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Steve at the office talking to Aaron. “You’ve changed the server configuration as I told you?” Steve nodded. The file names remain the same, only the content has been changed.
Christmas Eve a matter of hours away, Miranda tells me that you lot won’t be logging onto the main servers for the day as she will use the excuse for clearing down the paper trails, tidying up and generally no computer free zone. Relax; chill.”
It would be work until 12 mid day and then over to the pub for drinks, a meal and chilling out before everyone went home. Miranda had it all planned to a tee. No one was to moan about Tim’s not joining them until an hour or so later, giving him free reign to do whatever he had planned.
“Right that’s it, we’re all set. Almost midnight, time to get some shut eye before tomorrow. I’ve packed the original drives in the safe under lock and key.” With that Steve left, stopping only to text Charlotte and Jodi on what he had done. Aaron unknown to Steve had run some tests on the systems to make sure it would all appear as normal to Tim’s.
It had not been difficult for Aaron to pick up on what Tim’s had planned after his talk with Steve. Data on the company, on the clients and more was what he was after and once he had it, Terry’s business would be seriously in trouble. Apart from confidentiality law suits and similar there would be little chance after Tim’s planted that virus to save corrupted data without paying out a lot of money and no guaranteed results.
Charlotte had outlined a bonus for Steve to be paid with his Xmas pay packet.
He deserved it for the loyalty he had shown and also the tenacity in keeping an eye on that scum. She had wondered whether to phone Terry and bring him up to date on what was going on but changed her mind.
They had it under control and the money paid to Aaron for his assistance plus the bonus to Steve was money well spent; Terry would she knew, agree with her on that score. The trap was set and all they had to do was to wait and watch Tim’s walk right into it.
It was 8am Christmas Eve when Terry sat down with some tea and toast. The local radio station with the latest weather news. More snow and expected to make travel extremely difficult. In summary, if you didn’t need to travel; don’t.
“Good morning.” Terry glanced around to see Mia who minutes later had made herself some coffee and was now sat munching on cereal. “Typical of Mama. It’s Christmas Eve and who is up and about whilst Mama is lazing in bed?” Terry grinned.
“Oh really.” “Mama!” Sandy was drying her hair as she leaned in close to Mia and shook her wet hair over her. “Mama!” Mia grabbed her coffee and ran off into the lounge, the sound of Sandy laughing. “I don’t think that’s funny at all Mama.” Terry stepped over to one of the cupboards and leaning down opened it to pull out a box.
“I think, this might be useful.” It was a large blue hairdryer. “Nina’s but Mum used to use it as well so they kept it in the kitchen. Lord knows why it couldn’t have been left in the bathroom.” “Uhh, no sockets in the bathroom.” “Ah yes, of course. “
After breakfast the subject of conversation centered on who was doing what re the food and other preparations. At which point the various frozen items that needed to be defrosted were retrieved from the freezer. It would be an hour or so of sitting down peeling vegetables and preparing them ready for cooking Christmas Day.
“At least you haven’t got a turkey. The beef will be perfect and I am quite good at making home made Yorkshire puddings. You can find something to preoccupy yourself with whilst I get on with the cooking.”
If Terry had thoughts on that he kept them to himself. Somehow it was almost therapy for her. Distracted and relaxed not worrying about that scum which reminded him to phone Joules.”
“The last signal I had was Bilsden. I have tried again since but I think the weather is making it almost impossible to be sure where he is. All I would say is be on your guard though I still think it will be almost impossible for him to get anywhere near you given the way the weather has worsened over the last twenty four hours.”
To a degree even with that scum being in or near Bilsden could prove advantageous.
Almost certainly the weather a positive. Finding your way when the lanes were not blocked was for someone new to the area a nightmare as he recalled on two previous ocassions when he had got lost and ended up miles out of his way.
Arriving at the office the crew as Charlotte called them had been told NOT to turn on their computers, it was going to be about filing paperwork and general tidying. The cleaners would not be in until after the holidays so a quick hoover and tidy would suffice.
