by S G Read
'What do we do now?' Ben asked.
'Well the boss always tries not to get caught, so we try to make sure he does!' Sherman replied. 'We find a way to sneak this into his car so he doesn’t know it is there and when you get to wherever they are going-'
'I heard them mention a ferry but I don’t know which one.' Jenny exclaimed.
'Ferries mean customs!' Sherman declared. 'So you make sure the custom men know where the money is hid and give them a sample, say you just saw it fall out of his car or something. Thanks Jenny. Hey you’re bleeding.'
'She’ll live.' Simon exclaimed. 'I already checked.'
When they turned back Ben was nowhere to be seen.
'Where’d he go?' Simon asked.
'To plant the money I suppose.' Sherman replied. 'You know Ben. Always wanting to get it done.'
They watched carefully, saw the driver door of Silas’ car open, then the passenger door. The driver door closed, then the passenger door closed. Two minutes later Ben returned.
'Look what I found!' Ben said and held out two pieces of flat metal with markings which resembled the twenty pound notes. They were wrapped in an oily rag and put inside a carrier bag.
'They’re the plates.' Sherman cried. 'He’ll miss them! You have to put them back!'
'You’re the boss.' Ben said and slipped out of sight.
There was a pause then they saw the driver door open and close again.
'Did you remember to keep some money to show the customs?' Sherman asked when Ben returned.
Ben pulled out two twenty pound notes. 'I’ll ask them if it is real money and say it fell out of his car.' Ben added.
'Good, now all we have to do is find a way to get Stu and Stevey out of there in one piece.' Sherman replied.
While they talked Willie and Vernon were loading the lorry, when the lorry was loaded with all they were taking they brought out Silas’ spare wheel.
'Where do I put it?' Willie asked.
'Where it usually goes, we don’t want to draw attention to it, do we!' Silas replied.
'That must have some more money in it.' Ben speculated.
'Sounds like it.' Sherman replied.
They watched the men put the tyre in the car, they were ready to rush in, if necessary but they were not relishing the thought, as they had no guns this time.
'What now boss?' Willie asked.
'Well we have three to get rid of but I’m afraid there is no time for your type of killing, rogering them to death. You’ll have to do it some other way.'
'But I want them to suffer!' Willie complained.
'What even your own brother?' Vernon asked.
'Yes!' Willie declared. 'Even my own brother! Okay?'
'I was just making sure.' Vernon replied. 'With all that spirit down there, the place will go up like a torch.'
'Don’t mention Spirits to me!' Willie exclaimed. 'But the place would burn well and I know just where to put the two brats so they watch the flames without actually burning, until it all falls down on top of them!'
'Good.' Silas said with a beam of satisfaction. 'Torch the place and let’s go!'
Willie walked down to where the boys still sat, trussed up like turkeys and still gagged.
'Have I got something planned for you two?' He said proudly and picked Stuart up, as though he was a doll. He carried him to the sink. It was an old Belfast sink, china, very heavy and fixed against a solid brick wall which was the wall of the cellar but under the middle of the house, with the stairs running up in front of it. He sat Stuart underneath the sink, then walked back and carried Stevey over and sat him next to Stuart. 'Friends in life, so you can die together.' Willie quipped and started splashing the spirits around but making sure none went near the two boys. 'You are going to watch the place burn down round you and if you don’t cook before the place falls down round you, you will get very hot very quickly. I would have liked to have some fun with you two before I killed you but the French are going on strike tomorrow, so we have to go today. To get my own back I intend to find some French kid who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and do to him what I was going to do to you!' He struck a match and let it drop on the floor. The small flame started to spread. 'Bye you two- Hang on, I can’t have you going out quietly.' He returned and took of the gags. When he climbed the stairs it was to a stream of insults from the two boys but he ignored them and continued to climb. The door closed and they were alone with the cellar starting to get very warm.
'I think we are in trouble.' Stuart said quietly.
'I think that is an understatement.' Stevey replied at the same volume. 'I think we are in big trouble Stu!' He took the time to look at the flames, as they were creeping across the floor and up the walls toward the wooden ceiling. 'When the ceiling burns through it will fall on us and I don’t want to be here when that happens.'
