Heroes and Villains – Part 4
Saturday 22nd October
6 pm
Yale
“Fank you
Momma,” Judith said as she looked at her dinner, and then smiled as she started
to eat.
“Now eat up
your dinner,” Cari said with a smile as she looked at her cell phone. “Now why is Aunt Penny calling me?” Answering the call, she said “it’s your dime…
“Yeah, I know
about that, but…
“Oh.
“OH. Let me see if I can get back.”
As she ended
the call, she looked at Jude and said “can you watch Judith tonight?”
“Well, David
and I were going to go out, but we can make it a movie night. Why?”
“Gotta go into
town – I’ll see you tomorrow, little one.”
6.30 pm
West Central Park
“So what has
triggered this Penny?” Marina asked as she gathered some ‘toys’ into a bag.
“I think my
beloved has worked out what actually happened on the Russian/Finnish border all
those years ago. That Uncle Andre far from helping her parents defect…”
“Actually
betrayed them?” Marina ventured as she adjusted the hood around her shoulders.
“He seems to
have been a KGB agent within the Kirov Ballet yes.”
“Oh My God,”
Marina went pale, “And Helen now knows this?”
“Yes,” Penelope
nodded.
“For his sake I
hope we can find them before Helen starts to do her thing on him.”
“If she does it
won’t be a Silent Death Mongoose.”
“That’s for
sure,” Marina finished loading her bag.
“KYLIE!”
“I am ready,”
Kylie said as she appeared in the doorway, dressed in black with a knapsack
over one shoulder. “She awaits us.”
The two women
nodded as they went into the main room, and bowed before Catherine.
“Swan, you will
head to his home address. Watch and
observe – if either appear, do not intervene, but inform me. Only if it becomes necessary do you involve
yourself.”
“I understand,
Honoured Mistress,” Kylie said as she bowed and slipped out.
“Mongoose, go
with Penelope to the Metropolitan and adopt a watching brief as well. Keep me informed.”
“Honoured
mistress,” they both replied as they bowed and slipped out, Cathy turning and
looking out of the window.
The de Ros Mansion
“What is going
on Mama?” Charlotte asked as she watched her Mother glance at her phone, while
she herself fed her daughter.
“Nothing to
worry about…” Francesca said without turning round.
“MAMA!”
“It’s nothing…”
“When people
tell me it’s nothing in that tone of voice Mama it usually means its actually
something huge…what is going on?”
Francesca
turned and looked at her family, before saying “It’s not directly to do with
our current business darling, it’s actually the consequence of events that
happened many years ago.”
“Oh?”
Sitting down,
Francesca rubbed her eyes and said “Did you ever think why, with all her
estimable skills, we have kept Helen York largely out of this?”
“I had wondered
slightly,” Charlotte said as Frances detached herself, her eyes smiling, “but I
always assumed you had a good reason.”
“I did… It’s because I suspected something regarding
the role played by Andre Kannenikov at the time her parents tried to defect may
not have been benign, and I didn’t need Helen finding out things that
might complicate our mission.”
“But I take it
she now knows something?” Charlotte said as she switched her daughter to her
other breast.
“She does, and
she’s out for private revenge and satisfaction.”
“And maybe
blowing our whole operation in the process?”
“Exactly.”
“Can we stop
her?”
“Carlotta,
darling, I have no idea…”
“Mama, you need
to check in with the office,” Charlotte said quietly, “if someone like Helen
has gone rogue…”
7.15 pm
West Central Park
Cathy looked at
her cell phone as it buzzed, and answered the incoming call, saying “report,
Swan.”
“I am in
position, honoured mistress,” she heard Kylie say quietly, “there is no sign of
the one called Dancer, and as for our sensei…”
“If she was
there, I doubt even you would see her clearly,” Cathy said quietly.
“Do we have any
idea where Helen is, or even where she may be going Mistress?”
“We don’t Swan,”
Cathy said as she sat down. “I have tried
both ringing her, and texting her, but for the first time ever Helen is
ignoring me.”
“I understand,”
Kylie said as Cathy saw a second call come in.
“Maintain your vigil, we will talk later.”
“Of course,
Honoured Mistress,” Kylie said as she ended the call, and Cathy answered the
second one.
“Mongoose?”
“We are in
position, no sign of her yet.”
“I am worried,”
Cathy said as she spoke into the device, and then heard Penny say
“Did you ring
her Master?”
“I did, and he
has tried contacting her also without success.” Catherine looked at her device,
“she will face severe discipline for breaking her vows of obedience.”
“At this moment
I don’t think that worries her Catherine,” Penny said, and Cathy could hear the
concern. “She’s not reacting now as the
professional assassin, this is little Yelena striking out to get vengeance for
her father.”
“I know Penny,
and that is what frightens me. When
Bruce died, she saw that, knew what had happened, did what she did, but this is
the raw nerve that needs to be soothed…”
The de Ros Mansion
“Should we warn
The Dancer Marchesa?” one of Caroline’s watchers asked as she spoke out of the
laptop, Francesca looking at the picture of the nerve centre.
“I’m thinking
about it,” Francesca looked at the computer screen. “I’m tempted to say he has
this coming, but knowing what I know of Helen’s skills I would not wish that
upon even him.”
“So what are
our orders?”
After a moment,
Francesca said “For this moment eyes only, and keep in constant touch with
developments please.”
“Understood
Admiral,” another of the watchers spoke as the screen went dead.
“I’m on my way
into the city now,” Carina said as she drove down the freeway, “I’m not sure if
I could stop her though…”
“I think no one
of us could Carina, but all of us together, we may be able to get through… Carina your professional opinion please, if
Helen does snatch him what will she do?”
“You want me to
speculate Charlotte?”
“I’m hoping it
will be better then mere speculation.”
“Is this
between just you and me Charlotte, or does your Mom finally get to know who I
am?”
“This is just
between us,” Charlotte paused, “I told her I needed to speak privately to a
specialist.”
“Well if it was
me,” Carina said as she maneuvered the Maserati in the traffic, “I’d be
currently preparing the place I want to take him after I snatch him.”
“So any ideas
where she might be?”
“I have an
idea, and I’m hoping that I’m wrong.”
“Where?”
“I’ll tell you
later Charlotte if needs be. But I am
sure she will head back to get him…”
The Farm
The door to the
barn hardly sounded as it was opened and closed, the shadows seeming to move
across the floor – only it wasn’t a shadow, as Helen made her way along the
side of the building.
Slowly Helen
checked out the hidden compartments and assured herself that this place was as
well equipped as she remembered. Drawing
out a cloth package, she put it down on the table and turned on a lamp.
“Excellent,”
she spoke to herself as she opened that package and stroked the scalpels and
other surgical instruments. This was the ideal place to bring ‘him’, and for
her to get the vengeance that she knew she needed to extract from him.
She glanced
down at her phone as it rang again. Her Master would himself punish her
severely for her disobedience this night, her own life might even be forfeit
for ignoring his commands to desist, but that mattered little to her right now
as she laid everything out she planned to use later, then returned to her car
to drive back into the city.
