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And now, back to Arthur's and Mary's stories ...
"Hey, I know!" said Mary, a little too loudly as the simplest of ideas struck. She wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. "I could call my brother to pick us up and we could stay in the hotel he's at with his two visitors!"
"Sshhh, Miss Collins, and yes, great idea. Phone him," said Ahmed. "But do try to be quiet. They don't want restaurant patrons to know others are out here. It arouses suspicions as to what else could be going on."
"Right. I'll call him from the toilet," said Mary.
Ahmed went through to the restaurant and explained what they wanted to do and that it would help get them out of there. Mary was allowed to go back through the restaurant and into the toilet to call Angus.
Half an hour later Angus sat in the back, between the two women while Ahmed drove and John Maranui sat in the passenger seat for insurance purposes - he had hired the car but Ahmed knew the London streets better. Two dark men in front and three white people in the back.
"Och aye, it's so good to see ye though I never thought it would be at midnight on a secret mission of yers!" said Angus with a huge grin.
"Angus, I've never seen you so excited," said Mary, seeing her brother behaving like a Mexican jumping bean.
"Oh aye, seems like we fit like ball bearings into whatever groove we find ourselves," said Angus. "Home's a quiet groove, work's a noisy, swearing groove and here … hey, I don't know. I don't have a groove; it's all new and strange." He chuckled and watched the lights excitedly as they drove by.
"Aye and it's good to see you too, little brother," said Mary, smiling.
"Aye, and ye know the technology's amazing here," said Angus. "John let me drive from home, some of the way - gave him a break - and this nat sav …"
"Sat nav, Angus," said John, smiling from the front seat.
"Oh aye, like I said, this nat sav thing here tells you where to go, what side to drive on, when you've stuffed up and what to do when you do … everything!" said Angus. "It's amazin', just amazin'."
"Aye, Angus, you're like a kid with a room full of toys," said Mary, grabbing his hand affectionately.
"So what's with this get-up, Sis?" asked Angus. "Ye've not turned butch on us have ye?"
"Butch? No of course I haven't!" said Mary, offended. The feelings of losing her femininity - her hair, her dresses, her playfulness - to the world of insurance resurfaced immediately. She had though they had been banished forever, in her busyness and her gruffness but, damn it, they were still there.
"Ouch, sorry Sis! I didn't mean to offend ye … just jokin'," said Angus, obviously sensing her discomfort.
"Ah, it's just this business world - a girl's got to act like a man to make it and, here I am, wearing a bloody suit … aah, sorry Ahmed, it's a nice suit but I'm not a man," said Mary as Angus held her hand uncharacteristically. "I suppose I just get sick of being in a man's world, in men's clothes, fighting for my life all the time … or so it seems." She forced a smile between the tears that had started. "I do miss being a girl, doing girly things, being treated like a girl. But then, what's others to do if I ponce around in men's suits?"
"So what's the suit for?" asked Angus, softly, uncertainly.
"Ah, well, it's a long story, oh brother of mine, but the short version is that we had to pick up this briefcase from a chap and he didn't want anyone to know who was taking it and so I'm … Halee and I are in disguise," said Mary, feeling a little calmer. "You see, she doesn't usually dress like a tramp!"
"A tramp? Miss Collins, more decorum, please!" said Halee, laughing.
The Mansion Attack
Tuesday, 13th March 2012, 3.51 p.m.
"I think we need to stop here, Dominik," said Arthur, not sure why he felt this so strongly.
"But we not there now, Mr Arthur," said Dominik, not slowing down. "Long drive to go yet."
"Dominik, stop, please Dominik, stop, just here," said Arthur, his anxiety rising.
"But we not there …"
"Dominik, I insist! Stop! Now!" ordered Arthur, unsure how to get through to this large, determined man. "Oh yes, thanks!" he said as the van skidded to a halt on the gravel driveway. Arthur thanked his lucky stars for seatbelts as he was thrown forward.
"Are you alright back there, love?" asked Arthur as his consciousness expanded from his own little world of survival to that of others.
"Uh, yes, I think so," said Joan, shuffling and groaning a little in the back. Then he realised someone was rapping on Dominik's window. Dominik lowered the window.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, stopping like that?" demanded Martin.
"Martin, sshhh, keep the noise down," whispered Arthur urgently.
"But you've dented my car. That's just bloody irresponsible …" said Martin as Dominik grabbed his collar and yanked his head in the car window.
"Mr Arthur said me to stop. Mr Arthur said you to shut up," said Dominik as if speaking to a child. "We in emergency so you shut up and we fix up car at later time. You understand?"
"Orghhh," said Martin, trying to speak with a restricted neck.
"Good! You be quiet and alert and listen to Mr Arthur, hey?" inquired Dominik.
"Uh, yeah, sorry but …" said Martin, as Dominik let him go
.
"But sshhh, Martin!" whispered Arthur. "Be quiet and listen … and look." There were two cars at the mansion as well as two men parading back and forwards. "Can we hide these vehicles here, Dominik?"
"Yes, behind hedge. Follow me, Martin," said Dominik.
