Matt was sat in his office with his head buried in his hands. Chuck walked in and announced that he was going to visit Steven. Matt looked up and nodded.

"I'll say," Matt continued.  "I have to take control for the Ipswich match.  We now officially have a goalkeeper crisis!  Carl is dead, Pierre ahs run off and Ben is going back to Arsenal next month!  Our only other choice is Steven, but his court case does not end for another two weeks!  And he will end up being sentenced anything from a suspended sentence to 15 years!"

FINDERS KEEPERS

PART ONE

Matt sat in his office talking to Ben.  It had been rumoured that Ben wished to stay, but Matt knew it would be difficult to get the permission of the Arsenal Chairman.

After a lengthy discussion with Ben, Matt had decided to phone him, but it was to no effect.  Ben was to return to Arsenal on the 18th of March.  Matt was not about to give up.

"I'm sorry I can't stay, sir," Ben said.  He was a little disconcerted about the outcome, and he too hoped that it would be resolved.  "This is a nice club, and I wish to pledge my loyalty."

"Touching though that is," Matt replied, "if Arsenal wants you back, Arsenal must have you back.  We cannot help that."

"May I ask something, sir?" Ben continued.

"Certainly."

"When are you eighteen?" Ben asked.  He knew Matt had promised to sell the club on his eighteenth birthday.

"I suppose I can trust you," Matt said slowly.  Looking down at the planner on his desk, he circled the 18th of March.  "I am not going to be eighteen.  I am not going to grow up.  When I was 15 years, 4 months, 16 days, 22 minutes and 12 seconds old, I killed myself.  That is the age I will be for the rest of eternity."

"But how?" Ben quizzed, but before Matt could answer, something in his mind twigged.  He knew all about the laws and the rules of the boardroom.  He walked over to the gun cabinet that had been installed during Don Parini's reign.  He picked out a Colt .45 and turned to Matt.

"I know what you're thinking," Matt said calmly.  "Don't, it's not worth it.  What if something goes wrong?"

"I am pledging my loyalty to the club," Ben said definitely.  "It's do or die!"  He turned the barrel and placed it in his mouth.  As Matt slowly stood up, he pulled the trigger.

PART TWO

Matt stood in his office opposite Chuck, who had been confined to a wheelchair for life following the plane crash.  Matt had just received a phone call that would change the course of Hawkhurst's promotion bid and indeed their future.

"Ben's mother has identified his body," he informed Matt, "the death certificate has been issued and Arsenal have been forced to terminate his contract."

"So where's the good news?" Chuck asked.

"Right here," Matt replied as he swiveled his chair around.  To Chuck's surprise, Ben Cooley was sat there smiling.  "I won't bother you with details, Chuck, but basically it's time to talk terms with Ben!"

Before Chuck replied, the door opened and two police officers walked in.

"Ben Cooley, I'm arresting for murder!" one of them said as the other grabbed Ben's arm.

"F$ck you!" Matt said.  "Show me the Arrest Warrant, otherwise I shall be forced to show you some pain!"

"I know you cannot be touched," the police officer said sounding disappointed.  "I know you can take the boy out of the gang, but you can't take the gang out of the boy."

"Show me the f$cking Arrest Warrant or piss off!" Matt continued unperturbed.

"We don't have one, but we are about to get one!" the officer said conceding defeat.

"How about you come back when you do," Matt said smiling as he pulled the second officer off Ben.  They both left.

Matt sighed and picked up the phone.  "Matt," he said, "this is Matt.  Look, I'm in a bit of trouble and need your help!"

PART THREE

Matt was sat in his office talking to Ben when the two police officers walked in again.  One immediately grabbed Ben's arm while the other flashed an Arrest Warrant in front of Matt's face.  Without anyone speaking, Matt moved away from his desk and his chair swiveled round to show Joel Sanderson-Murray, the head of MI5's Anti-Organized Crime Department sat down smiling.

"Don't be an idiot," he said as he stood up, "you know that that is not valid!"

"What are you talking about sir?" the officer asked, looking up and down at the paper he held in his hand.

"Didn't you hear?" Joel continued.  "It was made void due to bribery and over-anxious coppers wanting to prove a point.  Now get the f$ck out of here before I make a request that you be indefinitely suspended!"

The two police officers walked out hanging their heads, but Joel just looked at Matt.

"Thanks," Matt said, surprised at the speed the officers left.

"I am merely preserving our interests Taylor," he said, waving a hand to make Ben leave.

"What are you talking about?" Matt quizzed.

