Two days later...
Wednesday, March 15th
East Mayfield
Edinburgh, Scotland
Keira was running around trying to get the two girls ready for school – not an easy task on a good day!
Therefore, the doorbell chiming was not all that welcome. When Keira opened the door, she found the visitor to be far from welcome. It was the DCI with two of his uniformed buddies.
"Keira Sharp, I am arresting you under Section 1 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016 for two counts of murder and one of attempted murder. The reason for your arrest is that I suspect you have committed an offence and I believe that keeping you in custody is necessary and proportionate for the purposes of bringing you before a court or otherwise dealing with you in accordance with the law. Do you understand?"
Keira was stunned into silence as the two uniformed officers stepped inside her house and she felt a hand on her left arm before her wrists were secured with a pair of rigid handcuffs in front of her body.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Harper exclaimed. "That's my sister!"
"Do not interfere, young lady," one of the uniformed officers directed.
"What is happening, here?" an irate voice demanded from outside.
Trevor Lai strode inside, pushing past the DCI. The man's concern at finding police at his friend's home was further compounded by the sight of his friend in handcuffs.
"And you are?" the DCI asked.
"A friend. And you?"
"Detective Chief Inspector Moresby, Specialist Crime Division. Miss Sharp is in a lot of trouble and she is under arrest."
"On what charge?" Trevor persisted.
"That is none of your concern, sir," the DCI growled as he waved the two uniformed officers out of the house. "I hope you will stay to keep an eye on the two young ladies."
A stunned and confused Keira was marched out of the house by the two uniformed officers, right past a shocked Jeremy and Ewan.
Police Scotland
Headquarters
Edinburgh
The custody sergeant looked over his counter at the woman standing in handcuffs before him.
He felt quite safe as he stood behind thick Perspex shields and his trusty computer screen. Many a suspected criminal had tried to attack him, but very few had manged to come within six inches of his body. He had seen many people standing before him – men, women, and even some children – but the woman standing before him that morning did not display the usual aggressive expression which he often saw on suspects, instead, he saw annoyance and slight bewilderment.
"Full name, including any middle names."
"Keira Rebecca Sharp."
"I take it you identify as female?"
A nasty glare was his only response.
"Female. Nationality."
"British."
"Date of birth."
"September twenty-first ninety-one."
"Occupation – if any."
"Royal Navy Officer."
"Are you now? Place of birth."
"Oxford, England."
"Your current address."
"Twenty-six East Mayfield."
"Edinburgh?"
"Yes."
"Postcode."
"EH9 1SD."
"Thank you. Do you have about your person anything which could be perceived as being dangerous to yourself or to my officers?"
"No."
"Will you allow this female constable to check your pockets?"
Keira looked over at a female mid-forties uniformed police constable.
"Yes."
Keira was not happy – her initial shock at being arrested had shifted to anger and severe annoyance. Keira felt a strange hand push itself into her trouser pockets, before emerging with her wallet and keys, plus her mobile phone, and a few other sundry items, all of which were dumped on the countertop. The custody sergeant went through each item, cataloguing the item on his computer system.
"One wallet – Velcro closure, blue. One set of keys – six keys. One Samsung mobile phone. Inside wallet – five . . . ten . . . twenty – thirty pounds and . . . twenty . . . seventy – eighty-three pence in notes and coins. Three photos – nice looking girls. A . . . condom in wrapper. Barclays Visa debit card . . . Barclaycard credit card . . . Capital One credit card . . . Tesco Clubcard . . . Royal Navy identity card . . . Driving licence . . . Hello – what do we have here? One Security Service ID – wonders will never cease. Other items include one sanitary towel, a packet of paper hankies, and a ballpoint pen."
Keira had glared at the sergeant during his detailed accounting of her possessions which were all swept into a small plastic tub. A printer hummed and then the custody sergeant produced a single sheet of A4 paper detailing all the items which had been '...removed from her person...'.
"Sign there," the custody sergeant directed as he pointed at the black line at the bottom of the page. "And there to indicate that you understand the charges against you."
Keira scowled as she held up her handcuffed wrists and the custody sergeant chuckled while one of the uniformed constables – both of whom had stood in silence on either side of her during the questioning – removed the handcuffs. Keira then took the offered pen and she signed the paper record of her possessions and another section which said that she consented to police custody and everything that went with it.
"Do you wish us to call a solicitor for you?"
"Save the money," Keira growled.
"Suit yourself."
The two mail officers who had arrested her left and she was taken by the female uniformed officer in the direction of a long corridor, at the end of which were a dozen cell doors, all made from significant amounts of steel. Keira could not help feeling apprehensive with a little fear thrown in – she had never been in such a situation in her life.
The female constable took her into a small room where Keira had to suffer the indignities of a pat down search in front of another female officer. She then had her fingerprints taken digitally and a photo taken of her standing against a wall with height markings. Then came an oral swab around the inside of her mouth. The entire experience was utterly degrading, and Keira was beginning to feel despondent but then it occurred to her that the DCI was fishing – she had not murdered her parents, so whatever evidence or thoughts he had were very, very wrong. Then came further humiliation as she was taken down the corridor to cell number six and asked to remove her shoes which she did, leaving them beside the door, just like three other pairs of shoes which were neatly arranged outside three other cell doors.
"Inside."
Keira stepped through the open cell door and she looked around the bare concrete cell with a bare concrete bunk set into the far wall furnished with a thin plastic-covered mattress. A steel toilet/sink combination was installed just to the right of the door which was closed behind her.
Keira jumped as the lock was turned, metal against metal, and she found herself left very much alone.
..._...
It felt like an age before she was jolted from a fitful doze by the sound of the steel cell door being unlocked and pulled open.
