Chapter 99

I sat down at the breakfast table FUMING!

It was bad enough that I hadn't heard from anyone in England since Sasha and Adams flew over. But to top it all, that fucking preacher was at it again. Reverend fucking Josiah twat-features Michael nob-jocky Abrahams was going to host a conference on detection and elimination of crime, and he'd invited almost all of the UK's Chiefs of Police. And it was to be an all-expenses-paid junket.

I looked down the list of confirmed list of attendees; everyone on that list was crooked. I wanted to kill the lot of them, if only I could plant a bomb on the plane they'd use to fly across to the States.

I sat and continued my breakfast, thinking about the Reverend and his conference. I started wondering whether I could break in to the conference centre with a mini-gun, wishing that I could and, a little glad that I couldn't.

"Paul," Cecy's voice started bringing me out of my reverie, "Paul, darling."

I looked up, Cecy looked worried.

"Yes?"

Cecy reached forward and lifted my hands up off my plate. My now shattered plate. There was a fork embedded deep into the hardwood table. My knife, blade broken and missing, was held tightly in my rigid hand. My breakfast was mashed up, some remained on the shattered shards of the plate, most though over the table.

"We're going to have to stop you from reading about that man," said Cecy seriously. "Now I've called the nurse to have a look at your hands, I thought I saw some blood, you might be hurt and not even know it yet." She smiled weakly at me; I could see that she was worried for me.

"Sorry Cecy, dear, didn't mean to cause any trouble." I tried to apologise, to my friend.

"Hush now, you've more than enough on your plate without worrying about trivial things."

Riddley arrived and started looking at my hands. The right was OK, but, oh boy, the left was a mess. Sasha was gonna beat the shit out of me for hurting myself like this.

Riddley looked up at me, "I've seen worse," she said smiling, "Have you patched up and using it in no time."

Three hours she took! Though it was three hours to do some of the finest stitching I'd ever seen. She'd cleaned out the wounds and cuts carefully. After making sure that the local anaesthetic had taken, she pushed me back and raised a cover over my hand. "Boss, you really don't want to watch this." Elise assisted Riddley, she seemed a lot more comfortable in my presence than when I first met her. In our daily, now weekly, meetings she'd proved herself to be a talented, dedicated and skilled nurse. She made an excellent addition to our health team.

So, with bandages on my left hand, and murder still in my heart, I left the sick room. And I did see the stitching, I peeked under the bandages.

What's it called when you kill a reverend? Revicide? For Reverend cunting Josiah bastard Michael turd-brain Abrahams I'd happily call it pesticide. Maybe even twaticide.

I WAS ANGRY!

Angry that this man even existed.

Karolina came down and we lay together by the pool. I couldn't swim because I might get the bandages wet and thus get an infection. So he had that against him too.

I wanted to do us all a favour and just go and shoot him.

I looked at my bandaged hand, still, Nigel Williams would be happy. I could still sign things as I wrote with my right hand.

I muttered darkly and went for a walk, Karolina, Umber, Helen and Jo accompanied me. My body slaves raced ahead, trying to anticipate my every need, to sooth my anger.

A hand gently touched my shoulder, "Master..." I turned and could see the tears in Wendy's eyes.

Wendy? I thought she was in England doing something or other for the Coven.

I gave her a quick hug.

Then two more hands touched me, Aline and Jenny, within moments I was surrounded by my special girls.

Jo came and knelt by my feet, "My Master, this girl is ready if you feel the need to vent your anger."

I looked down at her in shock. Then glanced round at the girls surrounding us, they all had the same expression. Sad acceptance that one of their sisters had offered herself up to be the sacrifice, the one who'd die to ease their master's anger and thus protect their sisters.

I was stunned. Standing in front of this brave, and quite foolhardy, girl, I tried to think, something that I'd been sadly lacking this morning.

Then I had an idea. A whole one!

"My phone, please," I said.

"Master," all of my girls said in unison, "you shouldn't say please to slaves, we tend to get uppity." Then they laughed. And for the first time today, so did I. I looked at Umber, she was looking inordinately pleased with herself.

My phone was handed to me, not the Blackberry this time, ah well, I only used them as phones anyway.

I dialled, "Paul," answered Cher, "My spies haven't informed me of any more captures."

"No, not yet, dearest Cher," at the mention of that name a few of my newest girls looked worried, one started silently crying, the others though, they started smiling, they'd guessed what I was going to ask.

"Cher, I have two girls, I cannot satisfy their needs and they are precious to me. Please could you take them for a week or two and ... entertain ... them?"

Cher laughed, "Paul, of course I can, why didn't I think of this? Do you want me to send my helicopter?"

