by S G Read
‘Is this the Kent settlement?’ One asked.
‘Who’s asking?’ James replied guardedly.
‘I am George Foster, this is Gerald Boorman, he is Reggie White and the other man is Trevor Makepeace. The ladies are Gloria Smith and Wilhelmina Wright.
A thought ran through James’ head before he answered. -Another Smith, were they going to have another reunion?’- Then he considered how many smiths there are in the phone book and dismissed the idea.
‘Nice to meet you.’ James replied, still without answering. ‘Come far?’
‘We were over on the West coast; we had found a nice spot to await some sort of rescue.’ The man started.
‘You can rule that out, this thing is world wide.’ James interceded.
‘What? Are you saying that most of humankind is dead?’ George asked.
‘That is about the size of it.’ James answered. ‘A virus unleashed everywhere at the same time to kill everyone who did not have the anti bodies or strength to withstand it.’
‘So we would have been waiting there a long time then?’
‘You would.’ James declared.
‘It is a good job the power station went pop then.’ George continued. ‘We had to go in case it really went up or in case there was radiation fall out. We drove down the M5 to get to the coast. Cut along the M4 then turned off to cut over to the M3 and made it to the south coast. Collected supplies as we went and we did wonder where everybody was. In the end we reached Hastings.’
James smiled. He knew now who had sent them up here.
‘Met an old couple while we were fishing for fresh food and got talking.’ George continued. ‘Otis and Marion, or something like that.’
‘It was Matilda!’ Wilhelmina corrected.
‘Oh yes Matilda. Well they said there was a settlement up here where we would find company.’
‘Well you have come to the right place for company and excitement.’ James replied. He looked over his shoulder and saw a car approaching. ‘There will be an escort for you any minute.’
The car drove up to the wooden gates, Clem was driving, Tosh and Jethro were the passengers.
‘We have guests.’ James called down.
‘You know what that means James.’ Tosh replied.
‘Yes: I have to take all these bloody screws out again!’
‘So are you going to let them in?’ Tosh asked.
‘I suppose I have to really.’ James answered and started undoing the screws.
Each screw had a flat metal plate behind it to make sure the wire stayed put. The metal was a metre long. When all the screws were out of one piece of metal he hung it on his belt like some very thin dead animal. As he worked Jethro started on the bottom screws. They pulled the wire back and the car and caravan drove through.
‘Sorry about the delay folks.’ Jethro said through the open window of the car. ‘The towers were only erected yesterday so we can’t open the gates yet. Follow us up and we will introduce you to the rest. The one up the pole is James.’
While James was left to screw the wire back into place the others drove back to the house.
The captured men were hauled back to the same house Laura and John had hidden in and then separated for questioning. One was a staunch clan member and would say nothing. Two were less clan minded, they had been given the choice, fight for the clan or go into the games. When the people asking them explained the games to them, they chose to fight. It seemed that apart from the football, which was played religiously on Saturdays there were other games in the week. Gladiatorial type games where the loser was either dead at the end or dying. Fighting for the clan was better than that! One of the men was very talkative. The staunch clan member’s name was Richard. He had masterminded the taking of all the children from the Winchester people to make sure they would let them know when they had guests, so that they could go down and collect them. They never killed anyone while they were at the settlement in Winchester but if they were of no use, they were killed on the way back and dumped for the wild animals to feed on.
The three men were taken out to the garden to await the outcome of the forthcoming trial.
‘Well there enough of us here to make a decision on the three clan members in the garden.’ Ray declared. ‘You have listened to what they said and what they have done, albeit about each other. The two tell the same story and one is definitely clan through and through, so we will make a decision on what we know or have been told. The answer is death or some other punishment. We cannot spend the time guarding a jail so we need to give a judgement which takes this into consideration.’
‘How do we do it?’ Barry asked. ‘Vote that is.’
‘Find some paper and drop it into a hat I suppose.’ Ray answered.
They searched the house and found some paper to use, it was cut neatly into same size pieces so that the vote could be a secret ballot.
‘To make it fair to them we will vote for each one in turn.’ Ray added.
‘Who is first?’ John asked.
‘The one called Richard, who purportedly took all the children from the Winchester settlement.’ Ray answered.
They voted, writing their vote on the paper and after making a single fold in it, dropping it into the cardboard box. That was all that was available. Ray picked them out one at a time and opened them.
‘Death.’ He read the first one and each one was the same all the way through the vote.
‘Do we do it before we vote about the other two?’ Ray asked.
He asked because he was not going to vote for death for at least one of the other two and to see the other man shot in front of them, might just force the point home that justice still existed for the transgressor.
‘I’ll do it if you want, I can save a bullet.’ Barry offered and held up his knife.
‘Well what do we do?’ Ray repeated.
A short confab later the death sentence was decided to be carried out immediately but by Ray, their leader.
He walked out to the three in the garden. ‘We have completed one sentence and it is death.’ He drew his pistol and aimed at each one in turn, then without hesitation shot Richard dead.
