58
Penny was on board one of the finest luxury yachts she had ever had the pleasure of sailing on. The boat had a sleek modern design making it look more compact then it was. Chrome railings ran around the length of the pine boarded deck. The plush cream leather seats covered the stern of the yacht on the bottom deck forming a semi-circle. Below deck was the kitchens and cabin crews' rooms. The middle deck had five exclusive cabins and a dining/ come small entertainment area, including a separate home cinema style complex and games room. The Top deck had a hot tub and sun-lounging deck. Shame she was on business else she could have found it to be a very relaxing affair… well with better company. Jeff had called her forty-eight hours ago to explain that he had some prototype schematics of Brain's designs for secondary IR vehicles stolen. He had good intel that they had been taken by a lacky working for the oil tycoon Ron West.
Thankfully Ron West was known for partying harder than he worked for his money - quite the reputation. It hadn't been hard for Penny to influence her way into his social circle. Once Ron had heard that the socialite and supermodel of Chic magazine fame was interested in him, he had jumped on the chance to invite her to his next yacht weekend away in the Maldives. Ron West was a powerful man sitting within the top ten wealthiest men in the world. He was in his late thirties, dark raven hair with the classic cleft chin and cheekbones you could cut yourself on. His piercing light blue eyes were enough to charm most ladies along with his well defined abs which were currently on full display.
After spending the better part of the morning sunning herself on the deck in a large sun hat, glasses and kimono (Whilst Mr West regaled her with his party antics), she was finally able to make her excuses in the late afternoon citing she needed to get ready for dinner. Mr West eyed her appreciatively imagining how she might look afterwards. He retired to the front of the deck with a few of his other guests.
She headed back to her room knowing that she only had a very small window of opportunity to complete her task. She locked the door to the cabin before quickly grabbing the items that she needed. She was already dressed for the part in her two-piece bathing suit. If she had to make a quick getaway, she would swim for it and meet up with the boat and sailor she had hired who was waiting on her command. She simply attached her utility belt with the tools she needed and tied her hair into a secure bun which was more suitable then the current wavy loose locks she was sporting. She tucked two large hair pins in the back, holding on to one in her mouth as she secured the other. She finally pushed a small gun into a thigh holster that was concealed by the calf length pink floral kimono. She stuffed an ear-piece into her left ear. She had placed bugs throughout the yacht the night before when sussing the layout. Her intel had already narrowed down the location of the schematics to one of two locations. Ensconced in Mr West's personal suite either in the front room or the bedroom. On the chatter she picked up the other night it seemed that Ron wanted the plans because he was convinced Jeff Tracy's new machines would be the death of his oil refinery company, if Jeff could run these magnificent machines with fusion reactors then oil wouldn't be needed. Ron intended to steal the plans and patent them under his name so that he would have sole rights to the technology and its usage so that it wouldn't enter the common market. Then people would continue to have to use oil with limited alternatives.
What Ron didn't know was that he held the secrets to the newly formed not yet operational international rescue, it could jeopardise the whole venture before it had even begun. Penny had promised to retrieve them for Jeff.
She slipped out into the dimly lit corridor with its plush crimson carpets under her bare feet. Thankfully it was clear. Flicking between the channels on her comm she could hear that West was still boasting to his friends that he thought Lady Penelope was keen on him and of his intentions for later that evening. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. One did not talk about a Lady in that manner if one wanted to court a Lady. She tried to dampen down the image of giving him a right royal kick in the –
She flattened herself in an alcove as one of the staff passed. Sliver champagne bucket and ice in hand. Well that was close. She continued on to the cabin at the bow of the yacht. She had checked for cameras last night of which there were none, so she was quite confident no one would see her breaking and entering. She already knew Ron kept his rooms locked. Penny put on her tan leather gloves, she bent down as she gracefully pulled a hair pin out from the top of her head. She made light work of the lock. She stood and carefully checked the room before heading in and shutting the door lightly.
Penny looked around taking a few minutes to get her bearings. Mind made up she saw a desk overlooking the blue ocean view. She quickly went around the room and drew all the blinds before stalking over to the desk. She rifled through a few papers under the lamp before quickly searching the oak drawers but coming up empty. She carefully slotted them back into place and looked around again. Her eyes settled on a portrait of the man himself square in the middle above the king size bed. "Hmm I wonder." She jumped up on the bed, thankfully it wasn't made so it wouldn't look trampled. She worked her nails under the rim of the frame hoping they wouldn't chip as she prized the picture upwards. Her efforts were rewarded as it swung off the wall revealing a safe. Just as she was getting to know the make and model, she heard the door in the front room click open. It was the faintest of sounds but her training had taught her to notice these things. She quickly and nimbly leapt off the bed and into the walk-in wardrobe concealing herself behind some suits after pulling the door to.
