UNDERCOVER on the TITANIC (book 1)

Part 8 - Treacherous Devil's Spawn

'It is not easily explained,' Triple Oh said. 'But Murga will come for thee and we must catch him first.'

'You are using me as bait to catch a criminal?' I asked incredulously. 

'He will pursue thee nonetheless. He dreams of world conquest. Already he has a gaggle of suicide geese and an army of gullible acolytes who call him the Prophet.   And already they have thine father.' 

'My father!?' I gasped. 

Triple Oh was fiddling with laces as he adjusted his trousers around his ample waist. I wonder why he didn't have a zipper. He put a hand to his ear. 'Hark! What grim dark creature comes hither?'

Grandma's face appeared at the window.   It was contorted with rage.   'WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT THERE!?' she bellowed through the glass. 

'What shrill demon looms before us?' Triple Oh muttered.

'That's Grandma,' I sighed. 'She doesn't want me talking to you.'

Grandma ripped open the balcony door but backed away as Triple Oh stood up.   He was not much taller than she was but a lot wider. I followed him into the apartment.

'I called 911,' Grandma blustered. 'What is the meaning of this intrusion? It's three o'clock in the morning. Leave at once!' She raised my baseball bat to her shoulder.

Triple Oh lifted both hands in a gesture of peace. They were each about the size of a catcher's mitt. 'Good mistress,  friend,  fellow countrywoman,  lend me thine ears.  I come to save Ziff, not to injure him. He is in great danger.'

'Preposterous!' Grandma snorted. 'You expect me to believe this lazy, ungrateful boy is in danger? I warn you, if you don't leave at once, I will make you leave.' She waved the bat at him. 'And,' she snapped, 'I'm nobody's good mistress!'

'He has powerful enemies who would do him harm.'

'Enemies?' Grandma snorted with derision. 'This feeble little weakling?'

'Perchance, he does displease thee,' Triple Oh rumbled reasonably. 'Prithee, I beseech thee, let him come with me. I will keep him from harm. I judge thou hast neither will nor skill to protect him.'

'Over my dead body,' Grandma snarled and suddenly she swung the bat. Triple Oh moved so fast I swear he disappeared but milliseconds later he was holding the bat in one hand and Grandma in the other. She struggled for a few seconds but then relaxed. He released her slowly and she threw a fist at his face. He caught it in his hand and deflected it so that she spun around and sat down heavily. He stepped back and fell over a cardboard box. They eyed each other warily, like weary sumo wrestlers. 

'I yield to thee, mistress,' Triple Oh panted. 'But make haste and leave this place at once. It is known to Murga.'

There was a rap on the door and a voice called, 'Mrs Keele? Ottawa Police. Are you okay?'

Triple Oh heaved himself up and lumbered out onto the balcony. 'Guard Ziff well,' he hissed.

'Stop! You are not getting away,' Grandma snarled as she charged after him. 

'Watch the rail,' I yelled. 'It's loose.' But my warning came too late. Grandma tripped over my bike and crashed into Triple Oh. The rail collapsed and they both toppled slowly over the edge of the balcony.

I sprinted to the balcony, horrified. I expected to see two bodies smashed on the ground far below. But Triple Oh must have hooked onto his line. I watched as he dumped Grandma, none too gently, onto the next balcony down and continued rappelling rapidly down the building. I called down to him. 'Who's Murga?'

He paused for a moment and looked up. 'A misbegotten miscreant, a vile monster, foul treacherous devil's spawn.' He waved cheerfully. 'Fare thee well.'

I watched until he reached the parking lot and climbed onto the back of the Harley. It manoeuvred between two police cruisers, parked near the building entrance, and drove off. I answered the pounding on the door. 'Sorry, officer. False alarm.'

'I'd like to talk to Mrs Keele, please,' he insisted. 'She's not here at the moment, officer. She's visiting a neighbour in the apartment below.'

He looked puzzled. 'That's on the twelfth floor,' I called after him, 'not the thirteenth.' 

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