Too Slow to Die

by Tony Jenkins

  The schools were on holiday and he had booked a three-day midweek break at a holiday camp near Penrith. After clearing his correspondence, he drove home to help Judy with the children. She was already packing for their early start on the drive north the next morning. After living in the French countryside, young Paul had picked up a surprising knowledge of the language through contact with the locals around the farm, as well as Hungarian from his mother, although his main language was now English. As the two small boys spent most of their time together, Leighton had now added a mixture of foreign phrases to his own vocabulary and Judy was concerned that it would affect his schoolwork. Jack was not as concerned because he believed that both boys were building a sound base to becoming multilingual.

  Early the next morning, they drove off with plans to take full advantage of the heated pool, wave machine and water slides. Judy had recently fallen and was still suffering back pain and was happy to relax with baby Samantha in the comfortable central atrium.

  The weather was warm and sunny and Jack hired bikes for himself and the two boys to explore the site and local countryside. Both boys had recently learned to swim in the local swimming club and Jack was happy to keep an eye on them as he sat on the side, out of splashing range and watched them play in the water.

  Chapter 7

  Consolidation

  The rail tracks had been shipped north up the Danube on large barges pulled by a motorised mother vessel. They were now stacked in the storage yard of the refinery and work had already begun to clear a level pathway for laying the track to the mine. Fortunately, the land between the mine and refinery was fairly flat and should not require extensive preparation. Although heavy machinery was used for most of the work, there was some requirement for manual labourers, which provided work for men from the local Roma community.

  As tracks were laid on the route to the mine, work was also begun at the refinery to build the structure, which would empty ore from incoming trucks and feed it to the processing area. An engine shed was also built to provide cover from the harsh winter weather for engineers servicing, or repairing the steam engine. V-shaped linking tracks were laid up to the shed to allow the engine to reverse, move forward, or change direction.

  As the line began extending steadily towards the Roma village there were no setbacks either with the terrain, or the Roma people. Larjos Farkas, the engineer in charge, was beginning to feel more confident that it would be completed on time and on budget. The steam engine had also arrived and was now being used to pull two flatbed trucks carrying rail to the front of the line for siting. Larjos calculated that the railhead should reach the outskirts of the village in three weeks’ time.

  After another day of track laying, the steam engine returned to the refinery and reversed into the engine shed for the night and its boiler fire was raked and cleaned out. Early the next morning with steam up, it moved slowly forward from its shed along the linking track to join the line towards the Roma village. The train driver first checked that the lever showed the points were still connected from the previous night and increased speed. Suddenly, the engine lurched and then shuddered as it was derailed, but somehow managed to remain upright although its front wheels had left the track.

  Climbing down from the cab, the engine driver walked across to the points lever and found that it still showed the connection to the engine shed. Larjos Farkas came running over to look for the cause of the derailment and was furious to find that it was deliberate. Someone had changed the points to seal the entry to the engine shed, dismantled the lever and replaced it to make it appear that the points to the engine shed were still connected. Heavy lifting gear would have to be brought from Budapest to raise the engine and the damaged track would need replacing.

  Flatbed trucks were already loaded with rails and waiting to be hauled along the line for extending the railhead, but without the engine, the work was stopped. Farkas was convinced that the damage must be the work of the Roma. It only required points to be switched and bolts undone to refit the lever, indicating that the rails were still linked. Some of the villagers had already moved away to escape the noise and dust from the mine, but those who remained were determined to get the line diverted to protect their homes, or receive compensation for the loss of their houses. Farkas knew that his bosses would agree to neither of these options and he would have to improve security to protect the line as it progressed through the village.

  When he was told about the derailment, Demeter quickly arranged another meeting with Boldo, who arrived at his home and was again accompanied by his silent Romanian visitor. Knowing the attitude of his fellow board members, he hoped to persuade Boldo to restrain those hotheads who wanted to cause trouble, which was bound to bring harsh reprisals from the government. Hungary badly needed foreign exchange income and the government would not tolerate obstruction by anyone, let alone a small group of Roma.

  “Do you know that someone has derailed the company steam engine by changing the points, Boldo?”

  “We have heard that it will not move along the rails and my people are being blamed, but I do not know if that is so. Many of my people are not happy about the noise of the mine and the rails which are coming to destroy our village. Some are already moving away from Dunakeszi, but I do not know if perhaps some of them did this before leaving.”

  “If that is so Boldo, then those who remain will suffer. I have spoken with Larjos Farkas, who has reported to Budapest that work on the rail line is stopped until the engine can be lifted back onto the line. I am only one against five government members on the board and they will decide what happens, whatever I say.”

  “My people are very unhappy that the mine has come and they will be angry if they are forced from their homes when they are crushed by your machines. I will tell them what you say, but I do not know if they will listen now.”

  “It might be possible to move rails by pulling the trucks along the line with horses and your people have dozens. If they help to keep work on the line going, perhaps I can persuade the other directors to accept that the engine was derailed by those who have now left the village.”