She watched as a man walked into the room. He looked around through both rooms just as she had, stealthy checking the coast was clear. His gaze fell on the wardrobe for a moment before dismissing it from his attention. Penny breathed a short sigh of relief. He was a senior man with mostly dark grey hair which was slicked back. He wore the white and black uniform of the waiting cabin crew. He had a large aquiline nose and big hooded eyes that were dark hazel blue in colour. Penelope was intrigued what was this gentleman's game? She continued to watch with interest from her hiding place.
Unlike her he glanced at his watch and made straight for the bed, kicking off his shoes before stepping up onto it. He lifted the picture open with ease before looking at the safe intently. Penny now noticed he had a black holdall on the bed with him which he was crouched over. He rummaged around for a few moments, his crouched position obscuring her view. She moved slightly out of her secluded spot and closer to the crack in the door so she could see what he was up to. She watched in confusion as he pulled out an old stethoscope with a flourish along with a wrench, a brick and a plank of wood about a quarter of a metre in length. Just what on earth was he going to do with that?
She watched on in disbelief at first then awe as she realised, he was cracking the safe using the stethoscope to listen to the turning and clicking of the combinations he tried. He paused several times as he got a feel for the lock and began to quickly twist and turn the dial. Strange it was an old styled safe for such a modern boat maybe that's why this man was using safecracking tactics that belonged in a museum. She ran a hand over the device attached to her hip that would have automatically cracked the lock for her. This model of safe would have taken approximately thirty minutes but it looked as though his man was nearly done and it had only been ten minutes! Sure enough there was a loud clink as the man swung the door of the safe towards him opening the handle with a clunk. He quickly used the wood to exchange it for a medium black box. He lifted it to his face eagerly before he cracked it open. Penny had seen enough.
She made sure the sound of the safety release clicking off was clear. "Don't turn around and don't move unless I say so." The voice modulator she depressed around her neck distorted her voice making it deeper.
The man stayed poised.
"Put down the item." He bent down and sighed as he popped it on the bed. What a ridiculous position to be caught in! he had been so close too! He tentatively turned his head to the side. "I said don't move or I shoot!" the voice was much closer now, cold and direct. The tone brokered for no bargaining so he remained quiet to see if they would reveal their next move whilst he tried to scrape together a plan.
"It's a sentry 110 if I'm not mistaken?" Penelope asked.
"That's correct err?"
"You may refer to me as Missy. What else can you tell me about this safe?"
"It's a sixty-year-old model with a dial combination lock which are ah, quite uncommon these days. Personally, they are the best you can ave as there's not many people left who know ow to crack em." She could hear the pride radiating through his heavily hyper-corrected cockney accent. She was surprised to find another brit amongst the Americans here.
"Well you seemed to make light work of it, what else?"
"It's a waterproof and fireproof and has a tricksy little alarm system that will trigger if the weight of the safe is disturbed prior to be dis-abled with the key."
"Ah! hence the wood."
"I see, you ave been watching for some time Missy."
"Talking of time, we're wasting too much. Can you see some papers in that safe in a cardboard roll?"
"Yes Miss"
"Be a dear and lift those out, would you?"
"Do you know how much they weigh? I 'll need something to counterbalance the removal, this thing will notice even paper being disturbed."
Penelope stepped forward and held out a chain over the man's shoulder at eye level. He gasped in surprise. "Wherever did you get that!" he marvelled at the key hanging on the chain.
"I have my methods. Now the papers if you will please."
"Yes, Missy."
"I don't think I caught your name." She added conversationally whilst she waited for him to retrieve the papers. She checked her comms; West was still on the deck but they needed this wrap this up shortly. The man handed the papers into her outstretched palm.
"Nosey"
"Nosey….. No; not the infamous Aloysius 'Nosey' Parker?"
Now it was his turn to be surprised. No one knew him as Nosey, not outside the criminal underworld anyway. The media knew him as the cat burglar, he had only been identified so far for his safe-cracking deeds and not his other… talents.
"The very same Miss, you seem very well informed if I may say so."
