Transition Plan Chapter 118 - Searching for Jeanne Part 36
Authors Notes: Rated T for a violent, disturbing scene. The Jacot's and Clayton's embark on the next stages of their trans-African tour, trying to settle unresolved affairs for Jack and Jeanne. But they get more than they bargain for.
...
The 'Destiny' was at full sail and Jeanne had ordered the deployment the ship's enormous spinnaker, so the great ship seemed to be almost flying across the high seas with her once again at the helm. It was the fastest clipper ship on the high seas ever, capable of more than 25 knots with the huge spinnaker. With a tight grip on the helm, Jeanne was wearing a very special 'Destiny' crew-colored uniform that D'Arnot had given her, embroidered with a helmsman's insignia that she earned on the way to London, and was proudly showing her husband and Lily how it was done. She loved the happy surprise of that special uniform when they set sail from London. Amelie D'Arnot had had personally embroidered it for Jeanne as a gift of their friendship.
The smell and feel of the salt spray as the ship cut its way through the gently rolling waves and wind were invigorating. The Jacot's loved being on the four master sailing ship, especially this highly modified clipper. Because they'd be gone for over seven months, not just the six week long trip from London back to Nigeria, they had to take extra crew and supplies, and had Amelie and new baby Stephanie aboard as well. Philippe had to redo the guest cabins to handle both families as well as his recently expanded family, provide some manner of privacy, meals and hygiene, and make his extra crew less cramped belowdecks, but they didn't mind. The Clayton's and Jacot's were so easy to care for and appreciative of what the crew did for them and they always helped with the ship's upkeep.
The next stop was Walvis Bay, straight from London. Jeanne had no unresolved business in Kamerun, so they bypassed it. Michelle and the twins kept a sharp lookout ahead in the crow's nest. It was their favorite part of the ship. It was also easier for Michelle and Paul to gently kiss each other away from their parents' eyes, yet not violate their promise to their parents and siblings. Elisabeth promised to never tell.
…
Once they berthed in Walvis Bay, Tarzan, Armand, Jack and Jeanne went to the business district while the women and kids went shopping and looked for a suitable place for dinner and hotel. It would be hard to choose. Jeanne remembered all the great restaurants Jaeger took her to. That part of being his 'girlfriend' was fun. The rest was pretty creepy.
Jeanne didn't really want to take any chance of being recognized by any of Jaeger's former associates that weren't jailed or dead, and was dressed as a proper nobleman's wife with a wide-brimmed bonnet tied down for the sun that obscured her face, and she held the Viscount's arm tightly as they took a taxi. Her glasses were large and heavily rimmed to further hide her face. Her long sleeves, gloves, and high boots all but completely covered her olive skin. The foursome went immediately to the bank where she had the secret accounts.
She went in, and waited for the bank President to tend to her. The man immediately knew he was dealing with people with money.
"How may I help you?" the banker asked kindly.
She presented the numbered back accounts to him and requested, "I'd like close these accounts, please."
"May I ask why? Was there anything wrong with our service?" asked the bank President with concern.
"Oh no, kind sir, there is nothing wrong. It's just that my husband and I live in England now, not here in Walvis Bay."
"Well that's understandable. Right away, M'Lady."
The banker came back a little jarred and embarrassed, "We don't have enough money to cover these withdrawals. Needless to say, the withdrawals are substantial."
Jeanne was somewhat indignant, hoping to just cash out and close this unfortunate chapter of her life, "Well, how much do you have?
"I have three million cash on hand of the total of four million Pounds in your account - three million from the original accounts plus the accrued interest over the past six years."
Jeanne was pleased the accounts had grown so much since she was 13, but she was anxious, "What about the last million, sir? It is likely we will never return here. It was an extraordinary measure to come here."
"I am so sorry, Lady Clayton," he replied.
He knew the family name because Tarzan's shipping company's business account was with the bank, but the banker had no idea Lady Clayton was Meriem that he once knew for all the illicit business transactions she performed for Jaeger, "Will a promissory note for the balance be acceptable to wire to an account in England?"
"That would be most acceptable… Bank of England please. This account," she stated and gave him her personal account that Jack had established for her own affairs. Every Countess of Greystoke had maintained her own.
With the transaction thus complete, they parted. The Bank President properly shook hands and noted, "It was a pleasure doing business with you Lady Clayton. I always wondered who the real owner of those numbered accounts was. Your father in law's business account has always been valued here. Thank you for the use of your money for so many years."
"You are most welcome sir."
Jack and Tarzan carried the valises full of money away from the bank, while she assisted her father to walk.
In the taxi, Jeanne noted, "I feel a lot heavier, and a lot more nervous."
