Chapter 15

The following morning Tom informed Clive of the plan he and the other section leaders had come up with. Clive expressed his satisfaction and Tom went back to organise things with Susie.

Clive rubbed his hands together in glee. "Now," he thought, "I can start to make some plans about little Briony. I'm going to make her mine one way or another."

He thought back. The West African trip: there was always the chance that Tom might have a lethal accident, crocodiles, as he had laughingly suggested, or terrorist activity or an affair with Susie, not that that would have been lethal other than to his marriage. The Scottish reconnaissance: Susie again or an accident but neither happened. He had reckoned without Tom and Susie's faithfulness. The second Scottish reconnaissance with Margaret Tennant going along had proved fruitless too. He had realised that at her annual appraisal. His innuendo at Susie's engagement party had fallen flat too. To get near Briony he had to do away with Tom.

That thought sobered him. It would be enormously difficult to achieve. He would have to hire somebody to engineer an accident but he had no idea who to approach or how. In any case, he could well then become the object of blackmail.

"This can go one of two ways," he thought. "She can either come to me willingly or I shall have to force myself on her. I hope it will be the former but I suspect it won't and it will be a one off but, one way or the other, I'm going to have that little girl. I'll give her my usual 'avuncular' phone call on the first Wednesday that Tom's away and invite her to come away with me for the weekend. If she refuses I'll move to Plan B. There's plenty of time to work out the details of that. I'm going to have to be anonymous though."

The next fortnight plus moved on quietly. All the administrative details of the trip fell into place and Tom booked his return flight for the Tuesday. He and Briony decided on a minor car accident that left her unable to look after herself in the short term. No mention would be made of her parents being available to help.

The weekend before Tom's departure both he and Briony were tense. Nevertheless they still played hockey on Saturday and rode on Sunday afternoon. At church on Sunday morning though Briony remained in her pew after the service clinging to Tom's hand as she prayed silently for safety and peace of mind. Tom instinctively knew what her prayers were about and, holding her hand, prayed in similar vein.

On Monday morning, despite herself, Briony was fighting tears when she hugged and kissed him goodbye.

"Don't worry, my darling," whispered Tom. "He's not going to try anything yet and I'll be home before you tomorrow and Brian's keeping an eye on you and him too."

"Yes, my Tom-Tom," she whispered and clutched him convulsively. She released him and pushed him away. "Go now before I lose it completely."

The flight to Scotland, the collection of the vehicles and moving into B & Bs went without a hitch. At nine o'clock the following morning Tom's mobile rang.

"Tom-Tom," said Briony. "I got clipped by a car as I was joining the dual carriageway. My right arm's broken and I'm badly bruised all over. My eyesight's a bit wonky too. They're releasing me and will take me home but I'm not going to be able to look after myself for the next few days."

"Oh, Bri my sweet! Are you in pain?"

"Not much because they've given me pain killers but I'm pretty woozy."

"Can your parents help?"

"No, my love. They don't get back from Spain until sometime on Friday."

"OK, my Bri, I'll fly home today. See you late afternoon or early evening."

"Thanks, darling."

"Love you and look after yourself, my Bri."

All this had been in case someone overheard their conversation at either end. As planned, Tom told Nick and Greg. He nominated Margaret Tennant as temporary head of section. Greg drove him to his B & B where Mrs McGuire was full of sympathy and promised to keep his room open for him. The helicopter they had hired for the fortnight took him back to Glasgow. He was home by four in the afternoon having parked his car in the pub car park. He rang Brian to tell him.

"Won't that draw attention?"

"Double bluff. I wasn't fit to drive on Saturday evening. On Sunday it wouldn't start and I haven't had time to get it sorted."

Brian snorted. "If you're ever out of a job I'll take you on for tall stories," he said.

Briony arrived home just after six and they fell into each other's arms. They neither kissed nor said anything, just holding each other tightly and reassuringly. At length Briony pushed herself away.

"It's such a treat to come home and find you here an hour earlier than usual." She laughed. "I shall have to write Mr Slime a thank you letter when this is all over."

Tom laughed too. "Don't tempt fate my precious."

Briony shook her head. "You haven't kissed me yet," she pouted with smiling eyes.

Tom immediately and lovingly corrected that.

"Early drinks, early sups and early bed," announced Briony.

