From Bunkers to Palaces

Part 13 - last Resort

Arriving back in the hotel suite, Kate remembered the words in the angel song. The lyrics mentioned a hotel, a —'dark, cold, hotel room'. —She smiled wryly —here she was...

One by one, members of their 'team' arrived. Richard and two guards who now leaned on the walls of the small sitting-room in Amma and Kate's hotel room, eating snacks, numbered seven with Bruce and the doctor who sat in one of the four armchairs. From discussion she heard, she believed that others in Richard's employ were ensconced in the motels.

This suite had three bedrooms; Kate and Amma shared one while Bruce and the doctor took the other two. The sitting-room was a duplicate of others in the three family apartments. Around twenty years old, this hotel was the most modern in the town with a total of thirty rooms available for singles or doubles.

When they arrived in the early hours, yes, this was a dark, cold, hotel room as in the song. They would stay this one more night and leave at 2am for the short journey to the airport where they'd 'fly away' in Amma's private jet.

To arrive and leave in darkness had been Richard's demand. To leave and meet back at the airport in separate cars should help them not be perceived for the group they were.

How her father had arrived in the town, no one knew. It was suggested he'd come with Jerry and his two personal guards. This idea was grave indeed. For him to be in the pay of their dread enemies was bad news.

Kate felt somewhat threatened to know he could be in her house, going through her things. She realised, more was happening in the background of all that she knew about her father's being here and why this trip to this town for her funeral had been planned.

The small town named Brookfield had three hotels and two motels, with other accomodation being a large camping site for R.V's, trailers and tents as well as self-contained beach cabins. The beach was only a quarter of a mile away, with more camping grounds and fast-food places, cafes, jetties and wharves for visiting holiday yachts to birth their sea-vessels. Fishing trips could be arranged —it was fishing that was the biggest attraction.

Bruce had overheard that Kate's father had asked to have one of the two town policemen break-in to the house where Kate had lived alone. He'd asked to be allowed to sleep there. It had been her mother's home, left to her when she was but a child of six years old. He said his daughter, Kate, made it her home. He, as her last living relative could surely be granted this one request.

Whether or not Kate's father had permission from the police to do such a thing was yet to be learned, but Richard and the others doubted he would be allowed without a court injunction. Kate had never thought of writing a will.

Kate's income, a monthly grant from her mother's estate, had been substantial enough for her to live comfortably. When she was a school-girl here, a nanny and butler had cared for her in the house as a stipulation in her mother's will.

To have something meaningful to do, she'd volunteered as a part-time librarian at the local school and helped look after the gardens around the church building. Everything else she did with her time was among her most guarded secrets. She never went to movies, watched television or online videos. Her lap-top was used to talk with Richard and Amma and she kept her household and personal accounts on it. A small wireless colour-copy laser printer was on a desk in the living room of the house. She had used it to print photographs she captured with her Fone-Cam.

Kate wondered, now, about the huge mansion 'Brooklands', more like a small palace with extensive gardens that Amma owned, twelve miles from here, set in the country. It had its own helipad. Why couldn't we all stay there? —She questioned herself; she'd learned that Amma had her own secrets. She was a very private person but not distant towards Kate at all. Other than seeing Amma at church and sometimes being taken for lunch at the beach or to a cafe with her, Kate had visited her at least thrice a year and Amma had told her that if ever she needed, she could go there any time, or call for a driver to fetch her. It was the main thing that gave Kate a feeling of security and closeness with this wonderfully friendly, motherly woman.