"Well I have my gun, honey," her dad said.
And Tarzan added, "I have my knife."
Jack smiled, "I have my knife and crossbow. No one is messing with us and your money. How about you, dear?"
Jeanne grinned, "Yes, I have my slingshot and my knife, Jack. But why do we seem like one of those bank-robbing gangster families from the States?"
"All that's missing is all of us wearing slouch fedoras and you wearing a slit, sequined dress and toting a submachine gun. And maybe because the money is all ill-gotten to begin with, doll-face," Jack noted in his best gangster accent impression.
Like a gangster moll stereotype, Jeanne gave him a flash of leg and blew him a kiss. Jack whistled and winked at his wife. They and their fathers chuckled.
The foursome made their way to City Hall in another taxi. The building was still as beautiful, and looked remodeled. Both Jack and Jeanne observed that the bullet holes and splinters that marked their unsuccessful escape were gone. They went inside.
…
Jeanne strode with purpose into the huge oak door of the Mayor's Office, and approached his receptionist with a pleasant look, and said, "We are calling upon the Mayor. We'll only be a short time."
"He's very busy, Miss," the pretty receptionist tried to be firm but polite.
"Mrs. Tell her Meriem is here for a visit," Jeanne noted seriously.
The secretary gave her a puzzled look, but did what the important-looking woman asked. It took the Mayor about 3 seconds to come out.
"Mayor, how good to see you," she extended her hand in greeting.
"Oh my goodness. It is you, Meriem. Goodness. If it isn't our famous 'crime buster' and primary prosecution witness in absentia. All grown up. Now I get to thank you in person. And it's so good to see you again, Count and Viscount. I do pray your visit here this time will be more peaceful."
"Thank you Mayor. It's good to be here to see you too, Mayor," said Tarzan.
They shook hands formally, and the Mayor carefully examined her and the others. He recognized the Count and Viscount, but not the handicapped man. All the proper introductions and pleasantries were made with Colonel Jacot. Jeanne emphasized her father was a war veteran and the Mayor praised Armand for his service and sacrifice in the Great War.
The receptionist prodded the busy government leader, "Sir, you have other people to see."
"Claudia, cancel everything on my calendar today," he insisted, "This is a very special day indeed."
"Uhh. Yes sir."
He gave Jeanne a gracious, appreciative look, "Goodness, Meriem. You are truly beautiful. Like royalty."
"Close enough," she grinned. Jack rolled his eyes.
He inquired, "Who exactly am I really thanking? I know Meriem is not your real name. I would like to address you by your true title and name."
"Lady Jeanne Clayton," she stated. She was very proud of those three words. In those three names, she was nobility, her true self, and the married woman she'd always dreamed of being all at once.
"I remember from that terrible day in City Hall that you and the Viscount were said to be very close, even after years of kidnapping. So you and His Lordship…?"
"Yes, we are wed," she blushed happily, "over a year now."
The young couple exchanged a look and he took her hand. How did time pass so quickly since their beautiful nuptials in deep jungle pond and their reaffirmation vows in Scotland?
"Congratulations. But my dear Lady Jeanne, you seem a bit nervous? Whatever for?" inquired the Mayor.
Jeanne cast her eyes down, "I was a little afraid you might still have a warrant for my arrest."
The Mayor reassured her in a broad sweeping smile and gesture, "We made deal with your husband and the Count. That pardon was permanent, and frankly, my dear, with what your ledger divulged, we cleaned up nearly all the organized crime this town. Even the 'two bit' guys that fed off Jaeger. There are nothing but honest German and British businessmen working side by side here in Southwest Africa. We owe you a huge favor. What brings you back to Walvis Bay?"
The Mayor was half-German himself, so having a clean city with legitimate German business owners was a great source of pride.
She said confidently, "Well it's me with the favor to repay."
"Seriously?" he puzzled.
She explained, "Well no one knew about some special accounts that my kidnappers maintained for their illicit businesses independently of Jaeger's. I recently inherited those accounts."
The Mayor caught the innuendo of her liberation, but asked no further questions, and only commented, "Well that's good news. So you escaped them?"
She beamed and held Jack's arm with both of hers, "I was rescued from my kidnappers by the Viscount like a gallant knight."
"How exciting."
"You have no idea," Jack said drolly.
"So what about those accounts is relevant to Walvis Bay, M'Lady?" the Mayor wondered.
"We want Walvis Bay to have those proceeds - all taken from the good people of Southwest Africa."
Despite the temptation, the Mayor already knew from previous experience that these people were honest to a fault. He just couldn't take money donated with no conditions.
"Those bad times are all over, Lady Jeanne. Keep the money. Restitution has been made and justice served. Think of as reparation for being held against your will and forced to do things by Jaeger and your kidnappers."