  Hearing this offer, Boldo looked at his colleague, who shrugged his shoulders, but gave no other indication as to his opinion. Demeter wondered just how much Hungarian the man could understand. Boldo agreed to talk to his people, but seeing the resigned expression on his face, Demeter had little hope that help would be provided as he watched the two men drive off. He had done all he could and it was now up to the Roma to cooperate, or face the consequences. Farkas was furious about the engine derailment and wanted to retaliate by immediately sending bulldozers into the Roma village to clear space for the rail line. Demeter managed to persuade him to wait and give Boldo a chance to organise teams of horses to move the rails.

  As he drove back to his village, Boldo listened as his friend told him what must be done next and although he was concerned about taking such drastic action, he reluctantly agreed. A meeting of all the villagers was called and for over an hour they listened as the Romanian visitor convinced them that it was time to make a stand and force the government to give them equal treatment with other citizens. If they followed his directions, none of them would be arrested, or charged with any offences. The following morning, the teams of horses did not appear, nor did the Roma men who had been working at the mine, rail track, or refinery. Anxious to know what was happening, Demeter and Farkas drove to the Roma village and found that every house was empty. All the people and their horses must have left during the night.

  Although furious that he would not be getting horses to move his rails, Farkas was relieved that at least now he would avoid facing angry Roma as he began to clear a path through the village. As they were walking around the empty houses, Demeter received a telephone call from the foreman at the mine to report that there had been a break in during the night. He asked if anything had been taken and felt a cold chill when he learned that two boxes of explosives and detonators had been stolen.
The situation now looked as though it was running out of control and there could well be serious injuries, or even fatalities. He decided that it was time to update his friend Jack about the first indications of a Roma campaign to disrupt the Hun-Al mine operations. He knew that there had been attacks on some of Jack’s security men in Liverpool, but his friend was sure that precautions taken would prevent further incidents and he was prepared to fly to Hungary if he was needed.

  Chapter 8

  Vengeance

  After his promotion to sergeant-major on his return from the expedition to Budestin village in northern Romania, Dinescu thought for the first time that he felt grateful to the Tigani people, who for him always seemed to be either begging or stealing. Pleased with the way he had dealt with the troublesome villagers at Budestin, his superiors had shown their gratitude by giving him his promotion. After fifteen years of service, he was proud of his progress after being recruited as a barely educated farm worker.

  He had been trying to sell his car and replace it with a more modern and reliable model, but after weeks of offering it for sale on the barracks noticeboard, he had no enquiries. Anxious to sell before it cost him even more money in repairs, he decided to place an advertisement in the local newspaper. He received four replies, of which three were near the barracks and one required him to take the car outside Bucharest to a farm near Lake Pantelimon.

  After showing the car to each of the nearest contacts, the poor condition of the bodywork and noisy engine resulted in three negative responses. Even when he reduced his asking price they were still not interested. Reluctantly, Dinescu was forced to agree to meet Mr Butaco on his farm, who was looking for a cheap, but reliable car. If he agreed to buy the car, the farmer told Dinescu that he would drive him to the town of Pantelimon, which had a good rail link to Bucharest. He also suggested bringing the car with a full tank of petrol as part of the deal.

  Dinescu was able to use his free time on Saturday to make the drive to the northeast from the barracks and was glad that it was a fine day to help in finding his way. The farmer had given him very good directions, but after making a wrong turn he stopped to speak to a group of workers in a field and was given more directions to the isolated farm. Finally, he reached a crossroad and saw a signpost with a new board indicating the dirt track to the Butaco farm. There were potholes and stone outcrops in the rough track, which ran for at least a mile through neglected fields before the farm buildings became visible.

  The farmer was outside working on a newly raked plot beside a large barn. When he saw the car approaching, he waved and began walking towards the farmhouse. Dinescu parked the car and then shook hands with the farmer, who invited him inside the kitchen for coffee. The farmer was wearing a woolly cap pulled down over his forehead and ears and a faded anorak. He was bearded and had a bushy moustache. He walked very slowly and Dinescu guessed the man was in his early fifties. He complained that the winds could get very cold in this flat and open area and it badly affected his ears. After inviting Dinescu to sit down at a table, he bustled around behind him as he was making the coffee.

  Suddenly, Dinescu felt a hard blow to the back of his head and everything went black as he collapsed to the stone floor unconscious. When he awoke an hour later and opened his eyes, he could see grey clouds passing above him in the sky and found that he was lying on his back in some sort of trench in the earth. He could move his legs, but his arms were tightly bound to his side. Looking around, he saw that the earth walls around him were about four feet high and only slightly wider than his shoulders. Apart from an aching head, he had no other injuries and no idea why the farmer had attacked him, unless he wanted to steal the car.

  There were some small stones in the earth beneath him, which were digging into his back and he used his legs to try to lift his body and move them sideways. After some minutes of lifting and nudging, he managed to move most of the bigger stones across to his sides, but he was exhausted by the effort. The farmer suddenly appeared above him and Dinescu saw he was holding an old wooden door in his arms.

  “What is this all about Mr Butaco and why have you tied me up in this trench?”

