Chapter 17

 

WOMEN AGAINST CORRUPTION IN SPORT

 

Women against Corruption in Sport was a group that was set up by Georgia Thompson and Sandra Thomas just before the UN-timely death of James Radford after his double crossing of the Syndicate, run be notorious Boss, a very shady character who run betting scams all over the world from Tokyo to New York, from Sydney to London, any sport he could get into he would Football, Cricket, Netball, Basketball, you name it he was a part of it.

 

The women against Corruption in Sport group had four members at the start Sandra Thomas and local property Developers Wife, Georgia Thompson who was a renowned local cricket coach, Hayley Hughes who owned a café of the sea front named The Seaside café, she was six foot tall, brown eyes and brown hair and a muscular body to boot and Meredith Torrington who was a single mother at sixteen and a millionaire by the time she was twenty four after investing in the stock market with savings she had accumulated from doing bar and cleaning work to look after her Son, Meredith was five foot ten inches blue eyes, blonde hair and model looks was very slim, also in this group but very rarely mentioned, a woman by the name of Cresandra Drake, she was the person who would give the group information on the bets that were being laid and what sport they were being laid on.

 

What the groups aim was to try and find the sports people that the Syndicate had with in their power and try and get them out of the clutches of The boss, at times they found this extremely difficult, but other times they were very successful as was the case with James Radford, who because of their intervention lost his life or so everyone believes, The Syndicate, The Boss and Chelsea the mother of his child, but these four and Cresandra knew the real truth behind the story and how James Radford became to be James Radford deceased.

 

Not long after The Boss had given Ten Thousand pounds to James Radford to play badly in the Wanderers upcoming game, Sandra Thomas and Georgia Thompson got wind of it and set James Radford up with the help of Hayley Hughes and Meredith Torrington, Hayley’s brother Rupert a very promising Archer had been bought by the boss and had taken the deep dark road down the drugs rout, Taking Cocaine, Heroin and Marijuana, this led him to try to take his own life and thus end up severally brain damaged and having to be taken care of for the rest of his life, Meredith was a promising netball player before she was approached by a member of The Syndicate and when she refused to take their brides she was beaten with in a hairs breadth of her life and had both her ankles broken with a sledge hammer and both her knee were smashed up as well, she was left barely able to walk without the help of walking sticks and struggling to bring up her son how she wanted to, but a chance meeting for these two with Sandra and Georgia gave them hope.

 

When Sandra Thomas and Georgia Thompson set up the meeting with James Radford they had no idea what they were going to say or do, then when they were over heard talking in the café owned by Hayley, by Hayley and Meredith who were very close friends, with Hayley being Meredith’s son’s godmother.

 

 

“Sorry for interrupting madam, Sandra isn’t it, I have been listening to your conversation and I have also been involved with this guy Called The Boss, my brother is in the state he is in today because of him, he was so ashamed of taking money to perform badly that he got involved with drugs and ended up trying to take his own life and is now brain damaged” Said Hayley Hughes with a deep dark look in her eyes

 

“Yes I remember that story was in the papers how is your brother is doing these days, Hayley” replied Sandra Thomas looking up at Hayley.

 

“Yes I remember he was that promising archer who went done hill after he performed badly in the nationals” Replied Georgia Thompson also looking up at Hayley Hughes.

 

“Well Mrs. Thomas he is do grand at the moment, he has his own place up in the hills and is starting to respond to a few things, he will never be the same person again but, he is still my brother and family and I love him deeply” replied Hayley Hughes to the question just asked of her.

 

“Excuse me may I interrupt to, Hi I am Meredith Torrington, I was listening in too, this guy’s The Boss he was the one who left me in this state, or should I say his heavies did, They gave me a beating never to forget and I am on these sticks because of them, They used a sledge hammer on both my ankles and both my knees, I was in such a state I asked them to kill me, but the cheeky bastards, told me to stop moaning and start crawling and I ended up pulling myself along with both my arms in pain I cannot describe” replied Meredith Torrington with tears trickling down her face.

 

“Pull up a chair girls we could do with some help and maybe who knows we could bring this Syndicate down” replied Sandra Thomas looking up at them both.

 

“Ok let me go and put the blinds down and lock the door so we are not disturbed and we will get down to business” Replied Hayley Hughes.

