crying in shock. Jonathan managed to pick him up and handed
him to Olivia. Their eyes met. “You had better come with me,” she said, walking
towards the stairs.
“What? Up into your private
and personal sanctum?” said Jonathan sarcastically. “I don’t think so.”
“Look, I have some bandages and antiseptic cream up there. I cannot have you in the shop dripping blood. Can I?”
“Okay,” said Jonathan and meekly followed her up into the kitchen. Eli meanwhile started to tidy up.
They sat at the round kitchen table in silence as Olivia found the
antiseptic cream and plasters. She took
a wet sponge and cleaned the bite wounds from his arm and chest, dried them on
a towel and then added the cream and plasters. In all Jonathan had been lucky, the force of the dive must have winded
the dog and no bite was deep.
Olivia kept on trying to say something and Jonathan did not make it
easy. Finally she thanked him for saving
Ben.
“No problem” he replied, flashing her his best
winning smile. This time it only
irritated her a bit.
Life after that became easier. Olivia was still the boss but she did not give Jonathan such a hard time
and he found himself looking forward to his days in the shop. It was different but familiar and he felt his
mother would approve of what was going on.
Chapter 9
The Deal
John Sea’s immaculate 1962 Bentley pulled up alongside the Embankment,
three hundred yards from Big Ben, the home of the UK’s Government and the
centre of London’s power. It was a
beautiful evening with the sun still trying to shine and a small breeze
bringing the smell of the Thames to him as he walked towards the boat. As it was such a lovely evening there was
quite a few people strolling about but he soon realized what a great place this
was to meet as it was busy but the pavement was wide and not crowded and there
was plenty of room for a private conversation.
He looked back and a large black Mercedes pulled up behind his car. It had black, tinted privacy glass and
diplomatic flags flying on both wings. These
basically allowed it carte blanch in the London streets, able to park wherever
the driver wanted. Sir Thomas got out. He was over six feet tall with a mop of grey,
swept back hair, a navy blue suit with white pinstripes and a crisp, white
shirt. With a red tie and scrubbed face to
complete the look, he appeared to all the world like a
politician and, in some ways, he was.
He walked over to John. “How
are you my dear friend?” he said with a wide warm smile. He shook John’s hand then took his arm. “Let’s go for a short walk, shall we?”
As he stepped forward two large men in dark suits detached
themselves from the Embankment wall fifty feet in front of them. John knew fifty feet behind there would be
two more men and on the other side of the road six more men would be strolling
along seemingly placed at random but forming in all a classic secure box
formation.
On the high rise buildings opposite on the other side of the Thames
where they had a clear view, snipers would be following every move with spotters
looking at all the roads leading down to the river and sweeping the area for
any danger. The black Mercedes would
also be cruising along behind for a quick getaway, the diplomatic flags allowing
it the freedom to creep along one of the busiest stretches of road in London.
“I have a problem which I need you to solve for me,” said Sir Thomas.
“Oh,” said John. “What is
it?”
“Well, since your time with us you would have heard of The Firm?”
John nodded.
“And you would also of heard of its creator
and mentor, the so called Grey Man?”
“Oh yeah, I have heard of him and his two friends. They cost me a lot of money last year,”
replied John.
“Well, The Firm has got much bigger recently with a very wide and
dangerous scope and I feel it
him to Olivia. Their eyes met. “You had better come with me,” she said, walking
towards the stairs.
“What? Up into your private
and personal sanctum?” said Jonathan sarcastically. “I don’t think so.”
“Look, I have some bandages and antiseptic cream up there. I cannot have you in the shop dripping blood. Can I?”
“Okay,” said Jonathan and meekly followed her up into the kitchen. Eli meanwhile started to tidy up.
They sat at the round kitchen table in silence as Olivia found the
antiseptic cream and plasters. She took
a wet sponge and cleaned the bite wounds from his arm and chest, dried them on
a towel and then added the cream and plasters. In all Jonathan had been lucky, the force of the dive must have winded
the dog and no bite was deep.
Olivia kept on trying to say something and Jonathan did not make it
easy. Finally she thanked him for saving
Ben.
“No problem” he replied, flashing her his best
winning smile. This time it only
irritated her a bit.
Life after that became easier. Olivia was still the boss but she did not give Jonathan such a hard time
and he found himself looking forward to his days in the shop. It was different but familiar and he felt his
mother would approve of what was going on.
Chapter 9
The Deal
John Sea’s immaculate 1962 Bentley pulled up alongside the Embankment,
three hundred yards from Big Ben, the home of the UK’s Government and the
centre of London’s power. It was a
beautiful evening with the sun still trying to shine and a small breeze
bringing the smell of the Thames to him as he walked towards the boat. As it was such a lovely evening there was
quite a few people strolling about but he soon realized what a great place this
was to meet as it was busy but the pavement was wide and not crowded and there
was plenty of room for a private conversation.
He looked back and a large black Mercedes pulled up behind his car. It had black, tinted privacy glass and
diplomatic flags flying on both wings. These
basically allowed it carte blanch in the London streets, able to park wherever
the driver wanted. Sir Thomas got out. He was over six feet tall with a mop of grey,
swept back hair, a navy blue suit with white pinstripes and a crisp, white
shirt. With a red tie and scrubbed face to
complete the look, he appeared to all the world like a
politician and, in some ways, he was.
He walked over to John. “How
are you my dear friend?” he said with a wide warm smile. He shook John’s hand then took his arm. “Let’s go for a short walk, shall we?”
As he stepped forward two large men in dark suits detached
themselves from the Embankment wall fifty feet in front of them. John knew fifty feet behind there would be
two more men and on the other side of the road six more men would be strolling
along seemingly placed at random but forming in all a classic secure box
formation.
On the high rise buildings opposite on the other side of the Thames
where they had a clear view, snipers would be following every move with spotters
looking at all the roads leading down to the river and sweeping the area for
any danger. The black Mercedes would
also be cruising along behind for a quick getaway, the diplomatic flags allowing
it the freedom to creep along one of the busiest stretches of road in London.
“I have a problem which I need you to solve for me,” said Sir Thomas.
“Oh,” said John. “What is
it?”
“Well, since your time with us you would have heard of The Firm?”
John nodded.
“And you would also of heard of its creator
and mentor, the so called Grey Man?”
“Oh yeah, I have heard of him and his two friends. They cost me a lot of money last year,”
replied John.
“Well, The Firm has got much bigger recently with a very wide and
dangerous scope and I feel it
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