Jeanne insisted, "I feel I must do something, Mayor."
He knew that Jeanne would not be deterred from her offer, "A small donation to the Walvis Bay police pension fund is always in order, Lady Clayton."
"Oh yes of course. Here's a half million Pounds Sterling," Jeanne's eyes brightened, she reached into her purse, and handed to him a huge wad of cash, with the Mayor's eyes growing enormous.
"This is so generous," the Mayor gushed at the Viscountess. He wished now he had accepted whatever sum she had originally planned to offer, but he was not going to ask for any more. The City Treasurer was going to really raise an eyebrow over this donation anyway.
Afterward, the Mayor took them all to dinner at the best restaurant in town, including the reassembled families and his family, and put them all up in the municipal mansion. Jack and Jeanne loved the softness of the Master Suite bedroom and each other's intimate embrace and slept well afterwards.
They got a Police escort back to the harbor for extra safety and a grand sendoff by the grateful Mayor of Walvis Bay.
…
As the weeks passed, Jeanne's mood became one of more and more dread the closer the 'Destiny' got to Dar es Salaam. Truly the worst things that ever happened to her in the eight years of captivity happened right here.
...
One item of business was highest priority for both families in Dar es Salaam: Hugh Farnsworth. Soon after the wedding rededication, Jeanne and Jack had taken an evening with all the parents sitting together in the Castle library for dessert after dinner. They were all enjoying a bottle of cognac together when they broached the subject, because the young couple knew it was time for their parents to know exactly what happened with Farnsworth before they went on the long African trip, and what company records to gather and analyze before confronting him in person.
Jeanne and Jack explained Farnsworth's traitorous behavior to Clayton Shipping by skimming funds for exorbitant entertainment with clients and competitor payoffs, bribing Jeanne to become a star stripper, withholding information on Jeanne's whereabouts in defiance of company policy, tempting her with an enormous sum of stolen company money to be his personal prostitute, strangling Jeanne nearly to death, and forcing Siegfried to fire her to be sold as a sex slave.
Armand and Tarzan became unglued over Farnsworth's treachery. It took an enormous amount of effort by Jack and Jeanne to calm their fathers, who wanted immediate revenge on the man, which is why they waited to reveal this horrible news until after their rededication. Tarzan summed it all up in one line once he could speak coherently: 'Farnsworth was worse to Jeanne in two years than the kidnappers had ever been in eight'. And the man had been cheating the family business most likely under Tarzan's nose since Walvis Bay.
...
"Can you go through this?" asked Jack as they approached the Dar es Salaam harbor, attentive to her somber mood, actually picking up on her feelings through a spontaneous 'connection' moment that still occurred as much as their frequent, deliberate desires to connect. The parents just listened to them talk and plan.
"Yes, sweetheart, I can do this, but only if you don't let go of me an instant. I feel like I am going to fall back into this hell hole at any moment."
"You are the bravest woman ever," he praised his young wife.
Jane cleared her throat, which Jeanne picked up on instantly, and smirked.
"All right, second bravest," Jack blushed at his mother.
They all laughed.
They put in to port with Jeanne at the helm like she'd been piloting the 'Destiny' all her life. The families got ready to go to the Grand Hotel, where they'd made luxury suite accommodations by radio. The two fathers, Jack, and Jeanne stayed to have their serious business with Farnsworth.
"I'm going with you," Armand insisted.
Jeanne was concerned, "Are you sure, Papa? It will be a long walk down the wharf. Dad C's business is on the far end of the harbor. There are no taxis here."
His eyes narrowed and snarled, "I'll manage. Farnsworth is the man who nearly prostituted and strangled you, dear daughter. And caused you to be a stripper and a slave. If things go badly, I want to put a bullet in his brain."
Jack was just as adamant, "You're going to have to queue up for that right, Dad J."
He held his hidden crossbow menacingly.
"Me first, gentlemen. He did all that to me," Jeanne added, and showed her slingshot with an awful barbed projectile.
Tarzan noted with ironic humor, "I was just going to fire him and have him arrested and imprisoned until he rots. How dead do you all want Farnsworth, exactly?"
Jack's response was immediate and terse as he held Jeanne closely, "Give me any excuse, Father. Any. Dad Jacot just reminded us all why."
There was absolutely no denying any of what Farnsworth did or tried to do to her. Jack was shaking he was so angry. Jeanne calmed him with a physical and mental touch.
Jane and Josephine were listening intently, Tarzan asked, "Ladies? Anything to add?"
