by S G Read
‘Are your chickens laying?’ Will asked.
‘Yes; why?’
‘I was thinking we could trade some fish for eggs.’ Will answered.
‘We live near the sea!’ Roberta retorted. ‘Dad goes fishing twice a week but you can have some eggs for saving my; well you know what. Maybe I will find something else I want from you or your friends to barter.’
‘Can you drive?’
Roberta looked up surprised. ‘I am twenty seven and I live in the middle of nowhere! Of course I can drive.’
‘Then take the jeep and go home and be careful.’
‘Okay. If you drive up the first junction, turn left, very first right and drive for a mile you will be close to our place. Just honk your horn and one of us will come out to see you.’
‘Okay Roberta, see you after we have loaded the fish.’ He gave her two of the clan’s weapons to take with her and watched her drive away.
Will moved the body from the shed doorway and dropped it out of sight in a ditch before returning to his window. He dragged Spotty and Lanky into another room then settled down to watch for more intruders or the boat returning.
He saw no one or nothing moving, apart from two dogs who honed in on the body in the ditch. Once they were in the ditch he could not see enough of them to shoot so he let them enjoy their meal, possibly their last!
They were still there when the boat came back and Will looked round the area for the last time, before going to all the other windows to check. Still he saw no one and nothing apart from two tails just visible above the edge of the ditch. As far as Will was concerned they were welcome to eat the dead clan members but if they decided to go after the returning fishermen or the fish then that was a different thing!
He signalled that all was clear and the men struggled up the wooden steps with the catch. As they neared the shed the dogs appeared, sniffing the air. Will shrugged and shot them both.
‘You had your chance!’ He said to the two lifeless animals then closed the window and walked down the stairs.
‘Nice shooting.’ Jericho declared when Will walked across to where he was standing.
Will waved the idea away. ‘I knew they were there eating but when they went after our fish enough was enough.’
Jericho moved to be able to see what they were eating. ‘Clan?’ He asked.
‘Yep. Were four of them and a pretty lady so I thought I would do my sir Galahad bit and save her from a fate worse than death?’
Jacob looked about. ‘Where is she then?’
‘I sent her home, so that her father wouldn’t worry; she took the jeep they came in. Got chickens they have, promised me some eggs.’
‘We going there then?’ Jericho asked.
‘We are, on the way home if you have no objections!’ Will answered.
‘None at all but are they coming with us?’
‘Probably not, they have a small holding up the road which is off the beaten track so I reckon they will stay. They eat fish like Otis and Matilda, eggs and grow other stuff I reckon.’
They packed the fish in the ice and loaded them into James people carrier.
‘Let us go and find your fair maiden then.’ Jericho affirmed, as he settled down for a nap in the back of the mini bus.
‘I reckon I have seen more of her than you ever will.’ Will replied with a twinkle in his eye.
‘What again?’ Jericho declared, fully awake now.
‘Right place and the right time.’ Will replied.
He directed them to the place Roberta had mentioned and they honked the horn. Roberta and her father appeared. The men all jumped out of the vehicles, Jacob especially as he was driving the people carrier with the fish in it.
‘This is Will.’ Roberta declared to her father. ‘Will this is my father, Tom.’
‘I owe you more than I can ever repay.’ Tom declared. ‘It is good to know chivalry is not completely dead.’
‘I only did what the others would have done were they there and not out enjoying themselves.’ Will answered.
‘Come up to the house and have some refreshments.’ Tom ordered.
Roberta was looking at Jericho in an interesting way, as if she was sizing him up. They followed Tom to the house, which was well hidden and had their refreshment, mainly milk.
‘Rob tells me you like eggs Will.’ Tom said when they were settled.
‘I do.’ Will admitted. ‘We do have chickens and a rooster now but the girl in charge of them won’t let us have any eggs to eat yet.’
‘Well I have a tray of eggs for you to take back with our compliments, it is not much for what you did but we don’t have a lot to spare.’ Tom continued.
‘You can have some fish if you want them?’ Jacob asked hopefully.
‘No we have fish thank you, we smoke our own to make it keep.’ Tom answered.
‘We have freezers to keep our in.’ Will declared. ‘We have quite a nice settlement if you ever need anywhere to go?’
‘I’ll keep it in mind but at the moment we are coping.’ Tom answered.
Roberta whispered into Jericho’s ear and he went outside with her.
‘I want something from you.’ She said bluntly.
‘Like what?’ Jericho asked and took a drink of his milk.
‘A baby!’
Jericho spluttered and the milk reappeared in a rush. He wiped his mouth before he spoke again.
‘A baby?’ He asked.
‘Yes a baby. I don’t want a boyfriend a father for it or a husband, all I want is a baby!’
‘How?’
‘Surely you know how?’ Roberta exclaimed.
‘What you and me on a bed?’
‘On a bed, up against a tree, in the hay, if we had any. Wherever you want!’
‘You do know it doesn’t just happen like that?’ Jericho asked.
‘It doesn’t?’