"I'm all for that," leered Tom earning a gentle biff on the nose.

"You're incorrigible," she smiled. "Lucky I am too."

That led to another kiss but it was a light, laughing one.

Nothing untoward happened that evening but at about seven on Wednesday evening the telephone rang. Briony duly answered it.

"Hello, Briony. It's Clive. Just ringing to make sure everything's OK with you."

She rolled her eyes at Tom. "Yes, fine thanks, Clive."

"Good. I gather you're going to spend the weekend with your parents again."

"Yes, I am."

"Well that's good too. Mind you, I'd like to offer you an alternative which you might find more fun."

"Oh?"

"Yes. There's a delightful hotel in Sussex that Angela and I used to use: very comfortable, excellent food with the Downs and the sea close by. I wondered whether you'd like to come and spend the weekend there with me."

"That's a kind thought but no thank you, Clive." Her voice turned icy. "As a happily married woman I do not go away on dirty weekends. Goodbye."

She slammed the telephone into its cradle and turned sobbing to Tom who was at her side. He held her as she cried her heart out.

At length she looked up. "You got the gist of that."

"Yes, my Bri," answered Tom grimly, "and so will Brian. Evidence when we nail the bastard."

She laid her head against his chest again. "That was the place he took his Polish tart. Ugh!" She shuddered and tightened her grip. Tom continued to hold her gently rubbing her back.

"I think we both need a stiff drink, especially you," he said softly at last.

Briony nodded and loosened her grip on him. "Kiss first."

"Yes, my darling." He did so gently but Briony wanted more than that and kissed him passionately almost frenziedly.

"I love you, my Tom-Tom. I love you so much. You won't let anything happen ... to either of us, will you?"

"No, my Bri. I promise. Now, let's see about that stiff drink."

Clive put his telephone down with almost as much force as Briony.

"Pious little bitch," he snarled. "It won't stop me having you though. If you don't want it gentle you're going to get it rough."

He smiled as he helped himself to a drink. "That actually might be more fun," he thought, "as long as she doesn't mange to get my mask off. I'll have to have injected her with a knockout drop before that happens but I could still spank that sexy little bottom and hear her cry for mercy first. That'll teach her to turn me down."

He pulled a notepad from his briefcase and took a pencil from his pocket and began to jot things down pretty much at random.

'Recce. Location of house. Detached or semi-detached? (Noise if semi). Timings, ie. return from work.

'Mask, full face and secure.

'Handcuffs.

'Knockout drop. Research.

'Hypodermic.

'Silence. Voice give me away.

'Jeans and sweater. Unremarkable clothes.'

He thought about gaining entry to the house and decided to knock on the front door and barge in when she opened it. If she had it on a chain he would just put his shoulder to it. What if she started screaming before he could get the door closed? They might be remote enough for that not to matter. If not then chloroform would be the answer which would mean he would be able to strip her and handcuff her without a struggle. He would administer the knockout drop after he had spanked her.

He paused and thought again. Did he really need the knockout drop? He could gag her while the chloroform had her unconscious. A blow job was never going to be on the cards and it would be much more fun doing her other holes while she writhed beneath him. He crossed it and the hypodermic off the list.

Viagra! Then he could go on doing her for two or three hours. That would teach the stuck up bitch. He added it to the list.

He turned his mind to recce. He would locate the house over the weekend in daylight while she was away. That would also allow him to see where the closest neighbours were. Then he could check on her timings on Monday and Tuesday evenings. Wednesday evening would be D-Day. Then he had second thoughts. It did not get dark until nine and so he would not be able to force an entry until then anyway. She would certainly be home from work by then. He decided to stick to Wednesday all the same. He would obtain a mask and some handcuffs from a toyshop on Saturday and drive down on Sunday to look the place over.

He helped himself to another drink and sat back down again feeling pleased with himself. He decided to see whether Karolina was available for Friday and Saturday nights. He could nip in to Brighton on Saturday morning and find a toyshop while she was having a manicure or some such at the hotel. He could easily put her on a train on Sunday morning which would leave him plenty of time to drive down to Wiltshire in the afternoon.

Briony and Tom found the suspense to be wearing and were relieved when Brian reported on Friday evening that Clive had gone down to Sussex. "Probably for another tryst with his little Polish bint," he added.

