Shattered Dreams Ch 02 1

When I wrote Shattered Dreams it was intended as a one-off story, no sequel, nothing further... But the response I got through comments and numerous emails was nearly overwhelming so I have tried to write more of Janey's and her family's story.

Now I know a lot of fans of the Stolen series probably wont like the way this story has chosen to go but please try to bear with it.

Happy reading and please keep the comments coming.

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Janey watched from her favourite lounge chair as her brother Robby walked into the lounge room with another man following him. Janey took one look at the big black leather jacket and bike boots he wore and sunk down in her chair as if she was trying to avoid drawing attention to herself.

"Adam, you've met my father," Robby said.

"Hallo Mr Wilkinson," Adam said with a friendly smile.

"Hi Adam," Jim said as he got to his feet to shake Adam's hand.

"This is my mother Marina Wilkinson," Robby introduced Marina.

"Hallo Adam," Marina said from her seat.

"Mrs Wilkinson, it's a real pleasure to meet you," Adam said with a charming smile.

"You know James and Caro," Robby said.

"James," Adam said as James got to his feet and the two men shook hands. He then smiled at Caro and gave a faint nod. "Caro."

"I don't believe you have met my youngest sister Janey. Janey this is Adam, Adam this is Janey." Robby introduced them.

"Hallo Janey," Adam said with a friendly smile.

"Hallo," Janey muttered almost inaudibly as she avoided his gaze.

"Janey is a bit shy around strangers," James said as he noticed her unease.

"I have to check on the food," Marina said as she got to her feet.

"I'll help," Janey said as she scrambled to her feet hurriedly and quickly headed to the kitchen. She was waiting on the far side of the table when her mother walked into the room and Marina couldn't help but notice the way she kept glancing towards the doorway.

"Adam is a friend of Rob's from work," Marina explained to her daughter.

Janey remained silent as she watched her mother checking the roast that she was cooking for tea.

"Well this is all cooked. I just need to make some gravy to go with the roast," Marina said as she opened the cupboard and reached for a packet of gravy powder. "I'm feeling lazy today," She said with a smile at Janey.

"I can make pan juice gravy while you dish out if you like," Janey offered suddenly.

Marina paused for a moment then nodded. "Okay, if you're sure."

"I can do it real easy Mama," Janey hurried to reassure her mother.

Marina handed Janey the flour and reached for a platter to place the roast pork on.

With the meat set aside on a platter Janey quickly went about making the gravy from the rich pan juices knowing that the gravy that resulted would taste much better than packet gravy.

When the gravy was finished Marina put it in a gravy boat and sat it on the stovetop to keep warm as she began transferring food onto the dining room table. With the roast and the gravy the last to go on the table she stood back and glanced over the table to make sure all was in order before she turned towards the door that led into the lounge room.

"Tea is served, please come to the table," Marina called. She watched as everyone made their way into the room and sat down at the table.

Janey watched as Robby's friend sat down opposite her. She avoided his gaze and kept her eyes on her plate.

"Jim would you carve the roast please?" Marina asked.

"My pleasure my dear," Jim said and reached for the carving knife.

Throughout the meal Adam couldn't help noticing the politeness of the family as a whole. He was also very much aware of Janey's withdrawn presence across from him. She didn't interact with anyone unless drawn into the conversation by a direct comment that was addressed to her. Also he noticed that she barely ate and when she did it was after her father had told her, "Come on eat up."

After the meal Robby and Adam retired to the games room to talk while Caro and Janey helped their mother clean up after the meal. Jim and James went into the lounge room to watch the news on the television.

"Hey Janey, can you come with me for a moment?" Robby asked from the doorway. "And Mum can you do me a roast sandwich please? I'm still hungry." He asked with a smile at his mother.

Janey followed her brother to the games room and hesitated for a moment when she saw Adam sitting in one of the chairs that were around a table in one corner.

"Come over and sit down with us for a few minutes please Janey," Robby said firmly. He watched as she made her way over to the table reluctantly and sat down at the table as far away from Adam as she could get. Robbie sat down nearer to his sister than to his colleague. He smiled at her hoping to relieve some of her anxiety.

