The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 60

© Beverly Taff

List of Characters.

Charlie Sage Maths and electronics genius.
Shirley Sage Charlies elderly mother
Chloe Charlie’s one time early school friend.
Josephine Flint Surgeon and associate of Chloe’s.
Mrs Jane Anston Director of Anston Aerospace.
Ronnie Garage mechanic at top of lane
Pauline Garage owner, Ronnie’s sister.
Briony Pauline’s teenaged daughter.
Billy Pauline’s middle son.
Abigail (Abby) Pauline’s youngest daughter.
‘Poppy’ Charlie’s little micro-runabout.
‘Doris’ The armoured mobile home.
‘Lady’ Chloe’s Sports Car.
Dawn Charlie’s armoured spaceship.
Colonel Wilson Vindictive misanthropist doctor.
Margaret Thomas ‘Failed’ police security guard.
Sally. 1st Oz Special forces trooper
Jacky 2nd Oz Special forces trooper.
Juliet Charlie’s Mal engineering assistant.
Laura The second mate of the Second Dawn
Kate (Katherine Bergson) The Australian defence minister.
Lieutenant Engadine Asi Charlie’s second prisoner.

Chapter 60

“This table looks good right by the doors,” Charlie observed.

“What about that one overlooking the sea?” Chloe countered. “This one has all the traffic to-ing and fro-ing.”

“But it’s safer,” Charlie warned before adding, “we’re not a hundred percent safe anywhere and this is foreign territory. Anyway, the top of that Magnolia tree spoils the view.”

“Spoil-sport!” Chloe pouted. “But I suppose you’ve got a point.”

Charlie courteously pulled out a chair for Chloe and was about to offer her the seat when a waiter hurried up.

“I’ll do that sir! But wouldn’t you prefer the table over there by the magnolia tree.”

“No this is fi-,”

“The magnolia tree; now!” The waiter hissed softly.

Charlie spotted the gun and silencer the waiter was drawing from his bulky cummerbund and he realised he had but a microsecond to act. His hands were still resting on the back of the chair so he snatched it and swung it furiously into the waiter’s stomach. He was not aiming deliberately for any vulnerable spot but the corner of the chair came level with the waiter’s bent arm because of Charlie’s greater height.

It struck the waiter’s elbow with sufficient force to upset his intent and knock his hand away from the gun. The gun slipped out of the cummerbund and fell to the floor as Chloe screamed.

Realising that the chair was his best and only weapon, Charlie continued shoving the chair against the waiter. Taking advantage of his greater weight and strength, Charlie continued pushing the corner of the chair violently into the waiter thus forcing him backwards as he yelled to Chloe.

“Get the bloody gun!”

Chloe had the wit to reach down for the gun just as the waiter lost his balance and fell backwards with Charlie and the chair atop him.

By now Chloe had seized the gun and she was hiding under the table as Charlie was separating the chair from between himself and the waiter.
As he seized the gasping waiter’s throat he remembered that the danger was coming from the magnolia tree and he whispered hoarsely to Chloe.

“Check the Magnolia tree, there’s got to be somebody there!”

“I can’t see anybody!”

“Well just bloody shoot at the tree.”

Chloe took aim at the tree but nothing happened.

“It must have a bloody safety thing!” Charlie cursed as he slid across the floor while dragging the would-be assassin beside him.

This single act save his life as a shot rang out from somewhere inside the magnolia tree and a bullet slammed into the table leg right beside Charlie’s head. A splinter shattered off the broken leg and embedded itself in Charlie’s scalp causing blood to pour down over his face, while the table toppled on its side thus providing Charlie and Chloe with a temporary barricade

The sound of the shot caused pandemonium to erupt and within seconds the veranda was alive with security.

As the guards erupted through the doors Chloe was screaming. “The Magnolia tree!! The Magnolia tree!”

Her shouts did not immediately help Charlie who was now blinded by his own blood and struggling to hold the writhing waiter. The man nearly escaped had not one of the Australian Prime Ministers personal guards immediately recognised Charlie bleeding on the floor. Realising there had just been an assassination attempt, she had the presence of mind to fall on the struggling waiter and quickly snap a pair of handcuffs onto his wrists.

“You can let go of him now Charlie, I’ve got him!” she advised before shouting over her shoulder.

“Medic!! Over here man down!!”

Instead, Charlie lay spread-eagled over the hand-cuffed waiter and urged both Chloe and the guard to stay down behind the table.

“This won’t provide much protection,” the guard advised.

“I know,” Charlie agreed, “but it blinds him to a precise target. He can’t see us to shoot at us if we’re not visible.”

By now, a commotion had started amongst the guards gathering at the balustrade overlooking the magnolia tree. Then there was a shout followed by a shot.

“Did they get him?” Charlie asked without looking up.

“I don’t know,” the guard replied, “but there certainly won’t be anybody firing from the tree now, there’s guards swarming everywhere. Where’s that bloody medic?”

Chloe was now examining Charlie’s head wound and expressed satisfaction that it was simply a scalp wound.

“I’ll extract the splinter then you can hold the flap of skin against your skull. That’ll reduce the bleeding.”

“You’d better wait for the medic,” the guard urged, “they’re trained for this.”

“My wife is a medic,” Charlie replied, “she’s a casualty surgeon at the Hammersley Ore Mines.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“No problem,” Chloe replied, “the medics will have bandages anyway, so we will need them.”

