Calvert + Rosette - "STOKEing the fire in my heart" pt3

Who: Jed Calvert and Rosette LaChance
Where: A mansion on New-Stoke
When: During the party
<snip>
Turning around to face him, a large silver candlestick holder appeared
in Rosettes hand, and smashed him upside the head, sending him
barrelling out of the open window to the grass below,
where Jed was standing. She leant out of the window "Hurry up!"
Jed looked at the unconscious male in front of him. "Couldn't you just
hand me the clothes?"
<end snip>
As jed undressed, Rosette watched him. His chest had uneven tufts of
hair, and had many scars. Rosette wondered if he got them all at the
same time, or maybe each one had a different tale. Knowing Jed, he
probably deserved every one of them. His skin was quite tanned, making
the scars show up more, although Rosette couldn't tell whether this
was actual tan, or Jed just hadn't washed in a while. Around his neck
was a key on a frayed black rope. It wasn't modern-looking, it looked
more like something that would open an antique chest.
Jed became aware of Rosette looking at him. He grinned and she looked
away, angry that he had caught her gaze. Jed transferred the remote
control from his normal clothes to his 'disguise', the device that
would allow Rosette's dress to magically unzip and drop to the ground.
He thumbed the device and looked at Rosette, feeling the hormones race
inside him.
Then he put the device away. 'Save it fer when the time's right' he
thought to himself.
Jed fumbled with the complicated tie and eventually threw it onto the
ground angrily, having never used one in his life ever.
He looked at Rosette, she looked stunning in her dress. Rosette looked
at Jed. He was a cowboy in a badly fitting suit. Jed thrust open the
doors to the main party room and the sound of delightful violin music
filled their ears. The place was full of upper class toffs with fancy
suits. Black-suited waiters carried champagne around on silver trays,
walking gracefully around the guests.
The room was huge, it boasted a classic Georgian style, with a grand
staircase stretching up as high as you could see. Wooden oak panels
adorned the rooms, with features highlighted in gold leaf.
Jed rolled his eyes. He hated places like this.
Rosette lifted her skirt and gracefully walked to a separate room
where guests were slow-dancing in formation to live music. It was the
most feminine he had ever seen her. Again his hand touched upon the
remote control for her dress. 'Now is not the time, just wait' he told
himself.
As Rosette headed away, Jed stood in the foyer looking completely out
of place, even though he was technically wearing a suit, but it fitted
him badly, and he wore the top collar open casually – but casual in
here was as noticeable as a naked man in a lift.
Jed grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter and downed the
contents in one gulp. Then he let the glass smash on the floor. The
disturbance did make more people pay attention to him, but he didn't
mind because he had spotted his target on the other side of the ballroom.
Jed crossed the distance in no time at all without even breaking into
a run. He held his ex-partner by the collar and slammed him hard into
the wall. A hushed silence swept over the room like a thick blanket.
"Jed?" The man asked, recollection on his face. He was clearly shocked
to see the man at his party. Or maybe shocked to see him wearing a suit?
Jed was silent. He just grimaced and looked at the man through slitted
eyes.
A moment passed between him and two burly bodyguards appeared swiftly
behind Jed and tried to prize him off the host. They tried.
At first Jed wouldn't move. His fiery determination to pin his old
partner to the wall was as solid as the cement that was holding this
impressive mansion together.
The second time they pulled on his shoulders, Jed spun around quickly
and kicked the first man in the happy sacks, whilst as the same time
reaching for a champagne glass and smashing it into the second guy's
eyes. They both doubled over with pain and shock.
Two more security guards were heading towards him, but Jed turned back
to his foe.
Al Moneymiser, Jed's partner from four years ago straightened up his
shirt collar and waved the security guards off. "It's alright men.
This is an old friend of mine. We'll take it upstairs."
With every pair of eyes in the ballroom watching them, Jed and Al
walked upstairs and into a smaller room with a large grandfather clock
opposite a large fireplace.
Al had time to close the double doors behind him before Jed launched
his next attack, this time it was more verbal. Jed drew himself close
to Al and seemed to loom over him, despite them both being roughly the
same size. Jed pointed a finger down at Al's face. "You better explain
why you spent our money pardner, or I'll start trashin' this place and
taking my fair share outta here."
Al held up his palms and tried to calm Jed down. The man's eyes were
as cold as a shark and Al knew that Jed could be unpredictable and
merciless. He could also lash out without warning so Al tried his best
not to flinch at every one of Jed's movements. "Jeddy, Jeddy, look. I
thought you were dead."
"Whut? Do ah look friggin' dead?"
"No. No, of course not. You look alive and... mostly healthy."
Jed was so close Al could feel his breath on his face, it smelled like
beef jerky and whisky.
"You bet ah am. So why didn ya come back for the loot without me? Eh?"
"I tried Jed. I tried to contact you. But after a while I gave up." Al
sighed. "I knew how you lived your life, booze-binges, loose women,
bar-brawls, making enemies at every corner. I assumed you'd been
killed. In fact it's a miracle you're still here right now."
Jed relaxed his pointing finger and folded his arms "Well ah'm here
now and ah want mah cut."
Al hung his head. "Look, I'm sorry Jed. But I can't. It's all tied up
in stocks and shares."
"Whut?"
Shares are something Jed never understood. All he understood was cold
hard cash that he could hold in his hand, and exchange for cold hard
whiskey. Or women.
Al shrugged. "Sorry mate, but there's nothing I can do."
Jed didn't like that answer. His fingers found the knives that Rosette
had given to him and he held one up against Al's neck. "Tell me one
appendage you don't mind loosing."
Al gulped in fear.
"Tell me. Or I'll assume you mean your penis."
"My little toe! My little toe!" The man cried.
Jed cut the man's laces and pulled off his boot. Al was crying for him
to stop as the Captain forced him to the ground..
Jed gripped the man's pink foot firmly and pressed the knife against
his soft skin. Al screamed.
"Everything alright in here?" Asked Rosette, peering around the door.
Jed paused what he was doing and Al sobbed into the carpet. Rosette
realised what was going on.
"Don't you get blood on that knife without asking me first."
Jed scowled at her, then looked down at Al's foot. He pressed the
knife against his skin.
"Wait, wait!" Al wailed. "Don't you remember Jed. Remember when we
first met. I saved you, thought you were... well... you were... until
I... "
Jed halted, the disturbing images from his past haunting him in a
series of monstrous flashes. A crash site, bodies everywhere. The
stench of death. His own face covered with their blood. He could taste
it in his mouth.
Jed chopped off his toe and the man screamed.
Rosette gasped at the suddenness of his action and watched as Jed
walked towards her with blooded fingers.
"He's not sharin'" Said Jed, leading Rosette out of the room. He
paused, letting Rosette go first down the grand staircase into the
elaborate entrance hall. Jed turned to look at Al holding his foot and
crying like a baby. Jed sniffed his bloodied finger, then followed
Rosette.
They made their way out of the mansion, walking down the side of the
house to pass the window where Rosette had knocked out the man. Jed
picked up his cowboy hat and placed it on his head untidily (just how
he liked it).
As they walked away from the house, they were suddenly aware how
silent it became. They looked back to see the mansion automatically
closing and shielding all doors and windows. The reason soon became
obvious when several trapdoors opened up in the ground and out came
more of the savage dogs. Including one the size of an elephant with
three heads.
"They're blocking the way back to the Starbug!" Said Rosette.
<Tag SMandy>