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Guest WYN100

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**PART 13**

The insipid and inadequate yellowish glow provided by the one solo light bulb placed centrally on the ceiling of the hospital ward seemed to add to the increasingly uncomfortable and inhospitable atmosphere that was tightening its grip around Peter and Claire.

Peter had been drawing upon all his experience of witness box appearances during countless court cases - but seemed to be making little or no headway with the stubbornly intransigent ward sister who'd witnessed Claire's earlier instinctive outpouring of anger and resentment against the bedridden building society gunman.

"Sister what you think you saw earlier wasn't someone plotting to take a life like you're trying to say , but someone who's gone through a day of high and severe trauma merely shedding some spontaneous frustration in a moment of high stress !"

But the unyielding reply came back

"Sergeant Baker what I DID see was this lady grasping the feeding tube of that patient a) something that's strictly against all hospital policy and b) in a way that gave me every indication that she intended to disengage it, and those are the only facts I have at my disposal at this time."

Claire shot Peter a look of exhausted and careworn pleading...events seemed to be spiralling out of any kind of control with the potential to get far worse.

Peter's own head was beginning to thump ominously - he had after all been admitted with a severe concussion just hours previously..but there were no lengths he wouldn't go to to protect the woman that had so illuminated and enriched his life in recent times - no lengths whatsoever.

"Sister - I think if calm heads prevail, we can work this out. If we concede that Claire's actions may - in dim light and at the other end of a lengthy ward - have wrongly led you to believe you saw something questionable can we just agree the whole matter be left to lie ? It's been a pretty horrendous day all round ?"

With the aggravatingly repetitive quality of a caged parrot or one of those telephone call centre voices announcing "choose from the following 5 options..." , the humourless female responded

"There are procedures to be followed in such situations - it's my obligation to report the matter as I see it to our new hospital chief executive who'll decide if any further action should be taken - now if you'll excuse me, I do have work to do..."

And, after a routine check around the gunman's bed, she swept out, leaving Peter and Claire to absorb the fall-out of her remarks - Claire eventually breaking the silence to say

"Pete - it WILL be ok, - - - won't it ??"

The intuitive observer would have noticed the 2 second or so delay before he rached upward from his wheelchair to embrace her and say "Of COURSE it will - you count on it..."

..but inside his mind real doubts were already forming about the accuracy of that statement - doubts that were both dark and deep.

The tension inside Leah's house had become searing , and the atmosphere thick enough to break a piece off and eat it.

Had anybody done so though, acute indigestion would have been the likely outcome, and the air was growing more jagged with tension as every second ticked by - and Dan's return had managed to pour no oil

whatsoever on the troubled waters churned up by the twisted intrigue being played out by Miss Amanda Vale.

As her husband entered the kitchen , Leah counted internally to ten, passed the phone to the adjacent Irene and strode stiffly into the other room.

In so doing she ignored a dramatic semaphore display from Sergeant Harper who was keen indeed she kept Amanda talking.

As he continued to flail his disapproval at the change of speaker, Leah was cutting off Dan's initial bewildered "What...?" with stern, low, clipped words, issued through fiercely compressed lips.

"Your ex-wife has OUR son SOMEWHERE - she's SAYING you had a hand in it..." she held up her hand to stem the indignant denial forming on his lips "..I don't BELIEVE that as it happens - but what I DO want you to do is go in there and talk to her NOW - bring an end to it IMMEDIATELY - and when you HAVE - we discuss how we get her out of our lives completely and for good.!" The upraised hand again cut short a different kind of objection forming on her husband's lips, with the thumb then turning to jerk a very clear indication of the route she required Dan to be taking - directly into the living room - to the telephone - do not pass "Go", do not collect 200 dollars and ideally picking up a "Go to jail" card for the first Mrs Baker while he was at it. Understanding what was meant and unwilling to raise objections to a face as closely resembling a tropical thunderstorm in the Amazon Basin as Leah's currently did, he headed around the corner - but sadly it seemed too late . Irene was standing with the phone receiver dangling loosely from her fingers and a helplessly apologetic look on her face , while the ever-active Harper had abandoned his flag-waving efforts and was now seemingly engaged in marking out a self-choreographed dance of rage and frustration in the corner.

