The Finchley Flasher Ch. 02

"I'm sorry, my dear," Alice replied apologetically. "I couldn't resist."

"Once Edmund's system has been cleansed," Dr. Swensen continued, "he will no longer experience these attacks and his penis will no longer grow beyond its normal dimensions."

For the first time the young girl smiled. "Then let's do it! I know Edmund will be eager to get started as soon as possible. You have no idea how much trouble that drug has caused us."

"I'm sure I do, Jenny," Dr. Swensen replied. "I've had my share of experiments gone awry."

"Where is Edmund now?" Alice asked Jenny.

"At work. He should be home around six o'clock. We usually eat out but, given his condition, we have our dinners at home now. You'll both stay, won't you?"

"Yes, my dear, we'll stay. Edmund needs to be told what's going on and we must prove to him that we're his friends, not his enemies."

Jenny nodded in agreement.

"We should tell you one other thing, Jenny," Dr. Swensen said. "You know that your aunt is the leader of the Ladies Social Tea. But what you don't know is that the Social Tea itself is part of a larger worldwide organization called the 'Sisterhood'. I am a member of it as is your aunt and Ariel. This organization was founded to promote the interests of women throughout the world—to empower them, to enrich them, and to give them control over their individual destinies. A few years ago, our world chapter leader, Lenore Marceau, died and a great schism occurred within the Sisterhood ranks. There are those like Alice and I who believe in non-violent resistance to male domination; that women can achieve their goals not by abusing men but by working with them in harmony. But there are others, like Ariel, who seek to hurt men both mentally and physically in order to achieve their aims of female supremacy. It is these two opposing forces that are currently at war with each other within the Sisterhood and eventually one of these forces will become dominant. If Ariel and her colleagues rise to power they will not only become a great threat to the Sisterhood but, ultimately, to the world itself."

"I've never heard of such a group," Jenny said. "You never mentioned anything to me about it auntie. Why?"

"I guess I wanted to protect you, my dear."

"Protect me from what?"

"From the evil of people like Ariel. You see, Jenny...the world is really not what you think it is."

Jenny stared first at her aunt and then at Dr. Swensen, looking for a further explanation that was not forthcoming. She even thought for a moment that she might have suddenly become the butt of an inside joke. But when she saw no hint of amusement in their faces she grew annoyed.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean. I think I know the world fairly well."

"No, you don't," Alice replied tersely. "That's why I'm here. That's why Christiana is here. And soon you're going to meet someone who is going to open your eyes to a whole new reality. She is young—about your age—and very much like you. She is the supreme leader of our Order, and the woman whom we hope will restore the Sisterhood to its former glory."

"I'm not really interested in your little ladies club," Jenny said flatly. "My only interest is in helping Edmund to get well."

"I understand that," Alice replied. "And we will do everything in our power to help him. But you must realize, my dear, that there are forces at work, forces that even now are in motion and conspiring against you that will require your utmost vigilance. What I'm saying is that we are going to need your help too."

Something in the way her aunt expressed this feeling made it sound more like a command rather than a request. It was a large morsel for Jenny to swallow, all this talk about a clandestine organization of female supremacists. She half expected that the two women were going reveal that it was all simply a joke at her expense, but no such admission was forthcoming.

"You look a bit perplexed, Jenny," Dr. Swensen said, smiling. "I don't blame you. But rest assured that what your aunt and I are telling you is the truth. And since Edmund is involved, he will have to be told everything."

"I feel as if you're coming here has opened up a Pandora's box," Jenny said with a touch of discomfort in her voice. "I'm not quite sure I understand what you expect from me."

Alice's face grew dark as she leaned her body in toward her niece. "You are being watched," she said slowly, deliberately, so that her words would make an impact. "Both you and Edmund have been under surveillance for many months now."

"Under surveillance?" Jenny asked surprised. "I don't understand. Who's watching us?"

"I'll give you one guess."

Jenny didn't need time to think. "Ariel," she said sullenly.