 

And thus the group Women against Corruption in Sport was born and the pan to get James Radford to meet was now in tow and they set about how they were all going to get involved.

 

“This James Radford guy who is he, I know like who he is by sight as I have seen him around town, the tall dark handsome, drop dead gorgeous bloke with the long black hair, isn’t he seeing your daughter Georgia” Meredith Torrington asked looking at Georgia.

 

“Yes he is and he will be the father of my first grandchild, but I have had it from good authority he has taken Ten Thousand Pounds to play bad for The Wanderers” Georgia replied looking over at both Meredith and Hayley.

 

“Yes well who is your source on that” asked Hayley Hughes

 

“Cresandra Drake” replied Sandra Thomas

 

“That whore, can you believe a word she says, she will sleep with anything given the chance, she even tried it on with me” replied Meredith Torrington.

 

There were open mouths and a look of astonishment on the faces of Hayley Hughes, Sandra Thomas and Georgia Thompson as they all looked at Meredith Torrington at what they had just heard.

 

“Did she really” replied Sandra Thomas

 

“You look surprised” replied Meredith Torrington

 

“No not really my dear, we know Cresandra very well and we also know she is bi-sexual, so not surprised at all Meredith” Replied Sandra Thomas.

 

“Well, that’s enough of Cresandra bloody Drake” Replied Georgia Thompson.

 

“Ok now girls what we need to do is set a time and day to bring James here if that is OK with you Hayley, it is central and we can get easy access” Georgia Thompson said.

 

“I have no problem with that as long as we get an end result” replied Hayley Hughes.

 

“So then girls the plan is this, we will bring James here, sit him down and explain what we are all about and we know about what he is supposed to do, we will also try and get him on our side and then see if we can double cross The Syndicate and The Boss” Replied Georgia Thompson.

 

“But what is the plan to get him here” asked Meredith Torrington looking at Georgia as she did so.

 

“Well I will tell him, I would like to meet up about Chelsea and the baby, that way he will not get suspicious and is more than likely to turn up, then when he is here we will ambush him and sit him down and take it from there” replied Georgia Thompson

 

“Right then Georgia, let’s get the ball rolling and put the plan in place and the first step is to arrange the meeting here say Friday night” replied Sandra Thomas.

 

“Well how are we going to do that at such short notice he is out of town at the moment and not due back until Saturday” replied Georgia to what Sandra had just said

 

“Well phone him tonight and tell him you need him to be home Friday as you need to speak to him face to face about Chelsea and the baby and it can’t wait until Saturday” replied Hayley Hughes.

 

“Ok will do it know” replied Georgia

 

With that Georgia picked up her mobile phone and rang James Radford.

 

“Hello James” Georgia asked

 

“Hello Georgia what can I do for you” a deep husky voice at the other end replied it was the voice of James Radford.

 

“Yes James, I really need to meet you it is about Chelsea and the Baby, before you think anything bad, they are both OK, just need to talk to you about a few things  that have cropped up” replied Georgia

 

“Well Georgia love, I am home on Saturday we can talk then” James Radford replied

 

“No James it must be Friday night as, I am away for the weekend and I don’t really want Chelsea or Reginald know we have met up and talked, it is something I want to do for both of them and just want to run it by you and get your take on it” replied Georgia

 

“Well if it is that urgent I am sure I can make it on Friday, what time and where I assume you don’t want to meet anywhere near your home or at your home” James replied

 

“You assume right young man, how does The Seaside Café at Seven O’clock in the evening, I’ll get the coffee’s in” Georgia replied chuckling as she did so.

 

“No problem my dear will meet you there and take care, until Friday, see you” James Radford replied.

 

“Bye” replied Georgia and the line went dead

 

Georgia looked to the other girls on the table and said “There we are Friday at Seven it is, he will be here so now we have to formulate a plan to get him to join us and be on our side”

 

“Yes we must, but we must also be careful as to not let on to The Syndicate or The Boss or James’s life and that of Chelsea and their unborn child will be at danger and we cannot risk that can we” Georgia also said to her fellow group members.

