She opened the outer door, pushed open the next and froze in her tracks. The hanging fabric screen that divided the room had been shredded into ragged strips that dangled from the ceiling like the broken wings of giant moths. Jagged fragments of glass from broken lights covered everything. Planters were upended and soil strewn across the wooden floor. She looked around in bewilderment until her gaze settled on the body huddled on the bed, hands tied at the back with electrical cable. She clapped her hand to her mouth to stop her cry escaping. Nik’s face was a red mask, dark holes where his eyes had been. “Oh God, Nik.” He moaned and she recoiled. Who did this? Another moan brought her to his side and she scratched up an edge of the tape over his mouth and peeled it away. He spat out a glutinous bloody lump and she gagged. “I’ll get help.” She took out her phone, pressed 911, gave the address, asked for an ambulance and then switched the phone off again.
