Chapter six
Hudson Farm
At eight o'clock the following morning I got out of bed dressed in my work clothes ( My parents think Im at work, my boss thinks Im ill, I know Im sneaking into a top secret meeting) and headed down stairs for breakfast, where I found both of my parents and Joey sat round the table ( Two years older than me Joey had lost both of his parents by the time he was 16, his dad, my dads brother, ran away when providing for his wife and kid became too hard, his mother died a short while after working round the clock shifts to care for her son, now at 19 Joey lived with us helping my dad out on the farm and preparing to inherit the job when it becomes too much for my dad, because of all this Joey was more like a brother to me than a cousin.) I took an apple from the fruit bowl and washed it in the sink, all three sat around the table wore grim expressions, and I could tell they had stopped talking when I walked in; I wasn't going to get any information out of this lot.
I smiled at them all and headed out of the room with my apple, stood at the bottom of the stairs and made stomping noises like I was heading up stairs, then snuck back beside the door and waited for them to carry on with the conversation.
"It's the third one this week." said Joey.
"I know Joey." said my Dad sighing, he had said it in such a way I knew that if I could see him he'd be rubbing his brow in frustration.
"But who do you suppose is doing it? Their just cow's, who on earth would want to do something like that." asked my mum.
"Well whoever it is if they don't stop soon they'll put us right out of business they will." Said dad, the others didn't protest they knew he was right.
When I heard the scraping of chairs I jumped a mile, I couldnt let them catch me nosing like this. Jumping up I grabbed for the old peace of rope wrapped around one of the ceiling beams that used to hold up Christmas decorations, using it to pull myself up (All the while thanking the heavens mum and dad hadn't got around to taking it down) I was soon stood on the landing, silently running into my room to get my bag I was half way down the stairs again before they had even goten into the hall.
"Your gunna be late." Warned Joey with a smile, I was always late he knew that.
"Not today." I said heading out the door the same time he and my dad did, shouting back to my mum that I wasn't sure what time I'd be back because I'd promised to work extra shifts for Mr Jordans (Achem lies) I headed up the lane and bit into my apple, what had all that been about? Cow's? What about dad's cow's? Putting it to the back of my mind I remembered the task at hand, better focus on that for now.
We spent the morning preparing for Baxter's meeting, we had decided the best way to get what we wanted was if one of us went undercover as an invitee's, not wanting to sit through a boring meeting the boy's left that job to me. Mark had hacked into Baxter's PA'S computer and found the guest list, the only people who were allowed in or out of the meeting room, and picked the unfortunate person who's identity I'd steal for an hour or so. Ms Victoria Parker, a thirty something year old property developer, with light brown hair (like me) about a size 10 ish(like me) and around five foot five (like me) you can probably see why we chose her.
Putting all the equipment we would need into a bag we headed out the door and set off towards Baxter's office, where we had been just the other night. Back in the ally where I waited for John's signal the other night, the boy's kept an eye out for Ms Parker who was a notorious early bird while I (once again) hopped through the toilets window to change. I dressed in a stylish grey suit, choosing to wear a skirt instead of trousers, it seemed more formal. I tied my hair in a tight bun and did down my makeup to a respectable level, slipped on a pair of black heels and smart black framed glasses. I then sat on the toilet lid and waited.
Twenty minuets later I checked my watch, two twenty five; if she didn't get here soon it'll be too late, so much for Ms early bird. Sighing I clicked my heels together in a bored fashion the sound echoed throughout the toilet and was meet by the sound of Will tapping on the toilet window, he then passed my Ms Parkers ID tag (thank god it didn't have a photo on it) and invertation. In the background I could hear Ms Parker.
"Are you sure this is the right way? Why couldn't I just use the front door? What are you doing with that? I need that." she asked Will.
"Its protercall Ms Parker" He said "for security."
"Oh." she said, I didn't envy the guy's, and getting her to drink the sleeping pills was going to be hard.
The plan was that little Miss prim passed out-from the sleeping pills we had put in the drink Mark was about to offer her-I then slipped in un-noticed and sat in on Baxter's meeting and slipped out un-noticed again at the end. In case of emergency's I would be in radio contact with Mark at all times, Jhon would stand guard by the main door disguised as a bouncer and Will would be in his Dad's car ready to make a speedy escape.
Tuning on my ear peace I walked out of the cubical, noticing my reflection in the mirror I smiled, perfect, I hardly recognised myself, time to get this show on the road.
"Mark, can you hear me?" I whispered into the hidden microphone.
"Yep, all good on your end?" he asked.
"All good" I said "Ok here it goes then."