"Keira Sharp, please come with me – you can put your shoes back on," the same female uniformed police constable said from the doorway.
Keira hated it. Being locked up was a horrible feeling, made all the worse by the fact that she was mostly innocent. Mostly? She had had no part in the murder of her parents, but she knew who had murdered her parents – as well as how. Keira felt humiliated as she pulled on her shoes and was then led back down the corridor and out past the custody desk and through a set of double doors which were electronically secured. Keira was waved into the second door on the left where she saw a stout wooden table secured to the floor and four cheap wooden chairs, two per side. The room screamed one thing – interrogation.
"Sit down in that chair," Keira was directed, and she sat down on the chair closest to the wall. "Behave or I will handcuff you."
Keira nodded as the police constable stood over by the wall, next to the door which remained open. There was not long to wait as two men stepped inside the room. One Keira recognised as DCI Moresby while the other was unknown.
"Hello, Miss Sharp," the DCI smiled as he took a seat diagonally opposite her. "Good to see you again. I hope you've enjoyed your stay with us so far."
"It's been amazing," Keira responded, her voice dripping sarcasm. "Who's your buddy boy?"
"This is Detective Sergeant Hannover and he will be joining us for this interview. We also have the duty solicitor for you since you declined one of your own..."
A third man appeared at the door. He appeared flustered and out of breath. However, before the man could step into the room, a loud, upper crust voice cut through the air.
"Get out of the way, imbecile!"
The man who strode confidently into the interview room, past the unfortunate duty solicitor, and took a seat beside Keira without asking permission was dressed in a smart navy-blue suit which appeared to be tailormade. The man, who stood a little over six feet in height, placed his leather case down on the floor beside him before he withdrew a set of rimless narrow-lensed bifocal spectacles from the breast pocket of his double-breasted jacket and he placed them on his nose. Only then did he peer down at the DCI and speak.
"I am Humphrey Mayhew QC and I will be providing counsel for Miss Sharp. Now, what are these piteous charges with which you are wasting our time, Detective Chief Inspector?"
The DCI was not amused. As the female police officer closed the door to the interview room, the DCI glared at the well-dressed man. He was very aware of whom the man was and what the man was capable of when provided with a seemingly hopeless case. Interestingly, the DCI was also very much aware of the man's hourly rate, two hours of which were not far off an average person's monthly wage – not to mention the perfectly-tailored suit which would have cost a few thousand pounds on Savile Row in London.
"Well, I am waiting," Mayhew warned the DCI in a polite voice betraying no impatience.
The DCI opened a cardboard folder which he had brought in with him and laid on the table.
..._...
The Detective Sergeant spoke first.
"Everything in this room, from this moment onward, is being recorded on digital video for the benefit of providing evidence in court. You are hereby cautioned that anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Keira responded after a brief glance at Mayhew who nodded slightly.
"You are Miss Keira Sharp currently residing at Twenty-six East Mayfield, Edinburgh?" Hannover asked.
"I am."
At that point the DCI took over.
"Who is Ian Sharp?"
"My father."
"Who is Kimberley Sharp?"
"My mother."
"Where are they now?"
"They are dead."
"How did they die?"
"I don't know."
The DCI detected a lie, but not the lie he was expecting, he considered. The man was an expert at reading people and detecting liars. Only, he was receiving mixed messages from the woman seated diagonally across from him. Then a thought crossed his mind. He fished around in the folder and identified what he was looking for. He placed a single item down on the table where everyone could see it. Keira recognised it instantly – it was her Royal Navy identity card which bore her photo on the right, her service number in the centre, and her details on the left – rank, date of birth, height, and name.
"What is this card?" the DCI asked.
"My Royal Navy identity card."
"What rank do you currently hold?"
"I currently hold the rank of lieutenant-commander."
"What rank did you hold in March of 2015?"
"I was a lieutenant."
"You are very young for a lieutenant-commander, are you not?" the DCI commented.
"Yes, I was promoted about four or so years below the normal, I suppose."
"You have any decorations?"
"I was awarded the DFC, last year."
"You're a pilot?"
"Yes."
"What did you do to receive the DFC for?"
"I took out an enemy with a missile from my helicopter while under fire."
"So, you've killed, have you?"
"Yes, I have."
"Is there a question relating to the charges in here somewhere?" Mayhew asked.
The DCI grinned fiendishly.
"Did you murder your parents, Miss Sharp?"
There it was, out of the blue.
"No, I did not murder my parents."
"Did you try to murder your sister, Harper?"
"NO!"
"After her return, did you try to murder her for a second time, resulting in her spending several weeks in a London hospital?"
"What?!"
"Did you try to murder your sister on a second occasion, putting her in hospital?"
"Do not answer that," Mayhew advised, and Keira stayed silent.
The DCI took a different tack.
"Where were you between the dates of March 7th and March 11th during 2015?"
Keira was surprised by the dates but then she began to understand how the DCI had come to the conclusion that she, Keira, could be a murderer.
..._...
Back then, Keira had been serving aboard the Type 23 anti-submarine frigate, HMS KENT, in the Persian Gulf for several months when they were ordered back to blighty.
The transit home had taken them up into the Red Sea and via the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea where they had come alongside in the port of Naples, Italy, for a port visit. Keira had been a young officer with not a single worry and a foreign port visit was always something for a young officer to look forward to. Indeed, Keira had vanished ashore with another young officer to explore the city and see the sights, the very moment she was relieved of duty. The weather had been decidedly chilly, but a steady walk kept her and her colleague warm as they entered the Italian city, searching for a pub of sorts.
However, the port visit had not quite gone according to Keira's plans and she had not returned to the KENT in time for the sailing.
..._...
"Your ship sailed without you, Miss Sharp, yes?"
