Tag Archives: fiction

March 1, 2025 · 7:05 am

The Dog That Inherited A Palace Chapter 15

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

Lettie found Arthur in his local pub and it didn’t take her long to get the whole story. Arthur’s loose tongue had led to Tedi being kidnapped and it was now very serious as they had no idea where the little dog was. She realised, while she was talking to him, that he was very unhappy and needed help .She changed her approach.

He wanted his old job back and he knew he had blown it, she knew he meant it. Lettie needed someone to start collating the photographs and researching the archives of the House for Tedi’s biography.

” I don’t want this to have a sad ending”. Lettie said.

” Neither do I , Lettie, you’ve got to believe me, I don’t know who that man was I talked to , but you’re right , it is my fault, and I’ll do anything to get that stupid dog back, and get a job. I can’t go on living like this.” Arthur put his elbows on the table and pushed a half finished drink away from him.

OK, well , I don’t think there’s anything you can do at the moment, to be honest. I can’t say much, the less people who know the better about what is going on, but when we get him back , it’s going to be quite a story and you are a good photographer, start writing a list of the equipment you’ll need and in the meantime I’m going to send you some archive files which I want you to start collating and getting into order for the book….. oh and Tedi is not a “stupid dog” far from it. In fact ,he might just save you , if we can save him.”

This took Arthur by surprise, but he smiled; ” It’s too early for thanks but I’m not going to mess up this time.” They both stood up and gathered their things .

Lettie looked him straight in the eye. ” No , Arthur something tells me you won’t.” They left the pub and went their separate ways.

Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Napper was presenting his plan to his group of handpicked detectives. The House where they suspected Tedi was being held had been watched by a number of Crime Agencies in the past, covering drugs, and illegal dog breeding and now kidnapping. They had enough evidence to raid the place, although they could not be sure that they would get Tedi out without harming him. They wanted the little dog back safe and unharmed. Not finding him alive; was not an option ; so they would hold off until they were sure they could rescue him unharmed.

” How can we know for sure? Should someone go in undercover, maybe looking to buy a dog, or a puppy whatever?”

“Best try the internet, Facebook or whatever, then get someone to send you to the address, that ‘d be a good cover.”

“Sounds good” said Chief Superintendent Napper. ” Get on to it. First one who gets an appointment at that house, I’ll buy them a pint. You can toss who does the visit.”

By the time the detectives had done their searches and finally got the appointment, it was too late in the evening to do anything and they needed some rest. The appointment was booked for the morning. They were all pleased with the result and they made some more preparations before they went home, they had to be ready if they managed to find Tedi.

The phone rang as the Chief Superintendent picked up his car keys from his desk, it was Cross, he had received a call from the kidnappers, they wanted to arrange a meeting to hand over the money and get Tedi back.

Napper immediately said “When?”

” They want to meet on Friday, it’s Tuesday now. “

” What did you say ? I said I’d have the money by then, I want Tedi back.”

” Interesting, that’s OK. Thanks for letting us know, we’re working on something tomorrow, but to keep them sweet, we’re up for the Friday meeting. Can you text me the details of what they want and where they want to meet. I’ll update you tomorrow. “

” Great Chief Superintendent, speak to you tomorrow.” Cross felt relieved something was happening, the waiting was awful.

So Tedi spent another night in the strange house with it’s comings and goings at all hours. The little boy , whose name was Tommy, would pop into the room and bring Tedi some food and biscuits and refill his water bowl.

Tommy even managed to bring Tedi up to his bedroom at night, it seemed that the person who was supposed to be looking after him had been taken unwell from something he’d eaten or drank or worse and Tommy had been asked to look after the little dog.

Tommy was delighted and his regular visits cheered Tedi up. When Tedi followed him up the stairs to the little room at the top of the house and hopped on top of Tommy’s bed, he snuggled up to the little boy. The bed clothes smelt stale and unwashed and the boy’s bedroom was very neglected , Tedi couldn’t see any toys or books, but nevertheless Tommy found a little rag for him and Tedi to play with. Still Tedi felt safe with Tommy and he hoped Tommy felt safe with him. They both fell asleep in each others arms.

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February 27, 2025 · 6:01 pm

The Dog That Inherited A Palace Chapter 14

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

Tedi was very annoyed with himself, he had brought all this trouble on him and the House through his own carelessness. Cross had tried to tell him not to go wandering off by himself, that he was at risk of being kidnapped and now it had happened.

The first night he was there he had been let out in the garden accompanied by one of his minders, the same thing had happened the next morning. However, it had been a while since anyone had came, and there had been a lot of noise in the house. Tedi thought he heard the whining of puppies and barking of dogs somewhere but he wasn’t sure where. There were slamming of doors as well as regular arguments and men and women shouting.

Suddenly the door opened and a little boy aged about ten came in the room. He looked very uncared for and very thin and there were holes in his teeshirt and jeans. He closed the door very gently and walked up to Tedi and said.

” You alright little fellow?” and bent down and rubbed Tedi on his tummy.

Tedi looked up at him with his big eyes and gave him his paw.

” Aw you are so cute, I wish you were mine. I’ll wait until it’s clear and get you some nice biscuits and some fresh food. The door hasn’t got a lock on it , so as long as no one sees me coming in and out you and I can be friends. I can’t stay long but I’ll be back.” The little boy tickled Tedi under the chin and stood up and quietly went out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Tedi watched as the little hand of the boy closed the door gently. The little dog saw this as a ray of hope and it cheered him up.

Later that evening the little boy came in again and this time he had some kibble biscuits and half a tin of fresh dog food. Tedi had to eat it out of the tin but the little boy helped him, he gobbled up the biscuits and then the little boy poured some fresh water into one of the bowls.

” That will keep you going for a while, I’ll just take a little out at a time, they never feed the dogs enough.” He said.

Tedi looked up gratefully and held his paw out in thanks. ” I wonder how many dogs are here?” He thought to himself.

“That’s alright, they’ll be up later to take you out in the garden, I’ll be going to bed , but if you look up you’ll see my window, it’ll have the light on. I’ll make sure you’re alright little one.” Again the little boy left the room very quickly.

