Transition Plan Chapter 25: First Homecoming Part 12 – Risk Taking

Over the next few days, Jane and Tarzan continued their guided tour of the Castle, and established more modest post-lovemaking sleeping habits in deference to their servants, even after the night they discovered their giant stone and ceramic bath tub filled by a natural hot springs in the forest, which ended with most of the water out of the tub after their dramatic steamy water fight. Edward and Elisabeth were grateful to find them just sleeping together under the covers and actually wearing nightclothes each morning. The young couple seemed to have inexhaustible sexual energy for each other.

One morning, it was good that they were covered, as Edward roused them with urgently, "My Lord and Lady Clayton, you had better read this. It isn't good."

Jane sat up quickly in her nightgown and shuddered as she read the headlines of the 'Daily Mail Telegraph':

"Senior Captain of Clayton Shipping Murdered - Killer Sought."

Jane fought back her tears, as Tarzan read the rest of the article.

"We have to remember what he told us. 'Don't believe what you read'," Jane tried to remind herself and her mate.

Tarzan was taken aback, but asserted, "We go there as planned and follow his orders."

Jane was very worried, "Jonathan, do you think he's alive and this is the 'cover' he spoke of?"

"I sure hope so. Or everything is lost for Africa."

Two Days Ago

After returning to London from Castle Greystoke, Captain d'Arnot was deliberately predictable in his patterns as he always was. After his long voyages, he particularly liked to sit in the shipping line's main operations office by the main window, and worked late in the darkness of the evenings. He made sure tonight was no different. D'Arnot's profile was highlighted on the drawn window shade against the glass. His men were worried, but he told them he knew what he was doing.

A dark clad figure climbed the stairs of an abandoned warehouse adjacent to the shipping office, as he had done since the day after Cedric and the others had been purged from Clayton Industries. Tonight he was in luck, seeing the shipping line leader reading quietly at his desk in profile against the window shade. His old habits were too easy to figure out. The figure knelt, wielded a rifle, and took aim through a pane of jagged broken glass. The muzzle flashed, shot rang out, the shipping office window shattered as the bullet penetrated it and the window shade, and the shadowed figure of d'Arnot slumped in his chair. The man moved fast after the act, and dumped the rifle out another window into the cold waters of the wharf.

As he made his way toward the stair case, he was confronted by a grizzled old man holding a very big knife, who growled, "Evenin' Winthrop. How good of you to show us your true colors tonight."

The young man gulped, and looked for an escape route. There was nothing but a fifty foot fatal jump.

The man continued to talk as he approached, "You have to ask yourself two questions: did I or didn't I actually kill the Captain? Or did I throw away my life needlessly?"

Winthrop was in total panic now, and could only blurt out nervously, "No! Please don't…"

He reached for a weapon he didn't have.

The grim man moved toward the younger man, "Too late, Winthrop! It's a shame you disposed of that rifle. You didn't think to bring a gun to a knife fight."

A dozen blades flicked out from the shadows, each in the hands of merchant marine sailors, and they surrounded d'Arnot's assassin.

Back to Jane and Tarzan's Present Day

Jane's sickness worsened over the next few days, with some real vomiting. Food she liked was disagreeing with her or was tasteless. Tarzan doted on her, getting to her to drink water and juice and some bread, the only things that would stay in her stomach. So she reluctantly agreed to leave the safety of the Castle under heavy guard to go to the doctor. It was nearly Christmas, and she wanted to be healthy and not spoil the first Christmas celebration with her husband at his family's home.

Jane wrung her gloved hands nervously, wearing a warm coat and feathered hat on her perfectly done-up hair over a beautiful town dress as she prepared to go into the village. She looked every bit a Countess.

She observed as she hugged her husband goodbye, "Do you realize, Jonathan, this is the first time we've ever been parted since… well… since before I rode off into the jungle with you on Tantor's back? That's more than a year!"

Tarzan was not pleased with their separation. It didn't feel right to him, "Don't remind me. I should go with you."

Jane scoffed, "I shan't be gone long, and it's a just a doctor's appointment, my dear. I am well guarded."

"Just the same…"

She poked his nose and kissed him lightly, whispering, "You, Jonathan my dear, have a hidden family catacomb to explore further."

He sighed, "You're right. It's a lot more fun with you, though," remembering their seductive feudal bedroom encounter a few nights before.

She pecked him again and laughed, mostly because he looked so pitiful without her.

As Jane's armored carriage departed, Tarzan watched for a moment, and turned to the head butler, "Edward, I wish to be alone until I say so, or until Lady Jane returns."

"As you wish sir."

Tarzan went up stairs closed and locked the bedroom door, and opened the secret entrance to the underground catacombs. He noted from his father's documents there were numerous other rooms. It was an entire subterranean complex. He found a huge ancient armory with medieval weapons, an antiquated library with scrolls rather than books that appeared to be in Gaelic rather than English, and some more secret living quarters for knights, a kitchen, and dining hall. He took note of it all for emergencies. There were barracks for housing hundreds of soldiers, chart rooms and work areas for battling planning. There was even an underground stable and blacksmith shop sized for over fifty battle horses, with a hidden exit hundreds of yards from the Castle. He imagined that in ancient times, the horses and defenders of Castle Greystoke would rise up from nowhere far outside the castle walls, and lead a charge to slaughter any intruders - to their terror - from behind. He could not imagine himself as clever or intelligent as his forebears. Nor as warlike. Briefly he stopped in the Master bedroom and remembered his tender moments with Jane a few nights ago. The bearskin still held her scent. He explored further and discovered a mausoleum holding many of his ancestors, including an empty crypt that was meant for his parents, and he knelt in their honor.

He whispered solemnly to the ghosts in the vast catacombs, "The danger continues, my dear Mother and Father and ancestors. Be with me with your blessings and help me see this through."

…

Jane traveled silently in her armored carriage, having two sailors with rifles as escorts to her and the driver, and they went outside the gate, which was locked immediately behind them with other guards. The trip into town was uneventful. Jane was really worried that she was very sick with influenza, but she had an amazingly happy surprise told to her by the doctor after a simple examination. The doctor was delightful, and the appointment extended longer with his offer of tea and crumpets after the checkup. She wanted to get to know the people around the estate, so she obliged his invitation.

It was nearly dusk by the time she waved goodbye, and cheerily said, "Thank you so much, doctor, for the good news. I can hardly wait to tell Jonathan."

She nearly skipped getting in the carriage, giddy with the news, but they didn't move when she ordered the driver to go. She knocked above, and said, "I'm ready to go home, Theodore."

She screamed when a bloody arm slumped limply into the carriage window.

She heard the opposite side carriage door open. A strong arm gagged her, stifling her scream before it attracted attention, and with a painful blow to the head, her world grew dark.

Two large men took her limp form and tossed it in the back of a wagon, and covered her with hay, as the driver yelled to the horse and jerked the reins, "Hyaa!"

The wagon moved swiftly into the darkness.

The doctor looked out at the hay wagon speeding away with her hidden inside, her carriage with the dead guards propped up still looking like they were waiting for their Lady, and whispered in fear, "I am so sorry, Countess. They threatened my wife and baby daughter. You'll be safe. All they want is a big ransom for you."

In his mind he kept telling himself that, hearing other men take the carriage away, and praying they didn't come after him next.