The Hunt For Rose

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER SIX

  A grand dinner at Royal Ascot, night before the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Reichmann was in attendance at the dinner and was taken to a secluded kitchenette by four powerful men. Sitting around a metal table with a glass top and six equally bland chairs, the room had been chosen as the least likely place for such a meeting to be held. The door was closed by burley suite clad types that were more familiar with rugby changing rooms than grand ballrooms at Ascot. The five settled and a senior gent in brilliantly tailored black suit starred sternly at Reichmann, he sniffed and twitched his lips, his refined accent echoed round the bare walls. "You have been paid well, if Flaxmead runs you will suffer the consequences what. We wish to know how things are progressing."

  Reichmann played with his tie, his check twitching with nervous poise. "Good news. Authorities have taken the bait on my double, they think I'm in custody. I am able to instigate the plan personally, I can assure you this horse won't make Ascot. Stanton...."

  A deep voice intervened. "Don't mention that name in our presence, we don't like it."

  Reichmann became agitated and angry. "Like it or not the man will be here tomorrow. I suggest you make yourselves scarce." He hesitated for a few seconds scanning the blank faces round the table. "Ever thought of finding a horse that can run faster than Flaxmead."

  "There isn't a horse that can run faster than Flaxmead, but there will be when its dead, do we make ourselves clear."

  Reichmann tapped his fingers on the table, he locked eyes with the chairman. "I can't get anyone to go near this, I'm doing it myself."

  "How you achieve your quest is unimportant, the fact that you do is."

  "I need another million."

  "Blackmail Hans."

  "I'm telling you I need another million. The tools and method I have planned are expensive. One mistake along the line and you know who may find out, I don't have to tell you the consequences."

  The four looked each other out the corner of their eyes without moving their heads, holding stone poise and blank faces. "Were not easily frightened, risk is what we deal with every day. Very well, no result no money."

  "You're gambling."

  "That's what horse racing is all about."

  Reichmann crossed his arms in defiance, they found his German accent offensive. "I give you far less than a fifty percent chance."

  "Proceed."

  Reichmann stood, walked to the door, turned as he opened it, he nodded. "Gentlemen." He left, a burly man held the door open, the chairman tossed his head to one side indicating he wished to remain, the door was closed.

  A member of the four immediately challenged the chair. "Reichmann's right, it's not as if you know who has no support here. MI6 are crawling all over this place, I can't blow my nose without someone making a note of it."

  "Good, you will have excellent evidence to show you had nothing to do with the horse's demise. All this attention is a plus, you can however view it in a negative sense, which of course will do you no good. No one has crossed the line, this is a civil matter, the risk is negligible."

  "There is an American FBI agent here, Bret McCrae."

  The chair looked daggers at his counterpart. "Why have I not been informed of this?"

  "We only just found out, he looks like a drop out from a John Wayne movie, I asked a few questions and got some answers. He came with the American horse Chisholm invited by the owner, damn Texan rancher with far more money than sense."

  "Your misinformation is only surpassed by you ignorance, Chisholm won the Kentucky Derby and continues to be undefeated. We need to find out why this McCrae is accompanying the Americans. Our Arab backers are unimpressed with all this threatening talent, a lot to consider."

  "He asked questions about Rose Blake."

  The chair exploded. "What. That is exactly what we are trying to draw attention from. Do you have any other surprises for me?"

  "A jumbo transporter landed on Foulness Island in the early hours of darkness this morning."

  "What. So we don't even know where this horse is."

  "No, and Foulness is the last place we can infiltrate, for reasons you are well aware."

  The chair rested his elbow on the table and rubbed his chin with his hand, his pale white skin creasing, showing its age. He sniffed hard and bit his bottom lip and ran his hands through his hair from front to back. "Two damn that's thorough, doesn't matter if we get the right or wrong one we'd show ourselves and that damn man will strike with a vengeance what. Release Rose Blake, call off the hit, let the horse run, it's too risky. Reichmann made me think,"

  The three counterparts stood. "What."

  "Remember this man went into Pakistan and lifted a wanted Arab National from complete safety and handed him to the Americans single handed."

  "The French Secret Service was involved he had assistance."

  "Exactly, they are here as well along with god knows who else."

  "Releasing Rose Blake is suicide."

  "No." The chair stood and spoke with resolve. "I have no doubt you know who will want to speak to Rose Blake and do nothing until he has. Were playing for time, and its running out, we better buy some. Have her released immediate. Have her father captured and reverse the blackmail process."