‘We will now consider your sentences.’
He returned to the house, leaving them to contemplate their death or whatever their captors chose for them, with the dead man laying there.
‘Richard has paid the price for being a killer.’ He said as he sat down but pointedly did not put his pistol away.
They voted on the next man. Ray looked through the votes.
‘We have a tie.’ Ray announced.
They looked round and counted.
‘There are ten of us and you are not voting so how can there be a tie?’ Will asked.
Ray dropped one ballot paper onto the table. On it was written ‘undecided’
‘Is that acceptable?’ Jacob asked. Hinting that it was not his vote.
‘You vote how you feel.’ Ray answered. ‘Had I voted we would have had an answer, as it is it is now down to me to decide his fate? Before I do that we will vote on the second one.’
They voted again, this time it was a vote of freedom.
‘That helps.’ Ray admitted. ‘It is very easy to kill all of them and very difficult to let any of them go while the clan is still active. It might have been a pack of lies but we have chosen. I will banish them from this area as long as the clan are still active. I will banish them to the West Country I think, only to come back when the clan are defeated. They should be able to survive down there. Are there any complaints?’
‘What if they are seen up here?’ Barry asked.
‘If we see them again before the clan are defeated they will be put to death!’ Ray answered.
‘Sounds fair to me.’ Barry answered.
‘Bring them in then.’ Ray ordered and waited as they were brought before him. ‘I have the power of life and death over you, the same as I did over Richard who lies dead outside. I have decided to let you live but yo
u must go down to the West Country and not come back until you know that the clan are finished. Do you understand?’
They both nodded.
‘We will record your name and your picture for our records.’ Ray continued.
They used a Polaroid camera which they found in the house, to take their picture.
‘Your names please.’ Ray asked.
‘I am Byron Jones.’ The talkative one announced.
‘I am Charles Norris.’ The other one announced.
‘Write their names on the back.’ Ray said and watched as it was done. ‘You will take a motor bike each and go down to the coast. There you will turn right and keep going until you are in Cornwall. You will stay in Cornwall until the clan are no more.’
‘Thank you.’ Byron said with great relief. ‘The bikes have things to pinpoint radio signals on them, which is how we were able to find the ones we were told about.’ He added.
‘Show John them on the bike and we will take them back for Brian to look at.’ Ray ordered. ‘Oh and you have one more job to do before you go, bury the dead man!’
‘It will be a pleasure to bury that bullying bastard.’ Byron declared. ‘If you had trusted me with a gun I would have shot his head off!’
The two young men dug a hole and buried the dead Richard, only then were they allowed to go. Leaving the direction finders behind and one of the motorbikes.
‘What about the other motorbike?’ Jericho asked.
‘I have seen the way you were looking at the bikes Jericho. I get the idea that if I asked you to ride one home, you would not refuse.’ Ray answered.
Jericho smiled. ‘If you insist.’ He exclaimed.
Chapter 7
They started home soon after the two young men had left. Jericho on the remaining motorbike and the rest in the people carrier. Jason opened the window for fresh air and after ten miles they heard furious barking.
‘The dogs are after something.’ Jacob declared. ‘Might be something we could use!’
‘It might. Stop and we will investigate.’ Ray ordered. ‘Flash Jericho.’
They piled out to see dogs harassing a cow which had a calf with it. They obviously wanted to eat the calf.
‘Get killing dogs, lads.’ Ray cried and they opened fire.
Dogs fell where they had been barking; others looked round to see what was happening unsure as to what to do. Their indecision cost them their lives. Four tried to run away in the end but they fell as they ran.
‘Well done! Jericho you are the one with the speedy vehicle, go find some sort of transport for our two new guests!’
James rode back to the house to meet the news guests, fully aware that he would have to take the screws out again when Ray and his party returned. The others were in the television room talking when he walked in.
‘Fixed it back up?’ Jethro asked.
‘Yeah. I’ll take it back down to let the others in, when they get back.’
‘In case you are wondering the newcomers will sleep in their caravan until the area inside the fence has been swept for dogs, then they will be able to use one of the houses inside the fence.’ Jethro continued.
‘A bit tight for six in there isn’t it?’ James asked, meaning the caravan.
‘No we took the biggest one on offer.’ George answered. ‘No point in worrying when it is free. Is it all right where we parked it?’
‘You need to wind the feet down.’ James replied.
Clem looked up.
‘What?’ James asked. ‘My parents had a caravan, ok?’
She looked back down again.
‘Have you collected the eggs yet?’ James asked.
Her reaction was to leap out of the chair and drive over to the hen house.
‘I’ll take that as a no then.’ He said as she drove away.
Jacob and Jason walked into the field to catch the cow who had now settled down as her calf was no longer in danger. Jacob walked up to her and stroked her and her calf.
‘I didn’t expect to do that!’ He declared.
‘Must have been a pet or something.’ Jason replied.
They heard a lorry approaching and saw Jericho driving it. As the cow was going to be no trouble they walked over to the gate and met him.