 

“I can have a chat with my cousin for you, she is a Nurse at the hospital and her husband is a cancer doctor and we could put in place a plan, so if The syndicate or The Boss catch on, we have a backup plan, that James has say a brain tumor and only has days to live, this way should The Syndicate or The Boss get wind of James double crossing them, we can fake his death and send him abroad until the time is right to bring him back here, when we decide the time is right to bring The Syndicate and The Boss down” Hayley Hughes replied

 

“That my girl sounds a great back up plan, it will take the attention from Chelsea and the baby and if James does come in with us, he will know that is Chelsea and the baby’s interests at heart and keeping them out of danger” Sandra replied.

 

“But how are we going to get James out of the Country assuming this plan comes off?” asked Hayley Hughes.

 

“Well that is where I come in I think Hayley my dear, my mother is having an affair with an owner of a Travel agency and if I ask her nicely she could arrange for us to use his private plan and have James out of the country within an hour of asking, to any destination we desire” Meredith Torrington replied

 

At the table the girl’s looked up at Meredith opened mouthed for the second time in the night at what she had said.

 

“Your mother is having an affair, kept that quite didn’t she” asked Sandra Thomas.

 

“Sandra let’s just leave it there and move on, all you need to know is that if needed, she will get the job done and pull a few strings so to speak” replied Meredith

 

“A few strings I bet she will, a few what strings” replied Hayley Hughes and the whole table burst out laughing at what had just been said by Hayley Hughes.

 

“Now, Now girls we have had our laugh let’s get down to the serious stuff, Meredith that idea is great and Hayley if you could have a chat with your cousin and her husband, then we can start to put things in place, as we have only got three days to do so, not much time I know” replied Georgia Thompson.

 

Hayley Hughes got in touch with her cousin Samantha Kean who was a Staff Nurse at the local Hospital and put plan’s in place should the worst happen with James Radford and they would have to fake his death, Samantha’s husband was Doctor Jason Kean a well renown, Doctor of cancers, was an expert on Brain Cancer’s.

 

“Right then girls just got off the phone to my cousin Samantha Kean and she has put this plan in place with the cooperation of her husband Doctor Jason Kean, they have got some files and x-rays ready should we need them for James, he will have an inoperable Brain Tumor” Hayley Hughes said to the rest of the group.

 

“Yes good but how are we going to explain it to Chelsea and the rest of the family should we have to use the plan” asked Georgia Thompson.

 

“Well that is sorted as well, Samantha and Jason will heavily sedate James, with his co-operation, so it will look as if he is at deaths door and/or dead, that way there will be no suspicion aroused by anyone, then we can easily remove him via the back door to Jason’s awaiting car that can then take us to the airport and to the private jet we would have waiting to fly him to South Africa and to safety until such a time we would need his help, Meredith’s mother’s lover has also got a job lined up for James as well ” Hayley Hughes replied

 

“Bloody hell you two have been busy haven’t you” replied Sandra Thomas.

 

“Yes they have Sandra and they have got the timing down to a tee as well” replied Georgia Thompson.

 

So the plans were taking shape the following Friday night’s, meeting with James Radford and the Women against Corruption in Sport.

 

“Right then Girls as we have got things in place let’s make an oath of allegiance to the Women against Corruption in Sport group, we will never breath a word of this meeting to anyone, not even our closest family and friends” replied Georgia Thompson.

 

“I agree” replied Hayley Hughes.

 

“I agree” replied Meredith Torrington.

 

“I agree” replied Sandra Thomas.

 

After agreeing to the oath, Sandra Thomas and Georgia Thompson left the Café and made their ways home, Meredith Torrington and Hayley Hughes stayed behind in the café to clean up and make sure that no trace of the meeting was left behind for anyone to find.

 

The Friday of the meeting had come and there was an air of trepidation around the group as the nerve s had kicked in at what was going to be and what they did not know would be the beginning of a long journey ahead a journey that would take some years to come to an end and would affect many, many lives and a few deaths to boot.

 

Hayley Hughes had the Café set up ready and had also been on the phone to her cousin to make sure that everything was in place for the night ahead, the plan had changed The Group were not now going to give James the chance to stop what he was going to do, they were going to fake his death as somehow their plan had come out and they had to revert to plan be as they feared they would have to so, the word was put out there that James Radford had an in operable brain tumor and had a few days to live, it was a risk as the news could get to James but the group had only put the word out there at the last minute just before James was to turn up for the meeting.

