Judgement

By David Rory O'Neill

Lauren was safer now and Bonny didn’t worry for her the way she now worried about Daniel. Daniel had never found his escape. He was still trapped by his overwhelming sense of responsibility and his inability to be as self-centred and single-minded as Lauren.
He took on the responsibility for all he cared for and sacrificed his own desire for peace of mind and health of body. He still suffered that dreadful burden of guilt laid on his life so thickly by his monster of a mother. He tried to bend and not break and he tried to understand and mend himself. To protect his family from his pain and confusions but it wasn’t working.
Daniel had been near death after being shot getting his children back from their kidnapping ordeal. He stood on the edge of the abyss and killed many as he came close to the madness that is revenge. He’d crossed that line briefly and now he was afraid and unsure of his motivation. That vile act perpetrated on his children had disturbed his previously certain moral compass so now he doubted why he pursued these monsters.
Daniel had stared death down and refused to die but he hadn’t yet healed and he was embarking on some huge and dreadful thing. Compelled to end the fear and tackle the threat head on. He would not run or hide from his fear but would do what he’d always done - he would strip it bare and face it. Let it rip at him and when he’d found its foul heart, he’d kill it, no matter what the risk, no matter how much damage he suffered - he’d find its dark heart and end it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Rory O'Neill
• Release date: Dec 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301342884

David Rory O'Neill

What sort of writer am I?Take DH Lawrence's sensuality and sensitivity, mix in a big dollop of John Steinbeck's earthy humour and truth, spice with a dash of Joyce's inventiveness and bawdiness. Sprinkle in a spot of Becket's radical originality. Cook in a slow simmering cauldron over an Irish peat fire given extra heat by the Scots/Irish hard burning coal and dish up in a new bowl of non-conformist Belfast manufacture. That's me. These are big names to live up to but I try.I live in beautiful and splendid isolation over looking the Shannon Valley in County Clare, Ireland. I'm a bit of a cultural orphan - but thanks to the beloved B, I'm very happy in our eclectic art and book filled rural nest.

Book preview

Judgement.

David Rory O’Neill.

Published by davidrory publishing at Smashwords.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Copyright David Moody 2013 and 2016. 5th ed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Belfast until troubles and tribal violence drove him away, David grew to be a non-conformist and independent soul clinging to his counter-culture ideals. He found peace and his true calling as a storyteller in the literary Irish tradition. He now lives in a lovely restored old art and book-filled house in the lee of the Silvermine Mountains, Tipperary, Ireland. He shares his life there with beloved Brigitte and a cat with issues, called Bobby. David Rory O’Neill has written twenty novels and more are bubbling and brewing. http://www.davidrory.com

Dedications:

Art work by: raysheaf @ http://raysheaf.deviantart.com

Cover design: Sami at Ebookcoversgalore.com

Thanks go for editorial help to Miriam Drori.

For Ria who is my beloved legacy and who in June 2016, gave me a grandson: Art Leonis Parker Eliott.

For Brigitte who showed me what love can be.

For the Indie authors who have overcome self-doubt and embraced readers.

And to the readers who share the vision and have embraced the authors.

David Rory O’Neill. Ireland. 2016

Published books:

The Novella:

Leotie, Flower of the Prairie.

Animal

Rachel’s Walk

Rachel’s War

The Daniel Series:

1 Conflict

2 Challenge

3 Passion

4 Grip

5 Judgement

6 Pyramid

7 Trial

The West Cork Trilogy:

1 Surviving Beauty

2 Beauty’s Price

3 Blue Sky Orphan

4 The West Cork Trilogy Omnibus.

The Prairie Companions

The Butterfly Effect Trilogy:

Bonny The Butterfly Effect.

Lauren The Butterfly Effect.

Chepi The Butterfly Effect.

I welcome contact with my readers. Information on published and future work can be found on my website: http://davidrory.com

Or visit me on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1myLoRf

If you enjoyed this novel please leave a review on your suppliers website – reviews are the lifeblood of the modern author.

UK English used so you will find grey not gray and colour not color – these are not mistakes. (Sorry Noel Webster)

Contents:

Introduction.

