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Deanne awoke feeling terrible! Her stomach was heaving and the room around spun. Also she felt cold. She blinked and fought to prise her eyes open but within seconds wished she hadn't?
She was in a strange room, one nightlight was lit on the far wall and she realised she was in a stranger's bed. She heard a snore and turned. There in the bed beside her was a youth but one she didn't even know. She screamed, flung the sheet above her aside and leaped out of the bed to realise that something else was terribly wrong. She was completely naked! She howled in sheer terror, almost fell and tried to orientate herself in the spinning room.
She grabbed something and held on. Her breasts were sore and arms ached. Also her vagina felt raw and the inside if her legs and genitals were saturated with sticky liquid. She reached down and screamed again for she was certain the liquid was male sperm. She could smell sweat and the odour of stale booze.
She felt vomit in her throat and just made it through to an en suite bathroom where she sank to her knees and vomited in the toilet. Now sobbing uncontrollably, she switched on the bathroom light and trembling in fear, glanced back into the bedroom.
Her head still spun but she did feel slightly better. She thought back, remembered coming to this motel with Ryan and into quite a small room. It was fun with the stereo blasting out so loudly that the motel proprietor arrived and said that either they turned it down or leave.
It was the punch that came from a huge bowl on the table with slices of orange floating on it that caused the problem. Ryan dipped a tumbler into it and offered her one. God, it had been strong! She didn't even like the taste that was like sweet blackcurrant laced with gin.
She vaguely remembered dancing and some guy reaching inside her and fondling her breasts. It wasn't Ryan for she recalled seeing him across the room with one of the other girls. It appeared her gown was unzipped.
She shook her head and felt ill again, found the toilet and retched for a second time.
More memories flooded back. One of the girls handed her a little yellow pill.
"Oh don't be a snob, Deanne," she teased.
She had swallowed the pill and... oh hell, that was all! Nothing else could be recalled except for waking up in bed with this youth she didn't even know.
Panic seized her. She had to get out! She yanked a length of paper towel from a dispenser, cleaned her body as best she could and ran warm water in a tiny handbasin. After splashing it on her face she calmed slightly and peeped out the door. Yes, there was someone in the bed for she could see his leg poking out from where she had hauled off the blankets.
She suddenly felt ill again for she saw that the guy was also in the nude. He appeared to be asleep so she sneaked out. In the light from the bathroom for she was too scared to turn on the bedroom light in case he woke up. She looked around and found her clothes had been tossed onto the floor. Her new gown was a crumpled mess and her stockings ruined. She dressed, found a bra strap ripped off and only one of the three clips at the back functioned.
Her panties appeared damp but she pulled them on anyway, wriggled into her gown and remembered to quietly open the door. Oh hell, she stepped out onto a veranda but had left her cardigan behind.
She was not going back! But where were her new boots? She stared around and in the light from a security light, found them. Now crying again, she zipped them on and just ran. The neon light blazed but everywhere else was dark and quiet. A line of cars was parked in front of several motel units while a larger building looked like an administration block.
For no real reason she noted the motel name. It was Blue Waves Motel.
She tore out into the street and stopped, sobbing and panting. The area was deserted with just ghostly street lights every twenty or so metres. She staggered forward and broke into a run. Her body ached and she realised that she was bleeding. It wasn't her period so why was she bleeding?
She slowed and stopped beneath a streetlight and spied vehicle lights. They scared her for who would he out at this hour? She stepped back into a driveway that had a large bush growing by a letterbox and waited as the vehicle passed. The car was an old one with a noisy exhaust so she was glad she had shown precaution.
What now? She began to think rationally and remembered two more items. Where were her watch and iPhone? He moved her arm and sighed in relief for her watch was on her left wrist and read four-twenty but where was her phone? She became frantic again before forcing herself to calm down. There were two pockets in her gown but they were both empty. Wait a minute; there was a small zipped pocket on the inside. Of course she had put her iPhone, credit card, lipstick and a couple of twenty dollar notes in there. She remembered she had decided not to take a purse with her.
