Checkmate

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER EIGHT

  Rose ran a bath, she never bathed but the free standing gold tub in the bathroom had an appeal she had never experienced. She frothed the water with soap and bubble bath immersing herself in the white sweet smelling froth. She hummed and sung as she played with the suds, giggling when she lost the soap and tried to find it. The water lost its heat and she climbed out, pulled the plug and showered. She was drying herself with a sumptuous deep pile white bath towel, running it up and down her naked body, she felt a presence, she looked round but could see no one. She dropped the towel on the floor and gathered a dressing gown from the rack beside the shower cubicle, put it on and tied the belt. She walked into the bedroom, then into the walk in wardrobe, as big as here entire bedroom had been at previous abodes. She hummed as she went through the long flowing gowns, selected a black and gold full length then walked into the bedroom looking at it in front of her face as she went. "Mmm, I like it." She ran into something with a jump, she lowered the gown and there he was. They stood in silence for many seconds, helplessness crept across her body, she dropped the gown to the floor. "You look like John Stanton."

  The handsome bald figure wore a smirk familiar to Rose. "Not surprising, my name is John Stanton."

  "Bella's son?"

  He smiled. "Perhaps."

  She touched his face gently with the fingers of her right hand, she whispered. "God your real," her body tingled.

  She went to take her hand away and he gently grasped it. "May I touch you?"

  "I feel so strange, I feel faint, your touch, your smell, I.. I need to sit down."

  He helped her to the bedside and sat her down, he looked down at her face as she looked up at him. "Images fail your justice."

  "You've seen me."

  "I've heard of you, seen you only today."

  "You like me."

  "No I feel hopelessly in love with you."

  "Something is happening to me, I feel faint, sick, overwhelmed, what's happening." She passed out falling in a heap. He straightened her out on the bed, felt her pulse, it was strong. He touched her face and covered her breasts, the gown had fallen away. He raced down the hall and knocked on his mother's door. "Who is it?"

  "Mum."

  Bella looked puzzled and walked toward the door her face etched with inquisition. "John is that you."

  "Mum open the door." She looked through the peep hole, saw her son and opened up. He took her hand. "Mum come quickly, its Rose she's passed out."

  Bella hugged her son, smiled at him then ran toward Rose's room, she rushed through the door and to her side at the bed. She felt her pulse and forehead. "She's burning up, get a flannel with cold water on it." He rushed to the bathroom brining back a hand towel drenched in cold water. Bella folded it up, knelt beside Rose and placed it on her brow, Rose stirred moving her head from side to side. "Rose its Bella, what's happened."

  Rose opened her eyes, she could see him over Bella's shoulder. "He's still here thank god."

  Bella looked back up at him. "What did you do to her?"

  He shook his head with a look of innocence. "I just came in to see her and she went like this."

  Bella looked back at Rose. "Do you have any pain Rose?"

  "My tummy, I have a pain in my groin."

  Bella opened her gown, she could see blood in the region of her groin, between her legs, she opened her legs to look. "Rose, it looks like your menstruating."

  He looked away and rubbed his forehead. "Shall I get a doctor?"

  Rose spoke. "Doctor George Hollis from Portsmouth, he's my doctor, please get him I'm so scared."

  He looked stern, he turned decisively toward Rose. "George Hollis, Albert Hollis's brother."

  "Yes, he's my doctor please get him."

  Bella looked at her sons stone faced look, reminded her of his father. "Well don't just stand there move, get him here."

  "Mum, Portsmouth is ninety kilometres away."

  "So your geography is up to date, I'm sure Greywolf can have him here within the hour."

  Her son remained calm, stone faced and resolute. "Not sure what you're saying."

  Bella stood and invaded his space. "Your father did a good job, insincere to your own mother, my god. I don't know what's wrong with Rose, and I can see your under her spell, we need a doctor that knows her history and can diagnose the problem or we may loose her, your move, checkmate." Her son moved toward the wall with robot like fruition, Bella watched him with a scowl, a wall panel opened without contact, as if it knew he wanted to leave, it closed and he vanished into the darkness. She returned to Rose.

  "Bell what's happening?"

  "It's okay Rose, George will be here shortly, come on well get you cleaned up and into bed."

  She clung to Bella. "This has never happened before."

  "Looks like your menstruating, but a bit late in life for that. How do you feel?"

  "I felt good while your son was here, I was overwhelmed."

  "Meaning what?"

  "I feel in love with him."

  Bella shook her head as she guided Rose to the bathroom. "Oh my god."

  John junior walked the caverns and tunnels of the lair shouting commands. "Brannigan!"

  "John."

  "We have someone in Portsmouth at present."

  "Several protecting Rose's mother."

  "Get one of them to bundle George Hollis into a chopper and fly him here."

  "That would jeopardise the entire operation."

  "Leave that to me, I said he was coming here, I didn't say anything about him leaving." Brannigan grabbed a satellite phone.

