Chapter 4

I awoke through the night to the mattress moving regularly and at first thought Gwen and Nancy were getting it on ... so to speak. Being somewhat curious I turned but could only see Nancy, bottom raised, banging her head on her pillow, mumbling incoherently. In my slightly befuddled state I reached across to offer a squeeze on her arm and give words of comfort, only for Nancy to scream as if all hell were following her. She launched a savage attack on me, hitting, kicking, biting and finally trying to drive her fingernails into my eyes. I desperately tried to fight her off without hurting her, as I realised my error in waking her from a fugue state in which she was finally reliving her rape and degradation.

"Oh fuck!" I gasped as her knee managed to slam home on the crown jewels. Gwen moved in to assist and dragged the still screaming and struggling Nancy backwards onto the bed again.

Struggling even to focus my eyes, I grabbed the quilt and threw it over the raving woman and wrapped my arms around her and placed all my weight down which finally got a measure of control over Nancy.

The light came on as Jenny and Laurel rushed into the room to see me holding a still furiously struggling Nancy down whilst Gwen was holding a hand over her eye and looked as if she'd been caught by Nancy's elbow.

"Are you OK?" I gasped out at her, merely getting a nod as she pulled herself together.

"Dad!" came Laurel's cry. "You're bleeding all over the place!"

"Just surface wounds I think," I moaned as the ache in my balls was still almost overwhelming me.

Nancy's struggles were becoming fewer now and the venom, spitting in the form of words, from her mouth was becoming more coherent and I took the chance of pulling the quilt away to see a blotchy face, tear stained and ugly in both wrath and grief.

"Oh, my love," sighed Gwen as she took Nancy into her arms and the sobs and cries renewed, though now with a purpose and true remorse.

"I'll go and clean myself up," I said

On hearing my voice Nancy scrambled backwards knocking Gwen over. She appeared to be trying to push her way out of the back wall of the room, a look of stark terror on her face.

"Oh Jesus," I sighed quietly as I left the room, realising I'd seen this sort of thing before in shell-shocked soldiers and civilians caught up in war zones.

Outside both Jenny and Laurel came up to me and looked to give me a hug, but decided to wait until I'd had a shower first. It was only when I went into the bathroom that I realised I was naked and neither of them had batted an eyelid.

Again the shower was no fun at all, but I was relieved to see both Jenny and Laurel with the first aid kit and both of them started patching up my upper body from the superficial bites and scratches upon it. My lower body was now discreetly hidden behind a towel.

"Wow, Dad. She looked really bad," said Laurel quietly as she applied the spray-on bandage.

"Fugue state," I replied. "One of the stages when you're suffering from it, is the rebuilding of a whole new personality and life whilst suffering from amnesia over the trauma that caused it. Frankly her therapist should have spotted it, assuming Nancy simply didn't stop going. As it is, she's coming out of it and it's not going to be pleasant for her and she's not going to like a man around for the moment."

"Back to square one then?" asked Jenny.

"Possibly, though with Gwen here, perhaps not," I replied.

"We'll try to be extra nice to her, assuming she ventures out of your room," said Laurel.

"Good. Oh and happy birthday, Jenny," I said.

"Thanks, Dad," she replied and gave me a hug.

"Want your present?" I asked.

"Yes please," she replied, almost bouncing in excitement.

I went to a locked cupboard and brought out a wooden box that I'd sanded and varnished to the point where it almost appeared to glow.

"It's beautiful, Dad," Jenny breathed as she ran her fingers over it.

"Open it," I said with a smile.

"Er how?" she asked after trying to push and tilt where a join could be seen.

I twisted the lid slightly and it popped open on hidden hinges to reveal a jewellery box, with a small velvet bag inside. Jenny opened it and a golden locket spilled out onto her palm.

"Oh, this is beautiful," she said and opened it to find it empty.

"You can choose your own pictures, little one," I said.

"I will, and thank you, Dad. This and the box is ... is ... just wow!" she said.

"Thank you," I replied. "Took me nearly six months to make the box."

"You made this?" Jenny said in wonder.

"Yes, although having you here saved me on postage," I chuckled.

"Oh, I'd love something like that," sighed Laurel.

"Wait till you're sixteen and you can have yours," I replied.

"It's made?" she said.

"Yes," I replied.

"Same as Jenny's?"

"No," I chuckled.

"Aw, that's ages to wait," she pouted then giggled.

"What about my other present?" asked Jenny.

"Other present?" I asked with a frown, though I knew what she meant really.

"Like the one you gave Laurel last night," giggled Jenny.

"Oh, that present," I said with a smile.

"Yes, that present," giggled Jenny.

"Tonight," I replied.

"Good," she said and gave me a soft kiss whilst I hoped Nancy hadn't done any serious damage down below.

I grabbed a spare towel and took it to the office and put it down on the cot before settling myself down for the rest of the night, glancing at the clock which showed it was just after 2 am.

I awoke at dawn and for a few seconds savoured the comfort and warmth of the cot before the aches and pains set in. Worst were the scratches and bites some of which were slightly inflamed and tender to the touch. Fortunately I did have a morning horn and although tender, my groin did not appear to have suffered anything other than slight bruising, something which would hopefully be under control with painkillers.