  He received no answer from the farmer, who callously dropped the door on top of the soldier. It fell on his face and body, so that he was stunned momentarily by the heavy blow. Reopening his eyes, he began to panic as he found that he could no longer see the sky and was in darkness, apart from some dim light seeping past the sides of the door. Next, he heard the rattle of more stones and earth thrown down as they fell on the door above him. As the work continued, the light no longer permeated through and he was left helpless and in complete darkness. He realised he was being buried alive and he began to shout and scream as he pleaded with Butaco to let him out.

  On the remote farm, only his captor heard his screams, which had no effect on the man shovelling down earth to completely fill the trench and bury Dinescu. Once the earth was level with the top, the surface was carefully raked over to match that of the recently dug surrounding plot. The heavy earth filling reduced Dinescu’s screams to a faint murmur and as the air under the protecting door was used up, that too would eventually stop. After looking carefully around to be sure that there was no indication of the pit lying beneath the surface, the man walked back to the farmhouse.

  Inside the house, he made his way down to the cellar where the real farm owner Butaco was tied up and blindfolded. The thick stone walls would have made it difficult for Butaco to hear the conversations in his kitchen and he had carefully said very little to the soldier. It was unlikely that he would hear the screams from Dinescu in his burial pit and he had cut the phone line to the farm. He spoke to the farmer.

  “You will find a kitchen knife on your right hand side so that you can use it to free yourself. You must count slowly to one hundred before searching for the knife and you will then save your own life. If you do not wait, remember that I may be watching and I will then slit your throat from ear to ear. Do you want to die?”

  The farmer shook his head vigorously and muttered through his gag. Satisfied that the man would do as he was told, the assassin walked out to the shabby Dacia car and put his knapsack on the passenger seat. After checking that there were no strangers, or vehicles in sight, he removed his woolly cap and peeled off the false beard and moustache, which he bundled up with the faded anorak and tossed into the back of the car. He then began his journey to the far side of Lake Pantelimon and parked near the shore. After carefully checking that there was no one in sight, he opened his knapsack, pulled out walking boots and outdoor clothing and put them on. He had deliberately parked in a deserted area and he then used a tube to siphon petrol from the tank into an old jerry can.

  After throwing petrol over the inside and outside of the car, he reached inside and picked up the old anorak, which he also soaked with petrol. There was plenty of driftwood lying at the lakeside and he found himself a long branch and tied the anorak to its end. Taking no chances, he first lit some dried grass and twigs and used the fire to ignite the anorak, before using the branch to toss it at the car. With a roar, the car exploded into a fireball and although he had flung himself to the ground, he still felt the blast of hot air. Satisfied that his mission was completed, he began the long walk to the nearest railway station for his journey back to Bucharest.

  He could easily have killed Dinescu in the farm kitchen, but he had carefully planned to have his prey completely off guard so that he could overpower him and then make him face a lingering death. After earlier touring the chosen area, he had identified the remote farm and discovered that Butaco was an old man who was well known, but independent and living on his own. Once he had arranged for Dinescu to drive to the farm, he had taken a bus to the nearest village and then made the long walk to the farm. After knocking on the door, he had pushed Butaco inside, overpowered him and tied him up in the cellar. He then dug up a sizeable area alongside the barn, as well as the deep grave for his victim. Newly dug soil for the grave would have bee
n conspicuous and he had dug over a large area to make it blend in until the soldier had died. He doubted that the body would ever be found.

  Dropping the wooden door on top of his victim had provided an air pocket beneath, which avoided having him quickly suffocate when the trench was filled with earth. Butaco might not bother to report his confinement in his cellar to the police, since neither he, nor his property had been harmed and his phone line had been cut. If he did make a report, Butaco would describe his attacker as a bearded old man and he would not have seen the car or Dinescu. He would wonder why some of his land had been turned over and raked, but might not mention it to the police. If the farmer did tell the police that some of his land had been dug over, there was little hope of rescue for the buried soldier.

  The burning car would certainly be noticed and reported to the police at some point. When it was identified as belonging to Dinescu, who would have been reported missing, it might be assumed that he had been killed. Any search for his body was more likely to be in the lake area near the burned-out car. If the police linked the farm incident with the burned-out car, the only possible clue to Dinescu’s grave was the newly dug plot at the farm and it would by then contain his dead body.

  Inside his dark hole, Dinescu tried to contain his flaring panic and, after a tremendous struggle, was able to slowly raise his knees and lift the wooden door and earth above it, which was not yet compacted. The earth on the surface rippled gently, but there was no one to see it. The farmer found that his house phone would not work and angered by his confinement, he decided he would walk to the nearest house to contact the police. In his haste to make his complaint, he hurried from his house and failed to notice the newly dug plot near his barn. At the end of the long lane leading to his farm, he was surprised to see a new sign with Butaco on it and assumed that local officials had placed it. When he eventually returned home after telephoning the police from a local store with details of his brief imprisonment, he was convinced that his long walk was a waste of time and effort, since the police seemed to think it was some sort of prank.