Without You I Have Nothing (81 page)

_{Disdainfully the doctor looked
around the room. "Your surgeon dares tell me I am no doctor?  He is a
surgeon from what third rate Asian university where education is a matter of
attending a semester's lectures. As for cruelty, that's a figment of the
imagination. I..."}

_{Furious but holding his emotions
in check the RSM held up his hand and stopped the litany of arrogance. "This
fool thinks the training in the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh is
inferior to his education. Anything else to say, Doctor?}

_{"Whatever was done was at
Dingo's insistence. Therefore, none of us is guilty of any crime. Your problem
is with Dingo."}

_{Snarling the RSM replied. "Obviously
you did not listen earlier when I said such an excuse was unacceptable. Not
once on any DVD we have studied does Dingo order any one of you to commit the
atrocities you so lovingly enjoyed inflicting on the girls."}

_{His next words were so icy and so
frightening that Elizabeth took a deep breath, closed her eyes and tried to
control her thoughts.}

_{"Remove his shirt, remove the
blouses from the other two."}

_{Three fine lines of blood followed
the swift flick of three Kukris and three pieces of clothing fell from the
prisoners' shoulders. The guards led three crying, sniveling wretches out of
the shed.}

_{"Bring the remaining
prisoners!”  The RSM seemed intent on hastening the end of the proceedings.}

_{Even at the point of a Kukri,
Dingo and Pretty Boy arrogantly strolled into the arena.}

_{Jennifer leapt to her feet and
pointing at Dingo, shrieked, "Kill him!  He had Peter murdered!”  Then,
indicating Pretty Boy, she screamed, "Kill him too!  He murdered Peter. The
bastard boasted that he'd done it!”  With flashing eyes and clenched fists,
barely able to keep still, she failed to control her anger.}

_{The shearing shed erupted once
again. The girls shouted at Jennifer, "Peter's not dead. He rescued us. He's
not dead. Jennifer, wake up!  Peter's alive."}

_{In her confusion, Jennifer began
to realize that perhaps they were right but her mind refused to accept that he
was alive. 'Where is he?'  She looked around at her mother, father and brother
seeking an answer but they had none to offer.}

_{Surprisingly, Elizabeth, Eric and
Andrew remained seated, appearing calm although clinging to each other as if in
shock unable to speak. They were concerned for their daughter and sister and
the long-term effect all this would have on her if Peter did not appear this
very night.}

_{The RSM quietly restored order and
Jennifer's angry outburst died away. There was silence except for her quiet
sobs.}

_{Suddenly in the distance, they
heard the drone of a chopper. The noise became louder and louder until the
shearing shed shook with the heavy beating whirr of the chopper's blades. Obviously
the chopper had landed nearby.}

_{"He's here, he's learned to
fly.”  Jennifer sprang to her feet, shouting. Again, the RSM moved quickly. Patiently
and kindly, he seated her.}

_{He turned away from Jennifer and
no one noticed him scatter a handful of powder into the fire that immediately
exploded into wild flames. To protect their eyes, everyone turned away from the
fierce glare. When they turned back long tendrils of white smoke swirled to the
ceiling and the shed filled with acrid smoke.}

_{This white haze slowly cleared
leaving a spicy odor.}

_{Andrew was the first to react to
the pungent aroma. He looked about trying to see if the shed was on fire.}

_{It was quite some time before
anyone noticed the wizened old man sitting cross-legged on the floor at the far
side of the fire. He looked completely out of place with tribal markings on his
face and chest. Around his hips, he was wearing a sarong.}

_{Slowly, ignoring the heat he
reached across the flames extending his right hand towards Jennifer with his
palm, facing the floor. He flexed his fingers in the "Come here” Asian
fashion.}

_{Almost sleepwalking, Jennifer rose
and moved to kneel opposite the old man who tossed more powder into the fire,
which suddenly blazed again, sending more clouds of smoke billowing to the
ceiling before dying away. A sickly sweet smell filled the shearing shed.}

