Jodi Ann
Page 18
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A few days of bliss was interrupted by the fickle English weather, wind and rain keeping them inside became tedious, then in the early hours of the morning amid darkness and driving rain they were waken by Hurst. The three frazzled females were escorted into a waiting Rolls Royce Silver Spur, used to transport royalty, bullet proof, able to withstand external explosions, capable of two hundred miles and hour, escorted front and back by men in black driving Range Rovers clearly displaying the Australian flag on the left front wing and the insignia Military Intelligence on the right wing, the tiny embroidered flags flapping in the wind on their stumpy silver posts as the silver lady followed its escort.
Inside beginning to focus from their sudden arousal Hurst introduced them to a grey haired man sitting in the middle of the forward facing rear seat. The vehicle was slightly longer than a standard Rolls and seated six facing each other in the rear compartment cut off from the driver and passenger by a glass petition. He wore a grey tweed suit, his cuff links bore the insignia of Westminster and he smelt of the corridors of Whitehall, brandy, cigar smoke and leather polish and spoke in a refined English accent. Hurst introduced him to the surprised women sitting opposite him. “Jodi, Lola, meet Sir Albert Hollis, chancellor of the exchequer.”
“Is that important,” replied Lola holding a sleeping Jasmine on her lap.
Hollis chuckled and held his hand up to Hurst holding his speech and spoke and answered himself. “Of no consequence to you young lady, it is I whom are honoured to meet a child of John Stanton’s.”
“Wow he knows Dad.”
Hurst and Hollis laughed aloud. “Quiet Lola, let the man speak, I know his name your father has mentioned him many times over the years,” snapped Jodi. She tried looking out the windows but they had blackened visibility was near zero, the stately bullet lanced through the night.
Hollis noticed Jodi’s concern. “Please don’t be concerned, you will be in the air heading for Australia within two hours. You will see flashing lights when the car slows, lights and intersections being secured to assure our unhindered progress. We are heading for an old stamping ground of your husbands, an Island near the mouth of the Thames, a private jet will land in a field there as we arrive, the engines will remain running as you board and leave immediately.”
“Foulness Island.”
Hollis raised his eyebrows but smiled as well. “Mmmm, you know of this place.”
Hurst interrupted. “That’s on a need to know basis Albert.”
Hollis clasped his hands together as if in prayer. “I see, your husband or father,” he looked at Lola, “does not know you are being returned, at this moment doubles have been put in your place as intelligence shows those whom would gain from harming you found out where you were.”
“Oh no will they be harmed,” asked Jodi.
“They are trained members of MI, please don’t be concerned. You are much safer under the nose of John, they dare not go near him, if they were to enter Australia he would know and eliminate them. This is no game, your attention to detail many years ago Jodi will be of great assistance, you can return to work.”
“John will surely know I’m back.”
“He will find out anyway, carrying on as usual both he and the Cadiche Man will know where you are and what you are doing. The Cadiche Man will follow you to work, home from work, you will never see him but he will be there. Only a fool or a dead man would dare so much as look at you.”
“What about Lola and Jasmine.”
“As we speak your brothers have been introduced to a network put in place over the last few years by your husband. Lola and Jasmine will be the last people anyone would go near.”
“I’ve seen my dad operate only recently, he took me to the airport to come here, I’m worried about my husband,” said Lola.
Hollis coughed. “Your husband may have some explaining to do, things are often not as they seem, your father knew exactly what you wanted in life and found it for you. I never told you should he ask.”
“My god dad knows Rodney.”
Hollis and Hurst chuckled. “He trained him, your husband is British not Australian, he has been a member of Military Intelligence since graduating from military academy, hence your father put you in safe hands.”
Lola became agitated. “You wait till I see those two, what a load of bullshit, he told me…”
Jodi interrupted. “He told us nothing because we never asked, it’s the code. Ask him when you see him next and he’ll tell you the truth.”
“Exactly,” said Hollis. “John Stanton’s most valued things are not money or power but his family. He has gone to great lengths to protect you, your future and your families future, do you really think John Stanton would put the life of his daughter in the hands of a real estate agent from Newcastle Australia.”
“He’s a bloody good real estate salesman.”
“Indeed he is, the real estate organisation he works for is owned by your father, everyone works for John Stanton.”
“Oh my god, mum, did you know all this.”
Jodi looked puzzled as Lola. “No I didn’t, not most of it anyway. How long has John been getting around Newcastle?”
“The day before you arrived, he was always one step ahead. Did things not seem to fall into place?”
Jodi strained her eyes thinking hard. “The long brown leather jacket, at times over the years I got a glimpse of it, I thought it was coincidence other people had the same garment.”
“We never know where John is and we look pretty hard so can’t expect you to have any idea. I think in time you will appreciate how often he was no more than an arms length away.” Hollis laughed as he looked at Lola who smiled back but she didn’t know why. “I remember when you was born Lola, I was Secretary Of State, your father loves motor racing and as a Lola had won the Le Mans twenty four hour endurance race the named you Lola.”
Lola went spare. “What! I’m named after a bloody racing car, oh my god it gets worse,” she turned to her mother. “Did you know that?”
“Well, yes.”
“Good god didn’t you object.”
“Lola is also the name of beautiful people, the name of a famous song by the Kinks, the name of incredible dancers in Spain, just happens to be the name of a racing car. I couldn’t see the problem.”
Lola thought for a few seconds. “Maybe I have been a bit hasty in condemnation. I’d still like to talk to him about it.”
Hollis watched the conversation with amusement. “Australia has been a second home for John since you settled there, he was with us, looking over you or attending to business and he did it all well.”
Hollis held his ear, the car had been turning corners and slowing down and speeding up for some time, it had obviously left the motorway. “We just crossed the bridge to the island and the jet is approaching the strip, we are bang on time.” The windows of the silver lady suddenly cleared to a point the approaching dawn was visible, Jodi studied the green fields flashing by, the bright landing lights of the jet could be seen as it touched down on the ancient concrete runway, it taxied to a halt at the end of the well worn strip following the tracks of decades of use now rarely used. Spitfires, Hurricanes, Lancaster’s, Harriers and a multitude of test and combat aircraft had graced the runways of Foulness Island but never been seen.
The silver lady drew up adjacent to the access door to the little citation, Jodi and Lola bid Hollis farewell as Hurst helped them into the body of the aircraft, they struggled with their meagre luggage in the driving rain. Hollis’s parting words were, ‘There are no good byes among our creed.’
The silver lady speed away still flanked by its escort Range Rovers, and as Hurst closed the door sealing the jet for takeoff it powered down the runway and lifted off. The undercarriage tucked into its body, the lights went out plunging the aircraft into darkness. The runway lights vanished into the ground and only the wind driving the rain could be heard in the breaking light blowing across the top of the waves
cresting the black mud, green pasture and golden corn stubble after the harvest.