CHAPTER ONE
The morning was dark. A light rain was falling, and there was a heavy fog. An older man, of about forty in a black trench coat stood under a street light on a bridge. He was of an average height, with wavy dark brown hair, and light blue eyes. He wouldn't have stood out in a crowd, except for one thing. He was missing a hand. A younger man with light blonde hair, and flashing green eyes who was wearing a trench coat similar to the other man's walked up.
"So, you've finally decided to show up Tibbet," the older man remarked.
"I just got your message. Why did we have to meet so early?"
"Because, someone is in town. Someone who we have wanted to get revenge on for a very long time."
"Are you talking about who I think you're talking about?"
"Yes. Steed is in town. Meet me tomorrow morning outside the Hampton Inn. There's something I want to show you."
CHAPTER TWO
A tall, slim, attractive woman with auburn hair unlocked the door of her apartment and walked in.
"Mrs. Peel, I'm glad you're here. I've been waiting for ages."
Steed was about forty, with wavy brown hair, and dark brown eyes. As usual he was dressed to a t, with a matching three piece suit. The bowler hat that he normally wore, and his brolly were hanging on a tall dark coat rack which was placed near the door.
"Steed, don't you know that it's polite to wait for the owner to get home." Mrs. Peel drawled. "You could have just left me a message on my answering machine."
"No I couldn't. I just got some very old, very expensive champagne, and I thought maybe you would like to share some with me."
Steed brought out a bottle of champagne and two wine glasses.
"I can't. I need to go out of town."
"Oh?" Steed replied. "Where were you thinking of going?"
"I got a call, on my cell phone, about twenty minutes ago, that somebody wanted to meet me at the Hampton Inn, in Lincolnshire."
"Do you know why?" Steed queried.
"I haven't the faintest. But it must be important. They said it was a matter of life and death."
"It could be a trap," Steed said anxiously. " Do you remember that time"
"When I was kidnapped for a movie? Of course I do. But this is different," replied Mrs. Peel coquettishly.
"Why is that?" Steed asked.
"Because," Mrs. Peel replied, "you're going with me."
"Ah."
"Now, let's go. I'm supposed to meet them there at 9 am tomorrow."
CHAPTER THREE
Tibett pulled up in front of the Hampton Inn, got out, and gave his keys to the valet who was waiting. Anxiously he looked around.
"Tibett, you fool! Get over here! Do you want Steed to see you when he pulls up?!"
Tibett quickly walked over to the speaker, who was hidden behind a wall.
"I'm sorry sir, but I didn't know that he was going to be arriving so soon."
"Yes you fool," the man replied, "Steed should be here any minute."
A light blue Lotus Elan pulled up outside the hotel. Steed, and Mrs. Peel got out, gave their keys to the valet, and looked around, expecting something.
"Who is that woman Steed is with?" Tibett asked
"She is the answer to our problem of how to capture Steed." The handless man replied.
"Well, Mrs. Peel. Where is your mysterious person?" Steed asked.
"I don't know. He told me to meet him here at nine o'clock sharp, and it's already five past."
"Maybe he got held up."
"I don't think so. Maybe"
Just then an employee of the hotel walked up.
"Excuse me, are you Mrs. Peel?" Mrs. Peel nodded. "Gentleman told me to give this note to you."
The boy handed the note to Mrs. Peel and walked away.
"Well, what does it say?" Steed inquired
"It says, 'Meet me in the hotel lounge at twelve. Alone. I'll be waiting. You'll know me by the red carnation I will be wearing." Mrs. Peel replied. "Well, of all the"
"Now, now Mrs. Peel. It wouldn't do to keep this gentleman waiting would it?" Steed said mischeviously, a twinkle in his eye.
"Steed, if you think that I am going to stay here a minute longer, just to meet with someone who stood me up then"
"I'd be right. You don't have to worry. I'll be in contact with you the whole time. Just talk into the recording device on your pin." Steed replied
Mrs. Peel looked down. "Recording device? Steed, why in the world."
Steed had disappeared.
"Sorry Mrs. Peel, but I thought something like this might happen." The voice was coming out of the pin.
"Steed, you could have at least let me know what you were up to."
"Sorry. Hush hush. When you meet this stranger, just talk into the pin."
"Roger." Mrs. Peel glumly replied, and went up the steps into the hotel.
"Quickly Tibett, follow me." The one-handed man said. "I'm going to explain to you my brilliant plan."
The two men quickly walked to the side entrance of the hotel and went in.
