Sequel: 4 Devils ›
Chelsea Dawn
Chapter 21
"So what did you find out from Madeleine?", asked Violette as she poured everyone a glass of brandy.
Pierre nodded in thanks as he took a sip. "She can understand English better than she can speak it, she said that there is going to be a meeting between Johnny, Dickey, Mick and several other members of the West London underworld at the Blue Lion Friday night. Dickey mentioned that he was going to have a big surprise for Johhny", he replied.
"Cono, I think that means he's going to try and shoot his brother during the meeting", said Juan in dismay.
"Verdad, amigo. So we are going to have to be vigilant and go to the meeting ourselves", said Fernando.
"You are going to get shot", exclaimed Christina.
"No he won't, I am going to be there too. Dad likes to hunt and he taught me to be a good shot", said Pierre proudly.
"Oui, I have taken my sons hunting numerous times and they are both good shots, it's a Belgian thing", said Marcel.
"And if we stop Johnny from getting hurt, when do we go back?", asked Juan.
"When we get back to the flat, we get out the Tunguska stone and use it get back to the future. We got our stone, you have yours?", asked Marcel.
"Si, and did you actually go out to Siberia to get it?", asked Fernando.
"Non, ours has been in the family for generations. Everyone in Sol Duga has one, without one we can't do our jobs. There was all this speculation what that big rock was that crashed in Siberia back in 1909, everything from a big meteor to an alien spaceship to anything else you can think of", said Pierre.
"Then what was it really?", asked Christina.
Pierre just laughed, his blue eyes merry. "Mademoiselle Sutherland, it was the navigational device from an alien spaceship. The stone was a massive one and we just broke it down into smaller pieces, before that we had to use a very elaborate prayer ritual and sometimes it didn't work. This way is easier, n'cest pas?", he chuckled.
"And do we get a reward once we're done?", asked Fernando.
"Oui, once you finish your mission you will get whatever you want, it's only fair. But it has to be reasonable, nothing illegal", replied Marcel.
Fernando became thoughtful, his lips in a thin line and his brown eyes serious. "Even though we won the FA Cup with Chelsea and Champions League, I have always missed Liverpool. The way I left, I am not proud of it, I let the fans down and the Kopites are the best fans in the world. I let down Stevie and Xabi and the best fans on Earth, Liverpool was the best place and the best club, I was being selfish. Marcel, Pierre, if we succeed in this mission, I want to go back to Liverpool and make everyone forget I went to Chelsea. I want to win as a Red, I owe it to the fans", he said.
"D'accord, we can do that. Jack wouldn't like that, he's a die-hard Chelsea fan. But we can fix that for you, I understand. We go up that way a lot because one of our theaters is in Manchester and we go from time to time to check on it, we have theaters in London and Newcastle and we're thinking about having another one in Edinburgh", said Marcel.
"Do you show regular movies or just your stuff?", asked Juan.
"We show our movies and indie stuff, there's plenty of theaters showing Hollywood films. There's not enough theaters showing old stuff, too modern films are crap", said Pierre dismissively.
"When we get back, we ought to go there", said Fernando.
"It's 4 Devils Cinemas, our London cinema is in Greenwich", said Pierre.
Pierre and Marcel said goodbye and left for their hotel as Christina rinsed out their glasses. "Fernando, do you really want to go back to Liverpool?", asked Violette.
Fernando nodded as he stripped down to his boxers, watching as she undressed and brushed her long black hair. "Si, Blanca Nieves. I was being stupid, I thought winning titles was the most important thing so that's why I wanted the transfer to Chelsea. I had bad years at Chelsea but we won titles, we won the FA Cup and Champions League and I met Juan there and the guys were good to me. But Liverpool is where I first played in England, I felt like a teenager out in the world for the first time. Steven Gerrard is the best captain I've played for, real salt of the earth good guy with a lovely family, he was like a father even though he's only a few years older than me. And the Kopites are the best fans ever, they are so loud and passionate and they bleed Red. You have to see a game at Anfield when they all get up and sing You'll Never Walk Alone, it's incredible", he murmured.
Violette embraced him. "Oui, that does sound incredible. But am I going with you, I would have to ask for a transfer from my job", she said.
"Of course, Blanca Nieves. I am not going to leave you behind, te amo", he said fiercely.
Violette was awed by the intensity in his voice and his brown eyes, turning them almost black with passion. "Je t'aime, Fernando. I will go wherever you go", she vowed.
Juan lay back in bed and watched as Christina unbound her blond hair and sat at the vanity with a brush, the dim light playing on her golden hair. "What would you ask for if we succeed, Juan? I know Fernando wants to go back to Liverpool and Violette would go with him, he loved it up there and he always spoke fondly of the city and the fans. Since Mou became the coach, I'm not getting as much playing time because he doesn't think I'm defensive enough. Maybe I can follow Fernando to Liverpool and get more playing time, I'd like to see the other end of the country", he said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps, that does sound like a good idea. I wouldn't like living in London, too big and too many Sassenachs. Liverpool is a lovely city, I like northern English people better than the folks down south. I will follow you wherever you go, Juan Mata", she said.
Juan beamed as she went over to the bed and snuggled into his embrace. "Gracias, mi pequena carda. Si, it would be interesting to see what the other half of the country is like, I could follow Fernando to Liverpool and see the places that inspired the Beatles. And maybe I can take in a movie in that theater of theirs in Manchester, sounds like my sort of place", he thought aloud.
"But first we have to stop Dickey from shooting Johnny, Juan. I don't want you to get hurt", she chided.
"Si, yo sabes. But I have faith, Christina. We are going to win and get back to the future and we'll all be living in Liverpool and being cheered on by the Kopites", he said confidently.
"You have better, Juan Mata Garcia. Good night", she said.