She almost cried in relief when she found everything and pressed a memory number on her mobile. It wasn't home for she was terrified of telling letting her parents what had happened. The number was the person she most trusted to help her.
*
AVA AWOKE FROM A DEEP sleep. Something had awoken her. She sat up and heard her phone chirping. With her heart beating wildly, she answered it. Perhaps Jeff was in trouble!
"Hello, Ava here!"
"Ava! " screamed Deanne. "Come and get me. I've been raped!"
The conversation was garbled and emotional but Ava got the necessary information from her friend. She had run away from a motel called Blue Waves."
"Where are you now, Deanne?" Ava asked.
"Up the street about a hundred metres away. I'm scared Ava, There's nobody around but a rough looking car came by a moment ago. I hid under a bush in a driveway."
"You know Dad's car, don't you?"
"That silver S.U.V?"
"That's it. Go back under that bush but make sure you can see the road. When we arrive we'll turn on our flashing indicator lights. Understand?"
"Yes but don't hang up!" came the sobbing reply.
"I'll get Dad."
It took a couple of minutes to awaken Dad but as soon as he heard the news he took charge, talked to Deanne and handed Ava his iPhone.
"Get dressed while I back the car out." He was already out of bed and pulled his jeans over his pyjamas, grabbed a jersey and headed outside.
"Dad's getting the car out," Ava said to Deanne. "We won't be long."
*
OUTSIDE, ADRIAN TOLD Ava to drive. She vaguely knew the direction and a few moments later he found the motel on the car map and gave directions.
"Hello Deanne. This is Ava's Dad speaking," he said back on her phone. "We're coming but Ava's driving so can't speak to you."
"That's okay Mr Knight."
"I won't hang up but I'm going to use my own mobile to call the police and your parents."
"Not my parents?" Deanne sobbed. "They won't understand."
"Okay but I'm definitely calling the police."
"If you must. I'm back behind the bush and will look out for you. Don't forget to turn on your flashing lights."
"We won't, Dear. You'll be okay but don't let anyone else find you, not even your boyfriend. Okay?"
Next he called the police. It seemed to take ages before he got through to the local North Shore Police Station.
"It is an emergency," he almost shouted at the police officer. "My daughter's friend has been raped and if your officers hurry they may be able to catch the boys responsible... yes, I said boys, they have all been at the Joseph Ward Senior High Easter dance."
He gave Ava an exasperated look, answered more questions and finally clicked off before grabbing her phone and reassured Deanne that they were a mere five minutes away.
*
THE PARTY AT Blue Waves was not really what Ryan expected. There were only a dozen couples there and the so called conference room was actually a small meeting room that had probably been adapted from a motel unit in that the beds had been removed and replaced by tables and chairs. There was a couch along one wall and the usual small kitchen and bathroom. A dozen or so couples arrived and soon a stereo was blearing out, the tables moved aside and several bottles of liquor appeared. One girl produced a large bowl from the kitchen and filled it from cans of blackcurrant and apple juice before adding almost half a bottle of gin.
Ryan grinned at Deanne who looked quite hot in her low cut frock. The next hour or more became a haze of drinking, dancing and fondling. Deanne appeared quite cooperative and didn't resist any of his advances. She had become quite drunk though and he felt embarrassed about her behaviour. Even in his own state he felt hesitant about taking advantage of her.
"I think we should go," he said after the proprietor arrived and threatened to throw them out if they didn't turn down the stereo and stop shouting.
"Soon," Deanne laughed and sipped more of her drink. "It's quieter now, anyway."
Ryan glanced around. She was right for only four couples remained in the room. "Where are the others?" he asked.
"Moved across the bedroom units, I guess." Deanne giggled. "Here have a pill. Maryanne over there gave me one." She held out a little yellow pill.
"What is it?"
"She called it an upper. Nothing serious."
He had hardly swallowed the pill with a glass of water when he felt woozy. He plonked himself down in the only armchair in the room and heard somebody spewing in the bathroom. He shook his head and realised somebody was shaking his arm. He'd been asleep!