Very quickly, the veranda was secured and Charlie returned to the ballroom with Chloe and the handcuffed assassin. By then, the VIP’s had been herded into a secure area but when the Australians learned that Charlie had been shot, Katie, the Australian defence minister quickly removed herself from the security grouping and just managed to catch up with Charlie and Chloe as they were transferring to the ambulance.

She used her authority to blag a ride in the police escort car to the hospital then made sure that he was treated very quickly. Within thirty minutes, with Chloe attending at the surgery, Charlie’s scalp was flushed clean, checked for smaller wood splinters, then sown back with a neat line of sutures.

When he emerged, Katie was waiting fretfully and a huge sigh of relief swept her worried frown away as Charlie walked up to her.

“Everything’s okay. No concussion, no bone trauma just a scalp wound where the splinter sliced under the skin. Lots of blood but little harm.”

“Thank God for that. I’ve spoken to your first Mate Juliet and he’s loitering just above the hospital in your spaceship.”

“Did they catch the shooter.” Charlie asked. “I’d like to know who they were, especially the assassin masquerading as a waiter.”

“The waiter is in custody; I haven’t heard about the marksman. By the way, nice suturing job on your scalp.”

“I did those,” Chloe declared. The guards were too afraid to let anybody near him but me because they knew me.”

ooo000ooo

As they were debating where to take Charlie, the Australian PM arrived.

“Aah good!” She exclaimed as she met them. “We are checking out a safe location for you guys.”

Charlie grimaced and pointed skywards.

“Best if Chloe and I take refuge in Dawn; at least until they’ve located the sniper.” Charlie opined.

“Yes. You’re probably right,” the PM agreed, “meanwhile I’m back to raise some questions about security with the Singaporeans.”

“I’m not sure it was the Singaporeans fault,” Charlie offered magnanimously. “That waiter seemed to be more Chinese than Malayan.”

“There are plenty of Chinese in Singapore Charlie,” the PM intoned, “and lots of them have got long tails.”

“Blackmail?” Charlie raised a questioning eyebrow. “I thought they’ve been living here for over two hundred years, surely they’re still not vulnerable?”

“Some of the later migrants are; - the second-generation immigrants.”

“So we’ll have to wait until the Singaporean security people get something out of him.”

“I think we’ll be back in Oz by then.”

“Well they won’t be getting much change out of me until I get some answers.”

“That might prove difficult, Singaporeans are not entirely masters in their own house.”

“China?” Charlie suggested.

“Got it in one. Unless we offer them some genuine military assistance they could go the way of Hong Kong and Taiwan.”

“Catch twenty-two then,” Charlie sighed.

The PM nodded slightly as the Singaporean delegation entered the recovery room. Their expressions did not bode well. Charlie asked them.

“Did you catch the sniper?”

“Sorry, no we didn’t. He had a hover-scooter ready to make his escape. Those things are very nimble in traffic.”

“And have you had any luck with the waiter.”

“He’s a Singaporean with family connections living in China. The CCP were threatening to harm some family members. He was afraid to talk at first.”

“At first? So he has talked then?” Charlie pressed hopefully.

“Yes but he only confirms the originators of the plan were a Chinese Triad gang.”

“That will be working for the Chinese government.” Katie finished. “And don’t try to deny it.”

“We are not denying it but we cannot prove it.”

“Triads do not own advanced, Chinese fighter jets.” Charlie argued. “Who supplied those Jets?”

“They were part of a stolen shipment that was destined for a muslim country in the Persian Gulf. We, the Singapore government had impounded them pending further investigation. We believe a gang of terrorists acting within our defence forces stole the four planes that invaded your country. We still have the remaining four planes but the Chinese want them back.”

“Are you going to return them?” Katie asked.

“Originally we were,” the Singaporean Prime Minister revealed, “after we had identified the hijackers. But once we realised there might be connections to China we had second thoughts. Then your people turn up with the full story. What’s worse is the fact that you somehow destroyed all four jets without revealing your hand until now.”

“That’s our secret.” Katie claimed. “But it gives us a strong hand in accusing the Chinese of facilitating an act of war against Australia. The wrecked planes in the Queensland jungle, are Prima-facia evidence of China’s aggression.”

“The Chinese are claiming we sent the planes. They took off from our military airfield and there was a lot of insider Triad connected corruption involved. We are having a hard time disproving Singapore was involved.”

“You mean you were until they tried to assassinate me.” Charlie observed.

“The waiter says they were trying to kidnap you, not kill you.”

“By trying to shoot me in the head.” Charlie scoffed. “Either way the Chinese will now have hell’s own delight denying their involvement.”

“They always deny stuff when they try to assassinate their enemies.”

“Firstly, I am not an enemy,” Charlie argued, “I’ve never fired a shot in anger at China; and secondly; there were hundreds of foreign diplomats who witnessed the shooting.”
All that works in Singapore’s favour plus the sight of me being rushed to hospital with a seemingly serious headwound.” Charlie opined. “Your best strategy is to state the truth, that your guest was attacked by a Chinese plot to kidnap or assassinate your Australian guest.”

“That will infuriate the CCP and we are vulnerable to a military style attack.”

“Not any more you’re not. I don’t take kindly to being shot at.” Charlie riposted. “Where would they attack from if they decided?”

“They’ve got a base on the island of Riau. It’s one of the Belt and Road debt traps from the twenty, twenties.”

Charlie smiled wryly.

“Another one of those deals again. A ninety-nine-year lease from Indonesia.”

The Singaporean Prime Minister nodded despondently.

“The Base is like the sword of Damocles hanging over the south Asian countries.”

“Well, for the time being, there’s little that can be done but tarry awhile,” Charlie smiled ever so slightly.

ooo000ooo