by S G Read
‘That’s it leave me again Jericho.’ The girl screamed. ‘See if I care.’
It must have been like a knife being turned in Jericho’s heart but the others started to move back. When the men holding the girl relaxed and started talking between themselves Will struck.
He fired five shots in quick succession and all five men fell down. One moaned and tried to get up so Will squirmed forward and shot him with his pistol before he fell ungracefully on top of one of the dead men.
He rolled over and came face to face with the girl.
‘Hello Terry, Jericho has been looking for you.’
‘He has?’ The girl asked.
‘Yes he has. I’m Will, Jericho’s friend.’
Will cut the ropes which bound her but held her hand to stop her moving forward.
‘Just in case.’ Will said quietly tapping his nose. He raised his voice slightly. ‘It’s Will, they are all dead and I am bringing Terry out.’
‘Come forward Will.’ Jericho answered.
Will walked forward with Terry to where the others were waiting.
‘You didn’t take long to sort them out.’ Ray conceded.
‘It was uncomfortable where I was.’ Will answered.
‘And you are Terry: Jericho is here to find you.’ Ray continued.
‘So I hear.’ Terry replied. ‘I have a few things to say to him!’
The others looked at her and melted into the surrounding area, including Will, to leave the two alone.
‘So you finally came then?’ Terry declared standing right in front of Jericho.
‘I felt bad when you were taken alright. I know I shouldn’t have got drunk but I had lost my family to the plague.’
‘It certainly didn’t help me did it?’
‘I made a pledge when you were taken, to get you out of here and I have done it, so you can go and do what you want now, okay?’ Jericho turned to walk away.
‘Oh no! You don’t get out of it that easy Mr Jericho! You promised to look after me; remember?’
Jericho turned back. ‘Yes I remember and a good job I made of it.’
‘Well now you can do better, can’t you?’
‘Do you really want me to?’ Jericho asked.
‘Do you know how long I longed for you to break down the door and come in and rescue me especially just after that animal Jamal had his way with me? And now you have done it! I’m sticking with you from now on.’ By now she was crying.
‘Come here.’ Jericho said quietly and opened his arms wide.
Terry moved forward and flung herself into his open arms and he closed them round her.
‘Just don’t leave it so long next time!’ She complained.
Barry left Clem walking back to the others after killing the second man in the patrol; he slipped into the bushes and made his way quietly and stealthily round the building, passing Terry as he went.
‘Nice throw.’ Terry said as he passed him.
‘Thanks, you seem to be getting about well.’
‘I can do a fast crawl now.’ Terry answered with a smile. ‘Off to anywhere good it seems to be dead here now.’
‘Just though I’d have a look round the back of the school, if I had a back door I would make it into there.’
‘You go ahead; I’ll follow at my own speed.’ Terry answered.
‘Probably not much slower than the speed I move.’ Barry replied and moved on.
Terry watched him go then started after him. Despite what Barry said Terry was a lot slower than he was. He was in no position to get caught out, even though the clan were on their way to being beaten so he moved a little, then looked round to make sure no one was watching before moving again. This meant it took him some time to follow Barry. In between his own movements, he saw a man hurry from the school building away from the stadium and that was the wrong way for a man who was on their side. He stayed where he was and watched suspiciously. Another man did the same then he saw Barry slowly cross at another point going in the same direction. Terry changed direction to try to head them off by getting to the street they were heading for sooner by crawling up an alley. He crawled until he came to the alley but to crawl down there was to invite trouble. He hauled himself up a wall and got to his feet then walked the length of the alley getting weaker as he went. At the other end he peered round the corner but could see no one; his strength failed him and he slid to the ground. In front were a waste bin right next to a post box which afforded him some cover. He crawled over and lay down behind them, looking up the street where the men would have come out but his exertion had taken its toll and he fainted. Luckily laying there he looked just like a dead fighter and the men coming round the corner did not give him a second look.
Barry reached the corner of the building where the first two men he had seen had disappeared and peered round it. They were just going round the next corner and he moved to follow when they had gone, behind him he did not see the third man who was waiting to follow the others; but he saw Barry.
Dai and his party followed the tunnel and came out of it in the primary school. They walked outside, after looking round the school for the men without success, they looked left then right.
‘They could have gone any ware.’ Dai complained.
‘So what do we do?’ One of the others asked.
‘We search for them. I for one want to see the bastard on the end of a rope!’ Dai replied.
‘You three go left and we will go right.’
Barry moved along the wall to the other end unaware that he was being followed. The man following crossed the space and reached the wall then followed Barry, before the corner he stopped and peered round. He raised his pistol to shoot but thought better of it, he wanted to get closer. Barry looked round the corner and tried to see where the men had gone and saw a door on the other side of the street close. He crossed the street to be out of sight of anyone inside the house and pressed himself against the wall on that side.