‘It depends on an egg from you being in the right place when I fertilise it, so it might take several goes and still not work.
‘I didn’t know that!’ Roberta admitted.
‘I can do it for you with no questions asked and no follow up, so that you get your baby but there is no guarantee for success.’
‘But it might work?’
‘It might work first time.’ Jericho admitted.
‘Let’s get to it then!’ Roberta exclaimed.
She dragged him back inside and upstairs, past the others sipping their milk.
Will looked as they went by. ‘Might be that I was wrong about what I said earlier.’ He said and chuckled.
Upstairs Roberta and Jericho made love, there was no passion but Jericho enjoyed it. Roberta was a virgin before he started, so he was unsure if she enjoyed it.
‘Is it always like that?’ She asked.
‘The first time yes.’ Jericho answered. ‘Like trying to get a pint into a half pint pot.’
‘So it will be easier the next time, if we need to do it again.’ She asked.
‘Yes but we have fish to get back and you know I cannot let the others go without me, with four we have a good chance of surviving a meeting with the clan.’
‘When will I know?’
‘When you miss you period and then your stomach starts to grow.’
‘That long? Can you come back and make sure in a little while?’ She asked.
‘We go off to sort out the clan soon, if I survive that I will come back armed with a pregnancy testing kit, I am sure Donna our nurse has some.’
‘You have a nurse?’ She asked.
‘And a doctor, a good one as well! Saved two lives already.’
They dressed and walked back down stairs.
‘Can we go now then?’ Will asked with a smile.
‘Yes we can.’ Jericho answered.
Will carried his tray of eggs like they were made of gold and put them into the mini bus making sure they would not move about and break. Then with a wave to their new friends they drove away.
‘So, did you get to see all
that I did?’ Will asked as he drove along.
‘I did.’ Jericho answered. ‘I don’t know how you do it though Will?’
‘As I said before: I was in the right place at the right time and I know how to keep quiet!’
‘Seeing is one thing.’ Jericho replied and settled down to sleep. ‘Wake me if there is any trouble.’
Much to Jacob’s annoyance Will stuck to the roundabout route, to try to make sure they did not run into the clan. Jacob, with his fish cargo, was all for the direct route.
Ray looked out of his window in the morning and stayed there looking out of the window. There was a knock at his door.
‘Come in.’ He called without moving or looking at who was coming in.
The door opened and Donna walked in.
‘Will we be seeing Jericho and the other three for dinner tonight?’ She asked.
‘Should do.’ Ray answered without moving.
‘Good panoramic view is it?’ Donna asked when he stayed looking out of the window. She walked over to stand beside him and looked where he was looking. ‘You don’t see many of those to the pound, not round here.’ She declared.
‘The good thing is that it is out of our fenced area.’ Ray answered. ‘I was worried about the apple trees.’
‘What is to stop it going back in at any time, that fence won’t stop an elephant.’
‘I must admit I didn’t have elephants in mind when we built it but the wall will stop an elephant when it is finished!’
‘It’s a good job he likes those trees.’ Donna replied.
‘How do you know that it is a’- Ray stopped in mid sentence. ‘Oh I see what you mean.’
‘Women notice that kind of thing.’ Donna answered.
‘Is breakfast ready?’
‘It is. We are eating Scottish breakfast today.’ Donna declared.
‘Salmon?’ Ray asked.
‘No oats.’ Donna answered. ‘Very easy to make a lot of and easy to keep warm although the longer you leave it, the thicker it is likely to get.’
‘I think now is a good time.’ Ray declared and walked away leaving Donna watching the elephant.
‘Where’s Donna?’ Evelyn asked when Ray came out of his room.
‘She is watching the elephant from my window Evelyn.’ Ray answered.
‘She’s not!’ Evelyn declared.
Ray picked her up and carried her into the bedroom to show her the elephant. Blue followed them into his room.
‘Wow a real elephant.’ Evelyn cried.
Ray stood there for a few minutes, then passed Evelyn to Donna who held her and they both watched it together while Ray went down for breakfast.
Donna and Evelyn did not reappear before Ray went out with Jethro and the other builders to continue with the towers. The lower blocks were ready to fix to and they attached the wire to them using the same type of strips of metal they used on the wooden towers. When they drilled the top holes they did not use the hammer on the hammer drill to stop it from dislodging the blocks as the cement was not completely ready yet.
Ray kept watch and often threw a glance toward the area he had seen the elephant, in case it came calling but he saw no sign of it. They finished the towers and the wall on the tower nearest the compound was taken as far as they could take it. They used the remaining mortar to lay more blocks, until it was all used up. They filled the gap between the towers with a moveable gate but they designed it to take two men to drag it open and to close it again in an effort to discourage unwanted visitors. Now the road was blocked there could be no hiding from the clan now. If the clan came near they would know where they were and act accordingly.
That night they returned early to the compound. The next task would be to finish the wall between the compound and the tower by the road but it was the longest run of wall yet without a tower in it! As the land was fairly flat the towers either end could oversee the entire wall and warn them of intruders.