Chapter 1. Mimosa Again.

Chapter 2. What Now?

Chapter 3. Dig In.

Chapter 4. Alert.

Chapter 5. Watching.

Chapter 6. Soft Contact.

Chapter 7. Hard Contact.

Chapter 8. Restoration.

Chapter 9. Spying.

Chapter 10. Home at Mill End.

Chapter 11. Bangor Again.

Chapter 12. Hurry up and wait.

Chapter 13. To Ireland.

Chapter 14. Sandy Cove.

Chapter 15. The News.

Chapter 16. Is It Over.

Glossary of terms used.

Introduction: Lauren was safer now and Bonny didn’t worry for her the way she now worried about Daniel. Daniel had never found his escape. He was still trapped by his overwhelming sense of responsibility and his inability to be as self-centred and single-minded as Lauren.

He took on the responsibility for all he cared for and sacrificed his own desire for peace of mind and health of body. He still suffered that dreadful burden of guilt laid on his life so thickly by his monster of a mother. He tried to bend and not break and he tried to understand and mend himself. To protect his family from his pain and confusions but it wasn’t working.

Daniel had been near death after being shot getting his children back from their kidnapping ordeal. He stood on the edge of the abyss and killed many as he came close to the madness that is revenge. He’d crossed that line briefly and now he was afraid and unsure of his motivation. That vile act perpetrated on his children had disturbed his previously certain moral compass so now he doubted why he pursued these monsters.

Daniel had stared death down and refused to die but he hadn’t yet healed and he was embarking on some huge and dreadful thing. Compelled to end the fear and tackle the threat head on. He would not run or hide from his fear but would do what he’d always done - he would strip it bare and face it. Let it rip at him and when he’d found its foul heart, he’d kill it, no matter what the risk, no matter how much damage he suffered - he’d find its dark heart and end it.

Judgement. David Rory O’Neill.

Chapter 1. Mimosa Again.

Dee Josephine Dawes stood at the foot of the bed and looked at her father as he lay snoring. She was well used to the sound and found it comforting if she awoke at night. If she didn’t hear his distinctive night call she would feel ill at ease and have difficulty getting back to sleep as she worried where he was. Sometimes, like tonight, she would get up and come to her parent’s bedroom to listen at the door or peak in to reassure her self that all was well. Tonight she hadn’t heard the sound and had come for her reassurance. As she opened the door and peered in, she heard Mammy Bonny making her usual puffing sound. Bonny lay on her back one arm over her head with the huge white globes of her breasts silver in the moonlight. Beside her in the same bed was Dee’s mother Lauren, silent, and still with the sheet cast off as usual. Her long golden hair looked like pure silver in the moonlight streaming in through the huge windows that made up one wall of the bedroom.

Papa was not in the same bed and Dee was alarmed for a second until she stepped into the room and saw him in the small double bed by the wall. He was curled up on his side and when she came to the foot of his bed he rolled onto his back, grunted, and began to snore. She could see the big plaster just below his neck that covered the wound. Dee shivered when she saw that and had a vivid flash back to the moment when Papa had been shot and she had thought he was gone. She made herself stop thinking about it and instead remembered the night she had spent in the hospital bed with him when she had woken frightened from her dreams. He had talked to her about her fears of death. That had been so nice and she wished she could get in to his bed now and cuddle to make herself feel better and to hold him so he wouldn’t go away or die.

Suddenly there was silence and Dee saw his eyes shining bright and open. He lifted the side of his sheet in invitation and she came and snuggled up by his side. She laid her head on his chest and felt the soothing beat of his heart and the heat of his body. His arm came down her back and he patted her bum gently as he whispered: Bad dreams sweetheart?

No Papa. I just woke up and couldn’t hear you and wanted to make sure you were alright.

He lifted her long strawberry blonde hair from her face and kissed her softly on the forehead and that was all she needed to relax and drift away to the familiar lullaby of his heartbeat.