The man who was following saw him go round the corner and followed. He peered round and saw Barry working his way along the far wall, ducking under each window and heading for the house the others were in. He took aim but Barry moved behind a tree growing out of the pavement. Not to be denied the man moved round the corner to be able to shoot and took aim again.
A shot rang out and Barry looked where the shot had come from to see Terry by the post box, he looked where the rifle was pointing and saw the man in a heap across the road. He gave Terry a thumbs up sign and moved on, wise to the fact that the shot would have alerted the fleeing men. The garage doors smashed open and a car leapt out of the garage, with Terry to the right they chose to go left, without realising that they were going past Barry. Barry fired at the driver. Terry adjusted to automatic fire and fired at the tyres until one burst. The car slewed into the wall Barry had just come round bounced over the dead man and stopped against the wall. The passengers could not get out on the passenger side and the dead man was blocking the driver’s seat. The back door on Barry’s side opened.
A man jumped out and rolled firing in Barry’s direction as he did so, Barry rolled out of the way and returned fire as he reached his upright position and the man fell dead.
Dai and the men with him heard the gunfire and hurried along the wall as the car crashed into the corner in front of them. They appeared round the corner as Barry shot the man who had tried to kill him and covered the remaining two men with their rifles and all resistance crumbled.
‘Well done Barry, I think this one is Jamal.’ Dai said with delight.
‘Terry helped a lot.’ Barry answered brushing himself down to rid himself of the dirt he had picked up when he rolled. ‘If it wasn’t for him I would have been dead.’
The others looked around for this Terry as they had no idea who he was.
‘He’s the one in a heap by the post box watching my back but he was injured in an earlier shoot out and should be in bed, not fighting another battle. We’ll take these two back via him
to see if he needs help and I suspect that it is quicker that way.’
The two men were dragged out of the car and their hands tied with cable ties before they were made to walk up the road towards Terry.
‘Are you alright Terry?’ Barry asked when they reached him.
‘I have been better.’ Terry admitted. ‘I think I am done, any chance of some sort of lift.’
‘I’m sure one of these fine lads will find a car and take you to the ambulance.’ Dai answered.
‘No ambulance.’ Terry replied. ‘But a lift back to the stadium would be a godsend or I might miss all the proceedings.’
‘Graham, find a car and take Terry here to the stadium.’ Dai asked. ‘Better still, if you drive round the back you can drive in through that hole Jericho made to save Terry walking.’
‘My pleasure Dai.’ Graham answered. ‘Don’t run off Terry I’ll be right back.’
‘Very droll.’ Terry answered and settled down to wait where he was.
The others walked on with their captives.
Graham walked to where two cars stood untouched and tried the house door which was between where they were parked with parking tickets on them. It was locked so he kicked it open. The smell emanating from inside was foul, so foul that he took a step back and used his handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose before he bravely entered. He walked straight upstairs and into the main bedroom where there were two decomposing bodies lying in bed.
‘I’m sure you were really put out with the parking tickets.’ Graham said to both of them through the handkerchief.
He searched the trousers which lay on the floor and found a set of keys then hurriedly retreated downstairs again. Outside he pushed the button on the set of keys to see which car flashed. It was neither but up the street another car flashed.
‘Anyone will do!’ He said and walked up to it.
The car started first time. He turned it round and drove back to where Terry still lay.
‘Come on old chap, your transport awaits.’ Graham said amiably.
‘Less of the old.’ Terry complained and stood up with Graham’s help.
Together they moved to the car and Terry realised how weak he really was now when Graham had to almost carry him the final part of the journey and let him flop into the back seat where there was more room. With his passenger inside Graham drove up the road as far as the main road, turned right, right again into the road which passed the stadium and drove as far as the hole. He turned and drove straight through the hole slowly to make sure no one opened fire on them but Dai was there beckoning him inside. He drove into the stadium and parked where they could see what was going on. To their left were the clan members all sitting with their hands tied with cable ties but that was all they could see. Dai walked over to where they had parked.
‘We are sending a car to bring back all those who want to give evidence against anyone here.’ He announced. ‘They have to go to the airport and explain, then bring them back so it might take some time.’
He walked away.
‘Do you want anything?’ Graham asked.
‘Some get up and go would be a help.’ Terry answered.
‘I’ll see what I can find in the way of pick me ups.’ Graham replied and got out of the car. ‘The horn works if you want something before I get back.’
‘I’ll try not to die before you come back.’ Terry answered and relaxed on the back seat. ‘At least it looks like I have stopped bleeding.’
Everyone sat around, talking and eyeing the prisoners, some with a lot more malice than others.
An hour later women started to file through the same hole that Graham had driven through, they passed the prisoners and were directed to the seating in front of the prisoners where they sat down. When they were all seated a short discussion between the leaders led to Ray standing up.