Mid morning was tea, coffee and mince pies. Tim’s was not the least bit put out by the lack of access to the computer. So far, thought Charlotte, all is going to plan.
As suspected it was not long before Tim’s apologised for not being able to join them at the pub until 1pm. He had to run a last minute errand for his mother, joking about it being Christmas and having to keep her sweet as she was doing all the cooking. Irritating to some, his casual social banter hiding the deceit and worse he had planned.
After they had all left, Tim’s gave it five or ten minutes before he returned and using the set of duplicate keys he had made, he entered the office. The first thing to turn off the alarm and the next to disable all of the security camera feeds. Done! He now headed over to the main computer terminal and turned it on.
An hour later and he had done all he set out to do. All of the files uploaded to the cloud, the computer virus in the system so that the next time the system was turned on it would activate wiping all of the drive units.
Next he had to wipe all of the back up drives. Done. The originals would be corrupted, impossible to retrieve data and no way to restore using the back up system.
Unknown to Tim’s ALL of his activities had been viewed by Aaron. He smiled as he texted Charlotte to let her know the latest news. Steve had already pointed out to Charlotte and Jodi the Australian or so he thought, guy stood at the end of the bar sipping his beer.
The one who had been deep in conversation with Tim’s?
Jodi had approached the guy with the intention to find out more about him.
“Hello stranger haven’t seen you here before? “ The guy smiled. “Miles Roach from Brisbane and you are?” “Jodi from around here.”
She was short if not blunt, to the point. No interest in him knowing anything
about her. His ego it turned out was a godsend, he couldn’t stop talking about himself.
“Doing some business over here and about to make a small fortune. I buy and sell businesses or move in on vulnerable businesses about to fail, buy em up, dump the rubbish bits and sell on the rest.”
The look on Tim’s face when he finally arrived, to see Jodi talking to Miles with Charlotte standing next to her? He was quick to interrupt them and separate them as fast as he could dragging Miles off to another part of the pub away from them.
“What the hell, do you realize who you were talking to!” Not that he was too concerned because on reflection, the deed had been done. What did it matter whatever they thought! Still he needed to know what had been said between them. “You go bring the car around the front, I’ll make my excuses and leave. 5 minutes.”
So it seemed, Tim’s was not joining them for their Christmas meal. Ah well, never mind, he could join them for their celebration in the New Year. Tim’s might have thought they were talking about New Years Eve? Nope he couldn’t make that. Oh dear what a shame as that would certainly be a celebration and a half with a very good reason to celebrate.
Shaun had managed to get the Sat Nav unit working quite well. His problem was finding the tracks leading off the main road that were covered by snow. Slow and steady would be the going rate as he headed closer and closer to where that bitch could be found?
Cider swigged back, bottle after bottle helped keep out the cold. The wipers, badly worn on the car were clearing only part of the screen, slowed him down again. It was getting dark. Evening shadows cast eerily over the snow topped landscape with the skeleton outline of trees.
After a few games, Mia was on her way up to bed. NOT before Terry had persuaded her to put some mince pies on a plate, a glass of Sherry, covered over, for the big fellow in red! Where to put it ? On the doorstep.
Well that might be a little exposed. BUT if they put a box by the door, that wooden crate would do nicely. Turned on its side it provided shelter for the pies and sherry inside? “Don’t forget the carrots for the reindeer! “ Terry grinned as Sandy handed him some to put with the pies. Done!
Now, I think, it's time for you, to get some rest and remember Be careful what you wish for tonight Mia! You may, be in for a surprise in the morning. Santa can go anywhere." "Mama! I'm 13!" "NEVER, too old to make a wish, nor to believe in Santa young lady!"
Waiting until her mother had left, Mia climbed out of her bed, went over to the reindeer and turned on its red flashing nose. "Now I hope ! You've got that message I gave you to Santa. Otherwise Venison it is for next year, including Venison sausages.