"Yes."
"And somehow, you did not make it back aboard for another seventy-two hours, yes?"
"About that, yes."
"What might you have been doing during those missing hours?" the DCI mused to himself out loud. "Could you have flown back to England and murdered your parents, then made a valiant attempt to murder your sister?"
"Oh, for goodness sake!" Mayhew exclaimed. "What on earth is this wild, ridiculous fiction?"
"I have not been able to ascertain the whereabouts of Miss Sharp during these hours. The MOD have not been forthcoming, and it leaves Miss Sharp very open to accusation."
"This is groundless, Detective Chief Inspector!"
"Maybe, maybe not. Does Miss Sharp have an alibi for the time when her parents and sister went missing?"
Mayhew turned to look at Keira and he did not like the expression he saw. Keira was even more unhappy as she knew that she was about to give the DCI what he wanted.
"I have no alibi for my time ashore," she responded clearly.
The DCI smiled like all his Christmases had come at once.
"Well, it seems that you have a bit of a problem, don't you, Miss Sharp?"
"Do not answer that," Mayhew snapped. "Detective Chief Inspector, is your intention to hold Miss Sharp in custody until she is properly charged?"
"No – so long as she doesn't leave the country," the DCI responded after a short pause. "I have details to be sorted out before this case can go to trial. Miss Sharp will be released pending confirmation of the charges against her."
"We are leaving," Mayhew said as he stood up. "Miss Sharp!"
Keira jumped to her feet and she made for the interview room door which was being held open by the female uniformed police constable.
"Oh, Miss Sharp," the DCI suddenly threw out into the room.
Keira turned.
"You know who did murder your parents, don't you?"
Keira glared at the policeman for a moment before she turned on her heel and she walked out of the room.
That evening...
East Mayfield
Keira was fuming.
"I want a copy of Harper's medical file."
"You sure?" Blake asked, cautiously.
"I need it."
"It's a harrowing read," he warned.
"That's the point."
"I'll get it for you," Blake promised. "I can't believe this is all being dug up – you've both suffered enough."
Keira was glad to have Blake with her. He was a breath of fresh air and he made her feel like the woman she was. He made their family complete as far as she was concerned. Assuming that she wasn't banged up in Cornton Vale or some other similar establishment at Her Majesty's Pleasure, she hoped to take the next step and make Blake a permanent attachment.
"Shouldn't you be resting for tomorrow?" Blake said as he hugged his fiancé.
"I suppose – the moment's been kind of ruined."
"Not for Kate, I bet."
"She'll be unable to sleep, I'm sure," Keira laughed as she focussed on something more positive than her impending trial for a murder she did not commit.
"Are you two kissing?" a voice asked.
Keira laughed at the expression on her sister's face and she kissed Blake on the lips.
"Ewww!" Harper complained as she vanished to the kitchen where Keira and Blake could hear the youngster explaining to Diana why kissing was so disgusting.
Early the following morning...
Thursday, March 16th
Edinburgh Airport
Keira and Kate were dropped off at the general aviation terminal by Blake at six o'clock – it was not even daylight!
Kate had no idea why they were there – except for the obvious: they were going flying, but not what they might be flying. Keira had refused to give the slightest hint of what they were up to, but then Kate froze as they both came around a building and Keira headed towards an aircraft sitting on its own. Keira spoke with two men who were pre-flighting the jet and then she waved Kate over.
"We're flying in this?" Kate asked incredulously.
"Thought you might like a ride," Keira chuckled. "The Petty Officer, here, will help you into a G-suit and sort you out with a face mask for your flight helmet. You, young lady, are about to get some fast jet training!"
Kate felt her mouth watering as her eyes moved along the almost twelve metres of gloss deep navy-blue paintwork taking in every curve, every flap, and every marking. The aircraft, carrying the military registration code XX324, was a British Aerospace Hawk T.1A jet trainer of the Royal Navy's 736 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall. What the aircraft was doing in Scotland and at a civilian airport, Kate could only guess.
Nevertheless, she was not going to complain.
Forty minutes later...
Hawk XX324
With a mighty roar, the Rolls Royce Adour Mk151 turbofan increased power and with kick like a mule in her backside, the 6,000-kilogramme single-engine jet bucked on its tricycle undercarriage before the wheel brakes were released and the aircraft accelerated hard down the runway.
Just twenty seconds later, the jet lifted off the tarmac of Edinburgh Airport's main runway and they increased height rapidly. Kate felt the thumps as the undercarriage retracted and locked into position. Strapped tightly into her Martin-Baker Mk.10 ejector seat in the rear cockpit of the jet, Kate watched the altimeter and airspeed indicator spin as the aircraft climbed forever upwards.
In the front cockpit, Keira could not resist grinning as they passed four hundred knots and came around over the Firth of Forth. It had been quite a while since she had last experienced such a rapid take off. Normally, helicopters were very sedate when it came to leaving the ground. Not to mention that she was now flying three times as fast as any of her past and present helicopters could ever fly.
"How come you've got this Hawk, Keira?" Kate asked from the rear cockpit.
"The Hawk was taking part in an airshow, a week ago, but it developed an engine fault which took a few days to fix and the pilot was needed back down at Culdrose. I heard about the Hawk and I managed to drop my name to the right person at the right time – I was due to renew my fixed wing ticket, so I needed the fixed wing hours. We have a pleasant three-hundred nautical mile flight ahead of us – should take us about fifty minutes, but we have fuel for another hour, so I have received authorisation to have some fun when we get to the English Channel and the Southern Approaches."
"Cool!" Kate exclaimed.
