Sandra came in on approach and sat the Dakota down on the runway. There was a screech as the tyre touched the tarmac, and then there was a lurch and another, terrifying, screech as that leg collapsed and the propeller struck the tarmac, scattering chippings and debris everywhere. Lee and Sandra were flung forward, Sandra hitting her head and cutting her forehead. Blood from the gash poured down the side of her face as the plane skidded to a halt and settled sideways, halfway down the runway.
Robert saw the whole thing and put his Dakota down on the remainder of the runway, pulling up right at the end. He spun the plane round and taxied fast back to Sandra’s plane, then he shut down the engines and ordered everyone out. Clive threw open the cargo door and ran across to Sandra. Lee was as quick as Clive in getting his cargo door open and started evacuating the children.
“Where’s Sandra? Is she okay?” Clive yelled through the open hatch to Lee.
Sandra walked down the aisle with a tot in each arm. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” but she was covered in blood from the gash on her forehead. A crowd had gathered and there were people everywhere, pulling the kids to safety. Robert pulled out all his passengers then pushed his way through the crowd with Tanya, trying to get to Sandra.
Sandra sat down on the floor of the plane. There were flashes everywhere from photographers. She felt stifled and could hear Robert and Tanya calling her, but then everything went black and she passed out. Robert got to her, picked her up in his arms and looked for an ambulance.
“OUT OF THE WAY!” Lee, Clive, and Tanya all roared, trying to get through the crowd with the wounded Sandra.
Sandra was taken off to hospital with Robert and Tanya, whilst Lee went with Clive and Katherine back to the house. Katherine had recorded the news interview with Dick so they could all see that and a few other bits about their adventure and what everyone was saying about it. Lee rang Gran to let her know they were back and that Grandad’s body had been brought home safely.
Whilst he was waiting in the Hospital, Robert phoned his solicitor to make sure he was dealing with all the legal stuff.
“Will you get into much trouble?” Tanya asked.
“Quite a bit. Neither Sandra nor Lee have licences for the planes they were flying; the amount of rules we have broken with the CAA, damage costs, solicitor’s fees... I will probably have to move back in with my mum,” he joked.
Tanya went quiet and Robert sensed there was something wrong. She began to apologise and said she would try to find somewhere to live and get a job, so that she wasn’t a burden on him and his family.
“I don’t think so. Am I the only person who can’t explain some of the events that have happened recently?” He grabbed Tanya and kissed her; as he finished, she caught his bottom lip in her teeth.
“There, that’s exactly what I mean. Cristina would do that all the time. The chocolate thing’s another, then there’s the birth mark on your breast… oh, and the ghost stuff with that soldier, and then the perfume; then there are other things that have happened, weird things.”
“Like dreaming I was in a shower with you?”
“You experienced that? But I was in the shower…! Well I am sorry, I am feeling things I thought I had lost forever, love being one of them, and I am not letting you go anywhere.”
Tanya smiled and kissed him, and then pulling away she said, “So I am home then, Bobby?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly Sandra appeared, catching the two in a clinch.
“Crikey, you two! Get a room, will you.” Smiling at Tanya she added, “Preferably his room in our house!”
“I take it you are fit and well enough to be taken home then?” Robert asked, hugging her.
“Yep. Come on, because I need a shower.”
They hailed a cab and Robert called Lee to tell him they were on their way home.
“Just wait till you see our house, it’s amazing,” Sandra was telling Tanya, “And Dad built it himself.”
As they entered the drive there were loads of press there waiting for them. Robert was about to say he would issue a press release the next day when he saw his e-mail address written down the side of his Bentley!
“Anyone wanting more information should… e-mail me, and I will issue a press release tomorrow morning.”
Tanya was overwhelmed by the house. Robert showed her round, stopping at his room.
“Your room is next door.”
“I would prefer this one with you.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” said Robert, with a big smile on his face.
Tanya walked around the room, then into the bathroom. “This is it! This is the shower I dreamed I was in with you. How can that be?”
