Chapter 1:Omen.
It was a lovely spring day.The sun was shining,birds were singing oh so intensly..Almost as if someone had organised a conspiracy against the british weather,Steed thought.Looking at the light that managed to pierce a lonely tree's leaves,trying to warm himself up..Still in late April,still a little bit chilly.
Mrs Peel was watching him with interest and finaly said:"A penny for your thoughts."Her head on his lap,her long body spread on the lawn,she felt her neck muscles going numb.
"I 'm not giving away my most inner thoughts.You should give me more if you really want to know."He tried to look serious.
She laughed,then said:"Oh no..don't you get any ideas.Afterall, it's my birthday today,I choose."
"You're always the one choosing,as far as I can recall!"
"Are you not satisfied my lord and master??".She had that bewitching look on her face,the one that he loved.
He said nothing,just caressed her forehead,his fingers playing with the roots of her hair.It looked different in the sunlight,like a wild ,untamed, auburn river.It looked a lot like her.
"Well?"She asked.
"Well,what?"
"Where is my gift?"
"How are you so sure that there's a gift around for you?"
"Come on Steed.You didn't forget my birthday last year,did you?"
"I might have a little something for you".He lifted his body up,went to the car parked nearby,and returned with a large parcel.
"At least it's too large to be a pen that releases tear spray."Her eyes were wide with excitement.
They bothed laughed.
Soon she was holding a brand new umbrella in her hands.Her expression gave nothing away..
"You like it?"
"Well,you could say it's handy..I mean it WILL rain,there's no doubt about that!Thank you.."She looked completely devastated.
"You did say the other day your umbrella had broken.Didn't you?"
"You're teasing me.You're disgraceful Steed!!I'm surprised you didn't get me a bowler to match it too!Well,game over.WHERE is my birthday present?"
"If you want it come and get it".He got a little box out of his jacket pocket.
She started tickling him and he retaliated.They both fell on the grass,rolling, almost fighting..
"Now look what you've done!"he yelled at her.Two shiny little things were lying on the ground.The box was wide open,besides them.
Emma took them in her hands,took a good close look at them."But they're diamond earrings.."She turned really serious all of a sudden."Look Steed,you shouldn't have.It's too much,I can't accept it,I won't.I was just kiding before you know.This must have cost you four month's salaries.."
"Way more...but you're worth it.I don't mean the money.I want you to have the best.The best of me,the best of everything..Please keep them."His eyes were warm and watery.As he was sitting besides her ,he leaned and kissed her softly at the bottom of her neck.
She turned her head to look at him and brought her arm up to caress his cheek.
"I have you.That's all I need,that's all I'll ever wish for."Her deep brown eyes were lit up and as the wind made love to her hair,she leaned in and gave him a kiss.He whispered something in her ear and then he pushed her down gently on the grass.They kissed passionately,nonstop.Somehow he had managed to win over that fairy with an amazone's heart...
And then,they both heard it.They were very well trained to overlook the tinniest noise.A hiss,a little branch breaking,a human presence.Their hearts started to beat fast,faster than before cause fear is the most powerful feeling and the most ancient one.Fear for one's life or the life of the other?Ugly,two faced fear.For a moment they pretended they heard nothing,they didn't move.
She looked around them quickly and said, her voice so quiet that was mingling with the breeze:" Over there.In the bushes".
"He's got a gun.Damn it!!.To the Bentley Mrs Peel.Now, for god's shake!!".
She nodded.They both jumped up and started running.
The first gunshot fell.There was practically nowhere to hide,an unfair game..But they were always playing like this,nobody could ever guarantee for the rules..
Steed had already pulled out the gun he always kept in his boot,so Mrs Peel.They fired back and kept running.Just one more step and the car could be their cover up.
Ofcourse,the tires were flat.Someone had made sure there would be no escape route.
She fell on him.He felt her body collapse,her blood on his face,his chest ,his arms,everywhere.Suddenly she was everywhere and nowhere to be found,lifeless.
His body started trembling,vibrating like glass tortured by a string of high notes.A sob was choking him, the darkness seduced him.He realised he was holding something in his clenched hands.It was his sheets.He was lying in his bed,sweat dripping from all over him.There was a comforting silence but the erratic noise of his breathing.He relaxed a bit, then jumped out of his bed,grabed the phone and started dialing.The clock stroke four,the little cuckoo singing proudly.He put the receiver down.She 'll probably be dreaming right now,hopefully her nightmares much more pleasant than his.
It was raining.He liked the noise raindrops made on his old windows.The wind was getting in his appartment,an uninvited,cold stranger.Papers were tousled on the carpet.He tried to pick them up.
"I should probably ring Mrs Robinson tommorow,only she can put this chaos in order".
A piece of paper with a pair of brightly coloured numbers on it caught his attention.Just a page from his wall calendar.Only two days left until her birthday....