"We'll cross Scotland, passing over Lockerbie and out over the Irish Sea, leaving the Isle of Man to starboard. We'll pass to the east of Anglesey and pass west of Swansea in southern Wales, then make landfall over Redruth in Cornwall. Tell me, Kate, what is Culdrose?"
Kate grinned – her knowledge concerning the Royal Navy was top notch.
"Royal Naval Air Station, Culdrose. Known as HMS Seahawk, the airfield is home to several squadrons including Hawk T.1, Avenger T.1, Merlin HM.2 and soon Crowsnest. There are also ScanEagle RM.1 drones there as well as training facilities."
"Not bad, Kate!" Keira grinned.
It wasn't long before they were heading south-south-west on a bearing of 193-degrees.
Twenty-two nautical miles west of Aberystwyth, Wales
... and thirty feet over the waters of Cardigan Bay!
Hawk XX324
The British Aerospace Hawk jet flew very low as it approached its target.
Twelve nautical miles ahead of them, the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless accelerated to thirty knots as it executed a hard turn to starboard, the entire vessel heeling over to port. In the operations room, the Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) was directing the Sea Viper anti-air missile system into action as the SAMPSON AESA radar mounted high atop the main mast scanned all around and easily detected the inbound target, despite the small size of the Hawk aircraft racing in at low level amidst the interference from the water and the nearby land. On the upper decks, crewmen on lookout behind belt-fed General-Purpose Machine Guns scanned the wavetops for the inbound aircraft with binoculars and the human eye.
At over five hundred knots, Keira flew the Hawk past the DAUNTLESS below the level of the SAMPSON radar, just over half a mile away (to avoid causing shock damage to the expensive Destroyer with her jet blast) with every weapon system aboard following her as she flew past. They only had the fuel for a single pass, but it was excellent training for both Keira and the crew aboard HMS DAUNTLESS. In the backseat, Kate was loving every minute. Just five minutes earlier, Keira had flipped the jet over and then brought the nose down and they had plummeted twenty-thousand feet in just seconds before pulling out at one thousand feet. They had then dropped even lower until it was very difficult to see their ultimate target.
Seeing the nine-thousand tonne warship appear before them had been exhilarating, and then they had blasted past, Keira climbing and banking so that Kate could look upwards to see the destroyer as they came around to resume their course for the west country.
..._...
Once Keira had them back up at twenty-six thousand feet, she levelled off and throttled back to five hundred knots indicated air speed.
"You have control," Keira said.
"What?" Kate replied, unsure of what she had heard.
"You have control," Keira repeated.
Kate knew the command and what it meant – the pair had used it often enough when flying helicopters as a crew – only she could not believe that she was being invited to take control of a real jet aircraft . . . and a military jet at that. As Kate placed her feet on the rudder pedals and she took hold of the stick with her right hand, and the throttle with her left, she could not stop herself grinning behind her facemask. Her eyes focussed on the artificial horizon which took pride of place in the centre of the control panel ahead of her. Then she checked the altimeter, just to the right and slightly below – it put them at twenty-six thousand feet. on the opposite side of the artificial horizon was the airspeed indicator which indicated five hundred knots.
"I have control," Kate responded.
"Gentle control inputs – this Hawk will respond instantly to the slightest movement. Gently move the stick left and right to get the feel of her. If you feel her falling off, let go of the stick and she will settle down."
Kate did so, feeling the aircraft tilt to her control inputs, first to the left, then back to wings level, then to the right, and then back to wings level again. It felt amazing. As Keira had advised, it took just a touch to make the aircraft move. Next, she pushed the stick forwards, and then she brought it back to bring the nose back to level flight. Then she pitched up and then back down again. A gentle push on the left pedal and she saw their course change. A counter-press on the opposite pedal and they came back on course.
"Very good!" Keira commented from the front cockpit. "You really are a natural, Kate."
Kate beamed and she muttered a thank you.
Ten nautical miles west of St Levan, Cornwall
Hawk XX324
Kate was still in control as she brought the jet down to five thousand feet and altered course to the left.
They had enough fuel to practice a few touch and go landings at the satellite airfield of RAF Predannack which was located just five nautical miles to the south-south-east of RNAS CULDROSE. With building trepidation, Kate brought the aircraft around and she lined up with the primary active runway, zero-five. At five nautical miles, she picked up the airfield and she slowed her approach speed, feeing in some flap as she did so. At three nautical miles, Kate dropped the landing gear and she lowered the airspeed still more to two hundred knots as the aircraft dropped to five hundred feet. They flashed over the cliffs and went feet with just over thirteen-hundred yards to go. Kate eased back on the throttle, bringing them to one-fifty knots indicated air speed. The nose came up and as they sank, Kate prepared herself...
There was a double thump and a screech of rubber as the main landing gear touched the tarmac. Instantly, Kate shoved the throttle to fully open and she eased back on the stick, launching them back into the air before the nose wheel had a chance to touch. She raised the landing gear as she came around to the right and headed back out over the water. Keira guided Kate around to the right to line up again back at the same runway from which they had just touched down, briefly. Again, Kate touched and then relaunched, then, reluctantly, she handed back control to Keira who performed three more touch and go landings before they turned for RNAS CULDROSE and a real and final landing.
Kate sighed as Keira throttled back and they taxied off runway one-eight to where five almost identical Hawk aircraft were parked on a concrete apron – her flight of a lifetime was over.
That night...
Edinburgh, Scotland
Causewayside in Edinburgh rarely, if ever, saw such a display.
The building which had attracted all the attention was externally lit up putting most of the street into shadow. The building frontage was predominantly white, with three large windows on the upper level and below a steel girder painted a dark blue, there were three smaller windows to the right of a large opening normally protected by a steel roller shutter, also painted a dark blue. However, while the roller shutter was open, a pair of glazed double doors were set into a glazed surround filling in the vehicle-sized opening. To the left of the opening, a glazed window allowed an unobstructed view of what was going on inside the building. Printed on the glass, above the glazed double doors was the venue's name.