“Who knows? But here you are again, in my shower!”
They started to undress each other, then Robert walked back into the bedroom and locked the door. Re-entering the bathroom, he started the shower running, there was no shyness between the two it was as if they were already familiar with one another’s bodies. Slowly the two washed one another, Tanya was enjoying the heat of the wet room shower, it had been awhile since she had been able to have a good wash and relax, and when she did manage to have a bath like when she was with Sandra, she had always had to be on guard. She had longed to be able to loose that body hair, it had grown long and wild so unattractive. Now Robert was taking such pleasure in shaving her, until once again she was smooth and slick. Slowly they mapped one another’s bodies with their lips tongue and fingers.
Circle of Love is a thrilling modern day romantic adult adventure story set in the world of aviation and opens with Sandra, the heroine, celebrating her eighteenth birthday with her twin brother Lee. Sandra is devoted to her father, Robert, who has been a widower for twelve years, and she is also very close to Lee and her adoring grandparents, Molly and Albert. The family throw a surprise party for the twins, who are also celebrating the fact that they are about to get their Private Pilots’ Licences. Cristina, their mother, died from cancer when they were only six, but she had planned this day with Robert and there are some deeply emotional moments when the twins open their special presents chosen, prepared and wrapped by their mother, each with a personal letter.
Much of the action takes place at Five Pits Farm, the home of Albert and Molly, where huge barns have been converted into aircraft hangars and the farmland is one big airstrip, cattle and crops being replaced by every aircraft spare imaginable. Albert is a wealthy businessman and what he doesn’t know about aircraft is not worth knowing; Robert followed his father’s example, but made his fortune from property development, flying being his hobby.
Katherine and her brother Clive live at the farm nearby and often go for evenings out with Sandra and. Kaff, as she is known and Lee have always been close and though neither has admitted it, they are in love. Kaff is going through a very withdrawn, moody period and no-one seems to know what the trouble is. Sandra knows how they feel about each other and one evening plays cupid, practically throwing them together. Lee asks her to marry him and Kaff instantly accepts. She is over the moon but worries that Lee’s family may think she is too young for marriage. However, Robert points out that she is the same age that Cristina was when he married her and she is welcomed by all of them, especially Sandra who is overjoyed to be gaining a ‘sister’.
The whole family, though wealthy, are down to earth, caring people, and when a twelve-year-old tearaway, Ross, trespasses onto Albert’s land and tries his hand at driving Betsy, the old military tank, causing a serious accident and a lot of damage to Robert’s plane, they decide to give him another chance, realising that it is care and understanding that the boy needs, rather than punishment. As the story evolves, it is discovered that the boy’s brother, Jason has been responsible for causing extreme distress to Katherine. When Jason and his loutish mates try to bully Kaff and Sandra at a night club, they very quickly learn that Sandra, with her black belt in martial arts, is a force to be reckoned with and they are soon brought under control with the assistance of Peter, a young man who comes to Sandra’s aid and who is to play a vital role in her life in later chapters.
Kaff then tearfully reveals that, after getting drunk one night, she was attacked by Jason and his mates and has even undergone a secret abortion. The abuse is continuing because she is too frightened to tell the police or anyone else, as the thugs have videos of the incidents, which they are now using to blackmail her. This is the reason for her unhappiness; she is at the end of her tether and contemplating suicide. When Lee hears her story he is overwhelmed with love and compassion for her. Her brother Clive takes it badly and lashes out angrily, saying that he has failed his sister.
Sandra talks to him and helps him to understand the situation. They have always been friends, but now, with love and marriage in the air, they begin thinking of romance. However, Sandra is fond of him, but has no desire to settle down with Clive and ‘produce livestock’ as she puts it and although she enters into a relationship with him, she has no intention of letting things become serious. Clive’s parents realise this and when they try to warn him, he becomes jealously aggressive. Little does either of them know at this stage that Clive will become bitter and eventually turn against Sandra, almost taking her life.
