Dory's Avengers

by Alison Jack

  ‘Dunno,’ replied Dex, wincing as Alan cleaned the blood from a nasty cut on his ear, ‘but I guess we're not going to like it much.’

  ‘If I were to hazard a guess, he's going to try and cut us off from the rest of the Unsponsored,’ said Chloe, busy tending to Cameron's wounds despite sporting a nasty fat lip herself.

  ‘I think Chloe's right,’ said Max. ‘His Lordshit knows we've got a network, and you don't have to be Brains to work out that it runs from Applethwaite.’

  ‘What about Philip, though?’ asked Alan, adding, ‘Hold still, you big fairy!’ as he wound a bandage round Dex's head.

  ‘Good point, Al,’ said Chloe, taking up Alan's train of thought. ‘His Lordshit can hardly hold Philip prisoner in Applethwaite, if that is his intention; or Simone and Cathie for that matter…’

  ‘…And I can get word back to the Unsponsored in London,’ said Philip. ‘In fact, what am I thinking? I'll phone them right now…oh!’

  ‘What is it, Phil?’ asked Simone, first to notice dismay clouding her husband's face.

  ‘No network available,’ Philip replied, looking up from his mobile phone with a baffled expression on his face. Having decided Dex was patched up enough for the time being, Alan crossed over to The White Lion's phone.

  ‘No tone whatsoever,’ he said after listening to the silent handset for a few moments. ‘Seems we've already been cut off.’

  ‘What about the computers?’ asked Louis, but Chris shook his head.

  ‘No, they work off the landline connection too. If the phone's cut off, we've got no Internet connection either.’ Looking at his own mobile phone, Chris's frown deepened.

  ‘His Lordshit's been thorough,’ he said angrily. ‘I've got no network either. I wouldn't even bother trying, Adam,’ he added, seeing Adam switching on his laptop.

  ‘You're right,’ said Adam. ‘No connection available.’

  ‘So, the roads in and out of the village are blocked by the thugs,’ said Matilda bitterly, ‘we've got no phone or Internet connection, and it looks like we're being confined to the pub.’ Waving a hand towards the window, Matilda pointed out the Sponsored security guards once more swarming around the village street.

  ‘Oh wonderful!’ snarled Gideon. ‘How on earth is Louis supposed to continue with his training if we're stuck in here?’

  ‘Surely they'll let us go over to the studio,’ said Louis. ‘There are enough of them to keep an eye on us, make sure we're not making a break for it…’

  ‘Oh yes, like I'm the ideal candidate to make a break for it…’ began Gideon, but he was interrupted abruptly by Lysander.

  ‘Louis, there is no way I'm letting you go off to that studio. No bloody way. Yes the thugs will let you go; they won't let you come back though.’

  ‘But, Dad, the Games…’

  ‘I don't give a fuck about the Games,’ yelled the normally even-tempered Lysander, taking everyone by surprise. ‘You're far more important to me than the Games, Louis. The thugs will be delighted if you and Gideon voluntarily separate yourselves from the rest of us…’

  ‘Divide and conquer,’ said Marina suddenly. ‘It's one of His Lordshit's favourite concepts. That's why he kept me separate from Theo for so many years.’

  ‘Listen to Mari, Louis!’ begged Lysander. ‘You're my son, and I want you here where I can protect you.’

  ‘I take your point, Dad, but I need to train. I can't stand the thought of not training…’

  ‘We could all go to the studio,’ suggested Abi, sharing Lysander's concern for Louis but also recognising her boyfriend's desire to continue his training. Her suggestion didn't go down well at all.

  ‘That's just crazy talk, Abi,’ snapped Cameron, voicing what they were all thinking. ‘Why would we go from The Lion; which has bedrooms, provisions, plenty of room, more than one shower, and beer beer beer, to maroon ourselves in Gideon's studio instead?’

  ‘I think I'd have difficulty sneaking over the road, anyway,’ said Izzy. ‘And for the same reason that Lysander doesn't want to be separated from Louis, I refuse to be separated from Theo and Marina.’

  ‘Louis, why don't you use Dex's gym?’ said Jenny, putting her arms around her big brother.

  ‘What's that, darling?’

  ‘Dex's gym. In the cellar.’ Louis looked enquiringly at Dex.

