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Back to the rank and the day ran on as usual. As I am a talker I can
get into a conversation within a few minutes. This does two things, makes
the day more interesting and it puts the passengers at their ease. The
subjects today are, a judge who tells me what he would do with hunt saboteurs,
a lap dancer who has a degree but can earn more money dancing, an addict
who tells me of his struggle to stay with the methadone program, an alcoholic
who tells me of his downward spiral with his girlfriend and how he sold
his house to feed his drug habit.
After all that I was ready for something lighter.
Right on cue came a very attractive blonde lady, about mid 30's, dressed
in the best quality clothes. She was a breath of fresh air. She was carrying
a lot of expensive looking bags with names of the high-class shops on
them. "Are you free driver?" Most guys would crawl over broken
glass just to say hello to this lady. "Yes ma-am". In a couple
of minutes we were on our way. The destination was no surprise, Stoke
Heights. Within a couple of minutes we were chatting. She was so easy
to talk to, light and bright. The journey flew by and in no time we were
passing the high bushy hedges and big trees that hid the mansions behind
them. As we approached some large black wrought iron gates she pressed
a remote and they slowly swung open. I drove through them on a tarmac
drive. After driving through a tree-lined road, the surface changed to
gravel and the house came into view.
It was honey coloured Bath sandstone, 2 storied in a long period style.
The sun shone on it as we approached, enhancing the warm colour. The drive
curved in from one side of the house to a fountain in front of the main
door, then out on the other side of the lawn. The centrepiece of the fountain
was a Germanic style S that looked new and strangely out of place in these
surroundings.
We drew up to the front door and came to a halt. "I wonder if you
be so kind as to bring my bags in for me " she asked softly. "
Sure no problem, but I wonder if I could ask a favour." The water
from the fountain had just been too much for me and after an hour on the
rank "Could I use your bathroom?" . " Yes of course you
can " she replied " if you take my shopping up the stairs, you
can use any of the bathrooms on that floor"
She opened the door into a lobby then through an inner door into a large
round open hallway. In the middle of the black and white tiled floor started
a wide staircase which rose to meet the far wall, when it did, at a half
landing it went left and right to follow the curve of the room to finish
on the upper floor landing.
As she walked across the hall she gestured to the stairs, " Help
yourself ".
I climbed the stone stair with the bags in hand. When I reach the top
the stone changed to deep carpet. On this landing there were two wide
corridors going in different directions along the length of the house.
I placed the bags at the top of the stairs and I chose one. I went down
the right corridor and opened the first door on the right. My renowned
intuition had not left me and I stood looking into a broom cupboard full
of cleaning materials.
Continuing along the corridor I opened the next door. What I saw was the
most sumptuous room I had ever seen. It was light and spacious. The colours
were light, rich and lavish. In the middle of the room was the bed. Silk
covered and round. Gossamer drapes cascaded from a round mirror in the
ceiling, falling to veil the place of sleep or love. This was a ladies
room.
Back in the corridor I tried another room on the left. This was very different.
A dark room with an old iron single bed pushed up against the wall. The
curtains were pulled over but I could see that there was a bathroom adjoining
this dingy cell. Closing the door behind me I moved towards the bathroom.
With the door closed it was even darker. I moved through the dark and
I tripped on what felt like a chain. I fell awkwardly, hitting my head
on the side of the bed as I fell. I hit the floor with a thud and the
room went hazy for a minute or two. Lying still on the floor trying to
collect my thoughts and focus my eyes, I found myself eye to eye with
a contorted hideous face. In my panic I tried to push it away but got
entangled in the straps that bound the owner of this twisted face. As
I stumbled backwards trying to get up it followed me. We were bound in
a grotesque embrace by soft leather straps. I fell again with the body
now on top of me. Why was it so light? Forcing myself to calm down, I
realised that this thing I had been trying to get away from was a blow
up dolly. Made in Taiwan and modelled by someone from the moon by the
look of it. I liberated myself from Miss Lunar body and got to my feet.