Ross, or ‘Tubby’ as he is affectionately known, is given another chance and Albert sets him to work on the farm, to pay for some of the damage he caused with the tank. It soon becomes clear that Ross is intent on making up for all his past mistakes and he works hard, wanting to show the family and especially his mother that he really means it. He sees Sandra as his heroine and Albert, or ‘Gramps’ as he calls him, becomes his best friend and mentor and greatly influences his reformed way of life. Sharon, his mum, also becomes like one of the family. On his twelfth birthday, Gran bakes him a special birthday cake, and a surprise party is arranged. His mum gives him a mobile phone, he has a savings account opened in his name and, because Lee accidentally drove into his bike, he gets a brand new mountain bike in place of the wrecked one.
Trouble arrives at the end of his party, in the shape of big brother Jason and his mates. They soon disrupt the proceedings. Jason demands money from his mother and then violently attacks her and there is general chaos until Sandra takes over. With her quick thinking and martial arts expertise she soon has the whole gang of them whimpering, ready for the police to deal with. This time the charges are serious enough to ensure that they are locked away for a long time.
Life then settles down happily for a while. Ross continues to work on the farm and in his spare time is delighted to go flying with Albert, sometimes taking over the controls. Lee and Kaff seal their engagement by buying the ring and Sandra lives her life to the full, teasing Clive whenever she can, and enjoying her freedom to fly now that her licence is finally through.
When it is time for Ross to return to school after the long holidays, he is determined to work hard and show that he is a reformed character. Up until this term he has always treated school with contempt, taking no interest in lessons, never doing his homework and sometimes not bothering to turn up at all. He invests some of his birthday money in private maths tuition and a proper school uniform, and even buys himself a proper school bag with pens and stationery. At first, he is treated as the old Ross, the girls ignoring him and the boys as usual sneering, and bullying him. It is not long before the teachers realise that he really is serious about working hard, and with Sandra teaching him martial arts, he soon sees off the bullies and catches the eye of more than one girl. He has come a long way in just a few weeks, and life is good.
Grandad has an important business trip coming up taking in Dijon, Munich and Poland and asks Sandra if she wants to go with him as co-pilot. Naturally, she jumps at the chance and there is great excitement as the two prepare for their journey. All goes according to plan until they touch down in Germany. Albert is involved in a lucrative project with Hans, an old friend from way back. However, the minute Sandra sets eyes on Hans; she takes a dislike to him. Her instincts prove to be correct as she discovers from the maid that her room is bugged and spy cameras are placed at strategic points so that he can watch Sandra undressing and showering, etc. She spends the night in her grandfather’s room and is relieved when it is time to leave, especially as she had overheard Albert and Hans having a heated argument after dinner. They are waved off on their way to Poland by Hans who insists that they take a flask of soup to warm them when it becomes cold over the Alps. When doing the pre-flight checks, Sandra notices that an indicator mark on one of the wheels has moved and queries it, but Albert takes a look and thinks it is nothing to worry about.
Nearing the Alps, it does indeed become cold and Albert pours himself a mugful of the steaming soup. Sandra had a huge breakfast, so she just has a few sips from her grandad’s mug. Then the trouble starts. Albert feels drowsy and tells Sandra to take over for half an hour while he has a nap. Sandra herself begins to feel drowsy and slightly disorientated and then notices that her grandad is not just sleeping, he is unconscious. She quickly realises that the soup was drugged. She has only had a few sips and makes herself vomit, then drinks water to try to dilute the substance. She tries to put out a Mayday call but is unable to give her name or registration number before passing out alongside her grandad.
She then comes back to semi-consciousness and hears her mother’s voice urging her to stay awake and to fight. Her presence is real; she slaps Sandra’s face and shouts at her to fight for her life. Grandad regains consciousness and although sluggish and dazed, he is able to help Sandra to control the plane. The next thing they know is that they are flying over a war zone and being shot at. They aim for a clearing in the trees and try to land with only one engine. The plane comes down and as they land, a wooden stake pierces the side of the cockpit and goes right through Grandad, pinning him to his seat in a pool of his own blood. Sandra is horrified and wants to stay and help him but Albert orders her to run for her life; his own is over, he is beyond help.
