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The Dark Side

Guest WYN100

By Guest WYN100
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WYN100 Member

WYN100

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**PART SIX

"You ARE going to tell me she's alright, aren't you Steve ?? ". Rachel looked ready to drag the hoped-for assurances out of Doctor West's mouth if necessary, as she clenched Tony's hand with a grip that threatened to stem the bloodflow to his fingers. For his part, the father shared every fraction of her concern for how Megan was faring, but at the back of his mind were gnawing away the dual question-marks of who exactly had sent that ghoulish text- and why !! - plus the stubbornly elusive nature of Jack, especially on a day such as this !.

The doctor began with " Well Megan is stable at the moment....." - a phrase impatiently waved away by Rachel as being an "in the know" medical cliche of the "doing all we can" variety she'd bawled Julie out for not fifteen minutes earlier.

Holding his hand up in gentle self-defence West continued "..but the problem is...."Rachel's blood ran cold as she knew the diagnosis was now entering a more realistic and in all probability far more unpalatable phase.

She listened intently as he continued "we've managed to cleanse the majority of the drug from Megan's system.."

"Only the majority ?" interjected Tony

"yes but some of it's reached her liver...."

Combined gasps fron Tony and Rachel

"..and as you know, that drug can have a very bad effect on that organ- in the short term I'm wholly confident it won't do any damage, but as her liver's so very young and still developing, no-one can truly say what may happen if it remains there..." He paused, drew a deep breath and went on..."My favoured option would be a small surgical procedure so we can one hundred per cent clean the whole thing out and by doing so rule out the chance of any further problems whatsoever.."

"Steve - by small surgical procedure, you mean operation, don't you...?"queried a stunned Rachel.,her voice hoarse with emotion.

West nodded slowly, adding..."and of course for that, I need booth your consent on the form..."

Rachel and Tony exchanged glazed glances, their next move seeming a frozen and mutual hundred miles or more away....

The likelihood of the Nippers ever getting their wished-for poles and beach volleyball net had receded almost to the realms of fantasy as the already tension-ridden four-way gathering at the Caravan Park main house had broken up in disarray following the cellphone call that Belle had received.

Outside, Alf and Miles, who'd been delayed by the need to head down the path and dozens of yards along the main road to retrieve boxes of 400 hundred best Chipolatas needed for the juniors' sausage sizzle after the Yabbie Creek Butcher's van had broken down were greeted by a sight the reverse of which they'd been expecting to see. Their carefully sweetened-up assistants for the day were both heading out out of the main house at a swift velocity.

Leading the way was Aiden , as if competing for an Olympic speed walking medal, having expressed his intention to the earlier assembled company that he was going to "go to that hospital and rearrange flamin' Shayne's tonsils with his fist" in the search to find out why his father was back within what he considered to be an unacceptably close vicinity to the Bay. Belle's taut reminder that the reason he was IN hospital was because of a bad beating had cut no ice and off the athlete had forged in seemingly unstoppable mode.

With a despairingly apologetic glance at Annie and Jai she called "Aiden, wait...!!" She may just as well have called "Aiden , stop and buy me a white Ferrari F365 on your way, could you..?" His mind was made up. Even so, she raced after him to the speediest of her ability, stopping only to repeat the shrugged shoulder gesture to the red-faced, perspiring and now wholly perplexed duo of Mr Stewart, both doing their best to carry crammed sausage boxes.

Alf's by now distant "Strike me round, what the flamin hell's going on, that's what I'd like to know...!" merely hung in the air behind her as her lungs began to tire in the vain pursuit of her volatile and information-seeking boyfriend, rapidly disappearing over the horizon in his full-blooded and unswerveable planned destination of the hospital.