"She hung up.." Irene said simply

"Mrs Baker I was TELLING you to stay on the line with her " complained the red-faced Harper breaking off briefly from his anguished quickstep.

"Well that's just GREAT .." exploded Leah swinging round to turn an accusing face at Dan "So what do you suggest we do NOW ?"

But - for the third time in as many minutes the case for the defence of Dan was halted as it attempted to gain a hearing - not this time by the previous upraised hand, but instead by a shrill blast of the phone bell.

"Could be her again..?" volunteered Irene, while the Harper arms again began to rotate into their previous manic action, but Leah, who was examining the Caller ID window on the phone tutted and said "No, it's not her, I know that number, it's Sally on her cellphone - probably nothing vital"

And Harper chimed in with "Best we keep the line free in case Miss Vale calls again I think ! The phone bell continued to peal...with the ignored caller in possession of far more vital information than anyone present could have imagined...

Beth's demeanour was a curious mixture of a cat that suddenly realizes its gatecrashed a guard dogs' Christmas party and someone whose mother has just begun a slide show of their most humiliating baby moments in front of a new boyfriend or girlfriend. Her fierce intention seemed to be at all costs not to acknowledge the man or the version of reality he may be bringing with him for fear it may turn out to be true.

Eyes firmly fixed to the floor she twisted and turned in high discomfort -" Oh - ah, right - I was just ah - in fact....!

"Beth - calm down for a moment - chill out - I'm not here to threaten or upset you, I promise....."

Indeed, Jed Baxter looked a long way from the stereotypical stalker-style figure of such situations. He was aged around the 40 mark - his short, neatly clipped hair displaying a likely precision of character, while had Beth been able to focus her thoughts on even a relatively sane level, she would have willingly conceded that his deep, warm nut brown eyes could easily have heralded the kind of problems for any woman that had beset her when she'd first looked into therm and been effectively lost.

However, in the heightened state of alert she'd been inhabiting since first spotting Jed in Noah's earlier that day, nut brown eyes - however alluring - were not topping her list of immediate priorities.

Her own eyes continued to dart at high velocity as she went on.."Scott...yes, Scott was calling me...."

He placed one arm gently on her shoulder as she went to retreat back inside the house , causing her to swivel back round, and emerge briefly but decisively from her self-imposed coccoon of denial -

"DON'T ..touch me - just DON'T !!..."

He was some considerable way from any threatening or aggressive posture but remained clearly unwilling to depart without at least some kind of extended dialogue with her. But, while the vexed issue of his claim to Robbie's parenthood regularly dogged her thoughts - and had done for 18 years - that seemed unlikely in the extreme.

She sought though to reinforce her earlier message

"There's nothing for you here - and I hope I don't have to ask you again - please --just--GO !"

Jed rallied for one further attempt at an audience,

"Look, you need to realize that..."

He broke off as they both became aware of a shadow falling across them as Barry Hyde's sturdy form appeared rounds the corner , stopping briefly to regard the scene he was presented with and say "Everything alright here ?"

"Yes this - - gentleman -- was just leaving..."

Jed took a deep breath, fixed Beth with a look which said "This isn't over..." and before he'd reached the end of the path, Barry was again double-checking on her with a reassuring but he hoped under-stated enquiry about whether everything really WAS ok or not.

More shrugs and flaps of the hands gave a slightly less than convincing impression that all was well in the world of Beth, but Barry decided against any further probing for now at least, instead becoming more animated as he returned to the original reason for his visit. Taking a long, folded paper document from his jacket pocket he explained "Beth, after the campaign meeting today I went down to the Companies House to look for a little more information on this company looking to build that gas terminal..."

Beth looked interested, but wasn't certain where exactly Barry was going with this.

She soon did.

"Well, what I DID learn is that they keep details of themselves EXTREMELY well disguised, with a whole string of shelf companies , notional figureheads and that kind of thing. But I followed a few leads, one or two internet search hunches - and - you will NEVER guess who I found on a list of their Executive Affiliates......"