  ‘Yeah,’ said Dex, ‘I got the cellar kitted out last year. After Al met with that spot of bother while he was out running, we decided we'd rather keep fit in the Sponsor-free safety of our own home. We've got so much space down there that I had plenty of room to keep all your old equipment, Louis. Do you want to come look?’

  ‘You bet!’ Louis was on his feet in an instant, following Dex down to the cellar. Looking with shining eyes at the spacious gym nestling underneath the old Inn, all his familiar old equipment just waiting to be set up, Louis hugged Dex in delight.

  ‘Dexter Montfiore, you're a genius!’ Thundering back up the stairs and through to the bar once more, a jubilant Louis told Gideon all about it.

  ‘Dex has got everything we need, Gid; everything! There's loads of space too…’

  ‘And just how am I supposed to get down to the cellar, you moron?’ growled Gideon, his bad mood compounded by Louis once again calling him Gid.

  ‘I'll carry you…’

  ‘You'll do no such thing.’

  ‘OK,’ snapped Louis, losing his temper all of a sudden. ‘I'll go and train on my own while you sit up here sulking. While you sit up here GIVING UP! Whatever you decide, Gideon, I'm going to train, but I'd rather do it with your support than without.’

  Gideon didn't speak for a moment, and when he did he addressed Dex rather than Louis.

  ‘You seem to be able to achieve a lot without Sponsorship, Dexter,’ he said bluntly.

  ‘I've got money,’ replied Dex evenly, meeting Gideon's gaze. ‘Money can still open the odd closed door, even in Sponsorsville. Besides that, Georgia and I are kind of exempt from Sponsorship…’

  ‘Rubbish! The Sponsors have been after you for years to get The Lion endorsed…’

  ‘I don't mean The Lion, I mean us personally,’ said Dex patiently. ‘The Sponsors can only force their control on the British; we're American. If I can't buy what I want here, I can buy it from the country of my birth, and there's nothing the Sponsors can do about it.’

  ‘Now, if you've finally finished insinuating that my Dex has somehow sold out to the Sponsors,’ snapped Alan, more upset than the laid-back Dex at Gideon's blunt questions, ‘an apology wouldn't go amiss.’

  ‘It's OK, Al honey,’ said Dex, but Gideon apologised anyway.

  ‘Alan's right, Dex. I'm sorry for being so rude. I suppose we're all a little overwrought at the moment, but I had no right to take it out on one of my friends. It's essential that we remain strong and united.’

  ‘Dory's Avengers!’ said Jenny, balancing on the wheels of Gideon's chair and giving him a hug.

  ‘Dory's Avengers indeed, Miss Trevelyan,’ replied Gideon, beaming at Jenny. ‘And what a good idea you had for Louis to use Dex's gym, you clever girl. Training resumes in the morning!’

  Louis's training did indeed resume the following morning, various people dropping in from time to time to watch and admire the skill of the young gymnast. Lysander insisted that Jenny sit down and do some lessons, conscious that she was missing out on essential schooling and wondering if life would ever return to normal for his little daughter. Sarah was equally insistent that Jenny have frequent breaks, while the child herself was only interested in going outside to play in the sunshine. Finally, Theo lifted her on his shoulders and they both went for a run around the garden as the Sponsor thugs looked on from beyond the wall.

  For some reason, an unspoken pact seemed to exist between the thugs and Dory's Avengers that the former wouldn't enter the immediate vicinity of the inn, but there were plenty of Sponsor guards milling around in the meadow. Jenny became a little subdued when the sounds of children playing carried over from Ap
plethwaite Primary, but Theo soon cheered her up. The little girl adored her brother's best friend, and was delighted to have learnt how to go cross-eyed like Louis by the time she and Theo returned to the bar. Eager to show off her new skill, Jenny cornered Louis as he appeared from the cellar to fetch some much needed water.

  ‘Look, Louis! Look! I can go cross-eyed like you; Theo taught me.’

  ‘Well, well; good old Theo,’ said Louis, trying not to laugh despite himself. Draining his glass, he refilled it with more iced water before emptying the lot over Theo's head and disappearing rapidly back into the cellar. A roar of laughter from below a few minutes later indicated that Louis had told the whole tale to Gideon.

