CHAPTER NINE
Mrs. Peel thought she heard someone calling her name. It sounded like Steed. She awoke suddenly. Her head ached, and when she tried to get up, she discovered that she was bound to a dolly(the kind they use to transport heavy objects). Her vision blurred for a moment, and she shook her head to clear the grogginess.
"So Mrs. Peel, you've finally decided to join us."
Mrs. Peel couldn't help but stare at the man. He was missing a hand.
"Yes, yes, I know. I only have one hand. And do you know who's to blame for this?" demanded the man.
"Peter Pan?"
"Very funny, Mrs. Peel," the man muttered, "No. It was your partner Mr. John Steed."
Mrs. Peel's mind raced. Had Steed ever told her anything about cutting off someone's hand? No. Would he even do such a thing. Well, maybe when he was younger, but she highly doubted it.
"Liar!" Mrs. Peel spat out the words. "Steed is nothing but a gentleman. Now, kindly tell me why your little henchman arranged to meet me."
"He wasn't my little henchman." Mr. Big said this calmly. "In fact, he's dead. I killed him. He was a ploy. A ploy to separate you and Steed."
"I'm afraid I don't understand your reasoning at all."
"It's really quite simple Mrs. Peel. I'm surprised no one has ever thought of this before. You're Steed's weak point. If anything threatens you, Steed will do almost anything." He smiled. "Does that answer your question?"
Mrs. Peel refused to answer. She quelled the rage that was erupting inside of her, and turned her head away from the madman.
"Come, come, Mrs. Peel. It's nothing personal." The man laughed, "I have to go find my employee, Tibett." He walked away, leaving her to wonder what she had gotten Steed into.
Suddenly Mrs. Peel realized something. The fools had left the pin on her dress. She was about to talk into it, when the handless man walked in.
"Whoops. Forgot about that," the man quipped, "Can't have you contacting our friend, can we?"
Mrs. Peel could have spit in his face. But she controlled herself. "Remember, you are from one of the better families in England," she thought to herself.
"Well, I have to be running now. Don't go anywhere. Oh wait, you can't." The man walked away laughing hysterically.
"Just wait," Mrs. Peel thought. "Just wait. I don't need anyone's help to escape from this madman's grip." She started looking around the room for an object to cut through her bonds. Suddenly her eyes fixed on something. She smiled.
CHAPTER TEN
"Yes, Mother, I understand. Of course. Yes. All right. Good-bye." Steed hung up the telephone. He had been talking to Mother, the head of the Ministry. Mother had been no help. What should Steed do now? Look for the person who shot the man or look for Mrs. Peel? He smiled. Mrs. Peel could take care of herself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Mrs. Peel hopped over to the wall. A small jagged screw hung in the wall. She began to screw back and forth, quickly. The rope broke. Quickly she untied the other ropes, and ran over to hide behind the door. They would regret kidnapping her. The handless man walked in. His eyes fixed on the empty dolly. "Where could she be?" He muttered to himself.
"Right here." Mrs. Peel replied. She jumped out from behind the door, and began executing judo moves on the man. First in the stomach, then on the back of the neck, the face. Finally the man, unable to take anymore the man collapsed, motionless onto the floor. Mrs. Peel rushed to the door. The fool had left it unlocked. Congratulating herself on her good luck, she cautiously opened the door. No one was in sight. She quickly ran out, to find the exit.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"You fool!" Tibett shouted, "How could you let her escape!?"
"Now wait a minute," Mr. Big began, "let's not forget who's in charge here."
"And let's not forget who ruined all our plans!" Tibett shouted. He pulled out a revolver. "I'm really very sorry about this, but you did ruin our plans, and I can't have you working on this project anymore."
"Wait, what do you mean? You can't" Mr. Big cut off. Tibett pulled the trigger. Once. Twice. Three times. He cooly wiped his face, and walked away.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Meanwhile, Mrs. Peel was still searching for the exit. She turned a corner, and found a blonde haired man facing an older man, who lay on the floor. The man was dead, and the blonde was holding a revolver. Quickly, Mrs. Peel started to turn back, but not quickly enough. The man turned and saw her.
"Freeze, Mrs. Peel. I'm sorry you had to see this, but he ruined my plans."
"You must be Tibett."
The man bowed, "At your service. You know, Mrs. Peel, you almost escaped. That door behind you leads outside."
"Why are you telling me this?" Mrs. Peel queried.
"Because you'll never escape."
"Oh, won't I?" Mrs. Peel quickly karate chopped the gun from his hand. A few more judo moves; a kick to the stomach, a hit to his neck, and Tibett was down for the count. Quickly, she ran out of the door that Tibett had pointed to, and straight into Steed.
"Steed? What are you doing here?"
"Coming to rescue you, of course."
"Thanks Steed, but you should know by now that I can take care of myself."
"Oh, I already knew that," Steed replied, "but Mother didn't."
"Do you mean that this whole thing was a test?" Mrs. Peel asked incredulously.
"Well, except for the part where Tibett killed two people."
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Peel inquired.
"Tibett was a madman. He killed two of our agents. I'm surprised you're still alive."
"Does that mean you think I can't handle myself." Mrs. Peel said coquettishly, thinking to herself how much fun it was to flirt with Steed.
"Well, I, that is," Steed stammered.
"Come off it Steed, I was just joking. We'd better get back to my apartment, before the champagne," Mrs. Peel trailed off. Steed had brought out the champagne bottle, and two glasses.
"Steed, where in the world"
"Thought you might like some refreshment." Steed smiled at Mrs. Peel, wishing once again that she wasn't married.
