CHAPTER 2

A solemn grey news van sat opposite the end of the 300m long driveway that connected the main road to the large Braddock Victorian manor house. Robert thought it was less suspicious than the alternative, a florist's van. Anyway, he certainly wasn't going to sit in a bright van for a fake flower shop called "Bloomin' Lovely".

"Come on kid, you'd better beat feet cause they'll be back soon" said a worried Robert over the in-ear communication system.

The kid was doing an impressive job – he'd managed to place audio bugs and some small spy cameras around the manor while avoiding the maid who had apparently pottered around with her oversized feather duster. Thomas was a fast learner but he needed to hurry up because the agents tailing the Braddocks had reported that the family were nearing home, after their journey via Jamie's London flat. The "driveway" to the manor was bordered by vast fields on either side with no cover for Tommy to hide behind.

"Okay, I'm done and heading back" Tommy soon replied.

"That pad is wicked!"

Tommy climbed into the van just as the Braddocks pulled up to the front door of the manor. Brian's elder brother, Jamie, cautiously helped him towards the house as his father strode ahead.

"Jamie, come join me in my study" James ordered as he disappeared deep into the mansion.

As Brian crossed the threshold into his childhood home, he leant against the wall and shrugged off his brother's support.

"Thanks Jamie but Betsy can help me the rest of the way."

His sister quickly came up behind him to help him to his bedroom. He whispered to her so quietly that the microphones could not pick up what they were saying.

"Thomas! We can't get what they're saying!" groaned Robert.

"Sorry, I was in a rush" Tommy shrugged, he had covered most of the rooms.

"You'd better hope they speak up kid."

Brian and Betsy reached the top of the stairs but then Brian froze. He stared in horror at the doorway to his bedroom. Betsy turned to see what had her brother terrified and immediately let go of his arm, taking up a defensive pose.

Robert, still wondering why they were being so quiet was adjusting the volume, consistently turning it up in an attempt to catch any of what the twins were whispering.

"Who are you?" Brian shouted, leaning against the bannister.

Robert jumped out of his seat, startled by the loud noise. Tommy giggled but Robert had no time to tell him off. He reached for the pulse emitter, to trigger the cameras to take pictures. He wasn't really sure how it worked, it was a Stark design after all. Robert only knew the basics – the cameras were set up to take pictures at regular 15 minute intervals but if they needed to take another picture outwith these times, pressing the button would cause a pulse to be emitted from the van to trigger the cameras to take a picture. They wouldn't be able to see any of the pictures until they gathered the cameras back in though.

The figure the Braddocks saw, wrapped head to toe in a dark cloak, merely raised its head slightly, then reached for its hood as if to pull it back.

"What's going on?" their live-in housemaid enquired worriedly as she peered at them from the bottom of the stairs.

Betsy and Brian turned to look at her, quickly returning their gaze to the now empty doorway.

"It's cool Edwina. I just tripped on the top step and startled Betsy."

She gazed at them warily but turned and wandered back down the stairs.

His father's study had always intimidated Jamie. Maybe it was the number of books on the shelves or the amount of wood, almost every surface was covered in wood. Maybe it was just Jamie's fear that he would turn into his father one day. He'd already taken over the business so his father could focus on his research with Dr Thorn. He pulled worriedly at the ends of his long curly black hair. Another way he had rebelled against his father and his values. He closed the door as he entered, seeing his father standing in front of his desk, with a glass of whisky in his hand.

"I trusted you!" his father screamed.

Man was he scary when he was angry. Jamie knew better than to interrupt his father when he was angry. He knew no-one else would interrupt him either.

"You were meant to look after your brother, not almost kill him. For God's sake, James, you're 31, should you not have grown out of your reckless phase yet? I let your brother stay with you so that you could show him the world of business and so his mature attitude would rub off on you before he goes back to Oxford. I've overlooked your playboy reputation for long enough because you're doing so well with the company but all of this irresponsibility has to stop! Now get out of here and go back to London."