  The unshakeable humour and camaraderie of Dory's Avengers was to be one of their greatest allies in the weeks to come, as Lord William put into operation his plans to crush the Unsponsored. Having succeeded in cutting the Applethwaite Unsponsored off from the rest of the country, and also confining Dory's Avengers in their entirety to The White Lion, Lord William was able to monitor any information getting through to them. One thing he took great delight in announcing was St Benedict Construction's latest enterprise: to develop the land currently occupied by the Unsponsored in the cities.

  ‘Good morning, White Lion,’ boomed Lord William through a megaphone one morning towards the end of May. ‘I know you can hear me in there, so why don't you show yourselves? No? No matter. Much as it pains me to cut you off from the rest of the Unsponsored scum blighting this respectably Sponsored country,’ Lord William's laughter as he spoke belied his words, were anyone to have believed he was sincere. ‘Much as it pains me, you have brought it upon yourselves by your constant refusal to respect the Sponsorship Scheme, and the MILLIONS who benefit from the Scheme. This has left me with no choice but to take action. Regrettably harsh action.’

  Once again Lord William laughed while, unbeknown to him, his estranged wife held tightly on to their son and daughter, despairing of the man she once loved.

  ‘Theodore,’ roared Lord William through his megaphone. His Lordship would have been gratified to see his usually unruffled son jump out of his skin at his name, but all he could see was the impassive face of The White Lion Inn. ‘Theodore; I'm sure you're listening. I hope so as I have a little birthday treat coming up for you. As you know, you were born into a family that controls the construction industry in this country, so it only seems fitting that a major new construction initiative should commence on your next birthday. More and more respectable people are embracing the way of life enjoyed by the Sponsored. They need homes, they need restaurants, they need shops. They need leisure facilities, eh Lysander?’

  Lord William chuckled merrily once again.

  ‘On 18 June, a mass clearance of slums will commence, beginning with the appalling high-rise monstrosities of Walworth. The Unsponsored SCUM currently dwelling in the high-rises, including one Richard Lonsdale, have received notice as of this morning that they have…let me see…three weeks to find alternative dwellings. Good day to you, Unsponsored.’

  Switching off the megaphone, Lord William was mildly disappointed not to see any reaction from The White Lion. All he could see was the morning sun reflecting back at him from the long, white frontage of the inn as he made his way to the Applethwaite Guesthouse. Lord William's disappointment was short-lived, though; opening the door to his luxurious room he found Faye waiting for him, her body stunning in the scarlet underwear and high heels he'd left out for her. Faye had turned out to be not just a great advocate of the Sponsorship Scheme, but also an imaginative and enthusiastic bedroom partner. Indifferent to the disapproval of the other Sponsors, she'd agreed with His Lordship's suggestion that there was no need for her to sleep alone every night when there was plenty of room in his bed. The fact that she didn't fancy His Lordship in the slightest was of no matter to Faye; she'd been blessed with a vivid imagination, and was more than capable of pretending that the hands caressing her body were really Alan's. To Faye, any sex was better than no sex; and fulfilling His Lordship's desire was proving to be a pretty good career move too.

  As Lord William was enjoying Faye's body once again, a weeping Sarah Lonsdale was being comforted by her friends in The White Lion. Even Jenny had understood the gist of His Lordship's pronouncement; Sarah's brother Rick and his family were going to lose their comfortable and friendly home on 18 June, Theo's birthday. No one had any doubt that Lord William had deliberately chosen the Lonsdale family and their friends as the first to become homeless. The blow was made even harder to bear for Sarah as she had no means of communication with her brother, no means of finding out where he and Lisa intended to go, no way of offering her support. Theo was naturally upset about the date His Lordship had chosen to embark on this latest atrocity, and Izzy had her work cut out persuading her son that he was in no way responsible for His Lordship's crimes. The London Unsponsored who'd remained in Applethwaite for a few days following Chris and Georgie's wedding, and who had subsequently become trapped in The White Lion, were also frustrated at being so helpless while their friends in the capital suffered.

