After all the effort that had gone on, it was found that The Kingmaker (in the end) could have the last laugh.

I look around and realize that this is no ordinary group, it is a group that had been born and molded from the will to come out the other side in one piece. Regular individuals yes, but ordinary people, not by a long shot.

I look around the table and can see many surprised faces, but I don’t see scared faces. Maybe these feelings are being hidden, and if they are, they’re being hidden well. I also see this as a group of people who have to be divided. This is ultimately due to the wise opinion that says, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” We have to divide.

“Meeting adjourned,” I say to the shock of everyone. I whisper my thoughts to Beau. I say, “In truth, we have no idea who The Kingmaker’s daughter is… is she at this table now? I don’t think so. Is she watching us? That’s very likely, and most of all, does she know that we now know she is here? The answer to that question is, that none of us really know. We have to assume yes, but we have to act as if nothing has happened.”

“Invite the dancers to have our dinner. We’ll go somewhere else,” Beau says as he pushes his chair from under him.

Janey walks from the restaurant and approaches the stage where the dancers are sitting, recovering after their last performance.

I hear her talking to all the girls. She says, “Dinner is on Beau this evening, and good job everyone.”

I sidle up to Beau. “We have to leave Britney here, maybe she might hear something, or be our eyes,” I whisper.

Beau nods as he glances through the glass panes of the restaurant. “I think you're right, but we have to prep her without being obvious.”

“Tina, can you take Britney into the office and do her bandage please?” I ask.

“Of course. Do we have a first aid kit in there?” she asks as she helps Britney to her feet.

“I'll go and get one from the change room.”

I make my way over to the stage and ask the girls if they’ve seen where the first aid kit is, not that I want to know. I just want everyone to hear me. One of the new girls that isn’t from the club pulls one out from the nearby closet. I peer around the change room to see who is doing what. No faces look as if they’re doing anything apart from getting changed. Saying that though, I'm sure The Kingmaker’s daughter is way too smart to fall for something so simple.

“Is Britney’s ankle going to be okay?” Susan asks.

“I wasn’t here when she did it, but I think a couple of days rest and she'll be alright,” I reply.

“I know I'm new here, but who are you?” Susan asks plainly.

“I just helped in the first club with Shona, I’ve been away since then, and I thought it would be fun to check in again,” I say smiling.

“A lot of faces, new faces around here,” she says.

“They’ve all come together for this place, what a perfect city to make an impression!”

“Well, if you want to make people take notice, this is the place to do it,” Susan says as she pulls her top over her head.

Great nipples, but not my type.

I casually walk back toward the office. If I look back, I'll seem a little wary. We have to be very careful not to let on that anything is wrong.

I close the door to the office and hand the first aid kit to Tina. “How is her ankle?” I ask.

“Ouch!” Britney says as Tina begins removing the old bandage.

“Just a sprain, a couple of days and she'll walk. But dancing, I think will be a week. So light duties for you my girl,” Tina says smiling.

I stand with my back to the window of the office and look toward Britney. “Britney, don’t lift your head while I talk,” I say. “We trust you're not the person who is after us, so we are putting our trust in you.”

“Okay,” Britney mumbles looking down at her ankle.

“Don’t mention anything that you’ve heard, and don’t look sharply if you hear or see anything strange. Just tell us,” I explain.

“Don’t fret, I can keep my cool.” She chews her gum as Tina helps her.

“The other thing is, keep away from any of us who aren’t dancers, apart from Bob, that way it won’t create suspicion that you're saying anything to us.”

“I can do that, I'll be with the girls as they practice and then just see Bob at night,” Britney replies.

“Good girl. I did hear Janey say that you can be trusted.”

I help Britney to her feet from the desk. Tina opens the door, and I help her hobble toward the restaurant for her dinner with the rest of the girls. Some of the others have begun walking to the courtyard via another quick tour of the club, and the gaming tables.

Janey had hung back to wait for me, and although this was the first time my eyes had fallen on Janey, that was exactly what was happening.

“Have you seen the other clubs?” Janey asks.

“I saw the first one, and then I vanished until now,” I reply.

“How does this one compare?”

“This one is as far different as you can imagine. Shona’s club has the spa and steam rooms for relaxation, and then the club is underground, and all made for privacy.” I say. “Very limited designs but highly opulent. A club for filthy rich men.”

“I think this place will be a blast once we can open, these Alice in Wonderland figures everywhere are really going to freak everyone out,” Janey says.

“I hope so, they still have to sort those corrupt councilors out on top of this person we’re looking for.”

“As far as I can see, if that isn’t done then The Kingmaker’s daughter or whoever she is, will get suspicious,” Janey replies.

I sigh as we make our way into the courtyard. She's dead right; one slight hold up with that, and everyone could be done for. In truth, no one has an idea what is in store. Not even me.

“Where are we going to get food? Oh, and how are we going to get there?” Alex asks clapping his hands. He looks slightly anxious.

“Mike has the old crew bus, and I can drive it,” Bell says.

“And where are we going?” Stacey asks as she hangs from Joseph’s arm.

Joseph looks into her eyes and then lifts his head. “We'll decide that on the bus.”

Mike appears from the club after some loud shouting to one of the trade guys. I suggest to Joseph that he joins us because we have no idea what is really happening, yet.

Bell pulls the bus by the large steel gate, and everyone takes their seats on board. The bus slowly pulls forward as Bell slams it into gear and heads to the end of the street.

Joseph stands supporting himself between the seats of the bus. He sighs and clears his throat. “We all know we have two situations going on. Both have to run hand in hand with each other,” he explains. “We have to divide into groups. How many in each we can decide when we know exactly what we have to do.”

Bell screams from the driving seat. “Not one to put a spoiler on anything, but where are we going? Since I’m driving, I might need to know!”

Joseph turns his head to her. “You decide, somewhere out of the way.”

“Out of the way. If you don’t want to be seen, I only know one place that is safe,” I hear Bell mumble under her breath.

I sit listening to Joseph as he outlines everything he went through with The Kingmaker. I have to say, there are a few more surprised faces and open mouths by the time we get to our destination. A good half of the people on the bus sit in awe. It sounds like science fiction, really.

Everyone now knew it was a wild ride. Shona had mentioned that to everyone along the way. But cloning and mile-long sniper shots, that’s the stuff of legends, or cinema storylines. Not real life, like it had been.

“Are we at the chop shop?” Ty asks.

“We are, it’s the safest place I know,” Bell shouts as she halts the bus behind the garage. Bell opens the doors, and everyone starts to step from the bus.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Drake asks.

Bell walks up to Drake. “We’ve had a change of plan.”

The guy called Drake looks at me. “Who the fuck is that guy?”

“I’m Owen,” I say.

“I bet you fucken are,” he says.

“Why does the messenger always end up in the firing line?”