by Ted Tayler
The next bombshell came when Athena and Phoenix got together. Her traumatic experiences in 2005 had made him believe she was destined to be single forever. Look at things now. She was expecting their baby. They kept it secret from everyone for weeks, but Chris knew. He heard everything. When Erebus announced he was retiring and Athena and Phoenix were to assume control, he was crushed. Yet another slap in the face.
He couldn’t sit back and do nothing; not this time. Erebus initiated Olympus through an entry in the personal column of The Times almost a decade ago. Chris entered his own plea weeks after Erebus flew to Ibiza.
The man who was to be his handler contacted him within twenty-four hours. They had never met in person. Chris was tasked with installing listening devices in the couple’s apartment and reporting back what he heard.
Money wasn’t the motivator. Chris Rathbone had enough money to last him; it was the power that he craved. When the people represented by his handler assumed control of Olympus, and both Athena and Phoenix had been eliminated, he would be placed in charge at Larcombe Manor. That was his right; that was his reward.
Chris Rathbone collected his belongings and set off towards his final destination.
*****
Honey B relaxed in her hotel room. She had one more performance left. Tonight at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham her brief UK tour ended. She would return here to the hotel to while away the hours until the meeting on Wednesday.
Her son had called with the news last night. He missed a great opportunity to get rid of their main adversaries. She knew she could count on him in normal circumstances. He had never failed her, but Phoenix was proving a more than worthy opponent. He may have escaped last night, but it was only a matter of time. She would prevail in the end.
There was a knock at the door. She lay back against the pillows and adjusted her dressing gown. She knew that it showed more than was decent for a woman of her age, but her visitor intrigued her. She wondered whether an older man might prove more adept than the young man she had been living with lately. Her latest flame had become tiresome.
She called out for her visitor to enter.
It was her Orion; former DS Phil Hounsell, CEO of Hounsell Security Services, the man she had been using for this tour. She used him not just for her personal security, but for information on her enemies. Particularly information on Phoenix and who he really was and where he used to live.
“Good morning, ma’am,” said Phil, keeping things on a formal footing. He was aware of Honey B’s tempting pose. He stared at the photograph above her bed as he took her through the routine they planned to follow later.
“We’ll collect you at four-thirty this afternoon, then transfer you to the theatre to meet the local press. Four loyal fans have been selected to have their photo taken with you. You are then donating a cheque to a local representative from the animal charity you support. We’ll be on standby while you run through your soundcheck; then we’ll have you back here for six o’clock. Wayne will collect you at eight to deliver you to the stage door. I’ve checked your dressing room. Everything will be to your satisfaction.”
“You’re so commanding, Orion,” whispered Honey B, “can’t I persuade you to stop calling me, ma’am?”
“My wife would get suspicious if I started calling you Honey, ma’am,” said Phil. “Perhaps I should learn your real name?”
Philomena Alexander roared with laughter.
“I think we’ve established over the weeks that I ask the questions. Call me B, if it makes you more comfortable.”
She sat up and patted the bed.
“Come and sit here. Don’t be shy. This B doesn’t sting. Tell me again what I have to do today.”
Phil walked over to the bed. He sat just out of Honey B’s reach. She tutted.
“You’re no fun, Orion,” she said.
“You’re my boss,” Phil replied. “I’ve liked working for you these past few weeks. So much more enjoyable than my last few years with the police. If we’re to continue this business relationship, then we should both try to stay professional. No matter how hard that might be.”
“Ah, your heart is melting, Orion,” simpered Honey B. “I believe there’s hope for me yet.”
Believe what you want, thought Phil. The things a bloke has to do to keep their boss happy. He wasn’t falling for Honey B and her wiles. He had seen those smiles that never reached her eyes. He had felt her ice-cold hand on his arm and her breath on his cheek. Her kiss stung like frostbite.
Honey B was a generous employer, but Phil never wanted to get on the wrong side of her. He imagined she would be deadly.
CHAPTER 15
Phil Hounsell patrolled backstage at the Theatre Royal. Honey B sat in her dressing room. He spotted Wayne, Dusty and Leggo gathered in a corner chatting to a group of stagehands. His crew was winding down towards their last gig with Honey B.
Wayne and the lads were returning to Bath, to the HSS office. They were going to be following up on useful contacts the singer had provided. He was remaining with her in an as yet unspecified security role. The money she promised was ‘silly’. No-one in their right mind would refuse it.
Phil grinned to himself at the shenanigans in the hotel earlier today. Honey B had thought it would be easy to seduce him. He hoped he had sidestepped her gently. She wasn’t one to give up easily, though. After he repeated her itinerary for the day sat on her bed, he had got up and walked towards the door.
He heard the bathroom door slam. He thought he had blown it. She would fire him for sure now. He turned back as he reached the door. Honey B hadn’t gone into the bathroom. She had got out of bed and shut the door to attract his attention. She was now removing her gown to give him a glimpse of her naked body as she stepped into the shower.
“I just wanted to show you what you were missing,” she purred.
Phil thought ‘You got what you paid for Honey B, those cosmetic surgeons can work miracles. I still prefer my Erica, though, thank you all the same’.
