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Chapter 21: Ransom, Part 1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Master's Child Chapter 22: Ransom, Part 2
Klempner - ThailandSwiping down the counter, I wipe away slops, discarded prawn shells and peanut fragments.The bar is just what you would expect; lowered lighting, luridly coloured over the stage area where a glitterball twists, reflecting whirling pinpricks of green, blue and red. The shelves are well-stocked for both the locals and the tourists, with names both familiar and unfamiliar to me. Some of them you'd expect, but who comes to Thailand and asks for the local vodka? And the regional wines are revolting - sickly sweet and syrupy. But then Thailand's hardly known for its grape growing either. There's Johnnie Walker on display for those that want it, but most of the 'whiskey' on display is actually rum.The liquor mainly drunk by the locals, lao khao, is brewed from rice. They call it '40 Degree'. After half a glass of the stuff set my ears on fire, I avoided it.I have a glass on the bar to sip from, for appearance sake, and I stick to soda water.On the stage, a gi
The Master's Child Chapter 23: Ransom, Part 3
MichaelMitch is in the nursery as we arrive, working on... something... A stack of ripped-up glossy magazines to one side, she works through a mass of wires, strings and multi-coloured somethings-or-other...She smiles as we enter, glancing up but not really looking. "Jenny showed me how she makes those little paper birds she does." She waves across to where the Christmas tree is half-decorated, still waiting for tinsel, but with Charlotte's kaleidoscopic creations dotted through the branches."They're so pretty, so I looked up other kinds." She lifts the contraption up, untangles a couple of wires and then displays it, a swirling display of birds, fish, unicorns and more. "It's a mobile for over Cara's cot. I thought it would go well with the larger one from the ceiling."Then she finally looks at us. "So, how did it go..." Her smile dissolves. "What's wrong?" She looks past us, out to the hallway. "Where's Jenny?"James is having trouble speaking, his breathing short and q
The Master's Child Chapter 24: Ransom, Part 4
JamesI've cleared the dining-room table. The best dinner set and cutlery, candlesticks, red and green napkins and the Christmas log sit tumbled together on the dresser. We sit, each with a laptop and a bowl of re-heated casserole.Mitch holds a spoon in one hand, but her stew is untouched. "Mitch," I say. "Eat."She looks at the dish, then puts down her spoon. "I don't want it. I don't think I could hold it down." She looks ill, her complexion now, not just pale, but pasty.Michael picks up the spoon and scoops up a chunk of chicken, offering it to her. "You have to eat, Mitch, even if it's just a little."She recoils, turning her face away. "I'm sorry. I couldn't."I level a finger at her screen where the drama of everyday hospital life plays: white-coated doctors with clipboards and stethoscopes; nurses, walking briskly, carrying stainless steel bowls and trays, and weird-looking pouches of fluids; a patient on a trolley draped in a green blanket. "If you don't eat, Mitc
The Master's Child Chapter 25: Ransom, Part 5
CharlotteCold...Pain...Thirst......I'm thirsty...My eyes open to... an unfocussed fog... And droop closed again............ and open once more...The fog swirls... then clears. A blur of grey and brown and black resolves into detail...And the detail means nothing...Where am I?Master?I'm hurting...Master?Michael?I want to speak, but my mouth is dry and puffy, lips gummy, sticking together... My jaws won't work... like some nightmare where I want to scream but the sound won't come out...Sucking at my tongue and cheeks, to work up saliva, I try again to speak, but all that emerges is a whimper.I'm so cold...The fog clears some more and slowly it comes to me that I'm lying on my side on some hard surface. Pressed against it at shoulder and hip and cheek, the chill strikes up into flesh and bone. When I try to move, nothing happens. I'm stiff, my muscles unresponsive.Woozy, my thinking is tattered...What happened?Master?