I exited the toilets and clip clopped my way across the reception, various security guards were scattered about the place, none of them stopped me, thanks to the pass swinging around my neck. I walked with confidence, holding my head up high, the fastest way to give away a disguise is for the wearer not to own the part their playing.
Heading up the stairs once again-this time I didn't look at the photos lining the walls-I looked straight ahead at the big oak door. More guards stood here watching and waiting for trouble but the massive door was wide open in welcome, so I walked through and still no one stopped me. As I walked down the corridor of lasers I shuddered at the thought of the other night, fortunately no green beams of light crisscrossed the room now. At the end of the corridor was the entrance to Baxter's office and at ether side two extremely large bouncer-like men standing guard over the closed door, they did stop me.
"Invertation?" asked one, so I handed him 'mine'.
"Pass?" asked the other, I showed them the one around my neck.
"Ms Victoria Parker." said one ticking the name off the list." you can go through."
I opened the door's and was meet by the not so welcoming open stares of the rest of the group, well good to know this was getting off on the right foot I thought sarcastically.
"You are late Ms...?" Baxter asked. Realising that this was a question I jumped, and said.
"Parker, Victoria Parker. I apologise for my lateness, it sharnt happen again."
"No it sharnt." said Baxter coldly sending shivers down my spine "Now please take your seat Ms Parker we are about to begin." gesturing to the chair in front of me.
I sat down feeling every inch of the naughty school girl I was, not that long ago. Gradually everyone around the table turned their heads away from me and towards Baxter (who was now passing, obviously preparing to speak) I could still feel the intense stare of one set of eyes still watching me, they belonged to the man sat to my left, a small thin man with the features of a ferret and a twitchy nose, I immediately began to panic, did he know? No that was stupid how could he? My disguise would fool my own mother, well...
Ignoring the rude guy sat next to me I too turned to Baxter, I was shaking, I had never been this close to him before (well and not running for my life) he was a very intimidating person, tall and well built with cold unforgiving blue eyes it wasn't hard to see why this man struck fear into the heart of everyone living on the Southside of town.
Baxter turned back to face all of us and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly the doors swung open.
"Sorry im late." said the cool charismatic voice of George Baxter.
The group of guests around the table collectively held their breath; no one interrupted Robert Baxter, ever. George however didn't notice this and simply walked to his seat next to his farther at the head of the table. The look Baxter gave his son was killer, that look would stop even the most passionate rebel in his tracks. But George didn't even flinch; he just grinned and crossed his arms waiting for his dad to speak. Immediately I looked down at my lap and away from Baxter Jr, if anyone was going to recognise me it'd be the guy I spent the past five years at the same school as.
"What I was about to say before we were achem, interrupted" said Baxter with a sharp look at his son, George's facial expression implied that this was news to him." You all know why it is we are here, why it is I have summoned each of you to this meeting, so I won't waste time making pretty speeches I'll get straight to the point. I will show you what I intend to do, what I intend to turn our sleepy town into, because I believe actions speak louder than words, and what I am about to show all of you, Im sure, will break the sound barrier Roberts, role the film.
Stunned by Baxter's speech that was not a speech the others and I watched as a screen was lowered from the ceiling, everyone was on the edge of their seats with anticipation, what was Baxter's big idea? Even my new friend (who seemed to find the side of my face most interesting) was glued to the screen.
This time it was a power point as I'd earlier expected, on the opening page in big bold letters were the words from the disk, sell out.
pictures flashed across the screen, pictures of Locksdale all through it history, a black and white photo of town hall, shoppers dressed in fine Victorian wear walking past its steps, the first Baxter mansion, the old town sign with the old logo, a bow and a staff crossed, and so on.
Realising Baxter was about to speak again I sat back, best get comfortable, I could be here a while.
"What is missing from these photos?" Baxter asked.
The board members around the room all shook their heads, the naive rich people couldnt see what was missing from these photos, or rather wasn't important enough at the time (or now) to make it onto them. I rolled my eye's I knew what was missing but I wasn't about to raise my hand, I wasn't in school anymore.
"No one?" asked Baxter smiling "What's missing is the Southside; none of the pictures are of the Southside of town." following his word we murmurs of recognition and nods of the head.
"Do you know why none of you fine educated people noticed the south side was missing from these photos?" He said but didn't leave time for them to reply "Because no body would."
"No body would have noticed the south side was not in these photo's, no one would notice if the south side was not here at all." he carried on and my blood boiled, what!? What was he on about!? Of course people would notice if the south side was gone, well the people who lived there would! Had anyone looked at me at that moment they would have seen a 'prim' woman in glasses slowly turning the colour of a beetroot grinding her teeth and twisting her skirts, fortunately all eyes were on Baxter.