They started fighting to get their hands free but Willie had tied them tight, he did not want them to get out!
Willie emerged from the house and used the remote to close the door on his guests. He took the time to look round the car breakers, before he moved further. 'I wonder where you are, you pretty little thing. Watch your friends burn and remember me because I’ll be back one day soon to show you a good time!' He said, as though he was talking to Jenny, unaware of all the children who were actually listening to him from their hiding places.
'Did he say burn?' Ben asked.
'Yes.' Sherman replied. 'He must have set some sort of incendiary device, to go of later.'
'What’s one of them?' Ben asked.
'A bomb which doesn’t explode, just bursts into flames and burns everything there!' Toby answered as though the question was meant for him.
'What do we do?' Ben asked.
'You do your job and follow Mr. Brent and make sure he pays the piper!' Sherman replied.
'He what?' Ben asked.
'Make sure the customs men get him.' Toby explained.
'Oh, we can do that alright. I’ll make sure J.C is ready to go.'
Simon and Jenny sneaked over to where Sherman was hiding.
'Good Simon, get ready to go. Find Ant, he was having a private conference over there somewhere last time we spoke.' Sherman said and pointed in a general direction.
Simon went off to find Ant and the rest watched the men get ready to go.
'Is everything taken care of?' Silas asked.
'Yes boss, the sooner we are away the better.' Willie replied.
'Fair enough, let’s go but remember to phone Louis before you have gone too far and he’ll arrange safe passage through the customs for you.' Silas warned.
'Will do boss.' Willie said, with his I know something you don’t smile and climbed into the lorry.
'Simon, where are you?' Sherman called quietly.
'Just here.' Simon said from behind him making Sherman Jump. 'I found Ant and we are ready to go.'
'Things have changed!' Sherman said decisively. 'You make sure they don’t make it to the ferry Simon.'
'How?' Simon asked.
'I don’t know do I! I am not the brainy one, Improvise!' Sherman retorted.
'What’s that?' Simon asked.
'It means you make it up as you go on.' Toby explained. 'Let their tyres down or something, then make sure the money is in plain sight and Call the police.'
'We can do that.' Ant exclaimed.
'Only if you can catch them Simon!' Sherman replied, pointing at the lorry as it drove away. When he looked back Simon and Ant were no where to be seen, they were heading for their bicycles, as fast as they could go but without being seen by Silas Brent.
'Do we go in and get Stu and Stevey yet?' Toby asked.
'We’ll wait until old Brenty goes before we get them out.' Sherman replied.
'Is that wise?' Toby asked, pointing to the building.
Sherman looked to where he was pointing and saw the same smoke Toby had seen.
'No bomb then he must have lit it but we can’t go until Brent goes or he
might change his plans!' He said thoughtfully.
'I could sneak in there and free them!' Toby offered.
'Okay, try that but make sure he doesn’t see you!'
Silas saw the wispy smoke and smiled, the three witnesses would soon be history. He climbed into his car and spent some time wrapping the plates ready for posting. He wrote the address on the parcel, then it was time to go. One last look at the house, which made Toby duck out of sight and Silas drove away, none the wiser. Toby slipped inside but there was no visible door to the cellar, it was such a tight fit wherever it was that no smoke was coming through it either. He pulled and pushed, kicked and banged with his hands but it was no good. He hurried back to where Sherman was standing. Silas was gone with Ben, J.C and Ben’s brother in hot pursuit.
At the end of the drive Silas turned right, drove through the village and headed for the nearest decent road. He did not notice a little turquoise van following him, or he could have put his foot down and left him miles behind. Silas patted the little parcel on the seat near him, it would earn him even more money when it arrived. He ignored the village post office and chose to go to a larger one to buy a stamp, one where he was not known. It would be a detour but a necessary one, the last thing he wanted, was to be caught with the plates on him.