‘We need to go back and fill it up with farm diesel.’ Jericho cried over the sound of the engine. ‘And there is another surprise back there.’
Jacob led the calf into the lorry and the cow followed meekly. They followed Jericho back to the farm but no one got out of their vehicle: A bull stood there eyeing them up suspiciously.
‘What now?’ Jason asked.
Jacob smiled. ‘We wait for the secret weapon to take effect.’
‘What’s that?’
Jacob did not answer, he just waited. Suddenly the bull sniffed the air and started to follow the smell to the back of the lorry.
‘Do we let it in?’ Jason asked.
‘No it might kill the calf, accidentally or deliberately.’ Jacob answered. ‘But we should be alright to fill the tank up now.’
They filled the tank with fuel ready to go but when they drove away the bull followed on foot. They stopped again.
‘If he follows us all the way back on foot he’ll be skin and bone by the time we arrive!’ Jason declared.
Ray turned to Jericho who sat on his motorcycle.
‘Don’t tell me we want something to take him along with us in and as I am the one with the speed I have to find it!’ He exclaimed.
‘Something like that.’ Ray answered.
‘Well I don’t mind getting the transport but I am not carrying him inside!’ Jericho replied and rode off.
They waited for him to return, while they waited they thought of ways they could lure the bull into the new transport.
Jericho rode down a small road, thinking there would be a farm down there. He followed the road, driving in the middle, as there were no other cars about. When he came to a cross road he had to decide which way to go on. He chose to go straight on and was rewarded a few minutes later with a sign for a farm off to his right. He turned down it and came to the farmyard in time to see a child run across and into the house. He stopped and turned the engine off.
‘Hello the house.’ He called.
A man appeared. ‘How can I help?’ The man answered.
‘I am looking for transport to take a bull we found still alive back to our settlement. Have you any idea where I might find one?’
The man nodded. ‘You need the stud farm, they have horse boxes there you can use. Go back out of this drive, turn right and take the third drive on the left marked the Swan Stud. You can’t miss it.’
‘Thank you. Are you okay or do you need help?’
‘We are getting by but thank you for asking.’
‘Thanks for he help.’
Jericho restarted the engine and drove off in the direction the man had told him. He followed the directions and came to the stud farm, with the horse boxes still standing there. He put the Harley in a stable out of sight and drove the horse box back to the other farm where the others waited.
‘Jason, you drive Jericho back to the farm he got the horse box from, to get his motor bike.’ Ray ordered. ‘While we get the bull into the horse box.’
Jason drove away with Jericho in the passenger seat.
Ray opened the horse box and looked at it and the bull.
‘Any got any ideas?’ He asked.
‘What if we drive away fast and get the horse box between the other transport and him?’ Jacob asked.
They tried to do that but the bull was there before they could manhandle the horse box in place. Next they tried to take the calf away from the mother but she was having nothing to do with that idea! As they had the back of the transport open the bull forced its way inside. In the confusion Richard led the calf out of the gate on the side and the mother followed. They forced the gate shut with the bull bellowing to follow and the job was done. Richard took the calf into the horse box an
d the cow followed meekly.
‘All we have to do now is to wait for Jason and Jericho.’ Ray declared.
‘What about food and bedding?’ Jacob asked. ‘We will need that, especially for the calf!’
‘We can’t store it in either lorry.’ Kevin declared. ‘They would ruin all of it.’
‘No; but with you driving one lorry and Jacob driving the other. We can put another two in with John and Laura, Jericho has his new toy which leaves three in the people carrier. We can put down the back seats and put bales of hay and whatever else they are supposed to have inside.’ Ray replied.
They started bringing out bales to load onto the people carrier.
‘I’m not going to be the one to tell James!’ Richard avowed.
While they were moving things about a rooster flew out of the stack of hay. They stood looking at it as it strutted round, making a lot of noise.
‘He would make Clem’s day!’ Jacob said thoughtfully.
‘And we could have some eggs!’ Will retorted. ‘Let’s get it!’
Jason and Jericho passed the turning where Jericho had seen the child and spoken to the man. He drove on to the stud farm. When Jericho was ready to go he walked over to the people carrier.
‘I met a man on a farm back there, we ought to make sure he was alright with his children before we go on, Give him the chance to come with us.’ He said quietly.
‘You lead and I’ll follow.’ Jason answered.
The two of them pulled into the yard where the man had been and stopped. Jericho got of the Harley and walked up to the house. When he knocked the door the same man answered.
‘Sorry to bother you but I thought I ought to at least give you the chance to come with us.’ Jericho declared.
‘What gain is there in it for me and the boy?’ The man answered.
‘I am Jericho and he is Jason. We have a settlement with live chickens and when we take the bull and cow with her calf back there we will have some fresh milk eventually. But then we do have a lot of frozen milk we are using up. If you are well here and need no help, I will drive away but I thought I ought to offer.’
‘Come in, we are in danger of losing our country hospitality. Do you want some tea?’