly didn’t sound that thrilled.
“I’ll…catch ya later then, Ash” She turned to try and make her way down the dark corridor alone. This wasn’t right though. The lights never got all turned off. Some were left on in every corridor…
She could see the doors at the end, leading out into the lit main levels of the shopping precinct. She began to breathe a sigh of relief; moments alone with Ash were to be avoided at all costs. Any moment with him in fact, alone or not, was to be avoided. Especially in the darkness.
There were about 50 yards left before she reached the door when the unmistakable feeling of a hand grabbing her ripped through her body. She opened her mouth to scream in terror when another hand slammed down hard on her face, killing the scream in her throat before it had a chance to sound. Pure, acidic fear swept through her veins. Her eyes were wide open, yet she could see only the murky blackness around her. Her heart hammered in her chest, her head, her hands and her feet as her attacker pressed her hands together behind her back, keeping his other hand over her mouth. She tried to struggle but it was pointless. He was too strong. He was, after all, a security guard. He was used to these situations. He had to deal with struggling shoplifters every day of his life. She was not going to be difficult to handle.

A torch suddenly lit up the gloom. She tried to turn her head to look for the source, hoping against hope for some form of rescue. Maybe the cameras! Of course, CCTV was everywhere in this place, control must have seen…of course. The lights.
In that same moment, she saw where the torchlight was coming from. It was in Ash’s hand. The beam shone right in her eyes, reflecting off her tears as Ash leered into her face, clearly relishing the terror he was inflicting on her.
“Scared?” he spat into her horrified face. She made no answer. She couldn’t.
“Well I wouldn’t get too excited yet…I haven’t even started.”
With that said he slammed her whole body against the wall and bound her wrists in the hard metal of his handcuffs. She tried again to scream in desperation, but all that came out was a muffled gurgle. She was becoming dizzy with fear at what was about to happen.
What was his motive?? Why? Why her? Why?!
She heard him rip his tie off and it was roughly shoved into her mouth making her gag three times in quick succession. Now she could hardly breathe let alone scream.

Ash marched her, stumbling, back down the gloomy corridor before pushing her through the most remote pair of swing doors into core corridor 6. The least used core corridor of them all. Her fear doubled. These were only used during the day. The core corridors were the ‘authorised access only’ areas where the deliveries were ferried around and the centre rubbish bins kept. They were just bare grey stone unheated corridors with harsh industrial lighting. And stupidly, with hardly any CCTV. Especially all the pointless unused rooms along here. Some were called interview rooms, some were meant to be cleaners’ cupboards or storage areas. But most were never used. A haven for criminal activity if anyone that knew of them was that way inclined. She wondered if she was Ash’s first victim. She also wondered what was about to happen.
He marched her viciously along the corridor, eventually getting to a fork. He took the left. They came to a crossroad type junction. He carried on straight. He turned off at the next right. They carried on walking. She got lost, the tears running faster now in fear, shock, and complete disbelief. There was no strength in her. Just adrenaline pumping the terror round her body.
Eventually they came to a door at the end of the corridor. There was no window on it, but Ash pushed it open with a clank that echoed down the stone corridor. He glanced behind them before shoving her roughly through the door and into a small dark room. She heard a click behind her as Ash turned the lights on and she saw she was in an old cleaners’ cupboard. There were shelves lining the walls with nothing on them except a couple of empty bottles and some duct-tape. There was also a table in the centre of the room.
Ash took down the duct-tape. He grabbed Kate with excessive force and pushed her backwards onto the table. She fell backwards with what would have been a cry and fresh tears trickled down her deathly white cheeks. There was nothing she could do. She was helpless.
She looked up at her captor. His face was placid. It seemed as if to him this was…a mechanical procedure. That he wasn’t frightening the life out of his victim. He seemed completely passive. His deep eyes were empty, giving nothing at all away. He made no eye contact with her at all as he tied the duct-tape round and round her ankles, strapping her tightly in a spread-eagled position to the table, face up. The knot in her stomach tightened increasingly. No. Not this. Please not. Anything but this. Her worst nightmare was coming true it seemed.
He leaned over her and reached forward to her face. Kate winced back but he was there. His fingers ripped the tie out of her mouth and she dribbled spit down her chin as he stared back at her. Everything mesmerising about him was gone. Now he was just an object to be feared.
Her breathing was ragged and full of desperation as he continued to just stare at her.
She felt the tears running down her cheeks as she held his gaze.
“Ash…why…why???” The horror filled her and she filled her lungs with the intention of screaming.
“If you scream I’ll send you to sleep and you won’t wake up again bitch!”
Kate whimpered.
“You ask why…why? Well I gave you the choice…the easy or the hard way, if you’ll excuse the pun.”
“No…” Kate whispered. She thought of Tammy.
“No! Ash I beg you! Please!” Her voice rose to fever pitch.
He leaned in close to her and she smelt the lust on his breath.
“Too late bitch”
Kate screamed, but the hand slammed down on her helpless face once more as his other hand loosened his belt.
Her scream faded away into desperate silence as the dreadful deed was done.