"So young, Taylor, and so naive!" Joel said shaking his head.  "Let me explain something to you in a way you'll understand!  YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS FOOTBALL CLUB BY MI5!  YOU ARE A MULTI-BILLIONAIRE ON MI5'S AUTHORITY!  YOU KILLED PARINI, WE DO YOU A FAVOUR!  IF YOU F$CK THIS UP, WE CAN HAVE YOU REMOVED!  IF YOU DON'T PLAY IT RIGHT, WE CAN HAVE YOU REMOVED!  HAWKHURST FC BELONGS TO MI5, AND DON'T F$CKING FORGET IT!"

PART FOUR

Joel stood up from Matt's chair and ended his phone call.  He looked at Matt, who had been standing in front listening, and sighed.

"We have some good news and some bad news," he said.  "The bad news is that Steven Ravens is going to be found guilty and will be sentenced to five years!"

"F$CK ME!" Matt exclaimed.  It was terrible news as it meant there would be no reserve goalkeeper in case something happened to Ben.  "Maybe you should invest some of your money and save your club from disaster!"

"The good news, however, is that the judge will suspend the sentence!" Joel finished.

"Maybe you should keep an eye on your player to stop him getting your club into trouble!" Matt continued.

"SHUT UP!" Joel shouted angrily.  "I have not finished with the worst news of all!"

"Okay..."

"As you may have guessed, I was speaking to the Director General of MI5."

"You already told me that."

"Quite.  Anyway, he is very unpopular with everyone at MI5 and works for the Government as a Political Spook!  He is worried for the safety of the Security Service, however, and has made an informed decision.  About you!"  Joel paused, waiting for a reply from Matt.

"This doesn't sound good!"

"As of the end of the season, Taylor, MI5 will no longer require your services."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we will take your £7billion and give it to someone else.  Basically, you are on your own.  No more odd jobs for MI5, you will no longer own Hawkhurst and you will no longer play for Hawkhurst!  MI5 has officially retired you!"

PART FIVE

"Sorry, Matt," Joel finished.  "DG's orders, I'm afraid!"

"I have a plan to stop this, but Ravens' trial is more important!"

Steven Ravens stood in the dock awaiting the jury to deliver its verdict.  An older woman stood up, and it was immediately obvious she was a Christian or a Catholic due to the gold cross dangling around her neck.

A short man at the front stood up and faced her.  "Have you reached a verdict with which you unanimously agree on?"

"Yes," the woman replied.

"On the charges of sexual assault do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty!"

"On the charge of indecently exposing himself, do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty!"

Steven's stomach turned as he heard those words.  Forcing a smile, he looked towards the judge who had started to speak.

"Steven Ravens, you stood charged of a callous and generally mentally disturbing crime.  An action which many younger witnesses will undoubtedly recall in therapy sessions in years to come.  And although CCTV footage proved that you had committed the crime, the jury has found you not guilty by a unanimous verdict.  I therefore have no hesitations in allowing you to leave this courtroom a free man once more!"

Matt was stood outside talking to Joel.  "Well, your contacts have paid off!"

"Not really," Joel replied strangely, "the DG was ordered to leave the trial alone by Downing Street, you know, with an election on the horizon!"

"So who was it?"

"I would suggest the spies are being spied on!"

GLORY GLORY TO THE TORIES?

PART ONE

Matt stood pacing his office as Joel was giving him his final MI5 briefing.  It seemed as though MI5 were about to give him a future outside of football, but he had other plans.

"You, Thom and Ben are going to stand for Parliament," Joel said, trying to keep his head facing Matt.  "You will represent the Conservatives at the seat of Gillingham, Thom will stand for Chatham and Aylesford and Ben will stand for Medway!"

"Parliament?" Matt exclaimed confused.  He pictured himself sat on one of the green leather benches he had once been only half a meter away from when he was 14.

"Exactly.  It has been confirmed and you need to get on the campaign trail.  As you know, all three constituencies are held by Labour, but Gillingham is the closest of the three!  You should have no problems in kicking Paul Clark out if a monkey managed to become Mayor of Hartlepool!"

Matt laughed.  He detested Hartlepool United and was looking forward to the pre-season tournament which he now knew he would not be able to participate in.  "Press Conference!" he said.

"Out of the question," Joel snapped back.  "You need to speak with your election advisors first!"

"Why?"

"Because they're the ones who will be looking after your retirement!"

PART TWO

Matt stood on a platform in the middle of Twydall's small shopping road and was addressing the crowds with his first ever public political speech.

"The last Government has been allowing 250,000 refused immigrants to stay in this country..."

No one really cared.  Twydall was predominantly a Labour area and there was no shortage of "vote Labour" signs around the surround roads.  He was even less than a hundred yards away from the Labour Party's Gillingham HQ.

