Echo McCool, Outlaw Through Time

by Roger K. Driscoll

  “Well whadya know!” he yelled above the music. “You guys are brilliant!”

  By now, Tiffany and the others had appeared from the kitchen. If Nikki was afraid she hid it well.

  “I’ll kill the music,” Tiffany said.

  As she switched off the CD, Scott ushered Nikki across to meet Kevin.

  “We knew you’d like it, Kev,” said Scott, glancing at his watch. “But you’re not supposed to be here till half past.”

  Kevin pointed to Lee and Carl. “These two guys gave the game away. They told me about the party, and the kissogram.” His eager eyes now rested on Nikki. “Cor!”

  “You’ll have to wait a minute,” said Nikki. “I need to go to my car.”

  Kevin laughed as he threw his arms open. “No chance, love. Kiss first, car later.”

  Nikki turned to escape but a scowling Tiffany blocked her path.

  “Where d’ya think you’re going, Batface?”

  Echo grabbed Jason’s hand to take him out of the gewita, back to the conifers and the present time. He saw the tense, watchful faces of Kate and the others.

  “It’s been too long,” Ben was saying. “The Cobalts must’ve sussed it. We’ll have to go in and help Nikki.”

  Echo nodded urgently. “She is in danger.”

  “But Scott’s got a key to the chamber,” said Jason. “So’s Maxine. There are eight of them and twelve of us – thirteen if you count Nikki. I say we pile in, get one of those keys and open the metal door.”

  “The kid’s right,” said Ben. “Let’s do it.”

  “Guess we don’t have much choice,” said Kate. “But leave the tools here. If we use them as weapons we’ll all end up in jail. And you kids, stay here.”

  Two of the men pulled the coils of rope from their bodies. Others dropped the crowbars and croppers. Next moment they were all squeezing through the gaps in the conifers, then they charged together towards the front door. Jason and Echo had no intention of obeying Kate. They crashed out of the bushes and joined the raiding party at the rear as Ben threw the front door open. Everyone stormed into the hall. Kevin was chasing Nikki around one of the food tables. Scott, Maxine and Tiffany saw the intruders and took up fighting stances, as did the brawny woman and tall man. Ben surged forward, colliding with Scott head on, both men falling fighting to the floor. Kevin had given up on Nikki now and he launched an attack on Matt. Tiffany sprang at Kate as Lee grappled with Stuart. Echo let loose a flying drop-kick, slamming into Maxine’s stomach like a battering ram. Jason tried a scissor-kick on the tall man, striking him hard on the backside, but the man didn’t even react. Maxine was unsteady on her feet now, and three quick-fire punches from Echo sent her crashing to the floor. The brawny woman joined Carl in an assault on Kate’s other friends. Maxine lay flat out, gasping for breath, and Echo rolled her over to sit astride her back. Jason was facing the tall man now and he kicked him sharply on the shin. The man yelped and began to hop, clutching his leg in agony. Echo saw a large key in Maxine’s back pocket. She grabbed it, sliding it free. Tiffany charged forward, letting out a screech as she delivered a powerful knife-hand chop to the side of Echo’s head. Nikki came up from behind to shove Tiffany who fell over Maxine with a strangled cry. Echo went sprawling but held on to the key.

  Jason heard shouts ringing out as the front door opened, a dozen smartly-dressed people swarming in. He didn’t recognise any of them but could tell they were party guests, friends of the Cobalts, all members of the kung fu club. They joined in the fight with flying fists and spectacular kicks. Kate, Ben and the others did their best to fight back but now they were heavily outnumbered.

  Jason ran to the nearest wall, grabbing a shiny round shield and pulling it free. He returned to the scrum to see Lee and Carl unleash a further attack on Matt. With a cry, Jason crashed the shield between Lee’s shoulderblades. Then he tried another scissor-kick, hitting Carl in the small of the back. Lee spun around in anger.

  “I’LL BREAK YOUR FACE FOR THAT!” he roared.

  Jason avoided his grip, dropping the shield and sprinting for the front door, glancing behind to see Lee and Carl hurtling after him. He flung open the door then slammed it shut behind him. As he dashed for the courtyard he looked again over his shoulder; Lee and Carl were outside now, racing in his direction. He came to the courtyard then pelted towards the lane, his pursuers gaining on him with every step.

