Monday 21st February 2022 - 1605
The police station was busy and yet unwelcoming. Gina felt unnerved and vulnerable. Ushered to one place and another, her time was one of being moved from one place to another. Eventually, a sympathetic WPC offered her a hot drink and informed them about what will happen next. Finally, Gina was ushered to an interview room that was beige in colour and bare-walled. Only two chairs and a grey table with handcuff recesses on one edge. Gina couldn't shake the feeling of deja-vu. She thought of the security room at the airport. The door opened and two uniformed officers came in and a grey-suited female detective. The detective introduced herself as DC Kurmer. She was a young raven-haired woman, with a caramel skin tone and white, straight teeth.
Gina stood up "What's going on? Have you found Cassie and Molly?" Her voice was tense and sharp," Are my girls safe?" Her mind was racing.
One of the uniformed officers stood close to her "It's okay, we have checked on your daughters. They are all safe." Gina sat down.
"What about Daniel, their father?" Gina added loudly, now feeling acutely aware that the police had other news.
The grey-suited female officer calmed her, with a soft tone in her voice." All are safe."
Gina's tears stung and she mopped up her cheeks with further tissues, provided by a packet offered by the police constable, furnished from a pocket on his stab vest. "Can you answer some questions, now?" The relief of her daughter's safety swept over her. It took a further hour and a half. Gina relayed all she knew and then was, finally, escorted to her grandparent's house. Gina was able to soothe the concerns of her children somewhat. They all huddled on Gina's grandparent's sofa and eventually fell asleep together.
The next day, the girls woke her with a cup of coffee and smiles.
"You're our hero!" The girls chorused. Gina broke down and wept. Daniel, to his credit, left Gina alone with the girls and kept his distance until Gina was ready. They hugged and for the first time in days, Gina allowed the tension in her limbs to relax.
The next few days were the worst in Gina's life. Near constant enquiries regarding the attack, had made Gina tense and anxious. Gina was escorted back to her own house and it had been agreed that her girls and Daniel should stay safely apart from her. She had made an effort to tidy the house and settle her surroundings. She was never alone, an armed WPC and her similarly armed male partner were there with her, then replaced at the end of their shift and then returned. It took her a day to remember their names and attempted to be civil with them. Gina started to feel less threatened. The armed police officer, at her door, didn't make her feel comfortable and found sleep difficult. Then a frighteningly, familiar man re-entered Gina's life.
"Mr Collins!" Gina was shocked to see him, as if out of her dream. He looked exactly as he had done twenty-plus years ago. " What are you doing here?"
"Making certain of your safety, Mrs Caine, I am sorry to be meeting you like this. I am glad you are unhurt," He uttered and smiled thinly.
"Why are you here, Mr Collins?" Gina was tense and her voice taut with emotion. Had her past come back to haunt her?
"Can we talk in private?" Mr Collins asked.
"Of course!" Gina ushered him through to the dining room. Away from the other police personnel.
"I will come straight to the point, Mrs Caine." Mr Collins fished out an Ipad from a soft tan briefcase and showed it to her.
"Two men came in on an incoming flight at Southend Airport and made their way to Chelmsford. We know, they are part of a group, that had German connections."
"Oh, God!" Gina remembered the German connection, from twenty years ago." You mean this is all to do with that?"
"Yes, it seems that when you stopped that flight twenty years ago. You interrupted, inadvertently, a money laundering opportunity from illegal opium sales, flowing from Afghanistan and Pakistan, through Frankfurt and into Great Britain." Collins was almost flush with excitement, as he revealed more information.
"It was twenty years ago!" Gina shouted. She couldn't believe this was due to, stopping three men on a flight.
"When the three men were arrested, certain people were anxious to recover caches of money. Only one man survived detention in that period and upon his release, he was abducted. It seems, your flirty young man had kept a large sum of money hidden somewhere." Collins swiped a series of photographs of the three men from 2003 and then the dishevelled man was released from jail. Gina was shocked to see her youthful memory of him to a rude reality. She was quite shocked.
"He was a detainee, not a prisoner, you understand. He was handed a fifteen-year sentence but then he was involved in the death of another inmate and had 5 more years added to this detention." Collins was absurdly casual, about the fact, that a man had lost years of his life and then upon his release was taken away and not found again.
Gina felt moved and became almost tearful.
Collins looked up. "Please take moment. I know you have had a huge shock over the last few days. Let me come to the point."
"I wish you would, Mr Collins." Gina retorted.