"Yes please, Cher, let them have luxury as well as ... well, their desires." I replied.

"Oh Paul, you're just an old softy. You'll make a rubbish Owner."

"I know, I keep trying to free them and can't even do that properly." We laughed.

"The helicopter has just left, Paul, it'll be with you in half an hour."

"Bye, Cher, come to the Chateau soon, won't you."

"I will, Paul, I will. I've missed you and your family. See you soon."

I hung up.

"Well, Jo, I don't know what rewards that you've earned yourself, but Cher is going to see if she can please you."

Two of the new girls burst out crying, some of the others rushed to comfort them and take them away from the main group.

I ordered "Someone find June," three girls ran away to the house, "Jo, Cher probably knows more about your passions than you do. Be open and honest with her and she'll be able to fulfil you in ways that I doubt you've ever even thought about. If you don't let her know what excites you, she cannot provide it."

Jo nodded, "Thank you, Master, I think that you know what this means to me."

It was my turn to nod.

"Go, get ready, get the things you want to take, you've only got a few minutes."

Jo ran to the house, "THANK YOU, MASTER!"

If only all of my problems were that easy to solve.

The other thing that had worried me was also easy to solve. I phoned Em.

The phone was answered and I heard Em say " ... if that baby dies then I shall ensure that you are charged with murder, doctor," she spat that last word out.

"And I shall back her up and stand witness for the prosecution." Ross chipped in.

"You two don't know you you're dealing with, I'm a personal friend of Dr. McCraken at Great Ormond Street Children's hospital. He personally called the Head of Paediatrics here to ensure that I was taken on. One word from me and you'll both have him on your backs, and you don't know what he's like when he's angry."

Oh boy, this was sounding like fun. I could imagine Ross getting ready to cut this con-man into pieces small enough to feed to the children in the special care unit.

"Now get out of my way and let me examine my patients."

There were brief scuffling sounds, a thud, then a high pitched scream.

"Hello Master. It seems that the paediatric consultant here barged into Nina, fell and, somehow, broke both wrists. Nina is helping him up off floor now. Oops there goes his clavicle," Em informed me.

"My, my Nina is clumsy. Maybe I'd better put her over my knee and spank her."

Em laughed, "Hey, Nina, Master is offering to put you over his knee and give you a bare bottom spanking."

"Yes please, Master Paul," I heard Nina reply.

In the background sounds quietened, and I listened to Ross talk through his examination of a baby. There was a pause and then he talked through another examination. This continued until all of the children in the special care unit were examined and the correct course of treatment noted.

Then I heard Ross, "Paul, it's a good job you got me up here. This charlatan had almost killed most of these children. Just a minute, Paul," then in an obvious aside to Melissa, "Melissa, go and find the Head of Paediatrics, I want to speak to him urgently."

Oh dear, I hope that the Head of Paediatrics decided to come along when Melissa first asked him. He would win a few bruises and maybe a broken bone or two if he didn't.

"Paul, Kaine Adams is going to be fine. Simple lactose intolerance, I've put him on Pepti-Junior, caffeine and Gaviscon Infant. It'll seem like he's pooing non-stop for a day or so, but he'll be alright. He just needs to put on some weight now."

Ross sounded angry. I knew that he'd reserve all of his tenderness and compassion for the children. Anyone in authority at that maternity unit had better watch out though. That consultant, no, I corrected myself, that other man, had been right, no one wanted to face Ross when he was angry.

"How about the other kids?" I asked.

"There's a couple I've triaged Black, the rest, well most will be fine, two are going to have special problems for the rest of their short lives," now that Ross was considering the children he sounded tired, especially at the 'black' remarks. In a triage, Black denoted those who would not live.

"OK Ross, and thanks for going there. Is there anything that you need?"

There was silence for a moment, "Not much, thirty trained paediatric special care nurses if you've got them." He laughed, "Otherwise, we're OK up here. Em has arranged accommodation, cars etc. So we can get back and forth. No, Paul, it's staff that I need."

"I'll see what I can do for you, Ross," I said, then he hung up.

Well, I now knew the situation in Birmingham. It was both better and worse than I'd expected. Better for Kaine, worse for the other children.

Now where could I find nurses?

"Girl!" I called.

"Master," Catharina answered.

"Get Jill for me, quickly now, no dawdling."

"Of course not, Master," Catharina ran quickly away.

I pondered the nurse question. The nurses must have current UK qualifications, be free to start immediately, and ... and ... What other essentials have I missed?

"Master," said Jill as she arrived slightly out of breath.

I explained Ross' request for nurses, trained nurses.

"Where can we get them from? Any ideas?" I asked.