  They’re too fast for me, Jason thought as he entered the lane. When they get hold of me, they’ll beat me to a pulp.

  His head was spinning, the banks to either side swirling in the twilight as if inventions of his own, stunned imagination. He came to a corner, sprinted around it then screamed and slid to a halt. The noise of the engine, the green Land Rover coming straight at him, looming up with its headlights off, perhaps they were only dreams too.

  More friends of the Cobalts arriving, came a distant voice in his head. Party guests in the Land Rover.

  He froze for a moment as the wheels locked. Instinctively he put out his hands and the bumper struck his palms, the force knocking him to the ground, flat on his back. The Land Rover had stopped now, its engine still running, its front bumper above Jason’s waist. He lay there half-dazed as he heard the pounding feet of Lee and Carl, coming up from behind.

  I’ll pretend to be knocked out, he thought, closing his eyes. Then maybe Lee and Carl won’t hurt me, and neither will their friends in the Land Rover.

  Next came the crunch of boots, close to his head.

  “You don’t fool us, kid,” said Carl. “Now you’re gonna pay.”

  *

  Echo crawled away from the brawl. She dared to look behind. Tiffany and Nikki were scratching and biting one another, but Kate and her friends were getting the worst of it now. Echo hurried to the basement steps, running down, stopping outside the metal door. She put the key in the lock, turned it then grabbed the stiff iron handle, wrenching hard. The door creaked open but the chamber was in darkness. She remembered about the magic candle, and how she’d seen Maxine switch it on. Echo fumbled at the doorframe, then the wall, finding the switch and pressing it. She blinked as the bulb lit up and now the chamber lay before her, just as she’d seen it in the gewitas. She stared around wildly. The fireplace, the shuttered window, the tiger toy on the bed – they all were there. But she saw no sign of Jason’s sister. Echo stepped further into the chamber, calling Lauren’s name. No reply. She checked under the bed and in the bathroom.

  “I am a friend of your brother!” she cried. “I am here to save you.”

  She felt tears welling up; tears of anger and frustration. Though this was Lauren’s usual prison, the Cobalts had moved her to another place.

  *

  Jason’s eyes shot open as a hand grabbed his sweatshirt. A strong arm hauled him out from beneath the Land Rover, dragging him a couple of metres along the ground before yanking him to his feet. His body went limp as he found himself staring into the savage faces of Lee and Carl.

  Lee raised a fist. “I wanna smack him first.”

  “No!” cried Jason, struggling desperately to break free.

  He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. The Land Rover’s engine died and a door opened. In the sudden silence Jason opened his eyes, seeing in the twilight the outline of a leather-clad young woman.

  “Gonna hit that boy, are you?” she said, stepping down from the vehicle. “Bad idea.”

  “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” Lee growled.

  Then the driver’s door opened and a man with dark, spiky hair jumped out.

  Carl pointed wildly at him. “You’re trespassing. Clear off.”

  The spiky-haired man marched forward, fists clenched. Jason took a deep breath then let it out slowly, waiting for his pounding heart to settle.

  “I…I know you,” he gasped. “You’re Ben’s drummer!”

  “Ex-drummer,” said Guy. “But you’re near enough.”

  He and Deena walked up to within touching distance.

  “
And sure, we are trespassing,” Deena added. “But we’ve a good excuse.”

  “Some friends have been texting us,” Guy explained. “Expecting a bit of bother round here.”

  Deena’s tone became more threatening. “Let the boy go.”

  Carl laughed. “It’ll take more than some bird to tell me what to do.”

  Deena grabbed his hand, pulling it free from Jason’s sweatshirt. Jason backed away, stumbling and falling to the ground. Carl launched a punch at Deena. She ducked the blow, letting out a scream as she flew at him, her elbows and knees a wild blur as they struck him in quick succession. Carl counterattacked but Deena spun around, backheeling him in the stomach. He clutched his middle, doubled up, and Deena spun again to land a precision punch to the back of his neck. Jason sat up, staring in disbelief. Lee aimed a kick at Guy who blocked it with his forearm. Guy attacked in the same way as Deena, elbows and knees a rapid flash of motion, Lee’s fancy kicks and karate chops no match for him. Guy finished off his opponent with a backhand slash to the chest. Next second both Lee and Carl were lying out cold in front of the Land Rover.

