Team of Seven Heroes Shorts Tales 1; Chapter 11 & 12

The hunt for the prey

11.

“Fools! Am I to be plaque with them?” The Mullah threw the book he was holding. He was in the Library of his mansion. “Tell me how a task could so simple be … fuddled by these fools?”

The book landed close to the lady dressed in the leather suit under the red shaded waist length coat, but she was not concerned on it. She was looking at the dagger held in her left hand. She was examining the blade. The dagger was a Kurdish dagger known as Janbia. It was a dagger with a curved blade, and a medial ridge. It was worn by man of the Arabian descents. The hilt was made of rhinoceros horn. The blade was of steel with the sheath made of wood covered with metal. She weighed the dagger and liked the balance.

“Am I heeded here?” The Mullah looked at the lady seated there. “Where is Bromshead?”

“I have no concerned on him.” The other occupant growled from the far corner nursing the long drink held in the right hand. He was unlike the others; his taste of attire was rough wear and coarse clothing. He was bald headed with the goatee. He looked like the grocer on the block, but his real work was smashing people’s head. He was an enforcer for the docks leader.

“You should be. He is ….” The Mullah stopped when he saw the Major stepped into the chamber. “Major, I don’t like to wait.”

“And I don’t like to be haul out of my bridge game to …” Major Bromshead lashed back. He was dressed in his business suit with vest inside his dark blue coat, and on his right hand was his walking stick with the heavy head piece made from metal.

“Major, may I remind you that your lifestyle is handed by my generosity. If you chose to be impudent, I will go above you. He may not be pleased.”

“And he won’t be. He will have all of you dead by nightfall.” Major Bromshead laid it out flatly. “I served with him …”

“Okay, tell me of the one that you said was getting close to our …business.” The Mullah cut to the business. “Who is this Duncan?”

“Duncan McLeod is a fool. I had him done in. I had the …Sorry, Pierce was the one who arrange his men to do it. Just like the ones who could not shoot the hens in the chicken coop.”

“Tell me once more who Duncan McLeod is?” The Mullah asked again.

“Duncan McLeod is one of us. He is a part of the Hidden Ones. He was on our leash and hence he could not catch you. We had it arranged. He was sent back here on the grounds of misconduct, but he decided to seek you here when he found out from his own sources, that you are here. He was also pursuing his lover whom we lay the news of him being here. It was all a ploy for his lover is an assassin; the Guild trained one.”

“The elusive lady?” The Mullah was upset. “The Guild have a bounty on me.”

“Which we knew then and their assassin is here on her own accord. She is considered a renegade. We were to hold her as a hostage and exposed Duncan, but things are sometimes as planned.” Major Bromshead looked to the one named Pierce. “Pierce had him killed.”

“Contravening my order.” The Mullah looked at Pierce. “You also had the lady escaped.”

“Mullah, am I here to hear your raving madness recounting what you had known? I will be leaving now.” Major Bromshead turned to leave but was stopped by the Mullah.

“Major Bromshead, you are right. I am raving mad. I am raving mad because all of you had killed fake Duncan McLeod. And tried to make up by having a shooting gallery by the river on the real one. And he escaped with his lover whom you were supposed to have captured. And the only reason, I am not shooting you is because I am raving mad.” The Mullah glared at the Major. “From now, listen up. I am taking on the elusive Duncan McLeod. I am going to kill him and his lover. I am going to heal this festering wound.”

“You are raving mad, Mullah. I will not stand in your way. Do it and let us get our life back on track.” Major Bromshead smiled. He then looked at the other two. “You are all mad like him.”

“Mad? Who are you to call us mad?” Pierce reacted in anger and rushed at the Major. The later took on his battle stance and held the walking stick in front. He saw the raging brute approaching and the walking stick lashed out. A swinging blow to the left side of the face with the metal head, and then the plunged of the wooden end of the stick into the left thigh just below the hip. Pierce feel forward with the left leg in pain, and the metal head of the walking stick was slammed into the face breaking the nose.

“Don’t ever make me mad. I can be …mad.” The Major cautioned the brute then on the flooring holding his broken nose. “I am not here to work ….”

“The Major will assist in any way he could.” The new voice came from the garden doors which was ajar then. A figure stepped in and approached the seated lady.

‘Hello, Colonel Fleming. I am ever glad to see you.” The lady greeted the newly arrived senior officer. The officer was a tall slim figure dressed in the fine suit with the homburg.  The officer took the extended right hand of the lady and laid his kiss on it.

“Major Bromshead, I trust you do know how to address an officer even though you have retired.” The Colonel reminded the Major who threw in the salute to his commanding officer.

“Mullah, your pursuit of the man and lady may be an act of harsh decision.” Colonel Fleming looked at the Mullah. “You must not have induced yourself in such trivial acts. The Major will accomplish the task for you. Am I understood, Major?”

“Yes, Sir.” The Major stood to attention with his face flashed red either in anger or embarrassment.

“Duncan McLeod is one of ours. Trained by us. And he will be killed by ours.” Colonel Fleming replied. He then looked at the Mullah. “Don’t ever threaten my officers on their lifestyle. I am responsible for that lifestyle.”

“May I look at the dagger?” The Colonel reached out his right hand towards the lady. She offered him the dagger which he held at the tip of the blade.

“Fine balance.” The Colonel remarked and then tossed the dagger with the twist of his right hand. The dagger flew across the chamber and ended up in Pierce’s left eye. The so named brute fell to the flooring once more lifeless.

“No one fights my officer.” Colonel Fleming glared at the Mullah. “We have each our respect.”