Tedi was amazed , who was this little boy? Sure enough, that night the man came with the slip lead and roughly dragged Tedi out to the garden. Fortunately, when they reached downstairs, he just let him go into the garden as it was totally enclosed. Sure enough Tedi looked up at the back of the building and timed it just as he took his wee. There, indeed,was a light on in the window.

Tedi counted the floors and the position. Perhaps he may visit the little boy some time, maybe not tonight, but he knew where he was. The strange man put the collar over Tedi’s head again and pulled him roughly. Tedi cooperated resentfully so as not to get hurt. He was tired and wanted to go to bed. Once he got back to the smelly , dark room, he lay on the floor and fell soundly asleep.

Unbeknown to Tedi , the Police had enough information to know the location of where he was being kept and they were watching the house.

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February 26, 2025 · 5:55 pm

The Dog That Inherited A Palace Chapter 13

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

“Hello Letitia, it’s Cross” Cross sounded grumpy and gruff.

Lettie held the phone to her ear; she had tried to get Cross to be a bit more relaxed and cheerful and recently she thought she’d cracked it , but he was back to his old ways. Then, she thought, something was wrong as she listened to the tone of his voice.

” You OK what’s the matter?”. Lettie asked.

” Tedi’s been kidnapped”.

” What?” Lettie nearly dropped the phone.

” Yes, this afternoon, he’s been taken, I haven’t heard anything yet, but I know they took him about 11am today and I know the car registration. I was wondering if you had any idea what I should do ?”.

” Good Grief, have you contacted the Police?”

” I wanted to run that by you, do you think I should? Suppose the kidnappers do something , you know if the police turned up at their door ,they might hurt him, it might make things worse. I don’t know.”

“It’s difficult , there’s bound to be a ransom demand, you’re right I don’t think they’ll harm him as long as they think they’ll get some money out of it. You say you’ve got the registration number of the car he was taken in. Here give it to me , I’ll make a few discrete phone calls and I’ll ring you back.”

Cross gave Lettie the Registration Number .

” Leave it with me I won’t be long , I’ll ring you back, for the moment we’ll keep this quiet, let me know if you hear anything.” Lettie said and hung up.

Once Cross came off the phone , a message came through from downstairs that a Parcel had been delivered and it was marked urgent. Cross ran downstairs, James had the parcel in his hand.

” Did you see who brought it ?”

” Yes it was the normal DPD Driver, is everything OK?” James asked.

” Unfortunately not, Tedi was taken at about 11am today from the village, we think he’s been kidnapped. I think this parcel might be to do with it.”

Cross and James opened the Parcel, it was just a normal sized box, all that was in it was Tedi’s collar.

” Damn, nothing else, no demand , no ransom.” Cross looked hopelessly at James.

” I’ve asked Lettie to find out what she can, I want to keep this quiet until she let’s me know what to do, we’ve got the reg number of the car he was taken in. James I need you to continue as if nothing is wrong, radio silence for the moment, try and keep everyone sweet, not asking too many questions. Do your best . I’ll keep you up to date, but for the moment if you see anything suspicious let me know.”

James nodded.

Later that evening , Lettie rang Cross.

” Police are involved but only low profile.” She said” Watts has got a friend whose high up and he’s in the process of following up on what we know so far. They reckon you’ll get a ransom demand soon. Have you heard anything?”

” We had a parcel delivered about an hour ago, DPD, a box , it had Tedi’s collar in it, no message just his collar.” Cross spoke softly.

” Right, well that’s a start, look I’ll let Watts know, I’m sure the Police will be able to track that parcel, but for the moment I don’t want the kidnappers to know we know anything about them.”

” OK, that makes sense. We’ve done what we can for the moment.”

” Yes, I’ll be over tomorrow morning, try and get some sleep. Night. ” Lettie pressed the call finished button.

Cross, put his phone down in silence and looked at Tedi’s collar and just hoped that everything would be OK.

The next day , Lettie and Watts arrived and Cross was downstairs having breakfast, the post had arrived and indeed there was a ransom letter among the post.

“If you want your little dog back send us a £1million”

“Details to follow.”

It was printed on plain printer paper with no signature, the envelope it came in was plain brown and it had some stains on it. Cross had put everything in a plastic bag , just in case there were any clues that the Police might be able to follow up on. Lettie poured herself a cup of tea and sat down at the table with Cross and Watts.

“You know, I think I’m going to find Arthur and have a word with him, I’m pretty certain this is his doing.” She placed her tea cup on the table quite forcefully, she was annoyed.

Cross looked at her. ” As long as you stay safe, if it is his doing he’s going to be mixed up with some pretty bad people. Anyway do you know where he’s living now?”

” No, but I’ve got a fair idea where I can find him this afternoon, he’ll be drinking in his local”

” Do you want me to come?” Cross said.

” Probably best not to, I think he’ll only talk to me . I won’t want to give anything away, I might have to make up a story about not been able to find some pictures I need from back in the day, I mean he probably needs money, I’ll sweet talk him, to see if he knows anything.”

” OK” Cross thought it was worth following up on and the cover story seemed credible.

“I’m going to drive over to Police HQ with the ransom letter and the collar” Watts interjected ” It’s just another part of the jigsaw. You want to come with me?”

” Yes, that ‘d be good”. Cross finished his cup of tea, he was relieved to be able to do something other than wait.

While Watts and Cross were on their way to Police HQ . The Detectives had been busy discussing their progress in one of the meeting rooms with their Chief Superintendent. The registration plate number was false, but the Police were able to trace the garage that had made the fake number plates. All number plates have a digital code on them and it was picked up by the digital camera used to take a picture of the car when it was leaving the village.

The garage that had supplied the stolen black car that the kidnappers had used had also printed the fake number plates. The black car was a very distinctive model, and with a bit of detective work , there was enough to interview under caution the owner of the garage, and he sang like a canary. Within minutes the Police had a name and an address of who had paid for the car and the number plates. They had it from on high to tread carefully so they hadn’t followed up on that yet.

When Watts and Cross arrived at Police HQ , they handed over the ransom note and the box with the collar in it to the front desk .These would be checked for DNA and any other samples that might indicate the origin. Watts and Cross were in the Chief Superintendent’s Office when he came in after his meeting with his detectives.

