Brooe's New Ordeal

Note to readers: This segment does not contain any explicit material. It is only a vehicle to tie the story together.

It was early one morning when I got a phone call at the office. The voice on the other end asked, "Is this Mr. Johnson?" I told him that it was. He asked, "Do you have an employee named Brooke Jennings?" I said that I did but that she had recently taken a leave of absence.

He proceeded to relate a bizarre story. He told me, "I was with her yesterday and she ended up relating to me a troubling situation that she is facing. She mentioned that she worked for you. I thought that I would do something about it so I decided to call you."

"I am glad that you did," I responded. "How did you happen to be with her?"

Hesitantly, he responded, "Well, I was, uh, at her home and we had sex." I thought I would fall out of my chair. "Actually," he continued, "while we were in bed together, she got a phone call. It was from her husband. After she hung up, she was frantic.

She told me a strange tale of being blackmailed by men who had obtained, uh, explicit photos and videos that she had allowed to be made a number of years ago when she had been kidnapped." I was stunned. "They were forcing her to work in a strip club that they controlled in this area. She was told that if she refused, the material would be made available to everyone that she knew, including her husband, the principal and other parents at her son's school, people in her neighborhood and at her church. She started working for them at the club on evenings. That is where I first saw her."

"She impressed me, even from a distance. Anyway, after starting work at the club, the men blackmailing her upped the ante and started forcing her to meet men at her home during the day. I met her there yesterday."

"She told me that her husband would be coming back today. He, of course, knows nothing about any of this. She was terrified of what would happen then. She opened up to me because she did not have anyone else. I liked her and felt sorry for her. I was really concerned about what she might do. I decided I had to contact somebody."

This story was stunning. "Well, um, I am certainly glad that you did. I was concerned about her, too. She was acting strangely when she came in to request the leave of absence. I was reluctant to invade her privacy by intruding further. But now that I know what is going on, I am definitely going to get involved. I know about the kidnapping. I was also part of that. I know that we were made to do things that we would not normally do.

"I cannot believe that is now coming back to haunt her. Her life had been going so well. Again, thanks for letting me know about this."

Immediately, I instructed my assistant to reschedule all appointments for that day. Driving to Brooke's residence, I rehearsed what I would say. I got there about 9:30. Ringing the door bell, there was initially no answer. I pounded on the door. No answer. I pushed on the bell, and let it ring nonstop.

Inside, Brooke was upset. Her date was early and he was being something of a jerk about it. "Okay, okay, I am coming," she shouted to no one as the bell rung repeatedly while she was making her way to the door.

Cracking the door open, she was stunned to see me standing there. Quickly, she tried to close it. "Oh, Tim. I am sorry but I am really busy right now."

I placed my foot in the door and would not let her close it. "Brooke, I need to talk to you."

She insisted, "I am sorry. I don't have time right now."

I insisted. "It is important. You can let me in or I will force my way in. But I am not leaving."

Reluctantly, she let me in. We sat down at the kitchen table. I came straight to the point. "Brooke, I know why you asked for the leave of absence from work. I know what is going on and we need to do something about it."

She broke down, sobbing. "I don't know what to do," she cried. "Bob expects to take me out to dinner tonight and I am supposed to go work at this club tonight, too." Looking at me, she pleaded, "How am I going to do that?"

"Well, Brooke, I am afraid that we really just have to put a stop to this. It started with blackmail to make you work in a strip club. Then, it was entertaining men in your home during the day. Do you really think it will stop there,," I asked? She had no answer. "You are going to have to tell Bob about this when he gets home."

"I can't. I can't," she insisted. "I could not live with myself if he lost all respect for me."

"Brooke," I shot back, "I think you are selling all of us short. Bob loves you. And, for Chrissake, he first saw you at that strip club where you had to work while we were kidnapped. He knows how difficult that experience was for you. And he knows you well enough to realize that if you had photo sessions or videos made during that time, that you did not do it freely."

She protested, "But I have also had sex with other men in our bed--the bed where we sleep together."

"Look, Brooke, honey," I said. "You certainly not expect to continue going out every evening to work at a strip club while your husband stays here. There is just no way to explain that. You have to just tell him the whole truth."

Wiping away tears, she pleaded, "I just can't. I can't."

"Okay," I said. "How about this. If you cannot do it by yourself, I will stay with you for moral support. I will spend the day with you and be present when you tell him." Insistently, I added, "Brooke, honey, it has to be done. I really think the two of you can get through this. I know that he is crazy about you. You should hear the way he talks about you to us." For the first time during our conversation, she looked up and smiled.

That is what we resolved to do. Soon, the door bell rang again. Brooke explained that it was another date that had been arranged for her by her handlers. I told her that I would handle this. The visitor was startled when another man opened the door. I curtly informed him, "She will not be taking any visitors today. Oh, and you can tell the people that set up your encounter here today that the deal is off."