"MIND TRAP" Part 7

OK folks, here is the penultimate part of this classic Ben Chatham adventure starring RYAN HAWLEY:

"MIND TRAP" Part 7

Eastman moved the pliers into Ben's mouth as Kyle wrestled frantically with the straps holding him down. One of the straps snapped and Kyle lunged his arm forward, knocking the pliers out of Eastman's hand. Two guards rushed over to Kyle and held him back down. Ben sat motionless with his mouth still open. Eastman picked up the pliers and laughed:

"I suspect that you will require more than the usual technique to render you as compliant as Ben here, Mr Scott. Indeed you may not be suitable at all, in which case I think the best approach will be to have you humanely put to sleep".

"Ere you bastard, why not say murdered an' call a spade a bleedin' spade", Kyle shouted.

"I don't think we need use that kind of loaded language. Perhaps I won't pull Ben's teeth out after all. He is clearly completely under my control and will be a very useful tool once I ascertain an appropriate target for him. His pretty-boy smile may still be needed *laughs*"

Meanwhile the security guard began to lead Katie, Sandra and Joe out of Chris' room. The latter moaned and grimaced from the pain caused by his wounds:

"That guy needs urgent medical attention" Katie shouted at the guard.

"That is not your concern. Now move" the guard responded. However as he did so a voice came from the end of the corridor:

"Hey up Brian. Stop it now." They all turned round to see the elderly lady, Epsie Carnell, pottering towards them swinging an old gold watch on a chain. She swung it in front of the guard's face and his eyes followed it:

"That's it, me duck, keep your eyes on the chain... now close 'em the sandman's comin".

"What the hell? The old bat's hypnotising him" Katie exclaimed.

"Ere I may be an old bat but I ain't as daft as I'm cabbage lookin' yer know. You young un's today know nowt. Kids. They spend more on crisps alone than me mam had to spend on us for a week. This were me 'husband Stan's watch. Ee took it off a German in the war....." Katie interrupted Epsie:

"Look we are not interested in your husband or the damn war. How the hell did you learn hypnosis?" Katie demanded.

"Me mam taught me how to do it when we lived on the farm. An' she could read the tea leaves. She once told Mr Cooke the Doctor that 'is wife only ad six months to live an' ee wouldn't believe 'er but ee soon changed 'is mind when she went an' drowned her sen in the pond at back a Bowley's farm. She were never right in the 'ead me mam said. Any road I know what that Eastman's up to 'ere. But 'ee can't put 'um under as well as I can."

Sandra frowned:

"That stuff you told us regarding Eastman hypnotising people to use as assassins. Have you any evidence for that supposition?"

"I heard it with me own 'ears me duck. They think I'm deaf or daft but I listen to all they say. I recon 'ees a Nazi or one a them Russians....."

Katie frowned:

"There is no time to lose. We need to find Ben and Kyle then use this old dear to stop Eastman's plans in their tracks".

Elsewhere, Eastman has just finished questioning Ben and he grinned:

"Excellent. So Ben's father Alastair has socialised with The Prime Minister and his circle. I think Ben here could be the one to do the deed and take out the PM for us. What do you think, Mr Scott?"

"I think you're a nut job" Kyle shouted.

"Oh how predictable you are. Anyway, I think its time now to move to phase two, the first bit spate of assassinations. Eastman moved towards a control panel, flicked several switches and leant towards a microphone:

"Right now the mobile phones of around twenty operatives are being answered. All I need tell them are the trigger words: peace and love. However I think it might be amusing to let Ben say them."

Eastman undid the straps holding Ben down and led him towards the microphone. As he did so, Katie and the others burst into the room. Eastman's guards ran towards them however Epsie Carnell held up the gold watch and swung it:

"Look at the watch me ducks. That's it. You're feelin' sleepy...." The guards yawned and lay down on the floor as Katie undid the straps holding down Kyle. Eastman scowled:

"Ben, I order you to say 'peace and love' into the microphone". However before Ben could move, Kyle grabbed the microphone and wrenched it off the control panel. As he did so, the youth Chris staggered in, covered in sores and wounds. He screamed incoherently at Eastman, picked up a chair and smashed it into the control panel which sparked and exploded. Smoke billowed everywhere, blocking everyone's sight, however Kyle managed to get several windows open. As the smoke cleared he looked around the room, however Ben and Eastman were missing:

"Ere he's escaped with Ben and Ben's still under his hypnotic influence........"

..........to be continued in the final part of 'MIND TRAP'