"Let me tell you something about myself Janey. As you know I am a colleague of your brother's but I work in a slightly different area of crime prevention. I am helping to work on one case at the moment that I was hoping you could help me with.

Apparently in Melbourne there was an assault reported by a young mother. She witnessed an assault soon after leaving a fish and chip shop. A girl or woman was seen as she was grabbed from behind and dragged into an alley." Adam paused and watched Janey's face for any expression but it was totally blank and closed to any emotion.

"Janey, this mother of two small children identified one of three men quite positively and the two others tentatively. But it is only her statement against the claim of these men that anything happened. The man seen pulling this person into an alley has a record for turning young girls into prostitutes ..." Robby paused. He interjected hoping to play on her strong sense of what was right and wrong. Janey jerked her head up to look at him. Clearly something had touched a nerve within her.

"The description of the victim fits you and the timing of the incident is very close to when it is believed you would have been in the area," Adam said gently.

Janey remained silent as she looked away from her brother.

Marina walked into the room oblivious to the conversation; she carried a tray that contained two sandwiches, two beers and a glass of coke.

Janey took the chance to get to her feet and head for the door to leave the room.

"Janey, don't go. We aren't finished talking yet," Robby ordered lightly.

"I'm tired Mama, I don't feel good." Janey directed her comment to her mother.

"Robert let your sister go to her room," Marina ordered.

"No mother. Janey is staying here to speak with us." Robby used his business voice that he used at work.

Janey looked towards her mother appealingly.

Marina hesitated a moment as Janey held her gaze pleadingly. She looked away from her daughter to where Robby and Adam sat. Robby had explained to her and Jim that Adam needed to talk to Janey regarding something they believed to have happened to her while she was away.

"Okay, but don't keep her long," Marina said firmly before walking from the room.

"Janey, come and sit down. Mum sent in a drink for you," Robby said softly as Marina closed the door behind her.

Janey stood motionless. She was turned away from them slightly and her head was lowered as she looked nervously towards them but not at them.

"Okay Janey, enough stalling. Sit down," Adam ordered firmly.

Robby forced himself to remain silent at the tone of Adam's voice but he noticed the immediate reaction from Janey as she tensed then did as she was told.

"Eat." Adam ordered as he took the plate with the sandwich on it and placed it on the table in front of Janey.

Robby watched silently as his sister picked up half of the sandwich and took a bite. He realised with shock that she was hungry.

"You weren't allowed to do anything unless you were told to, were you?" Adam asked firmly.

Janey kept her eyes on her plate as she swallowed the mouthful of food before answering. "I had to do as I was told," She whispered faintly.

"Keep eating. Now this woman who reported what she saw has placed herself and her family in danger. These men won't be very happy when they have to go to court. Now if the victim was to be found and could testify in court as to what happened, the men would end up in jail for a good amount of time," Adam told her.

Janey didn't say anything as she ate the sandwich slowly without looking at either man.

"Now I am sure you're scared of whoever hurt you, but you wouldn't want them to be able to hurt anyone else wouldn't you?" Adam asked softly as if they were sharing a secret.

Janey remained silent as she reached for her drink.

"I have some books with pictures in them for you to have a look at. Maybe you might see someone you recognise or someone who hurt you." Adam coaxed as he reached down beside his chair to lift a brief case onto the table. He removed two books from the case before placing it back on the floor. He opened one book to the first page of pictures and placed it above the plate in front of Janey.

"Come on. Janey, just have a quick look." Robby coaxed.

Adam slowly turned to the next page. Janey wasn't looking at the book but she also wasn't looking away from it. Adam continued to turn pages very slowly until Janey jumped to her feet and moved away hurriedly.

"I don't want to do this!" Janey protested as she turned to face them nervously.

Adam lifted the book so he could see the pictures that were on display clearly; he glanced towards Robby with a slight nod.

"Janey, do you know any of these people? Have you seen them before?" Robby asked gently.

Janey took a step backwards then turned and fled to the door, pulled it open and ran from the room.

Robby reached out and lifted the book to lay open in front of him; he looked at the pictures angrily. "Which one is the one that was identified for the assault?" he asked gruffly.

