Chapter 1:The Last Resort
"Mummy, where we going"
"We're going on a picnic"
"So why haven't we got any food"
"Er because we're going to have a walk in the woods and then we're going to buy some food"
"Oh, what are we going to have"
"Well I was thinking we could get whatever we feel like"
"Ok mummy that sounds nice"
Jo drove in silence while Jazz sat staring out of the window until they pulled into a secluded stretch of woodland, got out of the car and started walking. As they got into the middle of the woodland Jo stopped in a small clearing.
"This looks like a lovely place to have a picnic! I tell you what sweetie you stay here and guard the blanket and Ill go get us something to eat, what do you want?
"Mmmm, I don't really mind as long as it isn't salad"
"Ok darling I'll be back soon" with that Jo walked away from her 5 year old daughter never to return.
A day and a half later Jazz was sitting on her blanket wondering what was taking her mummy so long when two police men and another man walked past her. Upon noticing her, the third man jumped.
"Jim, Simon I think I've found her" he said running towards Jazz and scaring her so she ran behind a tree.
"Sshh its ok little beauty we're not going to hurt you, I promise we won't hurt you, we just want to know why you're in the woods all on your own.
"Sandburg for god's sake she's a kid not a lost dog! Simon Banks said a little more loudly than he meant to and the kid jumped and turned her back to Simon
"She's hurt! Jim Ellison said anxiously
"What do you mean Jim?" Blair Sandburg asked just as anxiously
"It's like... um I don't really know it's like she's been beaten up by a really powerful person, I'm guessing this person's male about early 40s late 30s.
"Are we talking once or twice or what Jim?"
"No Simon I think we're talking a lot. like punishment or a kind of ritual"
"I've got to wait for my mummy, I promised her I'd wait for her!" Jazz said getting annoyed with the men for talking over her.
"Sshh, ok beauty when did your mum go away?"
"She went to get us something to eat for our picnic the day before yesterday!"
Simon walked up to the kid "What's your name then beauty?"
"My name's Jazz, who are you lot?"
"I'm Simon. This is my friend Jim and this is his friend Blair"
"Hi. You can go now I can wait for my mummy on my own"
"Ok beauty we'll go soon, but you know that man who beats you up? Well if you stay here he'll come looking for you. Your mum asked us to come and get you because that man is after your mum so it isn't safe for you to be with her right now"
At the mention of "the man who beats you up" jazz had taken on the expression of a deer caught in a car's headlights and at the mention of her mum not coming to pick her up and the possibility her mum was in danger Jazz sat on the floor and buried her head in her hands.
Blair sat down next to her and held her, Blair obviously expected her to cry but she just sat there as if it was the first time she'd ever been hugged affectionately before.
"I think your right Simon, I don't think she's ever been hugged like that before" Jim said as if he had read Simon's mind.
"That is so sad." Simon said giving Jim a "how in the world did you know what im thinking" look.
"I can't wait to get my hands on the sick psycho who did this to her! Jim said venomously causing Simon to smile
"Im glad to see your hard ass cop attitude hasn't totally abandoned you Jim" Simon said making Jim laugh
"So you mean that my mummy wasn't taking me on a picnic at all she just wanted to go to the woods and leave me here and then go home and ring you?"
"That's about it except that after she rang us she got on a plane and went somewhere but the only problem is we don't know where"
"I know where! East Africa"
"Good beauty good, do you know where in East Africa?"
"Yeah, Kenya"
"Right, what city?"
"Nairobi, I know what road too"
"Brilliant, what road?"
"Davidson Road"
"She grew up there didn't she sweetie"
"Yeah she did, how did you know that"
"My mum moved over there when I was 5 and your mum was 13, I think she said something about being friends with your gran"
"That is all very nice but we've got to go, now would be nice guys"
"Ok Simon we hear you, come on beauty up you get" Blair said picking Jazz up
"Where we going Jim?"
"We're going to see some people who want to speak to you. They're at our place"