"Buenas noches, Christina Sutherland", he said.
Pierre nodded in thanks as he took a sip. "She can understand English better than she can speak it, she said that there is going to be a meeting between Johnny, Dickey, Mick and several other members of the West London underworld at the Blue Lion Friday night. Dickey mentioned that he was going to have a big surprise for Johhny", he replied.
"Cono, I think that means he's going to try and shoot his brother during the meeting", said Juan in dismay.
"Verdad, amigo. So we are going to have to be vigilant and go to the meeting ourselves", said Fernando.
"You are going to get shot", exclaimed Christina.
"No he won't, I am going to be there too. Dad likes to hunt and he taught me to be a good shot", said Pierre proudly.
"Oui, I have taken my sons hunting numerous times and they are both good shots, it's a Belgian thing", said Marcel.
"And if we stop Johnny from getting hurt, when do we go back?", asked Juan.
"When we get back to the flat, we get out the Tunguska stone and use it get back to the future. We got our stone, you have yours?", asked Marcel.
"Si, and did you actually go out to Siberia to get it?", asked Fernando.
"Non, ours has been in the family for generations. Everyone in Sol Duga has one, without one we can't do our jobs. There was all this speculation what that big rock was that crashed in Siberia back in 1909, everything from a big meteor to an alien spaceship to anything else you can think of", said Pierre.
"Then what was it really?", asked Christina.
Pierre just laughed, his blue eyes merry. "Mademoiselle Sutherland, it was the navigational device from an alien spaceship. The stone was a massive one and we just broke it down into smaller pieces, before that we had to use a very elaborate prayer ritual and sometimes it didn't work. This way is easier, n'cest pas?", he chuckled.
"And do we get a reward once we're done?", asked Fernando.
"Oui, once you finish your mission you will get whatever you want, it's only fair. But it has to be reasonable, nothing illegal", replied Marcel.
Fernando became thoughtful, his lips in a thin line and his brown eyes serious. "Even though we won the FA Cup with Chelsea and Champions League, I have always missed Liverpool. The way I left, I am not proud of it, I let the fans down and the Kopites are the best fans in the world. I let down Stevie and Xabi and the best fans on Earth, Liverpool was the best place and the best club, I was being selfish. Marcel, Pierre, if we succeed in this mission, I want to go back to Liverpool and make everyone forget I went to Chelsea. I want to win as a Red, I owe it to the fans", he said.
"D'accord, we can do that. Jack wouldn't like that, he's a die-hard Chelsea fan. But we can fix that for you, I understand. We go up that way a lot because one of our theaters is in Manchester and we go from time to time to check on it, we have theaters in London and Newcastle and we're thinking about having another one in Edinburgh", said Marcel.
"Do you show regular movies or just your stuff?", asked Juan.
"We show our movies and indie stuff, there's plenty of theaters showing Hollywood films. There's not enough theaters showing old stuff, too modern films are crap", said Pierre dismissively.
"When we get back, we ought to go there", said Fernando.
"It's 4 Devils Cinemas, our London cinema is in Greenwich", said Pierre.
Pierre and Marcel said goodbye and left for their hotel as Christina rinsed out their glasses. "Fernando, do you really want to go back to Liverpool?", asked Violette.
Fernando nodded as he stripped down to his boxers, watching as she undressed and brushed her long black hair. "Si, Blanca Nieves. I was being stupid, I thought winning titles was the most important thing so that's why I wanted the transfer to Chelsea. I had bad years at Chelsea but we won titles, we won the FA Cup and Champions League and I met Juan there and the guys were good to me. But Liverpool is where I first played in England, I felt like a teenager out in the world for the first time. Steven Gerrard is the best captain I've played for, real salt of the earth good guy with a lovely family, he was like a father even though he's only a few years older than me. And the Kopites are the best fans ever, they are so loud and passionate and they bleed Red. You have to see a game at Anfield when they all get up and sing You'll Never Walk Alone, it's incredible", he murmured.
Violette embraced him. "Oui, that does sound incredible. But am I going with you, I would have to ask for a transfer from my job", she said.
"Of course, Blanca Nieves. I am not going to leave you behind, te amo", he said fiercely.
Violette was awed by the intensity in his voice and his brown eyes, turning them almost black with passion. "Je t'aime, Fernando. I will go wherever you go", she vowed.
Juan lay back in bed and watched as Christina unbound her blond hair and sat at the vanity with a brush, the dim light playing on her golden hair. "What would you ask for if we succeed, Juan? I know Fernando wants to go back to Liverpool and Violette would go with him, he loved it up there and he always spoke fondly of the city and the fans. Since Mou became the coach, I'm not getting as much playing time because he doesn't think I'm defensive enough. Maybe I can follow Fernando to Liverpool and get more playing time, I'd like to see the other end of the country", he said thoughtfully.
"Perhaps, that does sound like a good idea. I wouldn't like living in London, too big and too many Sassenachs. Liverpool is a lovely city, I like northern English people better than the folks down south. I will follow you wherever you go, Juan Mata", she said.
Juan beamed as she went over to the bed and snuggled into his embrace. "Gracias, mi pequena carda. Si, it would be interesting to see what the other half of the country is like, I could follow Fernando to Liverpool and see the places that inspired the Beatles. And maybe I can take in a movie in that theater of theirs in Manchester, sounds like my sort of place", he thought aloud.
"But first we have to stop Dickey from shooting Johnny, Juan. I don't want you to get hurt", she chided.
"Si, yo sabes. But I have faith, Christina. We are going to win and get back to the future and we'll all be living in Liverpool and being cheered on by the Kopites", he said confidently.
"You have better, Juan Mata Garcia. Good night", she said.
"Buenas noches, Christina Sutherland", he said.