"Ryan," sobbed the girl. "Can you take me home, please."
He opened his eyes and saw it was Fluer, one of the other girls in his class. He sat up, feeling groggy but managed to look around. Except for Fluer bent over him with tears streaming from her eyes, the room was empty.
He sat up and stared at the girl who was almost as quiet as Ava. She was quite an attractive girl, though. However, now she looked quite dishevelled with her hair hanging limp and a bra strap hanging down the side of her arm. Her gown also appeared to be unzipped down one side.
"Where's Deanne?" he asked as he sat up.
"Gone off with Paxton. He brought me here."
"And where are they?"
"I've no idea," Fluer sobbed. "Everyone's gone into motel units. I didn't want to go with Paxton and passed out. When I awoke I only found you here." She glanced at her watch. "It's two thirty and my parents said I had to be home by one. They'll kill me."
"Yeah okay," Ryan felt sorry for her and damn Deanne; if she wanted to go and get screwed by Paxton, he would take Fluer to her home.
"I'm pretty drunk," he admitted.
"It's not far, three kilometres at the most. Please Ryan," Fluer pleaded.
"Okay," he said.
"Thanks."
Fluer followed him out to his old Nissan. It was ten years older than he was but he'd bought it for a song and it still ran well.
She directed him through the deserted streets to a subdivision overlooking the beach. She pointed to a gigantic house behind a long driveway and directed him through a wrought-iron gate. When he drove in under a carport, automatic lights came on to show a marble floor and huge pot plants leading up to an equally huge front door.
"Thanks Ryan," she said and handed him a twenty-dollar note. "Petrol money."
"Oh don't be silly," he said and refused to take it.
She smiled and opened her door. "I hope Deanne's okay. Thanks again. I shouldn't have agreed to go to that party," She frowned. "It wasn't really a party at all, was it? Just somewhere for you guys who wanted a screw."
Ryan nodded. "I guess," he admitted and inwardly cursed for he had never succeeded in that way. "See you back at school on Monday."
He watched as she waved at him and went inside before he drove away. He wondered if he should go back for Deanne and decided against it. His place was only a few blocks away so he decided to cut his loses and go home. The last thing he wanted was to be stopped by the cops at one of their frequent night roadblocks.
*
AROUND FIVE IN THE morning three police cars and a police dog vehicle pulled to the kerb outside Blue Waves Motel. Ten uniformed police officers, one with a police dog, fanned out to surrounded the premises while two detectives headed for the administration block.
Detective Inspector Andy Tullock pressed the night button and a sleepy looking proprietor arrived at the door.
"Police," Tullock granted and held up his badge. "I want the numbers of the units rented out to high school students." He glowered and nodded at the police dog handler beside him. The dog growled. "We know they're here so if you value your licence and don't want your other guests awoken you will cooperate."
Tullock had knowledge of this motel's sometimes-devious customers and had visited before.
"Yes Sir! " the flustered proprietor muttered. "Right away Sir. It's all on my computer. Come in Sir, Lady." He glanced at the woman detective standing beside Tullock.
"Perhaps we'll be able to nail this a slimy little bastard, Gloria" Andy said through the side of his mouth as the lights inside went on and the computer behind a counter lit up.
"Here it is Sir," the proprietor flustered. "Rooms 16 to 20, as well as Meeting Room 2 are hired out to a group called Hartwood Construction Ltd."
Andy raised his eyebrows. This was one of the major construction companies in Auckland with contracts for several high-rise towers and other commercial buildings.
"Roger Hartwood has a daughter attending Joseph Ward Senior High," Detective Sergeant Gloria McKenzie said.
"Figures," muttered Tullock and turned back to the proprietor. "You will warn nobody that we're here," he hissed. "For you sake, let's hope there are no drugs on the premises."