Chief Superintendent Napper was a good friend of Watts, they had been at school together and had kept in touch. Watts introduced Cross to Napper and the Chief Superintendent gave them an update.

“Well, that number plate has been significant. I don’t think we’re dealing with anyone very sophisticated here, my only problem is the little dog’s safety, it’ll take minutes to get in a building but seconds to dispose of the evidence. So although, we have enough information to do a raid or at least arrest someone, who to be truthful has form and has done similar things in the past. In order to achieve what we all want I’m going to tread carefully. I don’t think we’re dealing with the brightest of sparks, but I want a successful conclusion for everyone involved.”

The Chief continued. “The ransom note still doesn’t detail where the ransom is to be sent, so you’re going to hear from them again. Perhaps the next communication will tell us what our next step will be. In the meantime we’ve got a few properties in the London area that we will be watching. We know who our man is. I just need you , Mr Cross, to be calm and collected and I assure you we will get that little dog back safely.”

The Chief Superintendent opened a drawer on his desk and handed Cross a mobile phone.

” Here let me know personally anything that you hear, it’ll speed everything up.” Cross took the phone and put it in his pocket.

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February 23, 2025 · 8:36 am

The Dog That Inherited A Palace Chapter 12

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

Tedi sat in his chair in the grand living room, all his friends and sisters and brothers were spread across the room in various dog beds and baskets , some near the fire , some underneath tables. They’d all been fed, it had been a Mrs Graham’s leftover day, so they were all very happy, they had been treated to the leftovers from the café and from the staff meals and it had been delicious.

Lettie and Cross had gone out to dinner, they were an item now. The dogs had watched as boring old Cross had been smitten by Lettie, they had spent a lot of time working together and they got on so well that the dogs all knew that it was inevitable that there would be a boring “romance”. The dogs thought it was a very long drawn out process, and apparently Lettie and Cross were now engaged.

Lettie had suggested to Cross that Tedi write his memoirs, so now and then Cross would sit down with Tedi and they would write down all their adventures together. Tedi’s memory was very good , perhaps too good and they had arrived at a point in his story that was difficult for both Tedi and Cross and had stopped for the evening. It had been a relief for Tedi , when Cross told him that he had a “date” with Lettie.

So now Tedi found himself sitting in his chair with those around him he knew he could trust. There was a few missing and that was part of his story too. He couldn’t help but think back to what had happened.

It had all started with Arthur, he had really grown to hate Tedi and blamed him for losing his job with Lettie. But Lettie had decided enough was enough when after numerous warnings Arthur turned up one day drunk. It appeared he’d been spending a lot of time in the local pub and had got in with a bad crowd.

Things had gone from bad to worse for Arthur when he lost his job. He had sold all his camera gear and was a regular in the pub, so regular that he was well known and one night he was approached by a man , who wanted to know all about the “little dog “who lived in the Big House.

Of course , Arthur knew everything that the man needed to know. The layout of the house , Tedi’s routine, where he went during the day , who he went with. Despite Cross trying to make everything as secure as possible Tedi was a free spirit and liked to go out with his friends. Arthur had spent months following him around when he worked for Lettie and it wasn’t long before the stranger had a good idea where Tedi’s favourite places were.

Tedi remembered very clearly the day he was kidnapped , he’d been around to Fred’s and had stayed a while , Fred hadn’t been well and there was talk of getting a new puppy, which had worried Fred. When Tedi left him and was making his way along the high street in the village Tedi noticed the black car pull up beside him. At first he thought nothing of it , but it was when two men jumped out and tried to grab him that he realised something was terribly wrong.

Luckily , he was able to dodge out of their way and ran down the street, the two men chased him and unfortunately Tedi made a wrong turning and ended up in an alleyway which was blocked at one end. He tried to jump over the fence but it was too high and the next thing was he was bundled into a black bag and shoved into the back of a car.

” Got him” said one of the men.

” Careful, Jack, he’s worth a fortune, we’ve got to look after him.”

And so it was Tedi was brought to a secure house somewhere in London, he was left alone in a room , it was cold and he was given his food in a bowl once a day and fresh water every two or three days. The conditions were not very good. He was let out in the garden late at night and early morning , but other than that he didn’t get any fresh air or walks. The people who were in the house didn’t pay any attention to him and Tedi was very much left alone. It was a very sad time for Tedi, because there wasn’t a lot he could do.

Meanwhile back at the Palace, it wasn’t until later on that evening that Cross realised something was seriously wrong. Tedi was nowhere to be seen and none of the other dogs knew where he was. Trinnie was very upset as she worshipped Tedi, but she managed to point to Fred on one of the pictures of the “Big Show” on the wall to signal to Cross that Tedi had said he was going to visit Fred.

Cross rang Fred’s owner immediately who confirmed Tedi had been there, but had left ages ago. Cross drove over to Fred’s house and looked in the immediate area, there was no sign. However, three of the local dogs who lived near Fred came out of their houses , they had seen what happened through their windows, one of them had even managed by barking and making a fuss to get their owner to take the registration of the “suspicious car” they had seen the bad men throw the black bag in the back.

It took some time for Cross to understand what the three dogs were trying to tell him, one of them took him down the alleyway and showed where Tedi had been captured; the little dog did the actions of trying to jump over the fence , so that Cross would understand that Tedi was trying to escape and that something bad had happened to him.

The other two dogs , who both lived in the same house, got Cross to follow them home and once Cross had spoken to their owner, the realisation that Tedi had been kidnapped finally hit home . The two dogs were very excited and calmed down once the owner had passed the details of the Car registration to Cross and also there was an added benefit that the owner had seen the two men and were able to describe them. The two dogs licked the owners hand they were so happy that the owner was able to pass the information on.

The first person Cross rang was Lettie. He couldn’t handle this alone.

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February 18, 2025 · 10:43 am

The Dog That Inherited A Palace Chapter 11

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

Tedi woke up just as Cross walked across the room to take him for his walk. He hopped down from the window sill. Tedi had been enjoying his dream but he was ready to go out for a walk.

” You ready for your walk, Teds”

That’s what Cross called him now after many years, and Tedi liked it. Only Cross was allowed to call him that and only in private.