Realising that my robe and slippers were still in my room I rummaged through the ironing basket for some temporary clothing and pulled on an old pair of trainers before setting the coffee maker on and patiently waiting for my first caffeine hit of the day. I also defrosted some of my sausages and placed them in the oven to slow cook to have in rolls for breakfast. Once done, I went out on the porch to consider my duties for the day, deciding to spend a good deal of time catching up with the trails I'd missed since the family arrived.

Ten minutes later I was joined by Gwen who looked tired and strained as well as sporting a very impressive black eye.

"Oh, my Lady," I said as I went over to look and found her in my arms, trembling slightly with the stresses of the previous evening clearly still affecting her.

"Oh, David. I've never seen her like that! It was horrible. She's always been so in control," Gwen sighed.

I explained my theory to her and she nodded.

"It fits what we can see. But as to whether it's the whole story, I don't know. As it is, it took a while to settle her down and I don't know what's going to happen when she wakes up," Gwen added.

"She'll be safe here, the only man around being me and hopefully she can conquer some of her revulsion at men in time," I said as I put my arm around Gwen's waist and felt her relax into me.

At this point the two girls came through and we sang happy birthday to Jenny both to her delight and embarrassment. Gwen gasped when she saw the present I'd given Jenny, asking at first how much the box had cost and then how long it had taken me to make.

"Six months," I finally told her.

"Oh David, please could you make me one too?" she almost begged.

"Yes my Lady, would be a pleasure. I've got a couple that I'm sanding down now. It's turned into a hobby," I replied and got a very passionate kiss off her in return.

The door opened and Nancy gingerly stepped out on the porch, looking both scared and embarrassed. I nodded to her, watching her flinch, and I moved away to the other end of the porch to allow her to approach Gwen, who took her into her arms. Both the girls moved up to take her into a group hug as they sought to let her know she was still loved.

Finally though, Nancy approached me, looking about as scared as any woman I've ever seen.

"I ... I'm sorry if I hurt you," she apologised almost in a whisper looking at anywhere but me.

"Nancy, dear Lady, you have nothing at all to apologise for. Nor, I assure you, do you have any reason to fear me whilst you stay here. I will always stand between you and any threats, because I now consider you a friend and someone who has been terribly wronged," I said gently to her.

"You think of me as a friend?" she asked looking puzzled.

"Well, I'd hardly try to make love to someone who wasn't my friend," I replied.

"I know, but when I came it just all spilled over and I thought you were just trying to use me, to get one over me, to take Gwen from me and then I remembered what that man and those guys did at long last..." she forced out before bursting into tears.

I must have been a little mad or had a suicidal ingrained courteous nature as I stepped forward to take her in my arms ... admittedly I kept my legs tight together as I did so ... once bitten etc.

"Just give me their names and I will rid the world of them," I said as I gently held her trembling body as Gwen rushed up.

"You ... you can't," she sobbed.

"Oh, but I can, if you tell me to. What they got wasn't justice, not when you'll carry the memories for life," I said firmly.

"David, stop being so melodramatic," said Gwen until she saw the look in my eyes. "You dare, I've found you and you'll do no such thing as I will not lose you again!"

"He ... he would?" asked Nancy.

"God help me, yes, he would. But please, my love, don't ask. I want you both in my life and in my bed," Gwen sighed.

Nancy's trembling slowly stilled and she held me closely as her fears for the moment quietened.

"Thank you, David, but no," she finally said.

"The offer will always remain open, my lovely friend, and I will always stand between you and trouble for as long as you want me to," I said quietly to her.

"I'll treasure that, David," she said, tears still flowing but a slight smile on her face.

Eventually I left her with Gwen as I needed to go out and catch up with my work. I so needed a shower and get breakfast on the go.

"Can I go with you, Dad?" asked Laurel.

"If you don't have schoolwork, yes. But it won't be easy as I'll be setting a good pace," I replied.

"I'll try to keep up, Dad, If it's too much I'll stop at lunch time," she said after getting the nod from Gwen.

"What about you, birthday girl?" I asked.

"Going to stay here and help out," she replied.

Breakfast was fine, although Nancy still gave the impression of being about to bolt whenever I so much as looked at her and I just hoped that Gwen and Jenny could get her to the stage of being secure around me.

Afterwards I slung my shotgun on my shoulder and also handed Laurel the crossbow and a quiver of quarrels for it, including a bag of alternative tips.

"Planning on trouble?" she asked.

"Not really but pest control is part of my job too," I replied.

"Oh, right," she said making a slight face.

"Don't worry, apart from mink and the odd rat, most of it is edible," I chuckled.

"Yuk, but such is life," she replied with a slight grin as we went out of the door.

I did set a hard pace, but Laurel managed to keep up with me, though because I was doing the equivalent of an army yomp there was little wildlife to see. Still I was keeping notes of things requiring the attention of the loggers or professionals. With Laurel's help I was able to heave some rocks off a trail that had washed down, partially blocking it, but otherwise there was little else for me to do. I did check some of the more remote cabins, but as it was very early in the year there were no tourists or others seeking isolation in my neck of the woods. Finally we started to turn back when I held up my hand to halt Laurel.