The proprietor looked terrified but muttered about not being responsible for what guests brought into the units with them. He handed Andy a master key and escorted them to the units
*
MARYANNE HARTWOOD WOKE to see a torch shining in her eyes but even worse was the massive Alsatian dog that practically rubbed noses with her. She screamed, sat up, realised she was topless and shrank back with the sheet pulled up around her neck.
"My dog has smelt drugs in this room," the dog handler said. Now sobbing, Maryanne noticed her partner across the room hastily pulling his trousers on. A second uniformed police officer stood at the door.
"Find them, Girl," the dog handler ordered.
In less than two minutes the dog sat beside a purse and whimpered. Inside were several bottles of yellow tablets and three satchels of white powder.
"Go and get yourself dressed. I wouldn't attempt to flush any other drugs down the toilet," the police officer said. "We'll wait outside."
The pair and the dog left the room and shut the door.
"Sorry Maryanne," the youth now pulling his shirt on said. "I never heard them coming."
"Stupid prick," she screamed, flung the blankets aside and frantically began to dress.
*
AT North Shore Hospital Accident and Emergency, after a short wait with the drunks and accident victims, Deanne with Ava there for moral support, sat up on the cubical bed after being examined by a female doctor.
"I can confirm that you had intercourse a number of times, Deanne. Swabs have been taken to confirm my suspicion that there were at least two and possibly more males who penetrated you." She stood back as Deanne's lips quivered and silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I don't remember any of them," she sobbed.
"It is not your fault," The doctor was empathetic. "I have also found enough drugs in your body that would have rendered you unconscious for several hours..." She continued on with a non-condescending description of Deanne's injures and what treatment she was about to describe before filling a tumbler of water and handing her a tinfoil encased pill.
"This is an emergency contraception pill commonly called a morning after pill. Take it now ..." Again in a precise but kind voice she explained everything before turning to Ava. "This is a most traumatic experience for Deanne," she said. "At the moment she is still slightly drunk and under the influence of the drug. Will you be able to take her back to her home?"
"I can't go home," Deanne howled. "I can't tell my parents." She turned to Ava. "Can I stay at your place? That's where I told Mum I was staying after the dance."
"Of course," Ava gave her friend a hug and glanced across at the doctor. "My dad is in the waiting room and we can look after her..." She briefly explained about how they rescued Deanne.
"You're a good friend, Ava," the doctor said. "Deanne will need support over the next few days. Her bruising will become more pronounced and whole body sore. However, even more important in cases such as this is the emotional side. This is where friends and family are important."
"Not my family." Deanne sobbed. "They'll blame me and call me a little slut."
"I don't think so, Deanne," Ava said. "I know your Mum loves you and your Dad is strict but I know he loves you, too."
Deanne glanced at her. "Do you really think so?" she whispered.
"I do but you can stay with us as long as you wish. Dad or I will say nothing to your Mum or Dad if that is your wish."
"Perhaps Mum later, " Deanne sobbed. "Right now, it seems like an ugly nightmare," She smiled slightly. "It's a tragedy for the Easter dance was so much fun."
Ava gave Deanne another hug, "It was, wasn't it?" she replied.
*
THE CONSEQUENCES OF the police raid on Blue Waves Motel were minimal. Nothing appeared in the media and even students' Facebook sites were silent. It was as if someone had pressured the police into doing nothing. However, there were a few things that eventuated. When Ava and the other students returned to school for the second term after the Easter holidays, several Year 13 students were conspicuous by their absence; Maryanne Hartwood was spied in the local mall a week later wearing the uniform of a North Shore private school and the guy Paxton turned up at Countdown Supermarket stacking groceries, having apparently dropped out of school. All the other girls and boys at the motel had had been stood down from Joseph Ward Senior High for the first week of the new term and had lost other privileges including being banned from participating in senior netball and rugby games and one guy was removed from the student council.
In some ways, Deanne, Ryan and Fluer were lucky. As they were not at the motel during the police raid, they were not included in the punishments made against the other students. Ava also noticed something when she and Jeff were driving past Blue Waves Motel one day. A large sign hung down from across the administration block.
Under New Management, it stated.
*