Sandra finds a derelict cottage and next morning she discovers that she has slept there with a decaying corpse in the next room. A dog appears and not far away is Tanya, who turns out to be a member of the KLA. The two pair up and Sandra discovers that she and her grandfather have crash landed in Yugoslavia. Sandra saves Tanya from being attacked and murdered by a Bosnian soldier and they become great friends. Together they manage to find enough food to survive and Sandra even manages to utilise an old bath tub so that they can have a bath and wash their clothes. Even the dog has a bath!
Back at home, Sandra’s family are eventually traced and informed of the crash and they manage to get text messages to and from Sandra. Robert hears that his father has been killed. When he breaks the news to Gran, she reveals that he had terminal cancer and had not long to live anyway. This very important business trip was to have been his last. Robert sets out to rescue Sandra and there are also orphaned children who have been found starving, sick and dying.
After an emotional reunion with Sandra, Robert is instantly attracted to Tanya. Like Cristina, his late wife, she calls him Bobby, and confesses to being a chocaholic. He feels strangely drawn to her. They take as many sick children onto the plane as possible but Tanya refuses to go back with them, saying that she cannot abandon the remaining children who need her. When Sandra realises that Tanya is not travelling with them there are more hysterics – the two of them have been through so much together in the past few days and parting is hard for them both.
Safely home again Sandra, in her state of shock, goes through a highly emotional phase as she tries to come to terms with the reality of what has taken place. Her father is shaken when she tells him that she has killed four times. But life begins to settle down until one evening, in the shower, Robert has a strange experience. He hears Cristina talking to him and even sees her in the mirror. “Come and get me,” she says; “I am waiting.” Then he notices a bullet wound on her shoulder and her face slowly becomes Tanya’s. He knows then that he must go back for her and almost immediately begins to organise two Dakotas – spacious enough to bring Tanya and the children and his father’s body home.
With Robert and Clive in one Dak and Sandra and Lee in the second, the rescue operation gets under way. As they approach the area, the Daks are shot at and on the ground, Tanya again narrowly escapes death, but eventually their mission is completed and they make the journey home. Then there is more drama on the airfield when Sandra has to crash land on one wheel but they all scramble to safety and are then faced with a barrage of flash photography and sound equipment from the media circus which has been steadily growing since the story first broke.
Robert knows instinctively that Tanya is very special and wastes no time in asking her to marry him. Albert’s funeral takes place and Ross has the honour of sprinkling his ashes over the airfield from the Yak 52. Then comes the reading of the will and more surprises for everyone. Albert was worth £26m and Sandra and Lee find that they are now worth £2m each. Young Ross inherits £150,000. Robert gets another £5m to add to his own fortune, and Molly has the farm and the residue. There are also several properties to take into account.
They all begin to settle down and plan their futures and all seems fairly calm on the surface but inside, Sandra is still boiling with anger and wants revenge on Hans. Then one morning she decides to take the Yak and give them all a wake-up call. What she doesn’t know is that the tube to a vital part of the aircraft’s controls has been deliberately cut through. According to trained investigators, only an expert would have the knowledge to do it and the chief suspect is Hans, but he would need assistance from someone closely associated with Sandra to be able to carry out the sabotage. Security is then stepped up and a surveillance team is sent to protect them.
One evening when the family are out relaxing socially, Sandra spots a man behaving suspiciously near their car. Like a flash of lightning she is soon on the spot, overpowering the man and another who rushes to his aid. When another approaches and touches her shoulder, she floors him with a single blow. However, they are not Hans’s thugs, but soldiers deployed to guard the family. What’s more, the one laid out on the ground is their Sergeant, Peter Reeves – the young man who had offered his assistance at the night club fracas a few months ago!