The Master's Child Chapter 26: Ransom, Part 6
KlempnerPerfect!The man I could never have gotten close to, is now paying me for the privilege.He's even armed me. The M9 sitting in the holster under my jacket is satisfyingly standard fare and gives me a pleasant glow of Target Achieved...On the other hand, it's not too flattering, joining the ranks of Chuan's 'bodyguards', but this isn't about job satisfaction...... not in that sense anyway...And I don't plan to be staying long."This is your station for now," says Arak. "You'll cover this end of the compound together with Decha and Atid there..." The two heavies gaze vacantly at me... "And if requested, accompany Mr Chuan when he is out on business."The pair of apes stare at me with eyes vacant of any trace of thought but a fair amount of passive aggression.Newcomer...Foreigner...Sap...The work is hardly taxing. Standing to look alert and dangerous about covers the job description. Decha and Atid are all I could have hoped for, leaving the New
The Master's Child Chapter 27: Ransom, Part 7
CharlotteThirsty...Hungry...Beside me; a plastic jug of water and an aluminium takeaway tray, already opened, half-eaten: the remains of someone's else's meal. A fly floats motionless in the water.Cara...Fishing out the fly, I take a bare sip of the water, swilling out my puffy mouth, then spit out, gagging at the foul taste...How long has it been standing???Hungry...I eye the food, my stomach rebelling...I've eaten trash before now.It's food...And I gobble it down, scooping it out of the carton with my fingers, sucking the fingers clean to get it all. It's stale and stinking, semi-congealed in its container...But it's food...Then, rice and soy sauce clot in my throat...What if they drugged it?Could I tell?I wait, looking inwardly, analysing every sensation, every tell, that there might be more to worry about than too much fat and salt in the 'meal'.But there's no growing muzziness... No spots behind my eyes...I hold out a han
The Master's Child Chapter 28: Ransom, Part 8
CharlotteThe clammy chill of the concrete claws at me...Anger helps, heating me inside...But I have to get off the naked ground...Stretching out against the chain, now fumbling out in the other direction... My swollen stomach won't allow me to lie flat down... I twist...Then, reaching with my left hand as the metal cuff bites into my right ankle; with the bare tip of my fingernails, I snag the edge of one of the cardboard boxes. It moves only slowly, the contents weighing it down.What's inside?I try again, digging in with my nails, trying to bite into the semi-hard surface. I find myself envying the long nails of my 'cousin'; Beth; her hands soft and white, the nails elegant... painted and shaped... sharp...My stubby excuses-for-nails barely make an imprint on the tough cardboard.Breathe...Don't panic...Try again...*****KlempnerThe hotel is cheap and unremarkable. The kind in fact where they rent rooms by the hour and don't ask for your ID. We
The Master's Child Chapter 29: Ransom, Part 9
CharlotteGot it!Finger and thumbnails gripping onto the corners of a box, it shifts; not by much, but it moves, just enough for me to get a proper hold. And now as I pull, it eases towards me.Result!One cardboard box. Contents undetermined.And with something to haul myself up against, I can - at last - stand... The box, stout as it is, buckles under me, but nonetheless, I finish the manoeuvre upright.What's inside?Old drinks bottles... whiskey, vodka, gin, beer...A drink...Oh, God... For a drink.........Michael... peeling foil from the bottle, prising off the wire cage and popping the cork on a bottle of cava. His blue eyes... his sunlit hair. And his smile...Oh, God... His smile...My Golden Lover.My husband....My Master, his dark eyes full of the promise of what is to come as he offers me a glass: a tall flute, shimmering gold in the candlelight, frothing white and fragrant as I sip wine and bubbles together......The bottles rat
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The Master's Child Chapter 193: Natale, Part 31