Across the room Lauren had opened her eyes and saw her daughter standing at the foot of Daniel’s bed looking at him. Her first instinct was to call her but she waited and saw Daniel beckon Dee to the comfort of his cuddle. Tears came to Lauren then and she had to suppress the sigh she felt rise in her. Daniel had been right when he had warned that Dee would take the trauma of the past weeks harder than the others. Little Dee was so serious and such a thinker even at just six. No six and a half Mama. She could be startlingly perceptive and would say and do things that made her seem much older. Ever since her fathers latest brush with death she had been ill at ease when he was away from her. During the time when he had remained in hospital and the family had returned to the sanctuary of Bonny-Mimosa, Dee had been unhappy and fretful and insisted on speaking to him every day on the phone. Everyone including the other children tried to reassure her without success. They had been in the pool this afternoon when Daniel and Dave arrived. Daniel had shouted from the road above in the valley. Lauren had watched Dee’s reaction as she leapt from the pool with the others. Kathy, Christine and David had stood by Bonny’s side and bounced and yelled. Dee had come to Lauren, taken her hand and said very softly over and over, It’s OK now. Papa’s here now it’s OK.

When they emerged from the car five minutes later, Daniel had been nearly bowled over in the stampede to hug him. A charge led by Bonny. He had staggered in with Kathy, David, and even the usually reserved Christine, clinging to him and Bonny bouncing by his side. Lauren had put on her swimsuit but Bonny was as usual, completely unaware of her nakedness and the presence of Dave made no difference. Dave tried hard to avert his eyes but Bonny’s so female abundance was impossible for any heterosexual male to ignore. He busied himself getting their stuff from the hire car as the naked squealing scrum came into the house. Daniel collapsed on the sofa buried in children and Bonny. Dee stood holding Lauren’s hand grinning and waited. Daniel managed to shuck the excited huggers off and opened his arms to Dee who let go her restraint and threw herself into his embrace crying tears of relief and happiness.

Lauren heard the bedroom door again and Kathy’s round pale face appeared like a little moon. There was a whisper then Christine appeared and they came to the side of Daniel’s bed. They stood holding hands obviously unsure about disturbing their father and sister. Kathy was only six weeks younger than Dee and Christine fifteen months but Dee was the big sister and thought she was the boss. Kathy challenged that assumption frequently but still they were reluctant to risk annoying her now because they were well aware how upset Dee had been. Without opening his eyes, Daniel lifted his sheet and they got in beside him. Kathy couldn’t contain her excitement and let out a little squeak that woke Dee. As they all settle enveloped in their father’s arms Dee looked at Kathy across his chest and whispered: Bugger.

Kathy stuck out her tongue but didn’t rise to the challenge as she usually would. A few moments later the door opened again and David appeared. He looked at his sisters cuddled up beside Daniel and he too let go what was becoming the family’s familiar curse: Bugger.

Lauren waved him to her and when he was close she lifted him and set him between Bonny and herself. Bonny whispered: Never mind darling it’s much nicer for you here between the soft Mammies. She hugged him and got a muffled. Ummph, Mammy I can’t breathe in here.

She released him from the pillows of her breasts and he curled up on his mothers shoulder and was soon asleep. Lauren turned towards Bonny and in the silver rays could see her big round luminous eyes open and moist with emotion. Lauren reached across and put her hand on Bonny’s cheek and felt the damp of her tears, as she too was moved. Shedding happy sad tears of relief and loving empathy.

Daniel tried to regain sleep but couldn’t and had his daughters not enclosed him he would have gotten up and went out to sit in the warm night and smell the Mimosa and the wafted ozone blowing up the valley from the Mediterranean. He cursed the sleeping he had done on the journey down and remembered the ignored self nagging voice that had told him he would suffer later for that two days of seductive sleep. He had always hated the reflectiveness of wakeful nights and had evolved strategies to cope. He had read most of the books of his life late at night. He walked dark echoing cities exploring the seldom seen. He looked at starry darkness and the mysteries of the inner and outer cosmos lying naked in moist-night grass. And when the sensual stimulation of that exposure produced distraction, he gave himself to the escape to be found grasping his hardness and tugging release from the physical and the imagination. Often when here at Mimosa, Lauren would sense his absence and be drawn to her soul mate to join his escape. They had floated cooling in the infinity pool after the heat of rutting diversion sex or soft union.

