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Jo woke up in immense pain. She didn’t know where she was, or why she was hurting so bad, but then she looked to the side and saw Andy, fast asleep on the rug next to her. The knowledge of what’d happened hit her like a sledgehammer. 'My god...' she thought. 'I gotta get out of here.' She got to her feet, shaking like a leaf in the wind, tears falling, but managed to find her jeans, the only thing that hadn’t been torn to pieces by Andy. She put them on, wincing with pain when the fabric touched her sore body. She found her thin jacket by the door and put it on to cover up her naked upper body, then left, running for her life, sure that he was behind her, chasing her. Her phone rang, but she didn’t dare to answer it, didn’t want anyone to hear she was crying.

She saw the buses, but stopped after making sure no one was following her. She’d got a voicemail, Alex wondering where she was, they had to leave, please call him back ASAP. She ignored his call, and instead called the only person in the world she wanted to talk to.

“Hello?” sleepy voice, curtains moving... “We’re still in Stockholm? Why haven’t we left yet?”

“I guess you’re waiting for me. You have to come here, Lina.”

“Jo, you’re crying? What’s happened? Where are you?”

“I can see the buses from here. Please come. I’m in the bushes by the next parking lot.”

“I’m there.” Lina flipped her phone shut.

“What’s up baby?” Nick asked.

“Jo... something’s happened. I gotta go get her.” Lina was throwing some clothes on, and Nick got up and did the same. They were out of the bus in less than a minute, Lina running for the bushes, and Nick close behind her. When they reached the bushes, they heard the deep sobs from somewhere in between them.


As light fell on Jo’s bruised face, Lina gasped in horror. “Baby! What’s happened to you?”

“Andy. He... he... raped me.” Jo could barely speak in between the sobs.

“What? When did you meet him? Where is he? I’ll kill him.”

“He’s in his apartment over there, sleeping like a baby on the floor.” Jo pointed. “He met me outside. He’d seen the show.”

“We gotta get you to the hospital, we’ve got to call the police.” Nick got out his phone and threw it to Lina. “You do it, you speak Swedish.”

“Alex.” Jo whispered.

“You want Alex here?”

Jo nodded. “I need him.”

Lina was already on the phone, talking fast in Swedish. Nick reached in her pocket, got her phone out and called Alex. “You gotta come here, man. Seriously, I’m not kidding.” He paused. “Yeah, by the next parking lot, there’s some bushes there. Get there. NOW!” he flipped the phone shut, and sat down next to Jo on the ground, taking her in his arms. “It’s gonna be ok, Jo. I promise. We’re gonna get that bastard.”

They heard the sound of running feet, Alex was coming with his body guard behind him. Lina was off the phone, so she stopped him.

“She’s been raped. Andy raped her. We’ve got police and an ambulance coming, hopefully they’ll be able to get him.” She started crying. In a few steps he was next to Jo.

“What? Oh my god. Sweet Lord, I can’t believe this. Jo, baby. I’m here now.” He hoisted her up from Nick’s arms, into his own, and held her. Nick took Lina in his arms, trying to comfort her in any way possible. They heard the sound of sirens, saw the flashing blue lights, and Big Joe waved them in. A team of paramedics came with a stretcher, followed by four policemen.

“What’s happened here?”

“She’s been raped.” Lina answered, laying her hand on Jo’s arm. “You ok with talking to them?”

Jo nodded. “I met my ex boyfriend. I left him this spring, when I got a job in the US. He followed me there, tried to get me back, but I’d met someone else. As he left he threatened me. Now I met him again, he told me he wanted closure, so I agreed to talk to him. I came with him to his apartment. I could never believe that he would do such a thing. I mean, we were together for seven years, and he never showed any tendencies for violence at all. I wanted to be friends with him. So I came with him. We talked, I said something he didn’t like, so he hit me. Then he started kissing me. I told him no, but he didn’t listen.”

Her eyes sought Lina’s for support, and she saw Alex standing a bit further away, probably outside earshot. His face was cramped up, he was crying, and Big Joe was holding him like a baby. Lina took her hand, Nick the other one.

“He ripped my clothes off, I told him I didn’t love him anymore, and he tried to suffocate me. Then he had sex with me. When he let go of my face, I cried for Alex, and he hit me. I don’t remember anything else until I woke up. He was sleeping on the floor. After what he’d done to me, he could sleep. I hate him. God, I really hate him.”

“This is really good. You giving us all of this information. Do you remember what house it was? And we need his name?”

“It was 42 a, over there.” She pointed again. “His name is Andreas Nilsson, No one ever calls him anything but Andy. The name on the door is Shaun Benson. Third floor. You want his social security number? Shoe size? Favourite food? I know them all. He has a weird fascination with the Oprah Winfrey show. Please get him, put him away. He’s fucking insane. And yes, there’s sperm on me. I probably have some of his disgusting skin under my finger nails, 'cause I scratched, kicked and beat him anywhere I could reach. Please take me to the hospital now.” She collapsed, as if the many words about him had taken her last bit of strength. Nick lifted her up and put her down on the stretcher. Alex came over to her, his face pale and his eyeliner smeared. She traced a tear down his cheek with her finger.

“You have to go to Norway, baby,” she whispered.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. I’m going with you.”

“To the hospital?”

“Yes, to the hospital.” His voice broke.

“I’m so sorry baby...” her voice was barely hearable.

“Don’t you dare apologize for what he did to you. He’s a sick person. You have absolutely no guilt in this.”

“I went with him, didn’t I?”

“You trusted him. And why shouldn’t you?”


“We have to take her to the hospital now. You coming in the ambulance?” The nurse looked at Alex.

“Yes, I am.”

“So am I.” Lina was standing next to him, her hand seeking his. “Jo, I called your parents, and your father almost made a u-turn on the freeway. They’re coming back. Nick is going to go tell the others, and then they’re leaving, if that’s ok with Alex. Your bus will be waiting,” she turned to him.

“It’s ok. Let’s go.”

The paramedics set the stretcher into the ambulance, Lina and Alex got in after it, and they were off.


“Oh baby. My little baby.” Jo’s mother was in tears when she saw her daughter in the hospital bed. Stephan was pale and looked worried and angry.

“Andy? The Andy we loved as our own son. I could just kill him.”

“Mum, daddy. I’m so glad you are here.” Jo’s tears started falling again. She’d been through all sorts of tests, taken pills to prevent pregnancy, and she was beat. Alex was sitting next to her, holding her hand, as he’d been through the entire time since she’d got to the hospital, but he got up to greet her parents. Both of them hugged him, thanking him for being there.

“Where else should I be? I love her. Nothing in the world means more to me than she does.”

“How about Norway?”

“Fuck Norway. I won’t do the show. I’ll get out of the band if necessary, but I’m not leaving her side. Not now.”

“What?” Jo’s voice was sharp. “Oh, yes, you’re going, if I so have to get up and kick you out of here and onto the tour bus. I’m glad you love me and all that, but you’re not staying here. I’ll not have you disappoint those fans of yours.”

“But...”

“NO!”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. I’ve got Lina, and now mum and dad. I’m fine. And as soon as they let me out of here I’m on the next plane to wherever you are.” Jo tried to smile at him, but her head was pounding so hard she didn’t manage. She had a concussion, from Andy’s hit to her temple, and she was bruised all over her body, but apart from that she was fine. Physically. She knew already that this night would haunt her forever. Lina’s phone rang, and she got out of the room to answer it.


After ten minutes she returned. “They’ve got him.” She said, a smile spreading across her face. “I hope they put him in the same cell as some hairy biker dude that molests him.”