Tom and Briony decided that they would go riding on Saturday with a pub lunch thrown in. It was a glorious late summer day and they enjoyed being out in the fresh air for most of it even though they were a trifle saddle sore in the evening. It helped to relax them though.

Mid-afternoon on Sunday Brian rang again. "He's heading in your direction," he reported, "and so am I. I'll be in the area before he is. He'll probably reach you in a bit under two hours. I'll let you know when he's ten minutes or so away. I suggest that at that stage you and your wife go upstairs, sir, just in case he decides to look in through the ground floor windows. I imagine your wife's car is in the garage, that the garage is locked and that he can't see into it."

"Thanks, Brian. He won't be able to see or get at Briony's car and we'll stay upstairs until we get your all-clear."

"Right oh, sir."

Almost exactly an hour and fifty minutes later Brian rang again. "Ten minutes, sir. He'll have to come past me. I'll ring you as he does and give you a running commentary."

"Thanks, Brian. Where exactly are you?"

"On the track leading to Manor Farm and my buddy is behind the hedge opposite you."

"Got you."

Brian rang again. "Just gone past and I'm following ... Cheeky bugger! He's pulled in in front of your garage. He's getting out. He's looking up and down the road. I'm driving past. I can still see him in my rear view mirror. He's peering round the back. He's gone through your side gate round to the back. He's back. Now he's going back to his car ... He's getting in ... He's off. I'm turning round to pick up my mate."

"What do you think he was looking at?"

"Nearest neighbours at a guess, sir. Would they hear a scream and whether you've got a burglar alarm?"

"Oh Lord!"

"Don't worry, sir. We'll have him long before your wife has a chance to scream or need a burglar alarm."

"Thanks, Brian. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, sir."

Tom stood uncertain for a moment and then regained confidence in the light of what Brian had said.

Briony was doing her best to put a good face on things.

"All under control?" she asked.

"Yes, my one.

"Why did he go round the back?"

"To see if we had a burglar alarm."

"We haven't." She looked alarmed.

"No, Bri, but Brian assures me that we won't need one."

"Oh, Tom? This is all so hateful. So full of suspense. Are you sure we're safe?"

"Yes, my darling Bri. Totally."

She looked up at him and then her eyes cleared. "Oh, Tom-Tom, you're my ... Oh I don't know, my ... my..."

She fell against him and he held her.

"I'm being wet," she said finally. "It's six o'clock and I ought to be thinking about feeding you but," she looked up at him pleadingly, "could we have a drink?"

"Dypso," he smiled at her. "Yes and I need one too."

Clive was pleased. He knew exactly where the Coopers' cottage was. Neighbours were far enough away not to hear anything. They had not got a burglar alarm as far as he could see. Most people displayed their flashing box. There was no bell, just a large brass knocker on the front door. There was a passing place or whatever just down the road so he could park unobtrusively. He was set. So was Briony!

Tom and Briony had to go through the agony of suspense again. They cuddled in bed at night but anxiety stultified their love-making. They held each other but could go no further despite half-hearted attempts at stimulating each other.

"Tom, my darling, I'm useless," whispered Briony.

"So am I, my precious."

"But I still love you."

"I know you do and I love you too. More than I can ever say."

"Oh, Tom!"

They held each other almost in desperation.

There was more waiting and anxiety until Brian rang at eight on Wednesday evening.

"He's on his way," he said. "Expect him in about an hour's time. Don't worry, sir. You open the door and we'll be right behind him."

Tom told Briony.

"I think you ought to be upstairs and out of sight," he said.

"No bloody fear! You can answer the door and Brian and his chum can help you but I am going to be there to see him taken down. I won't interfere and I won't say a thing. Promise."

Tom took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head gently. "You are very special and I love you more than I can say."

Briony smiled up at him. "And I love you, Sir Galahad."

Tom snorted and hugged her tighter.

An hour later Tom's mobile rang.

"He's parked just down the road. My mate and I are already deployed. Hang on half a minute then just open the door to him and we'll be right behind."

"Thanks, Brian."

Tom put his mobile down.

"Now, my darling," he whispered.

She kissed him. It was not sexual or passionate but it was firm and very, very loving. She moved slowly from him to the back of the hall and waited.

There was a knock on the door. Tom looked at his watch and waited thirty seconds. There was another knock, slightly harder. He opened the door.

"Good evening, Clive," he said. "Please come in."