Matt never let external events put him off, but today would be different.  Today he was not in control and today he was going to wish he was.

Well that was what he had to convince himself.  If he did not believe these lies, then why would the public?  Why would they care about what he said when they did not even care about what he was saying now.

"The Liberal Democrats would hand over the Immigration Control to Europe!..."

And Joel was stood at the front of the gathering crowd.  He was smiling as he looked at his watch, listening to Matt.

"The Monster Raving Loony Party has the best idea, but they are not in this constituency..."

Today, Paul Clark was in residence at the Labour club, watching out of the window, waiting for Matt to slip up.  But Matt was not about to let his retirement fall into the hands of scum.  He had other ideas.

"The Conservatives will mirror their idea.  We will place 24 hour surveillance on all ports of entry..."

Today was the most important.  He paused for two seconds and put his hand in his pocket.  He pulled out a copy of the Conservative's manifesto.

"We have no intention to allow the Immigrants to take away your money..."

Then behind him, an explosion rocked the street.  Joel ran up to it, along with most of the crowd.  Matt slowly turned around.  As he stared up the street, he could see that the Labour club hap been ripped out of the ground and millions of pieces of shattered brick were scattered around the street and what was left of it was on fire.

PART THREE

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" Joel screamed at Matt in his Hawkhurst Park office.  Matt and Ben were stood by the door.

"You said to eliminate the competition!" Matt replied quietly.

"Legally, and not involving the death of Paul Clark or his highness the DG!" Joel said.  "What, do you think killing him will keep you here?"

"There's every possibility that the next DG will look more favourably on me!"

Just as Joel was about to reply, a knock came from the other side of the door.

"WAIT!" Joel screamed.

"This is my office, if only for now, so let me decide!" Matt said.  "Come in, Mr. Howard!"

Joel stared in awe as Michael Howard, the leader of the Conservative party walked in and shook Matt's hand.

"You have a feisty attitude," Howard said in Matt's ear as Joel left.  "I could use you in my cabinet."  Matt was about to question his remark when Howard said, "I overheard your argument."

"Oh, sh$t!" Taylor exclaimed without thinking.  "How much?"

"All of it, but I thought it would be best to interrupt before it got out of hand!  Don't look so worried, I won't tell anyone!"

"Why?"

"You are in one the closest seats, and recent polls suggest you are favourite to take this seat!  Plus, we cannot replace you!  And we don't want anymore bad publicity."

"Right..."

"Hem hem", Ben coughed from behind.  Michael looked round.

"Oh, yes!  We have voters to gain.  Now, I want all of you with me as we go through Medway!  And Taylor..."

"Yes?" Matt replied as they both headed for the door.

"No more of your stunts, please!"

"I didn't actually have any planned," Matt said, opening the door, "but I'm sure we can find one to "persuade" the voters..."

PART FOUR

Matt, Thom, Ben and Howard were stood on a platform in front of 500 people in the Pentagon shopping center in Chatham.  It was in Thom's constituency, but they all decided to put on a united front.

"The Liberal Democrats have come up with an insane idea to steal from the rich and give to the poor, but rather than being Robin Hood, Charles Kennedy is giving to the lazy and old and penalizing those who work hard and are gaining multiple incomes," Howard was saying.  Thom was to his right and Ben and Matt were to his left.  "We plan to cut taxes for everyone, and we will raise the lower end of stamp duty from £125,000 to £250,000!"

"For Chatham," Thom started, "we will ensure the removal of the illegal immigrants and put more police on the streets to fight crime."

"Under a Labour Government," Matt said, "the British Taxpayer has been paying the police to sit in an office and spend most of their shift doing paperwork.  The Conservatives will not only make sure they are out on the streets fighting crime..."

"But we will also ensure the addition of 5,000 police officers countrywide each year!" Ben finished.

"What are your plans for football when you are voted in, Mr. Taylor?" one member of the gathered press shouted out.

"I am not going to make any decisions until the sixth of May," he replied.

"Callan Davies, BBC News," another journalist shouted, "are you willing to comment on your links with MI5, who are currently being controlled by a Labour Government?"

"There is nothing to say," Matt said cautiously, "I have absolutely no links to MI5 and I have never had any links with them!"

"How can you explain the head of MI5's anti-organized crime department making frequent visits to you, even once when you were just watching Hawkhurst as a fan?" Callan asked.

"I have a great friendship with him," Matt answered, lying.

"You would make a great Politician with all this lying, but please answer truthfully.  Are the rumours that you were linked with the Italian Mafia true?" 

"No," Matt answered getting annoyed with all the questions, "I-"