“Find the named doctor; Doctor John Watson. He may be involved more than he knows.” The Colonel told the Major.

12.

Doctor John Watson placed his right hand on the door knob of the room he was renting then. His fingers clenched on the knob and then held there. His instinct told him that there was danger behind the door. He had survived on his instinct before. He looked to the flooring before the door. There was some dirt there which was not there before. His body tensed from his shoulders to his toes on his feet, but he knew that he needed to relax. It was part of his training. He pulled in his breath and then exhaled. His left hand reached in to his right shoulder holster and pulled the dagger out.

Watson was ready.

Watson turned the knob and opened the door. He turned his body sideways to present a narrow target while his left hand held the dagger ready to be tossed. He looked in and saw the room was empty. From where he stood, he saw his bedding and chairs with the table. The window was closed shut and the coal brazier was still there by the window. He looked to the other sides and saw nothing.

Watson was mistaken and stepped in.

“Doctor, please remain calm.” The dagger sharp end was at his neck on the left side. The doctor stood there with the door closing behind him. He was holding onto dagger in his left hand.

“I heard of your reputation, Doctor. I am not any ….” Watson heard the words spoken into him in the Frontier’s tongue.

“A member of the Guild. I have guessed it as much. Only your kind may have eluded me of the scents here.” Watson have met and fought with them before. “Your fair warning is your call sign. So, tell me why are you here? I have buried my hatchet with the Guild back there. A truce which I had with the Grand Master.”

“I was there, Doctor. The few who had fought us to a stand alive and won our respect as an adversary.” The other reply. “I am Sushila the Silent. I need your service as a healer. I have a friend named Duncan.”

Watson thought momentarily of the name. He had recalled the man; whichever he was had mentioned looking for his lover from the Frontier.

“Bring him to me now. Less words and delay may save his life.” Watson replied. It was then he heard stepping sounds from the rear of a figure dragging his feet. He ignored the threat of the dagger and turned to see the figure. It was a wounded man with his left shoulder bandaged. Watson took on his profession as the healer with the wounded man taken into his room.

“You are a lucky man, Duncan McLeod.” Doctor Watson looked at the wounded man while he was washing his hands at the wash basin. “The bullets went through but you have lost blood.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I trust you met Oates. He was a good mate. I heard he …” Duncan was snapped off his words.

“Moats died in your name. Who are you to have him as the victim?” Watson directed at Duncan. “I only got to know of this when the police told him.”

“Oates and myself knew the score line. We were in the same squad once before. He …was my good pal.” Duncan replied in anger. “Oates died soon after he met you for I told him so. He was to entrust our lives to an officer. Like yourself. The Hidden Ones are tainted with …. murderers and all sort. We discovered that plot and he died.”

“Now your tale spread out like the web of deceit. Tell me for once, Duncan McLeod who are you and who are the Hidden Ones.”

The tale that came from Duncan McLeod will never have made the headlines for it astounding in its content. The Empire was feeling the hold on the eastern colonies. The local monarchs or privilege families were rebelling against the Empire on the administration of their lands. The Viceroy of India have forwarded an appeal to the King then to increase the army there or withdraw.

The Hidden Ones were formed and called into duty under Colonel Fleming. The Colonel formed three squads of six to eight members. We were given tasks to remove those threats identified by the Colonel. Duncan was the master sniper and was to join any squad in need of his skills. Their tasks were to remove the renegade leaders like the Mullah. Or the traitors. It worked well for the Empire, but the Hidden Ones gained a reputation as merciless killer.

Duncan was ever proud to serve the Empire and on his mis-conduct he was sent back. He was told that his charge was a mock one and given him the cover to find the Mullah. He took the task to heart and worked his way into the network of spies and traitors. The Mullah was seen in London and was recruiting the locals including the local hands who was allegedly working for the Mullah. His last task was to remove Lieutenant Dunsbury. It was done but not by him. The scene was chaotic in situation, but Duncan was safe.

Duncan’s mistake was he missed on the Corporal and one other private. The leaders of the Hidden ones were not pleased and ship the Private home at the most opportune time. Duncan did the unthinkable; he told Sushila to elope. He left and waited for her but his time at London was to carry out the find for the Mullah. He found a trail that lead him to the Human Trafficking.

“It was arranged by someone named the Doctor with then help from our leaders like the Major from our own regiment; Major Brushed.”

“I don’t believe you.” Doctor Watson seated across the wounded man.

“Check out this place. It’s one of their safe houses. It’s also ours.” The address given was a small house on the outskirt of London. Watson remembered the place as a convalescent retreat for the officers. He was there once before when he returned after his missing period in the hills. He was there for a month to get briefing and rest.

“It was vacated by the Regiment and taken over by the squad for their recovery.” Duncan continued with his explanation. “Oates was there too. We escaped when we learned the truth. We barely made it out and since then, we have been trying to expose the activity there. No one believed us. Oates saw you in London and recalled your unofficial stay with the brigands. He thought maybe you could be the one to talk to. I did not know he used my name to get to you.”

“Duncan, I am a doctor. Not a battle-hardened officer. Not a ….”

“Doctor Watson, we heard of your reputation. You are not a ranking officer with the influences. You are a self-made officer and more to it, you were 9once the White Killer. You have your numbers marked on the wall and we knew it. We were twice given the task to remove you, but the orders were rescinded twice. You were doing our tasks although it remained unknown to many.”

“I…” Watson looked at Duncan. He had sworn to leave all that behind.

“Doctor Watson, you are the healer for those unfortunate ladies.” Duncan was convincing.