The women had all jumped up and cowered back when they entered, but when they saw Nibal, they appeared to calm down. That reassured Estelle—slightly. One of them nodded at her. “Yes, I speak a little English.”
“I am getting all of you out of here today, understand?”
The woman’s eyes darted to Nibal and back again. “They’re letting us go?”
“No. I’m letting you go.” She glared at Nibal. “This is horrific! And you let it happen!”
“I was in no position to free them, but you can tell, they do not fear me.”
She looked at the woman who had spoken. “Is that true?”
She nodded, eyes downcast. “Nibal is one of the kinder ones.”
Fire flared along Estelle’s palms as she said to Nibal, “But still a rapist?”
“No! Never. I feed them. I check their injuries. I try to keep them safe.”
“He’s right,” another girl said. “He tries.”
Estelle spelled Nibal back against the wall with a word of power. “It’s not enough.”
“I swear, I did what I could.” Sweat beaded along his brow, pupils dilated with shock. “Are you a witch?”
“That’s my business. When these girls are safe,” Estelle said through gritted teeth, wishing she knew a spell to shrink testicles to dried walnuts, and penises to withered, flaccid skins, “I will burn everyone to ash.”
“And I will help you, I swear.” Nibal had flattened himself against the wall, hands raised. “They are all here. All safe, for now. We need to help my brothers.”
An explosion rocked the building, and some of the girls screamed. Estelle was worried for Barak, but nowhere near as worried as she was for these abused women. She wanted to kill the men responsible, but it was clear it wasn’t Nibal. She dropped her spell. “Tell me the best way to get them out, then you can help your brothers.” She turned to the women. “Grab your belongings. It’s time to go.”
Nibal stepped onto the corridor and pointed up the stairs, back the way they had entered. “Turn left at the top instead of right, and you will find a series of short passageways and a few other storerooms. At the end is a door to the courtyard. It’s locked on the inside.” He thrust keys at her. “There’s a way into the garage; there are cars there, and the gates out to the road.” He flinched as another boom shook the building. “My brothers!”
“Fuck your brothers. Are there any traps on the way out?”
“No! Just locked doors. Lots of them.”
She thrust the keys back at him. “I don’t need these keys, only the car keys. And I want cash.”
“The car keys are in the garage. Cash is all over the house.”
“Down here somewhere?”
“The room above this one. There’s a safe in the wall.”
“You better not be lying, Nibal, or I swear I will kill you before all others, and it will not be swift.”
“I’m not lying.”
She nodded up the stairs. “Go. I will find you when everyone here is safe.”
Nibal fled and she returned to the room. Most of the women were hastily grabbing clothes and toiletries, but two were just sitting rigid with shock. The other women were packing for them.
Estelle approached the woman she had first spoken to. She was young and pretty, but her eyes were shielded, and bruises marked her face and arms. “What’s your name?”
“Chiara.”
“Good.” Estelle realised she was radiating power, and she took a deep breath and calmed down. These women were scared enough. “Can any of you drive, Chiara?”
“I can, and a few others.”
“Are you all Italian?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Some are Spanish, German, French… They took girls travelling alone, mostly.” She clutched Estelle’s hand. “We have nowhere to go, and no money, although,” she glanced at her bag, “I still have my bank cards.”
“I will find you money. Lots of it. You’ll have to look after each other, but I swear that I will help. How long have you been here?”
“A few months, I think. I’ve lost track. Others have been here longer. They took our phones from us.”
Estelle gave Chiara her own key and phone, after entering the directions to their rented villa. “Head here. It’s about half an hour away. It’s safe, and no one else is there. We will return there soon, and I promise to help you. Now, follow me.”
In a few more minutes she had led them up the stairs as Nibal had directed, using magic to open locks, until finally they reached the garage. The half a dozen women squashed into one large four-wheel drive, the stronger women rallying the younger ones along. Estelle opened up the gate and leaned in through the window to Chaira again. “I’ll be with you soon.”
“Will you call the police? I don’t think we can face that.”
“We’ll dispense our own justice, don’t worry about that. Tell me, though…did these men hurt you?” She listed the names of Ozan and his friends.
Chiara shook her head. “It was mainly Jiri, Mikal, Karim, and Pirro. Nibal wasn’t lying. He was kind. So was Ozan.” Her eyes filled with tears. “No one crossed Jiri.”
Estelle nodded, her resolve strengthening as she watched them leave, the car lights disappearing as they rounded a bend, and then turned back to the house. Now, she would unleash her vengeance.
