Armitage

Chapter 4 - Revenge on the Mind

Chris Jameson, Madeline’s thirty year-old brother, was behind the wheel of his car, driving at high speed towards the familiar streets of Armitage. He gripped the steering wheel as he stared out into the night, his gaze wavering only to check his rear and side view mirrors. He would have been driving a lot faster, but he did not want a run in with the police, not when his sister needed him.

He shifted gear and turned off the highway, the never-ending line of lampposts now replaced by trees and rooftops. The arrival of suburban streets indicated that he was back in Armitage, and it would not be long before he was at the hospital. He silently prayed that Madeline was all right. He also vowed revenge on whoever had hurt his baby sister. Although Madeline herself was less than thrilled that her brother was on his way.

‘Why did you guys have to go and call him?’ she whined to Ben and Abby from her hospital bed.

‘Maddie, he’s your brother,’ said Abby. ‘And besides, he was the closest.’

‘But you know what he’s like,’ said Madeline. ‘He’ll come in here, guns blazing, promising to tear this town apart until he finds the guy. I just don’t need that right now.’

‘We’re sorry,’ said Ben. ‘You’re right; we should have asked first.’

‘It’s okay,’ said Madeline, calming down somewhat. ‘It’s not your fault, and I guess it will be nice to see Chris again, as long as he keeps his cool.’ Chris Jameson was legendarily hot headed and impetuous, and this had got him into trouble throughout his life. Like Madeline, he had once been a student at Armitage University, receiving a Masters Degree in Structural Engineering. It had been expected that he would settle into a successful career once he gained his degree, but Chris hardly ever did what was expected of him. Instead, he had spent the last several years since leaving university moving from job to job, never seeming to be satisfied and always looking to the horizon.

The jobs that Chris found himself in were always good ones; his qualifications and experience saw to it that he was never short of employment, but for one reason or another he never seemed to stay in one place for very long. He seemed to have a laundry list of reasons why his jobs never went anywhere, from disagreements with the management to simply stating that he was bored. He was currently working as a chef in a top restaurant, but he had called to tell them he would not be in for the next few days, and if they didn’t like it then he didn’t care.

He pulled into the hospital grounds and parked outside the main doors. Walking straight up to the Reception desk he did not even bother to wait for the woman to notice him.

‘I’m here to see Madeline Jameson,’ he said abruptly. ‘She was brought in earlier tonight.’ The woman stopped what she was doing and looked up at Chris over her glasses.

‘And your name is?’ she asked.

‘Chris Jameson, I’m her brother.’

‘Well Mister Jameson, if you’d like to take a seat I’ll find out where she is for you.’

‘No thanks,’ replied Chris. ‘I’ll stand.’ The woman picked up a nearby phone and dialled an extension number. She talked briefly into the telephone before turning her attention back to Chris.

‘Miss Jameson’s in Curtain Area Two,’ she said politely. ‘She’s ready to go home if you want to take her.’

‘Thanks,’ said Chris, instantly making his way down the corridor. After a few wrong turns he finally found Curtain Area Two and burst in on Madeline, Ben and Abby, making them all jump.

‘Maddie, are you okay? Who did this?’ he said immediately.

‘Hi Chris,’ said Madeline, still reeling from his sudden entrance.