The de Ros Mansion
“Edith,” Diana
said as she looked up to the doorway, “what can I do for you?”
“Madame, I have
Miss Richmond on the line for you, she says it is urgent.”
Diana looked at
Edith, and then walked out to the hallway, taking the handset as she said
“Sandy Cherie, to what do I…”
“Alright Diana
what is going on tonight that I’m not being told?” Sandy asked in an urgent
tone.
“What makes you
think that I know Cherie,” Diana said quietly, “I’m out of the loop as well.”
“Well Heather
is detecting all kinds of urgent traffic on the secure networks she set up for
the Marchesa and Caroline, and Jo just rung to ask why Cari has dropped
everything at Yale and is driving to New York as we speak. That all looks very
suspicious.”
“It does,”
Diana paused, “did you ring Juliette?”
“I did and
she’s saying she knows nothing either.”
“And do you
think she is lying?”
“I’m not sure,
and that worries me.”
“Who might know
anything and will give us an honest answer?” Diana thought aloud.
“Shirley?”
“It’s an idea
Sandy, but Madame can get very silent as well when she wishes to.”
“I tried Dom,
and I tried Penny, but neither answered my call.”
“Cherie I will
try making some enquiries myself, you and Heather sit tight and I’ll ring you
when I know anything.”
“Okay, but be
quick.”
Diana put the
telephone down, and then said “Edith, is the Marchesa back?”
“I believe she
is in her room, shall I check?”
“No – I will go
and see for myself…”
“Am I the only
person who sees irony in the fact that so many or the world’s most renowned
assassins are banding together to actually try and stop someone being
murdered?” Hannah asked as she looked out from the computer screen.
“It happens,”
Francesca smiled, “part of the job is about protection just as much as it is
about killing.”
“I guess,” the
South African shrugged.
“Anyway do you
have any updates for me please?” the Marchesa said as she looked at her number
one.
“All I can tell
from this box is that the audience is loving the production Boss. I’m not
really a ballet fan but even I can see how beautiful the choreography and
production is.”
“The dancer is
a hugely talented man,” Francesca sighed, “the pity is that his other
activities are not artistic endeavours.”
“I saw him look
round a curtain half way through the first act, but no sign of him front of
house since then.”
“Understood,”
Francesca nodded, “let’s try ensure that the headlines tomorrow are about the
gala at the New York Civic Ballet, and not about his grizzly murder.”
“As you say,”
Hannah said as there was a knock on the bedroom door.
“I will talk to
you soon,” Francesca said as she closed the laptop, and walked to open the
door. “Diana – is something wrong?”
“Exactly what I
was going to ask you,” Diana said quietly, “I just had Sandy on the phone, and
they know something is happening. Need
we be concerned?”
Francesca
looked at Diana, not sure what to say, as Diana said “let me help you with one
thing. I know someone is trying to
blackmail Sandy and her family.” The
look on Diana’s face told her everything as Francesca said “we think that
someone is in mortal danger from a contact, and we are trying to stop it.”
“I see – then
Sandy need not be concerned?”
“No – not at
this time…”
10 pm
The Metropolitan
Andre stood in
the wings of the stage, watching as the ballet started the last dance of the
night. If he had to leave this place, at
least he was going out with a triumph, a
masterpiece of precision and timing.
Unlike his
other work – perhaps, perhaps it was time to quietly retire, stay home. He had tried his best, but the resources up
against him…
Looking round,
he slipped into the backstage area, taking a pack of cigarettes out and looking
at it. “This is going to kill me,” he
said to himself as he slipped out of the stage door, standing against the wall
as he lit a cigarette.
He stood there
for a moment, the lit cigarette in his hand as he felt the touch at his neck,
and then it slowly fell to the ground as he was pulled backwards – but it did
not go unnoticed, as Marina jumped from her vantage point and walked over,
looking into the darkness.
“Do not
interfere, Mongoose – this is not your fight.”
“I know, Sensei,”
Marina said quietly, “but it is not yours either. You are not acting in the correct manner, and
we are concerned.”
“I am giving
you one more warning, Marina – back off.”
“With regret,
mistress, I cannot,” Marina said quietly – and then she ducked as the shuriken
flew over her head. It was a distraction
– but as she turned and looked again, the alley was dark, and she could hear a
vehicle driving off.
“Damn,” she
said as she took out her cell phone.
West Central Park
“I have failed
you, honoured mistress,” Cathy heard Marina say quietly.
“No – you did
your best, I am sure. Return here, I
must consult with the Swan.”
“At once,
honoured Mistress,” Marina said as the line went dead, and Cathy dialled
another number.
“Swan, Helen
has taken the Dancer. Return here,
Carina is on her way…”
10.30 pm
West Central Park
“Carina,”
Marina said as she joined Penny, Kylie and Catherine in the apartment, “you
have been brought up to speed?”
“I have,” the
petite blonde said as she looked at them, “my one question is, after what
happened at the race, did NOBODY see this coming?”
Penny looked at
the others before she said “Helen has been distracted, upset, but she always
seemed to pull herself round. But the
last twenty four hours…”
“So I am clear,
you think she has gone rogue in a sense?”
“I’m confirming
it – where would she go?”
“I think I know
– and if I’m right, we need to move out now to try and stop her doing the worst
thing possible. Catherine, can you let
whoever needs to know we will try our best to make sure Helen gets back
safely?”
“Of course,”
Catherine said, “and what of him?”
“If I’m right,
then it may be more of a mercy to kill him – I’ll let you know…”
11.30 pm
The Farm
“Wake up.”
Andre slowly
raised his head and opened his eyes, looking round at where he had been
taken. It was a large, open building,
but he was sat in the centre, and a she tried to move he quickly discovered
that he had been bound tightly to the chair he was sitting in with ropes, his
wrists secured together and to the back of the chair, his legs spread and
secured to the wooden front legs, his upper body bound to the chair back. And, what was more, he was naked.
“Who’s there,”
he said as he struggled, and then sensed rather than heard or saw the figure in
front of him. It was clothed in grey,
only the blue eyes and pale skin clearly showing.
“Andre
Kannenikov,” the figure said as it walked forward, “I am Silent Death. You have heard of me, no?”
Andre’s face
paled as he said “Silent Death? I
thought you were a legend – OW!”
The slap across
his face by the back of the gloved hand made him wince as the figure said “Does
that feel like a legend to you? No, I am
very real, Dancer.”
“How do you
know that name?”
“I know many
things – I know you were the KGB plant in many of the ballet companies you
worked with, I know you work for them still, I know you have been working for
them while filling your current position, and I know what you have done.
“All that you
have done.”
Andre looked
into the clear blue eyes, as he said “I cannot confirm or deny – on whose orders
are you working, if you are truly Silent Death.”
“Oh I work for
the Honoured Fathers, I work on behalf of Madame X, I am a Sister of Maisha –
is that enough for you to consider while I speak.”
He could feel
the sweat on his back as he looked at her, wondering why her voice seemed so
familiar…
“But there are
other matters – and I include in those the small matter of your attempt to
kidnap a very heavily pregnant woman.”