"Dad, please…" Jamie started.

Jamie was never timid or quiet unless he was around his father.

"No. Leave… now!"

Jamie quietly left the study, making straight for the front door.

"No wonder he wasn't deemed worthy" James muttered to himself under his breath.

"So you saw him too Betsy?" Brian looked at her as he lay, propped up by pillows, on the bed.

"I did Brian" she nodded "he's the exact same as in your dreams, isn't he?"

"It's okay, he can't hurt us. We're Braddocks after all" he reassured her as he reached out his arms for a hug.

"Thanks Brian and I'll protect you. If he comes at you, I'll slice him to pieces with my katana" Betsy warned.

For someone of such few words, she was both feisty and brave. Traits passed down from their father. He firmly believed everyone should know how to fight and, as she was his daughter, Betsy was no exception. Their father had hoped that Betsy would become brilliantly skilled with a bow and arrow, a weapon he considered to be more fitting for a girl, but she much preferred a sword. After years of always choosing a sword for her combat training, their father had bought her a beautiful pair of katanas. He said they were much more elegant than swords.

Brian knew Betsy could look after herself but he would die before he let anything happen to her.

The rest of the evening at the Braddock mansion had been a very dull. James, clearly feeling wiped out, had fallen asleep in his study while Betsy had spent the night training with her katanas. Brian had sat and watched an episode of a sci-fi television show, before calling it an early night.

During the night, James read a children's story to Brian as he slept. It was about the Camelot and its saviour, known as Captain Britain. Robert had never heard the story before but he was a bit old for bedtime stories, just as he thought Brian was.

It was now 6am. Tommy had pulled the short straw and was on the early morning shift whilst Robert got some shut eye. Tommy's tie now lay on the floor of the van and his top two buttons had been undone. Through weary eyes, he listened to a chorus of snores as everyone in the house slept soundly. Tommy blinked, his eyes were so heavy that it felt like the longest blink in history. His eyes shot open as he heard soft padding footsteps. Tommy pushed the pulse emitter, better safe than sorry.

"Where has he gone?" he muttered to himself.

The sound of running water could be heard, shortly followed by an unmistakable whistling. The kid was making himself a cup of tea. Very British. As Brian took his first sip of tea, he turned and immediately, the cup slipped out of his hand, striking the floor with a loud crash. Tommy turned to wake Robert with one had while he reached back to the pulse emitter with the other.

"Robert, something's up" he whispered, shaking Robert violently.

He heard Brian's fingernails scrabbling against the kitchen counter. Tommy was curious about what was going on. There were no other sounds that he could hear, nothing apart from Brian. Maybe he was seeing that cloaked figure again. After the covert surveillance was over, they should probably send in a psychological consult.

"What do you want?" Brian gasped.

He began to move his hands as if to stop the mysterious cloaked figure that only he could see. In the van, Tommy changed the photos to be taken every 15 seconds, clearly the kid was talking to someone. Maybe the microphones just weren't picking them up. The figure pointed with his long slender finger, at Brian.

"You, you want me?" Brian cowered.

Brian remembered he was a Braddock and, as his father had taught him, that meant being brave and good. He grabbed a small knife from the stand beside the kettle.

"I don't know who you are and I don't want to hurt you but leave us alone or I won't hesitate to use this" he explained as he pointed the knife at the figure.

"As my brother said, leave us or find out what our father has taught us" Betsy threatened.

Brian looked to his left to see his sister standing in her lilac nightgown, katanas at the ready. They shared a knowing look – they had each other's backs. Brian turned back to look at the cloaked figure in front of him but once again, he had vanished.

"How did you know Betsy?" Brian asked curiously.

"I had a dream. It was him, standing there and pointing at me. Then I woke up and had a feeling I should come down here" she was confused too.

"Well, he's gone for now" Brian sighed.