"I ask you to bare this in mind when I show you what I am about to show you." the others around the table looked eagerly at the screen; needless to say I didn't I was sitting back in my chair trying to calm down.
The slide changed again and was this time replaced with a sketched drawing of a large modern building.
"I present to you The Locksdale mall, a shopping and outlet centre continently located exactly where the Southside 'used' to be. The mall will bring trade and business to the town that the people of the Southside haven't brought since the mines closed. There is only one property left to obtain and we can proceed with the build." Baxter let his word sink in most people around the table were grinning and nodding their heads, some spoke in hurried whisper with big smile's on their faces, I felt like I was going to be sick.
"Now are there any questions before I go into details about the build?" asked Baxter surveying the table like a fox cornering it's pray. Raising her hand a woman spoke.
"Which property is there left to get sir." she asked.
"The Hudson Farm, and a few other minor properties, we can't build without them." Baxter replied and then pointed to another man to speak.
"Yes when will...." but I interrupted.
"What about the people, the family's, where will they go?" I asked, numb, I didn't care I'd just spoken out of turn.
"Since when have you cared about some worthless Have Not's Victoria?" said my rude friend next to me he obviously knew the real Victoria and the way he said the name (stretched out and emasised beyond belief.) implied he knew I wasn't her, but I didn't care I just want my question answered.
"Tell me, what's going to happen to them?" I said as forcefully as I could manage. A few people gasped at how I had addressed Baxter, how dare she. Even George Baxter who had found the whole thing boring enough to close his eyes and attempt to sleep was now watching with earnest.
"They will all be evicted, I own almost all the land in the Southside, I am their landlord and what I say goes. And those who will not move will be moved." He said menacingly eyeing me up and down, trying to place where he knew me from.
"That's not fair" I said forgetting myself "It's as much our town as it is anyone else's, you can't just chuck us out and build a shopping centre on our homes!"
Mark who had been half way through telling me to sit down and remember why I was there, swore at my words.
"He can't do that to us the bloody...."
"Us?" asked Baxter and I knew the jig was up.
"Distraction please." I whispered into my mic and then realised the whole room was looking at me; I smiled sweetly and prepared to make my excuses.
When suddenly.
BOOM!
The massive doors swung open and there stood Victoria Parker, ohhhhhhhhh shi..... I thought.
"Get her! She's an imposter, Im the real Victoria Parker!" she shouted and once again everyone looked at me.
"I knew it!" shouted the guy next to me. Oh how I really wanted to slap him!
"And Im out of here." I said as I heard a small crash. I ducked under the table just in time as the smoke screen; well more like fog screen really Mark still wasn't satisfied with it. Will had just thrown through the window stared to work. I took a small piece of brightly coloured breathing apparatus (Marks design) and held it to my face. Jumping back up I saw everyone in the room coughing and spluttering, knowing they'd all be fine (unfortunately) I headed out the door. Past the security guards at the door who were also coughing I ran down the corridor.
Reaching the stairs I had a sudden stroke of brilliance.
"Fire!" I shouted running down the steps followed by smoke. Sure I was a bad lie to tell, but it wasn't like I was pranking the fire-fighters, I needed a distraction.
Thankfully none of the bouncers had the initiative to call the fire men (at least their time wasn't wasted) they just ran away.
Reaching the reception I paused only to take off my shoes (you really can't run in heels), sprinting to the exit I found my way blocked by one perticuly large bouncer with an ear peace, he knew.
"You're not going anywhere honey." He said preparing to grab me, staring at me knowingly, he knew who I was, well sort of.
Not sure what to do I waited for the bouncer to attack. He didn't have the time; Jhon had come from no where and tackled him to the floor.
"Let's go Robin." He said getting up an abandoning the bouncer, we headed for the getaway vehicle. As we approached the car I was greeted by Marks scolding.
"You just couldnt keep your opinions to yourself could you? For five minuets."
"Nope" I said hoping in the car "Let's go will."
"I don't blame you Robin" said John "Id have said something too."
"Yeah" said Will pulling out of the busy street "Mark told us what he said, what an ass."
We slowed down now we were a good distance away from the offices.
"Well at least we know what's going on now." said Will.
"Yeah, John you'll have to add that to our list too." Mark joked typing away on his wireless laptop.
"Next problem" said Will "how do we get the money for Pontifact roads rent?"
"Not a problem." I said taking out the four walet I'd stolen in there, belonging to the four unfortunate people sitting closest to me.
The others laughed and we headed home.