“Where do you fancy going today, hopefully that joint care is doing some good, and we might get down to the lake today. What do you say?” Cross bent down and rubbed Tedi’s head.

The joint care was working and Tedi thought that he would like to go down to the lake , but slowly.

It was early Spring and the House and Gardens were starting to look their best, the place was just coming alive with blossom and the birds singing their mating calls. Cross and Tedi walked across the lawn towards the drive and where they would go over the bridge and down to the side of the lake. They both took it slowly. Tedi sniffing the grass and the flowers, Cross waiting patiently and enjoying the surroundings. The weather certainly was improving.

” Better for my old bones ” Tedi thought to himself as he sniffed his surroundings.

They arrived at their favourite place , the bench where a long time ago they had done the photo shoot and the photographer, Arthur had fallen in the water after Tedi had persuaded him to get in the boat. That incident was funny at the time, and everyone thought Arthur had got what he deserved, but there had been consequences, which thankfully Tedi was still here to think back on.

“Revenge is not sweet” Tedi thought, and then quickly moved on as it was a nice morning and he wanted to think of happy things.

Cross had some cushions and blankets and they made themselves comfortable and sat looking at the view of the house on the other side of the lake.

Tedi settled down on the bench beside Cross , who opened his bag and took out a flask of coffee. Tedi laid his head on Cross’s knee and fell asleep.

A few minutes and he was dreaming again.

He was back at the Grand Show on day two , visiting the reptile in the main house.

The reptiles fascinated him and scared him at the same time. Tedi decided to follow Ben Needham while he was doing his rounds after all the visitors had gone. Trinnie was not impressed.

After a busy second day , Tedi accompanied Ben on his rounds to make sure all the reptile exhibits were fed and watered and their enclosures cleaned and made secure. Trinnie went off in a huff with the other dogs to stay in the accommodation that had been set up in the Orangery for them. Trinnie had seen the three green tree pythons wrapped around the branches of a tree in their vivarium and that was enough for her. She was not going with Tedi, she was going to be safe in the Orangery.

Ben told Tedi to stay close and do what he said. Tedi and Ben started at the ground floor and worked their way up. The first enclosure they came to was the “Aldabra Giant Tortoise” which needed to be fed special grasses and herbs which Ben replenished along with fresh water and some more hay which they could eat or use for bedding. He brushed the inside of the enclosure and checked the temperature and the humidity. All was well so they moved on.

The next exhibit was a big glass tank which contained a Green Anaconda, now this was scary, it was a big tank and all Ben had to do was to turn off the lights in the tank, thankfully, the care notes for the snake said that it had been fed a week ago with some dead rabbits , so Ben didn’t need to open the top , he just checked that the lid was secure and turned off the lights after checking the water filters and heating was working. Tedi looked at the anaconda while Ben completed his tasks, Tedi shivered, and just before the lights were turned off , it stared at him. It was very scary, but Ben had did his checks and the snake wasn’t going anywhere.

The next exhibit was the Diamondback Rattlesnake, Ben looked at the notes and the snake would need to be fed. So he took some dead frozen mice out of the bag he was carrying and got ready to drop them in the tank. He had to open it from the top and this did disturb the two snakes within, who made loud rattling noises to warn any predators off, this again frightened Tedi and he moved away from the glass and waited at a distance for Ben to finish. Once the Rattlesnakes had saw the mice they moved towards them and devoured them.

“They must have been hungry” Tedi thought and gulped. Perhaps Trinnie had been right , this was all very frightening, but he couldn’t go back , he had to stay with Ben.

There were lots of lizards, chameleons and iguanas to be checked on the ground floor, so Ben got on with what he needed to do and then signalled to Tedi it was time to go upstairs.

Tedi and Ben went up to the big aquarium upstairs, this housed the Yacare Caiman’s from South America. They were very like alligators , Tedi had seen them arrive , but had only had a glimpse. Now he could see them in all their glory, they were big. One had actually shed it’s skin and the skin was lying in the water. At first Tedi thought the Caiman was ill, but Ben looked at wonder at the skin and said that he’d get the keeper to remove it tomorrow.

” Wasn’t it amazing , it was a good sign that the Caiman was relaxed enough to shed it’s skin, wouldn’t do that if it was frightened.” Ben spoke out loud, as he saw Tedi staring.

Next were Ben’s favourites the Spiders and Ben was in his element. These were kept in various rooms on the second floor along a long corridor. Tedi dutifully followed Ben in and out of the rooms looking at all the exhibits. One of the bathrooms had been used for the exhibit ” House Spiders”, and the bath had one or two in them and there were a few webs in the corner.

” Just like normal Tedi thought, Ben dutifully counted the spiders in each room , just to make sure that all the species were accounted for .

Ben knew Tedi was curious about his eight legged friends. Tedi had behaved very well and Ben decided to let him get to know one of his spider friends a bit closer. One of the exhibits was Ben’s own collection and when Ben entered the room where his Mexican Red- Knee Tarantula was kept he had an idea.

He took Charlie out and held it gently in his open hand and then knelt down gently , so that Tedi could see it more closely. Tedi looked at Charlie and Charlie looked at Tedi.

“See Tedi, they aren’t really scary are they?”

Tedi gulped , he was hoping it wasn’t going to jump at him.

Ben said ” Would you like to give Charlie a piggie back Tedi?”. Tedi moved away .

” Well maybe it’s not a good idea, still just look isn’t he beautiful.” Ben smiled.

“Tedi looked again and then thought better of it and moved closer to Ben. The spider was relaxed and Tedi signalled to Ben , that it was OK , he’d let the spider sit on his back.

Ben gently placed the spider on Tedi’s back, it stayed put and didn’t move, Tedi’s fur was a bit strange for it’s sensitive feet, but Charlie liked the warmth coming from Tedi’s body.

Tedi stayed quite still and didn’t move, Charlie though gently walked up Tedi’s neck and towards his head. Ben gently reached down and took Charlie off him as he was on his head and one of his legs was covering Tedi’s eys Ben smiled.

“You did very well there Tedi, you can now consider yourself a spider carer. You’ve helped me on my rounds and you got close to Charlie. You are quite a dog!”

