#saxonssinfulopen

Gwen was tired and not up for any more shenanigans by the end of her shift. Besides the fight Jack was in there were a couple of other minor skirmishes and a lot of customers that needed a good talkin’ to.

She had a small pile of reports related to the fights and even more reports of missing items to deliver to Donna and Jack before she could call it a night… or morning. Whatever.

Gwen was starting to notice a bit of a pattern over where she was stationed when it came to an increase in trouble, she figured she should run her theory by Jack. 

Weekends at Saxon’s, now that the summer season was starting, was like  walking into the heart of storm. From the moment you hit the floor until the instant you stumbled out into the early morning’s light, your senses were assaulted by the lights, sounds, smells and sensations inside the club. It was a never ending party with lights, music, alcohol and dancing that lasted for almost three full months. 

In the past, Donna dreaded it. The lack of sleep, the extra hours, the general chaos and the summer people. But not this year. She took a final look in the mirror, twisting to check the back of her, a little smile on her face. It was a bit of a daring choice, the emerald green backless tank top, but the black silk dress pants and high heels kept it from looking cheap. Donna decided to put her hair in a loose bun with a few long pieces of hair trailing down her back before heading back onto the floor. It was hot in the club, always was, but she had been dancing a bit and she really felt it now.

She smirked to herself as she opened the door to her office and sauntered her way back toward the bar, her hips swaying with a little extra swing. She could feel eyes upon her and for once in her life, Donna Noble didn’t feel self-conscious. Instead, she boldly smiled and kept on towards her target.

The bar and John. She knew he was the reason she was feeling so damn good. She was having fun and he had a way of making her feel absolutely amazing and dare she even think it? Special… Even while he flirted with the customers at the bar. It didn’t fade. Well, not really. Then there were those quiet times when he was so different from the boastful, loud, outrageous Captain John. Donna’s smile broadened. Those were simply amazing in a completely different way.

She slipped behind the bar and leaned against it, watching him work. When he came near Donna reached for his hand and tugged him to her

“Hey there Criminal, I have an order for you to fill too,” she teased him with a smile. She actually did want him to fix her a drink, but she’d just leave that implication out there too… just in case. Besides, she’d be lying if she didn’t admit to getting a bit of thrill from the little flashes of jealousy she saw in more than a few of the eyes looking at her from the other side of the bar.

It was then that a booming voice, followed by a small chorus of accompanying ones, cut across the already loud din in the bar area. 

“I can’t bloody believe it! Look boys, it’s the Captain!”

Donna saw a group of men approaching the bar like they owned the place. They leisurely powered their way through the throngs of people, simply expecting them to move out of the way or get knocked over. They seemed to be very pleased about something, as they grinned oily smiles as they made their approach.

The hand Donna had resting on John’s arm tightened. She had a bad feeling about these guys and seeing as how Jack was on the other side of the club, they could only be calling for John. She couldn’t imagine there being a third “Captain” in the Club.

Her eyes flickered back to John, “John?” she asked, wondering who these men were as they went about removing patrons from their bar stools so they could sit together at the bar.

Donna couldn’t let that go on! She looked at them briefly and then back at the bartender. She made a move in anticipation of confronting them.

Honestly, Donna didn’t know why she thought things would be any different this year? This was her life after all, that would be asking too much. She didn’t even need to be at work today, but she was. It was better than the alternative.

She climbed the stairs past Harry and River’s flat up to the roof and clumsily opened the door, not noticing it remained propped open as she passed through it. In one hand she held the half empty bottle of citrus infused vodka, and in the other, her mobile.It was still light out and the sudden burst of sun temporarily blinded her as she stumbled across the threshold and onto the rooftop. Once her eyes adjusted, it sorta reminded her of her old flat, in fact, she could see it fro here, she noted.

Donna sat down in an ungraceful heap, settling her things around her before smoothing her skirt out and dangling her legs over the edge of the building. She leaned over just enough to catch sight of the street below. A wave of vertigo hit her and she gripped the building’s ledge tightly and jerked back.

Note to self, don’t do that again.

Instead, she leaned back on her elbows, the rays of the sun washing over her, and felt the tears she had been fighting before prick at her eyes even as she squeezed them shut.

It was bloody Mother’s Day... Again. she had thought that maybe this year... but no. Something kept interfering with them meeting Christina and she hadn’t heard from her so far today. Chris didn’t seem to realise what today was either. Then again, since karaoke night (which was fantastic) and his fall (which was not) he had seemed distant and she had no idea why.

James was occupied with Rose.

Peter just told her he had to quit... effective immediately.

They had a reporter snooping around the Club.

She had the awful dream again this morning where she and Chris had a little boy and she lost him... waking in a panic.