"Page twenty-seven, top right hand corner. The two photos directly below are his known associates." Adam said with a frustrated sigh as they looked at pictures of Seth Markham, Royce Johnston and Sebastian Zane.

* * * * *

Janey arrived at her room to find Caro sitting on the spare bed sorting some clothes she had brought into the room with her.

"What are you doing in here?" Janey almost demanded as she felt annoyance with her sister for invading her privacy.

"Adam is staying over tonight. Mum said he could have my room and I can sleep in here with you," Caro explained.

Janey regarded her older sister silently. They both had their own rooms with two single beds in each but very rarely did anyone enter their rooms without first gaining permission.

"What ever happened to my red sundress?" Caro asked curiously.

Janey was motionless as she watched her sister for a moment. Caro had invaded her room and now she was asking about the red dress that Janey only remembered with humiliation after Hawk cut it short to show off her legs.

Janey was feeling the stress of being forced to look at the pictures, seeing the faces of Seth, Roy and Zane looking at her from photographs. And now Caro was asking about the dress!

"Why did you leave me that dress?" Janey demanded angrily. "And why did you leave me to walk back to the campervan alone? Were you going to meet him? Did you chicken out at the last minute? Did you know what type of mongrel bastard he was? Did you! Did you! Did you!" Janey's voice rose quickly to a scream as she railed at her sister. She stopped her verbal attack on her sister with a sharply indrawn breath as she realised she was screaming at her. The horror of what she had gone through finally caught up with her. And she staggered back against the wall as she began crying.

Caro watched in stunned horror as her sister slid down the wall to collapse in a sobbing heap on the floor. Recovering from her shock at Janey's angry outburst, Caro rushed to her sister and went to take her in her arms but Janey recoiled from her.

"Leave me alone! Don't touch me! I don't want you to touch me! I don't want anyone to touch me!" Janey screamed at Caro as she turned her face away.

There was the sound of running then the door was thrust open and James stepped into the room. He looked at Caro where she stood several steps back from Janey; tears streaked both their faces as she turned away. Then he glanced at Janey where she sat on the floor, her legs pulled tightly to her chest and her face buried against her knees.

"Hey, what's going on? I can hear the shouting over the TV," James said as he stepped towards Janey as Robby appeared in the doorway followed closely by his mother and father.

"Go away! Everyone just go away!" Janey yelled as she lifted her head to reveal her tear-stained face.

Jim was appalled at the way Janey was acting. None of his children had ever been cheeky or rude but now Janey was acting totally unlike herself, had been since returning home. He didn't know what to say so he remained silent.

"I just want my room to myself, is that too much to ask?" Janey asked tearfully.

"I'll leave," Caro said and rushed from the room.

Marina watched Caro leave then began to shoo the others from the room. When they were alone she sat on the bed facing her daughter and waited in silence for a few minutes while Janey calmed down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Marina asked quietly.

Janey lifted her head from where she had rested her forehead against her knees. "Talking about it won't change it Mum," Janey said sadly.

Marina studied her daughter closely as she realised that Janey had just called her Mum not Mama as she had for the last few days. Janey had stopped calling her Mama when she started school at the age of five and to have reverted back to it after ... Marina stopped the thought. She didn't want to think about it again. Surely the way Janey had reverted to calling her Mama had shown how badly she had been off mentally and emotionally Marina thought.

"No it won't change it but it might make the memories hurt a bit less." Marina offered.

"I'm not ready yet," Janey said quietly and gave her mother a weak and watery smile.

"Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here. It doesn't matter what I am doing, I'll never be to busy for you to talk me." Marina reinforced her offer, waited a few moments then asked "You don't mind if Caro sleeps in here tonight do you?" Marina asked.

"It'll be fine." Janey answered as she climbed to her feet. "I want to wash my face," She said by way of explanation as she headed for the door.

"When you're finished come down to the kitchen. I got ice cream." Marina told her.

Marina followed Janey from the bedroom and then headed towards the kitchen while Janey headed towards the bathroom. In the kitchen Marina was dishing up ice cream in cones when Jim walked in and hugged her from behind.