The figure walked behind her, Andre trying to turn his head a she said
“I have no idea whAAAARRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
He felt the knuckle
on his finger disintegrate under the pressure from the chromium plated
nutcracker, as his captor said “do not lie, Dancer, I will know if you do. Which brings me to the real reason I wanted
to meet you, talk to you, kill you…”
“Kill me? For what reason?”
“How many do
you want,” Silent Death said as he felt another knuckle disintegrate. Andre shook his head as he said “how many
reasons do you need?”
“A good
answer,” the masked woman said quietly, “and I will answer you, in due
course. First, however, I want you to
experience some of the pain I have felt, and then I shall tell you why…”
Andre cried out
as the knuckle disintegrated on his left thumb, while Silent Death said “your
most recent actions were, in many ways, the straw that broke the camel’s back,
and the door that opened the way to you to receive my attentions. You should feel honoured – they tried very
hard to keep me out of this, but eventually, I was informed, and now…”
“That – that
was necessary – they were getting too close…”
“And who were
they?”
“The devil
fish… The she-devil Ball… So many others…”
“I see – you
truly had no idea how much you were out of your depth, did you Dancer?” Silent Death walked round and picked up a
scalpel, smiling under the mask as she walked forward.
“I realise that
now,” he said quietly, “those Sisters…”
“If I was here
on behalf of the Sisters of Maisha, be assured you would be quite dead by now,”
Silent Death whispered as the blade of the scalpel went slowly down his chest,
just deep enough to hurt and draw a trickle of blood, “you tried to take their
leader, and they were not happy about that, not happy at all.”
“So they are
real? And you admit Charlotte di
Cambrello is their leader?”
“I see no
reason to deny it,” she said as she stared at him and then grabbed his ball sac
in a steel like grip, “because you are not leaving this room alive.”
Andre bit his
tongue, determined not to scream as the pain went through his body, not to show
his fear. He knew of her reputation, the
silent killer, and yet she sounded so familiar…
“I see you are
bleeding – let me clean that up,” she said quietly as she picked up a bottle of
clear liquid and brought it over, letting the vinegar slowly pour down the
scalpel cut as Andre started shaking.
“While I have
some fun, perhaps you can answer a question – why target the Richmond
family? My sources tell me you have been
threatening to expose the daughter to public humiliation.”
“I had my
orders…”
“And those
orders include the hurting of innocents?”
“I try not to
SHIT!” Andre’s eyes almost popped out of
his head as the bamboo skewers slipped under his fingernails, the fire bursting
up his nerves as Silent Death walked round again.
“It hurts,
doesn’t it? Just as it hurts the innocents
when you try to ruin them, and when you take what is theirs to keep for life.”
Andre stared at
her as he smiled. "Do you think you
are scaring me?"
Helen took a deep sniff and looked at the damp patch between his legs. "From the smell, I think that it is safe
to conclude that I am," she whispered as she gave an evil laugh, "you
think as an ex KGB man that you've trained to resist pain, but you have no
idea of the subtleties that I know of how to make the agony death stretch
seemingly for ever."
"I thought your name was Sudden Death?" Andre laughed as he tried to
goad his captor into making a mistake.
"Silence!" She reached over and squeezed his neck, Andre
struck dumb for a moment until she let go.
“You are here for my pleasure, and your torture, and your retribution
which is long overdue, no more, no less.”
Andre sat there
– he knew what he had done in the past, and he knew he would pay for them some
day. And, by the way this masked woman
was looking at her, this was his day.
“If you are to
be the one who is to extract the price, I believe I have the right to know who
did this.”
“You have no
rights – except to scream,” she said as she pressed on his shoulder, Andre
throwing his head back as he screamed, the fire flowing through his nerves. “And I assure you, you will scream…”
"I am
going to take you to the limits of human tolerance
of pain...and then beyond," Helen smiled to herself as she released
her grip and walked round him again. She knew this man too well. She knew not
only what his strengths were, but also just what his greatest fears were. She
knew precisely the things that inwardly frightened him the most, and just
what buttons she need press to create maximum terror.
"Your legs
and feet are very strong," the masked woman said as she knelt down and gently
touched a sole.
"They have
to be, they are the basic tools of my trade," Andre wondered where this
might be leading.
"I
know," for a second Helen paused, then reached for the box of matches that
Carina so thoughtfully kept with her other 'toys'.
"What are you...What are you doing?" the dancer winced as she moved
over the sole of one of his feet with a burning match.
"Oh just
amusing myself before I get down to my real business…" Helen
laughed sardonically as she struck another match and this time held it to
his big toe, the pain of the little burn causing his body to convulse.
“We’re here,”
Penny said as she pulled up next to Carina, turning off the headlights as she
killed the engine,
"Why
that look on your face Kylie?" Marina asked as they got out and
looked round.
"Look darling?" Kylie asked as she let her eyes adjust.
"Yes, like you've had what they call a ‘Nam flashback."
Nodding, Kylie
said "You know the first time I came to New York Marina?"
"Yes."
"You know I told you I underwent a test?"
"I remember. You said it was tough and nasty..."
"This was
where it happened," Kylie's voice was barely a whisper as she interrupted
her friend.
"Oh
Crap!" Marina shook her head, "no wonder you got that look. Are you
going to be okay?"
"I guess
so...No one was killed," Kylie blanched at the memories of being bound
with Doc for an entire night after they thought people had been killed in an
FBI raid.
"Still
..."
"What
doesn't kill you makes you stronger darling," Kylie took a
second to regain her composure.
“This way…”
The light went
on, illuminating the main room of the farmhouse as Cari threw her car keys onto
the table, Cathy following her with Marina and Kylie.
“What is this
place,” Marina asked as she looked round.
“A place you
must keep with your other secrets,” Penny said as she closed the door, “the
base of operations for the ladies.”
As Marina nodded,
Cari walked over to a cabinet desk, unlocking and rolling up the covers and
turning on the laptop that was underneath.
“We set up a
permanent link to one of the barns via a video camera,” she said as the system
booted, “so we’ll know if I am right in – shit.”
The five women
looked at the scene, the masked woman as she slid the scalpel along Andre’s
chest, forming a pattern as he shook his head, the pain clear in his eyes.
“So what do we
do now?” Penny looked at the others as
they continued to stare at the screen…
“All right, all
right – I admit it,” Andre shouted out, “sometimes innocents have been hurt,
but I regret it… I regret it…”
For a few
seconds Helen suddenly felt herself feel again the loving feelings she had
once had for this man.
"No," she whispered under her breath, "he was never really that
man, he betrayed my family, now he must pay..."
"You said
something?" the man struggled to hear what his tormentor was telling
herself.
"I said
nothing Dancer. Nothing for your unworthy ears anyway." Turning and walking over, she pulled his
pants down and his boxers, revealing his cock.
“And I see you are enjoying my attentions.”
Absolute power
was hers, and the decision when, and how, to end “uncle's” life was
also solely down to her. Inside her head Helen realized that she was relishing
this power. Most of the time her activities, as her name indicated, involved a
quick death. Occasionally she'd been allowed by her masters to indulge herself
in the pleasures of torture. But never before had she had a person who she
knew so well, so intimately, in a place where she could indulge herself in
the sensual delights of causing hurt and pain.