As futility of her pursuit descended upon her, she mechanically began to assume the moral high ground, to which she ascended via a conveniently short mental ladder.She began the 'hand washing' process , saying to herself as she slowed down and stalked along the beach path towards "Waves" to do the shift she'd been called in for "IF he wants to go BLUNDERING into that hospital shouting the odds and getting himself thrown out then FINE !! .....and IF he wants to attack a guy already beaten up then FINE, but don;t let him think he can...WHOOA -that panicked cry came as Belle was passing one of the old boatsheds when an arm had shot out and jerked her into the little side clearing alongside where a car was parked very tight with the engine running, as her mobile phone was pulled from her pocket she was shoved h her confusion to seeed into the passenger seat, heard the four doors click remotely locked, and as the vehicle moved away she turned from her confusion to see.....Gavin, her former nemesis and sworn enemy from her days at the local paper -over embarrassing Martin Bartlett and Miles over the early Melody situation and more. Getting in hastily he said "don;t scream, please don;t... I know what you think of me, but there's something I just HAVE to show yoú and tell you about- you..ah...WILL thank me for it..." Belle's square-set jaw and burning eyes gave every indication she did NOT agree with him...

"So Aiden's father was beaten up.....?"....."And Shayne was eating a ranch-burger...?" An increasingly bemused and flustered Miles was striving manfully to decipher the true story that clearly did lie beneath the rising cacophony being caused by Jai and Annie, but so far with very little success.

A bellowed "Flamin Nora !!" from Alf eventually cut through the rising tide of noise pollution, as a red-faced Mr Stewart desperately attempted to build a fence of order around the surging tide of chaos that was threatening to get out of hand. Suddenly becoming aware that his newly-and self-appointed role as keeper of the peace was a little compromised by the fact he was still carrying a large box of sausages hastily and with no little relief dumped the relevant semi-offending carton rather noisily to the floor, then, giving the kind of groan adults of a certain age emit when they need to straighten up from a stooped position of any kind, declared with feeling " Holy Mo it's enough to turn a bloke to drink ! First the two galahs who said they were going to give a man a hand with the Nippers go dancing off down the path like Arthur and Martha - now this other pair start practising like they're taking part in a town crier's competition !!"

Then, as the two teenagers looked towards hin as if intending to stage a repeat performance with mouths poised open ready for the purpose he pointed very firmly towards Annie and demanded " Now how about you and YOU alone bring us up to speed young lady and keep it SHORT - I could do with a cold beer like a husky needs a hot dinner ! So go on Missy, spill...."

Annie drew a deep breath, then - to her credit- gave a largely unfussy and accurate account of how events had unfolded, leaving Alf and Miles exchanging head-scratching glances and Mr Stewart declaring with some gratitude "Well there is ONE thing to be grateful for at least "

"What's that, Mr Stewart ?" enquired Jai who was struggling to see quite which element he was referring to..

" Well this place ain't going on TV for "Australia's flamin noisiest House any time soon after all !!" Their polite giggles turned to more strident peals of laughter as the loud chime of the phone bell interrupted the conversation. Alf clapped a hand over both ears as he exclaimed desperately "Hogan's ghost, what flamin' next ??"

"Want me to get it Alf ?" offered Miles, Alf declining with a shake of the head before picking up " Summer Bay Caravan Park, Alf Stewart speaking ...what. mate ?... Jack ??- no, I haven't seen your Dad today, but Jack...hey, what's that noise,,,,?? " As the line went dead, a morning which had brought seemingly every last variety of puzzled and astonished expressions to the room they were in suddenly discovered a few more, just for good measure...

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**PART SEVEN

It had been a long, arduous and gnawingly stressful night for Rachel and Tony - after a long, heart-searching conversation with Steve West, they'd finally made the very marginal.decision to approve the delicate liver surgery on baby Megan, figuring on balance it was preferable to some unknown quantity of a class A drug swimming around and possibly doing who knew what damage to her system as she grew up - but that wasn't to say they'd signed the consent form with major trepidation and foreboding, nor that they'd both spent a night racked with fear and gut-wrenching uncertainty over what may lay ahead for their precious treasure. They spent the night locked in a surreal mixture of floor -pacing and a virtual paralysis of sitting on whatever chair they'd found themselves.

One o'clock slipped into two, two wandered slowly into three - and it was just after five am when after countless false alarms of doors creaking and banging, Dr Steve West emerged into the waiting area. His face was understandably creased with the rigours of the night's surgery - his hair tousled and damp with perspiration - but as Rachel and Tony rose as one from their respective seats, stomachs hurtling south in unison, a smile slowly spread across the surgeon's face, and he slowly raised his right thumb in triumph.