He certainly had news to impart.....

The elderly lady had enjoyed her enjoyed the journey into the city airport - she was thoroughly looking forward to visiting her daughter and grandchildren, but it was always such a lottery who you ended up sitting next to on the flight . Get the wrong people adjacent to you and the flight could seem interminable. Today though she'd been seated with such a lovely couple.

They were headed to Summer Bay - a place she'd often heard of , and frequently thought of visiting. This couple - clearly very much in love, she thought - were excited, talking with great animation about a new challenge lying ahead - they were planning so it seemed to buy and run a small restaurant - and she was sure from what she'd heard and seen of them that they would give it a very good go.

"So, will this cost you a lot ?" she enquired..

"Well -it's a big investment , isn't it..?" had replied the bright, attractive girl, shooting a kiik that sought approval and confirmation from her partner , "but it's what we REALLY want to do, isn't it..?"

The man nodded slowly and seriously -

"Yes, it certainly is - and you know somehow when things just feel RIGHT ? Well that's this one ALL OVER for us- and we KNOW we can do it !"

"Oh I don't doubt that for a minute !" responded the lady enthusiastically. She was just finishing off her in-flight meal of meat pie with the customary stodgy and anonymous filling, garnished by an apologetic looking salad which may arguably have been garden-fresh and crispy when the plane left Singapore at the start of its run, but one could now almost hear it yawn with fatigued relief as she clicked down the lid of her food-tray and wiped away half a dozen or so rogue peanuts that had scattered far and relatively wide when the annoyingly top-glued packet inevitably fractured and and flun its contents around when she;d tried to open it earlier.

"I'd LOVE to meet someone that HASN'T happened to...!" she sighed ruefully - before a sincere smile drifted across her face and she said decisively "Well one thing's for CERTAIN -your food's sure to be a cut WELL above what they serve here !"

The girl gave a characteristically warm if slightly uncertain giggle , going on to say "Oh yes I should certainly hope so - - although we may well have to do a bit of a charm offensive first, won't we ?" - again that look seeking both confirmation and approval was shot at her partner,who was beginning to re-thread his seat-beltr as the captain's voice crackled above them announcing a 10 minute countdow to touchdown.

The male half of the pair had fallen a little more quiet and reflective -

he nodded slowly, saying almost to himself " I guess, though I don't see WHY we must - we're not doing anything WRONG after all, are we ?"

Minutes later, the plane had made a comfortable landing, and passengers were starting to stand ready for disembarking. The older lady said warmly to the young couiple "Well, sincerest wishes for every success and I'll have to remember to come and eat with you when you've opened. Actually I haven't EVEN asked you what SORT of cuisine to expect when I get there ?"

The young man looked back just a tad diffidently and smiled "Mainly Greek," he responded, "with maybe a little Cypriot alongside..."

The passenger doors eased open....Alex and Brodie were on their way back to Summer Bay...

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:) And thank you for the nice comments , they're truly SO appreciated ! :)

**CHAPTER 14**

It had been an odd atmosphere that had prevailed when they'd finally settled back in Danni's suite at the Sands.

After their earlier confrontation at the top of the back staircase it had never seemed very likely Hayley would be extended or accept a sociable invitation to join them for coffee, so it was a rather awkward quartet that had assembled. -Kane and Kirsty propped like two rather self-conscious children's toys on a cavernous sofa that would have stretched very nearly from the front door of the Beach House to the back - Todd had squatted on a plush armchair near the bathroom door , and Danni was pacing around in an understandably restless and distracted fashion, taking hot drink orders and arranging the crockery in the extravagantly equipped catering corner of the business suite situated up two small stairs and in the slightly raised half of the room stretching away towards the huge sea-facing window which bordered the polished oak business table.

Methods of breaking the ice appeared a little thin on the ground.

"Um - you into footie mate, or Rules ?" Kane dragged the question from out of the blue in a throaty , unnatural voice drawing a somewhat surprised look from his wife at his side.

"No mate - I'm a Socceroos man myself " replied Todd, shifting a little uneasily in his chair.