Tedi wagged his tail at him, he knew not many other dogs would be as brave as he was, but Tedi was Head of the House and he knew he had to be brave and understand things that other dogs wouldn’t. The spiders were part of the exhibit and he felt that he had done his bit, he would never be scared of anything again. Much as the spider had seemed scary , it was really gentle”.

It was then he heard Cross’s voice.

“Come on Ted, I’ve had my coffee, we need to get back to the House. Did you have a nice dream, you’ve got a smile on your face.”

Tedi rolled over on his blanket and had a good stretch, Cross rubbed his tummy and got the circulation going in his paws.

When Cross stood up, Tedi hopped down and Cross picked up the blanket and the flask and headed back to the House with Tedi.

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February 11, 2025 · 8:55 pm

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 39

The Cuckoo In The Nest
A Dystopian Thriller

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

The film came to life on the big screen ,the audience were very keen to see what the fuss was all about. They were immediately impressed by the stunning images of Allenby’s Establishment and the glass fronted buildings, that filled the screen. The beautiful mountains that surrounded the facility had been captured by drone footage, it was a truly stunning image.

Sandy appeared as the presenter looking so much healthier in the film than she had when she collected her award. She began to talk about her experience and said that it was her second visit to Allenby’s Institute and they were taking the opportunity to follow up on some of the events that she had seen on her first visit and that she hoped to gather the evidence that would portray her experience and the Research that was being pursued by Allenby and his team into the human genome.

Gerry, Allenby and Millie were all seated in the front row together as the film started.

As the film progressed Gerry began to sense Allenby’s unease, he was becoming more and more agitated. It was not the film that Allenby imagined.

After the initial introduction, the aims, objectives and most importantly the methods employed by Allenby became obvious and increasingly morbid and dark. The body toll mounted and the footage was unforgiving. The images of interrogation and torture that had been secretly filmed were upsetting , and the audience found it repulsive and some of them were in obvious distress.

Dr King’s role was explained in detail and the operation to help him escape was described. At this point Allenby tried to get up and leave, but a nearby Security Guard persuaded him to sit back down again.

Allenby turned to Gerry ” You’ll pay for this Gerry, I assure you. I have very powerful friends.”

Millie looked quizzically at Gerry as the Security Guard glared at Allenby and held his hand on his shoulder.

” Get off me .” He muttered, but had to sheepishly sit down. The audience noted the confrontation and recognised the Professor as one of the protagonists in the torture scenes. Allenby’s entourage were scattered among the auditorium and could not assist him, some indeed were learning for the first time the type of man that they were working for.

Dr King’s worn face appeared on the screen. Sandy had not seen this footage as it had been filmed in Japan. Sandy and Martin had moved out of their seats and went back to the Green Room.

” I was held prisoner in Professor Allenby’s establishment. I was not there under my own free will. I was captured and kidnapped from where I was working with children I had in my care . They are probably dead now, we will never know what happened to most of them. The Professor and his like decided that they were an inconvenience and all trace of them must be eradicated from the planet because their D.N.A. does not match the profile for the future envisaged by people like Allenby. I am a doctor, I treat illness and I am an expert geneticist, I do not destroy because I cannot cure.”

Dr King continued speaking

” Professor Allenby is acting like God. There is no such thing as perfection in Humanity. Genetics the good and the bad are part of us and of our future. I have friends and colleagues who have been tortured and killed by Professor Allenby and his associates for beliefs that I don’t understand. He’s killed healthy people who disagreed with him. He and what he stands for is the real danger to us. I am very lucky to have got out alive. “

“We tried to save as many children as we could , but we were mercilessly hunted down, pursued. Fortunately , we have our backers too, and thanks to them we have been able to save some children. Without those good people, this young man would not be alive today. Say hello Alex.”

Alex climbed onto Dr King’s lap. He smiled and waved at the camera.

The audience gasped and some began to cry.

“Alex has a genetically inherited disease passed on through one of his parents. At the moment there is no known cure. I was making good progress with his treatment, which was interrupted when I was captured , but we’re back on course now. You’re feeling a lot better , aren’t you Alex?”

” Yes, thank you , I do feel a lot better.” Alex looked up at Dr King.

” Alex’s mother is Sandy , the journalist who bravely investigated and made this film. Alex was taken from her as a baby and would have been “denatured” had our Organisation not stepped him and saved him. Our actions are not illegal or a danger to the future of this planet. We are behaving as Human Beings should.”

Alex tugged at Dr King’s arm and said.

” Can I say hello to mummy and daddy now. Dr King”.

“Yes of course you can.”

Alex , waved and blew a kiss to the camera.

” Hello Mummy and Daddy, I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.”

Some of the audience had tears running down their faces and Gerry realised that Professor Allenby could be in danger from the crowd. Meanwhile Sandy and Martin were hugging each other.

“Martin , he’s safe with Dr King , we couldn’t hope for better!” Sandy cried.

Suddenly Gerry walked into the Green Room.

“Sandy , Alex is safe now and Allenby’s question and answer session has been cancelled. Professor Allenby has left the building. The crowd were very angry, there’s a lot of influential people out there. They don’t like child killers.” Gerry put his arms around Sandy and Martin.

Millie had followed Gerry, she had tears in her eyes. She stood quietly and looked at the group silently and moved gently forward towards Sandy. Sandy looked at her and unfolded herself , she gently touched Martin’s face and wiped her eyes with her fingers and turned to Millie to talk to her.

” Sandy that was an amazing, a brilliant piece. I didn’t know about any of it, Gerry told me nothing. I don’t suppose he could have. It wouldn’t have been safe for you or your little boy. “

“No , Mills, you’re right.”

” Allenby told me that Gerry was the carrier.” The tears ran down her eyes.

“What?” Sandy didn’t know what to say.

” Alex is his son.”

” Yes. Millie , you’ve guessed right, but what happened was way before you and Gerry , remember Alex is almost five now.” Sandy thought it best to be forthright.

” Oh I know what an alley cat Gerry was . I’m glad something good has come out of his antics. He did have a dreadful reputation. ” She laughed.” I only got him because he was getting old and tired.”

Gerry overheard her and looked around, he took his arm off of Martin’s shoulder, unsure what was going to happen next. He had been neglecting Millie recently.