Mrs. Peel thought she heard someone calling her name. It sounded like Steed. She awoke suddenly. Her head ached, and when she tried to get up, she discovered that she was bound to a dolly(the kind they use to transport heavy objects). Her vision blurred for a moment, and she shook her head to clear the grogginess.
"So Mrs. Peel, you've finally decided to join us."
Mrs. Peel couldn't help but stare at the man. He was missing a hand.
"Yes, yes, I know. I only have one hand. And do you know who's to blame for this?" demanded the man.
"Peter Pan?"
"Very funny, Mrs. Peel," the man muttered, "No. It was your partner Mr. John Steed."
Mrs. Peel's mind raced. Had Steed ever told her anything about cutting off someone's hand? No. Would he even do such a thing. Well, maybe when he was younger, but she highly doubted it.
"Liar!" Mrs. Peel spat out the words. "Steed is nothing but a gentleman. Now, kindly tell me why your little henchman arranged to meet me."
"He wasn't my little henchman." Mr. Big said this calmly. "In fact, he's dead. I killed him. He was a ploy. A ploy to separate you and Steed."
"I'm afraid I don't understand your reasoning at all."
"It's really quite simple Mrs. Peel. I'm surprised no one has ever thought of this before. You're Steed's weak point. If anything threatens you, Steed will do almost anything." He smiled. "Does that answer your question?"
Mrs. Peel refused to answer. She quelled the rage that was erupting inside of her, and turned her head away from the madman.
"Come, come, Mrs. Peel. It's nothing personal." The man laughed, "I have to go find my employee, Tibett." He walked away, leaving her to wonder what she had gotten Steed into.
Suddenly Mrs. Peel realized something. The fools had left the pin on her dress. She was about to talk into it, when the handless man walked in.
"Whoops. Forgot about that," the man quipped, "Can't have you contacting our friend, can we?"
Mrs. Peel could have spit in his face. But she controlled herself. "Remember, you are from one of the better families in England," she thought to herself.
"Well, I have to be running now. Don't go anywhere. Oh wait, you can't." The man walked away laughing hysterically.
"Just wait," Mrs. Peel thought. "Just wait. I don't need anyone's help to escape from this madman's grip." She started looking around the room for an object to cut through her bonds. Suddenly her eyes fixed on something. She smiled.
CHAPTER TEN
"Yes, Mother, I understand. Of course. Yes. All right. Good-bye." Steed hung up the telephone. He had been talking to Mother, the head of the Ministry. Mother had been no help. What should Steed do now? Look for the person who shot the man or look for Mrs. Peel? He smiled. Mrs. Peel could take care of herself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Mrs. Peel hopped over to the wall. A small jagged screw hung in the wall. She began to screw back and forth, quickly. The rope broke. Quickly she untied the other ropes, and ran over to hide behind the door. They would regret kidnapping her. The handless man walked in. His eyes fixed on the empty dolly. "Where could she be?" He muttered to himself.
"Right here." Mrs. Peel replied. She jumped out from behind the door, and began executing judo moves on the man. First in the stomach, then on the back of the neck, the face. Finally the man, unable to take anymore the man collapsed, motionless onto the floor. Mrs. Peel rushed to the door. The fool had left it unlocked. Congratulating herself on her good luck, she cautiously opened the door. No one was in sight. She quickly ran out, to find the exit.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"You fool!" Tibett shouted, "How could you let her escape!?"
"Now wait a minute," Mr. Big began, "let's not forget who's in charge here."
"And let's not forget who ruined all our plans!" Tibett shouted. He pulled out a revolver. "I'm really very sorry about this, but you did ruin our plans, and I can't have you working on this project anymore."
"Wait, what do you mean? You can't" Mr. Big cut off. Tibett pulled the trigger. Once. Twice. Three times. He cooly wiped his face, and walked away.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Meanwhile, Mrs. Peel was still searching for the exit. She turned a corner, and found a blonde haired man facing an older man, who lay on the floor. The man was dead, and the blonde was holding a revolver. Quickly, Mrs. Peel started to turn back, but not quickly enough. The man turned and saw her.
"Freeze, Mrs. Peel. I'm sorry you had to see this, but he ruined my plans."
"You must be Tibett."
The man bowed, "At your service. You know, Mrs. Peel, you almost escaped. That door behind you leads outside."
"Why are you telling me this?" Mrs. Peel queried.
"Because you'll never escape."
"Oh, won't I?" Mrs. Peel quickly karate chopped the gun from his hand. A few more judo moves; a kick to the stomach, a hit to his neck, and Tibett was down for the count. Quickly, she ran out of the door that Tibett had pointed to, and straight into Steed.
"Steed? What are you doing here?"
"Coming to rescue you, of course."
"Thanks Steed, but you should know by now that I can take care of myself."
"Oh, I already knew that," Steed replied, "but Mother didn't."
"Do you mean that this whole thing was a test?" Mrs. Peel asked incredulously.
"Well, except for the part where Tibett killed two people."
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Peel inquired.
"Tibett was a madman. He killed two of our agents. I'm surprised you're still alive."
"Does that mean you think I can't handle myself." Mrs. Peel said coquettishly, thinking to herself how much fun it was to flirt with Steed.
"Well, I, that is," Steed stammered.
"Come off it Steed, I was just joking. We'd better get back to my apartment, before the champagne," Mrs. Peel trailed off. Steed had brought out the champagne bottle, and two glasses.
"Steed, where in the world"
"Thought you might like some refreshment." Steed smiled at Mrs. Peel, wishing once again that she wasn't married.