As Rachel and Tony shared the most spontaneous of hugs, her knees almost buckling beneath her with relief, West informed them how the tortuously slow process of flushing out the baby's liver and bloodstream had been achieved with 100 per cent success - his apologies for the length of time it had taken were waved away by the joyful parents, who were told that due to infection risk, their only view of Megan could be through the ward viewing window, but after going home and getting some sleep they'd be able to see her and holder later on in the already dawning day.

Out in the car park, Rachel was almost reluctant to let go of the almost permanent hug in which she'd held Tony since getting their good news, but after yet another exchange of soulmate kisses who'd been through a class A trauma, they got into the car with Tony preparing to drive- instinctively thinking of road rules and handing Rachel his cellphone without thinking - a move he was soon to regret.

The stress of the evening had partially driven the weird and macabre text message he'd received earlier in the evening from his mind - his priority now to firstly unearth Jack's whereabouts , then for himself and Rachel to share somme much-needed quality time after all that had gone on. D espite her fatigue , R achel chattered happily as they approached home, "Didn't Steve and the guys do an awesome job ! Ican't WAIT to see Megan later and give her SUCH a big hug...."

Tony nodded in happy agreement and it was only when his text alert sounded from the dashboard shelf where Rachel had placed it for safety that e vents began to unravel.Reaching the phone down, Rache l first noticed and read t he message Tony had failed to clear from the front window after his latest nocturnal attempt to work out who'd sent it - - -

"HaPPY holiDAYZ TONy and RAChel !!!", - turning to Tony she managed a "Tony, what the hell....",

but it was when she cleared away that message and read the new one that had given the fateful alert that their joy of the recent minutes at Megan's recovery became well and truly diluted - replaced by a fresh chill blast of uncertainty and bewilderment...

Crouched low in a warehouse doorway where he'd positioned himself to make the mobile call to the Caravan Park , Jack lept like a startled deer at the sharp report from behind him, dropping the phone as he did. Twisting round as cautiously as he could, he felt a mixture of combined initial relief and subsequent annoyance rise within him as he saw NOT one of the shady criminal fraternity he'd expected - but instead Charlie Buckton, the sharp slamming of whose car door Alf had heard in distorted form over the phone, and which had caused the nervy Jack to leap so anxiously just seconds previously.

"Charlie, what the HELL are you doing here ?" demanded Jack belligerently - "Constable Holden I could ask you the very same question !" Charlie's tone was more measured, but had an undercurrent of growing impatience with the erratic . perplexing and concerning behaviour she'd witnessed from Jack since his call back to the central Police Station that afternoon.

Jack bridled defensively in the eerie half-light that was now washing through the alley "And what do you mean by that ? " he snapped - "I'm chasing down a case like we all do 24/7 - do you go round giving me chapter and verse on all YOUR investigations ?"

"Some yes, some no - but after seeing you earlier, nail-biting, not looking me in the eye, lying.." cutting off his rising protest..."Yes, lying about your mobile phone and the car radio..." Jack looked abashed..."So I decide to follow you - and I make NO apology for that.....and what do I see ? You dashing in and out of your house, leaving the speed limit in shreds and then finally parked up in this dingy street like a cat on hot bricks - um, not the most conventional of behaviour, I'm sure you'll agree?"

Jack had lapsed into sullen silence, cemented by Charlie's no-nonsense assertion that "now - I don't know WHY it is you're in this particular salubrious street, but what's going to happen is I'll leave my car here and come with one of the guys to get it later - I'm going to drive you home- " - quelling another protest - "NO arguments, and you try refusing don't dream for a MINUTE that I wouldn't arrest you to make it happen !"

"Oh yes, and WHY exactly ?" from Jack

"Oh, behaving unpredictably in posession of a gun, failng to answer reasonable questions from an officer....need any more..?"

Mindful of what the nameless man and his trained thug had said earlier in the day, Jack didn't volunteer an answer to Charlie's questions, but after thinking for a moment or two, opened his own car while Charlie locked hers and slid into the passenger seat, jaw set firm with resentment and a strong unwillingness to inform Charlie of the pieces of the jigsaw he'd been attempting to assemble. Internally he agreed that his nerves were shredded on many fronts - but there was NO way he was about to play Charlie Buckton in on the reasons why.

