Preys and Predators Part 1 Chapter 44

 

44                Back stabbing

 

“Deviations? You …. Pervert.” Mary Reid was a woman scorned and held more than fury then all the harpies in Hell. Or was it with Count Dracula.

“Do you take me for a deviation of yours? I am not one of that. I am a …… an equal woman to any man.” Mary had her hands on her waist with the chest jutted out. “I may lack the orbs, but held a bottom that many envy.”

“Finest in Missouri to Arkansas and down to Texas. Loretta said so. And did Tommy Lee said just that. He said I am the best below.”

“Who is Tommy Lee?” Jon asked.

“Live near the creek. We used to swim there when I was five or six till, I was nine of years.” Mary admitted then. “We will take our clothes and jump in. Mama does not like to wet our clothes.”

“You meant you swim buck naked then with a boy.” Jon asked. He may be a traveller and adventurer, but he still retained some of his Victorian manners at most times.

“Yup, then we did it.” Mary said. “It was fun.”

“Did it? Did you and Tommy?” Jon was puzzled.

“You mean did I what with Tommy. Nay, at five years of age, all he had was a little ‘winnie’ and he peed short of mine on the distance.”

“You what?” Jon was disbelieving then. “We stood there and peed. I was taller and well, shorter.” Mary explained. “It was Mum said I should not do but standing was better. More so when you are on the road, and there are no thunder houses around.”

“I do not…... I cannot believe it.” Jon shook his head. He then said, “Mary Reid Roxton,” 

“I meant ……”

“Mary Reid Roxton? Who the hellish do you think I am? I am Mary Reid and its stays at that…...” Mary Redi blasted out. “What did you call me?”

“Mary Reid Roxton,” Jon uttered out once more.

“Frigging tarnation, are you proposing to me?” Mary took a sweeter tone.

“Yes, I am. I want to marry you and be my wife, Mary Reid Roxton,” Jon uttered out. “Would you?”

“Well, we gave fucked in more ways than most. I guess I am keen. But to whom have you fucked before me?” Mary looked at the man.

“Well, several but you are the last in the line.” Jon smiled. “How many you had?”

“Me? I cannot tell. A lady does not tell her secrets but when I am married, I will only be yours.” Mary smiled. “And do not ever back stab me.”

“I thought you like the rear moves.” Jon looked at her.

It was then Mary displayed the knife from her gun belt. “It so happened that I hold this to anyone who does back stab me but I will make an exception for you.” Mary laughed. “Now where were we again?”

“On the bed.”

“Oh, Mary. Who was first?” Jon had to asked.

“That will be ……. Lucas Field. He is now sowing a bed of daisies in Missouri.” Mary said. “I shot him when he doing Sue. I did tell Sue that Lucas was a fast shooter but she would not listen. God blast his two-timing soul.”

Back stabbed was how Mycroft felt when he was back at his office. It was opportune that James Cambier stepped in. “Sir, I brought you some new info on Mary Reid.”

“Thanks, James. I need one more dossier. Can you get it please?” Please was hardly a word used by Mycroft for his staff.

“Who will it be?” James asked.

“James Cambier.” Mycroft spoke the name.

“Sir?” James was stunned. “Mine, Sir?”

“Yes, yours. I want to know more about you and the Syndicate. You can tell me, or the others will when they put you on the rack. They do that at the prison but we do not disclose and no one will ever do that. They would have grown a few inches but it does not matter at all to the fishes in the Thames/”

“You cannot be serious, Sir. I am innocent.” James pleaded. It was then the two guards appeared at the office.

“Take him away. Let me know later what he had to say.” Mycroft looked once more at James. “Back stabber.”

Another one to feel back stab was Watson. He was back at Baker Street with Holmes. He was felling wretch inside that for once, Professor Moriarty had one over Holmes. It felt like a dagger was stabbed in his back.

“Holmes, how could we have had …...” Watson was to rant on the issue. Mrs Hudson had served tea and scones, but the Doctor had not touched his tea.