  "Emm, her father went to the authorities in Australia, he is currently under arrest held in maximum security."

  The chair sat down and drew a big sigh. "Leave me I have a lot of thinking to do. I hate that man, Stanton, the word sickens me. He trusts no one; how he operates with this handicap I have no idea, perhaps it is a strength instead of a weakness in his case."

  "His sons have filed complaint against our affiliates in Germany, they are suing under the international corporations act."

  "When was this?"

  "Yesterday morning, at close of trade in Australia just before five."

  "Now they have the entire weekend."

  "Yes."

  "And we are tied up here at Ascot. You have to hand it to them, I admire them. I told you long ago gentlemen, Id get into this but I don't like it." The chair shook his head. "Think about it gentlemen, Churchill opened fire of the French Fleet during the second world war when it was about to be taken by the Germans. Stanton has double the resolve of Churchill, imagine the broadside he would apply in a similar circumstance. Reichmann is right, have Reichmann eliminated he knows too much and is of no further use. Release Rose Blake. Make moves to cover all the tracks you can. You have to get information to me faster than this gentleman if we are to have any chance of reaching our goals, all is not lost but we need time."

  Reichmann was walking through the ballroom toward the exit when Rose Fleming struck. "Hans, how lovely to see you."

  Reichmann's face lit up like a Christmas tree, he swallowed hard and peered at Roses cleavage with a beaming smile. "Rose, how nice to see you." He looked a around. "You with any one?"

  "I am now if you're free, its so boring here Hans, I noticed you as I was about to leave and thought you may like to come with me."

  Reichmann loosened his tie. "Why not, perhaps I could spare some time."

  "Oh Hans thank you, I was hoping you would come with me." She grabbed his tie and led him toward the door. "I don't think you'll come with me the first time but with practice well get it right." Rose bundled Reichmann into a black range rover and they roared off. Two burly types in suits could do nothing as they noticed several MI6 operatives nearby.

  "Who's going to tell him we missed him."

  The other drew a big breath and nodded back towards the main door, they walked inside and disappeared in the crowd.

  Rose had bundled in the back of the Range Rover to find a second female driving, long flowing black hair and a voice of silk, Bella Elizabeth Fonteyn. "Mr Reichmann how nice to see you, the second Mr Reichmann this last few days. Some nasty men were after you Hans so we thought you'd much rather play with us than them. Can you tell us anything interesting?"

  "No, no I can't."

>   "Oh dear Rose, we have to hand him over to nasty Mr Stanton."

  "John Stanton."

  "Yes you know him."

  "No and I don't wish too."

  "Every time you tell us something interesting Rose tends to get excited."

  "Who is this woman Rose?"

  "That's Bella, we have breakfast together every day."

  "Really, would her second name be Fonteyn."

  "He's heard of you Bella."

  "Look its do as I'm told or my life's worth nothing."

  Rose removed her top, her cleavage billowed from the top of her bra. "That's more like it Hans, that was very exciting."

  "Flaxmead, they want the horse dead before the race."

  Rose rubbed herself against Hans. "That's good but we already know that."

  "Can you protect me?"

  "Depends how much you know." replied Bella.

  "You'll find people of interest round Royal Ransom tomorrow in the mounting yard."

  Rose smiled and raised her eyebrows. "We are getting close, much more and well have to take you home and make sure you're okay."

  "Rose! Not yet. Come on Hans, we need a name and well make sure you're okay."

  Reichmann began to breathe heavily, he looked at Roses heaving bosom, her mini skirt hade ridden up. "Stillwell, the chair of the board, he calls the shots."

  Bella squinted at the mirror looking at Reichmann's face, he looked relieved like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. "Are you sure?"

  "Yes, makes no difference to me now, I warned him."

  "I know the names on the board and Stillwell is not one of them."

  Reichmann lent across toward Bella's ear to make sure she understood. "He's the minister laundering all the money from the Middle East, you know that." He was clear and methodical evening out his German accent best he could. "Every time the board sits he listens in by conference link up or attends. He's been attending of late because he knows you can hack the conference link up and so can Stanton. The board rely on him for money they want laundered from the Middle East, he runs the show."

  Bella looked at Rose in the Mirror catching her gaze. "Checks out, Stillwell has been under surveillance for weeks, Jean Forbes meets with him in Germany on a regular basis, looks like Forbes husband is the king pin and Jean keeps the boys happy."