Idly she touched his manhood and on a whim squeezed his ball sack as hard as
she could. His deep, visceral, scream of agony provoked no pity within her,
indeed it actually made her more determined to find a creative way to hurt
further that thing between his legs that he had used all these years to pleasure
both other men and women.
"What is really going to hurt you the most?" Helen said, as for
a second realized she actually lacked more than a basic understanding of the
male penis. Standing up, she looked to
the kit, and picked up two clamps, which had a weight attached to a silver
chain.
“I have seen
these used on women,” she said quietly as she walked over, “but I wonder how
they would work on you.”
“No, please,”
Andre whispered, and then he screamed as she attached one clip to his foreskin,
and the other to the base of his ball sac under his cock, letting the weight
drop to the floor as he writhed round.
That hurt, that was good…
“I need to
remember that one,” Carina said quietly as she watched, and then wondered what
Helen was doing next.
"What...
What are you doing?" Andre gasped as Silent Death walked to the table, and
slipped a pair of ear plugs on.
"I need
some refreshment, but I don't want you to be bored" she said with a
smile. "I understand some who have been here are stressed by a selection
of music disturbing their sleep, but I have something else planned for
you..."
"And that
is?"
The masked
woman flopped a switch, as the room was filled with a pounding noise, not a
tuneful one, but like a pile driver onto his skull as she turned, lowering her
mask and drinking some water...
Suddenly the
noise was replaced with music, old American popular music, but it was
being played at the totally wrong speed, and it sounded like it was being
distorted. The sounds weren't bursting his eardrums as before, but the
distorted recording was annoying in the extreme. The combination of the trashy
songs which he loathed anyway, and the fact they were being played in such a
fashion, combining to get at his nerves.
Helen smiled as she watched, she'd seen this done in an old comedy film set in
East Berlin where the police had tortured a guy by playing 'itsy bitzy teeny
weenie yellow polka dot bikini' over and over both off kilter and at odd
speeds. The effect was to get under the skin and have them crying for it to
stop.
In a way, she
admired his courage, but she could see in his eyes it was wearing him
down. Now she understood the mix tapes
Cari prepared for the ‘guests’ when they came for training…
“I know you
cannot hear me,” Helen said, “but I want you to know this was an old technique
– and I would recommend a viewing of A Clockwork Orange – if you were going to
live long enough for such a thing to happen…”
Andre could
only stare at her – the pain in his scrotum was bad enough, and the bamboo skewers
were like acid under his fingertips, but the music, the way his head was
feeling… It was as if she knew just
where to hit him at the worst points…
“Observe,
Mongoose, Swan,” Catherine said as her protégés watched on the screen, “this is
what happens when, as is sadly all too often the case, something triggers a
response in us that overrides all our self-discipline, all our training.”
“Will the
Honoured Father treat her harshly, Mistress,” Marina asked quietly.
“I do not think
so, but I am only his humble servant as well…”
Eventually, she
walked over and yanked the clamps away from his scrotum, seeing rather than
hearing his scream before she turned the music off, and looked at him. Reaching up and removing the earplugs, she
said “I trust you enjoyed the music?”
“It was –
diverting,” Andre finally said as the pain in his cock and sac eased.
“I sense you
took enjoyment from our session so far,” Silent Death said quietly, “what were
you thinking off, the female you could hold power over next?”
“I am afraid
you have me wrong in the respect,” Andre said as he looked at her, wondering
when the agony was going to stop. Silent
Death looked at him, and then picked up a length of rope, tying a large knot in
the end before she started to swing it round in front of her.
“Tell me,
Dancer, are you a fan of James Bond?”
“I prefer Len
Deighton,” Andre said quietly as the masked woman came closer, the knotted rope
still swinging in her hand.
“The films
never get to the level of cruelty of the novels and stories, not until the more
recent ones – such as the torture scene in Casino Royale.”
She suddenly
swung the rope up under the chair seat, Andre screaming as the knot connected
with his genitals through the hold he now realised had been cut in the seat.
“Of course,”
she said quietly as she swung the knot up again, “this is the basics. Can you imagine how this can be improved
upon?” She walked over, Andre panting
and watching as she dipped the knot into a bucket of clear liquid, smiling as
the rope absorbed the cold iced water – and then shook it as she took it out,
swinging it round and hitting him again.
“Dorogaya
Bogoroditsa, kto ty? Otkuda ty?”
“YA
Bezmolvnaya Smert', YA nesu vozmezdiye, YA zhenshchina, kotoruyu ty pomog
sozdat' ...”
“YA pomog
sozdat' ... Kak? Pokazhi mne svoye litso!”
“Vy khotite
uvidet' moye litso?”
She kicked him
onto his back, Andre screaming again as landing on his hands forced the skewers
further under his fingernails. She
brought the rope down onto his ball sac again and again, smiling, her eyes
gleaming as she hit him there, and then his feet, the blood starting to flow as
Andre screamed and screamed…
“She’s going to
kill him.”
“I know,”
Catherine said as they looked at the screen, “but we need to stop her.”
Penny nodded as
she said “Marina, Kylie, with me. Cari –
is she here?”
Carina nodded
as Penny said “she may get a chance to play – if there’s anything of him
left. Come on.”
Throwing the
blood and pus matted rope to the side, Silent Death pulled Andre back up, his
face contorted in pain as his feet touched the stone floor.
“I hope… I hope you are satisfied…”
“Not nearly,
Dancer, but I want to ask you about Helsinki.
I know you were there with Yelena Sharamatova, her husband, her child…”
Andre looked at
her as he said “and?”
“You tried to
prevent their escape to freedom, did you not…”
“I had my
orders…”
“YOU WERE THEIR
FRIEND!” The slap nearly took Andre’s
head off, as Silent Death said “you were their friend, and you betrayed them,
it was a miracle the mother and daughter escaped – but the father…”
“He blocked
their escape… He paid the price…”
“Did you kill
him?”
Andre looked at
the hooded and masked face and nodded, adding “and what is it to you?”
His eyes widened
as she reached up and pulled the hood down, and then pulled the mask away from
her face as she looked at him.
“Helen…. Yelena…”
“Be quiet,” she
said quietly as she touched his neck, his eyes opening as the pain shot through
him and he found himself unable to speak.
“You may not have made me the woman I am, but you started me on that
path, Andre Kannenikov. With what you
did to my father, you destroyed part of my mother’s life – a part that was only
filled with love for an achingly short time.
It may have been cancer that killed her, but you nearly broke her heart
that night – the one grace was I was too young then to understand what really
happened.
“Then.”
Andre could
only watch, wanting the pain to end as Helen picked up a bow and arrow and let
two arrows fly, piercing his upper legs.
She dropped the bow, picking up a thin blade as she walked forward.
“And now, I
take my revenge for what you…”
“Sensei!”
Helen suddenly
turned to see Marina standing there with Kylie, both with their hands clasped
in front of them as she continued “Sensei, I understand the anger, the reasons
why you have done this. I truly do, but
I ask you to listen to us for a moment.”