She knew all about him; Interpol, MI5 had been after him for a long time until he'd got himself incarcerated a decade ago at Parkmoor scrubs prison. He was said to be reformed now, yet here he was. She wondered if she might exploit his talents to her advantage. She knew before she left the bureau that Parker had settled into a respectable role waitering tables in Frankie's in London for a couple of years. Naturally they had been keeping tabs on him but it seemed his good behaviour had slipped since then.
She unravelled the papers quickly, satisfied with what she saw she handed back the cannister to Parker and folded the papers to fit in the water proof pouch concealed in the inside of her kimono. "I'd say its time to make ourselves scarce wouldn't you Parker?" She dropped the voice modulator. Parker was astounded to hear a voice that very much sounded like the young aristocrat he'd heard on board earlier. The one that was staying with Mr West.
"Yes M'lady"
She smiled at his back. "You may turn around."
He turned to see the lady stood poised with a small revolver pointed to his head. He gulped. "Here's what we're going to do. If you want adventure and an honest way to utilise your talents then help me get out of here and I will offer you a proposal that will involve stable employment, accommodation and additional perks."
"Sounds fair M'lady"
"Good let's get go."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
"Oh, oh! I say it it hurts terribly. Oh, Ron I'm so sorry I do feel rather silly!" Penelope sat on a sliver velvet couch nursing her ankle. Parker had found M'lady at the bottom of the stairs where she had fallen in her pink stilettos that she had popped on for dinner along with her dusty pink ball gown. Parker had applied a bandage and was just applying some ice to her ankle.
"Its ok Penelope these things happen, let me take you to the mainland and we'll get you checked over."
"Oh, Ron I couldn't trouble you in such a manner not when you have already been away from your guests for so long. You had such a wonderful evening planned, please don't spoil it on my behalf, Parker here will take me to the mainland, won't you?"
Ron didn't even glance at Parker, he rarely acknowledged any of his staff. Well if your sure? You can take the speedboat. She tried to stand with Parker's help before whimpering. "Here! let me." Ron swept Parker aside as he lifted Penny like she weighed nothing and made his way to the back of the boat. The small speedboat was already lowered ready to go. Parker hastily retreated to Penelope's room and grabbed her already packed bag that she had stowed earlier before returning some minutes later to find Penelope ensconced in a blanket with her feet up resting on the back cushioned bench of the boat.
Penny allowed a polite peck on the cheek from Ron before he disembarked to allow Parker to climb down. "Until next time Lady Penelope, please call me to let me know you made to the hospital safely. I'll try and visit you at the hotel tomorrow if I can."
"I will, thank you for your hospitality, it really was a lovely little trip and I enjoyed myself immensely even if it ended in mishap."
He smiled. "Take it easy and I'll see you soon."
She waved apologetically as Ron waved until he was a spec in the distance. "Where to now M'lady?"
"Head to the port of Colombo Parker. I already have a contact who will meet us there and take us to Bandaranaike International Airport. I trust you have a passport?"
"I ave an identity that would be suitable, yes Milady."
"Good; well Parker, back to that proposition earlier. I think I am right in saying that your family have served several noble families faithfully throughout the generations, including yourself till you were made redundant?" She was now stood beside him at the wheel, she tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Yes M' Lady. I served the Chynoweth's until they looked to reduce their household staff during the last recession, they had fallen on ard times when young Sir Chynoweth tragically died in a car accident. Unfortunately, I was not able to secure a job and ended up homeless. That's when I turned to ah less favourable ways to make a living. Just to make ends meet you understand."
"Indeed. Well Parker do you think you could abide by the straight and narrow if I was to promise you the security of a full-time live-in job? You see I am much more than a socialite; I can't delve into the details until you prove your trustworthy to me but I promise you it won't be dull and I will certainly make use of all your skills but in a more legitimate manner shall we say."
He was intrigued now, something told him there was more to M' lady than meets the eye. It had been a long time since he hadn't had to live hand to mouth and it was becoming tiring in his old age. Maybe this would be a good way to secure his later retirement, somewhere with a steady income and a chance to regain a good reputation. He could return to England too, he missed watching the cricket in the pub with the lads and the good old British climate, it was far too hot out here.
"Thank you, M,' lady I should like to take you up on your kind hoffer. I promise I won't let you down."
Penny was pleased, she had a good feeling about Parker. She drew the thick blue blanket closer around her and sat in the passenger seat. A very good feeling indeed, little did she know it would be the start of a long and faithful companionship.