DJAK|GB
Leading up to the glazed double doors from the street was a pristine red carpet.
..._...
Out on the street, the traffic flow was being controlled by uniformed Police Scotland officers in yellow high-visibility jackets and peaked caps.
There were also plenty of other uniformed and plain clothed officers moving amongst the crowds of people who milled around on the pavements. Out of sight, behind the building, a Police Scotland Command Unit was parked. Also, in the area were no less than six police armed response vehicles (ARV) – an even mix of BMWs and Volvos. Then, at one minute to seven, that evening, the sound of high-powered motorcycles could be heard approaching and the police controlling the traffic stopped the flow a good two-hundred yards back from the venue.
A white-painted Honda VFR 1200 motorcycle came into view, from the south, a pair of blue strobe lights flashing on the front and an SO14 Special Escort Group (SEG) rider astride the powerful machine, a Glock 17 pistol visible in a holster on his right hip. He was followed, fifty yards behind, by two more outriders and then came another single rider directly ahead of a black-painted Jaguar XJL which in turn was followed by a black-painted Range Rover. Both blacked-out vehicles were armour-plated and displayed blue strobe lights front and rear. With practised precision, the convoy slowed, and the rear door of the Jaguar stopped exactly in line with the red carpet. The flashing strobes from reporters' digital cameras and the lights from the numerous television news cameras flittered as a plain clothed male SEG officer leapt lightly from the front passenger seat of the luxury car. As he passed around the back of the Jaguar, a female SEG officer in a smart navy blue trouser suit climbed out from the left side of the backseat and walked behind the man who pulled open the right hand rear door of the Jaguar as the female officer stood watch.
A television news reporter facing a camera which bore the symbol of the BBC gave a commentary on the arrival, just as the final passenger in the Jaguar stepped out onto the red carpet, a broad smile on her young face.
"Just arriving, we have Her Royal Highness Princess Mary, the fourteen-year-old daughter of His Royal Highness Prince Robert who is expected to arrive shortly to officially open this venue."
As the young Princess Mary strode confidently up the red carpet, constantly shadowed by the long-suffering and constantly wary Ginny Turner. She waved and smiled for the cameras, and just for once, she was enjoying all the public attention, especially as it was all for her friends. She wore a stunning navy-blue long-sleeved dress which accentuated her growing figure. Her long deep brown hair was tied up on the back of her head. At the top of the red carpet, she paused to answer questions from a Sky News reporter.
"Your Royal Highness, we understand that you are supporting the initiative here, tonight. What can you tell us about the initiative?"
The Princess was ready for the question and she had been preparing what to say all the way from Ashley House where she had changed earlier that afternoon.
"Too many girls and young women are too scared to go outside their homes as they fear attack on our streets. Too many are attacked by strangers or even by their own partners. I think it is crucial that all young people should have the opportunity to learn to defend themselves against an attack. The prevalence of attacks on young girls and women in recent months across this country has pointed out the need for such facilities as DJAK|GB. But it is not just girls who need to learn, it is also for the boys and the men who are just as likely to be attacked, although many see themselves as too manly to admit that they are at risk which just makes the situation worse."
"We understand that you, yourself, are a skilled Taekwondo expert."
Mary felt her cheeks heating up at the praise.
"Yes, I have been interested in self-defence and the Marital Arts since I was seven and my father allowed me to train. As well as learning the ability to defend myself, I have also learnt self-discipline which my father says has made the world of difference and I am no longer the bratty girl I once was."
"Yeah, right!" a derisive voice called out.
"Ignore, Harper, she thinks far too much of herself," Mary grinned for the camera which momentarily focussed on a young girl of about ten-years-old who wore a light blue Taekwondo Gi adorned with a blue belt.
The doors to DJAK|GB were swept open by two teenaged boys who wore the same light blue Taekwondo Gi as Harper, but both were adorned with red belts bearing a black tab near the end.
..._...
As you stepped inside DJAK|GB, you found yourself in a brightly lit reception area with a lounge and a small servery.
The walls were painted white with the bare brickwork covered in six-foot-square laminated translucent plastic panels affixed to the wall in a multitude of colours and all were backlit providing a warm illumination at ground level. The immediate reception area which was carpeted in a charcoal grey had a mezzanine floor above which contained management offices and storage. The lounge area, to the left, was made up of half-a-dozen comfortable chairs with low tables to allow those buying coffee or sandwiches from the servery, which was also located on the left and just beyond the lounge area, could sit and eat in comfort. Located to the right, across from the lounge and servery were male and female changing rooms.
The same laminated plastic panels as mounted in the reception area were extended throughout the venue, although in the main area which was two storeys tall, a second row of the same panels extended atop the first set. Instead of carpeting, the entire main area was laid with a wooden floor in a pale oak colour. To the immediate right, behind the changing rooms, Martial Arts equipment was stored in various racks which were fitted into the corner. Taking pride of place in the centre of the space was the main mat which was made up of square red and blue safety mats laid in a chequered grid fashion. To the immediate left, a set of steel steps led up to the management offices. Beyond the main mat there was one further mat, set into the corner for training classes.
Also located at the far end of the venue, there was a raised steel mezzanine level accessed via a steel stair to the right. Up on that mezzanine level, there were punch bags and assorted items of fitness equipment.
..._...
The special evening had drawn many influential people, especially since Royalty was to be present.