Jane said with great concern, "Please, all of you be careful. We don't know how desperate this man is now after nearly murdering her. Little has been said publicly outside of Scotland about Jack and Jeanne's marriage, so your 'visit' should be a surprise, but he could react violently when you confront him. We'll see you at the hotel tonight."
…
They made their way to the Clayton Shipping Company offices. Jeanne looked very different from her Meriem persona. The mothers had temporarily colored her hair to be brown, with some blondish highlights, and of course the length of her hair was miles longer than as a stripper. Her sun bonnet obscured any good view of her face, and she wore the same heavy rim glasses as in Walvis Bay. They made her look a little plumper with padding around her waistline. They scolded Lily and Michelle earlier for putting some of that padding on her belly to make her look pregnant, and she really blushed at everyone, but actually Jack thought she looked great. They powdered her to make her look paler.
Everyone prayed the disguises would work. None of them knew what Mr. Farnsworth would do when confronted. He seemed like just a normal lawyer and financial genius, but he did try to strangle Jeanne to death.
One of the longshoremen said, "Ain't that the 'big boss' ? Why didn't we know he was coming here?"
Another chastised his fellow worker, "Idiot, we don't rate knowing. That's Mr. Farnsworth's job to work with the big wigs."
They went to the main office up the stairs and met the secretary, who was really shocked to have the CEO show up unannounced, "Goodness! Count Clayton. Wh-wh-what a surprise, sir. I... I had no idea. Mr. Farnsworth said nothing about this. I am not prepared. I'm so sorry!"
but Tarzan said kindly, "It's all right, Mrs. Whiggins. It's a pleasure meeting you, finally. Letters and radio and telegraph messages just aren't the same. Thank you for your service. Mr. Farnsworth always gives you glowing reviews in his correspondence with me. I know this is a long way from home for you."
The secretary was still a bit flustered that Tarzan had come in complete surprise, but his compliments calmed her, "Count Clayton, you are most kind. My husband served in the war here in the east, and he liked living in Africa, so he asked me to leave England and come join him. I came and I fell in love with the city and country. Some days it's a bit warm, but nothing like dreary old England."
"Very good, sir. May I ask who your associates are?"
"How insensitive of me, Mrs. Whiggins. This is my oldest son the Viscount Jack, one of my company accountants Mrs. Emily Henderson, and one of our security staff, Mr. Javert."
Both Jeanne and Armand were operating under fake identities. They couldn't take the chance that Mrs. Whiggins and Mr. Farnsworth were both complicit in hiding Jeanne's whereabouts from the Count, so they couldn't tell Mrs. Whiggins that the young woman right in front of her was Meriem returned. Fortunately her disguise made her look nothing like the internal company 'missing person' picture of Jeanne, which still hung on the office bulletin board. It was her 13 year old picture alongside another 'aged up' artist concept of how she'd look at 18. Undisguised, the image was not far different than what she really looked like.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. So, what brings you to town?" the secretary asked.
"A family cruise for me and my family and a few of my office staff, and we are visiting all of our African businesses and ports so I can show Jack the family business, so I wanted to meet with Mr. Farnsworth."
"I'm sorry that we're not better prepared to receive you, Count Clayton."
Tarzan gave the plausible excuse they had all rehearsed, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Whiggins, for the surprise, but we had some trouble with our radio and giving an early warning was impossible."
Mrs. Whiggins lied for Farnsworth, "It's all right sir. Count Clayton, Mr. Farnsworth should be along in awhile. He has a… uh… a breakfast appointment with one of our clients."
Her flushed cheeks and hesitation gave her away that she was covering for him.
In truth she would rarely ever see Farnsworth before lunch. They were several time zones ahead of London and Nigeria and the bosses in the west would be able to reach him at any time. He had been even later than usual the past two weeks because of… her. Mrs. Whiggins got sick to her stomach. She knew it would all catch up with him and today it did. It was already after 9 am. They were well into business hours.
Tarzan noted the stress but gave her a break, "We'll be waiting in the conference room until after his breakfast meeting."
As they went to the conference room, Mrs. Whiggins made a secret phone call to Farnsworth, which woke him with a start. Farnsworth knocked a naked young woman entwined with him straight to the floor from their bed.
The phone kept ringing and he reached to answer it as he ordered the girl, "Sorry, love… Get back here. I'm not done with you."
The young woman giggled, "OK, baby."
The way he'd pleasured her last night she wasn't done with him either. She made that clear by straddling and grabbing him and playing with him like she had a toy in her hands as she got back into bed with him, making it even harder to answer the phone.
"Yes?" he answered the phone with considerable stiffness.
Mrs. Whiggins stated urgently, "It's me. You have to get in right away."
The woman heard that line, and whispered slyly, "Yeah, baby, you do!"