The morning was dark. A light rain was falling, and there was a heavy fog. An older man, of about forty in a black trench coat stood under a street light on a bridge. He was of an average height, with wavy dark brown hair, and light blue eyes. He wouldn't have stood out in a crowd, except for one thing. He was missing a hand. A younger man with light blonde hair, and flashing green eyes who was wearing a trench coat similar to the other man's walked up.
"So, you've finally decided to show up Tibbet," the older man remarked.
"I just got your message. Why did we have to meet so early?"
"Because, someone is in town. Someone who we have wanted to get revenge on for a very long time."
"Are you talking about who I think you're talking about?"
"Yes. Steed is in town. Meet me tomorrow morning outside the Hampton Inn. There's something I want to show you."
CHAPTER TWO
A tall, slim, attractive woman with auburn hair unlocked the door of her apartment and walked in.
"Mrs. Peel, I'm glad you're here. I've been waiting for ages."
Steed was about forty, with wavy brown hair, and dark brown eyes. As usual he was dressed to a t, with a matching three piece suit. The bowler hat that he normally wore, and his brolly were hanging on a tall dark coat rack which was placed near the door.
"Steed, don't you know that it's polite to wait for the owner to get home." Mrs. Peel drawled. "You could have just left me a message on my answering machine."
"No I couldn't. I just got some very old, very expensive champagne, and I thought maybe you would like to share some with me."
Steed brought out a bottle of champagne and two wine glasses.
"I can't. I need to go out of town."
"Oh?" Steed replied. "Where were you thinking of going?"
"I got a call, on my cell phone, about twenty minutes ago, that somebody wanted to meet me at the Hampton Inn, in Lincolnshire."
"Do you know why?" Steed queried.
"I haven't the faintest. But it must be important. They said it was a matter of life and death."
"It could be a trap," Steed said anxiously. " Do you remember that time"
"When I was kidnapped for a movie? Of course I do. But this is different," replied Mrs. Peel coquettishly.
"Why is that?" Steed asked.
"Because," Mrs. Peel replied, "you're going with me."
"Ah."
"Now, let's go. I'm supposed to meet them there at 9 am tomorrow."
CHAPTER THREE
Tibett pulled up in front of the Hampton Inn, got out, and gave his keys to the valet who was waiting. Anxiously he looked around.
"Tibett, you fool! Get over here! Do you want Steed to see you when he pulls up?!"
Tibett quickly walked over to the speaker, who was hidden behind a wall.
"I'm sorry sir, but I didn't know that he was going to be arriving so soon."
"Yes you fool," the man replied, "Steed should be here any minute."
A light blue Lotus Elan pulled up outside the hotel. Steed, and Mrs. Peel got out, gave their keys to the valet, and looked around, expecting something.
"Who is that woman Steed is with?" Tibett asked
"She is the answer to our problem of how to capture Steed." The handless man replied.
"Well, Mrs. Peel. Where is your mysterious person?" Steed asked.
"I don't know. He told me to meet him here at nine o'clock sharp, and it's already five past."
"Maybe he got held up."
"I don't think so. Maybe"
Just then an employee of the hotel walked up.
"Excuse me, are you Mrs. Peel?" Mrs. Peel nodded. "Gentleman told me to give this note to you."
The boy handed the note to Mrs. Peel and walked away.
"Well, what does it say?" Steed inquired
"It says, 'Meet me in the hotel lounge at twelve. Alone. I'll be waiting. You'll know me by the red carnation I will be wearing." Mrs. Peel replied. "Well, of all the"
"Now, now Mrs. Peel. It wouldn't do to keep this gentleman waiting would it?" Steed said mischeviously, a twinkle in his eye.
"Steed, if you think that I am going to stay here a minute longer, just to meet with someone who stood me up then"
"I'd be right. You don't have to worry. I'll be in contact with you the whole time. Just talk into the recording device on your pin." Steed replied
Mrs. Peel looked down. "Recording device? Steed, why in the world."
Steed had disappeared.
"Sorry Mrs. Peel, but I thought something like this might happen." The voice was coming out of the pin.
"Steed, you could have at least let me know what you were up to."
"Sorry. Hush hush. When you meet this stranger, just talk into the pin."
"Roger." Mrs. Peel glumly replied, and went up the steps into the hotel.
"Quickly Tibett, follow me." The one-handed man said. "I'm going to explain to you my brilliant plan."
The two men quickly walked to the side entrance of the hotel and went in.