He slowly released his grip on her door handle and took a step back. He glanced at his watch; it was just after five. He retreated and made his way to the private lounge where the family would typically relax, watch TV and spend family time together.
It was empty. He flicked on the light switch and squinted as the light burnt his eyes. His thoughts of regret regarding breaking in turned to anger. What if I was a terrorist? What if I had a-bomb or gun in my backpack? I could have killed the entire royal family!
He contemplated marching down to the security officers and police to confront them about the lack of security. On the other hand he could be in trouble and may not get to see Catherine. That was after all the only reason for coming, to see her without being followed by Boudicea’s people.
Out of options he chose to call his best friend. Scott always knew what to do. Jason used the shinny white phone on the table and called Scott’s home. He was very surprised when it was picked up after one ring.
“Yes this is Doctor Turner,” Scott’s father answered.
“Hi Dr. Turner. Can I speak to Scott please?” Jason asked.
Jason heard a sigh and the phone went quiet. He could just make out Scott’s father shouting at the top of his voice. He wasn’t sure of everything said but it was on the lines of you boys playing stupid spy games and hurry up and free up the phone line.
Eventfully Scott picked up the phone.
“Jase. You better be quick,” Scott said.
“Hi. Um. Did I do something wrong? I mean, yeah it’s just after five but your dad was pretty angry,” Jason asked concerned.
“It’s not your fault mate. Two days ago Dr. Robert Kemp was taken away by force.”
“Robert Kemp. Who’s he?” Jason asked.
“He’s dad’s business partner, another plastic surgeon. A witness said he was taken away at gun point.”
“Wow some crazy woman must really be desperate for some new bigger boobs then,” Jason joked.
“Ha ha, yeah I thought of that too, but it’s serious. Dad thinks he will be getting a ransom call any time now so when you called he must have thought it was them.”
Jason could hear Scott’s dad shouting again.
“Yes Dad I’m almost done.” Scott said before continuing. “Anyway what do you want mate. It’s early and I have to go.”
“I’m at Buckingham Palace in the private quarters.” Jason said.
“Nice, so Queenie let you stay over then? Although you shouldn’t be around Catherine with Boudicea on the loose.”
“No I broke in this morning and I was wondering if I should go and confront security or not. I could have been a terrorist.”
“Wait. You broke into Buckingham Palace?” Scott gasped before he stopped after his father shouted at him again. “Jase’ I have to go, call SYUI they oversee security and let them know, bye.”
The phoned clicked off. Jason assumed Scott’s dad had shouted at him again. Scott’s suggestion seemed to be the best thing to do, but rather than call SYUI he called home and spoke to his stepmother, Brenda who was head of SYUI.
Chapter Twelve
It had been some time since he and Scott had called her Battleaxe Brenda but her aggressive response reminded him of why she was given the nickname. She was infuriated that he had left home at such an early hour and had broken into the palace. She told him to go down and wait in the police security lounge before anyone from the royal family noticed him.
He changed into his normal clothes and was pulling on his shoes when the Queen walked in. He wasn’t sure who was more surprised, him or her.
“Um. Er. Hi. I mean. Mam. Hello.” Jason stuttered turning bright red. “I was getting changed,” he quickly picked up his black clothing and forced it into his backpack.
“No need for one to be so nervous around me Jason.” she said softly taking a seat at the table. “I’m about to have breakfast. Will you join me?”
Her butler walked into the room pushing a hostess trolley. He made eye contact with Jason and nodded.
Before Jason could reply the Queen spoke for him. “John we have the pleasure of Jason’s company for breakfast this morning.”
“Yes Mam. And will the Princess be joining us Mam?” The butler John asked.
She looked at Jason for an answer. He sat opposite the queen and tucked his backpack under the table.
“I don’t know. She doesn’t know I’m here. I was going to surprise her,” Jason said. He watched John expertly place plate after plate of hot bacon, eggs, toast, mushrooms and a large china teapot full of steaming hot tea.
“What would sir want for breakfast?” He asked Jason.
“Um.” Jason said he paused looking at the food. “Do you have cornflakes sir?”
The butler left the room and came back moments later with a large glass bowl full of cornflakes, three jugs of milk and a smaller bowl.
Gingerly Jason helped himself to the cornflakes. He noticed each milk jug was marked either full, semi and skimmed. He took the closest one to himself and slowly poured it over his cornflakes hoping he wouldn’t spill it. He could feel the queen’s eyes watching his every move.
The butler was dismissed leaving the two of them alone. She poured two cups of tea.
“Sugar, one lump or two?” She asked holding a cube of sugar in small silver tongs.
“One thank you.” Jason said softly. He would normally take three or four but was doing his upmost to act as mature and high class as he could.
She sipped her tea and started to eat. After her first mouthful she took another sip of tea and looked at Jason.
“If you were going to surprise her Jason, exactly how did one get in? And why so early?” She asked.
Jason gently dropped his cup back in the saucer. “Ah. Well. I just sort of came here and climbed in.”
She stared at him. “Climbed in where?”
Sweat beads started to form on Jason’s forehead; he opened his mouth to speak but was unsure what to say.