"At first she left you alone out of deference to me. And then the flasher fiasco broke and that absorbed all of her time. Again, you were left alone. But once those men were caught and jailed her attentions turned to you and Edmund. You see, my dear, Ariel has never quite forgotten the humiliating defeat you and Edmund handed her when he made his valiant escape to America. She hated him to begin with because she was in love with him and he ignored her—in favor of you I might add. So, you see, she has a few grievances that have been festering in that maniacal mind of hers for some time now. And I believe she is going to seek revenge upon the both of you in the not too distant future."

"Are you certain about this? Did she come out and tell you that she wanted revenge against us?"

"No. But that's because you're my niece and she knows how much I love you. Ariel may be mentally unstable, but she's not stupid. She would never compromise her position by acting overtly. I only became aware of her plans through a loyal friend within the Sisterhood whose word could never be disputed."

"Really?" Jenny replied somewhat amused. "Since when did you take anyone's word as being beyond question? Who is this friend?"

Without blinking an eye Alice replied: "Your mother."

Jenny's jaw dropped. "My mother?" she exclaimed. "Mymother?" she said again, this time in a much louder voice.

"I told you that the world is not what you think it is," Alice said calmly.

Jenny didn't know what to say. She looked back and forth between the two women thinking she had misheard, but her aunt's serious expression remained steadfast.

"Your mother has been a member of the Sisterhood for over twenty years," Christiana said. "It was her directive that prompted Alice and I to come and see you—to warn you that you and Edmund are in great danger."

For the first time since her escape from Ariel's thugs back in England, Jenny felt that terrible sense of foreboding she had experienced when it seemed that her world, and everything within it, everything she loved, was going to come crashing down upon her head. And striding atop that ruined life like some malevolent, gloating beast would be the demon called Ariel, the heels of her thigh-high, black leather boots firmly implanted in the quivering remains of the young girl's hopes and dreams.

It wasn't enough that Edmund had a serious medical problem. It wasn't enough that their lives had been severely compromised because of it. I wasn't enough that her mother—her own beloved mother—had kept her in blissful ignorance about her secret life as a member of the Sisterhood. Now the vengeful Ariel and her network of devilish operatives were planning to perpetrate evil against her and her lover. And the thought of being under constant scrutiny by that awful woman and her abhorrent accomplices made Jenny's heartsick. As much as she tried to fight it, she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

"I can't believe this is happening to us. Please tell me this is all a nightmare and I'm going to wake up."

"I'm afraid it's quite real, my dear," Alice replied, acutely aware of Jenny's distress. "Christiana and I want to help you. That's why we're here. Your mother couldn't come herself because she's trying to keep Ariel at bay. But I'm afraid she's fighting a losing battle."

"She's not in any danger, is she?" Jenny asked nervously.

"No, my dear. Your mother is one of the Sisterhood elite. If Ariel ever tried anything foolish, she'd bring down the wrath of the entire Order upon her head. As I told you, she can't afford to act overtly. And besides, she has no quarrel with your mother."

"My mother!" Jenny mused to herself. "Talk about keeping secrets! And daddy never knew?"

"He knew. And he kept her secret until the day he died. A most wonderful man he was."

"So what are we going to do?" Jenny asked, shaking her head in dismay. "What in heaven's name are we going to do?"

"There's only one thing to do, Jenny," Alice said in a reassuring tone. "It's time to call in the cavalry."

************

The first thing Edmund Kent was aware of was the low, steady hum of the air conditioning system that pumped in warm air from the ventilation shafts high above him. He could feel the air move over the contours of his naked body as though some warm and gentle zephyr had come wafting in from some distant shore to assuage the febrile yet painful limbs that throbbed and twitched in response to his torment.

As he opened his eyes everything around him appeared indistinct, and he felt the same nauseating feeling that he had felt once before after he had been administered the terrible EJAX drug. It took him some minutes to focus his eyes properly, and what he saw he did not like.

His body was propped up against a large wooden partition that allowed for restraints to be placed on each extremity, forcing his wrists and upper arms to absorb the full weight of his dangling torso. The metal cuffs used to secure him were attached to the wall with short but heavy metal chains that were themselves joined to huge bolts sunk deep into the wall. There were other metal clamps installed on the partition at six-foot intervals, but all these were unoccupied.