Apologies over and embarrassment fading, Peter explains that he and his men and working with CID to apprehend Hans. Sandra is attracted to Peter; there is a definite chemistry between them and they begin to have fun together. It is not long before she is leaving her bedroom window open for him! One day when they are out riding, the sound of nearby gunshot frightens the horses and Sandra is thrown. Peter’s men immediately search the wood and soon reappear with Clive, who explains that he was rabbiting. It is thought odd that he has no rabbits and he is on Robert’s land rather than his own, but Sandra tells the men to let their neighbour go.
Robert decides it is time to check out Albert’s properties, beginning with a large Victorian house in London. The place is like a workshop, full of aero parts and spares, diagrams, etc. When Sandra looks in the wardrobe mirror, she sees her grandfather, smiling and holding up a teacup. Screaming at first with shock, she then realises that Albert is trying to tell them something. In the kitchen, they inspect the kettle, the coffee jar and the sugar. Nothing. Then Sandra finds a packet of Earl Gray tea – a family favourite – and tips the contents onto the table. Sure enough, a large key falls out. The label says ATTIC. The key does not open the door, which they have to break down, but inside is a metal chest secured with a heavy padlock. The key fits the lock and Robert discovers a personal note from his father, at the end of which is a name, Daighton, and a phone number.
Mr Daighton turns out to be a solicitor who holds business deeds, bonds and contracts belonging to Albert worth millions. However, there is one particular contract with a Japanese company which could revolutionise air travel. Albert had designed and built a small aero engine which was electro-powered. The Japanese had developed it and were actually going into production with it – the world’s first ‘green’ aero engine. Hans was a partner in the project but, desperate for cash, he sold his share back to Albert. When he later realised his mistake, he tried to deal himself back in. Albert, however, had realised that he was no longer to be trusted and refused. There was a huge row about it the night Grandad and Sandra had stayed with him. Hans therefore decided to get rid of Albert, expecting to claim the project as his own and reap all the benefits. So he gave them some drugged soup for their journey, believing they would crash in the Alps, which they almost did.
Later, on a cold, foggy night, Sandra and Peter are in the barn checking more of the crates for parts. The rest of the family are relaxing in the farmhouse. Hans, taking advantage of the fog, is able to drive unnoticed up to the barn and with an accomplice, is able to overpower both Sandra and Peter and tie them up. His accomplice is Clive, who takes great pleasure in beating Peter up.
Inside the farm house, Ross is on his way to the loo when he sees two strangers creeping upstairs. He raises the alarm and Robert and Tanya, rifles always at the ready, shoot both intruders. Realising that Sandra and Peter are in danger, they all rush to the barn to rescue them. Ross is given the job of disabling Hans’s vehicle by driving Betsy into it; Kaff attacks her brother with a pitchfork and Robert shoots Clive’s father, who is also involved. It is only then that they realise millions of pounds worth of heroin has been hidden in the engine parts.
Hans breaks loose and starts up the Range Rover, but Sandra is determined to stop him. She jumps bareback onto her horse and pursues Hans across the airfield. As she begins to gain ground, he runs out of field and smashes into the embankment. Dismounting, rifle at the ready, Sandra notices that a fencing stake has entered the driver’s door and run straight through his stomach, nailing him to the seat – just like Grandad in the plane. She sits there, mocking him, relishing his torture, as he raises his pistol to kill her. The bullet grazes her shoulder, but the explosion from the gun ignites the escaping fuel vapour and he and the car go up in flames. She laughs hysterically at what she believes is a just end to it all when the last of Hans’s men appears at close range, pointing his pistol straight at her. Fortunately for Sandra, Peter has reached the scene and shoots him before he can squeeze the trigger.
Tears, hugs, cheers and laughter follow as the rest of them board Betsy and Ross proudly conveys them back to the farmhouse. As Sandra looks back at the flaming wreck for the very last time she sees Grandad, in his flying gear, waving goodbye. It was over. Now he could rest in peace.