Tag Archives: fiction

January 13, 2025 · 1:47 am

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 5

@GeraldineBanksJanuary2025

It was a Thursday evening and Martin and Sandy were both sitting at the kitchen table eating a rapidly put together meal. The brief contact with Martin and Maria had been three days ago. The twins were in bed and hopefully sound asleep .There was a knock on the door and they both went outside to answer it , both of them were on tenterhooks not really knowing what to expect.

They were quite disappointed that there was no one there ;only a parcel which lay in the porch. Neither Martin or Sandy were expecting any delivery, so they took the parcel into the kitchen and Sandy looked on as Martin opened it. Inside the cardboard box was a very old, mobile phone with a charger, some sims and a business card.

P.Neel and Family , Organic Greengrocers

Superfood Delivery Specialists ( We deliver to suit You)

The business card had a weekly delivery slot time of Friday 7.00pm written in blue ink on the reverse.

Martin examined the mobile phone and remembered an article that he had read about Criminals using offline mobile networks and the Government attempts to stop their use being largely ineffective. Martin’s specific area of interest had been stolen archaeological artefacts so he was very aware of this out of date technology and how effective it was at keeping protagonists under the radar of anyone trying to find out their activity and location. The sims were changed frequently and were nigh impossible to trace. Martin told Sandy that it was probably only going to be for emergency use, but it was from the people who had Alex. Sandy immediately put the phone on charge. The business card said they should expect a delivery tomorrow.

Sandy sensed Martin’s trepidation and acknowledged that his reactions and feelings towards Alex were complex. There was something that neither of them had addressed or talked about. Where had this gene defect of Alex’s come from? Both Sandy and Martin as A2’s had been screened and although the Doctor had given them the get out card about the environment, Martin had had every right to ask Sandy about being unfaithful to him, but he never had. She was keeping something back from him and he knew it. Sandy thought that if they were about to be embroiled in a fight to get Alex back, would Martin feel as strongly about it as she did?

Martin had never pursued Alex’s paternity with her. He was surprised that the Authorities had not dug deeper and questioned Sandy. Martin had wondered why at the meeting about Alex’s future, the origin of the gene defect had been brushed over, and though he sensed Sandy’s embarrassment, no one had addressed it. It crossed his mind that the father could be an A1 and that the whole thing was a charade , a big cover up. He loved Sandy and whatever the truth he had chosen his life with her and that was what he wanted.

The truth, which Sandy would have shared if Martin had asked was seedy and she regretted every moment. It had been a one night stand on a business trip. Out of the blue she’d been given a short piece on a Travel Programme about Northern Spain to do and she was on location with the crew. The main presenter was Gerry Reid. Gerry was one of the old Grandees of the presenting World. An older man who apart from his fame and the fact that he’d never married, she knew little about. Sandy had drunk a lot and was flattered by his attention and had perhaps hoped that he might help her with her career. The opposite had been true. He hardly spoke to her after that night, and her piece was never used. Sandy decided to put it down to experience and move on . She loved Martin. They were trying for a baby even if it was by artificial insemination. She hated herself for making Martin do that , but she felt so confused and degraded.

Martin had suspected that he wasn’t Alex’s father. He was certain Sandy had been unfaithful to him at a time when perhaps they had grown distant from each other , but he did not know with who or where. He only sensed that whatever had happened had not been a good experience for Sandy. They both lived such busy lives and both were away from home or on training courses. Hotels, Business Meetings and Conferences. Everyone was at it, he just hadn’t been tempted. Life was like the Discovery Channel and we were all basically just mammals had been his conclusion.

Sandy’s subsequent behaviour and the trauma of losing Alex made him think that she regretted what had come between them. She had changed, she was more attentive and less critical and that was all Martin had wanted. The twins arrived and everything was good between them. Sandy and him were fine. We all make mistakes and Alex had not been a mistake, but his subsequent fate had been out of Sandy’s and Martin’s control.

The situation that had unfolded in recent days though had changed circumstances seismically. Martin figured that the people who were going to look after Alex would want maintenance money. Once he knew for sure what they wanted he and Sandy would have to have one of the toughest conversations he could ever imagine. He would need to know who Alex’s father was. He hoped that their relationship would survive.

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January 12, 2025 · 9:50 am

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 3

A Dystopian Thriller

@GeraldineBanks January2025

Alex’s assessment day went according to plan and exactly as Moira had described it. The building where Martin, Sandy and Alex were dropped off by the taxi was exactly like a Government building, although once inside it seemed suitably child friendly with pictures on the wall , child size furniture and a good selection of toys in reception. Alex was in good form and by now being nearly two was crawling and quite enjoying himself. After about a fifteen minute wait, two obviously separate groups of people came into reception. There were two men in suits following a very smartly dressed young lady. The lady introduced herself and the gentlemen as part of the assesssment team and explained that the two young women who followed slightly behind them and were dressed in casual clothing would take Alex to the play room.

The smart young lady turned to Alex and said

” You prepared the Suitcase as requested, just in case your little boy needs to stay overnight for tests.”

Sandy nodded and handed the case to one of the casually dressed girls. The other girl had knelt down and was asking Alex about the tractor and the bricks he was playing with.

” We’ve got a bigger tractor next door, would you like to see it?” She smiled. Alex was smitten.

He looked up at Sandy as if to say was it alright, but Sandy didn’t get a chance to say anything . One of the men said

” My that’s a great idea! You seem a clever little chap, definately, you’ll like the tractor next door. Yes!”

Alex still looked at his mum, but it was too late, the young girl lifted Alex up and whisked him off. All Sandy and Martin saw was him disappearing behind two swing doors. Alex turned and looked at them both, he seemed unsure.

“I put his medication in the suitcase, he’ll be due some in 3 hours.” Sandy said to the smartly dressed woman.

” Oh that’ ll be fine, don’t worry. We have his full medical records on file, the girls will make sure he get’s it. Or perhaps you can give it to him yourself . Hopefully we’ll have sorted something out by then.

As things turned out they never saw Alex again that day. They had been interrogated like criminals, and the facade that they would be taking Alex home with them was kept up right until they were shown into a lift which took them back down to reception. They sat in reception an hour while their case notes were discussed. Finally the smartly dressed lady came down to reception and explained that Alex was going to be kept in for “tests”, there was nothing to worry about and someone would be in touch.

No one ever did get in touch with Sandy and Martin. After three weeks , they received a formal Government letter saying that Alex was to be placed in permanent residential care and that it would be better, it was felt, as he was so young that there would be no further contact with his natural parents, he would be well looked after and would get the best of care for his limited life. Meanwhile they recommended a course of fertility treatment and that as Alex could no longer qualify for the incentive payments, the sooner this was started the better.

Sandy was prepared for the harshness of the letter, Martin despaired but what could he do?

On Moira’s advice Sandy had arranged for Alex to be microchipped by an underground agency who were known for gathering information and protesting about missing children. Sandy had found them online with Moira’s help. There had been an Cable programme made about such organisations and Moira was able to access the archives .The chip was not traceable , the Authorities always scanned for them. The only reason the chip would stop transmitting was because it was destroyed in a fire, a crematorium fire. The child would have passed then. This was explained bluntly to Sandy over an automated encrypted phone call , Sandy felt drained at not being able to ask questions or respond, she just sat silently and listened to the computer generated voice, it was Alex’s only lifeline, so she persisted , it broke her heart.