  He walked on and sat down at a computer station, he brought up files and began to study them. Hurst came in. "We have George Hollis mobile from Portsmouth, I believe you must have a good reason."

  "Rose Cavendish is bleeding from the uterus."

  "We have a doctor here."

  "I was going to see George Hollis this week, he's coming to see me, bit of a godsend you might say."

  "Roses mother Brenda, she will be a sitting duck."

  John junior thought for a while. "Get the agents covering her to bring her here, burn her house to the ground, leave a body in the rubble burnt beyond recognition."

  "Where are we going to get a body?"

  John junior turned to Hurst with a cold smile. "Lovington."

  "She's missing, with the Forbes and Bartholomew Richmond, your father has been looking for them for ages."

  John junior stood. "Dead, apart from Sandra Lovington, she is held up with Roses mother."

  "Good god, does your father know all this."

  "Some if it."

  "Lovington has a lot of information we need."

  "I have it, passed it on to my father minutes ago."

  Hurst was hesitant. "What is Lovington doing with Roses mother?"

  "Long story, basically lying on her back, she replaced Rose."

  "Have you bee...."

  "Yes I have."

  Again Hurst hesitated. "I see, have you discussed this with your father."

  "Dad has gone home, he has lost his edge, its time to move. Pick up Roses mother, kill Lovington and burn the lot."

  "That's cold blooded murder."

  John junior folded his arms. "Would you like me to relate some of the antics this woman supported and was hands on involved with?"

  "No thanks, I find it quite sickening."

  "Then why do you question?"

  "Sanctions are an agglomeration of factors."

  "And you are void of enough lotto numbers, as my father would say."

  Hurst looked down, then back up into his eyes. "No, but it's murder."

  "The battle of the Somme in the first world war, what was that exactly, sixty thousand British alone in the first twenty four hours."

  "These are civilians."

  "Soldiers were once civilians, they now send women in uniform. We are below the very perpetrators nest, poised to strike a lesson beyond comprehension, after years of work, on the hour yo
u hesitate."

  "Your resolve goes beyond your father's purpose."

  "His resolve went beyond my grandfathers, but he now admits he was right." Hurst walked away a few steps with his back to John junior, he rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Remove Roses mother and I will act on the rest."

  Hurst turned back. "No, I'll see to it, Lovington is of no further use and a capital risk."

  "I'd drop her at the Overlords clubhouse but we need a dead body in the ruins, use Brenda's watch, jewellery, clothes, avoid a DNA test."

  "You appear on first names with Rose's mother."

  "I like sex, have never tried to hide the fact."

  "Vince, the handyman, he's like family."

  "Leave him to mourn, make sure he's clear, part of the cover process."

  A man entered the cavern. "Wolf, George Hollis was on his way to Westminster, we managed to divert him to High Wycombe and picked him up there. He's being shown up to Rose Cavendish's room."

  "Thank you, and excellent." The young man raced away.

  Hurst wore a look of deep inquest. "Wolf."

  John junior stood with his arms behind his back, his right had clasping his left wrist. "Rose will need her mother shortly."

  "And George."

  "Will never leave here."

  "Your father uses him on a regular basis."

  "My father has conveyed responsibility my way, George should have been made an example of long ago, George will assist the flowers with bloom."

  "We are killing off our own contacts."

  "I disagree; we are killing off parasites, murders and enemies of the public, we are nothing more than vigilantes."

  "The aristocracy has fallen, times have changed, people don't like change, whom would be the law should we not take a hand and for what did we do this." He shrugged his shoulders. "If my father directed these things, you would act without question."

  Hurst slowly nodded. "Yes, I would."

  "If you prefer to contact him for verification do so, if he disagrees then wash your hands of it and I will act."

  "No, he has said those very words to me at times, what rank did you attain whilst training."

  "I was trained beside my father, my existence has never been on the record, and you at times have assisted in this."

  "Mmm, my memory does not serve me as well as it has, I was led to believe you came to us direct from military college."

  "My father is a military college, somewhat different but real, you have not been deceived."

  "I must get on." Hurst left in a brisk walk.

  George Hollis looked totally puzzled, he examined Rose alone in her bathroom, Bella waited outside in the bedroom. "What's wrong George?"

  He shook his head while cleaning his glasses. "Nothing, you are menstruating, short and sharp, you have become fertile."

  Rose put her hand over her mouth. "What, how."

  "I have no idea, never seen anything like it in my fifty years in gynaecology."

  "Is there something wrong with me?"

  "No, you're perfectly healthy." He began to undo his trousers. "Now, been a while Rose, just going to relive old times."

  She withdrew to the wall, grabbed her gown and covered herself. "Don't you touch me, you filthy pig."

  George raised his eyebrows and took off his glasses. "Rose, you love sex."

  "The thought is making me sick, I want John."

  "Good lord, never thought Id see the day, look come over here and drop that silly gown."

