The Rather less than Secret Agent's Ball
Part 4 : A Pair of Kings : Episode 1
Steed, Cathy, Emma and Tara were busily working at the available terminals in the control room, each considering the files modified over the last few weeks especially any that had changed during the surveillance's snowy periods. The silence seemed to envelop the room as the intensity of the search for clues grew. Suddenly Cathy Gale leant across and tapped Steed on the shoulder, "I think you should look at this, John.".
John Steed quickly moved to Cathy's terminal and after a moments examination gave way to a heavy sigh. Quickly Tara and Emma realise something is amiss and move towards the now crowded terminal.
Steed quickly moves between Tara and the terminal, "Tara, please, wait there is something I've got to tell you .", Tara gives Steed a quick glance and pushes him aside to reach the terminal. There is a moments pause as Tara reads the open document, turns to John and punches him hard in the stomach. Steed keels over, holding his stomach with an agonised look on his face.
"You complete Bastard, John, you complete fucking Bastard", Tara shouts as she begins to try and kick Steed, only to be pulled back by Cathy Gale.
"What is it ? What the hell is it?", questions Emma, as she tries to calm Tara down. The noise brings in Jason, Drake and Bond and Tara, immediately runs to Jason King.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on !", Emma says with marked frustration.
"It's Benson", answers Cathy, "he's escaped from the Basement."
"but that's impossible Broadmoor basement is impregnable," states Emma "and besides Benson's dead, isn't he?"
"No he isn't, I'm afraid", Steed now recovering from his blow begins to speak.
Tara suddenly turns back to Steed, still sobbing, "You promised John, you promised you'd kill him and you swore you had."
"I'm sorry Tara, I just couldn't, it just wouldn't have been right"
"He killed David, don't you remember John, him and his damned machines he murdered our son!"
"I'm sorry Tara, they wouldn't let me, they said he could be,\u2026"
"What John, what could he be ?", Tara was now shouting fervently at the almost cowering John Steed.
"...they said he could be useful.", John Steed gazed at the floor as if looking for reasoning that seemed so vivid once.
Tara stared at him for a moment, an intense gaze that slowly fades in the silent atmosphere of the control room. Tara then turns sobbing into the arms of Jason King.
"Please get me out of here Jason, just take me somewhere else.", Tara's muffled sobbing voice implores Jason.
"It's OK sis, I'll look after you", replies Jason as he moves slowly out the door almost carrying the still sobbing Tara King.
Steed looks at Tara and Jason as they leave the room and starts to follow them but is stopped by Cathy Gale, with a hand on his shoulder, "I think you should leave them John, they'll be back.". John turns and looks at Cathy, "Yes you're probably right", takes a deep breath and slowly moves back to the computer display.
Cathy, Emma and James all look on sympathetically at a man who seems to have aged twenty years in mere minutes, only John Drake seemed unconcerned.
Suddenly Steed sits upright and the look of despair is replaced by one of questioning determination.
"Did anyone else hear of Benson's escape? Emma, Cathy you two in particular. "
"No John I didn't", replied Cathy Gale.
"Yes I see John", commented Emma, "we all should have been notified as a matter of course but especially You, Cathy, Tara and I, as it would be a possible threat to us."
"but we weren't notified, Emma when did the escape occur ?", asks Steed.
Emma quickly turns to the terminal, "Just over nine months ago."
"Surely if the ministry had screwed up, Mother would have told us.", states Cathy Gale.
"Assuming M knew about this.", replies Bond.
"Yes exactly, assuming he knew," surmised John Steed.
Tara was still sobbing as Jason King opens the door of his Bentley and lowers Tara into the passenger seat, securing her seatbelt. Jason quickly gets into the drivers seat and sets the car off at speed heading out of the gates and out onto the road.
"I know Tara, we can go to the seaside, just like when we were kids, it's not too far.", King said with an obviously false cheerfulness, "do you remember Tara, down on Brighton beach, fish and chips, come on Tara, you must remember."
Tara sat shaking her head for a long time, while Jason chattered, and eventually managed to speak through the tears, "No, we're not going to Brighton."
"Now come on Tara, it'll take your mind off things", soothed Jason.
"No, Jason, we're not going to Brighton, we're going to find Benson, and I'm going to kill him, John couldn't do it, but I can."
"Now Tara, I don't think you should,.."
"No Jason !", interrupted Tara, "I mean it, we'll start at Broadmoor, turn the car around", and Tara King stared intently at her younger brother, a stare of absolute defiance Jason King recognised early on in his childhood.
"OK sis, I'm with you all the way", replied Jason as he skid turned the Bentley Continental and sped back up the road.
Copyright 2001-2002 Chris Cowan