Sandy and Martin, with their finances again affected by not officially having any offspring continued with their lives and with the fertility treatment. Sandy became pregnant with the Twins and a year after the assessment meeting on a dark , cold , winter’s night Sandy told Martin that Alex’s tracker signal had stopped. They both felt helpless that they had been unable to save their son. The pain would never go away. Their priority now though was the twins and now that they had fulfilled their Statutory Procreational Obligations life must go on.

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January 8, 2025 · 11:50 pm

The Dog that Inherited a Palace (Chapters 1&2)

©GeraldineBanksFebruary2025

Tedi gazed out of the large bay window at the top of the House. It was Tedi’s bedroom and was on the top floor at the back of the Palace Residential wing. He gazed out of the window , his head resting on a silk pillow embroidered with the letters TFM , delicately intertwined in fine gold, green and red thread. The motif was also on the fluffy fleece blanket which lay discarded on the floor and had fallen or being kicked off sometime during the night. It had been a warm night. The bed had been especially designed and fitted into the extensive windowsill by a local Carpenter , the view was superb .

Tedi surveyed, the panoramic landscape that he had spent many happy hours exploring . He knew by heart every tree and blade of grass , the types of wild animals and insects and the caves and hidden nooks . His eyes followed the stream that lead to the large lake and it brought back memories of paddling paw deep in the water and the excitement of being chased by the bad tempered swans and geese. Happy memories of warm sunny days.

Cross the butler would be up shortly to take him for his walk.

“Funny name Cross” he pondered, for the man who had looked after him and his interests for nigh on seventeen years and had never once said a cross word to him. Cross had came with the Palace, the arrangement had worked well over the years. Cross was a loyal and stalwart Butler. Tedi, shifted in his bed and thought , might as well have a snooze before Cross comes and as he dozed off he thought back to his younger days and the story of how he inherited this wonderful palace.

Tedi’s first visit to the Palace had been with his adopted mum and dad when he was just a Puppy. He had been newly adopted from the local Dog’s Trust and his mum and dad were taken aback when Tedi pulled relentlessly on his lead wanting to go into the Palace. It was early days with his training and they felt perhaps that he needed more time to learn his basic commands. So he was kept on lead despite his pulling in the direction of the big gate. They decided that a walk around the grounds would be a good idea to tire the little puppy out and then they would have coffee and a cake in the quadrangle restaurant.

At least that was the plan, little did they know that visiting the Palace had ignited a rush of memories in the little puppy’s head. Familiar smells, visions of men and women on horseback, kitchens, bedrooms, children in period dress. Were they ghosts or were they memories of what had been? Tedi did not know or care, he just knew that he had been there before and he felt an overwhelming draw to the place , he did not know it was a Palace. He sensed though, it was in his blood.

Mr and Mrs Graham finished their coffees more quickly then they had anticipated, as Tedi had been unsettled the whole of the time in the quadrangle café and had frankly spoiled their visit, they were relieved to wander back to their little cottage which was just on the edge of the Palace’s estate. When they got home and settled onto the sofa with their little dog, all was peaceful as Tedi was tired and he fell asleep on Mr Graham’s lap.

“He’s a funny little thing , isn’t he?” Mrs Graham said as she got up from the sofa.

” Yes, he is , we’ll have to persist with his training, I thought he was making progress, but today , well he wasn’t paying any attention to us. He nearly manoeuvred himself backwards out of his harness, I’m sure he would have been off into the kitchen if he could have.” Mr Graham replied.

“The kitchen! My that would have caused chaos. He really wanted to get into the Palace didn’t he? Shame they won’t let dogs in.” Mrs Graham said.

” Don’t think the Duke and Duchess would approve of their precious antique furniture having a leg cocked on it.”

” Honorary Duke and Duchess, they ain’t the real thing , not like in our day. Australian ain’t they? They don’t have Royalty , monied royalty , not proper royalty.”

This subject was a bone of contention between the couple, they had worked in the “big house ” for the old Duke and Duchess , twenty years before. They had been allowed to keep their tithed cottage as part of their retirement at a peppercorn rent. Mrs Graham had been Head Housekeeper and Mr Graham and been Head Gardener respectively . The real Duke and Duchess as Mrs Graham always referred to them had no issue , so there was no one to pass the Palace onto , well at least no one that was traceable.

” Issue” Mrs Graham thought as she walked into her small but tidy kitchen.” What a strange upper class word that was.”

Mrs Graham had worked for the Duchess and was with her through all the traumas of losing the babies that would have brought a succession to the family. It was never to be , eventually they had to accept that it would endanger the Duchess’s health to try any further.

The Duke, had been a wonderful husband, he threw himself into all sorts of causes to help unfortunate children and animals and he made sure that his wife was involved too. The Duke gave his Lady time to mourn but rightly so , he asked her to be involved with his projects, and it helped her greatly. The good work they had done together had been amazing. Both for animal and human welfare.

On the wall of the Graham’s kitchen there was a picture of The Duke and Duchess with their dogs Maisie and Marmaduke at one of the Great fundraising days that had been held on the Estate. The Fundraiser had turned into a very big event and the House was open to everyone, and their animals, there were horses and all sorts of domestic animals. Even an exotic animal show, where pet owners could show their pet spiders, lizards and snakes. It became an international event with all sorts of people far and wide attending. The Children and Pet Charities benefited greatly. The picture was of great comfort to Mrs Graham and she had chosen Tedi from the rescue centre as she thought he was the double of Marmaduke. He certainly had Marmaduke’s attitude as she later found out.

Mrs Graham turned on the radio to listen to some classical music as she prepared Sunday dinner. She enjoyed the peacefulness and hoped that Monday would not bring any more “letters” from the Big House and those troublesome Australians. Meanwhile, Tedi had moved himself to his own bed near the fireplace and Mr Graham had got up to water the plants in their garden.

“It had been a good day and they should count their blessings .” She thought , though in reality she was very concerned about the future.

Chapter 2

©GeraldineBanks310822

It was two or three weeks later that Tedi realised he had to do something. The “letters” had arrived from the big House and they seemed to be very threatening. Lawyers were involved and it appeared that Mr and Mrs Graham were being asked to leave their home with nowhere else to go. Apparently they had no legal right to live their and unless they agreed to a significant increase in their monthly rent , which they simply could not afford , they would have to leave.Tedi knew something wasn’t right but he only knew this by instinct. Mrs Graham was crying a lot.

Fortunately Tedi had made a few dog friends in the village and there was much talk about how much he resembled old “Marmaduke”. Unbeknown to the Graham’s, Tedi regularly slipped out of the Graham’s little cottage and met up with the “village dogs” at night. He learned about Marmaduke from them and Marmaduke had always said that the Duke and Duchess were passing the Palace on to Marmaduke in Trust and that everyone in the village would always be looked after. Marmaduke would make sure of that.

However, all the villagers were getting letters to say they had to move out. It wouldn’t have happened in Marmaduke’s day, they said. They didn’t understand how they could do it. What had happened to the “Trust”?. There must be some sort of record , the Duke had said that it was all in writing and that everyone would be looked after.

