off the ground.
‘You fucking bastard. How could you? How could you?’ Jack was barely coherent, his spittle flecking the stunned sergeant’s face.
Slater’s head lolled backwards, the effect of Molly’s terrible blow leaving him almost senseless. Yet the sergeant was still conscious, his dark eyes full of hatred. Looking in their dark depths was like staring into the very pits of hell.
Exhausted and sick to his soul, Jack let go of Slater’s collar and turned to face Molly. He reached out a hand, his fingers tracing the outline of the puffy red mark on her cheek.
Molly didn’t make a sound. She swayed on her feet and Jack reached out instinctively to steady her. He saw the panic in her eyes as she felt his touch and she flinched away, pulling backwards, holding her torn blouse together and hiding her bruised flesh from view.
Her eyes were blank. Jack had never seen such a haunted expression, the sparkle of life he found so appealing in her extinguished by the horror of what she had endured.
Jack reached out with his free hand again, moving it slowly until it came to rest on her arm.
‘It’s alright, Molly. I’m here. You’re safe now.’
She looked up. Her mouth moved but no sound came out. He could feel her body tremble under his touch.
‘My, oh my. What a touching scene.’ Slater rolled awkwardly on to his shoulder before getting to his feet.
Jack saw Molly’s hands tighten their grip on her clothes, her terror bubbling to the surface as she heard the voice of her tormenter.
‘Now the fun can begin.’ Slater walked slowly to the laundry-room door and pushed it shut. His fingers searched the back of the door for the bolt, his eyes never leaving Jack. He found the bolt and shot it across, locking the door. This time there would be no interruptions.
‘You want to watch, Lark?’ Slater stood facing them. He lifted a finger to his ear, his face creasing in concern at the blood he found coming out of it. ‘You want to watch me as I take my pleasure? Because I don’t reckon you’re man enough to stop me. You tried and I beat you easy. It was only thanks to that bitch that I didn’t finish you off.’
Jack’s anger burned but he felt fear clenching his heart.
He turned and looked at Molly. Her face was ghostly white.
‘I’m so sorry.’ Jack gently pushed Molly backwards, holding her elbows to manoeuvre her away.
Slater threw back his head and laughed. ‘That’s it. You just keep out the way, miss, and get ready for me. It won’t take long for me to deal with young Lark here.’
‘You fucking bastard.’
Slater greeted the insult in stony silence. His laughter was gone. ‘Shut your muzzle. It’s time to teach you a lesson. And this time I don’t expect it will be one you will forget in a hurry.’
‘No!’ Molly’s scream did nothing to stop the two men. Jack threw himself forward, moving with a speed that the larger, bulkier sergeant could not hope to match. Like a backstreet prizefighter, Jack came at his opponent, darting his right hand forward, aiming to strike before Slater could react.
Still dazed from Molly’s wild blow with the dolly paddle, Slater was slow, his movements ponderous. Jack’s fist struck him on the cheek, snapping his head to one side. The left hand struck a heartbeat later, catching him on the point of his chin. Slater reeled, hurt by the twin blows. His counter-punches were slow and Jack easily avoided them, dancing to one side, letting Slater’s fists pass by his face before darting back in to land more punches on the sergeant’s massive torso.
‘Come on!’ Jack screamed his challenge as his fists struck twice more. He was aware of nothing save for the huge target that stumbled around in front of him. He had no notion if Molly had fled or if she still cowered in the corner of the room and at that moment he did not care. Nothing mattered except the need to fight, the need to pound Slater into the ground.
Jack hit out, striking Slater from every
‘You fucking bastard. How could you? How could you?’ Jack was barely coherent, his spittle flecking the stunned sergeant’s face.
Slater’s head lolled backwards, the effect of Molly’s terrible blow leaving him almost senseless. Yet the sergeant was still conscious, his dark eyes full of hatred. Looking in their dark depths was like staring into the very pits of hell.
Exhausted and sick to his soul, Jack let go of Slater’s collar and turned to face Molly. He reached out a hand, his fingers tracing the outline of the puffy red mark on her cheek.
Molly didn’t make a sound. She swayed on her feet and Jack reached out instinctively to steady her. He saw the panic in her eyes as she felt his touch and she flinched away, pulling backwards, holding her torn blouse together and hiding her bruised flesh from view.
Her eyes were blank. Jack had never seen such a haunted expression, the sparkle of life he found so appealing in her extinguished by the horror of what she had endured.
Jack reached out with his free hand again, moving it slowly until it came to rest on her arm.
‘It’s alright, Molly. I’m here. You’re safe now.’
She looked up. Her mouth moved but no sound came out. He could feel her body tremble under his touch.
‘My, oh my. What a touching scene.’ Slater rolled awkwardly on to his shoulder before getting to his feet.
Jack saw Molly’s hands tighten their grip on her clothes, her terror bubbling to the surface as she heard the voice of her tormenter.
‘Now the fun can begin.’ Slater walked slowly to the laundry-room door and pushed it shut. His fingers searched the back of the door for the bolt, his eyes never leaving Jack. He found the bolt and shot it across, locking the door. This time there would be no interruptions.
‘You want to watch, Lark?’ Slater stood facing them. He lifted a finger to his ear, his face creasing in concern at the blood he found coming out of it. ‘You want to watch me as I take my pleasure? Because I don’t reckon you’re man enough to stop me. You tried and I beat you easy. It was only thanks to that bitch that I didn’t finish you off.’
Jack’s anger burned but he felt fear clenching his heart.
He turned and looked at Molly. Her face was ghostly white.
‘I’m so sorry.’ Jack gently pushed Molly backwards, holding her elbows to manoeuvre her away.
Slater threw back his head and laughed. ‘That’s it. You just keep out the way, miss, and get ready for me. It won’t take long for me to deal with young Lark here.’
‘You fucking bastard.’
Slater greeted the insult in stony silence. His laughter was gone. ‘Shut your muzzle. It’s time to teach you a lesson. And this time I don’t expect it will be one you will forget in a hurry.’
‘No!’ Molly’s scream did nothing to stop the two men. Jack threw himself forward, moving with a speed that the larger, bulkier sergeant could not hope to match. Like a backstreet prizefighter, Jack came at his opponent, darting his right hand forward, aiming to strike before Slater could react.
Still dazed from Molly’s wild blow with the dolly paddle, Slater was slow, his movements ponderous. Jack’s fist struck him on the cheek, snapping his head to one side. The left hand struck a heartbeat later, catching him on the point of his chin. Slater reeled, hurt by the twin blows. His counter-punches were slow and Jack easily avoided them, dancing to one side, letting Slater’s fists pass by his face before darting back in to land more punches on the sergeant’s massive torso.
‘Come on!’ Jack screamed his challenge as his fists struck twice more. He was aware of nothing save for the huge target that stumbled around in front of him. He had no notion if Molly had fled or if she still cowered in the corner of the room and at that moment he did not care. Nothing mattered except the need to fight, the need to pound Slater into the ground.
Jack hit out, striking Slater from every
Similar Books