  Since the day of the pitched battle between the Applethwaite Unsponsored and his security guards, Lord William hadn't let anyone leave The White Lion, and that included the Lorimer family. By the second week in June, the Unsponsored UK branch of Europe Logistics was becoming increasingly anxious at not having heard from Philip Lorimer for nearly a month; not even a phone call since he'd left to attend a wedding in the North-West. Every time Philip's second-in-command, Jon Morison, called Philip's mobile phone, his call went straight to voicemail. It was unprecedented for Philip to be unreachable for so long, and eventually Jon decided that perhaps Lord William St Benedict could help. When Lord William was next in London, Jon made an appointment to see him.

  ‘Good morning, Mr Morison,’ said Lord William, smiling warmly as Brian Mooreland showed Jon Morison into the office. Shaking Lord William by the hand, Jon sat down in the chair offered to him by Mooreland. Jon had experienced enough hard-headed businesspeople in his time not to be taken in by Lord William's amiable expression; there was no way that His Lordship would be the all-powerful man he was without also being shrewd and ruthless.

  ‘What can I do for you?’ asked His Lordship, once Jon Morison had been supplied with a cup of coffee.

  ‘Your Lordship, I need your help as a matter of fact. I appreciate that time is precious to you, so I'll get straight to the point. I need to get in touch with Philip Lorimer, but he appears to have vanished off the face of the Earth. With the Games coming up, we at Europe Logistics UK really need him back in London. Now, Your Lordship, you are arguably the most powerful man in the country. If you would be so kind as to use your influence…’

  ‘I understand your concern, Mr Morison, but what makes you think that I know where Philip is?’

  ‘He was last seen in Applethwaite, Your Lordship, attending a wedding that I believe included you among its guests. I'm also aware of the troubles in Applethwaite since said wedding, and I confess that I'm worried that Philip may have inadvertently become caught up in these troubles.’

  ‘I fear you may be correct, Mr Morison. The Unsponsored in Applethwaite have become very rebellious; indeed, they have turned my son and daughter against me.’

  Knowing a little of Theo's past from Philip, Jon thought that Lord William had probably done a good enough job of alienating his son without any help from the Applethwaite Unsponsored. Wisely, Jon kept his thoughts to himself as Lord William continued.

  ‘I shall be returning to Applethwaite in an attempt to restore order tomorrow morning. Why don't you come along with me? There's more than enough room in my car.’

  ‘With respect, Your Lordship, I'm needed here in London. What with Philip's absence and the Games fast approaching…’

  Lord William smiled. Jon Morison's frequent allusions to the Games weren't lost on His Lordship, a subtle reminder of the Sponsors’ need to maintain a good business relationship with Europe L
ogistics UK.

  ‘Very well. I understand,’ said Lord William. ‘I shall pass on your message to the Unsponsored, and hopefully find a way to ensure Philip's safe and immediate return to London.’

  Once Jon Morison had left, Lord William sat at his desk thinking for quite some time. What a fool he'd been! He'd promised his Sponsors that he wouldn't get distracted by sentimentality anymore, and instead he'd become distracted by his overwhelming desire to crush the Unsponsored. Of course, they must be crushed; any opposition to the Scheme must be stamped out, but to imprison the head of Europe Logistics UK with the Games coming up? That was just careless. Reaching for his phone, Lord William decided there wasn't a moment to lose.

  In Applethwaite a few minutes later, Mortimer O'Reilly was very dismayed at the orders he had just received from His Lordship.

  ‘No arguments, Mortimer. I want the message relayed to The White Lion immediately, and I have chosen you to do the relaying.’

  ‘But Your Lordship,’ begged Mortimer desperately, ‘I don't think they'll let me in. Surely Faye or David would be better choices, as their offspring are in The White Lion…’

  ‘Which is precisely why I decided against sending either of them. This is important. The head of Europe Logistics UK needs to be made aware immediately that he is required back in London, and I have chosen you to pass on the message.’

  ‘But Your Lordship…’

  ‘O'Reilly!’ roared Lord William, completely losing his temper and compounding his money man's distress. ‘Are you disobeying an order?’

  ‘No, Your Lordship,’ replied Mortimer, almost in tears. ‘I would never…’

  ‘Good. Now you know what I want you to do. Let them know you bring a message concerning Lorimer. Stress to the Unsponsored scum that you are alone, I'm sure they won't hurt you. They claim that they always act with integrity; now's their chance to prove it.’

  Mortimer's mouth became as dry as a bone.