The room was partially illuminated by several florescent lamps that hung from the seemingly vast vault-like ceiling, and although he could not precisely judge the size of the room, it seemed to him that it must be very large—probably a storeroom of sorts, or some type of warehouse that had long ago been abandoned. As feeble as the light was, he could see that there were other partitions that occupied various areas within the room and thought these must be where goods of some kind had once been stored. The room had a dank but not unpleasant odor that made him think of wood and sawdust.

As his mind awoke from its stupor, he felt a terrible sense of déjà vu, and all the horrible memories of his time spent in Ariel's dungeon came back to him now in a most awful and resplendent fashion. He remembered hailing a cab at East 12th St. in front of the building where he worked and that the driver was a female—a young woman no older than twenty perhaps with a friendly smile and a viselike grip. And the little pinch he felt in the middle of his palm just as she was taking his money, and then...nothing; just the vague sensation that he was being carried over limitless vistas of unrecognizable terrain and then the inexorable blackness that overcame him, as definite and forbidding like the slamming down of a coffin lid upon his consciousness.

It was apparent that he was now in the clutches of his former adversary, Ariel Bishop, and this made him very angry indeed. With all his strength he tugged viciously at his restraints, swearing profusely and promising vengeance upon his captors. And as he pulled on his chains his voice rang out through the empty space before him and echoed off the distant blank walls that were windowless and mute.

Then he heard another voice coming from somewhere nearby. It was a man's voice and it seemed to struggle to rise above a whisper.

"It's no use," the tired voice said. "No one can hear you."

It seemed as if the origin of the sound had come from his left and Edmund stopped his struggling to listen further.

"They'll be along soon enough," the voice continued. "No point in struggling."

"Who are you?" Edmund asked, straining his eyes to see the source of the admonition. "I can't see you."

"I'm here," the voice replied. "Approximately seven yards to your left. Can you see the partition? I'm hanging from it, just like you."

"It's too dark and my eyesight is not that good," Edmund replied, giving his chains another hard pull. "Where the devil are we?"

"I'm not sure but I know we're not in the city anymore. I heard one of the women say that to another woman before I passed out. I think we've been taken to a location somewhere up north—Westchester County possibly—and that this is some kind of abandoned warehouse."

"Do you know how long you've been here?"

"Several hours probably—not really sure. They took everything—my watch, my clothes, my ring...everything."

Edmund swore under his breath. "I believe I know who our captors are."

"You do?" the voice replied shakily. "Who?"

"Some people I've had a run in with before back in England."

"Really? And who might you be?"

"My name is Edmund Kent. You might have heard of me..."

Before Edmund had a chance to finish, the voice interrupted him.

"The Finchley Flasher!" it exclaimed in sacrosanct tones. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's really me. And your name?"

"Why, I'm so proud to meet you, Mr. Kent!" the voice said cheerily. "You have no idea how much I admire you! My name is Bill Donovan. I belong to the 'Flash and Splash' club that has carried on your work here in the US. I'm so very glad to meet you!"

Edmund had to laugh. And laugh he did—very loudly. "The 'Flash and Splash' club indeed! Is this some kind of joke?"

"No, sir, I assure you it isn't," Mr. Donovan replied earnestly. "We've been around now for almost a year—ever since you kind of...you know, vanished from the scene."

Edmund shook his head and chuckled. "Well, I'm glad to meet you too, Mr. Donovan. Although I must say I wish the circumstances were a bit different!"

"So do I Mr. Kent. But what an honor it is to meet the man who started it all! The Finchley Flasher himself!"

For a moment the last words of Mr. Donovan's reverberated throughout the ill-lit and cavernous room.

"I wouldn't be so cheery about it if I were you," said another voice from the darkness behind them. "Mr. Kent is the reason why we're here."

"Who is that?" Edmund asked. "Who are you?"

"One of your protégés, Mr. Kent. I belong to the same club as Mr. Donovan does. Ain't that right, Billy?"

"Is that you George?" Billy asked, his voice perking up a bit. "So they got you too?"

"They got a lot of us!" George replied with a heavy voice. "Pretty near the whole damn club!"

"How do you know this?" Edmund asked.