Simon and Ant pedalled furiously to keep up with the lorry. At the end of the drive it turned left, it drove past the turning which led to Gordon Hall and started to pick up speed. It was soon out of sight but they kept pedalling as fast as they could. Round the next corner it had stopped in the layby near the phone box. They could see Willie in the phone box, as they slithered to a standstill. They ducked out of sight.
'I have a plan!' Simon whispered in a barely audible whisper and jumped over the gate into the field on the same side the phone box was on.
Ant watched him go and waited. Simon reappeared through the hedge near the back of the lorry crawling on his stomach. He took a quick glance to make sure that neither the man in the passenger seat or Willie could see him before he crept behind the lorry. He started to let the air out of the back tyre on the driver’s side. He did it slowly so that the man in the lorry did not hear, if Willie came back before he was finished they were likely to be left behind. Little by little the tyre deflated, with Ant watching with bated breath. The door to the phone booth opened and Willie walked out, letting it swing shut behind him. He stopped long enough to light a cigarette, then walked round the front of the lorry just as Simon withdrew his hand. The lorry started up and Simon slipped back through the hedge out of sight. Willie moved forwards about three metres then stopped.
'What’s up?' Vernon asked.
'Feels like a tyre is a little slack.' Willie replied and swung down out of the cab.
Vernon did the same to check his side, when his were okay he walked round the back of the lorry to where Willie stood looking at the flat tyre.
'A little slack?' Vernon declared. 'That looks a lot slack to me!'
'We must have hit a nail coming out of the yard, let’s put the spare on.' Willie ordered, he did not suspect anything, as it had happened to him before with his car.
They took the jack out to jack up the lorry, while Willie jacked it up Vernon took the spare tyre from the cradle under the back of the lorry.
'It’s a good job this didn’t happen to Silas.' He said cheerfully. 'His spare isn’t much good for driving on!'
Ant parked his bicycle next to the gate with Simon’s and walked down to where Simon was watching the two men. 'What now?' He asked.
'Well the police aren’t the quickest people to respond to calls, so we should phone them now!' Simon replied. 'Got any change?'
Ant shook his head.
'Nor’ve I.' Simon admitted. 'It’ll have to be a 999 jobby, what shall I say?'
'Anything, we just want them to come here and quick!'
Simon chose a convenient hole and crawled through. He slipped into the phone box and dialled 999, then squatted down to make sure he was out of sight of the two men. After confirming his location a voice asked. 'Emergency, which service do you want please?'
'The police.' Simon said gruffly and waited.
'Police emergency room, how can we help?'
'There’s been a bad accident on the Eastleigh to Wallingham road. There are bodies everywhere!'
'Can I have your name caller?'
'Get here quick or some of them will die!' Simon added for effect then hung up the phone. He crawled back to Ant. 'How are they doing?'
'They had trouble shifting the nut but they’ll soon have the old one off.' Ant replied. 'If they finish before the police get here, they’ll miss them!'
'They aint going anywhere!' Simon declared. 'When they fix that one they’ll find another one flat!'
'Then they’ll know someone is here!' Ant said tremulously.
Simon nodded. 'We’ll need to go like the wind on our bikes when they see it, or Willie will bash our heads in!'
Toby ran out of the house and met Sherman as he walked toward the house.
'I can’t find the door. It must be in the brick wall, even your axe won’t help, well not quickly enough anyway.' Toby reported. 'What can we do?'
Sherman turned to Jenny. 'Does the cellar have any windows Jenny?'
'Yes but Willie dumped cars on them. There’s one round the side with a van up against it and there is an old window with a metal grill over it under those two cars there.' She pointed to the front of the house.
'Got any ideas C.J?' Sherman asked, a little out of options.'
C.J looked round the car breakers. 'Did you say the front window had a metal grill over it Jenny?' He asked.
'Yes why?'
'I think I can see something which might help, can I borrow the axe in case I need it Sherman?'
Sherman gave him the axe immediately and C.J ran off. By now the smoke was coming out of various parts of the house.
Silas stopped at a post office near the coast and posted his parcel. When that was on its way he relaxed a little, climbed back into his car and headed for the ferry port. The little turquoise van was with him all the way.