He asked Dusty to collect their client this afternoon for the soundcheck and social engagements. Dusty told him Honey B never said a word on the way over and back.
“Saving her voice, I guess,” he added. Phil had smiled.
There was a good crowd in for this final night of the tour. Honey B emerged from her dressing room when the stage manager called her. Her two-hour concert flew by. Phil listened to his favourite songs as usual. He watched her from the wings. He listened.
There it was again. A change in the lyrics, different again from last night. Just what does she think she’s doing? Is it deliberate? The final curtain call ended. Honey B headed for her dressing room. Phil knew he would have to put in an appearance.
He found Wayne and told him to get ready to ferry the singer back to her luxury hotel at a moment’s notice. Phil walked back to see what she wanted to do tonight. He hoped it wasn’t going to be a late night. He tapped on the door.
“I’m busy; go away,” called Honey B.
“It’s me, Orion,” Phil said, hoping to humour her with her pet name for him.
“I know. I have company. Come and collect me in five minutes.”
Phil called Wayne and told him the news. Wayne soon had the limousine ticking over by the stage door, waiting. Phil hoped they could soon get off home to Bath and he would sleep in his own bed with Erica again. He couldn’t wait to see the kids in the morning.
Five minutes came and went. Phil wandered across to the dressing room. A young man was just leaving. He looked familiar. Had he seen him on TV? He didn’t even look towards Phil. He rushed along the corridor and disappeared out of the theatre by the stage door.
Honey B swept out of the dressing room a minute later. Phil held the door open for her and she darted inside the limousine and was driven away in seconds. Not a word passed between them.
Phil went in search of his other two lads. They stood outside having a smoke.
“As soon as Wayne gets back we’ll return to
Bath, boys. Have a lie-in tomorrow.”
“Thanks, boss,” said Jake Legg. “No champagne tonight then?”
“No, thank goodness. A cup of hot chocolate when I get home will have to do for tonight. Our taste of the good life is over for now.”
“It was a good crack, though, wasn’t it? Especially for our first job,” said Dusty.
“You’ve helped HSS gain a good reputation as a reliable security firm. That goes a long way, especially when you add in a personal recommendation by someone as hard to please as Honey B. There will be plenty more gigs after this one, I reckon.”
“You won’t be around so often, though, boss, is that what Wayne said?” asked Jake.
“I don’t know how long it will last, but Honey B wants me to help her find someone.”
“A missing person type of job you mean?” asked Dusty.
“Something like that,” said Phil, with a smile.
Wednesday, October 9th, 2013
A van left Larcombe at a few minutes after eight o’clock in the morning. There were armed agents on board. Rusty Scott was at the wheel. Phoenix and Athena were safely seated inside and en route to Nottingham.
Three hours later they were delivered to their destination. Rusty and his squad were to wait outside the building. Phoenix wore a concealed microphone in the case of an emergency. Athena had persuaded him they should not attend a meeting with Zeus and the others expecting a gun battle. So neither of them was armed.
“Why did we need to use this venue? I thought the Curzon Street place was the most central location for the twelve of us?” asked Phoenix as they headed for the lifts.
“This apartment is tailor-made for a group of our size. We’ve used it before, once or twice. I believe Demeter asked Zeus if it could be booked on this occasion to fit in with her work schedule.”
Phoenix was already on the alert. To hear that Demeter had influenced the choice of venue made him even edgier. When they reached the venue they discovered the set up was highly professional. Phoenix and Athena entered to find a similar traditional boardroom layout to the one they used in London.
Twelve comfortable chairs were in place around a large circular table.
“We’ll be able to look our enemies in the eye, this time, Athena,” said Phoenix, checking the name cards.
The table was adorned with the facilities Phoenix anticipated. Yet again there was a complete lack of any equipment. They were not the first to arrive.
Apollo, Aphrodite, and Dionysus were already chatting over coffee by a side table. Phoenix walked over to get a cup for himself. Athena stuck to a glass of water. She poured it from one of the carafes on the main table and joined the others.
“Hello again,” she said. “I hope you are well. We’re looking forward to an interesting meeting today.”
The replies were much as expected from these three; they were Olympians after all. There were no hidden agendas. What you saw was what you got.
One by one their colleagues joined them. Heracles bustled into the room. He had flown into the City airport and been brought here by taxi. After greeting everyone he said: -
“When my cab pulled up outside, I thought I saw an Olympus van parked to the side of the building. That’s rather unusual. Is there something I should know?”
The other three had been inside the building when Rusty dropped off Phoenix and Athena. They shook their heads. Phoenix looked to his partner for a lead.
“We had a transport problem at the last minute,” she replied, “there were no other cars available at short notice.”
The conversation stalled; the six leaders took the seats allocated to them and awaited the rest of their party. Phoenix watched the door intently to see who arrived with whom.
Zeus arrived with his wife Hera. They too collected refreshments before sitting. Hera sat directly opposite her husband. Phoenix and Athena were side by side to her right. To her left were placed Aphrodite and Apollo. Heracles joined Zeus on the opposite side and took the chair two places to their leader’s right.