Whether a woman is the Queen of England or a woman who picks rice in a field in China—when that woman is a mother and see’s a child in distress she can instinctively pick up on it. She surprised Jason and gently placed her hand on the back of his and smiled at him.
“Jason. I meet a lot of people who are nervous around me. You seem quite anxious and there is no need. We are friends Jason. You bewitched my daughter. She adores you and as such you are always welcome here. Why are you so nervous? Is it something to do with the assassination attempt or is one not happy working with Infinity?”
Jason nodded and took a deep breath. “You know about Infinity and the attempt to shoot or capture me?”
She smiled. “Of course Jason. I’m not just one who makes a few speeches once and awhile and goes on a few tours. I make sure I know what is going on in my country and that includes secret services.”
“No I love working with Infinity. We think we know who was trying to hurt me. Infinity ordered me not to see Catherine because they didn’t want the added risk of her getting hurt,” Jason said.
“That’s good advice,” She said sipping her tea.
“I guess it was but I sort of sneaked out early this morning, climbed over your back wall, climbed up and sneaked in. I was going to go and see Catherine in her room, but thought better of it so came in here. Then I realized how lousy your security is. I just brought a change of clothes in my backpack. I could have brought a bomb or a few guns and I made it all the way to the bedrooms without being seen. I thought it wiser I wait in here.”
She looked horrified; her eyes turned dark and burnt into Jason. “One was very wise not to enter the bedrooms uninvited Jason. But rather foolish breaking in but you do make a very good point.” She picked up a small silver bell on the table and rang it.
A moment later and John arrived back with a fresh pot of tea. He was told to request Chief Superintendant Derek Williams and the matter was urgent.
Wh
en he left, she wanted to hear all the details how he broke in. He noticed she was smiling as he told her how he sneaked in when the man was smoking and how he climbed the wall.
“Am I in trouble?” Jason eventually asked, his sapphire blue eyes looking up through his blond bangs.
She could easily see why her daughter was smitten by Jason. He was adorable, sweet and honest.
“Well if you had gone into my daughter’s room we would be having a different conversation, or if you had been a terrorist of course. But as you simply broke in to see your girlfriend, of course not. It’s not your fault you are friends with a princess who lives in a palace. If she was a normal girl nothing would be said. I think it’s quite romantic that you went to all that trouble.”
“It wasn’t any trouble; it was rather easy.” Jason said although instantly thinking maybe he shouldn’t have.
There was a knock at the door and John the Butler entered again.
“Chief Superintendant Derek Williams, Mam.” The Chief Superintendant bowed his head and smiled at Jason and the queen. “You asked for me Mam?” she asked.
“Superintendant. Do you know who this young man is?” She asked.
“Why yes Mam. That’s Jason he’s a friend of the Princess. Although I didn’t know he stayed here last night; we have no guest listed as staying over.”
“Jason please explain,” she ordered.
Knowing the poor man was going to be in serious trouble Jason took a deep breath before talking.
“Sorry sir but I didn’t stay over.” He started and stopped before continuing, “I simply climbed over the back wall, sneaked through the gardens, climbed the wall to the first floor balcony and crept in when one of the staff went out onto the balcony for a cigarette.”
The superintendent’s round face smiled. He suddenly became very relaxed and placed his hands on his large stomach and gave a small chuckle. He obviously thought Jason was joking.
Jason was surprised by his response and became annoyed and angry with the superintendent. His temper started to flair up. “You think this is funny? I got to Princess Catherine’s room and was going to go in but thought better of it. I could have had a bomb in my backpack or a gun on me.”
Jason stood and stared at the man. “I could have been a terrorist, a thief, murderer or worse. Catherine is alone in her room and so are the others. Do you still think it’s funny?”
The room fell strangely silent. Jason noticed he was shaking in anger and tried to tell himself to calm down. He was relieved he hadn’t cursed at the man in front of the queen.
Chief Superintendant Derek Williams turned very pale as he clutched at his chest and fell to his knees. Jason immediately calmed down and ran towards the man.
“Are you okay sir?” Jason asked placing his hand on the man’s shoulder. He bent over and collapsed on the floor. Jason looked up at the queen. “Call an ambulance.”
In a situation like this you never really expect. You just react and you never know what goes through your mind. As Jason undid the man’s belt, waistband and loosened his tie, he was telling himself. Oh my gosh, I just ordered the queen to call an ambulance.
Instinctively his many first aid training courses at Infinity and at Sea Cadets took over.
Jason felt the man’s neck’ after finding no pulse he began CPR. He had only done it on training dummies before this was much harder. The patient was a heavy overweight man. It was much harder than he had thought and as the minutes passed waiting for an ambulance Jason started to perspire.
Several of the police had arrived to help but allowed Jason to carry on. He seemed to have a rhythm going and looked like he knew what he was doing. Somewhere in the commotion Jason remembered seeing Catherine watching dressed in her pajamas.
Jason wondered what she would be thinking. Why was Jason here so early and performing CPR on the head of security? When the paramedics finally arrived and took over Jason climbed to his feet and stepped back. He was soaked in sweat. He looked at the queen and it suddenly hit him.