The woman noted with satisfaction what she achieved, so she joined with Farnsworth while he struggled with the conversation. She made particularly loud cooing and moaning sounds purposely near the phone with her rocking motion.
Mrs. Whiggins became very uncomfortable hearing the pair's love play.
Farnsworth gasped, "Don't you know who I've got here?"
"Yes. Of course I do, I covered for you. And it sounds like you're in the middle of something even now."
She regretted unintentionally making a reference to their activity.
"Exactly, Mrs. Whiggins. Nothing would ever force me over there this morning but a surprise visit by the Count himself."
"Be careful what you ask for…" she stated.
"Oh shit. OK. I'll be there soon," he hung up the phone hastily, groaned with the ecstasy the young woman was causing him, and he attempted unsuccessfully to pry her off him, asking, "Honey, go get some breakfast, go play in the pool just like that and I will be right back."
The young woman redoubled her efforts with him off the phone, "Not until we're finished here."
She shut him up with an intensely deep kiss and they went at it aggressively. They finished fast, but were entirely satisfied. Farnsworth was absolutely exhausted from her pleasures, but he knew he had to go. They separated reluctantly.
"You must let me get dressed. I really do have business to attend to."
"OK, lover," she pouted, "I guess I don't have what it takes to keep you here longer?"
"Absolutely you do. I'm sorry, my dear, it's very urgent business. I would stay in bed with you all day if I could."
She was satisfied with that but urged, "OK, Hugh, baby. I will be right here and this weekend we'll never leave your bed until I have to do my shows. Hurry back to this!"
She gave him a very inviting view, guaranteed to bring him back.
He could only imagine what it was going to continue to cost him to be with this incredible woman. She was the top young stripper in town now and was 2 million Pounds Sterling richer only recently. Siegfried's main burlesque dance hall competitor had offered the young stripper's services to him by his request as their most generous patron, and she said 'yes' enthusiastically to Farnsworth's 2 million Pound offer in a heartbeat. So far she had made it '12 nights and days in a row to remember' for Farnsworth, with the promise of no end in sight for her services. She fancied herself 'Farnsworth's girl'. He wanted her too.
"Not at all like… Meriem…" he recalled sadly.
Farnsworth wondered whatever happened to Meriem after the slave sale to the desert nomad who escaped with her after he caused all the ruckus. Even more mysterious to Farnsworth was what happened to the girl's kidnappers, who simply vanished without a trace. Farnsworth would have never seen the records of Jack and Jeanne's civil marriage in Nigeria and their rededication in Scotland would have never shown up as a 'wedding' record. He was too busy cheating his employer to spend much time researching what happened to Jeanne/Meriem, especially when it was far easier to chase new, more cooperative love interests to meet his insatiable needs.
…
Farnsworth was still winded when he got to the office and it was clear to everyone he hadn't had a morning business breakfast. He'd missed wiping several lipstick smudges from his neck and ear. Introductions were rushed.
"Good morning Count Clayton. I am sorry I was not here to greet you when you arrived. I had important… business… with a prospective client for their services," Farnsworth said nervously, "Count Clayton, I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting everyone."
Tarzan knew what kind of services he was likely getting, given the lipstick smudges that were still on him, but said nothing. Tarzan introduced the others like he did for Mrs. Whiggins. Farnsworth showed no glimmer of recognition of the heavily disguised Jeanne.
Farnsworth inquired, "What brings you to town, Count Clayton?"
"Business," Tarzan said a bit tersely. He did not disguise his intent with Farnsworth as he had with the secretary.
Hearing the tone, Farnsworth asked even more cautiously, "What kind of business, Count Clayton?"
"Your business, Hugh. Your handling of the business actually. Mrs. Henderson specializes in corporate fraud. We've found some…. discrepancies… in your monthly accounting reports you sent me. And your books here."
In addition to the prior work she'd done back home before they left on the cruise, Jeanne laid out some ledgers that she had helped herself to in Farnsworth's file drawer, had Mrs. Whiggins pull several key invoices, several questionable letters, and some accounts that existed outside the normal business accounts. Jeanne was good, was fast, and knew what to look for, especially since she did the same exact thing for Jaeger in hiding illegal transactions. Tarzan had already told Jeanne prior to the trip that she'd be Clayton Enterprises' corporate fraud investigator permanently, which delighted her immensely.
Jeanne noted without emotion, "Mr. Farnsworth, the cash flow isn't right. It seems you've been a skimming considerably from your profit for additional business expenses above what company policy allows and British international business law permits. Like these: using our company's money to pay for clients at exclusive shipping industry harbor parties using burlesque dancers the past several years."