The shadow of the Danni-Hayley stand-off was growing greyer and more dense over the gathering, with none of the lower-level trio even convinced that their hostess's final re-appearance amongst them with the coffee cups would ease the increasingly suffocating atmosphere,

"Now CRICKET , I could talk your ear off...." volunteered Todd a few long seconds later..

"No KIDDING !!.." said Kane letting loose what was almost a whoop of triumph . Now this really WAS his territory - and didn't Kirsty know it ! She rolled her eyes to the heavens and made her way up the two level-splitting stairs leaving behind her an animated discussion where names and phrases like "Warne - - Windies - - -Gabba - - Poms - - -revenge" and more were looming large . Sensing Danni was still in volatile mode, she tutted gently as said "Guys eh, what can you do with them...?" Danni's face turned to look at her, a murmured "Mm..." the best response from a mind which was clearly present at best in part . Kirsty persisted a little , levering one of the coffee cups away from Danni and smiling "Guess you have to leave them as they need to be , ...?" She went to turn and begin taking the cup to one of the two cricket-heads just below them , but gave a little start as it was suddenly taken from her and swatted down on the side shelf. Suddenly Danni had swivelled, engulfed her in a hug, and from her newly-cheered face came the ringingly confident assertion,

"That's IT !! I know EXACTLY what I've got to do to get him back !!"

"Win the first Test match..." came from the oblivious male half of the gathering.

Kirsty eyed her sister. She had a shrewd idea it would be something even more involved than that...

Kim was vaguely surprised about how quiet the Beach House was on his return - for no-one at all to be in that revolving door of a place at any given time seemed a little unusual, but he didn't give it much thought, as all the residents had their own busy agendas - he of course being one.

He'd enjoyed his afternoon of life-guarding - no major crises which was always good - - and then there'd been Cassie. ..

While he reassured himself quickly that he wasn't pursuing anything with her, the comeback line did a swift lap from his brain to his tongue, and he found himself again reflecting out loud " she IS cute - very cute..."

He crossed the living room into the downstairs bathroom where he pulled the switch to start heating up the water for the shower to which he'd been looking forward as he'd jogged the 10 minutes or so back home having bade farewell to cassie in one of those classically uncomfortable moments where there might have been a hug, might have been a token kiss, but there ended up being neither. He smiled almost a little self-consciously - they'd had a couple of those moments this afternoon, now hadn't they !! Hooking a towel round his neck he decided to head in search of a drink while the water continued to heat up. At that moment though , a slight sound caught his ear and had him heading back in that direction even sooner than planned.

A baseball bat was propped on the wall outside the bathroom - part of Robbie's latest brainwave to help him start a "Modern Museum of American Culture" in the Bay. Kim was intending a rather less respectable use for the implement if needed . He blinked in confusion on returning to the main room - the light he'd flicked on 3 minutes previously was now off, and he could see the blinds had been dimmed.

"What the.." blurted Kin, now feeling thoroughly uncertain and with a prick of foreboding at the pit of his stomach.

As his eyes slowly became acclimitized to the false dull surroundings - he made out a woman standing just inside the front door, black hair - and with a faint air of cigarette smoke about her. Instinctively he twisted round and took a step or two, but his already pounding heart absorbed the fact that that door too was blocked off - this time by a man, possibly 2 or 3 years younger than the girl, with dyed and cropped blonde hair, a square-rigged jaw and a "no-nonsense" air about him.

"What is it you want ?" said Kim uneasily , "there's no money here , and..."

The girl gave a short, sardonic laugh.

"Oh but it's YOU we want Mr Hyde - you see there are things you've done we're not prepared to let you do again... you're coming with us....."

The tattoo inside Kim's chest grew to near-audible proportions - as the two intruders began to advance.....

"I'm going out with Jaaaack....the cinema - King Konggggg .. hahaha very funny Grandad,,WHO's her Jack..WHO...."

The disjointed fragments of her day ghosted their way through Martha's mind as she attempted to shift, but quickly realized her head would be no willing participant in changing position. A sharp and jagged rush of pain drilled its way inward from just above her left temple and shot at high speed through the inside of her head. The full details of her current situation had yet to start seeping through - WHY was she .....WHERE was she......