“Mills, what are you saying ? I’m a burnt out old man?”

Millie looked across at him and smiled. “Bit singed maybe?”

“Thanks.” Gerry looked deflated as he began to explain.

“I’m sorry I had to keep it all under wraps, the less people who knew, the better chance I had of pulling it off. Sandy didn’t even know the whole story , you just weren’t well enough.” He looked at Sandy.

“No I wasn’t , Gerry, you have done a wonderful job and I’m grateful.”

” There’s going to be a lot more work to do now, I don’t think you’ll be able to do all the travelling involved Sandy. Perhaps Millie could take it on now.”

Sandy nodded her head in agreement and said ” Yes, Gerry , that’s a good idea, but it’s always the same with you, work, work , work. What I want to know is when I can have Alex back in my arms again. I think he’s just found himself a new Auntie, Auntie Millie.”

Millie looked at Sandy.

” I’d love that , you read my mind Sandy!. It will be great practice for when we have our own. Allenby told me that you are a carrier Gerry , and as the Law stands we can’t have children. That has got to change.”

” You saw the audience Gerry , there was a lot of anger there about what has been happening.” She looked Gerry straight in the eye and said . “Nobody is going to say I can’t have a baby with you.”

Gerry could not filibuster his way out of this as he normally would and just rush off to another meeting.

Despite her frailty, Sandy rallied and gently took them aside and spoke to them about Dr King and how wonderful he was.

After they had listened to Sandy , Gerry realised Sandy was extremely tired and said to Martin that perhaps it was a good time to take her home. They went to get their things.

Gerry and Millie later discussed what they needed to do.

” I’ll set up a meeting with Dr King, but we have to have a change in the Law before we can get him and Alex over here. I need you to keep the momentum going on this Millie. There’s going to be some fallout. Allenby will be in touch with his powerful friends and will now be working on destroying our story. I need my little Miss Dynamite out there.”

Millie noticed that Sandy and Martin were just leaving , she put her hand on Sandy’s thin shoulder.

” Yes , I’ll follow through on your work, we’ll nail those bastards to the wall.”

Gerry looked appreciatively at Millie, he had always admired her feistiness.

The four of them said goodnight and Martin and Sandy went out to the chauffer car that Gerry had organised to take them home.

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February 11, 2025 · 8:54 pm

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 38

The Cuckoo In The Nest
A Dystopian Thriller

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

Gerry in his role as a Senior Manager had been doing the rounds at the Awards Ceremony, keeping everyone sweet and networking with people he knew in the Industry. This included keeping Millie’s parents happy too. They were very pleased with him as a son-in-law, he had made Millie very happy and that was the thing that their money could not buy. He was about to leave them after some small talk , when Millie appeared beside him.

“Hey Babe” He put his arm around her waist.” You’re doing a great job I don’t know what I’d do without you Mills.” He looked at Millie lovingly.

Millie nodded to her parents and pulled Gerry away.

“Gerry , these people are so boring , I feel like my head is going to explode. I hope you’ve got time for me tonight. I’ve been missing you.”

Millie was almost pleading, she wanted children and she had been hinting for a long time.

Gerry winked.

“Tonight might just be your lucky night , my little Minx.”

Millie smiled wickedly. She knew he meant it.

They both winked at each other and parted company. Gerry turned to head back to the green room.

Millie disappeared into the crowd. Gerry just caught her voice saying to a tall dark man with a beard.

“Raymond, so when are you doing a casting for your new project?”

Gerry lost sight of Millie in the crowd.

When Gerry reached the Green Room, they were just making the announcement for the Winner of The Documentary Category. As expected Sandy had won.

And the Winner is “Sunshine Media’s Gene Power”

Sandy and Martin had moved out of the Green Room and were waiting in the wings, so Martin took Sandy’s hand and they both walked on stage. Martin wasn’t really supposed to be there but with Sandy being so frail he had decided it was best. When they reached the presenter of the Award they both smiled and as the presenter handed it over to Sandy, she felt the weight of it in her hand and her arm fell towards the ground. Martin just managed to grab her wrist and lift it back up and they both lifted it to eye level with the audience. There was a murmur of concern from the audience , but a sense of relief when they saw that disaster had been averted. Those of them who knew Sandy wondered at her frailty .

“Sandy would you like to say a few words?” It was expected and Sandy with the little energy she could muster, moved unsteadily towards the microphone. She raised the award slightly and said “Thank You” and smiled at the audience and then turned and kissed Martin, the audience erupted in cheers and clapping. As Sandy and Martin left the stage, the Presenter announced that there would be a full screening of “Gene Power” shortly and that Professor Allenby would be available for a short question and answer session afterwards.

Gerry who was now standing with Allenby in the wings said.

” I hope you like it, I’m sure it’s going to generate a lot of interest, we’ll be syndicating it.” Allenby motioned to Gerry to move out of the way as Sandy and Martin passed by.

“That’s good news , we need to keep the Public behind us. Keep the trouble makers quiet.” but Allenby was distracted , he wanted to talk to Sandy, he wanted to share her triumph with her.

Gerry had to act fast, he took the Professor by the arm and pulled him towards the viewing area. He knew the Professor was very annoyed and was about to remonstrate with him. However, Millie appeared out of nowhere and enthusiastically congratulated Allenby, so Martin and Sandy had a chance to get by without Allenby stopping them.

” It’s so important the work that you do, and how wonderful that you are here tonight, I’m so looking forward to the film.” Millie gushed enthusiastically

“Thank you” Allenby said , distracted by Millie’s beautiful eyes and figure.

“We must head to our seats now ” Gerry interrupted ” The screening will start in five minutes.”

Gerry couldn’t help but wonder how Millie had appeared so quickly, but Millie had sensed Sandy’s reluctance to spend any more time than necessary with Professor Allenby . Millie had no idea why, but she thought that some extra congratulations wouldn’t go amiss for the high achieving Professor and it would give Sandy and Martin a chance to reach their seats before the Professor could monopolise them, or even worse try and sit beside them.

Sandy and Martin disappeared into the audience, while Gerry, Millie ,the Professor and his entourage took seats in the front row to watch the film.