 

“Right then girls, you know the plan now, we are going to tell James he has no option but to do as we say, as Chelsea and the baby are at risk of harm , he needs to go along with our plan and fake his death, not only to keep Chelsea and the baby safe, but for his own safety as well, the x-rays and files were in place and were all in the name of James Radford” Georgia Thompson said to the group.

 

“Yes Georgia and the car will be ready at the rear of the hospital for after Chelsea has said good bye, we also have a dummy ready to replace James at the Mortuary” Hayley Hughes replied

 

“Mum will be ready at eleven o’clock, with the plan ready” replied Meredith Torrington.

 

So as they all waited at the café the tension could be cut with a knife as the time came nearer for the arrival of James Radford and the plan that would take many, many years to come to fruition.

 

James Radford turned up on time and he walked in to the café to be met by Sandra Thomas and Georgia Thompson, he walked over to Georgia and gave he a kiss on the cheek and said “evening Georgia what is so important it could not wait and I see you have got some friends with you, smells like an ambush to me or am I being too cynical” as a laugh rang out.

 

“Evening James, may I introduce you to the rest here Sandra is the lovely lady sat over there, Hayley is the one behind the counter who owns this place and Meredith is over there, this is a serious meeting , now please sit ” Georgia Thompson replied

 

James was pointed to a table that had Sandra Thomas and Meredith Torrington sat.

 

“So then ladies please do tell me why I am here and being ambushed by a group of lushes ladies” James Radford asked.

 

“Right then James my young man you have been a very naughty boy now haven’t we” Georgia Thompson replied.

 

“You what, what the hell are you on about?” asked James Radford replied.

 

“James you know very well what we are on about, the money you took from The Syndicate and the Boss, The Ten Thousand pounds” replied Georgia Thompson.

 

Before James Radford had a chance to answer the telephone went in the café, Hayley Hughes answered it and had a very worried look on her face when she came off the phone and walked over to the table, where the conversation was going on with James Radford and whispered into Georgia’s ear.

 

“Right James there are no if’s or but’s now, you are going with Sandra there and we will explain when we get to the hospital, it is for your own good and for that of your unborn child and for Chelsea, just go with Sandra NOW” Georgia Thompson said looking straight at James Radford.

 

“But?”  Replied James Radford.

 

 

“I SAID BUT NOTHING NOW GO PLEASE, I WILL EXPLAIN LATER, GO” Georgia Thompson shouted at James Radford and pointed at the back door of the café.

 

With that James Radford got up out of his chair very bemused and walked quickly with Sandra Thomas to the back door and here awaiting car, to be taken to the hospital.

 

As James Radford had left, Georgia looked at Hayley and Meredith and said “There will be some of The Boss’s heavies coming soon, they have found out about this meeting, that was Cresandra on the phone, so I will follow Sandra to the hospital and meet you there later and will explain then what is happening, we are now on to plan B, so see you two later, Hayley can you  phone your cousin and tell her we are on our way” Georgia turned around and also left through the back door and followed Sandra to the hospital.

 

Two minutes after Sandra and Georgia had left two mean looking guys in leather jackets turned up at the café and burst in through the door.

 

“Can I help you boys” asked Hayley Hughes of the two guys.

 

They looked at Hayley with a deep dark stare and replied “MMM no sorry been given the wrong address” they turned around and left as quickly as they had come in.

 

Hayley Hughes and Meredith Torrington locked the café up and walked to Hayley’s house as they were being watched by the two heavies that had turned up at the café were following them, They got to Hayley’s house and went to the back door of the house and walked down the lane and got into Meredith’s car and drove to the hospital to meet up with Sandra and Georgia.

 

As Hayley Hughes and Meredith Torrington arrived at the hospital they were greeted by Sandra Thomas at the entrance to the hospital and was told what plan be would be.

 

“hi Girls, sorry for the quick exit but we had to put plan B into effect, James Has now been put on a strong sedative so we can make it look as if he is dying from a brain tumor, he will be able to talk but not talk too much, Chelsea is on her way to see him, we have told him why we are doing this and he is going along with it” Sandra Thomas explained to Hayley Hughes and Meredith Torrington.

 

“OK I will put mum on standby” replied Meredith Torrington.

 

“No need Meredith she is already here ready and waiting” replied Sandra Thomas.

