LESSONS - A PAUL PURPLE STORY

BY CORNER GHOST
cornerghost@hotmail.com

[ part 3 ]

�Another day another victim!� Alan said just for the hell of it.

�No Bob, another day another chance to prove yourself.� I told him, across from me Isabel nodded her head. �This was part of your original problem, you�re too sure of yourself and so you got careless. What�s the word Chris?� I called to the driver; I�d been training with this team for the past week and had got to know them.

�She�s still playing with her friends; I think we�re going to have to wait for some time.� He called back.

�Alright time to get reacquainted with our target.� I said which produced a groan from all three people in the van. �Well you want to clear yourselves after Bobby don�t you?� I received glares from Isabel and Alan.

�What is our target�s name?� I asked them

�Emma Clarkson.� I received from all three and nodded.

�Why did her parents apply for her holiday?� this was something previously not passed to the collection team.

�She was interested in kidnapping and had written about a girl being kidnapped, her parents want her to feel the real thing.� Isabel said.

�Correct which means what Alan?� I asked him.

�No dart guns to cause problems!� He sighed.

�Correct, but don�t worry you�ll get them back soon.� I told him, actually he was quite an expert with the dart guns, but he had to relearn the basics.

�Your cover names while we snatch Emma?� I asked them.

�I�m Clover.� Said Isabel,

�I�m Dave.� Said Alan.

�I�m Oliver.� Chris said.

�Who am I?� I asked them.

�You�re Mr. Big.� They said and Isabel, sorry Clover, giggled.

�Just one thing bothering me �Mr. Big�� Chris, I mean Dave, spoke up.

�Yes what is it?� I said intrigued.

�Well, won�t she recognise what we�re saying as her story?� He asked

�That�s the whole point of doing it like this! She�s going to be completely scared at first, but by following her script she�ll soon understand what is happening.� I patently explained.

�She�s moving Mr. Big!� Oliver said.

�My cue to leave.� I said and opened the van door and stepped out. I was wearing a hat and a dark pair of glasses, in my hand was a white cane. I watched as the girl who was our target passed me, she took no notice of me. I then watched as the van drove off to the next point where the girl would be picked up.

I ran through an alley and then turned right, along another side road to emerge at a park, I negotiated my way through it to arrive at the gates just as Emma was approaching, I waved my stick and started to walk to the edge of the sidewalk.

�Please sir, wait!� The girl was as kind as her story. She took my arm and carefully guided me over the road just in front of a white van; she placed me on the sidewalk and went to walk away.

�Please young lady, you�ve been so very kind to me, I have something for you.� I said producing a red rose from my pocket. She looked at it slightly puzzled, behind her the van had stopped and a door opened.

�Where did you get that?� She asked me.

�Don�t you like Roses, it�s a lovely fragrance.� I said bringing the petals to my nose. While she was watching me two people got out of the van and went either side of her. I pushed the rose to her face and she leaned back.

Immediately Dave covered her face with a large black bag while Clover grabbed her arms and they both pulled her back into the van, surprisingly she didn�t scream but allowed this to happen.

I followed them into the van where Emma was now seated with her hands tied behind her with a plastic tie. Her legs were also tied in the same manner.

�Not to fast Oliver!� I said as the van pulled away, a glance through the windows showed that nobody had noticed anything, at least we weren�t being followed by the police.

�Yes sir, Mr. Big.� Oliver said politely. Underneath the bag Emma gave a small giggle.

I tapped her leg, �Quiet young lady, you should know you�re in trouble.�

�Yes Mr. Big.� Emma said.

�She knows your name Sir.� Clover said.

�Of course she did Clover because that idiot Oliver told her, yes what is it Dave?� I said.

�But sir you�ve told her our names as well, she can tell them who we are!� He said smiling as he was following the set script.

�Confound it I can�t be responsible for everything you know!� I said. And watched as, while Emma was relaxed, Isabel gave her the injection that would keep her unconscious until we arrived at Ropeville.

----

We waited for the drug to take effect, Emma�s deep breathing and limp wrists were evidence of that, before taking off the bag to check that she was okay.

�And that way team your target � note Alan she is a target not a victim � is relaxed by your knowledge of her likes and dislikes use them to your advantage.

�Wasn�t it risky out in the open like that? What if somebody saw us?� Alan asked.

�That�s why this is a rented van and we�re changing over to our van shortly, the home team will clean up the van and return it to the rental company, while we�re on our way back to base. Simple and effortless. Also I took care to ensure that nobody else was around, the van blocked any views from the park and our quickness also helped.� I explained.

This was a new item I�d suggested, whereas the normal pickup van was used for surveillance when the actual snatch was to take place a local group would hire a new van for our use, then we�d swap back to the Ropeville van and then drive back.

�So what is your opinion of us now Mr. Purple?� Isabel asked me.

�I think you�ll be fine now and I�ll report that to base as soon as I get there.� I said smiling. A smile that remained on my face as the dart penetrated my leg and darkness fell.

----

�Wakey wakey Paul, time to get up and home.� The woman�s voice brought me to my senses the �thwump thwump� of the roto-blades told me that I was in the helicopter I opened my eyes.

Elizabeth was smiling at me. �Thank you for your help.� She said.

I shook my head to remove the last of the cobwebs that were still hiding there. �What is it about you people, just when I�m having a good time you knock me out!� I said smiling.

�I�m sorry Paul but Isabel was under orders, as soon as you were happy with the team she was to put you under and you�d be brought back here. We�ve packed all your stuff and it�s outside the helicopter. By the way did you consider the chips for Pauline and Billie-Jo?� She said.

�I�m still not sure about Billie-Jo, but I think Pauline might need one, if only to let me know where she�s hiding.� I smiled to show I wasn�t too serious.

�Paul, you know you�ve forgiven her, just remember the breathing exercises. Now let�s get you up and started on your way.� Elizabeth pulled me out of the seat and onto the ground. A sledge-like affair held onto my luggage � presents for the girls and some new clothes that would fit Alice � and when I gave a tug it moved easily with me.

I opened the door to my house expecting a mess, but I was happy to see everything was neat and tidy, except the door to the basement was open. I closed and locked the front door. I placed the sledge into my study and checked the monitor screen, Billie-Jo was swinging her legs . . . yes she would have the cast off by now . . . and talking to Pauline, and Alice . . . wasn�t in the basement at all!

I went out of the study intent on going down to the basement to find out what had happened to Alice when I heard a noise from the kitchen. I went in there to find Alice cooking some vegetables and working on some beef. She looked up when I entered the kitchen and dropped the knife.

�Master Paul, You�re back!� She screamed out and dropped to her knees.