Farnsworth wondered how the hell they found that one. The Count's accountant was really good. Then there was a flash of recognition of her voice which was somehow very familiar to him and deep down in her appearance that he noticed was deliberately disguised.
"She's too good," he thought, and contemplated what to do next.
Farnsworth justified his actions defiantly, "I have good tastes and like entertaining our company's clients well. Those contracts are worth tens of millions of Pounds. These entertainment costs are legitimate business expenses. All those deals were expensive to conduct, Count, but worth it. Especially in Southwest Africa. Dar es Salaam wasn't much easier. There is so much competition and corruption here from European, Northern African, and Indian firms. This is a crossroads of trade routes. You have to do business here the way they do. This is not stuffy old London. Lavish entertainment is just part of the scene."
Jeanne struggled to not strike out against Farnsworth, thinking this man watched her night after night and then tried to lay his dirty hands on her body and did so on her neck. Farnsworth wasn't entertaining clients, he was entertaining himself, but so far there was not a glimmer of recognition. She assumed too much.
Tarzan needed to bring matters to a close, "Hugh, I'm afraid these things are all very much out of line, and we have to talk about termination of your services."
Farnsworth coldly stated and made a desperate move, "I'm sorry to hear that, boss. But before you do that, Mrs. Henderson, did you find the line item where I set aside 2 million Pounds to buy your virginity for me, Meriem?"
They were all astonished. Before anyone could react, Farnsworth pulled a gun, stood, grabbed Jeanne, had a death grip on her throat, and pulled her off balance nearly off the floor so she had no leverage to throw him. It would take a simple snap of her neck to kill her or a gunshot to the head. The others balked at any killing blows. They were too close and the gun was pressed against her jaw.
Jack, Tarzan, and Armand faced Farnsworth with Jeanne gripped in his chokehold. It was a standoff.
Tarzan knew this was a very delicate situation now, and was very careful not to set him off, "Hugh, you have a family. Think of them. Until you got here to Dar es Salaam, you've been doing a good job for me. If you let Jeanne go now, we'll just forget this happened. I'll give you a good severance package and references. Please stop this, and let her go."
Farnsworth was very edgy, "I had a good job, because of you, boss. I've spent more than half my life on the road for you. I tried to reconcile with my wife but she left me, and is taking me to the cleaners in divorce settlements. I had… expenses. And without Beatrice, I had needs."
Tarzan remained calm, "I paid you well, Hugh. If you were having problems you could have come to me about that and I would have helped. You could have brought your family to live with you here. You know how I feel about close family. And Hugh, you withheld knowledge of Jeanne's kidnapping from me and my son and her father. Having needs for someone else outside of your marriage doesn't justify keeping knowledge of Jeanne a secret from us like you did. And trying to take advantage of her. That's completely wrong."
"I did bring them here. I tried. They hated it here. You don't pay me enough for all the pain I've suffered making deals for you. I'm not paid well enough. So I took what I thought I was worth. And it included taking Meriem too. And I am worth a lot. I won millions of Pounds in business for you. "
Tarzan tried to calm the man's rising indignation and temper, "But it's wrong to win business that way. And certainly not this way either. Let my son's wife Jeanne go, now, Hugh. There is no 'Meriem' any more."
Farnsworth was more agitated, "No. I have to finish the job."
"What job?" Tarzan asked carefully.
Farnsworth got a crazed look in his eye, "The job of making Meriem mine. Meriem's incredible beauty stole my heart ever since she got to town with Karl-Heinz and she did her first public chorus line showing that delectable body of hers. Which I miss so much even now. Imagine my surprise when I found out you were looking for her, but I didn't care about her being kidnapped. I watched her more and more and plied her with big tips. I waited patiently for her backstage every night and encouraged her to want to be mine. But she never picked up on my overtures. I gave her a ton of your money to make her the top act in town at that harbor party. Then I made my move for her with a chance-of-a-lifetime fortune for just one night with me. But what thanks did I get in appreciation? This little slut refused me. Me, Hugh Farnsworth. One of the richest businessmen in town. No one turns me down. I have a hand in everything that happens in this city. Most of all I wanted my hands on her, and she wouldn't do it. I thought those idiots Siegfried, Karl-Heinz and Gunter sold her in the slave market. She disappeared until you literally delivered her to me today. Low and behold, here she is, pretending to be Jeanne, the happy wife to your naïve son. The Viscount doesn't know he's married a whore and she was some nomad's slave. The son of a nobleman married a slave and stripper whore. How about that, Count?"
"It's not true, Mr. Farnsworth," Jeanne struggled to say, "I refused you and everyone else. I was true to Jack until the day we wed."