"You are not safe, I am afraid, or your family. I want you to agree to protective custody. We will secure your family and they will be safe from any harm, while you help us work out what you know." Collins picked up a small phone and thumbed the display, let it ring and then cancelled the call. Gina was confused. Mr Collins looked behind her and Gina was aware of someone coming into the room.
"I don't know anything." Gina looked up and a tall, lean swarthy looking man entered her kitchen. "Who is this?"
Collins looked over his shoulder. "This is Joffrey Mokrani, he is your close personal protection officer. He will be with you for the next few days." Collins looked back at Gina. "Make no mistake Gina, if I might call you Gina? What you know or don't know, doesn't matter to certain individuals out there, who think you know something."
Gina had no choice. With a brief telephone call to her children and their father. She explained what going to happen and that she would only be contactable by phone call. Daniel reassured her that all was well and he would look after their girls. Ending the call, she sniffled and fought back a few tears, then made herself focus on the reality of her situation. She was asked to pack one small bag and be taken to a secure location.
In her bedroom, she sat and thought about her lovely, normal if dull life and wished to heaven, that this would be a bad dream. She heard strong, heavier footsteps ascending the stairs. "I'm just coming," Gina called out. Joffrey Hasid entered without a preamble.
"I'm sorry Mrs Caine, but we can't have locked or closed doors for the next few days." Joffrey apologised and stood by the door. "Please, if you would pack toiletries and perhaps underwear. Not too many clothes and make them practical and nothing too fancy, you will be provided with other items, as required, while you're in our care."
Joffrey was quite a striking man. Tall, at least a couple of inches over 6 ft in height, raven black hair, clean shaven with all most black/brown eyes and disgustingly attractive. His skin was a deep olive tone with an unmistakable Arabic background. Gina had to admit she was quite handsome and completely her type before she married Daniel. Gina chided herself for thinking like this But looked and took in his features further.
"Miss Caine?" Joffrey enquired,
"Gina." Gina had begun to hate the false formality.
"Gina, I have to ask you some delicate questions and give you some things to bear in mind," Joffrey was all business and the consummate professional, but Gina could feel that what he would be asking would be difficult to hear.
"Go on." Gina wasn't going to be made to feel uneasy.
"Please understand, for your protection. I have to ask you some personal questions."
Gina nodded. She wondered what on earth was coming. She prided herself on being pretty much unshockable." Go on..ask!"
"Are you pregnant?" Joffrey pulled out a small pen-like device, flicked a small switch and was recording her answers.
"No," Gina replied. She unconsciously touched her belly.
"When is your next period due?" Joffrey continued.
Gina's forehead creased. "Why?" The question seemed to be impertinent and Gina waited for him to elaborate.
"Do you need to pick up any personal hygiene products, sanitary towels or medications?" Joffrey continued.
Gina shook her head. " I had my period three days ago. I'm very regular and I am only taking oral contraceptives," Gina felt immediately embarrassed by her admission that she was taking the Pill. She looked uncomfortable but decided to adopt a business-like stance to him," I have a complete three-month course with me, here." Gina waved the pink container at Joffrey. She was trying to embarrass him and it was clear that she had failed. Gina had only just had the prescription filled, she had thought to be prepared for dating. Joffrey looked at Gina and smiled thinly.
Joffrey continued. "How many men have you seen naked, apart from your husband? Joffrey knew this question was going to challenge Gina and braced for the expected backlash and outright indignation.
"What the fuck! Why do you possibly need to know that?" Gina stood and anger rose quickly.
Joffrey raised his hand to calm Gina, "It's quite simple. If there was an incident and you needed to see me, and you thought, I might be undressed. You might hesitate. If you were a shy, prudish individual, we would need to consider, the possible situation in which you might be undressed. Would you scream blue bloody murder, if I appeared in my underwear? Or even if I saw you naked?" Joffrey's voice was even and emotionless.
Gina sat down. "Okay. I'm not a prude and I can handle you in your boxers!" Gina stopped. What had she just said? With that Gina looked at Joffrey, Moments later, they both laughed. With that unintentional joke, the ice was broken between the two of them.
"Now, we've established that you can handle me in my boxers!" Joffrey gave Gina, a toothy grin. "One last thing. This is not Hollywood. I am not Clint Eastwood, to throw myself in the path of a bullet. I value my life so we need to be completely clear on how we will ensure we both live through this." Joffrey's voice was clear and slow, making Gina feel that he meant what he said.
His dark features made his next word laced with a serious tone. "If I instruct you, consider it an imperative. The men that came for you were not carrying firearms." Joffrey's brow furrowed, "that doesn't mean they do not have access to them. They want to interrogate you. Remember that interrogating you, requires you to grasp that this is bad."