"Is Janey okay?" Jim asked.

"I think something has happened to jolt her out of the apathy she has been in the last three days." Marina said softly.

"I wish knew what I could do or say to her to help her! I hate it when she looks and acts as if she wants to keep well away from everyone. That is not our Janey!" Jim said

* * * * *

The next morning after breakfast was over and Janey had helped her mother clean up after the meal she was wandering through the house bored when she came to the doorway of the games room. Janey looked at the two books that still sat on the table in the games room. She glanced around to make sure no one was in the room and then forced herself to walk over to the table. She swallowed around the hard lump of terror in her throat as she sat down and reached for the top book. Her hands were shaking as she cautiously turned the first page.

"They're just pictures! They can't hurt me!" She whispered fiercely to herself as she continued to turn pages.

Finally she turned the page to see the pictures she dreaded. Seth, Roy and Zane looked back at her from stark photos. Suddenly she clearly remembered her terror as Seth had ordered her onto her knees in front of him to ... Janey jerked her thoughts back but her memories crowded in and she was reliving the terror as she once again felt the blindfold being tied in place and her wrists being tied up.

Janey scrambled from the seat and paced backwards and forwards beside the table as she struggled to control her terror. Slowly she forced the emotions under control until she could stop pacing and turn to look at the book once again.

"They blindfolded me, tied me up, and he raped me," Janey said faintly. No one was in the room to hear her but it did not take away from the feeling of power the words gave her.

The faint sound of the phone ringing drew her attention and she turned towards the door. The phone stopped ringing and she heard the murmur of her mother's voice as she turned back towards the table.

"Janey! Phone call for you!" Marina called.

Janey turned away from the book on the table and headed out towards the hallway where the phone was.

"Who is it?" Janey asked as her mother handed the receiver to her.

"The hospital with your test results," Marina told her.

"Hallo." Janey said slightly nervously. Surely they could have given the results to her mother!

"Janetta? This is Sister Emerson from the hospital. Doctor Michaels would like you to make an appointment to come in and discuss the results of your tests," The nurse told her.

"Is there something wrong?" Janey demanded nervously.

"The doctor just needs to see you. A follow up visit." The nurse explained smoothly.

"Ah, okay. When?" Janey asked nervously.

"How about at 11am? That will give you an hour to get here."

"Let me check with my mother," Janey glanced towards her mother.

"I can make sure you get there, so whenever is fine with me." Marina said before Janey said anything.

"Okay. I'll be there at eleven," Janey said and hung up with a worried glance towards her mother.

"Try not to worry. The doctor probably just wants to see you to make sure you're doing okay," Marina said soothingly.

"I had better go get ready," Janey said as she turned away and headed for her room.

Since the upset between her and her sister the previous evening Janey had been more like her old self although she was still slightly withdrawn and avoided any bodily contact.

In her room Janey changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt, grabbed a jacket and headed to the kitchen for a drink. She helped herself to a glass of cold water and was standing at the sink drinking it when her mother walked into the room.

"How long is Robby's friend staying here?" Janey asked.

"You mean Adam?" Marina asked and at Janey's nod continued. "He is staying until the day after tomorrow. Why do you ask?"

Janey shrugged and turned away. She didn't know how to explain to her mother about the two books of photos and being asked if she had seen anyone in the book she had been shown. She wasn't ready to talk in front of her brother or any other member of her family about what she had gone through as yet. And she was certainly not ready to face looking at a picture of any man that had raped her while her brother was trying to talk to her about what had happened. To identify anyone and tell what they had done to her was to admit that what had happened was more than a nightmare she had had and it was actually something she'd lived through.

"Can we go to the newsagent so I can get a magazine?" Janey asked softly.

"Of course we can! I want to get some more writing paper for letters so we can stop at the newsagent on the way. Do you want to have a cappuccino before the appointment?" Marina asked.

"Yeah," Janey said with a faint smile.

"Well let's get a move on," Marina said as she turned and led the way to the front door.

Janey followed her mother out to the family car and got into the passenger seat, her mother slipped behind the wheel and after a few minutes they were headed into town