Martin dashed back to his car and both vehicles were soon concealed from the mansion, behind a hedge just off the driveway. Arthur checked that everyone was ready and, just as they were to move off, another car appeared.
"Sshhh, Miss Collins, and yes, great idea. Phone him," said Ahmed. "But do try to be quiet. They don't want restaurant patrons to know others are out here. It arouses suspicions as to what else could be going on."
"Right. I'll call him from the toilet," said Mary.
Ahmed went through to the restaurant and explained what they wanted to do and that it would help get them out of there. Mary was allowed to go back through the restaurant and into the toilet to call Angus.
Half an hour later Angus sat in the back, between the two women while Ahmed drove and John Maranui sat in the passenger seat for insurance purposes - he had hired the car but Ahmed knew the London streets better. Two dark men in front and three white people in the back.
"Och aye, it's so good to see ye though I never thought it would be at midnight on a secret mission of yers!" said Angus with a huge grin.
"Angus, I've never seen you so excited," said Mary, seeing her brother behaving like a Mexican jumping bean.
"Oh aye, seems like we fit like ball bearings into whatever groove we find ourselves," said Angus. "Home's a quiet groove, work's a noisy, swearing groove and here … hey, I don't know. I don't have a groove; it's all new and strange." He chuckled and watched the lights excitedly as they drove by.
"Aye and it's good to see you too, little brother," said Mary, smiling.
"Aye, and ye know the technology's amazing here," said Angus. "John let me drive from home, some of the way - gave him a break - and this nat sav …"
"Sat nav, Angus," said John, smiling from the front seat.
"Oh aye, like I said, this nat sav thing here tells you where to go, what side to drive on, when you've stuffed up and what to do when you do … everything!" said Angus. "It's amazin', just amazin'."
"Aye, Angus, you're like a kid with a room full of toys," said Mary, grabbing his hand affectionately.
"So what's with this get-up, Sis?" asked Angus. "Ye've not turned butch on us have ye?"
"Butch? No of course I haven't!" said Mary, offended. The feelings of losing her femininity - her hair, her dresses, her playfulness - to the world of insurance resurfaced immediately. She had though they had been banished forever, in her busyness and her gruffness but, damn it, they were still there.
"Ouch, sorry Sis! I didn't mean to offend ye … just jokin'," said Angus, obviously sensing her discomfort.
"Ah, it's just this business world - a girl's got to act like a man to make it and, here I am, wearing a bloody suit … aah, sorry Ahmed, it's a nice suit but I'm not a man," said Mary as Angus held her hand uncharacteristically. "I suppose I just get sick of being in a man's world, in men's clothes, fighting for my life all the time … or so it seems." She forced a smile between the tears that had started. "I do miss being a girl, doing girly things, being treated like a girl. But then, what's others to do if I ponce around in men's suits?"
"So what's the suit for?" asked Angus, softly, uncertainly.
"Ah, well, it's a long story, oh brother of mine, but the short version is that we had to pick up this briefcase from a chap and he didn't want anyone to know who was taking it and so I'm … Halee and I are in disguise," said Mary, feeling a little calmer. "You see, she doesn't usually dress like a tramp!"
"A tramp? Miss Collins, more decorum, please!" said Halee, laughing.
The Mansion Attack
Tuesday, 13th March 2012, 3.51 p.m.
"I think we need to stop here, Dominik," said Arthur, not sure why he felt this so strongly.
"But we not there now, Mr Arthur," said Dominik, not slowing down. "Long drive to go yet."
"Dominik, stop, please Dominik, stop, just here," said Arthur, his anxiety rising.
"But we not there …"
"Dominik, I insist! Stop! Now!" ordered Arthur, unsure how to get through to this large, determined man. "Oh yes, thanks!" he said as the van skidded to a halt on the gravel driveway. Arthur thanked his lucky stars for seatbelts as he was thrown forward.
"Are you alright back there, love?" asked Arthur as his consciousness expanded from his own little world of survival to that of others.
"Uh, yes, I think so," said Joan, shuffling and groaning a little in the back. Then he realised someone was rapping on Dominik's window. Dominik lowered the window.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, stopping like that?" demanded Martin.
"Martin, sshhh, keep the noise down," whispered Arthur urgently.
"But you've dented my car. That's just bloody irresponsible …" said Martin as Dominik grabbed his collar and yanked his head in the car window.
"Mr Arthur said me to stop. Mr Arthur said you to shut up," said Dominik as if speaking to a child. "We in emergency so you shut up and we fix up car at later time. You understand?"
"Orghhh," said Martin, trying to speak with a restricted neck.
"Good! You be quiet and alert and listen to Mr Arthur, hey?" inquired Dominik.
"Uh, yeah, sorry but …" said Martin, as Dominik let him go
.
"But sshhh, Martin!" whispered Arthur. "Be quiet and listen … and look." There were two cars at the mansion as well as two men parading back and forwards. "Can we hide these vehicles here, Dominik?"
"Yes, behind hedge. Follow me, Martin," said Dominik.
Martin dashed back to his car and both vehicles were soon concealed from the mansion, behind a hedge just off the driveway. Arthur checked that everyone was ready and, just as they were to move off, another car appeared.
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