It's cold outside, but Klempner sits on the low terrace wall wearing no more than a thin pullover."Want one of these?" I proffer a coffee, heavily laced with whiskey, topped with thick cream.He startles, but then, "Thank you, James." He doesn't smile. His eyes are soft with melancholy as he stares down, watching October mist curling over the lake."Will you visit the grave?""Yes." The single word isn't followed by any others."When will you go?""Sooner rather than later." He breathes steam and fragrant alcohol. "I'm making arrangements now. The Canadian winter arrives early and in force. It'll be under six feet of snow there very soon, and for the next several months.""Would you mind some company?"He twists to face me. "You want to come?""I'd like to pay my respects to the brave woman for whom my daughter is named."He blinks, nodding as he casts his gaze down. "Thank you, James. I appreciate that.""Charlotte wants to go as well."And now he smiles. I
The Master's Child Chapter 192: Natale, Part 30
JamesFamily...All gathered together around the breakfast table: Michael to the left of Charlotte, I'm to her right, bouncing Cara on my knee while Charlotte takes a break to get some food down her throat. Beyond Michael, Beth feeds Adam, Richard flanking them.Klempner and Mitch sit side by side. She's turned discreetly away, feeding Vicky. Larry watches, still wearing that slightly spaced-out expression...Man-in-shock?For all the right reasons...Charlotte is very quiet. She eats, but her gaze sweeps the table and back again.Once she had nothing...Briefly, her eyes lock with her father's. He cocks his head, eyes full of question, but then her gaze moves on.What's he thinking?It's not hard to figure. Right from the time Klempner arrived back with us, although he's clearly content to be here, he's had an air of... waiting...The Rat-Tat! of the front door rattles down the hall.Michael pushes his chair back. "I'll go." A half-eaten slice of toast in one h
The Master's Child Chapter 191: Natale, Part 29
RichardMy intercom buzzes. "Yes, Francis?""I have the police commissioner on for you, Mr Haswell. He... doesn't sound very happy."I can guess what this is going to be about. I've been waiting for it. "Thanks for the warning, Francis. Put him through please..." The line clicks and reconnects. "Richard?""Good morning, Will. What can I do for you?""I think you can guess why I'm calling you. I'm hearing rumours I don't like. Disturbing rumours.""I believe, Will, that I know which rumours you mean. I've been wanting to discuss them with you. Perhaps you would like to meet for lunch to discuss the matter? Somewhere quiet? ""And away from the office? Yes, I think so."*****The waiter sets a plate in front of each of us, steak in pepper sauce for Will, a prawn souffle for me. He tops up the glasses of Cabernet. "Is there anything else, sir?""No, thank you. That's perfect." I wait until he is out of earshot before I speak. "So, Will...These disturbing rumours?
The Master's Child Chapter 190: Natale, Part 28
KlempnerThe view is restful. Living in Mitch's small apartment, hidden away from the world, does...... I suppose...... constitute 'domestic bliss'. But that's at night. For much of the day, we spend our time in the main family home of Jenny's Triad. The women chatter and gossip. The men alternate between business and banter. One or other of the babies always needs attention...It's exhausting.But when it comes to it, that's not the root of my problem.Retreating from noise and activity and 'family-fun' to the sanctuary of the terrace, I let the view wash away the anxiety gnawing at the back of my mind.It's always the waiting...Give me action and some lunatic with a gun every time...Stay calm...Mist curls over the lake far below. On the slopes close by, every blade of grass is etched with a rime of frost that will thaw to dew when the sun crests the mountain. Further down, the individual blades meld into a smooth sheet of silver that merge into haze and wa
The Master's Child Chapter 189: Natale, Part 27
Two coffeepots later, we've run out of croissants and moved onto toasted muffins. James slices one in two, dropping the halves into the toaster. He pauses, "Another one, Beth?"She's sitting up against the headboard, next to Charlotte, the two propped up against each other, eating from a shared plate. Beth slathers butter and blackberry jam onto what she has. "Thanks, but I'm fine with this, James. I'll not eat again 'til suppertime.""Charlotte?""Mmmm..." She nods, mumbling through a mouthful, wiping a smear of melted butter from the corner of her mouth. She swallows, then holds up half a muffin - minus two bites. "What is it about muffins and bad weather? I always want more of them."James rolls a look at her, then to me, shaking his head...A wise man says nothing...Richard sucks jam from his fingers, lips smacking. "On a complete change of subject... Elizabeth and I were talking..." Beth falls still, her shoulders slumping... "... Please don't take this the wrong way,