  Rose ran to the door, opened it and raced into the bedroom. "Bell, he's trying to rape me."

  "Bella lifted one eyebrow and folded her arms. "Rose, is this one of your silly games, I'm not getting involved."

  Rose ran to Bella and hid behind her. "No please get him away, the thought makes me sick, I want John junior."

  George came out of the bathroom with his bag in hand, Bella questioned him. "What's going on?"

  "Rose is fine, she is in remarkable health and now fertile, never seen anything like it. She's refusing sex, rather disappointing."

  A deep male voice rumbled from over by the wall panelling. "For whom."

  Rose ran to him cowering behind his legs holding her gown over her private parts. "John, get him away from me."

  "Sir George, how nice to see you."

  George looked at Bella for guidance, his face etched with fear. "This man looks like John Stanton without hair."

  "Probably because my name is John Stanton."

  "He just left for Australia, you can't be him."

  "He's my son," commented Bella. "John Stanton is his father."

  George Hollis scowled at him. "So it is true, when this gets out you'll all be finished."

  John junior gently picked up Rose and helped put her gown on. He walked her to the bedside and sat her down. He calmly walked into George Hollis space nose to nose. "Come with me Sir George, time we had a chat."

  "When your father hears about this you'll be sorry."

  "My father is no longer in control, he has pressing matters elsewhere, now if you would walk towards the wall I'll show you a far more convenient way out."

  "I'll show myself out thank you."

  "That's not possible, your chauffer meet with an unfortunate accident whilst driving into town for a snack."

  "I never told him he could do that."

  John junior raised his eyebrows with a look of nonchalance. "Strange, someone appears to have relayed that information to him."

  George put his hand on John to push him to one side. "This is ridiculous out of my way."

  A swift knife hand meet Hollis's neck and he feel to the floor, he didn't move. John junior rolled him onto his back with his foot. Bella walked over and checked his status, she looked up at her son. "He's dead."

  John junior walked over to Rose. "He can't hurt you now, go to bed and get some rest, I'll be back in a while." He walked back to Hollis, he bent down, slung him over his shoulder and walked toward the wall panelling, it opened.

  Bella shouted at her son. "John, was that really necessary."

  He turned back just before the entrance. "He threatened Rose, I was thwart with rage."

  "You sound like your father, is everyone that threatens Rose going to die?"

  "No, anyone whom threatens us in general, especially you mother, Rose and Louise."

  "My god what has he done to you."

  "It's everyone else's fault is it mother."

  Bella looked around awkward and challenged. "No, of course not. He promised me he would look after you, what has he done to you."

  "Nothing I didn't want doing, now if you'll excuse me I have some fertiliser for the garden, shit like this is good on Roses."

  The panel closed and Bella sat next to Rose on the bed, they looked into space in silent solitude. "You've fallen in love with him haven't you Rose."

  "Yes."

  "Do you want some sex?"

  "No, see Louise."

  "You've never refused it before."

  "I never felt like this before, you don't want me to have him do you."

  "You just refused sex, one thing at a time Rose."

  "John's gone back to his wife, I'm wondering what the hell is going on, what will you do."

  "Talk to Louise, things are changing, she's probably in bed with one of the many young men hanging around the place."

  "She's cooking in the kitchen, she likes the kitchen here, and she can really cook yummy snacks." There was a knock on the door. "Come in."

  A young broad shouldered man walked in, he hesitated when he saw Bella and spoke in broken lines of distraction. "Excuse me, Louise has cooked a meal and would like to see, em you, in the kitchen."

  "You come from down below."

  "Yes."

  Bella stood up, he swallowed looking up and down her body. "You know who I am."

  "Yes, Miss Fonteyn."

  "Woo ho Miss Fonteyn, Good come with me, I have a job for you." She turned to Rose. "You are going to rest."

&n
bsp; "Yes I feel so tired, just need a couple of hours."

  "I think we have some kind of schedule to attend to I'll find out."

  The young man answered. "Miss Cavendish's schedule for today was cancelled due to illness."

  Bella looked at Rose. "That's how focused we've been, you wouldn't believe so much could go on in a bedroom. Do you know where my room is?"

  "Yes Miss Fonteyn, I'm assigned to security of that section."

  "Can you go and run me a bath."

  "That's not my purpose but if you insist."

  "I insist, your name."

  "Names are not important."

  "Mmm, trained to keep your trap shut."

  He swallowed hard. "Em, should I run the bath Miss."

  "You better go get busy," commented Rose.

  "Call when you're hungry should you want some of Louise's food, I'll go down see if I can find out about this schedule for tomorrow." Bella walked toward the door, the young man opened it wide to let her out.

  "I have tomorrow's itinerary in my head Miss Fonteyn."

  "Really, come with me and we'll see sort things out."

  Rose chuckled. "Let me know what's going on."

  "Bit of comic relief, seen enough death and drudgery for one day, have to keep the spirits up, just in time to take our mind off it, well done young man." They left and the door closed.