“When my mother
visited earlier this year,” Kylie said quietly, “and I – shared my displeasure
with the man that was with him, I wanted him to hurt, to pay for what he had
done to her. So yes, although this
unworthy one has made you hurt far more, I do understand part of what you are
feeling, that desire, that rage.
“But at that
time, you reminded me that to follow that path means you have lost your focus,
lost your purpose – and I fear, Sensei, that you are on that path as well.”
“He has paid –
he will pay – for what he has done,” Marina said quietly, “but if you do this
to him now, like this, then you have forgotten the most basic teachings you
shared with us. There is no honour in
this, Sensei, there is no just revenge.”
“But he killed
my father.”
“Yes, he did,
and for that he must pay, but this is not the way to do that. Sensei, you taught us the importance of acting
with honour and for the right purpose.”
“And so today,”
Kylie continued, “we have to teach you to remember that lesson. We are not going to stop you.”
“They know they
cannot stop you.”
Helen turned
suddenly to see Penny standing there.
“You have to stop
yourself, Helen… Yelena. I am not asking you to forgive him for the
hurt he has caused, I am asking you to forgive yourself for letting that hurt
take you over. I am asking you to stop,
now, and come back with us. He will pay
– I assure you of that – and you have hurt him a great deal. But it must not be at his hand, because that
will be the death you will never forgive yourself for, and I love you too much
to allow you to do that.”
Helen turned
and looked at Andre, his face bloated and battered, his body bleeding, and let
the knife drop slowly to the ground as she started crying. Penny walked over, putting her arms round her
lover as she said “it’s going to be all right now – come with me, my love, it’s
going to be all right” as they walked past Kylie and Marina.
“And what of
you two – the administrator and the student,” Andre finally managed to say as
the effects of the nerve pinch wore off – “her students. Are you going to finish the job?”
“No – you are
not worthy of our attentions. Another
has that honour,” Kylie said as both girls bowed and walked out of the room.
“They’re
talking about me.”
Andre suddenly
turned his head to see Carina standing there.
“I am Miss Lynx
– and this really is your lucky night…”
As Catherine
turned, the door to the house opened as Penny slowly walked in with Helen. She watched as Helen walked forward and then
prostrated herself face down on the ground as she said “Honoured Mistress, I
have failed you and I have failed the Honoured Fathers, and I accept your
punishment.”
“Stand up Helen
– there will be no punishment here,” Catherine said quietly, “I have just
spoken with the Honoured Father – he is on his way here now, and will see you
when he lands tomorrow. There will be a
price to pay – but not with your life.”
Helen stood and
nodded as Penny said “come with me” and took her up the stairs as Kylie and
Marina came in.
“What will
happen to her,” Marina asked as they stood with their heads bowed.
“She will spend
some time in meditation, and in isolation, but I think she will be fine. You both did the correct thing tonight – I am
very proud of you both.”
“And the
Dancer?”
Cathy turned
and looked at the screen, then put the lid down. “Not our concern…”
“NET! Vo
imya Rodiny, ostanovis' seychas!”
“Now why on
earth would I do that,” Carina said as she wiped the blood covered scrotum with
the damp cloth, the acetic acid burning into him as she did so. “You were dirty down there, and I wanted to
see exactly how much damage my friend did to you. And I must say, she did a great deal of
damage.”
Through tear
filled eyes and gritted teeth, Andre looked down at the swollen, blood red mass
that was where she had rained blow after blow with the rope. “I… I deserved this,” he finally said, “An
agent knows the time will come when he must pay.”
“Well now – is
this repentance I hear?”
“No, little one
– merely an acknowledgment of the truth,” Andre said as he raised his
head. “And what part do you play in our
little drama tonight? The little model,
the doting mother, the proud daughter…”
“The
psychopath.”
Andre looked at
Carina as she examined her scalpels, and said “ah – so the rumours, the film,
they were close to the truth?”
“The rumours,
yes. The film, perhaps not,” Carina said
with a smile as she turned round, “but my concern now is your personal
health. You see, you threatened good
friends of mine – and I really do not like it when someone threatens my
friends. I get a little – cranky.”
“And what could
you do that is worse than this?”
“Oh, you really
are a fucking idiot, aren’t you,” Carina said as she walked over, and slowly
drew a grid on his chest with the scalpel as he groaned, “Silent Death – Helen
– she was letting emotions she has held in check since she was a child out
tonight, and she will be the better for it.
Whereas I – I am cool, I am calm, I am in full awareness of what I can
and cannot do.”
“And what can
you do?”
“This,” Carina
said as she suddenly clamped two metal bulldog clips onto Andre’s nipples, and
he looked at the chain connecting them, “so kind of her not to use these
ones.” She yanked on the chain as Andre
looked at her, and said “after tonight, is that all you can do?”
Carina smiled
as she looked at his feet, and picked up the pliers, kneeling down and yanking
the nail away from the toe that had bene burnt.
Andre grimaced as he looked down, and then screamed “DER'MO!” as she squeezed the toe, one finger on
the raw nail bed.
“What do you
think, you fucking traitor,” she said quietly, rubbing her thumb on the nail
bed before she removed the next toe, and repeated the process, Andre wondering
how she was doing this, what beast lay within her so well hidden.
After a while,
Carina stood up, grinning as she said “now, what else can we do to pass the
time…”
“End it,” Andre
panted, “end it now…”
“Oh not quite
yet,” Carina said with a smile as she walked to the table, and then came
back. “Now I have had a chance to
examine the damage done to you, I am afraid to see Maestro that part of you has
been injured beyond repair. I really
think amputation is the best thing.”
“What… what do
you mean…? OH GOD
NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Carina laughed as he
screamed, holding his ball sac in her bloodied hand and the red stained scalpel
in the other as Andre stared at her.
“What? You thought I would remove your cock,
arsefucker? Oh no, that would be too
simple.”
Andre was
crying now, as he whispered “please, let it end…”
“Well, as you
asked so nicely…”
He heard the
click of the safety as it was pulled back, and said a prayer before the blinding
white light filled his brain. Carina
looked at him, and then laid plastic sheeting on the floor before she cut him
free from the chair and pushed him onto the sheets, wrapping them round him and
using zip ties to secure it in place before she left the room.
“Is it over,”
Catherine asked as Carina came in.
“It is – we
need to get him somewhere where he can be found, and it cannot trace back to
any of us.”
“I will assist
you to put him in the car outside,” Catherine said as she stood up, “Mongoose,
I will require your assistance. Swan,
remain here with Carina and the others – you can bring her back when they are
ready?”
“Is it over?”
Carina looked
up the stairs as Helen and Penny came down, Helen now wearing a track suit.
“It is over –
he has paid the price,” Carina said quietly, Helen nodding as Marina left with
Catherine.
Sunday 23rd October
9.55 am
The von Furstenheim Apartment
“What are you
watching darling,” Klaus said as he handed a mug of coffee to Juliette.
“Something I
have to watch, even if I do not want to,” Juliette said as The Fashion Channel
logo appeared.