Daniel knew why he had the indulgence of too much sleep in the past week. He knew he was avoiding memory and reflection. The bullet that had grazed his carotid artery had nearly killed him twice. Once on the initial strike when he had saved himself by sticking his finger in the entrance wound and sealing the tiny rip that would have grown in to a spurting life leak. Then again two days later when he had ignored the doctors and gone willingly to the confrontation that was the next attempt to kill him. When the struggle was over he had leaked again and only quick action by his friend and colleague Captain Dave Hall had gotten him to surgery in time.

"Six, seven, nine? How many times have I cheated death and killed those that would kill. This much good luck or good judgement can’t go on much longer. I must get it finally wrong sooner rather than later. The bastards will get me in the end unless... unless what? Where can I hide now that I know that those bastards in army FRU or MI5 conspired to kill me? Even here they could reach out and strike us down. It’s only a matter of when. I have them running now and have depleted the ranks of terrorist agents prepared to do their dirty deeds but they won’t forget or forgive. When word gets around about me putting a bullet in the brain of that shit Captain Rodgers at the conference, they will try again. They have to, they can’t risk us exposing their foul collusions. The suits and politicos that witnessed that will be shitting it and will try to rain them in but some will go rogue and come after me again. I’m fucked, basically I’m on borrowed time. I’m fucked but I can’t just give up. Not with these little sweethearts to cry for me. I can’t let them down. I must find a way to end this once and for all. In the mean time I need to find away to stay alive and keep them from harm. We can’t stay here much longer and we can’t go back home to Mill End either. Shit on it! That will be the second nest they have driven us from. It will break Bonny’s heart. She put all of herself into finding and building that home for us. Fuck them, damn them all to hell they won’t do this - I won’t be pushed about any more. I need to think big. I need a big idea to bring them all down in one bang that will end this. It’s time to get really creative but I need more time and healing and rest to get that creative so where can we go? Ireland that’s where. Down south somewhere, West Cork maybe. They would never think I would go there. They would have no bent bastard Special Branch cops or UDR or army or UFF to do their bidding there. They might take a while to find me and then they couldn’t come at me easily. No loyalist thug would feel comfortable that far south and they would have no local support or hidey-holes. They might have IRA agents they could turn on me but that’s not so likely. That bastard McGlinchey might take me on but he is all political now and has little support in Cork. His is strictly an Ulster outfit. Cork is old style Republican and they have no love for the new Derry and Belfast crowds so it wouldn’t be locals. They’d have to send a crew down from the north and I should see them coming. OK then. Sorry darlin’ Bonny and Lauren, I’m afraid we have to flit again... but not so quick old son. We will entrench here for as long as possible so that means I need to put out a few trip wires and set up security here so they can’t bushwhack us. First thing this morning I must get in a huddle with Dave and Lauren and get a plan worked up. We need to get Nanny Janet over here too. We can’t have her turning up for work next week and finding us gone. I’m sure she won’t mind a spell here. Oh shit on it! I’m off on one here. Time to get zonked or try.

The house called Bonny Mimosa was built by Bonny Dawes uncle Raymond and his partner Don as a winter retreat. The Frank Lloyd Wright house called Falling Water inspired its design. Built into the side of a steep valley rising from the sea at Eze-Bord-de-Mer between Nice and Monaco. The house was a single story with a terracotta-tiled roof falling away into the cliff behind from a semi-circle of one-way glass that made up the main visible wall. The roof reached out behind the structure to meet the cliff and create a shaded area for car parking and form an entrance porch. The form was like a segment of orange laid on its side and beyond it was a similar segment of terrace above a lawn and beyond and below that a further segment that was the infinity pool. All echoing the shape of the house. The area around was wild scrub with huge Agarve cactus spilling down the rocks and interspersed with the vivid splashes of yellow Mimosa that inspired the house name. A 300-yard drive wandered across the valley and up to the series of hairpins on the little road from the sea up to the Grand Corniche and Eze village perched high on the cliffs above. Speaking of the inside Bonny had succinctly if inappropriately said, Only the fruiterati have the exquisite taste to pull this off.