  Deena caught her breath and helped Jason to his feet. “Are you okay?”

  “I… I think so,” he panted, hurriedly collecting his thoughts. “Thanks. You won’t remember me, but… but I was at the gig. You’ve got to go to the house, right now. There’s a big scrap, with the Cobalts and loads of kung fu people. Kate’s there too, and Ben and Matt and everyone. They’re fighting back but they don’t stand a chance.”

  “No worries,” said Deena. “We love a challenge.” She glanced towards the unconscious forms of Lee and Carl. “Guess we can’t run them over, even though we’d like to. Come on, we’ll shift them out of the way.”

  Guy tugged at her arm. “No, we’ll leave the Land Rover here and go on foot. That way we keep the element of surprise.”

  “Excellent plan,” said Jason. “And the Cobalts have got my sister, locked up, so we’ll…”

  But Guy and Deena had already set off at a run.

  “Hey, wait for me!” Jason cried.

  An instant later he was chasing after them, hurtling along the lane towards the manor house.

  – CHAPTER FOURTEEN –

  Hostage to Fortune

  It was time to leave the chamber, time for Echo to rejoin the raging fight in the hall. She rushed out and up to the top of the steps where she skidded to a halt, staring in astonishment at the scene of mayhem.

  Food, bottles and crockery littered the floor around the broken tables. Nikki was lying face down, the brawny woman standing over her, one foot on her back. Stuart wrestled with Kevin as Scott attacked Ben, striking right and left. Maxine had recovered and was on her feet, patting her back pocket, realising the key was missing. The tall man gripped Matt in a firm neck-hold. Kate’s other friends, the men in green shirts, were fighting a losing battle with Tiffany and the Cobalts’ party guests. From among the scuffling mass of bodies, Maxine spun around to point at Echo.

  “The girl in the hoodie!” she screeched. “She took the key!”

  But before she could make a move, the front door flew open to reveal three silhouetted figures. The fighting stopped abruptly, the furious din transforming into a sudden silence. Guy and Deena stepped over the threshold, Jason a pace behind.

  “Get ’em!” ordered a startled Tiffany.

  The brawny woman rushed forward with the tall man. Jason stumbled backwards in panic, tripping over the doorsill and landing on his bottom. Deena leapt up, spinning twice in the air before taking the brawny woman down with a diagonal knee strike. The tall man launched a savage jump kick but Guy blocked it with his shin then landed a hammer-fist punch on the man’s chest, following through with a forward elbow thrust. Echo saw her chance and performed half-a-dozen flick-flaks across the hall to strike Maxine with a two-footed kick, sending her to the floor in a crumpled heap. The sight gave fresh encouragement to Kate and her friends. Nikki scrambled up to make a renewed attack on Tiffany. Now free of the neck-hold, Matt teamed up with Ben in the battle against Scott. A spinning heel kick from Guy sent Kevin reeling backwards as Deena unleashed horizontal elbow slashes to flatten one man then another. Jason shot up and sprinted across to Echo.

  “We’ve got to get to the chamber!”

  “Already I have opened it,” Echo shouted back.

  Before she could say another word, Jason dashed away to the basement steps. Echo followed him down into the empty chamber to find him standing near the foot of the bed, looking desperately around.

  “Where is she?”

  “I know not,” said Echo, stepping up to him. “But together we may find the answer.”

  She took his hand, closing her eyes for a moment. A blast of light turned the chamber bright white. The sound of the fighting died away then the whiteness evaporated, the chamber coming back into sharp focus as the gewita began. Now the metal door was closed and Lauren was sitting on the bed, wearing a sleeveless flowered dress over a white tee-shirt. Echo and Jason spun around as they heard a key turning in a lock. The door creaked open and Scott and Maxine strode into the room, along with Tiffany who held the ferocious Rottweiler on a lead.

  Scott clicked his fingers at Lauren. “You, up, now!”

  Lauren frowned. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s Kev’s party tonight,” Scott explained. “None of our friends know about you. I wouldn’t put it past you to start ramming on the door, trying to get their attention.”

  Lauren made a face. “As if.”