“Good morning –
I’m Jeanne Beckmann, and this is the Beckmann Report”
For once, the
opening music and credits did not play, as Jeanne sat in the studio, wearing a
black trouser suit and looking sombre.
“As you will
have heard, this week we sadly lost an icon of the fashion industry, suddenly,
without warning, and today we pay tribute to that person, looking back on their
life, their achievements, and talking to those who knew them as a true and
close friend. We start with this review
of their career…”
The screen
changed to a picture of a young red headed woman wearing a suede fringed
waistcoat and long skirt, the waistcoat over a white jumper.
“Fiona
MacKenzie was one of the leading lights of the Fashion journalism world, and
had been for more years than many of us care to imagine. Hailing from the North East of Scotland, she
came to study in London in the mid-seventies, and it was there that she first
met the other half of what was to become a power house of style over the
decades – a young Welsh girl called Mary Thomas.”
The scene
shifted to Mary Thomas, in her Cave.
“Ai, I remember when we first met,” she said with a smile. “It was the Fresher’s fair at the college,
and I was this young girl from the valleys who had somehow managed to find
herself in the London College of Fashion.
I was walking round, wondering what on earth I was going to do, when I
started talking to a couple of girls – and this clear Scots voice says behind
me ‘praise God, I’m not the only Celt here.’
“I turned
round, and there was this wee lass with red-brown hair, wearing a pair of jeans
and a white t-shirt under a crochet vest, smiling as she said ‘I’m Fiona –
wanna grab ae coffee.’ I nodded – and as
daft as it sounds, that’s how our friendship started.”
Jeanne nodded
as she said “so what was student life like then?”
“It was a good
time to be in London,” Mary said quietly “especially for two girls from, let’s
be fair, a sheltered background. I was
the daughter of a coal miner from the valleys, she was a doctor’s daughter from
the North of Scotland, brought up in the Free Church tradition. I guess we became friends because we were so
different from the other students – and we both had a desire to have fun and
get to know people.”
The camera went
back to Jeanne, a picture of a young Fiona in the background, as she said “both
Fiona and Mary graduated with a degree in Fashion Design from the college, and
at the same time they were often seen on television music programs as well as
at concerts. While they had studied
design, however, both had spent some time working in the press, so while Mary
went to work for Associated Press on their newspapers, including the Daily
Mail, Fiona returned to Scotland to work for the publishing company, D C
Thomson.
“At the time,
the company was known for three main sets of publications – newspapers, such as
the local Dundee Courier, and the weekly Sunday Post; Comics, such as the long
running Dandy and Beano as well as other collections of comedy and action
strips; and magazines, including one aimed at teenage girls called Jackie. Jacqueline Wilson, the writer, was at that
time one of the associate editors on the publication.”
“I remember
when she first arrived,” the grey haired author said as she appeared, “The
offices were set up as if you were in an old schoolroom, but we had a real
family atmosphere – and into this room walked this little fireball, full of
energy, and willing to do anything to succeed – but event hen, you knew she was
a rare talent.”
“Fiona was only
a few years younger than me,” Nina Myskow, the former editor of the magazine,
“but we hit it off immediately. She
worked on the fashion layouts, as well as providing some clothing suggestions
for the Fumetti we used to run as part of the magazine – but she also was a
natural talking to some of the pop stars we had in at the time. She knew many of them were acting, and she
never would allow them to get away with anything damaging to them or us.”
As the program
scanned over one of the photo stories, Jeanne said “did you imagine at that
time Fiona would get to the position she held?”
“I knew she had
the drive, the determination,” Nina replied, “which is why we appointed her to
an associate editor post – a post she enjoyed.
That was when I first met Mary as well – we had to go to London for a
fashion week event, and Mary was working back of house as a favour to one of
the designers. I smiled at the way they
worked together – and knew there was a team in the making there.”
“Was this also
where the legend of her indexing system began?”
Nina smiled and
nodded. “Back then, it was an old
notebook she carried round, but I remember when she first took the reins at
Complete Style I visited her office – and I was amazed to see the cabinets in
there. I saw the ones she had written
for people like Stella Jameson and Mandy Carrow – frighteningly accurate…”
“Nina Myskow,”
Jeanne said as they went back to the studio.
“In the mid 1980’s, Fiona left DC Thomson and moved to their ‘hated
rivals in the south’ Woman Magazine.
There, she developed her contacts with the industry, as well as the
designers of the time. I asked Jeff
Banks, who at the time was a noted designer as well as a presenter on the BBC
Clothes Show, what he remembered of her.”
“I’d heard of
Fiona through Mary Thomas – she was working on the program as an advisor,
sharing her knowledge – but to meet her was an event. Carolyn and I were filming in the editorial
office of the magazine, when we heard a stream of Celtic invective coming from
a meeting room, and then the door opened and Fiona came out, making it very
clear what was wrong with what she had been looking at.
“She came over
and introduced herself to both of us, and proceeded to discuss what she thought
we should be covering. She made good
suggestions as well – something we took to heart.”
“In the studio
with me now is Missy Auerbach, head of NorStar, but even at that time one of
the most respected agents out there.”
Jeanne turned to where Missy was sitting, wearing a dark dress, and said
“Missy, where did you first meet Fiona?”
“It would have
been in 1990,” Missy said with a smile.
“I had been sent by the agency I was working with then to scout for new
talent in London, and I was told to call on Fiona in her office. So I walked in, we shook hands, and then she
ordered her tea before she asked what I was looking for.
“As I talked,
she took these card boxes from her desk and nodded as she started to pull some
out. Now, I had some names in mind, but
then she showed me a card of this blonde, slightly upper class woman – and that
was Mandy Carrow…”
“So she had
already noted her.”
“Her and Paula
Priest – so I was always be indebted to her…”
“In 1991, the
paths of Fiona and Mary Thomas came together, as Fiona was appointed to head up
the Paris office of Complete Style as their Fashion Editor. She called Mary, who was then working as a
style editor, and invited her to join her in the bureau – and so the dream team
of Complete Style came together. It was
during that time that she first encountered the likes of Juliette Huntingdown,
as well as many of the young English models of the time. I spoke to Mandy Carrow, Eve Stone, Paula
Priest and Olivia Savage to get their memories of that time, and of Fiona.”
The screen
showed Mandy, Eve, Paula and Olivia sitting in a studio.
“Can you tell
me what you think of when you think of Fiona, Mandy?”
"The
problem with describing Fiona is that there is no one you can really compare
her to and say to people 'well she was like so and so'." Mandy smiled
at the camera.
"So what
you are saying is that she was unique?" Jeanne looked at the screen
showing Mandy and the other models sitting in the studio in London.
"She was
totally unique," Olivia smiled as well. "She could be moody,
cantankerous, and when things weren't going as she wanted you were far safer
keeping out of her way. But she had a generosity of spirit that made her more
than just a friend to so many of us, she was more like a favourite maiden
aunt who you could always turn to for help and advice when you needed it."