They had gone for an organic look with one wall being the same material as the cliff face and the other being the full-length glass. The floors were rich matt glazed terracotta tile and the dividing walls were covered with natural cream canvas. In the main open plan living area each wall was dominated by several serious pieces of expressionist art, including a Pollock. Uncle Raymond had left Belfast when he was nineteen for Canada and had met Don - a real cowboy from Montana at the Calgary Rodeo. They started a business together that they later sold for an obscene amount of money and they were now living, in comfortable retirement. Splitting their time between Vancouver, Paris and Nice - they were due to travel down from Paris to Mimosa in three days time.

Mimosa had six bedroom suites, one being the master for Don and Raymond, one called Bonny’s room, one dedicated to the children, and the rest for guests. A local family were employed to care for the property and Madam Joyce came puttering up from Eze every day in one of the little plastic Liger cars peculiar to France. She had her own keys and would arrive in the Dawes midst most mornings unannounced and unflustered by the nudity, laughter and polygamy that she described as: "La hippie heureux commune."

She would set about her cleaning duties clucking and fussing with the laughing naked children following her to practise their French. Kathy had inherited her mother Bonny’s talent for mimicry and language and was becoming extraordinarily fluent. Unfortunately she was learning a version of Provençal French that even Bonny, who had her Doctorate in modern languages, was having trouble unpicking. Bold brave Kathy was Madam Joyce’s favourite and had melted her pragmatic peasant heart. She would therefore risk bringing her own grandchildren to play in the pool with the Dawes children but only after Kathy had agreed to speak to her Mammy about decent attire while the Grandmamma Joyce’s delicate brood were present. One of her grandchildren, a precocious seven-year-old boy, was disappointed by Bonny’s diligence having once witnessed the astounding spectacle of her naked, he was fervent in his wish for a repeat performance. He had to make do with Lauren and Bonny’s brief swimsuits, which were nearly compensation enough. Little René was a very keen visitor to Mimosa and his pubescent dreams featured the poolside sights for many years to come. His father, John-Claude came to garden and he unknowingly shared a few of his son’s dreams and fantasies.

There was another man at Mimosa who had dreamed of one of the spectacularly beautiful women there and that was Dave Hall. For ten years Dave had been obsessed by Lauren but had been too intimidated by her to make a move when she was available. During their recent shared trauma she had become aware of his feelings for the first time and with Daniel’s encouragement she had spent a night with him to - ‘scratch his itch,’ as Daniel had put it. The night of tenderness and passion had freed Dave from his obsession and made him certain that Lauren was with the right man - her soul mate Daniel. He still looked at her with fondness and remembered her incredible sexuality and supreme physical perfection with a stimulating glow but he knew he was free to move on now and seek out his own soul mate to share his life with. He was giving up his other mistress of twenty years – the Royal Marines and the Special Boat Service. Watching the Dawes family grow had given him the desire for a family of his own.

Dave got up just after dawn, gently slid open the glass door of his bedroom and stepped out on to the terrace. He began to do stretches and warm ups. Dave was five foot eleven, heavily muscled but lean with fair floppy hair, brown eyes and a boyish looking face that was at odds with the hard trained killer his chosen life had made of him. He had joined the Royal Marines from school and now at thirty-five, he had done his time and was retiring to go build Thames Skiffs with his father. He stood looking at his reflection and wondering if he would be able to cope with the radical change in pace this decision would involve. He was startled to hear a voice to his right: Hi darling, bloody impressive sight if you don’t mind me saying.

He turned and saw Lauren standing outside her bedroom window, hands on hips grinning sweetly at him. He blushed but she ran to him, kissed him on the cheek, took his hand, and said, Come on let’s do a few fast miles.