  Reichmann lent back in his seat. "You know, why push me for information you already have."

  "They've crossed the line Hans, bit more to it than that."

  "When Stanton finds out that's the end of them."

  "You know that little bit more you're not telling us Hans."

  "I'll tell Stanton personally nobody else, I don't want to die."

  "Blindfold him Rose." Rose rummaged around in her handbag pulling out a black chiffon scarf, she bound it round Reichmann's eyes doubled up tying and pulling it tight."

  "Where are you taking me?"

  "May be several hours before we can get you picked up, not far." Bella turned into North Ascot estate and eventually through wrought iron gates opened by a remote she retrieved from the sun shade above her head. She ambled up the driveway, the gates closed behind them and an underground garage opened adjacent to a stately mansion. The doors swallowed the range rover and closed as she came to a stop. They guided Reichmann down some steps to a basement below the garage and closed the door hiding the steps in the floor. The steps opened up to a well lit living area with rooms going off on each side. They removed Reichmann's blindfold and Bella found her phone and went into a side room closing the door. Rose sat Reichmann down on a soft spacious lounge and removed her bra.

  "You are a good boy; see if we can remember any more things, Bella is listening and watching in the next room." Rose removed Reichmann's jacket and shirt, then pulled off his shoes socks, pants and jocks throwing them around the room. "Wow, who's a big boy then." Reichmann tried to pull her towards him but she slapped his hands. "Uh uh, naughty, start talking."

  "I'll tell you whatever you want." Rose pulled up her mini skirt and then knelt between his legs, her hair draped over his legs as she bobbed down. He groaned with delight as she raised and lowered her head." "Start talking and Ill jump up and down and give you them."

  He laid back and opened his eyes to see Bella naked standing to one side of Rose, his eyes looked like dinner plates. Reichmann had never seen anything like her. "Come on Hans, you can have me if you start talking."

  "I couldn't get anyone to do the job on the horse, I was going to do it myself."

  She stood over him while Rose continued working on him. "And."

  "I was going to shot Flaxmead from a vantage point I have been preparing for weeks, overlooking the mounting yard, I have access to all areas of the complex at Ascot."

  Bella began to kiss him, she found him appealing sexually. "Nothing yet that has excited me allot." she whispered.

  "There will be a massive transfer of funds just after the race once Flaxmead had been eliminated. I would receive three million pounds and several hundred million would be transferred to," he groaned with pleasure occasionally. "An account used by the board to launder funds."

  "The contact in the Middle East Hans, and Ill lower myself onto you."

  "I don't know, it's handled by Karl Spencer."

  Bella stopped still, her chin resting on his shoulder. "Australian attorney general until recently?"

  "Yes. Please I must have you."

  "I need the name in the Middle East."

  Reichmann was sweating and panting profusely, Rose was working hard. "Nasih, Abdullah Nasih. He also goes by the name of Hadar Mukum, he stole the name when Mukum was killed in Canberra."

  "Where do they operate from?" Bella stood over him rubbing her breast in his face, her hair gracing his body tickling Roses back, she gave a muffled squeal.

  "Kuwait, Al Asimah Kuwait, please that's all I know of any use to you."

  Bella's nymphomania had kicked in long ago, she brushed Rose to one side, Rose fell on the floor, she got up on her knees. "Bella, bloody hell I was enjoying that, I've had him before he's excellent." Bella lowered herself onto Reichmann he screamed with approval. Rose stood up. "You greedy bitch." Reichmann lasted no more than a few strokes and ejaculated, Bella launched her tongue down his throat and dug her nails into his back. She orgasmed and fell limp over him climaxed by the warm inrush. "Get off, bloody hell." Rose pushed her to one side and she fell limp on the couch beside them, Rose went to work on Reichmann bringing him up again. She took immediate advantage lowering herself onto him, Rose had her fill orgasmed and fell flaccid over Reichmann her breasts smothering his face. Reichmann hadn't finished, he climbed over Bella, opened her legs and entered her.

  "You read my mind whispered Bella."

  "If I can have you all night I tell you everything."

  "That's some manhood you have, go for it." Reichmann blasted away, Bella screamed with delight. Rose stood up and staggered toward the bathroom.

  "Where you going, stay here you're next."

  It was over an hour Bella made the call for Reichmann to be retrieved.