He snarled, "You might as well have been one, Meriem, for what you did in front of me and countless others every night you danced on that stage. Whore."
Jack and Jeanne's stomachs turned at the accusation. She struggled, but Hugh held her tighter to make her more uncomfortable. Jack held his ground. The wild look in Farnsworth's eyes told all of them he had gone crazy with lust and desire for her. He was very dangerous right now, and anything could set him off to kill her.
Jeanne was sobbing, "If you were angry I turned you down, you could have just been done with me and told Count Clayton I was here. You didn't have to kill me or have me sold. You could have been the one to save me from the kidnappers. You'd have been the hero. Count Clayton would have rewarded you handsomely. There were company orders worldwide to look for me. I could have been spared all that extra pain."
Hugh got a terribly wicked look on his face, "I didn't tell anyone, Meriem, because I didn't want to."
Jeanne demanded, "Why?"
"Because I wanted you all to myself. If I couldn't have you, I didn't want anyone else who loved you to have you. Not your father, not Jack, not anyone. That's why I wanted rid of you. Dead or sold."
Jack nearly blew up in anger but his father stayed him. All of them were helpless in this situation.
The young couple exchanged painful hurting glances.
Mrs. Whiggins heard most of her boss' tirade through a crack in the door. She saw Farnsworth holding the Lady Jeanne in a death grip with a gun to her head. She quietly called the Bobbies.
Farnsworth's eyes were wilder still as he threatened, "So justice will be done, Meriem. My justice! It all catches up to you, Meriem. You should have never come back to Dar es Salaam. You should have just let me have your body and let me strangle you in bed. It would be a lot less pain and mess. For both of us."
She cried harder. She remembered the horror of being strangled, and the new revelation that he had intended to kill her right after their 2 million Pound session that night. She was going to be dead no matter what she did that night.
She was hysterical hearing his insidious plans for her that fortunately didn't happen. The nightmare returned that she was helpless in his arms again. They were supposed to be setting Farnsworth up for his dismissal or arrest. Now she feared for her life and all the men she loved were helpless at Farnsworth's hands.
Tarzan was as angry as Jack with Farnsworth's taunting, but saw no opportunity to attack that didn't cause Jeanne to die. They had to keep him talking. He'd make a mistake sometime.
Farnsworth bragged, "I thought the end of you was all figured out, Meriem. How did you get here? How did you escape Karl-Heinz and Gunter and Siegfried's plans? How did you escape the desert nomad?"
Jeanne sneered, "Jack saved me. He was the desert nomad in disguise. He came to the show that night and he saw you at Siegfried's house before he bought me at the slave market. He recognized you as working for his father. That's why we came back. We had to stop your crimes against my father-in-law Count Clayton."
"And against Jeanne," Jack added angrily.
Farnsworth was shocked, then even more incensed that the Viscount was an eye witness to his attempt at an evening with an attempted murder of Jeanne, and realized this situation was far worse than he thought, and that he needed to kill all of them, "Damn you to hell, Viscount."
Jack gave him a thin smile, "My pleasure, Mr. Farnsworth. At least you'll be in line before me."
Farnsworth looked less smug and more panicked. Something could happen really terrible soon.
The police came in fairly quietly, but didn't realize the delicate nature of the standoff. Mrs. Whiggins motioned to the conference room silently but they rushed ahead not asking what was happening. Unexpectedly the policeman yelled, "Police! Surrender!"
Farnsworth startled and instinctively turned his head toward the voice of the Bobbie.
That's all the time Jack needed.
Jack fired three bolts at Farnsworth from the crossbow, one went toward the gun and sliced his trigger finger off at the base of the knuckle so he couldn't fire, and then passed through his chest piercing a lung, the second pinned his other wrist to his chest so he couldn't twist and snap her neck, and the third ripped through his groin. Farnsworth screamed, doubled over and dropped to the floor instantly, and the gun fell from his injured hand. Jeanne collapsed unharmed next to her assailant. Jack jumped hard on Farnsworth's chest, breaking several ribs, with his knife drawn and ready to plunge the huge blade all the way through his throat and spine and out the other side. The police rushed through the door, and were not sure who the assailant was and who the defender was. The young woman on the floor was clearly the victim. There were bruises on her neck.
Tarzan yelled and pointed at his son to draw the policeman's attention to the real criminal, "He's down, Jack. You got him! Stop!"
"No one moves!" was the only order the police officer could make until this was all sorted out.