_{Beginning a singsong chant, he
stared into Jennifer's eyes. They did not falter before his gaze. The chant
went on and on, gathering in volume and intensity until suddenly, he stopped.}

_{No one moved.}

_{In the deathly silence that
followed, Jennifer could feel the chant hammering into her brain.}

_{Then, softly he spoke breaking the
silence. His cultured Oxford English accent stunned Jennifer's family as much
as it had shocked her back in the jungle. Her parents were dumbfounded
especially as his appearance belied his education.}

_{"Jennifer, the gods are
pleased. You have paid them in full and you never once forgot your love for
Peter. I promised you that your trial would finish when I learned to fly.}

_{"Well,” with a triumphant
smile he added, "I learned to fly and your trial is now over, never to be
repeated."}

_{"What a fairy story.”  Pretty
Boy spoke up. "Come here bitch and kneel and do what you've been taught to
do. Then have them release us and if you're quick, the punishment will be
speedy and not prolonged. Your husband couldn't do for you what I did, so get
busy and pleasure me in front of your family,” and the cruel demeaning words
tumbled from his lips.}

_{The family rose as one. The hatred
in Jennifer's eyes boded ill for Pretty Boy as she leapt to her feet. The RSM
stepped between them.}

_{"Don't dirty your hands with
this filth. He and his friends are ours.”  His grim smile and the tone of his
voice sent shivers up everyone's spine except for Pretty Boy who opened his
mouth to continue.}

_{No one saw the RSM unsheathe his Kukri
but everyone heard the sharp loud crack as the butt of the handle smashed into
Pretty Boy's jaw. He wiped the blade of the Kukri across Pretty Boy's bloody
lips ignoring his scream of agony.}

_{Pretty Boy's jaw had been broken
and he spat teeth onto the floor.}

_{"Don't ever speak to our
little Mem that way again!”  Snarling viciously, the RSM advised him. "She's
a lady and not for scum like you."}

_{Elizabeth's hands flew to her
mouth and she gulped. Eric and Andrew reeled back at the speed of the RSM's
reaction and the punishment.}

_{Jennifer's joy at the retribution
handed out to Pretty Boy immediately drew their attention. "Is that the
type of pleasure you were talking about?”  For the first time in months she was
actually laughing. "You were always keen to hand out pain, are you so keen
now to accept it?"}

_{A soft voice of authority calmed
the mayhem, "Jennifer, I have something for you. Remember in the jungle I
gave you...” and in his right hand the old man held out his section of her
incomplete serpent bracelet. "I told you when you needed me I would give
you this.”  He held out his left hand and Jennifer removed her half of the
bracelet and put it in his outstretched palm.}

_{After closely studying both halves,
he again ignored the heat of the fire, leaning across and handing her both
sections of the bracelet. "Put them together Jennifer, wear the bracelet
forever and your trial is over.”  Closing his eyes, the old man resumed his
chanting.}

_{She studied them as if trying to
remember the past events of her day in the jungle. Slowly, she intertwined one
bracelet to the other. An inner calm and strength seemed to flow through her
body, as she slid the completed bracelet onto her wrist. She looked at the old
man with tears of relief in her eyes.}

_{A cackle from the direction of the
fire took her attention. "You were saying Peter is dead?  Is he now? 
What, this scum kill ‘The Little One’?  I really don't think so. Jennifer, come
around here and kneel beside me.”  He waited for her to settle beside him
before continuing. "Now stare into the fire and concentrate on your
husband. He's been patiently waiting for this moment for a long, long time.” 
The old man again threw a handful of powder onto the fire and sweet perfumed
smoke filled the shearing shed.}

_{On her knees and staring silently
into the fire, Jennifer waited patiently for the old man to speak again. Then
slowly she became aware of the warmth of a presence beside her and looked up. Shocked,
yet overjoyed, she staggered to her feet as she recognized Peter in his Major's
uniform flanked by Gurkhas standing beside him.}