She climbed in, gunned the engine, and as the car reached the main flow of traffic, she tried her first gambit "So Jack, what's the story - and can I help at all ?" He was about to repeat his blanket refusal when the 'apparently' unreliable police radio crackled to life with Fitzy's voice "Jack can you head for your dad's please ? Apparently there's been some problem with baby Megan, and they've not been able to get hold of you..."

"They're not the only ones.." murmured Charlie under her breath - but Jack, brow creased with fresh worry about the baby was already digging out his cellphone he'd again switched off after the aborted call to Alf, but on dialling the message bank, it wasn't one of Tony's many urgent enquiring messages that led the way, rather the sleek tones of the man he'd sat opposite so unwillingly earlier in the day "So Constable Holden, the voice purred....you've chosen to involve your colleagues after all in our, ah...little discussion - may need a rethink on our part on how we go forward now, I'm afraid- - ah, and , oh yes how are your charming family faring today - no that's right - YOU won't have seen thm, will you..." - as the message faded abruptly to the tiresome selection of "press button A " options, Charlies's "I'm sure Megan will be OK.." and "anyway, come on, tell me more about today..." were floating high and unheeded over Jack's freshly shellshocked head...

"You are SO going to regret this !" fumed Belle, eyes boring resentfully into the side of Gavin's face as he paused the car at the juction, looking surreptitiously around him before wheeling out onto the main coast road heading for the city.

"You just WAIT till my boyfriend finds out about this too, ..THEN you'll know all about it !!" A slightly scornful smile wandered across Gavin's face, "Oh yes, Mr hit first, think later Jeffries - exactly how is he these days ?"

"Well he's worth ten times of YOU, that's for sure !" shot back Belle, "and IF, as you say. you now want my help with something, you're not exactly going the best way about it, let me tell you that !!"

"No, no - that was - ah-wrong-of me..." backtracked Gavin, clearly with no great enthusiasm to do so - but before she detected that, hurried on again to the main reason for the current unorthodox circumstances they found themselves in.. "Now look, I know it was a very 'out there' way to do this....."

"You MIGHT say...!!" agreed Belle bitterly..

"...but since the paper sacked me over that whole Bartlett stuff, the Melody Jones thing and that kids' service on the beach cafuffle I've been bouncing RIGHT along the bottom - drink, and...well, anyway, the WORST end of things...but NOW, now I've hit on this ACE story, and if YOU can use it and somehow give ME a credit for having dug it out, it may JUST help get my head abovr water again....."

Intrigued now despite herself, Belle demanded "and WHY exactly would I want to do that- IF I'm allowed to ask ?"

He smiled again "Because Miss Taylor, I of all people know how much of an instinct YOU have for a good story, and - be honest, would you have REALLY have given me the time of day if I'd called your mobile or rocked up at your house for example ?"

Silently and grudgingly, Belle had to admit the truth of that particular statement, and even though she still resented deeply the way Gavin had gone about this, a growing itch of curiosity was beginning to develop in her mind, and by the time Gavin had squeezed the car into a less than generous-sized parking space on Yabbie Creek High Street she was assuredly ready to hear the next chapter in this aggravatingly enigmatic mystery into which she'd been pitched. Noticing with interst they were outside the state's Companies House, Gavin ushered her inside towards one aisle of documents, saying as he went, "Now you know this casino that's been proposed for the Bay...?" She nodded- it had been the subject of much heated local opposition, including the intriguing threat of Colleen and Madge Wilkins chaining themselves to the barbed wire currently surrounding the proposed site. He went on "Now of course you know how one of the candidates in the upcoming election's been dancing round whether he supports it or not.."

She broke in "Yes but isn't the trouble thhat no-one knows who's REALLY behind the thing..?"

He smiled, ready at last to develop his final 'coup de grace' - "Well they DIDN'T, that's for sure, - the signatory name it needed was Smith or Jones or some such thing, using an anonymous shelf company - BUT-I was given a tiny whisper, and I've done so much digging, this place may as well be a garden centre, I can tell you that !"