'You are going to have to buy me some petrol so we can get home Ben.' His brother Charlie warned.
'No problem, I have some money with me.' Ben replied with a smile.
'Good, I’m up to my limit.'
'You’re always up to your limit.' Ben pointed out.
'I’ve got to live haven’t I?' Charlie replied.
'It’s a good job Minton Cruisers give you a few pounds to keep you afloat.' J.C declared.
'Do you want to walk J.C?' Charlie asked pointedly.
'If I don’t give you any money, we’ll all be walking and we can afford the train fare.' Ben retorted.
'Hey, he’s just turned into that yard.' J.C reported.
'That is the ferry terminal.' Charlie explained. 'Soon be time to do your bit Ben.'
Simon watched until the tyre was on before he squirmed through the hedge next to the front passenger side tyre. Again he started to let the air out slowly so that no one would hear him. It seemed to take ages. He heard the jack being lowered and watched the side of the lorry settle down on its spare tyre. Just as he had let all the air out Vernon walked round the back of the lorry and saw him.
'You little bastard!' He hissed and ran to where Simon was struggling to get out of the hedge.
Vernon raised his boot in the air and smashed it down aiming for Simon’s neck. Ant seeing what was going on, pulled on Simon’s feet as hard as he could and Simon slid back through the hedge.
'Thanks Ant.' Simon cried, then they ran to their bicycles.
They jumped over the gate in time to see Willie and Vernon running toward them. They pushed off on their bicycles and jumped on them, pedalling furiously.
'You two are dead, you little bastards!' Willie shouted after them.
'We know you killed Lenny Mole!' Simon shouted back.
Stuart watched the flames build up, the smoke grew and th
en started to pour out of the broken window, keeping it away from them but it was getting hotter and hotter.
'I think we have done it this time Stu!' Stevey said sorrowfully.
'If I have to die, I’m glad it’s with you.' Stuart replied.
'Thanks a bunch, if you have to die, couldn’t it be with someone else?' Stevey replied but this time with a smile.
'What are you smiling about? We are going to roast soon!' Stuart asked.
'I can’t help it! I just keep thinking about that song.'
'What song?'
'You know, the one from that film. Always look on the bright side of life.' He said singing one of the lines from it.
'Oh that one. Do you think it will help?'
'Can it hurt?'
'I suppose not.'
They started singing the words and adding the dah, dahs where they thought they should be added but remembering the words slowed them down a bit.
Chapter 13
Sherman looked round to see where C.J. was but he was nowhere to be seen. He heard a clanking noise and looked round. A large machine was lumbering round the cars, catching one every now and again and crushing whatever it hit. C.J was driving it, well aiming it.
'Oops, sorry.' He cried when he accidently caught a car. He drove the machine up to the front of the house and swung the hook on the front of the machine over the two cars which were blocking the front window. He was out of the cab at top speed and sliding a strap through the car at the bottom, round the top car and on to the hook.
'I’ll have to do both at once, no time to do one at a time!' He announced to those who stood watching in awe. 'Stand well back in case the strap breaks!' He added.
He raced back up into the cab of the machine and lifted the two cars off the grill that covered the window. As he swung round the strap did brake and the two cars crashed to the ground but they were well away from the window. With no strap any more he swung the hook back to the rusty metal grill covering the window.
'Hook it on!' He called.
Jenny was the first to move, she held the hook so it would catch the grill as it came up and signalled C.J. to raise it. C.J. raised it until Jenny dropped her arm then waited for Jenny to beat a hasty retreat, before he raised it further. There was a moment when they wondered if it would pull the grill off. There was a groaning sound and C.J. had to rev the engine up more. Suddenly the hook shot up in the air taking the grill with it. The grill could have gone anywhere but it landed back on the hook. C.J. swung the grill over to Sherman who lifted it off and dumped it on the ground. C.J used the hook to smash the window and frame to smithereens. With the window now accessible, Toby climbed onto the hook and waved it down. Sherman ran over, as Toby was lowered to hear what was down there.