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Troubador Publishing Ltd - Christine Mustchin

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155 pages

English

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Description

"No one seems to refer to it by name." While London journalist, Richard, prepares to visit an anonymous Adriatic island, a girl on the island bides her time to escape its clutches as she is groomed for a sophisticated prostitution and human trafficking racket. When Richard's suspicions about the island are aroused he decides to investigate. Used to sharing professional success with girlfriend Trish and to enjoying the ups and downs of their sexually charged relationship, his investigations uncover a very different and merciless world of violence and cruelty and one girl's attempts at freedom. As he and Trish become caught up in the intrigues of this world, the disturbing consequences force Richard to face up to his laddish preconceptions and take a stand against the devastating effects of female exploitation.From Nemesis Island is a dark tale of relationships and intrigue, which propels chick lit into the world of the thriller. It tells of love, loyalty, corruption and revenge, and is suitable for those concerned with the effects on women of a sexualised society.

Sujets

Thriller

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Publié par	Troubador Publishing Ltd
Date de parution	02 août 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781848769007
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0225€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

From Nemesis Island
Christine Mustchin
Copyright 2010 Christine Mustchin
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.
All the characters in this book are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons living or dead is purely coincidental
Matador 5 Weir Road Kibworth Beauchamp Leicester LE8 0LQ, UK Tel: ( 44) 116 279 2299 Fax: ( 44) 116 279 2277 Email: books@troubador.co.uk Web: www.troubador.co.uk/matador
ISBN 978 1848 764 064
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Typeset in 11pt Book Antiqua by Troubador Publishing Ltd, Leicester, UK