She sprinted away up the drive and as he gave chase, he was once again astonished at how fast she was putting distance between them. Have pity club-swinger, slow down, he called after her but knew she wouldn’t slow. She would taunt him by staying just ahead no matter how hard he tried to catch her. He didn’t really mind and he had often enjoyed this game on their runs together. It was one thing they shared – this love of the physical. They were both supreme athletes and in Lauren’s case Olympic standard. She had spent her early life training to be a 100-meter sprinter. She had been selected for the national team only to have that ambition dashed by a knee injury just prior to the games. Her work as a Physical Training Instructor in the navy had insured she had maintained and improved upon the development of her body ever since. Dave watched delighted by the spectacle of her long powerfully muscled legs and big tight bum, bronzed and barely concealed by her skimpy running shorts and her large muscled biceps pumping away, running ahead of him. He thought: What a truly astonishing sight. She could look so butch with all that power but that golden mane, beautiful face and perfect symmetry make her just... just stunning. How wonderful it is I can do this now with out getting that dull ache.

Thank you Lauren.

What?

Oh nothing just saying thank you.

OK then keep up man, keep up.

When they returned from their run Lauren ran to the pool peeling off her clothes and plunged in. Dave followed but kept his shorts on. He was not yet comfortable about the Dawes family predilection for nudity and was still made slightly uneasy by the prospect of getting a hard-on while viewing the cavorting Lauren or Bonny. Bonny in particular was awfully hard to ignore when she got naked. And Dave was now presented with that dilemma as she came running and bouncing down the terrace and plunged noisily into the pool. Bonny was such an enigma to Dave in so many ways. She seemed so young and innocent, with that lovely pretty girlish face and extraordinary big multi facetted eyes, all blue and gold and emerald, framed by her shiny black pageboy hair. If you kept your eyes on her face she was sweet girly but it was impossible to keep your eyes there because of her body. Five-foot nothing of athletic toned curves, big hips, narrow waist, powerful rotund bum and then the breasts - those breasts were impossible. Huge melons with big dark saucer areola and nipples like thimbles. So high, firm and bouncy, so very bouncy. And she was so open and bold and intuitive. She had seen Dave’s obsession with Lauren many years before but had kept his secret. Dave loved Bonny deeply and would have walked through fire for her but then everyone loved Bonny. Lauren loved Bonny and so did Daniel and that was what had glued them together when the stress of their secret lives had threatened to split them. Now the three were an indestructible unconventional loving whole that somehow made perfect sense to everyone who really knew them.

Dave always got a warm glow when he watched them together. Lauren and Bonny alone, with the kids or with Daniel - the love between them was so obvious, unashamed and beautiful it overwhelmed all preconceived ideas. It made the watcher smile, feel good and want that feeling for themselves.

Dave swam easily along side Lauren as she powered up and down doing her thirty lengths. He was the only person she knew who could keep up with her and she liked swimming with him because he pushed her harder. Bonny did a few lengths valiantly trying to keep pace but fell back and shouted: No use too much diddy-drag to keep up. Dave nearly choked laughing and Lauren pulled ahead but he recovered and as he caught her again he heard her mutter: Bugger. as he came along side. She’s so competitive and aggressive. I love that about her," he thought.

When they finished, Bonny was sitting in the shallow end looking at the rising sun. It’s going to be another scorcher. We will need to watch Kathy and David or they will burn.

Lauren and Dave came and joined her reclined on the steps. Dave kept Lauren between him and Bonny and looked at the sky rather than let his eyes be drawn to the displayed female flesh by his side. Bonny giggled and said, Sorry Dave, if our brazen display makes you uncomfortable. I know my wobblers are a bit mesmerising and as for the Amazon here well... anyway don’t worry about a gawp darling and try to relax because I’m afraid we are confirmed nudists when we’re here and we ain’t going to change now.

Dave burst out laughing and when he recovered said, Bonny you are spooky and a bit scary the way you read people like that.

Yes it’s spooky the way wee X-ray-eyes wise-owl sees all with those astonishing big peepers of hers, added Lauren.

I thought your parents were here Lauren. Do you lot go nude around them too?

They have gone over to Italy for a short tour, back tomorrow. Yes this lot do go nude in front of them but I restrict myself to topless. Daddy is a shameless watcher of the wobbling wonders I’m afraid and Mummy just ogles Daniel’s package. I’m so ashamed of them.

"Yes Margret’s