I'm going to leave your nose flashing its light out of the window, so Santa will know where to find you. Oh and me of course." Mia scrambled into bed, laid against the pillows looking at the flashing red nose, reflected on the window. Snow, thick flakes of snow. Little frozen star patterns on the glass.
"You hear that. Venison! How can she tease me like that. I would die for a slice of
Venison!" "I despair for you Thomas Lamb, I really do!" "She's getting her own back for me being nice to her earlier!" "Nice! The poor little bairn."
"Stop wittering on woman, never mind her, what are they up to? I feel like some fun to distract me, from my thinking, about a nice slice of Venison!"
Sipping on wine, listening to Kylie Minogue and rewrapping Mia's present? The lights turned down, the flicker of the fire, with the Christmas tree lights. Set the mood, a very ambient one.
"So where are we going to put her present? "Nice to have it under the tree." Opening a bottle of wine. He offered her a glass, she sipped on it. Minutes later both of them laid back on the sofa, stretched out watching a movie? The Grinch! "One of my, all time fav movies! You'd make a perfect little Who! Scrunched up nose an all."
"Well I suppose I can be happy, that YOU, are not the GRINCH!" "I don't know, quite like the guy." "I don't care anymore if this is a dream. I've made my mind up. We're going nowhere and you whether you like it or not."
She leaned in to kiss him, the kiss lingering. Taking in the moment, thoughts racing through her head. The wine, the movie, the warmth, him; her. All thoughts of that b’stard Shaun out of her mind and she could include Mia in that. Peaceful, wonderful and relaxing calm.
Shaun? He was now barely able to see much at all in front of him. Thick in places to the point one could say ‘Pea soup’ sprung to mind, fog. As for the snow, feet thick in places. He was cursing, as he stared at the Sat Nav screen and realized he was, well if he took the short cut across the fields, within easy distance of her and that brat of hers.
He abandoned the car, and made his way on foot, towards the house. In the distance, a red flashing shimmer of light, faint, but it was there. How convenient! Hard going in all this dammed snow! Shoes, the water from the melting snow, soaked the laces, permeated the leather, ran past the tongue to drip onto the sock.
Soaking wet feet, cold, miserable and yet? That psychotic madness, drove him on, obsessed, paranoid, swigging back the cider from the bottle in his hand. The woolen gloves soaking wet, his fingers cold. The warmth from the Cider. Nothing mattered, except seeing that bitch suffer.
Dragging him out here to this hell hole. As for whoever, she was shacked up with? Perhaps he would kill em all, and then set fire to the place. Closer ever closer. Sandy and Terry, totally oblivious to the oncoming nightmare. Mia fast asleep the blink, blink, blink of the reindeers red nose.
She had left Terry to go and shower. He was washing up and making some hot drinks. Earlier in the day, when they had been busy making the bird table, watched by her from the bedroom window, she had rummaged through her clothes to find something she had bought as a treat, but never worn.
Seductive, thin and sheer, the baby doll was she reckoned, going to drive him crazy!
She placed it onto the bed, still wondering if she had the courage to go through with this? He had made the drinks and was putting them onto a tray, when he heard a noise? Outside? Those foxes back again.
Looking out of the window, towards the bird table he could see one of them trying to get at the scraps on it! Suddenly the fox ran off! Maybe he had given up? Terry turned out the main room light and went to go upstairs with the tray in his hand?
Outside Shaun had reached the shed, adjacent to the barn. The appearance of the fox, had startled him. Shaking his fist at it, as it disappeared into the night. The car? He pulled back the tarp to see HER car. So she WAS here.
Approaching the main door, he looked down to see the mince pies and the glass of sherry. "What the?!" He greedily ate the pies and swilled back the sherry. Belching he threw down the plate into the snow.
The thump, thump, thump; on the door? "Cmon you bitch!" Upstairs Sandy froze, she moved to the window and stared down towards the entrance. That voice, the usual drunken slur of abuse screamed out echoing in the night air. That almost instantaneous flush of adrenalin, pulsating rush of fear; of terror?