Still ready to be a hundred per cent convinced, Belle interrupted, "Look this is all very well, but unless you have a NAME , then it's just..."

He hit back "Oh I most certainly DO have a name, and I think you and the good people of the Bay are going to be VERY surprised when you find out who it is.."

She looked on, her virtual "kidnapping" squarely forgotten as she awaited Gavin's promised revelation....

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****PART 8

Gavin's expression was self-satisfied verging on smug as he took in Belle's reaction to his revelation - eyes bulging as she thumbed through the document.

"No- so it's HIM running THAT guy's campaign !! I mean, I used to go OUT with him ! - he wouldn't want that sort of place in the Bay - he just WOULDN'T !! "

"Oh WOULDN'T he then ?" responded Gavin triumphantly. " You know that digging I told you I'd been doing ? Well, he's been involved in five or six of these down the West coast - he latches onto a council candidate fighting an important seat with some big project at the heart of it -does all the PR in the community both behind the scenes and then eventually in front of them if necessary - though somehow I doubt he'll be doing much of THAT in Summer Bay, do you ?"

Belle was continuing to shake her head in disbelief.

"You know what they're calling him over Perth way?" Gavin went on - "Slick Ric, that's what - goes about in all the best designer suits, flash cars and the rest - quite the ten-years-on-yuppie"

Belle managed a smile amid her continuing disbelief , recalling Ric in his garage dungarees and work-clothes as almost his standard form of dress while in the Bay - "now that I WOULD like to see ! But where is he now, what's his next move and what can we do about it for the best ?"

"So many questions !!" came back Gavin - but the way I see it is one of two options - EITHER you try and persuade the paper to pick it up and run with it...."

"Or.....?"

"Or I know JUST the person I think I could get here to the Bay to bring him out of the shadows.....AND blow him out of the water....!"

Belle looked on, increasingly intrigued...

For the first time in 24 hours or so, Jack felt he had dome genuinely positive emotions to concentrate upon-however briefly. As Charlie stood discreetly in the background, Jack shared some moist-eyed hugs with both Tony and Rachel, though he could vaguely sense there was something of an incomplete nature to their celebrations over Megan's recovery.

That indeed seemed to be borne out as Tony took his son to one side and said quietly " Jack, don't suppose you've got a minute for me to run some thing by you ?"

He w as more than taken aback though when Jack responded " You know I would Dad, but I've got something rather pressing I need to get sorted out now- I'm really worried about Martha - I haven't been able to contact her for 24 hours or so, and I'm really starting to think something could be wrong..."

Tony's brow creased in some puzzlement "Martha, mate ? Well we saw her car parked outside Leah's an hour or so back when we came back from the hospital, so I'm sure she's fine - you two maybe just got your wires crossed or something ? Now, like I say, any chance I could ask you about....."

But his son's demeanour had suddenly become newly re-energized by the news he'd just received. Almost physically pushing past his father, Jack threw over his shoulder a directionless "Yes dad, sure, we'll have to catch up.." and re-joined Charlie at the door. They'd come to Tony and Rachel's house via a route that hadn't included passing Leah's house, so Jack was thirsting to discover just what it meant.As they swept out of the door, Tony turned to a still-concerned Rachel and spread his arms wide in a "What more could I have done ?"-type gesture.

The trip to Leah's in Charlie's car was not one high on conversation, and it was a distinct relief to her when they arrived at Leah's. On the one hand he was pleased he hadn't bowed to Charlie's questioning by giving her details of the day he'd just experienced, particularly the shock of the person he thought he'd seen in a car outside the house where he'd been held the previous afternoon, but on the other all he wanted to do was locate and talk to his wife.

Sprinting up the path he barely acknowledged Leah who was busy putting out scraps for the birds, and entered the main living room to see VJ entertaining Jake with a mobile of various aeroplanes as he sat in his high chair. Jack smiled momentarily as he saw his son, who gurgled happily back in response to his father's "hey buddy, how we doing ?"

