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Chapter 195: Alphas, Part 21
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Mastering Charlotte Chapter 196: Guardians, Part 1
JamesCharlotte clicks through faces. Will she recognise any of them?.... At the seventh face, she stops, pointing at the screen. "That's one of them. One of the men I saw today."Fuck!Then I realise I have said it aloud.My eyes meet with Richard's and he looks back in sympathy. The implication is obvious.His hand on her shoulder, "Charlotte, I'm sorry. It looks as though they took Elizabeth by mistake. They were after you. They abducted the wrong woman."Behind me, Michael hisses through his teeth. Richard turns to him. "Get her out of here, out of the City...." But Michael is already moving to take Charlotte's hand. "Take her back to your mountain place. No-one's going to fall across that by accident. She should be safe there."Charlotte backs off, snatching her hand away from Michael. "Hang on." Her voice is shrill. "I don't want to hide away. I should be helping here. And Beth's my friend too."Michael meets my eyes, but it's not needed. Stabbing a finger at h
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 197: Guardians, Part 2, Nine Years Ago, The Farm
Jenny's beyelids flutter open and she inhales deeply....Whiteness above her, and a sweet scent........ and the sound of chatter and laughter....Her lips are a little sore and frowning as she pulls herself up, she sucks at dry skin.Jennifer sits in a bed made up with clean, sweet-scented linen, topped with a cover made up of knitted squares. She has never seen such a thing. Baffled, she slips out from the sheets, to find she is wearing a long nightgown in a plain white linen which smells faintly of lavender and falls almost to her ankles. And beside her, lying on a wooden chair is a white bathrobe and on the timber plank floor, by a rag rug in bright colours, slippersAround her, a plain pretty room painted in a neutral colour. Beside her, a small set of drawers with a vase of flowers, delicate and wild, and the source of the perfume........ Or are they? The room itself smells sweet.Fresh air blooms through the room from billowing linen curtains. The curtains flut
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 198: Guardians, Part 3, Nine Years Ago, The Farm
Brett is pleasant company. He doesn't seem the need to talk much, simply strolling around pointing out various sheds and barns as they go. "That's the roots shed. The potatoes and swedes go in there when we lift them. Over there's the tack room.... Morning, Tom. This here's Jennifer."'Tom' smiles, holding out his hand. "Hi, Jennifer. Nice to meet you.""Tom was one of Mrs Collier's fosters too," says Brett. "But he stayed on after. He does our odd jobs now.""Gotta go," says Tom. "I need to get the roof repairs done on the barn before the rain moves in." He strides away.Brett raises a brow. "He'll usually talk all day. He must be keen.... Anyway, in here, we have the cattle sheds...." He waves Jennifer through a door, then all but falls over her as she stops in her tracks, gawping."Don't worry about old Hero there," drawls Brett. "He's just a big softie."Jennifer gapes at the colossal animal standing amid the straw, placidly munching hay from a rack. "Isn't it very dang
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 199: Guardians, Part 4
JamesI wake in the deep of the night, and through sleep-befuddled confusion, cannot make sense of the sound I hear.But the noise is persistent and after long seconds it comes to me that my phone is ringing. Propping up on an elbow in the dark, rubbing grit from my eyes, I check the time on the screen as I touch Charlotte's flashing avatar. It's late enough to be early.My brain is still not wired up properly. "Charlotte? It's late to be calling. Is everything alright?"There is a rustling and a clunk, and it's Michael's voice I hear. "James, we were attacked...."Attacked?I sit up with a jolt, scrabbling for the light switch as I keep the phone pressed to my ear."Attacked? Michael, did I hear you right? Who by? How many are there?"".... Not sure how many there are, but they're armed with guns...."Oh, Christ........ and I sent you up there........ Charlotte....".... We've taken out two of them," he continues, "but there's more, so we're taking the trail
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 200: Guardians, Part 5, Nine Years Ago
Mr Kalkowski"Jennifer, this is Mr Kalkowski. He's the headmaster here.""Hello, Jennifer. It is good to meet you. We do not see many new faces around here." Mr Kalkowski offers his hand and tentatively, she takes it, not knowing quite what is expected of her. He gives a brisk tug downward, then releases it.Mr Kalkowski has been a tall man, but now, stooped with age, shoulders rounded, he leans heavily on a walking stick. To Jennifer's eye, he seems immensely old, face shrinking back to his skull and his hair silver. Nonetheless, his eyes are bright and dark and alive, sparking with intelligence.But she looks nervously at the stick........ He tilts his head at her response, eyes narrowing. Mrs Collier too has seen her reaction and she exchanges a glance with the old man."So, Jennifer, or do you prefer Jenny?" He is smiling and friendly and Jennifer ducks her head, not knowing how to react. This isn't how men behave........ is it?"Um, don't know. Don't mind.""Hm
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 201: Guardians, Part 6
JamesAlthough the snow is deep and thick, a lot of traffic has been up and down the normally peaceful mountain road. The sky is clear and starry, but the stillness of the night is shattered by the wail of sirens and the flashing of blue lights. Hordes of people are milling around, blue-uniformed police, medics in white coveralls and, it runs a chill through me, sharp-shooters bearing rifles.I step out of the car to see one unconscious body is being stretchered to an ambulance........ and a shock jolts through me before I realise that the body is not that of either Michael or Charlotte.I peer over for a better view and to see the damage. It's not easy in the unearthly, blue flashing light, but as I look more closely, my gorge rises....Surely Michael and Charlotte were unarmed?But when I see the smashed remains of what was once a face, I begin to wonder....What the hell did Michael do to him?One of the attendants sees me. "It's Mr Haswell, isn't it? Commissioner S
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 202: Guardians, Part 7, Nine Years Ago, The Farm
"Jennifer, are you alright?""I'm a bit stiff, Mrs Collier. Nathaniel was teaching me to trot this morning.""Ah-ha? I'll run you a hot bath, then. That'll help to ease the muscles a bit."Ten minutes later, as Jennifer steps into foaming water, the bathroom door bangs open and Mrs Collier marches in with an armful of towels, then halts, "Oh, sorry Jennifer. I didn't realise.... Heavens, girl!" She raises a hand to her mouth in shock. "What have you done to yourself?"From thigh to belly, Jennifer's normally pale skin is blue and purple with bruising. "You gave yourself a real pounding, didn't you? You're supposed to rise and fall with the movement of the horse. Not bounce on its back like a sack of potatoes...."*****Monday arrives, and Jennifer sets out at a smart pace down the track, eager to get to school and change the books she finished over the weekend.Chad is waiting for her again. He takes her bag. "It's heavy," he says, as he hitches it over his shoulder. "Wha
Mastering Charlotte Chapter 203: Guardians, Part 8
JamesI pull over in a lay-by, then tap into my maps app, eyeing the ground and the contours, trying to gauge the most likely spot for Michael and Charlotte to emerge from the woods. I settle on an area a mile or so further along, where the forest retreats a few hundred yards back from the road, with open fields in between. If nothing else, I will have a wider view there.So, re-parking, I angle my car to point headlights out to the treeline. Then I stand to wait, buttoning my jacket tight, sipping occasionally at Ross' soup....He barely knows me........ The kindness of strangers....The night is freezing, the air like shattered crystal, shimmering blue clouds as I breathe. A couple of feet of snow is topped by a crisp frozen layer which snaps under my feet as I pace, trying to keep warm, trying to stop my feet from numbing.What are they wearing? They had to run....They could freeze....Jade........ Michael....With only a sliver of a moon it should be all but
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