That night in a flash of inspiration, or dog instinct. Tedi realised that he had to get into the Palace. There was a box he needed to find , he knew exactly where it was and it would have details of the Trust. He didn’t understand everything about it , but he just knew he had to find it. He told his “crew” that he needed to get into the Palace. He discussed with his “gang” , how they would break into the Palace and find what he needed to prove who the rightful owners of the Palace were.

The following night, they followed their plan and several village dogs were able to show Tedi how to get into the Palace grounds and also some underground passage ways that lead directly into the house. Other dogs would act as guards.

When they reached the iron grate that led into the Library of the Palace, there were two dogs left Tedi and Freddie as the others had stayed on guard to warn if anything untoward had happened. Tedi had a feeling that he had been here before. They were both small Jack Russells and they were extremely adept at breaking in. Tedi was thinner then Freddie who couldn’t fit through the bars, but Tedi slipped through by scrunching up his shoulders . A few seconds and he was in.

Freddie looked concerned and quizzically at Tedi. Tedi sniffed to say it was alright he’d continue alone. Tedi knew where to go. Which indeed he did, he could smell the house, Marmaduke’s scent was still there, they were like signposts to him. He came out through the kitchen and decided not to cock his leg as he didn’t really need to, but it would be natural as that would be the way to find his way back. However, he knew that wouldn’t be a problem, once he found what he was looking for, he would not need to go back. This was going to be his home.

He ran along the corridor, there were a lot of pictures hanging on the walls , big and small and statues, some of white marble ones were quite scary as they looked like real people .At this moment Tedi did not want to see any people. At the end of the corridor , he came to a massive room with a large dining table and loads of chairs. Again there were a lot of pictures on the walls with people in them and they were staring down at him. Tedi began to feel very nervous. So he ran along under the long table and when he got to the end of the room he went through the doorway which was ajar and into the hallway which he knew led to the stairway.

“So far so good ” Tedi thought. He could smell Marmaduke’s scent even stronger now.

He came to the large stairway and jumped up the stairs two at a time, he turned to the left and ran quickly down another corridor. There were rooms on either side and he knew he was looking for the “Old Duke’s Office” which was right at the end . When he reached the door , he was dismayed , it was closed and probably locked, how could he get in? He sniffed and pawed at the door, frustrated, what could he do?

It was then that Cross appeared. Cross was aware that there was an intruder in the house. The alarm from the CCTV had woken him and despite having been given his notice that morning by the new Duke and Duchess, he felt it was his duty to investigate. He had seen the little white dog running through the house as if he knew exactly where he was going. Cross thought he was seeing a ghost , he had worked for the Palace since he was sixteen and he had known Marmaduke.

Cross arrived just as Tedi was scratching helplessly at the door.

“Marmaduke, is that you?” Cross said in disbelief.

Tedi’s heart leapt into his throat and he looked up in horror at the tall man dressed in his pyjamas and dressing gown.

Tedi gave a little yelp and sat bolt upright , just like Marmaduke used to do.

” Good grief, it is you Marmie, come on let me pick you up” Cross reached out for the little dog.

Tedi let Cross pick him up in his big arms, but made it quite clear that he needed to get into the “Office”. He struggled to get down again and when his feet touched the ground again he clawed at the door with his front paws.

” Marmie, for a ghost you are very solid, but it’s great to see you , I can’t believe it. Do you want to get into the office, why?”

Tedi thought , I don’t know who Marmie is but , yes I do want to get into the “Office” so he sat looking up at Cross with his big eyes, which were just like Marmaduke’s.

Cross said . ” Well , it just so happens that I’ve got the keys, and if you want to get in that’s OK with me.” Cross unlocked the office door and Tedi rushed in and Cross followed him slowly , closing the door behind him.

Tedi looked around the room and saw the desk which he knew had a secret compartment. Only Marmaduke and the Duke knew about it. Tedi crawled underneath the desk and found the little drawer which was underneath the bottom of one of the main drawers. Instinct kicked in and he tapped with his paw three times and the drawer opened. It was dark and when Cross knelt down on his hands and knees and used a small torch to see what the little dog was doing , he watched as the drawer popped open and revealed a small gold box.

Tedi was stumped, what did the gold box mean. He couldn’t open it. He would need the man to help him. He sat up again and looked up pleading for help.

” Alright , Marmie, so this is what you were looking for? What is it, I’ll have to see if I can open it”.

Cross took the box out of the drawer and to his relief , it did not need a key and he lifted the lid. Inside there were some papers. Cross began to read them as Tedi looked up gratefully.

” Good Grief, this changes everything!”

Tedi realised his job was done, the ” Trust Papers ” had been found, there was proof that the Duke had indeed passed the Palace onto Marmaduke .Tedi was Marmadukes son and therefore Tedi was the rightful owner of the Palace. The Australians had “bought” the Palace under false pretences. They had used scurrilous means and legions of Lawyers to buy the Palace and though the Duke’s and Duchesses wishes had been known to everyone, there had been nothing found in writing , even though everyone had been sure the Lawyers had all the details. The the Law Courts had been used to prove that the Duke was not of sound mind in leaving his Estate to a dog and it’s progeny. So it and the village and been bought by them at a bargain price.

The papers though proved otherwise, Cross looked in disbelief, this dog wasn’t Marmaduke , this was his son!

” Good Boy, Good Boy! ” We wondered what had happened to you and the others. You disappeared overnight. Let me have a look , I see you’ve got a collar on.

” You live just down the road! Well my boy , this is going to be your home now! “

Cross picked up Tedi and he put the papers back in the gold box and they went back to Cross’s living quarters where , Cross gave Tedi a drink of water and some ham from his fridge. They both sat on the sofa and Cross read through the papers again and found the number for the old Duke’s Lawyer with the intention of ringing him in the morning.

Meanwhile Freddie who had waited for Tedi at the other side of the grate decided that he best go home, he hadn’t heard anything and decided he would catch up with Tedi in the morning. That the Palace must have very big fridge and that Tedi was probably eating his way through it.

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January 8, 2025 · 9:27 pm

The Cuckoo In The Nest Chapter 1

A Dystopian Thriller

Chapter 1

©GeraldineBanks2025

Martin lay in bed , he was so tired, he felt like he was going through the motions of living. Would it ever stop? Did he want it just to stop? His mind went over again and again the events of the last few years. It didn’t solve anything.

Sandy, his wife, was in their en-suite bathroom putting the finishing touches to the make-up that she so expertly put on each day. Perfecting her brow shape and applying concealer, which she felt she needed more and more of as the month’s went by. Sandy felt increasingly overwhelmed trying to keep up her Media Career as well as trying to run a household and looking after the twins. She complained to Martin about being tired all the time and of having permanent black rings around her beautiful almond shape eyes.

“Just like a fucking Panda!” she’d say to him.

Martin could not see what she meant and thought she looked much better without make-up. Sandy was driven by her ambition and only half listened to him anymore. Their two World’s were so different, Martin worked in Archeological Research and Sandy was part of the ruthless cut throat World of the Media.