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February 10, 2025 · 8:30 am

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 37

The Cuckoo In The Nest
A Dystopian Thriller

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

The tension in the Green Room was palpable. Sandy’s thoughts were however focused on coming face to face with Allenby again. Sandy didn’t care who received the Awards. Martin would be by her side and he had no intention of letting Allenby near her. However, Sandy knew that would be impossible and that Allenby would approach her. She had to stay calm and appear as normal as possible. It would be difficult.

There were a lot of people gathered in the Green Room. There was enough food and drink to feed them all five times over. Fortunately , as time passed and the various Prizes were announced and the Awards distributed the crowd thinned and Martin and Sandy were able to make their way to the delicious buffet. Martin was ravenous, so he helped himself to a plate and made his choice. Sandy held her plate in her hand and tentatively chose a couple of hors de oeuvres which she began to nibble.

She laughed as Martin began to shovel food into his mouth. “Stop it Martin, slow down.” she chided.

However, Martin stopped eating altogether and put his plate down.

“What’s up?” Sandy whispered in his ear.

“It’s him, he’s here.”

“Pick that plate up now, we ‘ve got to pretend there’s nothing wrong.” Sandy picked up Martin’s plate and handed it back to him.

Martin held the plate of food in his hand as he watched Gerry and Allenby enter the Green Room , they were followed by Allenby’s entourage . The room was full to the brim again.

“Help yourself to our meagre fayre”. Gerry announced. Plenty for everyone. I’m just going to check on a few details at the front, so relax and enjoy, we’ve got a tight programme and I don’t expect we’ll hear anything for about half an hour and we may over run depending on the speeches.

Gerry left the room and Martin watched as Allenby moved towards one of the drinks table accompanied by a tall young man in a blue suit. Martin placed a vol-au-vent to his lips, it felt dry and crumbly in his mouth, he had suddenly lost his appetite, but he popped it in his mouth nevertheless and with his free hand he touched Sandy’s shoulder to reassure her. She was beginning to tense up and she put her plate down on the table. She couldn’t eat anything.

Martin watched as Allenby poured himself some water and spoke firmly to the man in the blue suit who rapidly left the green room, nodding and gesturing that whatever Allenby wanted would be done.

Martin looked at Sandy and caught her attention momentarily, she looked away when she heard Allenby’s voice and she froze. Martin took her hand in his.

“It’s alright Martin, I’m fine.” Sandy said.

A sound of raucous, loud applause coming from the main stage area reverberated through the room. It was the announcement of one of the Acting Awards, it garnered quite a few people’s attention in the Green Room, so much so that with the milling and cooing of the crowd Martin didn’t notice Allenby making his way behind Sandy and suddenly touching her shoulder.

” Hello Sandy, such a long time since we’ve seen each other, have you been out of circulation? I’ve tried calling you, but all your numbers have changed.”

Sandy didn’t flinch , but she twisted gently and moved so that the Professor’s hand was left mid air and she turned to face him.

“Oh we do that quite regularly, it’s Industry Standard, otherwise I’d get pestered night and day, particularly as it looks like our Documentary is going to win the top spot. ” Sandy said matter-of-factly.

” Yes, Gerry seems very confident. I saw some exerts in the editing suite, I would have like to have seen a preview, unfortunately we ran out of time and Gerry said it was bad luck anyway. How have you been keeping?”

Sandy wanted to scream at Allenby, but she kept her cool.

” Oh I’m fine , took a while to get over the virus. Funny, Gerry comes out with all sorts of things, bad luck nonsense, it’s really because our Industry has so much loose talk, it’s hard to keep anything secret. It looks like we’re on to a winner with your facility and it’s work. You will join us on stage won’t you. I’ve just got to make a quick phone call to my baby sitter, so we’ll catch up later.

She took Martin by the arm.

” Come on, just want to remind the twins to watch us on T.V. , I promised them they could stay up and watch.” She looked at Martin and both of them moved quickly away from Allenby. Martin smiled as he left Allenby standing. Allenby was briefly distracted by the sound on an overhead screen, he watched and listened as a young actor made an earnest thank you speech. Allenby turned and looked at the food on the table, he brusquely turned his back and took out his mobile phone and begun to make a call. He ended the call abruptly and turned again to look up at the screen. He kept watching the Award proceedings for a few moments, until his Mobile phone bleeped, he looked at it .

” I thought as much!” He muttered to himself.

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February 10, 2025 · 8:29 am

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 36

The Cuckoo In The Nest
A Dystopian Thriller

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

On the Night of The Award Ceremony , Sandy looked stunning , she had been given the best advice that money could buy , to be honest Sandy had little interest and just went along with what they told her. The make-up people had known she had been ill and had lost a lot of weight , so they helped her pick an outfit as well as doing her hair and make-up. The dress was simple with some very discrete padding to enhance her almost skeletal figure. Sandy was relieved that they had given her skin tone a lift and the drawn look on her face had disappeared without her looking like she was caked in concealer. The whole process began to lighten her mood and renewed her confidence, perhaps she could face Allenby after all.

Gerry,true to his word, was keeping the Professor busy. Allenby had been whisked away along with his entourage to a tour of Sunshine Media’s editing suite. He had told Sandy and Martin that the probable meeting place for everyone would be the Green Room at the Awards Ceremony Theatre , but until that moment he had plenty to show Allenby. Once they were all in the Green Room Allenby’s fate would be sealed as the Documentary would be shown in all it’s glory.

Gerry sat with Allenby in the editing suite giving him a preview of the Documentary. They were looking up at a large screen which showed the picture and was linked to a console which Gerry was operating.

“This is a good cut , have a look”

“Allenby’s face appeared, a talking head, and in the background one of his impressive laboratories.

” Our facility has made leaps and bounds on counteracting the forces that will damage the future of our planet and our children.”

Gerry pressed a button on the console and looked across at Allenby.

” We are going to win tonight , Professor thanks to you.”

“But enough of that , let me show you what this suite can really do . Let’s have some fun.”

The Professor looked puzzled, but Gerry continued.

Gerry produced a still of the handsome Professor Allenby and began to manipulate the image. One of the technical boffins had set it up for him and so all he needed to do was press some buttons in a specific order.

“Ever wonder what you’d look like when you are ninety Professor?”. Gerry looked up at the Professor.