Poseidon arrived next. His demeanour was unchanged from that afternoon in Curzon Street. Phoenix watched him as he walked slowly behind Zeus and sat beside him.
The final two pairs arrived only seconds apart. Phoenix imagined this was deliberate. Demeter and Nemesis were clearly uncomfortable companions. The pop singer went directly to Zeus and kissed him on the cheek. She flopped onto the chair beside him. Phoenix allowed himself a brief smile. Zeus was a rose between two thorns.
Hermes walked in with Dionysus, chatting to the former civil servant as if they were bosom pals. Sir Malcolm Dunseith’s expression told a different story. Hermes sat next to his mother. Dionysus seemed happy to be taking the final seat next to Phoenix. He turned his body very slightly so that he could catch his neighbour’s eye. Clearly, he didn’t want to be drawn into a further chit-chat with Dominic Perkins.
“Hello, Dionysus,” said Phoenix, “good to see you again.” Dionysus nodded.
“Time to get our meeting underway, ladies and gentlemen,” said Zeus.
The next two hours sped by, with reports of facts and figures concerning the operations with which Olympus was involved. Phoenix was punch-drunk. Zeus ticked off the items on his agenda with military precision.
“Donations continue to flow into our accounts,” said Zeus. “We have sufficient funds to cope with the rise in criminal and terrorist activity we have experienced around the world. More of that later. Let’s break for refreshments.”
“So far, so good,” said Athena as she and Phoenix waited for the rush for refreshments to ease. They stood by the main table and watched the Titans. It was fascinating to see them today, knowing their relationships and something of their connection. It was so much easier to interpret things once you had the knowledge.
Zeus and Hera each slipped into the role of host with practised ease. Poseidon hovered close to Zeus but said little. His ice-blue eyes darted from side to side. He didn’t miss a word, a glance or a gesture. Hermes and Nemesis kept as far away from one another as was possible in the relatively small apartment. They mingled with other leaders. Phoenix lost count of the number of times their eyes met as they searched each other out across the room. Where was Demeter?
Athena grabbed Phoenix’s sleeve.
“She’s slipped outside, Phoenix,” she whispered. “I need the Ladies, so I’ll check what she’s doing.”
Phoenix watched her go, then he walked over to the side table. As he collected a plate full of items from the buffet he heard a familiar voice. It was Hermes.
“Will you be staying in Nottingham? Maybe we can meet up for that night out in town we couldn’t arrange in London.”
“We’ll be returning to Larcombe straight after the meeting,” said Phoenix.
“Ah, I suppose Athena has to take things easy these days. I should offer my congratulations.”
Phoenix knew very well that Athena hadn’t told any of the leaders of her pregnancy. If proof were needed of who Thanatos had betrayed them to, there it was.
“There are enough able-bodied men at Larcombe to make sure she comes to no harm,” said Phoenix.
Hermes gave him a supercilious smile and moved on to chat to someone else.
Athena returned to stand beside Phoenix. She grabbed one of his sandwiches.
“She’s outside in the corridor chatting on her mobile phone to someone she called Orion,” she whispered.
“Orion? Is he one of ours, someone I’ve never heard of?” asked Phoenix.
“Absolutely not,” said Athena. “I couldn’t hear much of what she said; not without making it obvious that I was eavesdropping. She had her back to me when she mentioned ‘I’ve seen your old friend. I bet you wish you were here’. Who do you think she meant? Could it be one of the others, or you, perhaps? If so, to whom do you think she could have been talking?”
Phoenix had an idea who it was. It wasn’t something he wanted to consider. Zeus and Hera circled around the others guiding
them back towards the table. The break was over, the rise of new terrorist threats had to be discussed. The final item on the agenda was reached an hour later. It was Yewtree.
Zeus expertly steered them through the minefield that was the investigation into historic sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children. Hundreds of potential victims had been identified through the efforts of the police.
Olympus believed there were still dozens of predatory sex offenders who had slipped through the net. They had compiled a list of MP’s and celebrities that warranted direct action. A few of these abusers would be protected from the consequence of criminal action by friends in high places. These so-called friends’ names were to be added to the list.
“The guilty must pay for their crimes,” he concluded.
“We need your agreement to sanction these direct actions,” said Poseidon, suddenly addressing the room. “We are keen to take action.”
Zeus turned towards Poseidon. As chairman, he always organised any votes that were needed. He was aware there were now many more names in the ‘black book’ and the scope of the action far wider than those connected to the Yewtree scandal. The other leaders needed to be aware of that so they could consider their opinion.
Demeter joined in from his left-hand side.
“You are aware of the worst offenders Olympus tagged for punitive action. It was referred to as the ‘little black book’ at our last meeting in Curzon Street by one of our members. I don’t think anyone here can object to that going ahead can you?”
Zeus started to protest, but Poseidon insisted.
“Are there any objections to us going ahead?”
Phoenix and Athena raised a hand. Aphrodite joined them.
“It’s so final, isn’t it? How many will you be eliminating?” she said. “How can we be sure that Olympus won’t be identified as their executioner?”