When, after a few glasses of wine her tongue loosened and she told him about her work , he was uneasy. It sounded petty and brutal and totally alien to the the sweet woman he used to know. He had come to realise that the work had taken it’s toll on the beautiful fun loving girl he had met and married after graduating from the University of Bathlea. One of the top Provincial Universities specialising in Sports and Residential Training for Top Athletes, fortuitously also it had a well respected Archeology Department.

As A2’s accepted for tertiary education they had been selected for fast track and expansive leisure time rewards, with plenty of time to discover themselves in preparation for the role they were being prepared for in Society.

Sandy’s sports scholarship had been a wonderful opportunity to travel the World while she competed at the highest level in her sport , athletics, indeed she held the UK record in the 100m and 200m sprint at Junior level. Together Martin and Sandy had experienced truly uplifting and life enhancing experiences as indeed the life plan for dynamic adults in their early twenties deigned. It had been a rite of passage for two intelligent and talented people.

Now Sandy and Martin were in their early thirties, with a healthy pair of twins, a still born baby and Alex whom no one now mentioned and officially did not now exist.

They had a very large mortgage which loomed each month like an impossibly high mountain to climb, but somehow each month they managed to pay. Increasingly, the strain between them was showing and although they rarely spoke about it, losing Alex and the feeling that he had been taken away from them made them question what exactly their New Society was about. Martin felt that they were heading for disaster, a marriage split, he felt out of control. Sandy avoided the subject , it was too deep for her and Martin gave up trying to speak to her. They were just going through the motions of living.

Her A2 Procreational Contractual obligations had to be fulfilled, she was running out of prime fertility time. Sandy , at heart felt it was a priority both financially ( having children was incentivised) and emotionally to start a family. In reality her longing to have a child superseded not achieving a primetime presenting job. Martin knew Sandy wanted to be a mother. State interference had worked in both their favours on this count. It was just that it hadn’t been straightforward , nothing like what they had both imagined.

As A2’s , Martin and Sandy had been assessed thoroughly , mentally and physically. Their first child being still born , was a shock to them both. The emotional trauma along with the feeling that they had “failed the system” had been hard to bear. The labour had gone on a long time, when they finally held the limp lifeless child coddled in a soft white blanket , they both cried together for their loss.

Strangers appeared from nowhere, Government people. There were a lot of questions, a moratorium almost. Sandy discussed her whole pregnancy with them, had she missed any appointments, had she fallen at any time? Sandy had to describe in every detail her pregnancy. Martin could not believe what was happening , Sandy was in tears as she said that there had been blood pressure issues, but that she had been assured that everything was fine. The labour had perhaps gone on too long, in the end they had determined that the baby had been starved of oxygen. It was no ones fault.

Martin felt the bereavement process had been badly handled. A few hours after the birth and their interrogation, they had a discussion about the arrangements for disposal of what was described as the foetal remains. They were told that trying again was the best way to overcome their grief.

They both started the process of trying for another baby a few weeks later. The Doctor’s firmly suggested that Sandy cut back on her athletic training and she complained to Martin that she felt frumpy and frustrated. Martin had tried everything to make the process of conceiving fun and not a chore , but in the end he cottoned on to the fact that Sandy was being made to feel like a brood mare.

Sandy told him that she had even asked the Counsellor for advice on inseminating herself with Martin’s sperm. Martin felt that he was being excluded , that all Sandy wanted to do was tick a box and have a child . He dutifully filled the tube in the bathroom and then Sandy used the device to inseminate herself.

“Night” Sandy had often said without so much as a cuddle or a kiss on the cheek. Martin did not know what he had done to deserve such treatment and he felt very alone. The next morning it was back to the routine of getting up , doing her make up and going to work. It was soulless. Martin knew that Sandy had not been ready emotionally to try for another child and when Sandy announced one morning at breakfast that she was pregnant, he felt guilty that he had mixed feelings, indeed , the strain of the last three months had made him feel more like a sperm donor , than a lover or a husband.

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January 8, 2025 · 2:14 pm

The Cuckoo in The Nest Chapter 2

A Dystopian Thriller

©GeraldineBanks2025

The safe arrival of Alex was a great relief to Martin and Sandy. It had been another tough labour . The new baby brought back the joy into his and Sandy’s relationship. The initial optimism was tempered by Alex’s gradually deteriorating health . Sandy tried everything to comfort the child but nothing worked. Martin was away a lot in the first few months of Alex’s life, so each time he returned he saw a healthy growing baby, who slept a lot , but when awake could scream the house down.

Martin noticed Sandy’s trepidation as she picked up Alex to breast feed him. She had gone from a confident mother to one who simply dreaded the piercing screams Alex made . He remembered one incident , when they were all at home , and Alex was due his feed.

Sandy turned to him before picking Alex up and said. ” I’m so afraid , I’m hurting him.”

As she picked him up , the screaming started, she moved her nipple towards his mouth and he suckled for a short while and then pulled away again and started screaming again. One pediatrician had told her that Alex might be allergic to her Breast Milk, so she immediately stopped Breast Feeding and started Bottle Feeding . Things did not improve and as time went on Sandy began to feel more desperate. This was not how things should be. It was Martin who suggested a Counselling session, Post-Natal Depression was a treatable condition and the Counsellor was very helpful. It was through Counselling that Sandy voiced her concerns about Alex’s health, it was only much later that she realised it was the worse thing she could have done.

When Alex reached six months, he begin to fit regularly, and his health began to deteriorate quickly. There were numerous hospital visits and tests and the diagnosis of a rare genetic disorder came back.

Alex had inherited a defective gene, it was life limiting and he would need special care for the rest of his life. Sandy and Martin were devastated, they were A2’s , they had been screened , how could this have happened? The doctors said that there was an outside chance that the damaged genes were the result of external influences, such as environment, but that was a long shot. It was something that they hadn’t seen for some time, they would have to report it to The Authorities. The State Machine intervened and within a few days they were both asked to attend Alex’s Assessment Meeting.

Until the fateful meeting about Alex’s future , Sandy and Martin as A2‘s had never came across A1‘s. People wondered did they really exist. No one was sure and certainly Sandy and Martin had never met one. There was no identifiable career path or progression to becoming an A1. To most it was unachievable and the ambition to be one did not resonate with many, but Sandy and Martin were about to find out that they did exist and they were very powerful people.

The letter with the A1‘s names and titles inviting them to the “Assessment Centre” had come a few weeks after their last hospital appointment. Martin’s Company had already been advised about his time off work to attend and as Sandy read the details of the letter out to him while Alex was asleep upstairs, Martin saw that she was worried.

The appointment would be in the next two days, they should bring Alex along with them , as well as his medications and an overnight bag for him. He would be allocated a place in their Day Nursery, so Martin and Sandy could be free to participate in the discussion about his future care. The letter stated the attendees , which included the Counsellor who had been working with Sandy on her Post-Natal Depression.

There were three other attendees whose names Sandy nor Martin did not recognise. It was made quite clear that there was no option of declining the appointment as all the arrangements were in place. Martin , Sandy and Alex would be collected by Taxi and taken to the assessment centre. There would be no cancellations or need to rearrange.

Instinctively Sandy and Martin acknowledged together that this was indeed a crisis point and they began to talk to each other like they had not been able to do for some time. Neither had dulled their senses or loosened their tongues with a bottle of wine. Martin was getting ready to go to bed and Sandy wandered in to their ensuite bathroom as Martin was brushing his teeth: she held the letter in her hand, she stood behind him and looked over his shoulder at him in the mirror. Martin looked at Sandy’s reflection , she was pale and drawn and he knew she was very frightened.