AND she walked into her office today to find a message from fucking Sylvia. A direct violation of the peace bond. It didn’t say anything, only that a Sylvia Noble had called looking for her. 

It was all quite simple really. 

The group assembled to take down Saxon’s Sinful were an assortment hand picked to cause the most damage. Originally, the plan was simple. Drive the club out of business, force them to sell to protect their investment and build a nightclub dynasty from there.

That’s what was promised at least. Not what was delivered.

Instead, all their money, plus his good name, his reputation as a smart businessman... Gone.

This was not acceptable to Joshua Naismaith. He had political aspirations beyond this as well. So this would never do. It was his brilliant daughter Abigail who suggested that this was the plan all along. That the Saxon siblings planned this. That when the sister disappeared with all of their money, she split it with her brother.  He had no way to prove this as of yet, but he was certain his wife (or was it his ex-wife now?) would know. If not, maybe the manager and one time possible lover, knew? He’d find out. One way or another.

If it turned out not to be true, that didn’t matter. He still needed his money back. That was just good business. The women held the key to that. He’d make sure they delivered. Failure was not an option for Joshua Naismaith.

This had turned personal, which, he acknowledged, business never should. Saxon’s would not be allowed to succeed where he had failed. It was all really quite that simple.

He invested everything he had in making sure of it. His timing would be implicit. Artful. His revenge? Complete and devastating. That is where these criminals he hired came in to play.

They were savage. Wicked. Each with an agenda of their own that still somehow benefited his plan. Joshua had spent a considerable amount of time studying the main players at Saxon’s. With the information from the elder Saxon and his own reconnaissance, he was able to dig up just what he needed to truly devastate and cripple each individual. To weaken them, make them not work together, to focus on themselves. It was brilliant. Whether it be someone from a past lifetime, someone wronged with a score to settle, angry criminals bent on settling the score... it didn’t matter, as long as in the end, he got his money and Saxon’s Sinful closed it’s doors forever.

Just like he had to do with his club.

No one thought anything of the waitress who smiled as she crossed the Club’s floor, flitting from patron to patron. Her trajectory seemingly random, but far from it.

Not a soul batted an eye at the man working security stationed by the restroom as he surveyed the crowd. He came well vested from the group supplementing the Club’s normal security staff.

The well dressed man with the expensive suit and even more expensive watch? Or his companion, a hipster if there ever was one? As they mingled with the VIP’s, no one suspected they didn’t belong. Their credentials were solid, they smiled like they belonged.

They didn’t.

None of them did.

Outside, in the throngs of increasingly intoxicated holiday celebrants, well placed individuals were placed watching. Waiting.

They had a plan after all.

They had eyes and ears where they needed them to be. They had access to everything and everyone.

All they needed to do was wait for the signal.

Everyone was there for different reasons. Some for a payout. Some for revenge against either the owner, or one of the two former cops that worked inside. Or maybe the woman that promised they’d all get rich after they ran out Saxon’s but instead, scammed them all and then laughed at them as she disappeared with their money?

It didn’t matter. Their revenge was in inside that club. 

And it was theirs for the taking.

if I can ever get it right....

The new club was making some waves. Apparently on the weekends, they could also offer strippers in their VIP section of the club.

Whomever was spinning the PR for the club was really doing one helluva job as they were everywhere. Social media, radio, the telly... they had spent a great deal of money for their New Year’s Even Bash. Promising high end cocktails and champaign, celebrities and (Donna thought) tacky promotional give-a-ways. 

She wasn’t certain if it was going to be worth the money the were shelling out, but they were certainly making a lot of noise!

Donna flicked off the computer in her office and sighed. She needed to get back with Rose and finalize plans for New Year’s Eve. She needed to get Harry on board and find out what plans he had, but since his return, he was still hit and miss with coming round which worried her. She needed to speak with James about drinks...there had to be something special in the works for their biggest night of the year! And, so help her, she had to talk with Jack about security, especially with everything going on. Thankfully, she could have Chris there as a buffer. Then another thought flitted through her mind, she should probably contact Osgood about some online promotion...nothing tacky and over the top, just some select advertising perhaps? And, Clara... she needed to find out if Clara thought she’d be adequately staffed that night. 

Oh and the DI...Rose had mentioned maybe using him to fill in for one of her guitarist. Oi! She had her hands full!

At least she knew Owen would be on hand. Kisses were handed out freely on New Year’s Eve, he wouldn’t be missing for want of (almost) anything. She reasoned and River, well, she would of course be there. She smiled to herself, she always looked so elegant on New Year’s Eve...

“Oh GODS!” she gasped, she still had to find something to wear!