 

“Right girls Chelsea is here there she is over there with her father, she is on her way in, our part is done for now the rest is up to Georgia now let’s go home and meet tomorrow at eleven at the café” Sandra Thomas replied to Meredith Torrington and Hayley Hughes as they left the hospital to make their ways home and leave the rest of the plan to Georgia Thompson. 

 

As Chelsea walked into the Hospital she was greeted by her mother Georgia.

 

“Mum what is wrong with my love” asked Chelsea

 

“Chelsea my love he is gravely ill and has not got long left to live, he has been here since Monday he has an inoperable brain tumor which is now draining the life out of him, to be honest my love he has only a few hours left to live all they can do for him now is keep him comfortable” Georgia replied to her daughter.

 

All Chelsea could do was sob on her father’s shoulder saying “why James and why me he is such a handsome and wonderful man”

 

Reginald replied “Chelsea my Love you need to be strong now, for James and for the baby” as he pointed to the bump Chelsea was carrying in her stomach, he then proceeded to wipe the tears from his daughters eyes.

 

Chelsea looked at her mother with glazed eyes and asked “Can please see him and spend time with him however long he has left, I just want to be close to him and hold him close”  as another tear started to trickle down here cheek.

 

“Yes Love I’ll take you to him now” Georgia replied as she took Chelsea by the hand a lead her to the room that James was in.

 

Chelsea walked into the room alone and stood a stared at James laying in his bed, drip in one arm and monitors beeping, he looked so peaceful, his jet black hair just the same as it had always been and his lips so sweet, he then opened his eye’s Chelsea looked deep into his wonderful blue eyes and walked over to the bed.

 

James looked up at Chelsea with his piercing blue eyes, these being the eyes and charming good looks that had attracted her to him and he said “ Hi there honey, how is the bump” with a beaming smile on his face.

 

“Well my prince, I am not too bad and the bump, well that is getting bigger by the day, why did you not tell me about your tumor James” Chelsea replied as the tears streamed down her face.

 

James looked up at her and replied as he wiped away a tear “because I love you will all my heart and the bump there is me, a living part of me and it is better this way, you will thank me for it in the years to come, just promise me this you will give our child the upbringing and life they deserve and that you will never let them for get me” there was a grimace of pain on his face as he said this to Chelsea.

 

Chelsea did not reply she just looked James in the eye and nodded her head and sat and held his hand and started to run her hand through his hair and leaned forward and kissed him on his forehead, his monitor then started to produce a long load bleep and a flat line started to show on the monitor.

 

Chelsea stood there stunned as the medical staff tried in vain to save James’s life, but it was too late the brain tumor had taken its toll on James and he had passed away.

 

All Chelsea could do was scream “WHY, WHY, WHY” as she was held by her mother and cried, uncontrollably on her shoulder, Reginald, Chelsea’s father came and took her to get a cup of tea as the staff sorted James out and laid him in peace for Chelsea to say her goodbyes.

 

But unbeknown to Reginald and Chelsea, James was still alive and this had all been a set up to get him out of the clutches of The Boss and out of the country, the monitors had been set up to flat line at a certain time and James had been heavily sedated with very strong sleeping tablets to make the whole thing real and once Georgia, Reginald and Chelsea had gone, James would be taken via the back door and whisked off to the awaiting private jet and taken to South Africa, where he would lay low until the time was right for him to return, his good friend Oliver Kennedy would be the go between, between  himself and Georgia over the years and keep him up to date with everything that was happening with his unborn child, who would grow up to be Clinton.

 

As Reginald, Georgia and Chelsea, left the hospital, Doctor Jason Kean and his wife Samantha Kean, got James ready, to leave the hospital in a wheelchair, to an awaiting car, Samantha would travel with James to South Africa, to make sure he is ok, as they got James into the car, they were whisked away to the awaiting jet at the private airfield.

 

They were met at the airport by Hayley’s mother’s lover Harry Harlow, who would accompany James and Samantha to South Africa where they would meet up with Oliver Kennedy who would take things from there and make sure James’s identity would not be revealed.

 

As they landed in South Africa, they were met by Oliver Kennedy, who took is longtime friend to a hideaway until the time is right for him to emerge again and put the plan that The Women against corruption would put into place, but he would also put the life of his own son at risk to, as it would involve him, but James was not worried about this a this moment in time he just wanted to get on with his life.