The guest list had been long and distinguished, and as well as Royalty included people from every section of society – naturally, all had had to go through intensive security screening which had been covertly accomplished by MI5. However, there were to be many 'undesirables' at the event, including several vigilantes, not to mention the world's number one vigilante: Hit Girl. Not that Hit Girl was in costume, but the world's most obnoxious woman was not a happy woman at that moment, and she felt like killing. As Mindy, dressed in an elegant but practical navy-blue trouser suit which she had had collected from Savile Row, just the day before, moved to welcome Princess Mary, she overheard an ongoing conversation (argument) between one of their more obnoxious visitors and a young girl who could give Mindy a run for her money where obnoxiousness was concerned.
"What makes you so special?" Kaitlin demanded of a boy who was at least two years older than she was.
"I am the Marquess of Fife – therefore, I outrank you!" the boy responded snobbishly.
"Well, I outrank you, because I am a girl and you are a boy," Kaitlin retorted.
Mindy tuned out the argument as her visitor stepped inside.
"Your Royal Highness," Mindy said as she curtsied.
The Princess grinned, but inside she wished that Mindy did not have to follow Royal Protocol.
"Mrs Lizewski," Mary replied, and she enjoyed the scowl on Mindy's face.
"Please, come with me, Your Royal Highness," Mindy said as rose from her curtsey and grinned down at the teenager.
Mindy greatly respected the Princess and she knew that the respect went both ways. As Mindy showed the Princess the facilities offered by the venue, they came to where Kaitlin and the boy were still conversing (arguing) about their position in life.
"Boys outrank girls – especially little one's like you!"
Mindy winced, wondering if there might just be a live killing on the nightly news – the press coverage should be good, she considered, although cleaning up blood was such a chore. The boy had not yet run out of steam and he continued, his haughty voice annoying Mindy.
"I am a Marquess and you are but a mere commoner, therefore, I outrank you..."
"And I you!" Princess Mary cut in before Kaitlin murdered the boy live on the BBC!
The boy spun around, ready to make an angry retort but then as Kaitlin, clad in the same Gi as Harper, executed a perfect curtsey, he realised his error.
"Your Royal Highness," Kaitlin stated with a sidewise glance at the dumbstruck boy. "Bow you smuck!" Kaitlin hissed.
The boy did so, very rapidly, executing a bow as he had been taught many years before.
"Please excuse the boy, Your Royal Highness," another haughty voice cut in. "He is young and decidedly obnoxious!"
Mindy turned to see an elderly woman curtsey.
"The Dowager Marchioness of Fife, Your Royal Highness, and this is my grandson, Richard, Marquess of Fife."
Kaitlin grinned at the boy's put down, and she grinned up at the old lady who smiled back.
..._...
Dead on seven-thirty, His Royal Highness Prince Robert arrived in his own miniature motorcade.
He was welcomed by his own daughter who had swiftly changed into a light blue Gi which matched the others but was adorned with a green belt with a red tip. On the back of her Gi, as with the others, there was the 'DJAK|GB' logo combined with a stylised Union Flag. After a brief tour of the facility with his daughter and Mindy, and once the internal cameras had been sited, everyone gathered around the edges of the main mat. All chatter ceased as the lights came down, leaving just a dim illumination around the mat. It was time for a demonstration of what Princess Mary had talked about in her short interview. A voice (Hillary) came over loudspeakers, narrating the scene.
"The scene could be any town, any city, anywhere in the world. It is after dark and three young children are making their way home after a night at the cinema, followed by a pizza. Their attention is on anything but their immediate surroundings making them easy prey..."
Indeed, two girls (Olivia & Charlotte) carrying handbags and a boy (Craig), on his mobile phone, were walking slowly from one side of the mat, deep in conversation with one another. Then out of the semi-darkness, a man (Cameron), made straight for the three children and he grabbed Olivia's handbag, slicing through the strap with a sharp blade. Olivia fought back – without Martial Arts – and she was punched in the face for her efforts and she fell to the ground with a (fake) scream. Cameron then punched Craig to the floor, stealing his mobile phone and then he turned on a (very scared) Charlotte who handed over her own handbag before the man fled, leaving her standing over her groaning friends.
"However," Hillary continued, "There is an answer..."
Oliver, Charlotte, and Craig were soon back walking along the mat, as they had been previously, but as Cameron made to attack them, the outcome was very, very different. When Cameron made to grasp the strap of Olivia's handbag, hanging over her left shoulder, her right hand came around and grasped Cameron's right wrist while her left batted away the blade. Cameron then found himself on the ground, his arm pinned up his back in a very painful hold, the knife lying beside him.
"Thank you, Cameron, Olivia, Charlotte, and Craig!" Hillary announced as applause showed the crowds appreciation for the stark demonstration.
The lights then came up to properly illuminate the mat. Very rapidly, pairs of children raced onto the mat to show off a montage of demonstrations generally arranged around the disarming of an attacker. Rylee took down the knife-wielding Shannon Millar while Simon and Tanya took down a pair of attackers carrying guns (Lucy Ford & Hailee Richards), putting them both down hard. In came an attack from Joshua Williams with a baseball bat which Tanya took down with little thought, putting down the young man who was much taller and heavier than she was. Supposed attackers, Saoirse and Morgan Hella, were both taken down with apparent ease by Kaitlin and Harper which the assembled crowd loved as they applauded the two nine-year-old girls, both of whom curtsied for the crowd before they ran off the mat. The final attack was composed of four girls (Megan Williams, Abigail Murphy, Stephanie Lizewski & Annabelle Millar) who attacked Princess Mary from each corner of the mat and in an amazing display of Taekwondo skills, were taken down by the Princess on her own, to rapturous applause from the crowd. Princess Mary and her supposed attackers all bowed at the end of the demonstration for the crowd before they ran off the mat.
"DJAK|GB thanks DJAK|USA for their assistance in these demonstrations by taking the part of the bad guys and just to prove that us Brits can still put down the Yanks when required!"
