Chapter 16

It was a week before her college was supposed to start when she called me in the middle of the day, sounding a bit distressed.

"Do you have everything OK, Honey Bun?"

"Yeah, Daddy, I'm OK. Look, have you heard about Ryan?"

"Only from Sean that he's having some wild times now, but that he is otherwise okay, why?"

"Oh, I just talked to Madi. She asked if you could come here and visit the office."

"Sure, right now?"

"As soon as it's okay for you."

I wondered for a moment what was going on. My sessions with Kath had become less frequent. I was quite sure that they would run to an end at some point, but for some reason I didn't think that it would be about that. But why did Mina ask about Ryan?

When I got to the office, I was surprised that there was neither Mina nor Madison to greet me. Instead, one of the office workers guided me to a small dark room with a wall of glass and a table. She made me a gesture to remain silent. Then she pressed some buttons on a remote that was in her hand and pressed a switch that was fixed in the table. Only then did I notice that through the glass I could see Mina and Madi sitting with young woman who looked like a wreck. It took me a minute to recognize Amanda, the girl who had been Ryan's fiancée, but who had cheated him the day before Mina's graduation. My thoughts were interrupted by Madi's voice that came through some hidden speakers.

"Amanda, could you please tell us one more time what happened that evening?"

"But I already told you."

"I know, but sometimes there may be something new that comes to your mind that might then help us and you."

"I cannot see how that would help."

But she told her story, anyhow. That evening when she had been helping Helen with Donna, the twins were meeting their old buddies. They were having a 'boys day out': a few beers, and looking for some macho sports. They wouldn't be in any shape to drive home afterwards, either. She was fine with that and she was happy to be able to be there to help Helen, because she liked Mina and they got along very well. She didn't like the guy who had been helping Helen, and she couldn't understand how Donna was able to flirt with him. Once Mina saw that; she left the area, went to her room, and locked the door. Amanda hoped that she could have done the same, but she stayed downstairs and helped Helen with some final preparations.

At some point the guy who had been helping to raise the pavilions came to the girls with some drinks. Helen and Donna were happy to get some, and as she didn't want to be the spoilsport she took hers, too. After that things got a bit weird. She had been so thirsty that she drank most of her drink before noticing it. Being a college student she was no stranger to drinks, and the one she had didn't taste like a strong one. But still she started having problems to remember what was happening around her.

After that it was all bits and pieces. She seems to remember that the guy called two of his friends over and they had tried to get Mina to come down and join the party. The she remembered the guys taking turns with all the girls doing everything and that she was like a willing participant even if somewhere inside her she didn't want to. She just had no ways of resisting and saying no.

Early in the morning all the guys had left, and the three women were left there being sore all over and having a terrible headache. Mina looked at all of them with distaste. Donna was like, it was no big deal at all. Helen was mostly embarrassed. Since the guys were gone, and most probably not ever coming back, the other two women made her agree to keep everything that happened a secret. Helen promised that she would talk to Mina.

Then, after Samuel's visit, everything went wrong. Mina flipped and told the twins. Amanda had tried to explain what had happened to Ryan, but he didn't want to listen and broke up with her. She moved away and lived with her friends during the summer. She worked, but by the end of the summer two more things happened. She had to move away, and she found out that she was pregnant. She had no place to live and nobody wanted to talk to her because of the rumors, so she called Mina and used some of the money she had gathered during the summer to come and see her. As soon as Mina heard some of her story, she asked Madi for assistance. Then Madi had thought that I should be informed.

At some point, Mina had looked into the mirror with a pleading look on her face. It took me a few seconds to understand why she looked at me like that, and what she hoped. I could feel my anger rising. A small part of my anger was reflected towards Donna and Helen; and even a small bit towards Ryan, for not listening. But what really happened was that I started thinking. I was still deep in my thoughts when I noticed that Madi had left the adjoined room and was now sitting next to me while Mina was holding a sobbing Amanda. I rose my gaze and looked at Madi.

"How much does it cost to find those guys? I want to hire you."

I was a bit surprised to see that the fire behind Madi's eyes matched mine.

"And what good would it do to beat those guys up? It would not help the poor girl any."

"Who talked about beating them up? I was more thinking about torturing."

The smile I had on my face should have shocked most men away. Madi just smiled a predatory smile matching mine. She looked at me and she closed the door behind her.

"Please tell me more, John."

I told her what I had in my mind.

It turned out that I didn't have to pay a dime. Madi had talked with Kath and she financed the search. Amanda moved in with Kath and Mani, and they helped her to change the college so that she could continue her studies here, at least as long as her pregnancy would allow since she just could not stand the idea of abortion. Even if the information about the guys was quite vague, the office where Madi worked was a very good one and they had very good contacts. They found the guys in two weeks; they might have been able to find them sooner, but we wanted to keep as low a profile as possible. After we had found them, it took us a few more days to make some more preparations.

Then it was time for a long weekend for me, and Kath and Madi.

Mina had agreed with Amanda that she would move to our home so that nobody would get embarrassed. They would go to college together, and probably have a two-girl slumber party during the weekend. Mina's boyfriend wasn't happy, but he understood when she told that she was helping a friend. Yes – he was a good guy.

Almost as soon as I got to Kath's home we picked up several bags, and soon I was with Madi in the back of the van Kath was driving. She drove us to a private airfield and dropped us next to small prop-jet. Before she left, she hugged Madi and then me. I was a bit surprised when she whispered in my ear.

"Please, take care of her any way possible. This is much more important to her than you can ever imagine."

"I promise,"

I whispered back to her.

Madi had carried some of our bags to the plane. I took the rest and followed her. Soon the plane was in the air and I moved next to Madi so that she could start doing her magic.

When I had entered the plane I had been a man in his forties, with some gray in his temples. Madi had been a striking raven-haired beauty. When we got out, I looked almost ten years younger, and my hair was almost blond - not to forget the eyebrows. Madi was a blond, too, but she looked even bustier and perhaps ten years older. She was a prototypical rich bitch, while I was a playboy gentleman.