“Elementary, my dear Watson.” Holmes spoke while he was filling his pipe with tobacco. “Have you heard of tale of the two monks who was to search for enlightenment. They came to the rescue of a lady who could not cross the stream as there was no bridge. The elder monk carried the lady across on his shoulder. From there, the two monks made onwards with the journey. The other monk who was younger asked the elderly why carried the lady. It was forbidden for the monks to touch a woman. The elder monk replied that he had remembered the lady and had moved on from that incident. He told the younger monk the it is the journey ahead that matters and not the past. We all took on many events in the past but does it need to linger on.”

“The lesson here is to move on. Moriarty have a few instances over us, but not all. His accomplishments were noted and it allowed me to move on the case. It is not a race but to keep the city safe for all of us. I am doing just that.”

“This case is like a rebus. It offered us many clues and they are contradicting in their appearance. Have you seen a picture of a bird and hunter? You assumed the hunter will shoot the bird, or the bird may be there to watch the hunter next move.”

“Rebus, Holmes?”

Yes, rebus. It is like a card game with a rebus puzzle, which was gradually revealed as matches were made. And voila you see the real picture.” Holmes said. “The bird was not in the same picture as the hunter. It was drawn there to confuse the viewer. If one studied the picture in its own perspective, you will find the dimensions were wrong.”

“Well done, Holmes. But I felt Moriarty had one over us too often.” Doctor Watson added. “Revolting it was to me.”

“Apparently, Watson. Most elementary we lost some.” Some will say it was ego bruised then on Holmes; hurtful but he wants to move on.

“However, he did not win all. I was with the you that day to stand among the gathered was to see who among them were the Doctor’s people. I have seen them in the previous scenes. My deduction was they could be the murderers but their actions were not of that. They were to take notes of the scene. This round, the Doctor held one over me.”

“I was studying the Syndicate too, and had a few presumptions of whom was involved. Lord Dennis was one. He had access to the funds as the Exchequer. I had the some of the funds traced and saw it been transferred to various organization or projects and then re-routed to the more banks known to be operated by Professor Moriarty. Or by various figures with interest in the Syndicate.”

“Like Mary Pleaste?” Doctor Watson asked. “Mary Pleaste is one of the leaders and she held access to her own benefactors. However, she was killed, and the mode she was done, well, I did say it was a warning to the others. The Doctor remained an open mystery until Mycroft reveal the guest, Count Vald.”

“Doctor Jekyll?” Watson asked. “Unknown till recently. I should had dug into Lord Dennis background more diligently but did not. I was careless. If I had linked him to Jekyll, I might have better deductions. The connection between the Doctor and the daughter was not in my mind.” Holmes lit the tobacco.

“The Super warrior syndrome had been the fallacy of many leaders and government, including the creation of the master race. The leaders particularly the colonists, think themselves superior to others by creed or skin shades. Those who do not share our shades, were called savages. We subdue them and made them into slaves as one of the practices to showcase their dominance. We were winning wars against them because of our guns but eventually, they levelled to us on that. That is when we began retreating and upon seeing the savagery or at times, the bravery of the enemies, we thought of the super-warrior creation.”

“In recorded history, slavery is common not by the victor of wars, but also the ……” Doctor Watson defended the art of slavery: “Dominance on the weak and needy; the economically desperate are made to be slaves. History taught us that, but we also know from slavery that revolutions happen. The so-named slaves revolted and won their freedom. Men and any living creatures were never designed to be enslaved. Given the choice, a hen will escape for freedom should there be a pressing condition.”

“The leaders do not like to lose any conflicts, and to win, they will do what is needed, including the Super-Warrior creation. Imagine if one day, a single-man army defeat can defeat hundreds of the enemies in one battle. I will say we had arrived at the age of heroes... No, it will be super heroes.” Holmes took a puff.

“Professor Moriarty and myself are twins in many ways. In our works, we are heroes, but we are not super heroes that can win every conflict. We may lose some, do the retreat, or even backstab each other, and the last one standing lives. That is what heroes are known to be; the last one standing.”

“We are a dying breed of heroes, Holmes.” Doctor Watson added. "True, but till then, we are still the needed heroes.” Holmes took another puff.

“Holmes, that tobacco could kill you.”

“Elementary, my dear Watson. Heroes do die, and if I am to die from smoking my tobacco, so be it. Do give me a good burial and epitah.”