Preys and Predators Part 1 Chapter 21

 

21.          The veil is lifted.

 

Doctor Jekyll woke up to the sight of him on his bedding. He was bare chested with marks of scratches and cuts on the chest. He looked to the surroundings and saw the place was rearranged in his furnishing. He sighed at that outcome. It was obvious he had failed in his antidote.

“You are awake, Doctor.” The voice was from the count. He was leaning over Doctor Jekyll.

“What happened? I have vague memories of...”

“You were in a state of agitation and thrashed the chamber. I heard the commotion, and we managed to breakdown the door. It was not fixed rigidly.” Doctor Jekyll heard the count, but it was an impossibility for the door to be forced unless an equal amount of force was applied.

“We came in and saw...” It was Rosa who intervened to offer the doctor some refreshment. It was herbal tea, to be exact; Holly Basil to calm the nerves.

“Count, let me serve tea to the doctor.” Rosa pushed her away forward and held the cup of tea to the doctor. “You will be fine soon.”

It was an assuring gesture by the lady, and the count stepped away. His shirt was torn, and there were bruises on his face. Doctor Jekyll saw the signs and asked.

“It was nothing, Doctor. You were...” Count Vlad was interrupted by Rosa.

“A trance, if I may say. You were screaming and throwing things. We had to break down the door and restrain you. It was a momentarily, and then you calmed down.” Rosa smiled at the doctor. “You will be fine, Henry.”

It was then the banging of the outer door, and Rosa went to attend to it while the Count had retired to his chamber. The two gentlemen walked in and inquired on the commotion there.

“We had a mishap with the experiment, and there was an explosion. It was contained, and the doctor is at rest.” Rosa explained.

“We need to check the lab.” One of the gentlemen tried to force his way in but was stopped by Rosa.

“The doctor left specific instructions that no one was to enter the lab without his permission.”

“The heck with his permission. I am the authority. The left-handed chop landed on the gentleman on the neck and was followed through with a right knee thrust at the groin. The other gentleman was to intervene and was given the side kick by the right leg of Rosa on the face. Both men fell to the ground in pain.

“This is the doctor’s home. Be courteous or leave.” Rosa cautioned the two men on the flooring. The one kicked reached for the ‘billy jack’ in his coat and was given another front kick at the face. He went down, gasping for breath.

“Leave now, or it will drag your body out.” Rosa told the two gentlemen. They had their share of the insult and left. Rosa then locked the door and walked to the doctor’s chamber.

‘You have protected me twice.” Doctor Jekyll smiled from the bedding. “I am ever grateful.”

“Please tell me what happened just now.” Doctor Jekyll in turn looked at Rosa. “I need to know.”

“We are unsure, but there were screams and then the banging. We took to the door and broke it down. It was hard, but the count was stronger. We saw you standing there in a state of rage. Your body shape was... larger than usual, and your expression was anger.”

"How... large?”

“You were taller, and your chest was bulging with muscles. You were raging and called yourself... Mr. Hyde.” Rosa held out her arms toward the doctor. “I have seen such reactions but never like yours.”

“Hyde?” Doctor Jekyll asked. He shook his head then. He then looked for the vial he had injected with.

“The vial? Where is it?” Doctor Jekyll forced himself up from the bedding. “I need to find it.”

Rosa had cleaned the chamber and kept the broken furnishings to the side. She went through it and picked up the broken vial. She handed it to the doctor. He looked at it and sighed.

“It was the wrong vial. I mistakenly injected myself.” Doctor Jekyll looked at Rosa. “This is the extract from the count. Yours, Count. I must have mistakenly taken the vial.”

“I do not understand.” Rosa was confused.

“May I interrupt, Doctor Jekyll?” It was the Count. “It is time for me to be clear on my visit.”

“I am sure there was a mistake, Count.” Doctor Jekyll replied.

“No, Doctor. My visit here was a mistake.” Count Vlad stepped into the chamber. His right arm was bandaged and held by the sling there.

At that moment, Mycroft has received a report on the happenings at Doctor Jekyll’s lab. It was delivered by another of his teams stationed there. He was in his office at the Ministry and had not had his tea break.

“By George, what did he do?” Mycroft was upset. He looked to the aide of his whom he confided in. “Cambier, do you know that Hery Jekyll is a renowned chemist and researcher on humans? Well, his expertise is radical; hence, ostracized by his peers.”

“He is obstinate in his works.” The aide cut in. James Cambier is a younger man with his ancestry that spread from the city to the main continent. Some of his kins are ardent supporters of the royals and had fought for the King then in the colonial war and then for the Union in the Civil War. It was unknown to whom their loyalty lies, but they are supporting the cause then. 

“Are we not the same, James Cambier?” Mycroft's stern expression was seen. “The government wanted the Super Warrior, and he had shown promising experiments.”

“We had failures, sir.”

“Failures are not a setback but another effort to be better. Of late, his works have exceeded the agreed works.”

“Seven dead or retarded and all good men, but...” The aide pressed out the numbers.

“Collateral damages, but he was getting there.” Mycroft cut in. “His last result was over two months ago, and since then we had no request for it other than for a convict to bled out. The convict was kept, and the count arrived. It puzzles me, but was the count an invite to further test his works?”

“Was it worth it, sir?" The Super Warrior?” The aide asked.

“The Minister, or rather the Prime Minister, and the previous one too wants the Super Warrior now. With the loss of our colonies and our army defeated by many others... The Boers, the Zulu, and lately the Boxer Rebellion.” Mycroft recalled the defeats. “It is no more the blazing cannons across the bow of the ships but bloody hand-to-hand fighting.”

“Admiral Nelson did that at Trafalgar.” The aide reminded Mycroft.

“No, he perfected it with his strategy. Unfortunately, he died then.” Mycroft said. “And then the Chinese taught us a lesson. Gone are the days of line-up firing.” Mycroft voiced out. “Yes, we won most times, but at a cost. Imagine when the Chinese learned how to shoot and came up closer; we are dead ducks then. The Chinese fought with us hand in hand.”

“The French have Savate?” The aide was to incline his view.

“Do not mention the French ever here. We are British, and bloody well stay as one. Now back to the matter at hand, sir. How do we handle Doctor Jekyll?” The aide asked. Just before Mycroft was to reply, another aide stormed in.

“Sir, another set of murders happened. This time it is bad. We have reports of multiple victims.”

“Bloody timing there.” Mycroft snapped out. “Get me my coach. I am to see the... the one man who may help me here.”

“That will be me, Mycroft.” The figure walked into the office of Mycroft Holmes. “I can help you.”