Candy stopped at a corner and looked down the four avenues. No one! Not a soul! It was as if everyone had died!

"Hey, come on. We're not gonna hurt you."

We? That settled it! No way! No, she wasn't about to throw herself in a van with a bunch of guys she didn't know.

"No thank you," she said modestly, crossing the intersection and praying to God they'd leave her alone. But the van continued, cruising along the gutter, one window rolled down while the words still poured out.

"Come on, honey, come on, we'll show you a good time and give you a ride at the same time." In the background she could hear other men laughing! That did it! She had to run, scream for help, run for the police!

"Oh God, help me, help!" she cried, breaking into a fast run while crossing the street.

"Man, shut her up! She's gonna make trouble for us!" someone cried out in the van. Doors opened and two men jumped out as the vehicle squealed to a halt in the deserted street.

Candy ran as fast as she could, dropping her suitcase behind her as the men closed the distance between her and them. Candy felt her lungs bursting as she ran down the street. Her long blonde hair streamed out behind her while she stretched out her hands, still screaming for help as her feet pounded the filthy sidewalk pavement.

"Shut the fuck up!" one man shouted back.

"Help!"

At that point she felt fingers curl around the long blonde strands and yank back. Instantly Candy felt pain in her scalp, pain that made her scream, forced tears to her eyes, made her stop and stumble to the ground.

"No,no, no!" she cried as she tumbled head over heels. She screamed incoherently, kicking, biting, scratching at her attackers. They moved around her cautiously as she swiveled around on her butt, trying to drive her heels in their crotches. Candy maintained enough cool to remember some of her classes on self-defense. She had to keep them at a distance while she regained her balance, scrambled to her feet and continued her escape attempt.