‘We are going to try the prisoners for their crimes against you and everyone they came up against, including some who did not live to tell the tale. I have been told that there is one more witness to come who is being patched up by Doctor Ralph as I speak. When he is present we will begin but remember, if you do not speak up, you may alter the outcome. So whatever your opinion, speak up and let us know what went on while you were here!’
He sat down and the three leaders who were present talked between themselves until the Sevenoaks group carried a stretcher into the stadium with Gareth on it. Ray stood again when he was helped to a seat. Simon sat next to him.
‘We will begin.’ He announced. ‘Bring up the first prisoner.’
In front of them was a hastily built frame for each prisoner to stand on so that he was clearly visible for all to see.
‘Anyone who wants to offer testimony please raise your hand.’ Ray asked and many hands shot up.
They listened to each grievance in order to give everyone a feeling that they had been party to the punishment, even if only the leaders decided what to do with the prisoner. After the last person had spoken they talked once more between themselves before passing sentence.
They had three options, one was to be hanged from a goal crossbar immediately, the second was to be put into the visitors changing rooms for a second hearing and the last was to be put into the home team changing room for a second hearing.
The first man was taken by the women he had treated contemptuously and they hanged him with two of them swinging on a leg so that he would die quicker. After ten minutes he was lowered to the ground and a bullet fired into his head to make sure. The rest knew what the worst outcome was after that. Anyone who had tried to help the women received a second hearing, those that had not died!
Slowly the group of prisoners decreased until only Jamal sat there waiting for his trial.
‘Jamal Malick come forward.’ Ray ordered and he was half dragged onto the frame.
It was the turn of the younger girls now and they reeled of what Jamal had done to them and he had enjoyed doing it. Gareth spoke for the first time when no young men spoke up and told of his treatment at Jamal’s hands. With his testimony others put their hands up to speak and had their say. When everyone had spoken Ray stood up.
‘Before you came here with your plague I had a wife who was pregnant, now I am alone. I will watch you die with a great deal of pleasure.’
He was dragged screaming for mercy by the same young girls and boys he had deflowered and as he hung there they swung him to and fro like a plaything until he stopped moving. He was not lowered down immediately but left to hang while the women and children were sorted into where they wanted to go to live or found their husbands if they had not already done so.
‘You look a sorry sight.’ A woman said through the car window, it was Debora. ‘Have you found Helena yet?’
‘Not yet.’ Terry replied. ‘But then I am not moving round much am I?’
‘I’ll find her and send her over to you.’ Debora replied and walked away again.
Ten minutes late Helena came running over to the car but it had to be a very careful reunion or it might have killed Terry.
A young girl cut Jamal down and shot him in the head. She passed the gun to the next girl who shot him as well and passed the gun on. Anyone who wanted to shot him, some not shooting him in the head but in a place which had offended them. Terry took her place in the line and shot him in both places.
‘I think he is dead.’ Dai said quietly. ‘Shall we bring in the digger?’
‘Yes but don’t fill the hole back in until we have sorted out the ones we have down below, we might have a few more candidates for a quick hanging.’ Ray answered.
Of the prisoners twenty were spared death. The women who were single or who had been made single had the chance to take a man as a partner, to help repopulate the country. The men they freed were charged with being faithful, they had to produce children and to keep out of trouble.
With it all sorted the people who were going with the Welsh contingent and the 303 fighters left with an open invite to visit whenever they w
anted to trade. The East Anglian four had found wives and friends but chose to go back with Ray and his fighters until they were ready to go and restart their settlement. The dead were sorted into their groups to go back for a proper hero’s funeral.
During the fight Gareth’s men had appeared and fought alongside the others. They had been out in London tracking down all the patrols they could find and killing them; there were no prisoners where they had been. Gareth’s men carried him away with their friends who had been rescued from a living hell with the clan. Finally Ray and his helpers were all alone.
‘Are we ready to go home then?’ Ray asked.
‘As I’ll ever be.’ Will answered. ‘I could do with a cup of tea.’
‘You will have to make it yourself, as the women and children are still down in Hastings.’ Jericho added.
‘We’ll get them in the morning shall we?’ Clem asked.
Ray nodded. ‘Are you all set to go Ralph?’
‘I am, the boys will be as pleased to see their mother again as I was.’ Ralph answered. ‘We lost six men and two women altogether.’
‘Two women?’
‘Yes we found them with their throats slit in the section under the seat but they did not die today, been dead a couple of days.’
‘We came in two days too late then!’ Ray declared.
‘For them yes but we did save the rest.’
‘Did they have husbands in the group they came from?’ Ray asked.
‘Both died when the women were taken and by all accounts they did not give any quarter when they were resisting the men who wanted them. Probably why they died.’