Jill thought for a moment, "Well, initially I'd try recruitment agencies and temp agencies. Then I'd try the local radio and TV asking for newly retired nurses, there are more of those than you'd imagine. Then, I'd ask Karolina to hack into the register of nurses, and list out those who meet our criteria, but aren't currently working." She paused for breath.

"Good, off you go then, you know what to do." I smiled; I'd delegated this problem to someone far more able to complete it than I. The day was looking up already.

"Of course, Master," Jill pulled out her mobile phone and started dialling as she walked away. She was talking to someone about nurses before she reached the door.

London

Sally Kinsman, was nervous. She was a reporter, a small town reporter, not a public speaker, nor a leader. Yet here she was about to speak to a group of Bertie's old friends, and their most trusted colleagues. Everyone had signed a non-disclosure agreement. But this was her baby, her scoop. A real scoop. But she needed more help.

The lawyers at Dempsey had been marvellous; they were still helping, sorting out the various crimes, collating the evidence, reviewing statements for consistency and accuracy. There were so many individual statements that they could throw half of the pile away and still be left with completely damning evidence.

Bertie nodded to her and Sally walked to the head of the table.

"Good afternoon, I'm Sally Kinsman, you probably haven't ever heard of me but I work on the same local rag as Bertie." Bertie stood and gave a quick bow. They laughed.

An older man on the left looked sharply at her, "Don't be so sure that we haven't heard of you, lass."

Without stopping to ponder what he meant by that, Sally continued, "A few months ago, a funny thing happened to me on my way to work..."

Sally's briefing was detailed without being boring. Moments into her story they were all leaning forward in their chair.

A woman put her hand up, Sally stopped and pointed to her.

"This is tying in with strange things that have been happening in my neck of the woods, things that just didn't feel right. But all of the documents, police and court records agreed and," she shrugged her shoulders, "Well, Sally, I don't know about the rest but I'm in, and you can put my name below yours on this by-line."

Sally smiled; the first one to join was always the hardest. Now they'd all start falling in line.

Sure enough, within ten minutes they'd all agreed and signed legal documents outlining rights and responsibilities.

The woman, first to ask to join, was given the first of the agreements, "You've had this drawn up by one of Dempsey's lot. You really are taking this seriously, aren't you?"

"This could make my name for life, or cause my death. You bet I'm taking it seriously. And so had you."

The chill in Sally's voice quietened the room.

The woman looked at Sally for a long moment, her eyes seeming to bore into Sally's soul. "Bertie's right," she said with a smile, "You'll do."

When everyone had signed, and the agreements were locked away and taken off site. Sally took off a shoe and extracted a memory card from it. She placed it into the laptop, waited a few moments for it to boot up and then typed in a long, long pass phrase.

"Now, here's what I want you to do..."

Sally settled down, to Bertie she looked as though she was in her element. She'd make one of the great editors.

Birmingham

Four women walked into the maternity unit. They were older than those who usually entered there, but acted as though they knew their way round a special care unit.

One walked up to one of the uniformed nurses, "Excuse me, do you know where I can find Professor McCraken, please?" she asked politely.

"Fuck off!" was the nurses only reply.

"I can see that you've passed your customer relations course," said the first woman. She then went further into the unit.

The uniformed nurse grabbed hold of the woman's arm and tried to pull her back.

The older woman looked down at the hand gripping her arm. "I can think of at least four laws you're breaking right now," she said calmly. "If you do not release me, I have the legal right to defend myself. Up to and including putting you in hospital." The woman leaned forward a little, "And that means that you'd be in this hospital," she said nastily.

The nurse pulled back her hand as though the woman was on fire.

"Thank you," the older woman said politely as she continued on her way.

"Ah, there you are, Professor."

Ross looked round, "Well I never, Matron, what are you doing here?"

"It's Nurse Gabriella now, Professor," Gabriella said smiling, "A kind person named Baron Glastbrook has hired me to work here under your direction, Professor. I've brought along a few old colleagues. And I know that a few more are on their way." She smiled at her old boss. It would be good to work together again, even if only for a short time.

Ross shook his head, where did Paul find these people?

Quickly he set the new people working. The regular nurses were dragged into the small wards and were all given a master class in high dependency nursing. They worked like they never had before. No infraction of standards was allowed, not even the smallest. Together all of the nursing staff, new and old, cleaned the unit, top to bottom. All the while the more experienced nurses told stories, each tale highlighting how something had helped heal, or kill, their tiny charges. Stories of lessons learnt, and tragically, lessons missed. Most of the hospitals nurses soon came to realise just how slack and, basically, incompetent they'd been. Most felt a glimmer of pride start to grow inside, those that didn't would soon be ousted by their more caring colleagues.