” Something awful is going to happen, I just know it.” She stared directly at Martin’s reflection in the mirror

Martin couldn’t reply straight away as his mouth was full of electric toothbrush and toothpaste. He listened to her intently and began to rinse his mouth . When he’d dried his hands and face he turned to her , put his arm around her and gently moved her into the bedroom.

Sandy explained that a colleague of hers in the Newsroom where she worked had said that a Government Policy to remove children deemed not genetically perfect existed and over the last 30 Years or so and they had expanded the process. The Letter Sandy and Martin had received was the start, because of Alex’s condition , he would be taken away from them.

Sandy had tears in her eyes. Martin turned to her and gave her a big warm hug.

” Sandy , it’s only a meeting , nothing is finalised. Alex will be fine, he’s not going anywhere.”

Sandy whimpered as she rested her head on Martin’s shoulder, the terry-towelling of his dressing gown absorbed her tears.

“They’re going to take him away.” Sandy lifted her head and looked Martin in the eye.”

“Shhh,Shhh, don’t say that Sandy, it’s early days. We need some help with Alex’s health that’s all.” He put his hand on the nape of her neck and gently massaged her trying to soothe her.

” We just need to find out more information that’s all. It’s a meeting to discuss what’s best. They can’t do anything if we say no, Alex is our child.”

Sandy looked up again at Martin.

” Martin, they can and do. We just never hear about it. Children are taken away as a matter of course now and no one knows what happens to them. Moira at the Newsdesk said it didn’t sound good, having the letter and the meeting.” Sandy started to cry.

” Martin no one ever sees those children again.”

They both sat on the bed ,their shoulder’s touching.

“Surely that’s not possible, we have rights”. Martin was not trying to reassure Sandy anymore, he was beginning to think what she was saying was right. Alex was going to be taken away from them.”

“What exactly did this Moira in the Newsroom say?” Martin put his hand on Sandy’s hand.

” She said that I should be prepared, that it was unlikely that they’d let me keep Alex and that we would not be given any choice during the discussion’s about his welfare. It would be residential care and no contact. Basically just telling us what they were going to do and to say goodbye. We cannot refuse. All the arrangements will have been made.”

” Don’t we have any say?” Martin looked at Sandy and bowed his head, it was Sandy’s time to put her arm around Martin.

” Moira said, some parents do kick up a fuss. They run off and tell their stories, none of them reach the Mainstream Media. It might go out on an obscure satellite channel . The Parent’s win a big Court Case, and the child is amazingly cured. It’s rare, and frequently linked to some Medical Breakthrough story. Curing the incurable. An opiate, that gives the general population hope and in reality neglects the decline in real health care. Easier to destroy then try to treat.

Sandy continued ” Real investigative journalism no longer exists, but journalists still have access to information that other’s don’t . The Powers that be, see it as an effective means of dissemination of information when needed. Journalists are motivated by the “Scoop”, they call it “Taming the Tiger”, let them have their scoop. I’m really shocked how much we are controlled”. Sandy had stopped crying, she sniffed and reached for a tissue from the bedside table.

Martin was exhausted and so was Sandy . They could say little to comfort each other , but they both understood that they would face whatever happened next with a united front. They both got under the cover of the duvet and curled up beside each other and fell asleep.

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January 1, 2025 · 11:47 pm

Stan and Milo The Christmas Heist

Christmas was always a difficult time for Stan, because it was at Christmas Time when he was abandoned as a puppy and was left to fend for himself on the street. Up until he was 8 months old , he had a family and then something awful happened. His family could no longer look after him and the father said it was kinder to let him loose on the streets, where someone was bound to take him in, whereas if they handed him to the shelter if he wasn’t claimed in 4 weeks then he would be put to sleep. His family were very sad but they thought they were doing the best for him.

The little pup; though he went through some very hard times and lots of adventures survived on the streets. In truth , he had lost faith in people and felt it was only other animals he could trust. He avoided getting involved with people and would only steal food when he knew he could get away with it. He was always hungry , he was very careful not to trust people, even when they offered him free food. He had heard what the man who used to care for him had said , so he was very wary.

When he met Milo, the mouse, he knew he was OK. In truth Stan was down on his luck, being so big it wasn’t easy to sneak away with food and he’d had some lucky escapes. One man had tried to throw hot oil over him. Stan was getting older and couldn’t move as fast as he used to. .Stan, though was a dog of the World , he knew how things worked and Stan knew that Milo, despite being very rich and very able at business needed looking after. So it was a good relationship, they both looked after each other’s backs.

It was their first Christmas together and Milo had put a heater in the Stan’s shed and also decorated it with some festive cheer and a new bed with an electric blanket. Secretly ,Stan was very pleased and it on Christmas night he settled into his new surroundings which were very comfortable and said goodnight to Milo as he wandered by just taking a breath of fresh air in the garden.

” See you tomorrow Stan” said Milo as he waved goodbye ” We’re having turkey for breakfast and dinner!”

Stan smiled , he knew he would now dream of turkey, but he didn’t mind, he was tired and he knew he’d sleep well.

That was unless something happened.

Which of course it did.

At 3.00 am in the morning Milo came rushing out to the garden, still in his pyjamas and with his mobile phone glued to his ear. His Big Department Store down in the city had been broken into , the alarms were going off , the Police were on their way , but the Security Guards were in real trouble. They needed help, they were being held hostage. Milo had them on the telephone and they were very scared.

Stan leaped out of bed immediately , he didn’t know the full details but he could tell Milo was very concerned.

Milo got the car out of the garage and put the phone on speaker phone. They were driving along and suddenly the voice of one of the robbers came on the speaker.

” Call the Police Off Mr Big Mouse, or else the Concierge get’s it !” Milo could hear the concierge in the background he was crying.

” Hold on, I didn’t call the Police , someone else must have, I can’t stop them, they know there’s a burglary going on. Look I’m on my way , as soon as I get there I’ll let them know, I don’t want them interfering. Please don’t hurt anyone.”

” We want access to the safe, nobody here seems to have a clue, when you get here can you come up to the fifth floor and let us into it.”

” Of course , I will! Look just don’t hurt anyone!”

Stan rolled his eyes this did not sound good. He had to start thinking of a plan and what to do.

Eventually, Stan and Milo got to the store and Milo immediately went in, he’d made a call to the Police Commissioner explaining the situation and asked that the police keep quiet and be there to help if needed. Milo promised the Commissioner that as soon as he had made sure that everyone was safe he would let him know.

So it was that Stan and Milo made there way up to the Fifth Floor of ” The Big Mouse Department Store”. That was the administrative floor and Milo had been told to come up alone and knock on one of the office doors . Which he did. Stan stealthily hid in the cleaning cupboard of the Fifth Floor, and with the headset that Milo had given him awaited further instructions.

Milo knocked on the office door he had been instructed to , he knew it was the one with the safe in it. One of the thieves opened it and roughly grabbed at him to come in. Once inside Milo saw the hostages and the thieves standing around the safe.