"We're being watched," I said.

"Where?" she replied looking around but not sure what she was looking for.

"Over there," I said pointing.

"I can't see anyone or anything,"

"It's Sam, the guy I told you about yesterday and he's just to the right of that large tree beside the rocks," I said.

"I see the tree and the rocks, but I don't see anyone," she replied confused.

"You'll see," I said with a smile and headed towards the rocks.

For all Laurel was expecting to see someone, she still started when Sam waved and approached us.

"Bloody hell, he blended in well," she gasped.

"Only if you don't know what you're looking for," I said.

"Morning, David," Sam said as he got close enough.

"Morning, Sam. Bit off your beaten track," I replied.

"I was coming up to see you, but heard you from a mile away and wondered who it was," he replied.

"Bit of catching up to do what with making time for my family," I replied. "This is my youngest, Laurel."

"Pleased to meet you, bonny lass," Sam greeted her.

"Pleased to meet you too, Mr..." she began.

"Oh, it's just Sam between you and me, lass," Sam chuckled.

"So Sam, problems?" I asked.

"Aye, that cop turned up and asked about your women. You were right, he's dodgy, a real cop but Northumbria is not his Manor. Told him I hadn't seen them but there were a number of isolated cabins up near the top end of the lake where people went on retreats and like as not they were up there if someone had seen them. He left after getting me to show him where on a map. Said he needed to bring up a few support guys and would be back tomorrow as it was getting late," Sam explained.

"Thanks, Sam," I replied, knowing where the cabins were and how isolated they were too, come to that.

"Mean to do your women harm?" he asked.

"I think so, the eldest daughter is due to testify against a pimp and said pimp wants to persuade her otherwise. Tried burning their house down as a starting negotiation," I told him.

"Need someone to cover your back?" he asked.

"Doubt Emma will like it," I replied.

"Wasn't asking her. I asked you," he said with a wry smile.

"You realise, if they are trouble they won't be getting out alive," I said.

"Good, I like permanent solutions," he replied and shook my hand.

"Bring your shotgun, but mostly we'll use the crossbows as it's quieter," I said.

Sam just nodded, like me he was ex-military and no stranger to dealing with awkward customers.

"Once dealt with, you owe me and Emma a visit," he said.

"Bringing my Lady, her friend and the girls down to meet your family, I promise," I said with a slight smile.

"Good, because if they all look like young Laurel here then my lads will be thrilled," Sam chuckled.

"Well, they take after their Mum, thank God," I chuckled. "But Nancy, the friend, is a hell of a looker too."

"Nancy might not come, Dad," said Laurel. "She's not into company at the moment."

"Cross that bridge when we come to it and it's about time I met Sam's family," I said.

"Too bloody right. Emma's been giving me earache over that for the last three years. Hell, it took a year before I met you and even then it was because you were distracted and didn't hear my approach," Sam said with a grin.

"Well, hopefully those days are over, so if this matter is dealt with, we'll see you the following night, Sam." I said.

"You're a good man, David," Sam returned.

"As are you, mate," I replied as we parted ways.

It was only after we were out of earshot that Laurel finally decided to ask a few questions, which had me admiring her restraint in not questioning me in front of a man she didn't really know.

"Are you serious about killing anyone who comes up looking for us, Dad?" she asked.

"Yes. I know these types. The law to them is just an inconvenience to get around one way or another," I replied.

"But what if you get caught?" she responded.

"I won't and neither will Sam. This is our territory, not some inner city jungle," I said.

"But they'll have guns won't they?" Laurel asked.

"Won't do them any good if they do."

"How?"

"Well, you need something to aim at when shooting someone and I suspect they'll be a bit like you and not see what's right in front of their faces," I replied.

"I didn't see him at all until he moved," said Laurel.

"I only saw him because he wanted to be seen," I chuckled. "One of my jobs in the army was to train insurgents in various lethal techniques. I suspect Sam was into something along similar lines in Special Forces. You can tell by their eyes. A good few end up as forest rangers as we don't like towns and cities too much."

"So we're safe with you?" she asked.

"Safer," I replied.

"Good. I hope Ali is amongst them. I never liked him. For all he was supposed to be with Jenny, his eyes were always all over me too," Laurel admitted.

"That won't be why I kill him though," I said.

"I know, but it's reason enough for me to hope you do," she said grimly.

"My wonderful little Amazon," I chuckled.

"Like father like daughter," she giggled.

"Yep, but not a word to your mother. She will accept it after the fact, but can be a real pain if she knows what my intentions are," I said.

"I saw that when you promised to go after Nancy's tormentors," Laurel replied.

"That's on hold until Nancy asks me," I said.

"Think she will?" laurel asked.

"Hope so," I replied. "Anyone who can do that to a helpless woman doesn't deserve to live ... or breed if Nancy says not to kill them."

"I love you, Dad, but boy am I going to be careful about bringing a boyfriend home to meet you," Lauren giggled.