“That was never
truer than when we sadly lost Stella Jameson,” Eve said as she leaned back in
her seat. “She knew how much trouble Stella
was in, and as we now know Stella was using her as a backstop to look after her
daughter, Caroline, if anything happened to her. Fiona took that role very seriously, always
looking out for the little girl when she was on set with Stella. Then when Stella died, she moved heaven and earth
to try and make sure Caroline was all right.”
“So what made
her such a force as an editor?”
"Having trained as a designer herself she had firm opinions on
what she thought was and wasn't good in fashion," Paula took a turn to
speak, "and somehow she instinctively knew just which model, and just
which photographer, would make the clothes she liked look their very
best."
“So she will be
missed?”
“In more ways
than you can imagine, darling” Mandy said quietly.
“I also spoke
to Juliette von Furstenheim, to find out what role Fiona played in her time
there.”
The scene
shifted to the apartment, Klaus taking Juliette’s hand as on the screen she
said “I was this struggling young model, just trying to make ends meet in many
ways, but I was fortunate in making friends with Diana du Grechy and it was
through her I met both Fiona and Mary. I
knew Mary from some time she had spent in CS in New York, where she had
suggested me for some covers.
“Anyway, they
both took us under their wings, and then I had my breakthrough at the YSL
show. They were there for me every step
of the way, and I was so glad of that…”
“So when you
returned home?”
“Mary had gone
to work for CS as their Style Editor,” Juliette said, “and Fiona was appointed
the editor of the UK edition. When
Carina was born – well, I had started to think about writing, so Mary got me a
position on staff there. The rest, as
they say, is history.”
Jeanne looked
at the screen as she said “Fiona remained as editor of the UK edition of
Complete Style right up to her death, despite her battle recently with
Leukaemia, and she continued to champion new talent as well. We spoke to Jeannie Brewster, who recalled
when she met Fiona.”
The scene
changed to Jeannie at home, as an interviewer said “where did you first meet
her?”
“Well, my
grandfather works as a chauffeur for Vanessa Richmond, but when he was on
holiday in Harlow a couple of years ago, Juliette Huntingdown was here with
some others for a visit, so he arranged for me to meet her, and as part of the
visit we went to the CS offices here. We
were in the lobby when the receptionist said something about telling the
tornado we were here, and then she came out of the lift, smiling as she hugged
the others and took us up to the editorial floor.
“She’d arranged
for me to have a tour, and have my hair styled as well, and then we went for
lunch before she asked if my mother and I would come and see Abby de Ros at
work on a shoot the next day.”
“That was the
National Gallery shoot?”
Jeannie nodded
as she said “Yeah – we got there, and the next thing I knew Mum was signing a
contract, and I was been wheeled in to meet Abby and Lily Cole, and then I was
part of the shoot myself. I can truly
say, it was the day that changed my life.”
“As you say, a
life changing experience. And not one
you were expecting.”
Jeannie shook
her head. "It was only a few months
later that Lily Cole actually told me how hard Fiona had had to
fight to get me onto the National Gallery shoot with Juliette."
Jeannie smiled as she said, "she twisted arms, threatened, and I’m told
she even resorted to blackmail, to get those who didn't want a
disabled girl who wasn't even a model to allow me to be in those
pictures."
"What do
you think she saw in you that made her do that?" the interviewer asked.
"You know
at first I thought it was purely down to her trying to do something very
special for a girl in a wheelchair."
"At
first?"
"Again I
learned later that she'd told people she had seen something in my face, but
most importantly in my determination to not let my disability determine
who I was, that made her think from the start that I had the potential to
be a model."
“So you owed
everything to her?”
“I did – and I
will miss her terribly…”
3.30 pm GMT
Bayswater Road
“So do you have
your costumes ready for the party this week,” Sue said as she finished her
dessert.
“We have,”
Miley said as she looked at Laura, “but it’s a secret.”
“Well, let me
collect the plates up, and I’ll make some coffee,” Agnes said as she stood up.
“Let me give
you a hand,” Colin said as the two of them headed for the kitchen, leaving Sue
to talk to the girls.
"Can I ask
a question Agnes?" Colin asked as he loaded the dishwasher.
"Of course you can Colin.” As she
switched on the coffee machine, she continued “What would you like to
know?"
"Given that Sue sees you practically as her Mother, why weren't you
at hers and mine first wedding?"
"I'd have
liked to have been," Agnes sighed, "in fact I did do my usual thing
and I stood outside the Registry Office and watched everyone come and go."
"But why?
I know Sue and her friends would have wanted you to be there."
"They did Colin, and we had some very serious discussions about it,”
Aggie said as she turned round, “but in the end we decided it would be for the
best if I wasn't where I could be seen."
"Seen by
whom?"
"By your
family and friends Colin. Far too many of them knew just who Agnes McAdam and
Lady D'eath were. It would have set tongues wagging about how exactly Sue
came to know me, and she might have had to tell you secrets about herself she
didn't want you to know."
"Oh." Colin nodded as he thought over what she was
saying.
"The girls decided that it would be easier not to set tongues wagging
about why such a notorious whore as me was at your wedding."
“I understand –
at least you were there for her this time,” Colin said with a smile as Agnes
arranged the coffee cups.
"Is there
anything more I can help you with Colin?"
"Maybe,"
Colin took a breath, "but even you might not know the answer."
As she poured
the coffee, Agnes said "What is the question?"
"Did Sue ever tell you if she was sexually molested when she was in
care?"
Agnes stopped
for a moment, then put the coffee pot down and turned round. "Where did that question come
from?"
"I've been asked to write some comments on an internal memorandum that is
being circulated at Central Office regarding abuses within the care
system. I think they think being married to Sue gives me some
insight."
"And does
it?"
Colin shook his
head. "I only know really what
she put in that article about herself, but I've always wondered if
she left certain details out."
"I
see," Aggie said quietly as she sipped her drink.
"Did she ever tell you anything about what happened to her in foster
care Agnes? As I said earlier, you have rather been her surrogate Mother."
"Colin I'm
going to tell you two things," Agnes paused, "the first is that yes I
know things that Sue left out of that article. The second is that if
you are looking to find out what, then I'm not the person you must talk to. Go
talk to Sue Colin is what I'll advise."
Nodding, Colin
said “I know, but it’s not something you raise over the dinner table.”
“No, no it’s
not. Take the coffee through…”
11 am
West Central Park
Catherine
looked at her phone, and then nodded as she stood up.
“Is it time
already,” Penny said as she looked at Marina and Kylie.
“I think it is,
darling,” Kylie said quietly, “shall I inform her?”
“No – stay
here, do nothing until I come in,” Catherine said as she walked to the hallway,
closing the door behind herself as she approached the main entrance. As she opened it, she bowed as two very large
and very well dressed men walked in, followed by a woman in a red cheongsam.
“Is all
secured,” she said quietly, Catherine nodding and bowing as the Honoured Father
walked in. All four bowed as he nodded,
and the woman closed the door.
“Has the storm
passed, my daughter,” he said quietly, Catherine not raising her head as she
said “it has, Honoured Father, and she is meditating through that door there.”
“I see – and
her proteges?”
“They and her
love managed to bring her back from the edge – but she did exact a terrible
revenge before then. Another made sure
he would not talk, and we – arranged for him to be found where no trace to what
happened was left.”