"Because I woke up on the way here. They had us all drugged in one way or another but mine didn't take very well. Very intricate and well thought out plan these women had. And I know for a fact that at least ten or twelve men were caught. They're hanging up somewhere or other in this warehouse. Probably all starting to come around now, one by one."

Edmund could only imagine what fate awaited him and these other poor fellows once Ariel got her hands on them. It also made him realize just how truly powerful the woman was. But beyond his own concern for himself, he felt a very strong sense of remorse for having been the instrument by which the evil woman had now trapped these perverse, yet harmless, men.

"I must apologize to you, gentlemen," Edmund began. "I knew she was coming to get me someday. But I had no idea that she would drag you into it as well. For that I am sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Flasher," George said in a friendly tone. "It's really not your fault. And we haven't exactly been behaving like angels you know."

"But there's no reason to punish you for things I did. No reason at all."

"Maybe she just has it in for all men, Mr. Kent," Billy said. "And maybe she's just plain sick in the head."

"Of that you can be sure," said Edmund gloomily.

"Hey, let's get off the last name thing, huh?" George whined. "This is hardly a situation where we need to be formal with each other."

"Quite right, George," Billy agreed. "Quite right. From now on we're on a first name basis only. Agreed, Mr. Kent? Er, I mean, Edmund?"

"That's fine with me, gentlemen," Edmund replied, finding the whole business rather amusing despite his discomfort. "You can call me the Flasher if you like. I don't mind."

"The Flasher it is!" Billy said. "And an honor it is to have you here with you us—even if we are chained up like a bunch of criminals."

"You'll forgive me if I don't share my friend's enthusiasm, Flasher," George said sullenly. "An honor it may be but I'll be damned if I'm not going to lay the blame for our being strung up like this on you."

"Oh, shut up, George!" Billy shouted. "We ain't guiltless, you know?"

"Yeah, but he's the one they really want."

"That may be so. But it ain't going to do no good bitchin' about all that now. We've got to figure out how we're all going to get the hell out of this place."

Billy's upraised voice must have served to waken other members of his organization because suddenly grunts and groans were escaping from a multitude of throats scattered throughout the room.

It was a strange sensation, Edmund thought, to hear these disembodied voices suddenly spring to life in the aftermath of his discussion with these two men. Soon, the groans were replaced with coherent speech as the newly awakened men sought answers for their dilemma in the semi-darkness that surrounded them. George tried to explain things to them as best he could but it soon became apparent that not all the men were keen on finding themselves chained naked to a wall, and they reacted with great anger and ferocity toward their unpleasant circumstances.

As the cacophony progressively increased in volume, the lights above were suddenly turned on to their fullest intensity, blinding Edmund momentarily and causing great consternation amongst the hapless victims. The sound of a large metal door creaking on its hinges filled the room, which was quickly followed by the multitudinous clicking of many high heels upon the wooden floor.

Edmund blinked several times trying to accustom his eyes to the brilliant intrusion of profuse light that now illuminated the vast space before him and he saw that he was indeed in a warehouse—specifically, a storehouse for lumber. And as his eyes scanned the area in front of him, he noticed that there were small windows set high in the cement walls above him, and that the ceiling was at least thirty feet high. Then he turned his head to his left and saw Billy hanging fully naked, just as he was, from a detachable wooden partition that was outfitted with a set of wheels on the bottom to provide locomotion. Billy had to be roughly the same age as he was, thin, not especially handsome, and no taller than five and a half feet. Several yards behind Billy hung George, in the same exact fashion. He was older than Edmund—perhaps in his mid thirties—a tall, blond, and blue-eyed Irishman with a powerfully built body. And as far as Edmund could see, the other captives were displayed on their own separate planks of wood, bitterly complaining and struggling to free themselves of their bonds.

As the sound of the women's clicking heels became louder, the men's voices grew quiet in expectation of what was now coming around the corner. Edmund noticed that their gait was quite abrupt and accompanied by mocking laughter and threatening injunctions. Judging by the amount of noise they were making, he estimated that there had to be more than a hundred—or perhaps even two hundred or more—women. A great pang of anxiety washed over his body as he prepared himself for the inevitable.