His features darkened again momentarily as he remembered one of his chief quests and called "Martha !!" before noticing she'd entered quietly from the bedroom area, standing with arms folded and wearing a distinctly disapproving expression.Sighing with relief, Jack moved towards her saying "Martha I can EXPLAIN -you know that call I got - well, "

Raising the palm of one hand to cut him off, Martha replied acidly " save it Jack, I just don't want to KNOW any more .....!" Pickig up on her tone, the frowning duo of Leah and Charlie that had gathered at the main door dispersed outside, leaving Jack to continue "You see Martha , I'm on the trail of this REALLY big..."

Martha cut in icily once more " Like I said Jack, I really don't want to hear anything more about it...yesterday was meant to be your day OFF, I'd planned a lovely treat for us all - including YOUR SON - by the way Jack, do you know how old he is ? Nearly three, that's how old - night after night the only person he sees is ME ! I'm utterly sick of doing the police grass widow thing - that's why I had to come see Leah - someone who'll actually LISTEN to how I'M feeling instead of galloping off at the first ring of the telephone bell..."

From amidst a perplexed face Jack said slowly " So..so what exactly are you saying Martha..?"

Her voice laced with just a touch of accumulated disdain, she responded " Well you work it out, Constable , - I'm saying I want a divorce, that's what..."

Reeling from the words now echoing around in his ears as if their mission was to haunt him, Jack realized that among all the bizarre and shocking events that had visited him over the last 48 hours or so, none had possessed the ability to kick the stuffing from within him than this one....

Aiden had set off for the hospital with nothing but information-seeking of the full-on variety in mind. Whatever the state of Shayne's injuries, he told himself he wasn't bothered - if that was the one source of discovering the latest set of rubbish that his useless drop-kick of a father was now up to, then that was just how it would have to be. But as the hospital building itself loomed into view, a whisper of wiser counsel from the recesses of his mind began to make itself heard. If he stormed in there grabbing the limbs of a recently 'beaten up' patient. the chances were that he'd only attract the kind of negative attention that would see he himself getting thrown out on his ear by the in-house security staff, with a greatly diminished chance of ever being able to return.

So instead, when he arrived at the building he made a strategic visit to the hospital shop to buy some grapes. These of course werent.t from any great regard for Shayne's situation or state of health, but more in the way of an apparently defence mechanism should he be stopped or queried while making his way along any of the corridors.

Next he hung around the main admissions desk he hoped as unobtrusively as possible, then when the on-duty clerk was called away to what he presumed was an internal call in the back room, he swiftly employed the device so beloved of written information eavesdroppers and downright nosey parkers the worlg over, twisting his neck across the desk so as to be able to read the otherwise upside-down admissions register from a more legible position. He even had the time and

temerity to flip over one page - but with great reward, as it told him Mr S Anderson who'd been admitted the previous evening was now residing in room number 37. Punching the air in silent triumph he set off towards room 37, idly wondering as he went which programme he'd remembered watching as a kid where the guy so often said "I love it when a plan comes together !" - because that was JUST how he was feeling right now. He was almost regretting buying the grapes right now, because he reached his destination unchallenged, entering and closing the door behind him with careful precision. Placing the grapes on the room's trolley table, he was aware of Shayne turning over in bed to face him, a look of not altogether welcome surprise on his reddened and bruised features.

Shayne had only noticed Aiden with a passing brief employee-customer interest level since starting work in "Waves" so amid his already blurred thought processes was failing to understand why this guy should be standing at his hospital bedside, face sporting a decidedly less than jovial look.

Aiden cut short his weakly questioning "Whaa....?"

by grabbing his bandaged right forearm and stating tersely "Now look mate, we can either do this the easy way - - or the other way - you get where I'm coming from ? " It was far from clear that Shayne actually DID, but what both had failed to notice for various reasons in the intervening minute or so was the door being quietly opened and a voice cutting across their dialogue and demanding "Would someone mind telling me exactly what the HELL is going on in here...?" The intervention was received with vastly differing emotions by the two sets of ears currently in the room......

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dee83 Member

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Great so far but I think Jack needs to do quick to save his marriage cause if not hes going going to lose the woman he loves and his child and I don`t think he`ll want that because everyone can see how much they love each other,he needs to cut down on work and be with his family

Update Soon

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