Milo gave a very unhappy look at the thief who was manhandling him and the leader of the thieves said.

” Leave him alone, he’s the one who can let us into the safe, so leave him be. Your going to cooperate Mr Big Mouse aren’t you?” Said the Thief in Charge.

” Yes, of course. Now let’s see if all three of you can stand aside , then I will open the safe and then we can let you get out the back way with all the money and the Police won’t see you and you can make your escape”.

” Right, that sounds like a good plan, that is if we can trust you, first though open the safe.”

” OK, let me see, right I have to turn this and then twist this lever and as soon as I do that , put the following numbers on the dial, five, four , three, two one!”

Stan leapt through the door and within seconds all the thieves were flattened underneath him and those that weren’t were unconscious as he had thrown them backwards against the wall. The Security Guards who were tied up were quickly released by Milo biting through the string binding their wrists and as the Thieves Leader regained consciousness, he was tied up and along with the other thieves.

The Police Commissioner was very pleased when he heard from Milo that everyone was safe and that the thieves had been apprehended. It didn’t take long before the thieves were led away by the Police and that Milo and Stan could go back home.

It wasn’t quite breakfast time when the two friends arrived home and they were both very tired , so they decided to go to bed and have a late breakfast.

On Christmas Day they would be able to talk to their friends about their adventure and they had even invited the Security People and their families from the store to come and share their Christmas Day with them as everything in the end had worked out alright and Milo wanted them to forget the bad bits when they had been frightened and remember how brave they had been and how it had all worked out alright because of Stan.

A good time was had by all, and Stan didn’t mind that Milo exaggerated his role, certainly he didn’t remember Milo giving an uppercut to the jaw of the biggest thief, but then again it was a good story and everyone enjoyed it. There was loads of turkey too, enough even for Stan.

The End

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November 30, 2024 · 11:58 am

Stan, Milo and the Wilful Witch

Stan settled into life in Milo’s grand house, but he liked to sleep outside in the shed because he had been used to living outside all his life. The meals though, Stan always came in for his meals and he enjoyed sitting with Milo as he ate his dinner and made his business calls. Stan often thought that this would give Milo indigestion, but in truth Milo didn’t eat much and Stan usually finished off his dinner too. The cook didn’t mind as there was always clean plates.

It was one evening when Stan and Milo were sitting at dinner that the butler mouse came in and told them that an old lady was outside and wanted to talk to Milo.

“Sure ” Milo said and went out.

Stan was immediately suspicious , his boss was too trusting. So Stan decided to keep an eye out for him. Which was just as well.

Milo , was totally relaxed when he went to the front door, he opened it expecting to see a nice old lady. Instead he saw a very frightening witch.

She grabbed him with her scrawny hand immediately and threw him out into the street.

You Mouse, you are ruining my business, all my customers are saying they won’t pay me anymore because I’m an Evil Witch, this is your doing! It cannot go on!

“Hey, you, it’s your own fault , you charge too much and you don’t even do a very good job. Our laundry may not be magic, but at least everyone gets clean clothes!” Milo squeaked.

” Fiddlesticks, they get what they’re given and they have to pay!”. The Witch was very angry and began hopping around.”

Stan came around the corner, he’d gone around the back of the shed, he could see Milo in the middle of the road.

The Witch raised her arm and in it she had her magic stick to cast spells with.

Milo stared wondering what kind of spell she would cast.

But Stan came to the rescue, he pounced at the witch and took the magic stick straight out of the witch’s hand. It fell on the ground and broke into two pieces , and each piece burned very brightly.

The Witch looked in horror as her wand began to disintegrate. It meant she had no powers anymore.

“Oh no, you bad dog!” but it was too late, the wand was burning.

Stan ran towards Milo and told him to jump on his back and they both ran into the house as fast as they could.

The Witch was left outside staring at her broken wand. She was very angry but there was nothing she could do . She had lost all her power.

Milo and Stan were safely in the house and knew that they would not hear from the witch again, and that all their customers who used their laundry would also be happy to have gotten rid of the wicked witch. They sat on the sofa together, until it was bedtime and then Milo went up to bed and Stan went out to sleep in the shed.

The End, until next time.

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May 18, 2021 · 6:50 am

The Missing Panda

©GeraldineBanks2021

It was a catastrophe of massive proportion for Li Xiu’s keeper, never before had a Panda from the highly respected Zoo in Chengdu gone missing. Li Quiang could not believe his eyes the morning he opened up Li Xiu’s holding cell and found she was gone. She had been under observation in the Panda Nursery as she had an eye infection which had not cleared up even after treatment with anti-biotics.

Li Xiu had not liked been cooped up by herself in the cell .It was for the best though , and Li Quiang thought that it was her own fault and that if she had co-operated more fully with the vet on his first visit to her, instead of clowning around and being her usual playful and impish self she would not have had to be kept in isolation from the other Pandas for what seemed to her years but had infact only been a few days. Li Xiu was a really playful Panda she was the favourite of Li Quiang and he was very upset that she had disappeared.

As Li Quiang waited outside the Zoo Curator’s office in preparation for detailing his side of the story as to what had happened . He went over and over in his mind ,how he had fed and watered her and given her a small kiss and tried to settle her to go asleep before he left. He knew he had carefully double locked the door and as he left through the staff changing room he put the the key in the office safe and left the building as normal. One of the other keepers reassured him that the key was still in the safe when he had started his shift, so Li Quiang was confident that the interrogation by the Zoo Curator would be thorough but that at the end of the day Li Quiang could prove that he was not responsible for the loss of the Panda. He had locked the door.

The Zoo Curator was sitting at his desk when Li Quiang walked into his office following the Zoo Curator’s secretary. The Zoo Curator nodded to them both to sit down. The Secretary would be taking notes. The Zoo Curator looked critically at Li Quiang and began to throw a barrage of questions at him. It was like gunfire. As the Zoo Curator would normally not talk directly to a Keeper and the Curator was full of resentment at having to talk to a mere Keeper. Li Quiang saw a flash of anger in the eyes of the Secretary at the way the Curator talked to Li Quiang, but Li Quiang kept his cool and answered the questions one by one.

“When did you last see the Panda?”

” Why were you late finishing your shift?”

” Did you get a spare key for the holding cell made?”

Li Quiang could tell that the Curator was very angry, which although it was unpleasant to experience, Li Quiang could not be angry at the Curator. He knew that the loss of a Panda would cause phone calls and investigations at the highest level in Chinese Government Circles and that the Curator had probably already had to field a number of calls from Government Officials. With confidence and patience Li Quiang answered the Curator’s questions and occasionally looked at the secretary who was now efficiently writing down his answers.

The Curator took a deep breath and put his head in his hands..

“Oh I don’t know what has happened, but the Panda, is precious to us , we must get her back, someone has taken her. I’m afraid we will need to look at your phone records and your computer records at home. The Police will be searching your house right now. They have been given permission from the top level..”

Li Quiang nodded. ” That’s OK, I have nothing to hide, my wife will be a bit surprised though.” Lia Quiang smiled at the Curator, but got no reaction. The Curator looked down at some papers on his desk and said.

” Well that can’t be helped, but the faster we move on this the greater the chance of getting the Panda back.”