Tammy phoned and phoned but she wouldn’t answer. He was worried. She’d said she’d be waiting by the door for him but she hadn’t been there. Now an hour had gone by and still no word from her. Was it something he’d said?? But no…Kate wasn’t like that. If there was a problem you’d know.
He’d sent 7 texts and rung her countless times, but nothing.
Eventually he got consumed by a crap film showing on one of the freebie channels with Sky, and by the time his phone did buzz, he hadn’t noticed how most of the night had gone by. He must have fallen asleep.
He answered the phone, only noticing in his hurry to talk to his girlfriend at the last minute that it was Ash from work calling. At 5.30am on a Monday? Could only be one thing…he’d forgotten what time he was in. Again.
“Alright Ash?”
“Tammy. Missing something?”
Icy fear coursed through his body as last night came flooding back. He sat in stunned silence. He thought he knew what Ash meant, but couldn’t quite believe it. Why would Ash do something like that? But something in his voice…
In one second he saw Kate’s pale face flash through his mind and he heard the simmering gluttony in Ash’s voice and things began to hurt.
“Fucking hell Ash. What have you done??” Desperation consumed him. How had he let Kate be left open to such danger? He’d known that Ash was a jealous guy. But this was too far. She was just another girl to him, after so many, why did she matter so much to him?
“Where is she? If there’s so much as a scratch on her you’re a dead man. Quit playing games fool, it ain’t funny.”
“Oh she’s safe, don’t you worry. You can come find her Tammy, don’t you worry; we had a nice little sleepover here.” There was a mocking laugh in his voice. This was sick.
“The centre?? Are you kidding?”
He was on his feet trying to keep him talking while getting his things together and finding his uniform and security ID to get him in.
He jerked open the front door as Ash smirked, “See y’in a few!”
Tammy could have sworn he’d heard Kate whimpering in the background.

Luckily Tammy literally lived next to the precinct, so it didn’t take him long to get in. He dashed madly into the centre looking frantically around him. But he knew she wouldn’t be anywhere that obvious. It would have to be somewhere out of reach of the CCTV so Ash wouldn’t be caught that way. The blood pounded in his head as he fought to think logically.
He yanked his phone out of his pocket and rang Kate. It rang and rang and rang. Eventually it went through to voicemail and Tammy gave up on that idea. After all, that would be too easy.
He marched into the nearest core corridor he could find (2) and raced up the stairs and along until he joined core corridor 1 and eventually made it to the control room, bursting through the door in fury. Ash was sitting watching the cameras by himself, in utter silence. He didn’t even so much as blink when Tammy barged in loudly, breathing through his teeth in desperation and frustration at not being able to do anything to save his girlfriend. Give him a muscle job and it would be fine, but this dancing around playing games…this was not fair.
Anger consumed him and he flew across the room and smacked Ash square in the side of his face. He toppled off the computer chair as Tammy slid himself across it and landed on top of the slit-eyed Ash. They were both breathing heavily now, and Ash looked slightly winded.
“Tell me where she is, tosser. You’re ganna pay a heavy price as it is”
Ash spat in Tammy’s face. There was another small tussle as Tammy went to smack Ash in the face again but Ash managed to block it. Using the arm he’d used to block the blow he struggled to get Tammy off him but didn’t manage it. Tammy was a bulk weight on top of him.
As they stared unblinkingly into each other’s eyes, a noise sounded. An intermittent buzzing sound: buzz-buzz-buzz. Tammy’s phone was ringing.
He scrabbled frantically with his free arm and yanked it out of his pocket and gazed at the screen in disbelief. Kate had obviously managed to get to her phone somehow.
He continued to stare spitefully into Ash’s eyes as he answered it.
“Kate? Is that you??”
“Yes!” said a desperate, weak voice at the other end of the line.
Ash’s eyes were wide. Something was simmering beneath the unfathomable browline.
“Where are you? What did he do?? Are you OK???”
All the questions came pouring out as Ash made another bid for freedom. There was yet another struggle and the phone fell out of Tammy’s hand. They both swore a lot as they rolled about on the floor. Ash brought a foot up and in a purely nasty move kicked Tammy straight in the head. He instinctively rolled into a ball and lay still as Ash leaned suavely forward and picked up the phone lying on the floor.
“Kate?”
Silence.
“I know you’re there. I can hear your breathing…”
More silence.
“Seems you somehow escaped from the chair and reached your phone…I shouldn’t have left it there. But not to worry. I’ll just have to come down there and tie you back up. You’ll learn one way or the other.”
He stretched and stood up as he hung up. The bitterness filled him as he stared at the still form of his colleague lying there. No one took his property. All the girls here were his property. How dare he. At least this way he’d learn a lesson as well. Albeit the hard way.

He pocketed the phone and gave Tammy a final kick in the neck, making his head spring back in reflex. Apart from that, he didn’t move. Ash turned and marched out the door. Time to do away with the evidence it seemed. This was the best bit.