It was a lovely spring day.The sun was shining,birds were singing oh so intensly..Almost as if someone had organised a conspiracy against the british weather,Steed thought.Looking at the light that managed to pierce a lonely tree's leaves,trying to warm himself up..Still in late April,still a little bit chilly.
Mrs Peel was watching him with interest and finaly said:"A penny for your thoughts."Her head on his lap,her long body spread on the lawn,she felt her neck muscles going numb.
"I 'm not giving away my most inner thoughts.You should give me more if you really want to know."He tried to look serious.
She laughed,then said:"Oh no..don't you get any ideas.Afterall, it's my birthday today,I choose."
"You're always the one choosing,as far as I can recall!"
"Are you not satisfied my lord and master??".She had that bewitching look on her face,the one that he loved.
He said nothing,just caressed her forehead,his fingers playing with the roots of her hair.It looked different in the sunlight,like a wild ,untamed, auburn river.It looked a lot like her.
"Well?"She asked.
"Well,what?"
"Where is my gift?"
"How are you so sure that there's a gift around for you?"
"Come on Steed.You didn't forget my birthday last year,did you?"
"I might have a little something for you".He lifted his body up,went to the car parked nearby,and returned with a large parcel.
"At least it's too large to be a pen that releases tear spray."Her eyes were wide with excitement.
They bothed laughed.
Soon she was holding a brand new umbrella in her hands.Her expression gave nothing away..
"You like it?"
"Well,you could say it's handy..I mean it WILL rain,there's no doubt about that!Thank you.."She looked completely devastated.
"You did say the other day your umbrella had broken.Didn't you?"
"You're teasing me.You're disgraceful Steed!!I'm surprised you didn't get me a bowler to match it too!Well,game over.WHERE is my birthday present?"
"If you want it come and get it".He got a little box out of his jacket pocket.
She started tickling him and he retaliated.They both fell on the grass,rolling, almost fighting..
"Now look what you've done!"he yelled at her.Two shiny little things were lying on the ground.The box was wide open,besides them.
Emma took them in her hands,took a good close look at them."But they're diamond earrings.."She turned really serious all of a sudden."Look Steed,you shouldn't have.It's too much,I can't accept it,I won't.I was just kiding before you know.This must have cost you four month's salaries.."
"Way more...but you're worth it.I don't mean the money.I want you to have the best.The best of me,the best of everything..Please keep them."His eyes were warm and watery.As he was sitting besides her ,he leaned and kissed her softly at the bottom of her neck.
She turned her head to look at him and brought her arm up to caress his cheek.
"I have you.That's all I need,that's all I'll ever wish for."Her deep brown eyes were lit up and as the wind made love to her hair,she leaned in and gave him a kiss.He whispered something in her ear and then he pushed her down gently on the grass.They kissed passionately,nonstop.Somehow he had managed to win over that fairy with an amazone's heart...
And then,they both heard it.They were very well trained to overlook the tinniest noise.A hiss,a little branch breaking,a human presence.Their hearts started to beat fast,faster than before cause fear is the most powerful feeling and the most ancient one.Fear for one's life or the life of the other?Ugly,two faced fear.For a moment they pretended they heard nothing,they didn't move.
She looked around them quickly and said, her voice so quiet that was mingling with the breeze:" Over there.In the bushes".
"He's got a gun.Damn it!!.To the Bentley Mrs Peel.Now, for god's shake!!".
She nodded.They both jumped up and started running.
The first gunshot fell.There was practically nowhere to hide,an unfair game..But they were always playing like this,nobody could ever guarantee for the rules..
Steed had already pulled out the gun he always kept in his boot,so Mrs Peel.They fired back and kept running.Just one more step and the car could be their cover up.
Ofcourse,the tires were flat.Someone had made sure there would be no escape route.
She fell on him.He felt her body collapse,her blood on his face,his chest ,his arms,everywhere.Suddenly she was everywhere and nowhere to be found,lifeless.
His body started trembling,vibrating like glass tortured by a string of high notes.A sob was choking him, the darkness seduced him.He realised he was holding something in his clenched hands.It was his sheets.He was lying in his bed,sweat dripping from all over him.There was a comforting silence but the erratic noise of his breathing.He relaxed a bit, then jumped out of his bed,grabed the phone and started dialing.The clock stroke four,the little cuckoo singing proudly.He put the receiver down.She 'll probably be dreaming right now,hopefully her nightmares much more pleasant than his.
It was raining.He liked the noise raindrops made on his old windows.The wind was getting in his appartment,an uninvited,cold stranger.Papers were tousled on the carpet.He tried to pick them up.
"I should probably ring Mrs Robinson tommorow,only she can put this chaos in order".
A piece of paper with a pair of brightly coloured numbers on it caught his attention.Just a page from his wall calendar.Only two days left until her birthday....