Mia had woken. The sound of all hell breaking loose and the semblance of all she knew was her worst nightmare. She tore out of her bed and raced into her mothers room.
Sandy was holding her in close to her, both of them shaking uncontrollably with fear.
Suddenly Mia was violently sick.
Hearing the shouting the hammering on the door, Terry picked up the baseball bat, moved towards the door. He slid the bolt back and had resolved to confront this b’stard, to teach him a much needed lesson? Hmm what is it they call it, ah yes Dutch courage, helped by a swig of whiskey. The bottom bolt slid back, outside the abuse getting louder.
Suddenly he froze. A voice, a males voice in his ears. "I wouldn't do that if I was you."
“No I would NOT!“ A male and a female’s voice? He turned, froze, his eyes, NOT believing what they were seeing!
In front of him, were two spectral, nothing else could really describe them, apparitions of a male and a female. "I have seen his type before! Nasty beggars, really nasty and this one is violent with it." "Now! Why don't you, go and keep the woman and the bairn, company, whilst we, deal with him!"
They drifted past Terry, who was still unable to move, as the female turned, or so it seemed; to smile at him. "They need you ! Go to them!" The lout, as he was called, by Thomas Lamb, had stopped banging and was now peeing against the door.
Nature it seemed, had demanded he stopped that racket and attended to the current flow of events.
"Ah much better." The wet, running down his leg, as he zipped up and stepped back, well, it could be said, stumbled back. Towards the bird table. "Now woman can I have some Christmas cheer?!" "Thomas Lamb, you may indeed, get into the spirit of the occasion!" "Thank heaven for that!"
Stepping forwards to kick at the door hurling more abuse in the process, what transpired had him shifting back rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Coming through the solid oak door was a whilte mist that formed in front of him. Unmistakeably a ghost, a male?
White? Hmm maybe not quite your perfect wash, white, white; but close. Now two figures, the second one with the outline of a dress and obviously a female.
No it didn’t look like that bitch so he was not too late. "Who the hell are you?!"
"Can I do my Scrooge impression! Please! Rattle some chains and?" "I don't think he will be too worried about that! Or impressed!" The stench of cider, the glassy eyed appearance of Shaun and the way he was barely able to stand? His body rocking back and forth, whilst eyeing up these whatever the hell they were?
He had decided enough was enough, this was just too crazy!
"Get out of here. It's the booze. I know it is! You're not really there." He reached down to pick up the shovel shoving it forwards as it sliced through the figures in front of him now reforming.
The baseball bat that had lain against the wall in the hallway suddenly appeared in the hand of the ghost. What the? Shaun quickly stepped back, feeling a trickling wet sensation down the outside of his leg.
His foot hard down on the tube, carrying the cable to the lights for the bird table, still we should note electricity, of mains voltage cycling through it. The bird table shoved back, tearing the wires from out of the watertight connection point. The sound of fizzing wires, laid bare dropping down to rest in the snow and I should add for extra measure a puddle of water?
Terry had gone to comfort Sandy and Mia. The screams had them drawn to the window. There he was and for a moment they could see the baseball bat beating down on him. It went to a live performance. Oh yes!
The fizz, and Shaun felt the surge of voltage, somewhat amplified, due to the fact that the water content, not just from the snow, but from the pee, along his leg, acted like the best electricity conductor ever. He lit up like a Christmas tree! As the piece of timber, went down again to batter him, the energy surged along it.
Almost instantly, Thomas Lamb, became part of the live entertainment, he too lit up!
A kind of whitish blue color. Seeing, not just him, but the female?!
"There, I told you." Howls Mia. "Ghosts! Knew it! Messing with my mince pie!"
Suddenly there was an almighty almost like lightning, surge of power as Shaun reached down to grab at some metal bar lying on the ground, the idea being to take that and beat off his attacker? He went rigid, his whole body shaking, as he stiffened up his hair started to rise.