The image on the screen began to change slowly. The skin began to age, developing wrinkles and age spots, and the well cut hair grew long and thinned out until eventually the Professor was bald and what was left of his receded hair had turned from grey to white.

“Still a handsome old goat ? Aren’t I?” He laughed and looked at Gerry.

“If you say so Professor, no comment. How do you fancy being a super hero? ” Gerry pressed more buttons on the console.

“Professor Nojomouse ……”

The Professor appeared with large whiskers , mouse ears and two prominent front teeth. He was also purple.” There was a titter in the background from one of Allenby’s entourage.

“Aaah, Nojomouse! So popular with the children, the little mouse who is continually trying to save the World from the Evil Dr Flerhaus.”

“You are a fan , Professor Nojomouse is very big globally, a big earner for us.”

” My younger sister has three children under five, that little mouse is her Saviour. I wore a Dr Flerhaus costume at Christmas last year, a big mistake, it didn’t go down well. I believe the children had nightmares and didn’t settle that night.”

Gerry fiddled with the console and the Professor’s image , mimicked what he had just said in the voice of Nojomouse in an animated form.

Again one of the Professor’s assistant’s laughed at the animation on the screen and the squeaky voice of the Professor and the Professor turned coldly and looked at him.

“Perhaps this is more your style Professor. The Evil Dr Flerhaus!”

Again the features on the screen changed .The whole entourage stood in silence and waited to see the Professor’s reaction.

“The Evil Dr Flerhaus!” There we are. Your alter ego. A man wo tries to destroy the World as opposed to a Great One who is saving it.

“Enough! We must get ready and make our way to the Award Ceremony, the Cars are waiting.”It’s only ten minutes away”. Gerry stood up.

Gerry reached over as he spoke and took a sip of water from a paper cup that was sitting on the console, when he finished he threw the cup in the bin beside him. As he got up from his seat he turned to Allenby and patted him on the back.

” We’ll go in my car , it’s just outside.”

Allenby smiled. Like best friends they walked out of the double doors followed by Allenby’s entourage. No one noticed one of Allenby’s assistants discretely take the paper cup that Gerry had disposed of in the bin and put it in a plastic bag, which he then carried out of the room.

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February 9, 2025 · 6:38 am

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 35

The Cuckoo In The Nest
A Dystopian Thriller

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

Sandy was able to recuperate at home after leaving hospital. The Doctor’s in the UK were shocked by what had happened to her. They had not seen Female Genital Mutilation performed on an adult woman and were unsure why it had occurred. The road to recovery would be a long one and would involve a number of reconstructive operations.

Her flight and escape from Allenby’s clutches were a distant memory and at Gerry’s behest she returned to work. Sandy had agreed despite the fact she was extremely tired, she did however stipulate that she could work mornings only as her sleep was being interrupted by terrible nightmares. She had flashbacks which left her screaming in the middle of the night. Martin would do his best to comfort her but it was no use, the twins were shipped back to their grandparents. The screaming and crying was too upsetting for them.

Gerry had had access to Sandy’s Medical Records in order to arrange the Insurance for the Med-Evac from Washington. He knew what Allenby had did and he was fired up to complete Sandy’s project and to get Alex and now Sandy the treatment they needed. Dr King was in Japan and was safe. Gerry was an absolute genius when it came to organising and editing Sandy’s material. He also appointed a top team to organise the News Awards Ceremony where the final part of Sandy’s Documentary on Allenby would be shown. Allenby and his retinue would be attending in anticipation of gaining more funding and global acceptance for the work they were doing.

Gerry had arranged for Sandy’s work telephone number, email and passwords to be changed. Gerry knew that Allenby would try to contact Sandy and as her nerves were frail, it could be very harmful. One morning as Sandy and Gerry sat drinking coffee in the shared social area, Gerry’s mobile rang. It was Allenby. Sandy sensed who it was and Gerry signalled to her that he would take the call elsewhere. Sandy sighed with relief.

When Gerry returned, Sandy had almost finished her coffee.

” So what did he say?” Sandy asked Gerry.

” Took the bait, hook line and sinker, he’s coming on the 29th , he’ll be staying in London a few days.”

“What am I going to do , I cannot face seeing that man.” She looked pleadingly at Gerry.

“We’ll see what we do closer to the time. As far as he’s concerned you are still getting treatment. I can handle him, I can give him a busy time. Keep him away from you, but I assure you when he falls he’s going to fall hard, so you’ll want to be around to see it.”

Sandy looked at her empty coffee cup.

“We’ll see, Gerry, I’m very tired , can I go a bit early today.”

“Of course, look if you need a few days, I’ve got everything done our side. Maybe see you Monday?” Gerry could see that the call from Allenby had upset Sandy.

” Yes that would be good thanks. My head just isn’t right. Allenby is such a cruel man, I have such weird thoughts. It’s like Allenby’s won, subdued me by his will.”

Gerry surprised her by leaning over her and giving her a big gentle bear hug.

” Allenby hasn’t won and isn’t winning, and by facing up to him you have given our son the best chance he has. You’ve done the best job ever. Don’t be hard on yourself. I’d pay for a psychologist , but I know you Sandy, you’ll rationalise all this yourself, remember who you are hasn’t changed. It was the cruellest thing imaginable to have happened, which I’ve no doubt Allenby intended, but the man and his friends need to be stopped, the lid is going to be blown on this in a very public way.

Sandy was taken aback by the gentleness of his hug and the encouraging words.

” Our son Alex, has two daddys, Martin and you.” She began to sob.

“Yes, you , Martin and I are definitely a Nuclear Family and what could be better than that. Get some rest.”

They both embraced each other as someone passed by.

” Final cuts” Gerry said out loud” Gets you like that and winked at the passer by.

Sandy drove home, she still was not mobile enough to look after the twins and this frustrated her. She missed not picking them up from school. Sandy could be tearful one moment and the next she could feel a surge of anger which was so powerful it would make her heart race. As her car pulled into the driveway she used her voice to turn the engine off .She knew it would be painful getting out of the car. Some scarring had got infected and she desperately wanted to go to the toilet. She opened the car door and struggled to her front door. Once safely inside, she made her way to the restroom in the hall.

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