“I want Li Xiu back too, remember , I have looked after her since birth. I am very worried about what has happened. She needs treatment for her eye.”

It was six months after Li Xiu was kidnapped and Li Quiang was thinking about the events of that day, going over every every detail. The Zoo Curator had been sacked, and no one was quite sure what had happened to him. It was best not to ask any questions or gossip with the wrong people. When Li Quiang got home the evening of the disappearance he praised his wife for handling the house search so well. She told him she had been very polite with the Police Officers, as she knew that was best and he watched her as she tidied up the mess they had made. She did complain a little.

” They are such brutes, the Police aren’t they? It was pointless to ring my brother, I knew they were not the local Police. ” she said quietly to him.

” Yes, your brother could not have helped but I suppose the authorities have a job to do.”

” I didn’t know what was going on , but I thought it best to let them do what they had to. They’ve taken all our computer equipment, and they were fiddling with our telephone.”

” It’s to be expected, a Panda has disappeared, being stolen we think.”

” Oh no Li , that is terrible.”

“Yes, I don’t know what will happen, but I locked the cage where Li Xiu was kept and kissed her goodnight. The next morning she was gone. I’m pretty certain it was an inside job, but I had nothing to do with it. I’m just worried about Li Xiu that’s all and I’m sorry the Police upset you and caused all this mess.”

” Oh I’m stronger than you think, my love. I will get on with clearing this mess up and then we will have our dinner, our son will be home soon and we will have to explain what has happened to his lap top. I think he will be upset.”

And now six months later no one was wiser as to what had happened to the Panda, the computer equipment belonging to Li Quiang’s family had been returned and Li Quiang knew that his phone line and the families various mobiles were continually monitored and probably would be forever .He had nothing to hide, so that did not worry him. He was back to working with all the Pandas in the Zoo and although he thought about Li Xiu occasionally he kept busy with his work which he really enjoyed.

One morning , he was cleaning out the open area where the Pandas were on display to the Public and the Tourists and the young secretary who had taken the notes the morning of the disappearance came into the enclosure. He noticed that as well as being a secretary in the main building that she had been volunteering recently to help with animal care.

His initial thought was that she had been spying on him, and he would be wary of what he said to her. Her name was Yu Yan, and true to her name she had a beautiful smile. She was very slight and Li Quiang could not but help wonder at her strength in hauling bales of hay for bedding when she was asked. The keepers showed no favour to their attractive helper, as they were of the same mind as Li Quiang, that she was a Government Spy. However, this morning, Yu Yan had entered the enclosure unexpectedly and had deliberately started a conversation with Li Quiang.

” Good Morning, Li, you need any help ?”

“Thank you Miss Yu, yes , I have to finish this job in half an hour before the visitors arrive. Perhaps you could help me by sweeping that area over there. The brush is in the corner.”

” Of course Li, I am glad to help.”

They both continued to work tidying the yard, and then it came time to let the Pandas into the enclosure. Li could see that Yu Yan was excited to be so close to the Pandas. So he let her undo the gate and the young Pandas rushed into their newly cleaned enclosure and began their usual investigations of their surrounds, completely unaware of their impending visitors and the delight that they gave with their playful antics and climbing and searching out the bamboo the keepers had hidden in secret locations .

Yu Yan whooped with delight as the little Pandas brushed by her legs and ran towards the climbing frames .

” Oh they are so beautiful, I wish I could take them all home!”

Li Quiang scowled. ” That is not a good thing to say, we have lost one Panda we don’t want to lose any more. Be careful what you say Yu Yan, someone might hear and read something more into it.”

” Li , you are so right, they are so beautiful , just like toy bears.”

” They are not toys Yu!” Li Quiang quickly remonstrated.

” I know , I’m sorry ” Yu Yan turned to look at Li Quiang.

Li Quiang accepted that Yu Yan was indeed extremely sorry and that her enthusiasm was understandable. The Pandas were extremely cute and they were worth a lot financially to the Chinese Government. So much so that the loss of one was regarded as a serious crime. It was well known that the Pandas would always belong to China and any progeny even from Pandas born in other Countries would always belong to China. China owned the copyright to Pandas.

Yu Yan and Li Quiang began to leave the enclosure through the gated entrance. The Pandas were too busy to notice and just as Li Quiang closed the gate , Yu Yan asked him if she could join him for his tea break.

He was happy for her to join him, as otherwise he would have been by himself. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. However he realised afterwards that Yu Yan’s approach had not been without reason, he felt that she had manipulated him, and by the time his tea-break was over, he realised that he had become embroiled in a chain of events that could lead to imprisonment or even death. Li Quiang would have to use all his wits to not drown in Yu Yan’s complex plot. He would not trust her but at the same time he wanted to help Li Xiu.

The two of them had barely made their tea in the little keepers hut when Yu Yan said.

“Li Xiu is sick , we need your help.”

Li Quiang spat out his tea in horror. Yu Yan explained that she knew the keeper’s hut was not bugged , largely because it was damp and the wi-fi was non -existent. They could talk safely. Li Quiang had no intention of talking. He said firmly that Li Xiu would have to be returned to the Zoo. He had looked at Yu Yan in disbelief as she had explained that her boyfriend who she now realises was not a good man had got her involved and made her make a copy of the cell key where she knew Li Xiu would be kept. Yu Yan knew when the vet was visiting as she dealt with the invoices and she had been able to disable the cctv briefly to enable Li Xiu to be stolen. She was very sorry , but her boyfriend had promised that he would marry her and she needed the money for her dowry as her family could never have afforded to pay.

Li Quiang realised that he had to tread carefully, he felt Yu Yan was now in a lot of trouble and all for the sake of a boy. Was she being entirely honest with him? He doubted it.

“If Li Xiu is sick then she needs to come back here.”

” That is impossible at the moment.” Yu Yan looked down at her hands.

” Why?”

“My boyfriend is involved with bad people , they will kill him or kill me. They cannot sell the Panda, please can you help us?”

” So this is what this has all been about, Selling Li Xiu for money?” Li Quiang was disheartened, he knew that Li Xiu was probably very sick by now and that the thieves probably regarded her as a liability. The Panda would be hot property and would be difficult to look after and get treatment for.

There was something he wanted to know before he would help Yu Yan.

“Tell me Yu Yan do you know what happened to the Zoo Curator?”

“Yes, I do , they shot him.” I put a message on his computer, it looked like he was dealing with the people who stole the Panda. Of course he knew nothing about it , they said he died screaming he was innocent. I am so sorry about all of this I just want to stop it.” She began to cry.

Li Quiang said nothing. He picked his tea cup up and went to wash it at the small sink. He turned to Yu Yan.

” I will have to think carefully about what you have told me. I want Li Xiu back. You can tell the people who have her , I will meet them and I will see what state her health is. I’m not hopeful that after six months she will be in good condition. I need to see her very soon. Meanwhile I am returning to work, please do not follow me. I need time to think alone.”

Later that evening , he was in bed with his wife and he told her what had happened and what Yu Yan had told him.

” The stupid girl! What can you do, we must tell the authorities!”

“If Yu Yan was our daughter , we cannot throw her to the wolves, she has made a mistake . Perhaps I can help her and get Li Xiu back at the same time”

“Li , we have no daughter, she died, Yu Yan is not your daughter! She is a thief! Think about our son, he need’s his father. Look what they did to the Curator.”