As Ash left the room, slamming the door, Tammy rolled over. God that had hurt. Hurt like hell. But at least he was gone now. He struggled to his feet slowly, his clothes dishevelled and there was a nasty patch of reddish-brown on his side. He must have cut himself at some point. Either that or Ash was bleeding and had left a stain. He didn’t have time to investigate now though, he had a mission to accomplish. Mission save his girlfriend from an evil obsessive rapist.

He silently reopened the door and crept out. He prayed it wouldn’t be too hard to catch up with Ash. Luckily it wasn’t. At the T-junction he could see the dark head hurrying away, moving fast without quite running. Tammy could see the guilt even in the back of his head. Remotivated, he bowed his head and hurried after the disappearing semi-silhouette.

He reached the door that his prey had just slipped through. He could hear moving about inside, and Tammy stood silently just outside, listening hard, his breathing short and sharp. Something heavy was being moved, a large bulk weight by the sounds of it. He prayed against hope that it wasn’t what logic was telling him it would be.
There was silence for a moment. Then a little bit more scuffling. The desire to just charge in there was growing; he wished he’d thought to bring a weapon.
He peeped round the corner. Luckily the door was open just enough to see what was happening. There was a big black holdall-style bag on the floor. It was still. That was enough to drive Tammy over the edge and for the second time he raged into the room, taking Ash by surprise. He looked up from the bag to stare straight into Tammy’s clear green eyes with his own murky dark ones. A smirk crossed his lips as Tammy made a dive for the bag that he was dragging up onto his shoulders so he could carry it easier.
“Where are you taking her?!” he screamed as Ash brandished a knife at him to warn him off.
“Any closer and this goes in the bag with your girlie…” he threatened menacingly.
Tammy just stood there, nothing but horror flooding his mind.
What now?
“Right…” muttered Ash, turning around and lowering the bag. He picked up the rest of the duct-tape. Tammy ran for the door. But he was too late; Ash grabbed him and with the handle of the knife knocked him over the head. Pain and blackness consumed him.

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When Tammy awoke, he couldn’t see. There was nothing at all to indicate what had happened. He lay there, tied to the table flat on his back, his hands and feet strapped to the table. Eventually, his brain kicked into gear and he could see the ceiling. And everything else. It was with mild surprise that he noticed Kate staring down at him from above. It appeared she had been taped to the ceiling.
Tammy’s brain kicked further into motion. The memories came flooding back.
“The bag?? You were in there! He was going to take you away…” yelled Tammy.
“No. I was never in the bag. It was a red herring. To get you in the room, to…He had my mouth gagged, then after you were strapped down he took the gag out.”
Kate’s tears splashed onto Tammy’s head. His mind was reeling with confusion.
“Kate, do you know why he’s doing all this? Do you??”
“No. He’s messed in the head though.”
“What did he do to you Kate?” asked Tammy.
“Can we discuss that later?”
“I guess I have no choice.”
There were a few moments’ silence.
“Well, what are we going to do now?” asked Tammy with a sigh, letting the craziness of the situation just take him.
“We’re going to die” said Kate.
Tammy stared up at his girlfriend in shock.
“Don’t be so pess-…”
“I’m serious. Look if you can. Look over by the door.”
Tammy tilted his head as much as he could and looked. There was a big can of what was clearly petrol. A piece of thread – a fuse if you will – wound out under the door.
Tammy understood.
“Oh God.” He muttered.
“You’ve been out almost an hour I reckon. I don’t know what Ash has told Mick…”
Mick was the head of security. He would of course be wondering just where Tammy had got to.
As they spoke, they heard footsteps just outside the door. Tammy froze with fear and looked up at Kate, straight in the eye. For a moment they were joined together, even without touching. Words were not necessary.
They both watched as the fuse was rapidly eaten up by the hungry flame, gathering velocity right to the point where it rose up and disappeared into the can of fuel.

************************************************************************

Out in the main precinct, business was just beginning. The shops were open and customers were just starting to enter the mall and there was a nice atmosphere. The sun was shining in through the glass roofs, reflecting off the nice shimmering floor.
The boom however shattered the atmosphere as the building shook and the fire alarms ripped their ear-shattering racket right through the centre. Customers looked around and began to run for the doors, screaming in panic as cracks appeared in the floors and toxic smoke filled the air. The shop owners not following suit got on the phone to security to establish what the situation was.
But there was no one there.

************************************************************************

Ash was arrested just 3 days later. He didn’t even bother to argue. He seemed to be completely resigned to the charge of double murder. The bodies, charred but still identifiable via dental prints had been recovered by the forensics team from the wreckage of the shopping centre. The entire basement and bottom floor had burnt down, leaving the upper floors to collapse on top. It was unredeemable.
It had been a complete disaster. Yet luckily no one else had died other than Tammy and Kate; others in the core corridors had suffered from toxic smoke inhalation and some severe burns but no more than that fortunately.
What did most damage was the realisation of what had happened. And that it had been caused by someone both loved and trusted. No one would have thought it possible.
Security, they said. Will we ever feel safe again?