Matador is an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd
Cover photo: Lake, boat, dock, volcano istockphoto/ Whit Richardson
To my family
Contents
PROLOGUE
PART ONE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
PART TWO
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
PART THREE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
EPILOGUE
Prologue
Stand up.
He grabbed her arms like an animal seizing its prey. She was next. The man s eyes held no mercy and Kia looked away. Her heart beat faster with fear. She d heard the girl before her scream. She thought of struggling, running away, hiding, but his grip was too strong. She had no chance of escape. She could shout out, but there was no one to hear, at least no one who would care what happened. She could do nothing to prevent the inevitable. He marched her into the bare room. Its walls were lined with mirrors. Several other young men stood in a group, waiting expectantly. She could see the pleasure of anticipation in their eyes. They took turns to hold her. When the whip struck, she was silent, only a small reflex flinch betrayed her pain, a second time and she steeled herself for more. If she took it well, perhaps they would stop sooner. It was the first lesson in obedience. She had been told. She closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling and let her head drop a little.
Look at me, girl. One of the men lifted up her chin: a rough hand holding her jaw tightly. She opened her eyes.
Now smile.
The cruelty of the command cut into her more than the whip. She twisted her mouth upward, a grotesque attempt to obey.
She heard the men laugh and the whip struck again. She saw a drop of blood fall to the floor and then a voice called out.
Enough.
The word reached her like a distant echo across the room.
Take her back.
She let a breath of relief escape from her.
Now she was lying on her bed, her face buried in the pillows. Covered only by a satin sheet, the blood had dried on her body but the pain persisted. She breathed gently along with its rhythm. Around the bed the opulence of the room mocked her. Luxury and brutality: a fine match. This was not how she d meant it to be. A silent sob rose up inside her. She stifled it. She needed to be strong, but she wanted the pain to end. She would take the risk. They wouldn t expect her to leave her room.
She dressed and went out. The corridor was dim. Outside the afternoon light was keen and sharp. It shot into her eyes and the taste of the salt sea reached her tongue, a sea that was her jailer and her comfort. It held her prisoner on the island as sure as any wall, but it was a companion too, whose ebb and flow would murmur to her of freedom. She turned towards the nearest cliffs. She saw no one. The loose sarong fluttered against her raw skin as she walked. She no longer noticed the touch. The path sloped down towards the edge. She knew it well. Suddenly she turned away, squeezing herself between a crack in the rocks, scarcely penetrable. Dropping carefully down across the sharp stones she reached the sand. The small beach was held in a tight crescent of steep crags. Too far from the mainland to offer a chance of escape, it was her secret: a pool of water that was hers alone. It was her refuge, and, with one small solitary act of defiance, she let the sarong fall and walked slowly into the sea. Its depths closed around her and she floated, her eyes fixed on the blue expanse above, as the seawater healed her wounds.
PART ONE
1
Richard threw the brochure onto the table. The caf terrace was deserted. There was no one to see his irritation. He squinted into the sun and then frowned. He might have escaped the grey cloak of London weather but he was bored. Ennui. Things usually sounded better in a foreign language. It even came with the pedigree of French Existentialism. He let out a sigh. He d given up all that university philosophy a long time ago. No, he was just plain bored. Reporting on an organised trip to some foreign island or other - the assignment was hardly stimulating. He hadn t wanted to take it on, but his editor had insisted. What s more, he had told Richard to make his own travel arrangements and to decline the hospitality offered. Under less of an obligation that way, he had said, and refused to elaborate. Odd really: Don was usually very direct. And now there was a delay. He would just have to put up with it. It had been his own idea to stay put and write a travel piece on the place. After all, it was a beautiful, undiscovered part of the Adriatic coast. He was at a loss, though. Apart from the scenery, there was nothing much to say.
He drank his coffee. It was very good: strong and sweet. Not like the muck they served up at head office. Shameful really but it didn t seem to matter back there. He picked up the brochure and read it for the tenth time. The philanthropic tone was all hype no doubt, but only to be expected. He couldn t see the point of the trip. He would go to the island, file his report with the others in the group and go home. The exercise had been repeated many times before. No one had ever found fault with the island and the education it provided. He couldn t imagine it was anything but a tedious rubber stamp job.
He wondered what was happening back at base. He would email Dougie later. At least you could tell things straight to an Aussie. He could text Trish too. She never answered her phone. Too busy, Dick, you know how it is. Pity she wasn t here now. He could do with the company, and with some sex too, for that matter. He looked up. The caf terrace overlooked the harbour. The small fishing boats were idle now. Beyond them the island could clearly be seen. Dominated by an extinct volcano, it lay across the sea not much further than the Isle of Wight from the mainland back home. It was all very picturesque but of little comfort to him. He watched a man striding with purpose along the harbour wall. His dark robes flapped a little as he walked. His steps were clearly headed for the caf . Richard watched his approach with idle curiosity.
Father Piontius approached Richard s table bringing his measured gait to a gentle halt and introduced himself. Richard replied politely, wary of his new companion.
You are English? The priest s words were heavily accented.
Yes, Father. Richard winced at the unfamiliar form of address. Accent s a give away, I know.
May I join you?
No problem.
A waiter appeared with a coffee.
It is my usual, he said by way of explanation.
Richard smiled as the priest took a long sip, only then allowing himself to relax his posture as though off duty.
You too like to reflect? he asked, waving a wrinkled hand across the view from the terrace.
I m afraid I m idle by force rather than design. There s been a delay to my schedule.
Though the body may rest, our mind should never be still. The priest spoke quietly.
The familiar dualism: another debate that time had consigned to the dustbin of Richard s thoughts. He doubted he could even recall the arguments. His Ph.D. thesis was a vague memory now. He took a slug of coffee and shrugged, uncomfortable and ungraciously silent.
Forgive me, continued the cleric, I forget myself. There is so little opportunity for discussion in this place. Your face had promise.
The words were well composed, like a textbook, and Richard felt a flush of sympathy for the man, an intellectual prisoner in such a small town.
You are to visit the island?
That s right, said Richard. No one seemed to refer to it by name. It seems that the rest of them can t get here till next week. Not sure why. I ve really got plenty of time to go off on another assignment but I ve decided to have a few days here.
You have the brochure? The priest lowered his eyes.
Yeah. That s it on the table.
I should very much like to see it.
Sure. Richard handed it over. It was all PR-speak and in American English. Father Piontius read slowly and with concentration.
I