The Bobbies now had some idea now who the bad guys and good guys were in this crime. The attacker looked like a pin cushion full of bolts. Armand and Tarzan were both astonished at Jack's speed and the precision of his attack. Jeanne didn't even have a scratch. Tarzan instantly knew his son was a better archer than his mother ever was. Armand would have never attempted a shot like that, much less three shots, with Jeanne in such close proximity to Farnsworth. No one Armand had ever seen in his life moved that fast, except, he realized, Jack's father Tarzan as a younger man in Kamina against a dozen enemy soldiers. Jack was no longer a 9 year old child. Armand could now fully understand how Jack took down Jeanne's gun-toting kidnappers armed only with his crossbow, even with the leopards and gorillas helping. Korak the Killer was every bit as fearsome as his father when he displayed his jungle nature.
Jack seethed with revenge at the man who nearly defiled his wife more than two years before and his second attempt at killing her in as many years, and he was ready to execute him like the kidnappers, not thinking of the effect on his life. Farnsworth was writhing in pain, but was pinned to the ground by Jack sitting directly on his chest, barely able to draw a breath. There was a lot of blood on the floor from Farnsworth's missing genitalia, and he coughed blood from his punctured lung.
Jeanne reached from where she'd fallen, ignored the police order, rubbed her bruised, raw neck, and put her hand on Jack's shoulder who was right next to her on top of Farnsworth. His vengeful look truly frightened her. She could see the full animal instinct awakened in him, and he resembled Akut's vicious looks far too much. She had to stop another potential tragedy.
With a gentle touch, Jeanne closed her eyes and established the connection with Jack instantly, sending a wave of calm to him while she said aloud in Mangani, "Korak… Korak, my dearest love. That's enough. Farnsworth's finished. You saved me again. Three times now, sweetheart. Please stop. The police are here. They'll take over. He'll get his due. Let English justice have its way. Korak doesn't need to be the killer for jungle justice today."
Jack understood her and felt her emotions through his predator's fury, relaxed, and pulled his knife back a bit from her assailant's throat.
Tarzan and Armand were amazed at Jeanne's calmness in the face of such violence, the immediate soothing effect she had on Jack. He withdrew his knife completely, and got up carefully making sure the police knew he was surrendering.
The police moved to cuff Farnsworth and started to disarm and cuff Jack, but Jeanne, who was clearly the victim, insisted, "No, officer, this man is my husband Jack and he just saved my life from this man. Don't arrest or disarm him, please, sir."
"All right, Ma'am. He's your responsibility," the Bobbie responded.
Jack carefully sheathed his huge blade, secured his crossbow, and stood in a non-threatening way.
With a weak smile, Jack shook his head, and stated in Mangani, "I hate that saving you is getting to be a regular habit."
He put his arm around Jeanne and they supported each other. Armand and Tarzan hugged both of them. The young couple watched the cops tend to her assailant, still in tremendous pain. They glared at the Farnsworth. He wouldn't meet their angry stares.
Tarzan walked over to Farnsworth, still with the crossbow bolts in him, a Bobbie tending to his wounds, ready to be hauled off to the hospital under heavy guard, and then to jail. With an angry look, he said, "You're fired, Hugh."
With that simple statement, Tarzan owed Farnsworth nothing and could get no help from Clayton Enterprises medically or legally in his defense or any retirement money.
All Farnsworth could do was groan.
Mrs. Whiggins fainted now that the standoff ended, and Tarzan tended to her. One officer who had medical training helped too. The head officer instructed the Clayton's and Armand to come to the station for some statements and to answer questions later that day after they were all calm. The Bobbies departed with Farnsworth.
Tarzan instructed, "Mrs. Whiggins, please call whoever is at his home and if she's a prostitute, pay her, and tell her to go home and never come back. We'll pay her fees. And you get a big bonus for all your help. And we'll pay any legal fees if you get dragged into this."
She obeyed his order and added, "Yes sir. I will. She's not a prostitute, sir. She's the star stripper of all the burlesque halls. And sir, I probably will. He forced me to alter the books."
All of them shuddered at that revelation. They may have saved another young woman from a horrible death. Farnsworth had a pattern.
"And thank you sir, my husband and I have a baby coming soon and the extra money is always good," Mrs. Whiggins blushed. They continued to talk.
Across the room Jack and Jeanne still stood holding each other, and she asked uncertainly, with an exhausted sigh, "Is is over, Jack?"
"Yes, dear, Farnsworth is going to jail and his punishment."
She smiled, "Good... Thank you, sweetheart... for being so brave for me. Again."
"Well, thank you for making me not do something stupid, and for being so strong through all this," Jack observed, amazed at her ability to handle another attack by Farnsworth.
"If you say so, but I'm sorry, Jack. I... I can't be strong any more right now..."
Having said that, Jeanne's hazel eyes rolled backward and her knees went limp.
"Jeanne!" he shouted and caught her on the way down. Everyone rushed to aid her.