 

It was some eighteen years later when James received a telephone call that would change the course of his life and that of his son Clinton.

 

“Jams this is Haley here, got some bad news for you” a voice said on the other end of the phone.

 

“Yes Hayley, I know about Georgia, Oliver received a call an hour or so ago from Chelsea and I have been expecting your call, I guess it is time for me to repay that favor I owe the four of you” Replied James Radford.

 

“It sure is James, we really now need to bring this man down, Georgia was the only person who knew his real identity and it was written in a letter she left to Clinton, you now need to come out of hiding James and take control of this whole situation and bring The Syndicate down once and for all” replied Hayley Hughes.

 

“I hear you there Hayley but what about Clinton won’t this be too much for him, his grandmother is dead and his father suddenly appears from the dead, it is a lot for the young man to take in and also recently becoming a father to twins” replied James Radford

 

“Listen James he is stronger than you think, he has your bravery and your courage and he has the heart of gold, do this and it will be a shock to start with but he will understand in the long term” replied Hayley Hughes

 

“Ok Hayley what do you want me to do?” replied James

 

“Clinton will be at Georgia’s house tomorrow at twelve noon, you need to meet him there and explain everything, I will make sure Chelsea is there as well, to take some sting out of the shock to his system” replied Hayley Hughes to James Radford’s question.

 

James Radford then replied “OK” before ending the call…

 

The following day while Clinton and his mother were sorting out, Georgia’s belongings there was a knock at the front door.

 

“I’ll get it Clinton” shouted Chelsea

 

“OK mum” replied Clinton

 

Chelsea opened the door to be greeted by the man she thought had died years ago and until recently believed he had, she lead up to his lips and kissed him gently on them.

 

“Hello my handsome prince” said Chelsea

 

“It has been to long my darling Chelsea, the one beautiful petal from a rose” James Radford replied.

 

Chelsea looked into his eyes and a tear ran down her cheek, as she knew this was the man she really wanted to be with and because of circumstances’ beyond her control she was unable to, but now the chance had come for them to bring the man who had made everything so impossible down, The Boss, but first they both had to face Clinton, which was not going to be an easy job.

 

Chelsea walked into the living room and Clinton turned to her and said “Mum who was at the door”

 

With a tear in her eye and a look of shear fright in her face, she looked at Clinton and said “Clinton my son I think you had better sit down as this will be a shock to you”

 

“What can be so bad mother” replied Clinton

 

As he did so this strapping handsome man came in from the hall way, Clinton’s eyes became wider and a sparkle shone in them when he realized who this man was, he gasped and muttered “Dad but it can’t be your supposed to be dead aren’t you” as he looked at his mother Chelsea.

“Yes Clinton it is I your father James Radford and It is a long story, which I will tell you in due course but, the letter and envelope you are looking for is over there in the drinks cabinet, third drawdown” replied James Radford

 

The three of them made their way to the drinks cabinet and opened the third drawdown and a brown A four envelope was there, Clinton took the envelope from the draw slowly and the three of them took the envelope to the table in the corner, Clinton preceded to open it and the following letter was found :-

 

Dear Clinton

 

If you are reading this letter then I am no longer of this earth and my day of reckoning has finally come to fruition.

 

I want you to embrace your father James Radford, who I had to for the safety of yourself and that of your dearest mother send away and I hope you can forgive me for that.

 

In the envelope with this letter are the names on The Syndicate and more importantly The Boss.

 

When the three of you read it you will recognize the name of The Boss, it important that you keep it to yourselves and do not at any time go to the police.

 

What you are to do is arrange a met with The Boss and James you are to sort out from Oliver some listening device for the conversation between Clinton and The Boss is recorded.

 

Chelsea my dearest, you are to go and stay with Isabella and the twins.

 

You may now open the letter and remember no police as all of your lives will be at risk

 

Love you all

 

Georgia.

 

XXXXXXXXXX

 

With that Clinton opened the envelope his grandmother had left with the letter and when he opened it there was one name that stood out the name of the boss, when he showed the name to Chelsea and James the looks of shock and gasps of the voice said it all.

 

All three of them said at the same time “never ever realized it was him”

 

Clinton looked to his mother and father and said “I will bring him down, for Nan”

 

Chelsea and James just looked at Clinton with wide eyes and just looked at him and nodded….