_{Screaming, "Peter!”  She
flung herself into his arms.}

_{Pretty Boy tore his arms loose
from his guards then gurgled through his broken jaw, "You're so brave with
your toy soldiers. Are you brave enough to face me without their
assistance?"}

_{Peter barked an order and the
guards fell back against the wall dragging Dingo with them.}

_{Andrew shivered as he heard
Peter's words to the family. "Everyone stay still. This fool is mine.” 
Horrified by the vehemence of the words the family remained silent.}

_{Gently Peter passed Jennifer to
the RSM.}

_{Believing that Peter would be no
match for his street brawling tactics Pretty Boy, lunged. Peter didn’t seem to
move. In fact, all he did was laugh as he seized Pretty Boy's fist. With a
quick wrench, he bent the wrist back with one hand, then chopped at the wrist
with the other.}

_{A shriek of pain met the sound of
the sudden smack and Pretty Boy, unbelieving, looked down at his right hand
dangling uselessly from the end of his arm. Peter had smashed his wrist.}

_{Saying nothing Peter reached for
Pretty Boy's left arm and repeated the treatment.}

_{Pretty Boy was ashen and his eyes
were rolling in torment but Peter still had more punishment for this criminal
who had used Jennifer so cruelly.}

_{In agony, Pretty Boy sank to the
floor.}

_{Not content with the damage he had
inflicted Peter delivered a second series of chops. He crushed both ankles and
Pretty Boy passed out from the pain.}

_{Loud whimpers from Elizabeth
showed her horror at the apparent cruelty.}

_{Eric enfolded her in his arms. "This
sadistic bastard was the main cause of Jennifer's horrendous problems. Nothing
is cruel when dealing with him,” he quietly reminded her.}

_{Unaware of the night's forthcoming
events Andrew could only wish that he was handing out the punishment. His anger
at seeing Jennifer's tormentors at such close quarters was almost too much to
bear.}

_{Still being constrained by the
RSM, Jennifer struggled to assist Peter to destroy this man who had ruled her
life in the past weeks.}

_{At a nod from Peter, one of the
guards threw a bucket of cold water over Pretty Boy who lay staring into the
hatred in Peter's eyes. "Not so brave now eh, stupid?  I thought you
wanted to fight me. On the other hand, is inflicting pain on women more your
style?  No matter!”  Peter taunted Pretty Boy as he stood over him.}

_{"What did I say to you the
night you drugged Jennifer at the party then danced with her at the edge of the
pool?  I threw you in the pool and warned you that anyone who touched Jennifer
was a dead man. I told you what would happen and you didn't listen. Well,
tonight I hope you and your friends are ready to enjoy your sojourn in
hell."}

_{A loud gasp from Jennifer at these
revelations reminded Peter that she was unaware of all the events of that
evening in Hunters Hill.}

_{Peter grunted an order. The RSM
returned Jennifer to Peter's arms before assuming command of the proceedings. "Dingo
and Pretty Boy, you are both guilty by virtue of the crimes committed by your
underlings. We have hours of DVDs, which prove your guilt. Have you anything to
say?"}

_{Pretty Boy could only groan in
agony and arrogantly Dingo spat, "Who are you to say I'm guilty?"}

_{"Take them away. We've heard
enough!”  The RSM had lost his patience.}

_{Ignoring the moans of Pretty Boy
the Gurkhas under the command of the RSM dragged the two prisoners from the
room. The last to leave was Dingo whose foul diatribe died away when he felt a
naked blade touch his throat and heard a hoarse whisper of "Silence.”}

_{Holding Jennifer tightly against
him Peter turned to her family. "I don't believe any of you should witness
the rest of the night unless you have a strong stomach for slaughter. I
consider your place is with Jennifer and with my dear friend here. I'll return
in an hour or so, and I'm ensuring the court’s wishes are carried out."}

_{Carefully he transferred his
special love to the arm of her father, lightly kissing her and promising to
return quickly. "Perhaps when I return to the house tonight The Little One
will rest in peace forever."}