Was it his actions of breaking in and almost shouting at the superintendent that caused his heart failure? Jason sat back heavily in a chair, his mouth open unable to speak.
He looked up at the queen who said nothing. She poured Jason a glass of milk and passed it to him. Catherine sat next to him and held his hand.
He looked at Catherine, drank the milk and wiped his mouth with the back of his hands and forced a smile.
“Ladybugs? Seriously?” He smiled looking at her pajama bottoms.
She laughed at him. His long blond bangs were stuck with sweat to his face. She gently brushed them away from his eyes. “What did you think I would be wearing, PJs with crowns on, or the royal crest?”
“I hadn’t thought you wearing anything in bed,” he paused. “Oh that didn’t come out right did it? I meant I hadn’t thought of it. Ladybugs are cool. Do you think he’ll be okay?” He asked as they carried the man out on a stretcher.
“He is in good hands and it seems he was lucky you were here to help,” Catherine said. The large procession of people left with the paramedics leaving the queen, Jason and Catherine alone.
“Anyway Jason why are you here?” Catherine asked.
“I wanted to surprise you. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I’m in a lot of trouble and almost killed your head of security.”
“Now now Jason. You can’t blame yourself for that unfortunate incident. Our security is obviously weak and that’s that. The superintendent will be in our prayers for a speedy recovery. One was very impressed with your first aid skills. He was lucky you were on hand,” the Queen said.
The full scale of his break-in had become an embarrassment for SYUI. As with any royal security breach the prime minister was informed. Brenda who headed SYUI was summoned to an emergency meeting with the Prime minster along with the Metropolitan Police commissioner.
All parties agreed an urgent overhaul of Buckingham Palace security was required. When the prime minister asked if the culprit who broke in was in custody, it was Brenda who had to mention it was Catherine’s thirteen-year-old boyfriend Jason Steed.
Jason’s name had come across his desk a few times before. The trail of dead bodies across Spain when he was on the run from the Triads and the embarrassing incident when Jason rescued his father and other royal marines in Vietnam and brought back over thirty American fathered Vietnamese children against the orders of the US President.
It wasn’t until Brenda was about to leave when the prime minister asked if she was somehow related to the boy. Brenda painfully admitted that he was her stepson now that she had married Jason’s father. The prime minister questioned whether she was able to run SYUI if she couldn’t run her own home and keep her son in check. Brenda had worked hard to put herself in the position she attained. She never married until now or had her own children; she had always put her career first and had struggled in a male- dominated career.
To be questioned now by the prime minister no less was the single most infuriating thing that had ever happened to her.
After the meeting she drove straight home and confronted Raymond Steed. It was the couple’s first major row. Brenda was distraught with anger and embarrassment and concerned that Jason might have even put her position at risk.
Jason and Catherine were oblivious to the trouble he caused and were enjoying the day at the palace. Jason stayed with Catherine until just after eight when a palace employee drove him home.
Chapter Thirteen
As Jason strolled up the gravel driveway to his home his instincts told him he was in serious trouble. He paused at the front door and took a deep breath before entering.
The front door opened to the impressive entrance hall with a double staircase on either side rising to the upper floor. The house was over a hundred years old, the walls covered with mahogany panels and dark wooden polished floors. The entrance hall was mostly used for coming and going. It did have a f
ew leather- covered chairs but the family never used it.
Tonight was different. Both Raymond and Brenda Steed sat in the hall waiting for Jason. He gently closed the door behind himself, and rather than kick his shoes off across the floor and leave them, he sensed the tension, so he slowly took them off and placed them neatly by the door.
Jason knew his father well enough and could read his father’s eyebrows they spoke a language of their own. Tonight he glared at Jason and raised them.
“I’m sorry, I wanted to see Catherine,” Jason said meekly.
There was a long pause before his father took Brenda’s hand as if he was showing that he was speaking for both of them. “Have you any idea of the position you put Brenda in? Plus a good man was so concerned and worried about being dragged before the queen and chastised by you he had a heart attack. Brenda was ordered to see the prime minister and now a special review of palace security will take place.
“Brenda’s worked very hard to get where she is and today you put her in a very embarrassing position where she had her judgment questioned. Not to mention I foolishly tried to defend you and we had an awful argument.”
Jason lowered his head and twiddled his fingers together. He looked up through his long blond bags and could see Brenda’s eyes were red and puffy. He guessed she had been crying.
“I’m sorry, not one of my better ideas but I wanted to see Catherine.” Jason said.
“You could have just asked or told us and done what any normal person does and go to the main entrance and call,” his father said his voice becoming aggressively louder.
“How could I? With Boudicea after me, I would be putting Catherine and the whole family at risk and I was told not to see her by Inf...” Jason immediately trailed off. “Um. I mean who ever shot at me might hurt Catherine,” he said trying to cover up his mistake.
“Boudicea? What has she got to do with it. She’s dead and who said you can’t see Catherine?” Brenda snapped.
Jason colored up and rolled on the balls of his feet; he had never felt so awkward before. “I’m sorry and sorry if I got you in trouble Brenda.”