The need for my original intention in this room was becoming urgent.
Entering the bathroom at last I noticed they have a heated toilet seat.
How posh can you get! Must try it.
Assuming the position I relax in this luxury, letting the cares of the
day free from my mind. Whilst sitting there, I noticed this room had pictures
all over the wall. Part of the wall was covered with strange masochistic
pictures the rest were what looked like pictures of taxis; in the middle
of them all was an old Bristol Taxi licence plate. Who would be interested
in taxis in a house like this?
I was getting quite cosy when I heard a door slam. It brought me out of
my warm stupor with a jolt and I thought it was time I moved myself.
I could hear shouting. It sounded urgent and angry.
Standing up and pulling my trousers up at the same time I didn't tuck
my shirt in properly. Buckled my belt and pulled on my zip, it went up
but the zip split open from the bottom. Desperate tugging I tried to get
the zipper back down, I failed and gave up. Just what I wanted!
The shouting was getting louder and I decided that this was not the time
to mend a zip. As I moved towards the door I stepped carefully over Miss
Lunar body not wanting to rekindle our entangled relationship.
Someone was running along the corridor outside. Opening the door just
enough for me to see through the crack. I saw a large man running up the
corridor towards me. I closed the door again and heard him go by. This
man looked familiar, I couldn't remember where from but alarm bells were
ringing in my head. After a second or two I quietly slipped out of the
room. Another large man was moving away from me down the other corridor.
Moving quickly and carefully I reached the stairs and descended to the
half landing.
Frozen by the disbelief at what I saw my mouth dropped open. This was
mirrored in the face of the man coming up the stairs to meet me.
It was my old adversary S&M.
I must have looked a picture. A dishevelled mess standing at the top of
a flight of stairs, shirt hanging out, a bump on the side of my face,
flies open with the end of my shirt hanging out of my zip. Absolute elegance.
What was going through his mind I don't know, but the stunned silence
was soon broken.
" Maddock YOU ". We stood for a second in this strange standoff,
when I heard what I thought was thunder. The reason for this sound quickly
became apparent as the two large men appeared at the top of the stairs
at the same time. They saw me and continued their charge down the first
flight. Just as the two juggernauts reached the half landing, I made a
rush forward towards S&M. The huge masses of meat met, with a force
that would have crushed me if I had still been standing there. It knocked
the wind out of both of them and they collapsed on the landing gasping
for breath.
I continued my descent and hit S&M with a hard body blow that caught
him off balance. He stumbled down the stairs backwards, reached for the
handrail but didn't quite make it. His legs twisted under him and I heard
a crack. The loud scream reached my ears, as I was halfway across the
hall.
The lady was standing at a pair of double doors with a glass of wine in
her hand and a big smile on her face " Thank you so much" "
My name is Mandy, would you like a drink?" she asked.
"I would love to but I think I had better leave. Thank you for the
use of your bathroom".
She put her hand into the pocket of the light coat she was wearing then
handed me a remote for the gate. " Bring it back when ever you can.
"
As I reached the door, I looked back to see S&M writhing in agony
on the floor holding his leg and the two gorillas on the half landing
just getting to their feet. S&M was shouting at them "GET HIM
"
I closed the door of my cab just as one of the minders was coming out
of the house. My car was facing in the right direction for me to get away
quickly but the limo was facing the house. He jumped into the driver seat,
fired the big engine and selected reverse. This car did not have ABS because
when he hit the throttle the wheels were spinning unable to get grip but
when it did, the car shot back at a rate of knots smashing into the wall
of the fountain. The water gushed out making the grip situation even worse.
The wheels were spinning, throwing mud and gravel everywhere.
I sped down the exit drive and soon saw the big iron gates. I pressed
the remote that Mandy had given me and they opened slowly. As I went through
I pressed it again and they started to close.
I looked in my mirror and saw the limo coming through the tree-lined drive
at speed. The gates were slowly closing. The driver suddenly realised
this and slammed his brakes on. He almost made it, almost! I heard the
crash of glass and metal but didn't look back
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