  “You’re coming with us,” Scott said. “To the attic.”

  Lauren stared fearfully at the dog.

  “Okay, okay,” she said with a sigh, getting up from the bed.

  Tiffany held the dog at bay as Lauren walked past, Maxine taking her by the wrist. Echo and Jason followed the group out of the chamber and up the steps. The hall was silent and calm, in contrast to the fight that was destined to take place.

  “This must be earlier today,” said Jason. “This afternoon, probably.”

  Maxine guided Lauren to the nearest staircase, with everyone – including the dog – following them up to the top. Instead of walking onto the gallery, Maxine headed straight on and down a corridor. At the very end, on the right hand side, she came to a door secured by a huge padlock. Scott unlocked it then everyone followed him up two narrow flights of stairs to the top floor of Ravenstone Manor. Scott stopped at a bolted door on the landing. He opened it to reveal another corridor, its low ceiling sloping with the roof of the building. Maxine led Lauren along to a small door, pushing it open and switching on a light inside. Everyone had to duck their heads to enter an area of loft space with a boarded floor. Scott pointed to a coil of thin rope that lay beneath a cross-beam.

  “We’ll have to tie you up,” he said. “Just for a few hours.”

  Lauren glared. “Oh come on.”

  “Shut your face,” said Tiffany. “Or I’ll set Hector onto you.”

  “That reminds me,” said Maxine. “What are we going to do with that dog later? He can’t go in his cage now – the lock’s broken.”

  “We’ll put him in one of the outbuildings,” said Scott. “He should be okay there.” He pointed towards the cross-beam. “Right, Lauren, sit down.”

  The attic room seemed to close in on Echo and Jason, light and sound standing still for a moment as they slipped back to the present time. The gewita ended and now they’d returned to the chamber, the metal door open, shrieks and cries drifting in from the ongoing fight in the hall.

  “We’ve cracked it!” said Jason, making a fist. “Lauren’s in the attic, and she’s okay!”

  But Echo’s eyes were on the fireplace. “What of the device?”

  “The cassette recorder?” said Jason. “There’s no time for that.”

  “This may be our only chance.”

  Jason paused for a moment. “Guess you’re right – it’ll only take a minute.”

  They rushed to the fireplace, and the fleur-d
e-lis carving in the top right-hand corner.

  “We need to remember how Old George did it,” Jason said.

  He began to touch the small carvings around the fleur-de-lis, his fingers resting on one of the gargoyles. He pulled it free, with the steel rod attached. Next he removed one of the skull carvings to leave a tiny hole.

  “Here goes,” he said, breathing in deeply before inserting the steel rod inside the hole.

  Echo’s eyes glittered as the gargoyle clicked into place and the secret drawer snapped open. Jason grabbed the cassette recorder and lifted it out. With his thumb he pushed the eject button, the plastic lid flipping open. He pulled out the cassette then put the machine on the mantelpiece.

  “I think this’ll be safer with you,” he said, handing the tape to Echo.

  She put it in the side pocket of her trousers.

  “Guard it with your life,” Jason told her. “Once this fight’s over we’ll give the tape to the police, then it’ll be prison for the Cobalts! Okay – to the attic!”

  Echo turned to rush out of the chamber, but checked herself before taking a step. Standing in the doorway, fists clenched, was an enraged Tiffany Cobalt.

  “Oh yeah?” she seethed. “Gonna jail, are we?” Her green eyes narrowed as she fixed her gaze on the open drawer in the fireplace, and the cassette recorder on the mantelshelf. “What’s going on? What’s this about a tape, and giving it to the cops?”

  Jason shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Tiffany rushed forward, waving her fists. “You lying… ”

  Echo tensed, drawing in a deep breath. Before anyone could blink she sprang from feet to hands, flipping over to execute a well-placed kick, both heels slamming into Tiffany’s ribcage. Echo crashed to the floor with her. Momentarily dazed, Tiffany managed to struggle to her feet. By now Echo was up again, delivering a quick punch to her opponent’s chin. Tiffany uttered a loud groan as she staggered backwards into the nearest wall, her knees giving way before she collapsed to the floor. Jason dashed for the door and Echo hurtled after him, racing out of the chamber and up the basement steps. Tiffany recovered and gave chase, yelling and cursing.