There was laughter from those watching as another montage began.
..._...
Groups of the older children (the instructors) spread out around the mat in groups of four and they proceeded to demonstrate various Taekwondo moves to the crowds.
After a few minutes, the groups broke up and the children in the crowd were invited to remove their shoes and join the instructors on the mat. Many were swift to join in, but others needed some coaxing.
"Richard, are you coming to join in?" Kaitlin asked as she stepped over to where the Marquess stood with his grandmother.
"Go on, Richard, go with the girl."
The boy grimaced as he kicked of his shoes and joined Kaitlin on the mat. A few yards away, Jordan stood before a girl of a similar age to himself.
"I've got two left feet," the girl complained. "I would be no good at this."
"Well, you're better than me; I haven't even got one!" Jordan grinned as he lifted up the left leg of his Gi to reveal titanium and carbon fibre.
"Oh!" the girl exclaimed in surprise as her father pushed his daughter forward with a chuckle.
The girl followed Jordan onto the mat, and she began to follow his instructions.
..._...
Prince Robert was very pleased with what he saw before him.
It was easy to identify the Americans as they wore a white Gi with DJAK|USA stencilled on the back while the Brits wore a light blue Gi with DJAK|UK stencilled on the back. The montages on the mat had been stunning, and he was very impressed with how his daughter was fronting the event. From the admiring comments, the Prince was hearing, everyone present had been very impressed by the event. His daughter was over at one side of the central mat having some photos taken and enduring questions from the newsies. The Prince decided to stroll over to see how the girl was doing.
"That was an amazing show you put on, Your Royal Highness," a reporter from the Scottish Daily Mail commented.
"Thank you. Being able to fight more than one person at a time is a difficult skill to master and one that I hope I will never have to use for real," Mary replied.
"Princess Mary!" another reporter called out. "The Scottish Sun readers would like to know your thoughts on the vigilantes residing within Scotland."
"Vengeance, do you mean?" another reporter, this one from The Telegraph, asked in clarification.
"Yes," the reporter from The Scottish Sun confirmed.
Mary rolled her eyes before she responded.
"Vigilantism is illegal, and as a Princess of The Realm, my official response is to say that I do not agree with what Vengeance do as judge, jury, and executioner. However, unofficially, I think Vengeance rocks!"
There was general laughter at the Princess' comment.
"Who is your favourite vigilante?" Telegraph asked.
"While I am openly a fan of Hit Girl," the Princess began as a Gi-clad Mindy walked past, rolling her eyes, "I have to say, in the USA, Kick-Ass is my favourite; he is really handsome!" Dave's head turned at that and he accidentally sent Megan flying. "As for the UK vigilantes, Ajax has some nice curves, but Drift is almost as handsome as Kick-Ass. I actually have posters of them both up on my bedroom wall in London."
"Princess..."
"Excuse me, I'm needed back on the mat."
Prince Robert smiled at his daughter as she grinned back. Mary's involvement with Vengeance was probably his best decision ever; while her friends took some getting used to, they were all tremendously loyal top one another, and Mary had never had so many true friends – people who were her friends because of her, not because of who her grandmother was. Everything also boiled down to the amazingly beautiful young woman in the black Gi who stepped barefoot onto the mat. He knew who the woman really was and how she had helped Mary develop into who she was at that moment. They had never actually met until that evening, but the Prince had sensed incredible conviction in the young woman and what she was doing to help every member of her impressive transatlantic community.
The lights began to dim as a second woman in a dark blue Gi joined Mindy and they stood back-to-back with a six foot gap between them, and the crowds went silent as they focussed on the two woman who stood in the very centre of the mat in the ready stance.
..._...
Mindy closed her eyes and she savoured the darkness as it enveloped her.
She listened for the sound of feet touching the mat around her. She visualised her surroundings, knowing that their attackers were not going to follow the agreed script, just to add some spice to the exercise. One thing she did know was that in the darkness would be Hailee, Shannon, Saoirse, Stephanie, Electra, Kaitlin, Dakota, Kate, and Megan. However, Mindy expected a wildcard – actually, three, and she had a feeling who they might be. But she had her very own wildcards – actually, three.
Twelve on one?
A challenge.
Putting down her daughter and her friends?
Priceless!
..._...
None of them believed that they had the slightest chance of approaching Mindy without giving themselves away, but they tried it anyway.
Hailee went in first, coming from Mindy's right. Cassie heard a foot coming down onto the mat and she turned slightly, Mindy mirroring her movement but in the opposite direction, maintaining their circle. To the left came Kate, and then both women attacked as one, even as Dakota and Saoirse came barrelling in from the other two sides of the mat. Cassie and Mindy concentrated on the closest threats, Hailee and Kate, taking up defensive stances. As one, they struck, totally destroying Kate and Hailee's planned attack. Neither had expected Mindy and Cassie to attack, only expecting them to defend. However, Hailee grimaced at the somewhat belated thought that Mindy rarely followed the rules as she dodged Mindy's strike and she fell to the mat but immediately rolled back to her feet and reattacked. Kate was struck in the stomach my Cassie's right foot, sending the sixteen-year-old spinning off to the side where she too swiftly rolled back to her feet. Then the two other girls struck in tandem, each kick being expertly deflected by Cassie and Mindy.
To the watching crowd who were mesmerised by the fast-paced action, it was simply stunning. They had no way of knowing that it was not a perfectly choreographed fight but an almost free for all where anything went – well, almost. Dakota crashed to the mat having been intercepted and thrown by Mindy. As for Saoirse, she was pleased not to have been targeted by Mindy, but she had not realised how highly skilled the seemingly unassuming Cassie actually was – to her chagrin as she found herself facedown on the mat in pain. But she was a professional, so she instantly jumped to her feet and counterattacked. Cassie and Mindy turned in unison as they were attacked from all directions at once, covering each other's vulnerable back. No way were they going to back down as they kicked down every girl who came their way.