“I trust and
accept your judgement in this, my daughter.” Looking round, he said “it is time
I talked to her. Wait out here, all of
you.”
The others
bowed low as Catherine bowed low, and the Honoured Father walked into the
training room were Helen was sitting in meditation. He closed the door quietly, and then
whispered “my child…”
Helen opened
her eyes, and with one fluid motion prostrated herself on the floor, not
raising her head as she said “my father – I have failed you. I confess my failure, and await your
punishment.”
She waited as
Feng Lui stood there silently, before he said “you know what you did was wrong
– why, my daughter?”
“I allowed my
emotions to rule my actions – I see that now – and there is no excuse for the
insult I paid to you and my Honoured Mistress by ignoring your messages and
summons. I allowed anger and rage to be
my focus, and that led me to the wrong path.”
“And what led
you to the right path?”
“The
intervention of my lover, my students – they reminded me of my own teachings,
and I stepped on a different road… But
the damage was still done, and I await your judgement.”
She remained in
position, before he said “rise” and she stood on her feet, her hands clasped,
her head bowed.
“I was angry at
what happened,” Feng Lui said quietly, “but as I travelled here, I was provided
with information in the role this man had played in your family – and in the
betrayal of that family.”
“If I may ask…”
“You have many
friends, and one of them arranged for me to see an intelligence report of what
happened in Helsinki. I understand now
it was the child Yelena who took control, not Silent Death – and that is a
human thing.” He walked forward and put
his hand on her shoulder, before he said “at the grave of your step-father, I
asked if honour was satisfied, before I took you into my family and began to
teach you. I ask the question again – is
honour satisfied?”
Helen slowly
nodded as he said “then I will not judge you on this occasion – but I wish you
to return with me for a while, to meditate, and to visit the grave of your
mother and stepfather. Then you may return
to your duties.”
“I am not to be
punished?”
“I think you
have punished yourself enough,” Feng Lui said quietly. “Come, you may make arrangements with
Penelope and your charges, and your lover can join you in a week’s time.”
“I… I am not deserving of such mercy,” Helen said
quietly. “It will not happen again.”
“I sincerely
hope not - now go, talk with your friends.”
“Of course,
Honoured Father,” Helen said as she backed out, her head down until she left
the room and nodded to the other three outside.
As she went into the main room, Penny stood up and said “well?”
“I must return
to Hong Kong, to do some things – but I am forgiven. Now I must strive to forgive myself.” Helen looked up as Penny walked over, put her
arms round her and kissed her before she said “want my help?”
“Yes – but I
must go alone first,” she said as she looked at her, Marina and Kylie. “Thank you – all of you – for bringing me
back.”
As she spoke,
the door opened and Catherine came in with Feng Lui. “Greetings,” he said as all of them bowed
their heads, “now, may I have some tea?
We have matters to discuss…”
2 pm
The Richmond Mansion
“Lunch was excellent,
Heather,” Nessa said as they sat in the front room, drinking coffee after their
meal.
“Thanks Nessa,”
Heather said with a smile as they heard the knock on the front door. “I’ll go and see who that is.”
“Mom, before I
forget,” Sands said as Heather went to the door, “I wanted to ask if it was all
right for me to go out on Tuesday night.”
“So long as you
have your assignments up to date, then…
Rachel, what brings you here?”
“Sorry to
interrupt,” Rachel McNally said as she came in, “but I understand Nessa is
here? I need to talk to her about
something.”
“I’m here,”
Nessa said as she sat forward, her skirt falling over her legs, “do we need to
go somewhere to talk?”
“Well… No, I think I can trust you all not to say
anything about this,” Rachel said as she looked round. “It’s just…”
“Rachel?”
“I had a call
from the Metrop this morning – Maestro Andre has disappeared.”
Heather and
Sandy exchanged a glance as Nessa said “disappeared? What happened?”
“Well, the last
time he was seen was last night during the gala – when he stepped outside for
some fresh air. Nobody has seen him
since then – and we have another performance tonight. Nessa, what do we do?”
“Have the
police been informed?”
Rachel nodded
as Heather handed her a cup of coffee. “They
are looking into it, but do we go ahead with the show tonight?”
“OF course,”
Nessa said quietly as she stood up, “it is a charity night, correct?” As Rachel nodded, Nessa said “let’s talk
about this in the kitchen.”
As they walked
out, George and Sands stood up, George saying “we’ll get on with our
assignments” as they went upstairs, leaving Sandy and Heather looking at each
other.
“You don’t
suppose…”
“All Diana said
was that Francesca was trying to deal with a potential emergency. I have a feeling she wasn’t just bluffing…”
“What do we
do?”
“Nothing –
yet…”
3 pm
Jameson Security
“So Helen took
her revenge?”
Cathy Lu nodded
as she sat with Francesca. “I am sorry
if that has impeded your plans, but by the time we got there… Well, let us just say she did a lot to him.”
Nodding,
Francesca said “so how long do we have?”
“I cannot say with
certainty how long we have before the body is discovered,” Cathy said as she
looked at Francesca and Eleanor, Caroline sitting next to her. “I suggest you do what is necessary, and take
all necessary actions.”
Caroline nodded
as Eleanor said “we should arrange to meet Ed tomorrow, he will need to know.”
“Agreed –
Caroline, can you hold the fort for tomorrow?”
As Caroline
nodded, Francesca asked “Did Helen kill him?”
“No – and no, I
will not reveal who did. Helen – she
needs time, but she will recover. What
is required now is to finish what has started.”
She looked round the table, the others nodding in agreement.
Monday 24th October
11 am
The Pentagon
As Francesca
and Eleanor looked over, Francesca in a cream jacket and skirt with a white
camisole top, and Eleanor in her dress uniform, Admiral Preminger sat back and
nodded.
“I can
understand such a reaction,” he finally said as he picked up a file, “this came
in over the wire while you were travelling down.”
“What is it,”
Francesca said as she watched Eleanor read the paper inside.
“The body of
Andre Kannenikov, the famed dancer and current visiting director of the
Metropolitan Ballet, was found washed up on the coast of Staten Island
today. No details have been released of
how he died, but tributes have already started to come in from the world of
ballet.” Eleanor passed Francesca the
file, before she said “how bad?”
“Fingers
crushed, beaten in ways that make me quiver, tortured, and then shot in the
head.” Ed Preminger stood up and looked
out of the window. “With their main
control agents gone, I think our friends are going to shut down that
operation.”
“There may be
others,” Eleanor said.
“Potentially,
but with the information we have gathered, we can proceed to neutralise much of
what they planned.” Turning, he said
“the nation thanks you and your team, Captain, Admiral, but it is time to wind
down operations.”
“Of course, you
will have the final report in due course,” Eleanor said as there was a knock on
the door.
“COME!”
As they
watched, the adjutant came in and handed Ed a sheet of paper. As he left and closed the door, Ed looked at
it and said “damn.”
“Damn what?”
“The FBI have
launched an investigation again into the use of e-mails by the Democratic
candidate, and announced it publically.”
He looked at the two women, and said “now the fun begins…”
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