The Master's Child Chapter 188: Natale, Part 26
MichaelIt's dark...What woke me?Somewhere down and beside me, the sound of whining. "Scruffy? You need to go out, boy?"At this hour?What the hell time is it?I'm snug and comfortable, draped with a thick duvet. Charlotte, warm and fragrant, sleeps tucked in beside me. Through the curtains, it's pitch-black.Scruffy whines again, this time scratching at the bed.Wonder if he's eaten something he shouldn't?Stretching an arm blindly out beyond the cosy comfort of the blankets, I pat across the side-table, hunting for the light switch. When I find it, as it turns out, it's not Scruffy's habit of eating every bit of rubbish he comes across that is at fault. The clock tells me it's half past seven and my rag-tag mongrel is making a perfectly reasonable request to be let out to relieve the pressures of the night.But outside, there's no sign of daylight and, joys of joys, rain lashes against the window.Goodbye to summer...Scruffy's whining ups by half an octave
The Master's Child Chapter 187: Natale, Part 25
JamesAn orderly tries to block the way, arms outstretched in front of the door. "Sir, you can't..."Klempner simply brushes by him.From beyond, Mitch's voice. "Let him in..."The orderly spins, mouth open. "What? All of them?""Yes!!!! Ah... Fuccckkkk...."The monk's feet skid uselessly over the polished floor as he tries to resist his inexorable forward journey into the delivery room. His voice rises to a wail. "But I'm not a priest. I can't do this." Klempner growls, "I don't care if you're a priest, a rabbi, an imam, or if you ran the Bring-and-Buy at the church garden party. The lady here wants our child born in wedlock. You're going to marry us."Klempner turns his attention to Mitch, lying on her back on the delivery table, yelling her way through another contraction. She flings out an arm, grabbing at his wrist. He winces, but lays his other hand on top. "We'll just let this one pass..."The midwife, checking a bleeping monitor, flashes a look at Mitch. "Yo
The Master's Child Chapter 186: Natale, Part 24
RichardMy mobile bleeps: James.Landed. at airport now. home approx 90 mins. Tell Mitch he's keenElizabeth grins at me as I tap in the reply.don't go home. come city hospital. Mitch in labourThere's a short pause...Elizabeth holds up her hand, counting down silent fingers: Five... Four... Three... Two...... and my mobile bleeps again.When M go into labour?3 hrs doc and midwife say early but all normal all goodWith you ASAP K got taxi flying on wings of fire*****The corridor is painted the required institutional off-white, scraped black in long stripes at trolley-bed height. The lighting is the compulsory harsh fluorescent white. One strip blinks on and off. Signs point off down apparently identical corridors: Intensive Care... Reception... A & E... Chapel and Prayer Room... Radiology... Cardiology... Breast Screening...How many ways is it possible to be sick?Footsteps echo along the corridor; marching footsteps, almost stampeding footsteps.A
The Master's Child Chapter 185: Natale, Part 23
KlempnerAt last, I get some privacy with her. James ushers out Jenny, protesting all the way. Michael leaves too, turning as he exits to give me a kind of approving nod.Haswell poured glasses of champagne, passing them around at their side of the screen, although I did notice that he poured for Mitch from a different bottle. The top of the flute is just in view, spitting the odd bubble over the rim."Are you alone now?"She looks sidelong, off-screen. "Yes, they've gone.""What's Kirstie doing there?""I'm fitting her for her wedding dress. They've set the date for Christmas, remember.""I didn't know that.""Oh... no... Of course you wouldn't." She takes a sip of her bubbly, looking away. "It's been so long. They said you were dead. The police said there was a body.""There was, but not mine."She peers into the screen, searching my face. "How are you? What happened?""I'll tell you sometime, but not now. What's important, is how you are and..." I nod down, bel