For the boy's watching the fight it was amazing to watch a bunch of girls fighting it out, especially as all of the girls were smoking hot! The only rules of the 'fight' were that if you crossed outside the central thirty-foot diameter circle, you were 'out' and could no longer fight. The first to find herself catapulted out of the circle was Saoirse who caught a two kicks in rapid succession from Mindy which sent the fifteen-year-old girl spinning almost to the edge of the mat. And then there were eleven, Mindy mused as she spied Stephanie and Megan approaching from one side. She knew that the pair had been practising together of late and that both could be very devious when called upon. Indeed, as she and Cassie moved to counter a combined strike from Dakota and Kate, Mindy caught sight of Stephanie crouching down even as Megan broke into a sprint from several feet beyond her daughter.
To the delight of the crowd, Megan ran at Stephanie who braced up and Megan placed a foot on her niece's back even as Stephanie pushed upwards and Megan took off, flying through the air in an adaptation of her trademark somersault. Mindy simply braced for the strike as both of Megan's feet took Mindy in the right shoulder, thrusting the woman to the ground. Megan rolled off to the side, instantly taking up a defensive position as she was attacked by a very annoyed Mindy. Megan had broken the defensive circle created by Mindy and Cassie, instantly raising the stakes which Stephanie immediately took advantage of as she raced in to attack Mindy from the side. There was a collective 'oooh' as Stephanie collided with her mother's right foot, and Stephanie collapsed to the mat holding her abdomen. Megan was not far behind as she found herself spinning off the mat even as Stephanie reattacked Mindy from the side.
Mindy was not going easy as she grabbed her daughter's Gi and smoothly launched the young girl into the air where she cannoned into Dakota, both of whom crashed out of the circle to applause from the crowds who were lapping up the 'mock' fight. As Hailee and Kate fell by the wayside, both victims of Cassie, Megan was joined in her assault by Electra, Shannon, and Kaitlin. Mindy was impressed by little Kaitlin who was much like a little Yoda the way she jumped and rolled to avoid strikes to her person. Mindy really did not want to hurt the youngster, but she used Kaitlin as a weapon to crush Megan despite the crowd cheering the young Brit. Both girls collapsed in a heap outside of the circle and Megan simply glared at her big sister before going to join Stephanie where the 'losers' couched down to watch the fight at one side of the mat.
Shannon and Electra were amazing fighters and Mindy thought that all was almost done, but then in came the oppositions wildcard. Cassie could be heard to groan as she spied Simon, Rylee, and Tanya approaching, the three Zetas spreading out to make things just that little bit more difficult for Cassie and Mindy. Both then noticed that each Zeta was armed with a four-foot training jō-staff. Rylee smirked as she whirled the jō-staff over her head and to her side. Mindy and Cassie dodged strikes from Shannon and Electra even as the two women altered their strategy to take account of the rapidly developing situation as Rylee attacked. Cassie dodged the strike aimed for her chest and knocked the jō-staff to one side, causing Rylee to scowl at her missed strike.
That was when Mindy nodded towards the crowd and her own three wildcards emerged.
..._...
There was a cheer as Jamie led Danny and Anne-Marie onto the mat.
Jamie and Danny were each armed with a three-foot wooden bokken formed to match the basic shape of a wakizashi while Anne-Marie bore a pair of wooden tanto swords. The trio swiftly dived into battle against the Zetas, intercepting the strikes against Cassie and Mindy. The people watching loved it and they watched every move as the three youngsters moved into to defend Mindy and Cassie. The clash of wood against wood resounded as the Zetas bore down on the Lizewski clan. From the sidelines, Dave and Stephanie watched with pride as their kin moved about the mat with apparent ease. No one had told Rylee what Anne-Marie could do with a pair of swords together, and the older girl found herself on the wrong end of the swords and a very angry little eight-year-old girl. With the crowd cheering them on, Anne-Marie was able to fight off the surprised Rylee and before she knew it, a seething and stunned Rylee had stepped out of the circle and she reluctantly and dejectedly went to join her friends.
Simon was not happy with Rylee being put out so easily and he bore down on Anne-Marie, even as he was attacked from the left by Danny. Jamie fought Tanya and the boy grinned up at his older opponent who just smirked back at the younger boy as she whirled her jō-staff. However, the boy was no match for Tanya who was not about to put down as Rylee had been. The jō-staff whirled and struck again and again and again, until Jamie faltered and then Tanya saw her chance as she drove one end of the weapon into the boy's legs, tripping him and then chasing him out of the circle. That, however, was Tanya's downfall as she had been too focussed on Jamie who grinned just as Tanya turned back into the fight and she realised that she had been blindsided even as her world turned upside down as she found herself pinned by her own jō-staff and a grinning Cassie.
That simply left Mindy and her two youngest children facing Simon. The eleven year old boy demonstrated his knowledge of the jō-staff as he fiercely fought off Danny and Anne-Marie, but they were both able to push him out of the circle and that left those watching the fight cheering as Mindy, Cassie, Danny, and Anne-Marie bowed to everyone as they breathed heavily after the intensive exercise.
"Your Royal Highnesses, ladies and gentlemen!" Hillary announced. "I announce the winners: Cassie Perrin, Mindy Lizewski, Danny Lizewski, and Anne-Marie Lizewski! Congratulations to everyone for an amazing display!"
The cheering and clapping went on and on which simply showed that everyone was very pleased with the display and agreed with Hillary's pronouncement.