Jacob was grateful when they came to the roundabout where they had the first shootout with the clan and put his foot down; he had an appointment with a bath. They drove on and came to the gate with the towers either side. Jacob was only too willing to get out and help drag the gate open.
‘Looks impressive!’ He declared as they walked up to the gate.
‘It sure does.’ Jericho replied. ‘You go on up to the house Jacob and get rid of the fish.’ He added after they had opened the gate. ‘We’ll close the gate again.’
Jacob did just that but at the second gate he stopped. To signal and have the gate opened meant they would close it again and then have to open it again seconds later when the others arrived. He sat at the gates without making the signal. When the mini bus flashed its lights as it came up behind him he gave the signal and the gate started to open. He drove on up to the house, leaving the others to watch it close and make sure nothing unwanted came through the open gate.
The compound gates opened as he drove up and willing hands unloaded, as Jacob hurried into the house for a bath. He received several looks as he went past but no one said a word! They unloaded the fish but they had to be gutted and washed before they were frozen. Donna put some aside for tomorrows dinner; she thought it would make a change!
The others drove in and the gates closed; another day was nearing its end.
Ray went to find Will and found him relaxing while he read a book.
‘Isn’t that the same book you were reading last week?’ Ray asked and sat down opposite him.
‘Yes it is but I only read a little before my eyes close and quite often I have to go back a bit so I know what is happening, before I can read on.’
‘You had quite a day today!’ Ray exclaimed.
‘I did. If things hadn’t gone as they did you might be talking to an empty chair. As luck would have it they were not only stupid but they had their minds on something else!’
‘That would be Roberta.’
‘It would.’
‘How do you do it?’ Ray declared.
‘As I said to the others, right place at the right time and I can be very quiet, when I have to be. If they hadn’t chosen to come into the place where I was watching it could have come out very different. I would have definitely killed the first one the same but the others would have been a different kettle of fish.’
‘Don’t mention fish when I am near bye!’ Jacob complained.
Will smiled but said nothing.
‘Are you up for taking Bradley back with Brian tomorrow?’ Ray asked.
‘Yes, it is about time he went back there and they might have printed some more posters.’
‘I want you to take a letter to Gareth but make sure it goes into his hand personally!’
‘I can do that. Is the attack on the clan getting close?’
‘It is but I am not making anything definite until I have heard back from Gareth.’
Will smiled, he knew just what he would write in answer to the letter.
‘It is all in the letter; just don’t let any Mataharis get hold of it!’ Ray added.
‘I will put it into his lily white hand myself or die at the attempt.’ Will answered.
‘Well don’t go that far; we can always change our plans, if it does go astray.’ Ray exclaimed.
‘A figure of speech.’ Will explained.
The dinner bell rang for the second time and they both walked to the dining room. It was a bit like a school now and there were two sittings for dinner. They sat round the dining table eating, drinking a glass of wine with the food and discussing things in general.
‘Did you find what you were after back in your hamlet Jericho?’ Ray asked as they waited for their afters.
‘I did, it took a while but I found it. I found a few hand grenades, some plastic explosives and detonators as well.’
‘Where did you get them from?’ Ray asked, picturing his little hamlet with very few houses.
‘When they took Terry I went looking for them, I was still a little bit drunk and ther
efore I did not really care what happened. I saw some clan and followed them. They drove into the arsenal, so I stopped and watched.’
‘Obviously not the football pitch.’ Ray observed.
‘No. I saw them come out and drive off and drove in there myself, as they left it wide open! Took anything I wanted to take and drove home but I didn’t really feel any better by doing it. What will make me feel better is freeing Terry but I couldn’t remember what she looked like!’ He held up a picture of a young girl. ‘Now I will recognise her when I see her!’
Ray looked at her. ‘So will I now, if you aren’t around when we free her.’
‘Where am I likely to be then?’ Jericho asked.
‘It is a big stadium; you might be round one side when she comes out the other! At least I can tell her you were there to get her out.’
‘She will probably slap me round the face for getting drunk!’ Jericho declared and slipped the photograph back into his pocket.
Ray was deep in conversation with Will through the open car window when Brian walked out of the house with Bradley, when he saw the two coming he straightened up.
‘Soon be back with your friends Bradley.’ He declared. ‘Just remember there is always a place here for you with us if you want it.’
‘Once the clan are sorted out things will settle down up where I live and maybe we can get something like this going, especially if any of those girls what to come and help us!’ Bradley answered with a hopeful look on his face.
‘You never know Bradley.’ Ray answered.
Ray watched in awe as Will slid over from the driving seat to let Brian sit there; Bradley climbed into the back. He was more in awe as Brian drove down the drive at about sixty miles an hour, slowed to allow the gate to open and roared through it when it was. He walked back inside.
‘Will was in a hurry!’ Donna declared as she closed the wooden gate.
‘Brian was driving.’ Ray corrected her and walked on.
‘You’re not catching me like that! That was never Brian driving!’ She called after him.
‘Please yourself.’ Ray called back and headed for the dining room and breakfast.