I have a feeling Linda Ramone would have been proud of his spectacular new hairstyle! He was stood shaking, his hair spiked, flayed out, like probably the best hair style you could ever have seen re a punk rocker. Not pink, green, or whatever other color it could have been. No. White!
His face contorted twisted ghoulish in itself, from having experienced such a shocking encounter a truly electrifying performance!
The sight, of those two, whatever the hell, they were; in front of him? Boy oh boy, he turned tail and took off. Oh yes indeed, that guy could run! The moment some sense of feeling came back to his wracked body, that was it!
Those hedgerows? He scrambled up the snow, across it, his hands flayed out with him falling, stumbling, cursing, screaming! They could see him in the distance, the apparition of Thomas Lamb, still energized, bluish white, almost skeleton in appearance; on his tail. The screams and howls from Shaun as he yelped. No it was not the baseball bat.
The blunderbuss that had been on the wall had now found its way to Thomas Lamb.
Buckshot slapped into the butt of his prey followed by more screams. On and on until they were no longer in sight?
"Think he's gone?" "Oh yes, he's gone!" They turned to see the female smiling, at them. "Thomas has seen him off. The lout appears not, to be desiring of our good company or entering into the spirit of things!"
"So who are you?" They sat back on the bed. Listened to what she told them.
Minutes later, Thomas Lamb appeared. Confirming that one more boo and a quantity of buckshot had surely done the trick!
Shaun had indeed, gone hell for leather as one might say! To the point that he had reached his car and despite the extra content to his buttocks, had driven his car off at speed, well as fast as he could, sliding it about the road, like it was on skis to reach the main road, where he had some miles later, crashed the car.
TO be arrested, for being drunk in charge of a vehicle and somewhat deranged?
Sargeant Jones had never in his life seen anyone like this guy! Pure white flared hair, looking and sounding like, some demented punk rocker high on LSD! No one, could make any sense from his gibbering! The state mental health facility, was where he would be spending Christmas.
"Well Thomas Lamb! I think you, did one good deed, not for yourself but for the benefit of OTHERS?" Her form began to shimmer. "Thomas!" She hisses at him. "Cmon! Our work is finished! Time to leave these folks. They have what their hearts desire! Just as." She gripped his hand, we will have!"
White, almost bubbles of light and they were gone! The sound of them talking?! Their voices fading away to nothing. "I can finally look forward to a little of what I fancy then." "Thomas Lamb! You'll not be putting me to shame!"
No one said anything, for some minutes. Mia somewhat embarassed at the realisation that she needed to go and take a shower; change. Her response the moment she had heard that B screaming abuse had taken its toll on her. That fear, as had her mothers, was now gone.
Nothing but nothing could leave you anything but laughing at the sight of what had transpired, forever fixed in your mind. There is, Mia muttered softly to herself, justice after all.
"No good, I need a drink!" “I’ll race you to the glasses.” Sat in the kitchen Mia was fishing out her marshmallows. A whiskey being sipped by both of them. "See I told you there was ghosts! My mince pie." Sandy interrupted her.
"The cream all over.." Mia scowled! "Yes Mama. Thank you for remembering that!" Laughing, as Mia shook her head, picked up her mug, took it over to the sink. Placing it into the sink and after giving each of them, a kiss. Left them! Yawning? Muttering as she glanced back at them, grinning. “I’m not the only one, that should be in bed.“
Making some excuse, that she had to go check on Mia, Sandy left him, reminding him to rebolt the door, something he had forgotten to do! It would be some minutes later, that he headed upstairs. Peering into the bathroom, to see it empty. He cleaned his teeth and headed over to his room. He was tired, dammit was he ever!
He was so tired, that when he got back to his room, he had not bothered to turn the light on. Stripped, he slipped in beneath the covers. "About time, what took you so long?"
More laughter? Mia shifted, looked toward the flashing nose reindeer. “You can tell Santa thank you, I have all I need for Christmas.
Day 25 can be found here
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