“Yes, I know, I must not expose myself to danger. I need to speak to the authorities, but I don’t want Yu Yan to be hurt. I don’t care about the boyfriend who got her into this, or the other people who are involved, but Yu Yan, I want to help her. I think she is very sorry for the mess.”

” You are too soft-hearted, but if you think you can do this without getting into trouble , then I hope you can get Li Xiu back safe and sound. Perhaps we should ask my brother in the Police to help.”

” That is a good idea. I want to meet up with these people and I want the authorities to know that I’m only doing it to get Li Xiu back. Your brother will know how to approach this.”

A few days later, and having discussed the situation with his Brother-In-Law, Li Xiu had a plan and he talked it through with Yu Yan over tea in the Keeper’s hut. He explained that he would come and see the Panda and that she should arrange for the people looking after Li Xiu to be present , but on no account was she to be anywhere near the location. Would that be possible?

Yu Yan agreed to set up the meeting and she explained to her boyfriend that it would be very suspicious if she was seen outside the Zoo with Li Quiang, people would think they were having an “affair” and it would be frowned upon. So she was able to give the details to Li Quiang about where to meet and how he would be picked up in a car and taken to the location where Li Xiu was being held. Li Quiang made the visit and was shocked to find that Li Xiu was infact very ill. Li Quiang set his plan in motion with a sense of real urgency.

On the day of the second rendezvous, Li Quiang had a wire on him, this was to be the day he got Li Xiu safely back and although he was nervous he was also excited. He had told the authorities that someone had came up to him in the street and harassed him, took him into a back alley and threatened to beat him up if he didn’t help . They had put him in a car and brought him to an unknown destination. He had seen Li Xiu, she was in a dreadful condition, her eye looked as if it would need to be removed and her fur was in a terrible condition as the room she was being kept in was not being cleaned regularly. They had been feeding her cat food and grass. She was very thin. He explained that there was little time if he was to save her. He had told them that he would need to steal medicines from the Zoo and that he would need to come back with proper food another day.

The Police including his brother-in-law were following him in an unmarked car. Li Quiang as had been agreed with the kidnappers had been picked up from outside the railway station and he was in a car with some very undesirable looking thugs. Li Quiang couldn’t help but think that maybe the Panda’s “buyer” had saw the state of Liu Xiu and had declined to purchase her and now these men were extremely desperate and indeed acting foolishly out of desperation. He was unable to see where he was going as he was between two heavies who told him to keep looking down at the floor, but Li Quiang knew these men would not realise they were being followed. Eventually they reached the house where he had seen Li Xiu and he was accompanied inside. The car that he had travelled in disappeared into a yard at the back.

Li Quiang had in his hand a bag of medicines for Li Xiu and he emphasised to her kidnappers that he really needed to be left alone to tend to her. So they put him in the room with her and locked the door. Li Quiang was relieved, he gave the signal to the Police outside and took Li Xiu up in his arms, she was very sick. He really did not think she would survive. He gave her some vitamin supplements from his pocket as well as a some liquids from a bottle that the vet had prepared. Her eye was wet and pussy, she must have been in a lot of pain, but this was not the time to give her pain killers as she was so weak, if he could get her to the vet , then they might be able to do something.. He held her in his arms and he knew she recognised him, she made a little yelping noise and Li Xiu knew that he was there to rescue her.

Suddenly all hell let loose, there was a loud bang which was the door breaking down and then a lot of shouting and screaming. The Police had broken into the house. This was the most risky part of the operation for Li Quiang. It was important that the Police found him and Li Xiu quickly as he knew that the kidnappers would kill him and Li Xiu if they entered the room first. Li Quiang waited and listened and held the little Panda close to him and hid behind the door and listened. He was frightened when he heard the lock key turn, surely that must be the kidnappers. He crouched behind the door holding Li Xiu. Luckily three paratroopers rushed through the door and with their weapons pointed in all directions and shouted instructions to show yourselves. Li Quiang stood up and when the paratroopers saw the panda in his hands they stopped pointing their guns and turned them around to cover the door.

“All clear!” one of them shouted.

It was then that the Inspector from the Ministry of Public Security walked into the room. His name was Inspector Chen. Inspector Chen gestured to the paratroopers to leave the room. Li Quiang could still here some shouting downstairs, but he knew that the building was secure and that he and the Panda were safe.

” All this for a flea bitten Panda! I do wonder some times!” The Inspector looked at Li Quiang.

” I am sorry you feel that way, I am very grateful to you and your team Inspector. You must know that. These animals are very valuable.” Li Quiang moved to go by the Inspector.

” Wait a minute , Li Quiang, there is something I want to know?”

” Yes anything Inspector” Li Xiu moved in Li Quiang’s arms . ” Li Xiu needs urgent treatment , but I will help.”

” Was it an inside job, who made a copy of the key, you know don’t you?”

” Yes I know who made the copy , I did not hide anything at the time, but as you know my brother is in Regional Police and I asked his advice “.

” I know, it was him that told me to ask you, please tell me the full truth. I don’t think it will take long, I’m sure this little one will survive. He gently touched Li Xiu’s paw.”

Li Quiang looked at the Inspector directly in the eye.” Inspector , you are married and have children do you not?”

“Yes”

” Do you have daughters?”

” Yes”

“Are they old enough to have boyfriends.”

The Inspector laughed. ” Two are, and yes it is a troublesome period.”

” My daughter was killed in a car accident, she was just fifteen, I would have liked to have had the chance to go through that” troublesome period” you speak about. Miss Yan at the Zoo, she got into trouble with a boy, who was no good. This is why this has all happened. I have done my best to solve it in memory of my daughter. I want to protect Yu Yan like my daughter, yes she has made a mistake , please do not make her suffer for it. The rest of the people here I don’t care a jot for , but please protect Yu Yan.”

The Inspector turned to go out the door.

” Thank you” he said” Now that precious Panda, better live after all of this. You must take it to the vet quickly, there is an ambulance outside waiting to take you to the Veterinary Facility.”

Li Quiang said no more and quickly left, he had done his best and Li Xiu was now his main priority.

The exercise had all gone smoothly and there was a celebration when Li Xiu returned to the zoo. She could no longer be on display as her eye had had to be removed, but she had gained muscle and weight and could be part of the breeding programme for the future. She was very much a Panda with character and the Zoo felt she had traits that should continue if they could find a suitable mate. It turned out that Li Xiu also had “boy” trouble, she was very picky when it came to choosing a mate. It would take time and probably a lot of sleepless nights for the keepers.

Li Quiang continued his role working in the Zoo, he had not seen Yu Yan since he got back . Li Quiang was worried, as Inspector Chen had agreed nothing, and after a few days, Li Quiang thought that Yu Yan had been arrested. He was greatly relieved when one morning he saw Yu Yan in zoo overalls running towards him in oversize wellingtons. She was very excited and delighted to see Li Quiang, she had some good news.

” I’ve been accepted on The Zookeeper Course, I will learn how to be a good animal keeper. I’ve been away on an assessment course and I have got my place. I’m so excited.”

Li Quiang smiled at her. ” That is very good news, you will make a good keeper!”

The End

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