Chapter 19: Rescuing Anita

George Smart and Deacon Robert Ramsay neglected an important factor in their dissolute business and one of the subjects of their discussions was making some arrangements of her own.

Rita Gonzales had been terribly distressed by her employer's actions. She had known when she went to the hotel room with him that he was going to take advantage of her. When he kissed her down below however, she fell in love with him. It had been tremendously exciting and she was sure that none of the macho guys she knew would ever do that to a girl. Then, when he made her do the same thing for him it wasn't the same. She felt humiliated.

But it wasn't so bad, she told herself after two weeks of doing Mr. Ramsay's bidding. The apartment was much nicer than the room she'd had when she was just a worker in Mr. Ramsay's factory. And it wasn't like she'd been a virgin. She'd given that away for free. And the men who came to her apartment now had all been polite and gentle.

But for her cousin Anita it would be different. She was young and innocent, maybe even a virgin. Rita just knew that it would be disastrous for her young cousin if Mr. Ramsay did the same things to Anita that he'd done to her. And she'd seen the evil glint in his eye when he'd spotted the girl leaving her apartment. How was she going to stop it from happening?

The potential solution came from one of the older girls who had an apartment in the same building as Rita and who, like Rita, was a puta. Elvira Lopez came from the same town as Rita but was seven years older. She was quite happy with her arrangement but she also managed to squirrel away tips over and above the official rate for her services.

"I know what you mean, Rita. For a girl as young as your cousin it would be awful. And if you go to the police the immigration people will get her... and likely you too. But I got an idea."

"What, Elvira? What can I do?"

"Here in this country sometimes churches will help. They'll keep people safe and the law can't get at them... at least not the immigration people. So in a church Anita might be safe until things get better."

Rita had been going to the CoR services because that church was close to where she'd lived... and to where her new apartment was. Would that church help? There was a new priest... minister... and he seemed to be kind and gentle. It was worth a try.

The shapely shop girl looked at the big oak door at the front of the church. She'd heard that the church heard confessions but it still wasn't Catholic. Maybe she could confess to the... the minister or whatever he was and she wouldn't dishonour her parents who had left the Catholic Church because they thought the priests were bad men.

It was too late she knew for herself. She had stupidly and greedily gone along with Mr. Ramsay's plans for her. She knew she was being just a puta but it didn't really matter. Nobody would know and she'd have extra money to send home for her little brothers and sister. But for her cousin Anita it was different.

Anita was fifteen years old and helpless in a strange country. Rita wasn't sure how to proceed but she pushed the door open and went in. Once inside the large entryway she looked for a sign or something and then saw a small arrow discreetly pointing to the right. She went in that direction.

Reverend James Gillis was sitting behind his desk feeling pleasantly fatigued from his last session with the lovely college girl, Daphne. He should feel guilty; he knew but if it hadn't been him it would have been another who likely would have been less gentle and caring. He heard the timid knock at the door and said, "Come in. It's not locked."

He recognized the shapely girl immediately. She was a bit on the plump side but he liked them that way and he almost slapped himself for having that kind of feeling about her. But he remembered her for several reasons.

First, his memory for pretty girls had always been good and now, after Cindy and Daphne it was sensitized. Was every young girl that easy?

Second, he remembered this girl because for the several weeks he'd been here she'd always come to the 10 AM service on Sunday and the 7 PM prayer meeting on Thursday. Both services were not well attended, especially by the younger members of the congregation.

Third, he had seen a remarkable transformation in this girl during a period of no more than a month. At first she'd looked like an immigrant worker at Deacon Ramsay's plant. Then, each time she came her clothing improved until today when she was attired in designer clothes from her Ralph Lauren top to her Gucci shoes. What had happened?

"Welcome," JJ said as he got up and held out his hand. The girl shook his hand limply and sat primly on the straight chair in front of the big desk. "Now my dear, what can I do for you?"

"Uh... I've been committing a sin and... like... I need to confess."

"I see. Then we should use the confessional, my dear. But first, what is your name?"

"Uh... I'm Rita, Sir. Rita Gonzales."

"Well then, Rita, go back out into the hallway. There's a smaller door to the right of the door to this office. That's the Confessional. Go in and sit down and I'll hear what you have to say."

Rita remembered how awful her last confession had been... when her family was still in the Catholic Church. It was right after she'd let a boy go all the way with her, when she was twelve and just developing breasts. The priest had made her tell him everything in detail and made her undress and show him where the boy had put himself inside her. But then all the priest did was to tell her to light a candle and pray.

She sat on the low stool and waited for the little sliding panel to be opened, shuddering at the memory of the look in the priest's eyes... the same look as she'd seen in Mr. Ramsay's eyes when he spied Anita.

"Now my dear, what terrible sins have you been committing?"

The girl jumped with surprise when she heard the minister's deep voice but he sounded nice, she thought. Maybe he'd be kind to her.

"Uh Father... er Reverend... I... I sell my body. I didn't want to... not at first, but I didn't have a choice. But now I'm doing it because I want the money and the fine things it gets me."

"I see," the minister said softly as he studied her well dressed, shapely form. "How long have you been... selling yourself?"

"It's been more than two weeks, Sir. There's been a lot of men... maybe thirty or more."

"Why did you start? You said you had no choice.

"It was Mr. Ramsay... he's my boss and he made me do it with him. And then he made me do it with other men. But he's been good to me too. I got a nice apartment and I get to keep some of what the men pay to... you know?"

The Reverend James J. Gillis could not believe what he'd just heard. His one time brother in law and a deacon of this church was a pimp.

"Hmmm... yes, what you're doing is a sin but... one of Jesus' friends... a very important one... Mary Magdalene had done what you're doing. And I haven't heard you say that you're not going to do it any more. Are you?"

"Oh Sir... I can't stop... Meester Ramsay will tell the immigration people about me if I stop. And he has pictures of me that... they're awful. And... like... I want the nice things and the money."

"I understand, my dear. But if you're not going to stop sinning then you shouldn't be here." I wonder if that bastard Ramsay will ever confess. Not bloody likely.

"Uh... well... I have a big problem that you... your church may be able to help with?"

"Come back to the office, Rita. We'll talk there."

Jim got a soft drink from the fridge in the room next to his office and when the girl came back in he handed it to her. He had a soft spot for hookers since Sally had taken care of his need for a long time. But since he became a minister he'd found other more enjoyable sources of sexual comfort.

"Now my dear, what is your problem?"

"It's my cousin Anita... Anita Gonzales. She's only fifteen but she's a big girl and she looks older. She's going to school and boarding with a friend of mine, one of the girls from the clothes factory where I used to work. Anyway, Mr. Ramsay saw her leaving my place two days ago and... like, he's been asking me a lot of questions about her. I know what he's planning... he wants to make her a puta too, like he done with me... and she's only fifteen. He told me to get her to go to the hotel room where... where he did me. He wants to do her too and then he'll make her... you know."