Gemma followed the road, limping and crying, and it seemed like an hour had passed before she saw lights coming towards her. It was a car.
She took a chance and stood in the street, holding up her arms and waving at the driver.
The car screeched to a stop, the windshield wipers flapping against the rain, which had just started again with intensity.
"Help me!" she cried, running to the passenger door. "Please help me! I've been held captive for weeks. I just escaped when the power went out."
The woman driving the car was older with grey hair and glasses. A Walmart bag of groceries sat on the passenger seat. The woman had been out shopping and must have been returning to her home.
The woman unlocked the doors and lifted the bag of groceries off the seat, allowing Gemma to sit there. Once inside, Gemma wept with relief, so glad that she had escaped and might be safe -- finally.
"You poor thing," the woman said. "What happened?"
"I was abducted and held captive," Gemma said between sobs, although part of her felt guilty for willingly going along with Mike. How foolish had she been to believe his lies?
"Who held you captive? Where?"
She wiped her eyes. "This man called John and his girlfriend Charice. And a man called Mike. They had me in their house," Gemma said, pointing in the direction of the mansion. "They used me for pornography."
"Oh, dear," the woman said, shaking her head. "I'll take you to the police. Or do you need a hospital? You look all cut up."
"The police," Gemma said, shaking her head. "Take me to the police station."
She was sore, but she was alive. She wanted to go to the police.
They'd protect her.
As they drove away, Gemma wept as she told the woman her story, recounting it from the moment she left her home and went to Trisha's to the moment the lights went out and she knew she had to escape.
"You poor brave thing," the woman said. "I'm Kathy. Kathy Marsden. I live up the road in town. I don't know anyone named John with a daughter named Charice and I've lived here for decades."
"They live in a house back the way I came," Gemma said. "I think Charice is his girlfriend."
"What is the house like?"
"It's big with a big fence around it. There's a pool and a security camera at the gate."
"There's a lot of places like that," Kathy said. "All the houses along here are big, and many have pools and big fences."
"Sonia told me that John and Charice moved into the mansion a long time ago. Maybe ten years ago. He's a businessman from California. She said he used to be an investment advisor but works in the fashion industry."
"I don't know anyone around here who is in the fashion industry or from California, but they’re pretty secretive," Kathy said. "Police will probably show you some of the houses along the road to see if you can identify where you were being held captive."
Gemma nodded. She told Kathy what snatches of memory she had about the abuse, and how Charice was always there, watching, if not taking part. She thought Charice was his girlfriend. But then again, John abused Gemma in front of her, so perhaps she was one of John's old victims.
Gemma didn't know what the truth was, but when the car drove into town and up to the Bellingham police department, she knew she was finally safe.
Kathy led Gemma into the Bellingham Police Station, the blanket still wrapped around Gemma's shoulders. They were met by a duty officer who looked Gemma over and then brought her to the back of the station to a warm room with a desk and chairs.
"Have a seat," the duty officer said. "One of the detectives will be in to speak to you. Can I get you something to eat or drink? Maybe a hot chocolate?"
"Thanks," Gemma said, trying to smile and be polite to the nice police officer. "Hot chocolate would be nice."
"Coming right up," he said and offered Kathy a coffee. Kathy was happy to accept.
Gemma sat on the chair and Kathy sat beside her, the older woman stroking Gemma's hair like a mother would.
"You poor poor thing," she said. "At least now you're safe."
"Thank you so much for picking me up," Gemma said, tears once more blurring her vision. "I was afraid someone from the house would find me. Luckily, John and Mike and Charice are out tonight in Seattle, so it was just the guard and Sonia. I hit him on the head so I could escape. I hope I didn't kill him."
Kathy shook her head. "You'll have to tell the police everything," she said and fussed over Gemma. Finally, after about five minutes, a woman police detective entered the room. She had two cups in her hands.
"Here's the hot chocolate and coffee," she said, handing them to Gemma and Kathy. "I'm Detective Johanna Gardner. Let's find out what happened tonight to bring you here."
Gemma took a sip of the hot chocolate and it was good. Her hands were shaking, despite the fact that now, she was finally safe. Still, it was an ordeal to leave and she realized it would take a while to calm down.
Kathy began, telling the officer how she found Gemma running along the road that bordered the bay.
"Poor thing had a blanket wrapped around her and that thing on," Kathy said, pointing to the nightgown Gemma still wore. "She was all scratched up. I stopped to see if she needed a ride."
"Thank you for being a good Samaritan," Detective Gardner said.
"Well, what else could I do? She's a child." Kathy shifted on her chair. "She told me she'd been held captive by some man called John and his girlfriend, Charice. I don't know anyone by that name around here, but I don't know everyone. I knew I had to bring her in."
That made Detective Gardner frown. "Is that the case?" she asked Gemma.
Gemma nodded. "Yes. I thought John was going to use me in a children's fashion catalog, but I was wrong. They used me in porn instead."
"You poor thing," Kathy said. "She was running along the road like this, scratched up and bloody, crying out for help. She was really upset."
"I'll be right back," Detective Gardner said. "Drink your hot chocolate. I think I'm going to need some help."
In a moment, another detective came into the room and spoke with Gardner. Then he came over and smiled at Gemma.
"Mrs. Marsden, can you come with me, please? We want to take a separate statement from you."
Gemma glanced at Kathy, wishing she could stay.
"Okay, of course," Kathy said and stood up, grabbing her purse and following the other detective out of the room.
Gemma turned to Detective Gardner.
She knew she'd have to answer questions, and while they would be painful, at least now no one could hurt her.