She slowly levered her her way into an upright position....growing dark ...she was in a car.....JACK's car....

Her heart leapt to her throat and at the expense of another thunderous jolt of pain, swivelled her head to the right , and despite the ensuing rampage of discomfort between her ears, alarm mode kicked swiftly in - the drivers' door was hanging open - the seat not occupied...

"Jack ??? JACK !!!..." She twisted awkwardly and pulled the handle of her passenger door - with no success ! It had clearly jammed with the impact of whatever had taken place. Her eyes darted urgently around, and she realized she'd have to squeeze across the drivers' seat and out that way. Slowly images of what had happened were returning to her mind, and she remembered Jack's grim, silent face as....as he'd aimed the car at that guy they'd seen in the cinema !!

"Oh My...."

She crawled uncomfortably across the seat and wriggled out of the door, eyes again moving at high speed in search of clues...and spotting a leg and very familiar style of shoe protruding horizontally across the small road from the front of the car.

Catching a gasp of alarm in her throat and again defying the severe levels of pain exploding inside her head made her way round the front of the vehicle , prepared to bend down to examine Jack, and...shot up straight with shock as a voice cut across her thoughts....

"Well well, I don't think we've been introduced...you must be Hot Rod Jackie's little lady....I think we need a nice little chat, don't you..?"

The guy from the cinema - the intended victim of Jack's reckless red-mist moment was leaning inside a doorway close to the cement bollard against which Jack's car had crashed - a glint of slight malice in his eye.

"Look...he needs an ambulance...!"

Martha's thoughts were beginning to crystallize at increasingly high speed....but the guy showed no sign at all of hurrying to alert the emergency services.....

Sally drummed the dashboard of her car with growing frustration as the phone at Leah's house continued to ring without being answered.

"I can't BELIEVE there's no-one there Pippa ! "- she shared her annoyance with the fast-growing tot, smiling amiably out from the car seat at the back and relieving her own tension at the growing drama by sucking her thumb,

Sally could afford no such relaxed view of events, and when the phone went dead - unknown to her hung up on the word of the excitable Sergeant Harper - she new the onus had passed squarely to her to clarify what she was convinced was a far less than normal situation.

She'd managed to make a u-turn in the car less than half a mile up the road and was now parked on the same side of the kerb as the small boarding house where she'd been so surprised to observe the faces of VJ and Amanda around ten minutes previously.

Inside - events were hotting up. Amanda had at first dismissed as nonsense VJ's claim to have seen Sally passing by, but when Ryan confirmed the story by adding he'd recognized Sally's car, the creative corner of her scheming and role-playing mind immediately gathered steam.

Quickly gathering the two boys together, she announced to lusty youthful cheers that she was taking them on a Mystery Tour, and it was the work of a few minutes to gather together their few belongings that were present and be turning the car out through the gate of the cramped car-park at the rear of the property.

Outside, Sally was still weighing the dilemma of her own next course of action - and was within seconds of missing the sight of Amanda's car sweeping past as she stretched back from giving Pippa's bottle a quick top-up of milk in response to a persuasively gurgled request.#

But she DID see it, and so began a cat and mouse chase, Sally hanging back a little in order not to reveal her presence before absolutely neccessary.

Amanda was churning thoughts over in her mind as she pressed her foot steadily down on the gas and headed towards the inter-state intersection. So Leah was sending Sally to spy on her, was she ?? Well she'd show HER - BOTH of them in fact - what had Dan ever seen in her - well she'd show them - if they thought ....

The right turn she'd been attempting with perilously little margin for error was interrupted starkly and suddenly by the sickening crunch of one huge mass of metal tearing into another at speed.

The road had been mercifully quiet at that time and when Sally's car shot to a stunned halt just minutes later, the first thing she observed sent her shock level escalating at high speed- the driver of the white van Amanda had hit was slumped unresponsive over his steering wheel - Jesse McGregor had picked a bad moment to make his spontaneous

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