by S G Read
‘Can you get free?’ David asked.
‘I can’t but I can’t say about the others they are still gagged.’ Stevey answered.
At the far end Molly started squirming but Stuart did not have his head wrenched so he did not complain at all, even when her legs landed on him as she tried to pull her hands low enough to pass them over her heels to get her hands in front of her. She struggled and squirmed mostly on Stuart, as to go to far back meant meeting Tim’s bony frame. She continued until she pulled her hands in front of her. She ripped the tape from her mouth.
‘Pooh that was horrible.’ She cried. ‘Shall I do yours Stuart?’ She did not wait for him to reply but felt round for his face and ripped the tape of his face as well.
‘Ow.’ Stuart cried. ‘Hi mum, hi dad.’
‘You certainly get yourself into some odd situations, Stuart.’ David answered. ‘I am sorry the knight charging to your rescue was caught with his trousers down.’
‘That’s all right dad we didn’t see it coming either or we would have arranged back up.’ Stuart answered.
‘So what happens now?’ Molly asked.
‘Can you free your hands?’ Stuart asked knowing that her hands were now in front of her and she could use her teeth.
‘I’ll try.’ She answered and started gnawing at the plastic that held her wrists together.
They all waited with baited breath until she spoke again.
‘It is no good this stuff is stronger than my teeth.’ She admitted.
‘Can you get this rope from round my neck Molly?’ Stuart asked undeterred.
‘I’ll try.’ She answered, struggled to her feet using the wall to slide up and tried to step forward with her arms forward to locate Stuart’s neck but forgot her feet were still strapped together, tripped on Stuart’s foot and fell forward. She used her hands to cushion her fall but fell on Stevey.
‘Wow!’ Stevey exclaimed.
‘Sorry Stevey I slipped.’ Molly said a little embarrassed and rolled or him against the coal store wall before she tried to get up again.
She made it to her feet and moved forwards again using her feet to find the gap between Stuart and Stevey. Then she shuffled forward in a very ungainly way. She found the rope and carefully unwound it from round his neck and did the same for Stevey.
‘That feels so good!’ Stuart declared.
‘It is alright for you I have a pain somewhere else now.’ Stevey retorted.
‘I did say I was sorry.’ Molly declared. ‘It is dark you know and I am tied up you know.’
‘Where did she land on you?’ Stuart asked immediately.
‘A gentleman does not ask such questions.’ Wendy admonished.
‘What about a little boy?’ Stuart asked and David laughed.
‘Don’t you encourage him?’ Wendy warned.
‘Stand out of the way Molly while I get my hands in front of me.’ Stuart ordered and waited while she moved to one side then started wriggling to get his hand over his heels.
‘Don’t you fall on me as well.’ Stevey pleaded.
It took Stuart five minutes of wriggling in the dark but he ended up with his hands in front of him and started chewing the plastic.
‘Can I have a go now? Stevey asked. ‘My bum has gone to sleep.’
‘Okay I’ll slide up a bit.’ Stuart answered but in sliding sideways he met Molly’s feet and despite trying to stop from falling over she fell over Stuart again and landed on Stevey.
‘You are making a habit of it now!’ Stevey declared as she rolled off him.
‘Its all right I won’t tell Celia.’ Molly assured him. ‘I’ll stay sitting while you get free okay?’
Stevey went into the same routine and ended up with his hands in front of him.
‘Molly is right about this plastic I can’t touch it with my teeth.’ Stuart exclaimed.
‘Can you feel about where you are Molly and find anything sharp to use. You are close to where he blasted the lever which would have opened the door.’ Stevey asked putting his hands into a protective position.
Molly did what he asked and came up with a shard of stone that had a sharp edge on it.
‘Found one.’ She declared. ‘Who does what to whom?’ She asked.
‘I’ll use it to cut your plastic if you like.’ Stuart offered.
‘I’ll do it as she is next to me and she is a lot safer when she is sitting down.’ Stevey retorted.
He started on the plastic tie that held her wrists together with the sharp edge against the plastic and moving it one way then back in a sawing motion to free her hands.
Chapter 16
The police were first to arrive, they arrested Humphrey and sent him off to the police station and then formed a chain to get rid of the water until something else could be arranged. The fire engine arrived a little later and Dan showed them what the trouble was. They were able to pass a hose through the chute and they started pumping the water out to save a lot of work and they turned off the water main to stop more coming into the house. The water did not stop immediately but they knew it would eventually as soon as the cold water tank was empty.
They brought in light so that they could see what they were up against and tut tutted when they saw what the wall was made of. They looked at the problem until one suggested a hole where the lever had been in and effort to find what it connected to and then they could use it to open the door.
‘How much air do you think is in there?’ Sergeant Portland asked the leading fireman.
‘Not enough considering there are six people inside there!’ He answered. ‘The sooner we have an air line in there the better.’
The water slowed to a trickle and then stopped as the tank in the loft emptied. Now it made things easier and they brought down a large hammer drill with a chisel in it, to cut through the rock. It would not be quick as the rock the wall was made of granite and was designed to protect the people who were hiding in the priest hole.
Stevey sawed away at the plastic stopping every now and again to make sure he was still sawing in the same place and to feel if anything was happening. He was pleased when he felt a frayed edge when he felt it and it spurred him on. He worked away until the plastic was nearly through.
‘Can you break it now Molly?’ He asked.
Molly tried to break the plastic but failed.
‘Sorry it is still too hard.’ She answered, almost in tears.
‘What if we both pull on it?’ Stuart suggested and slid to the floor then they all shuffled about on their bottoms to move into the correct position.
‘I hate to say it but my bum is getting wet.’ Molly declared.
‘Is he flooding the place?’ Stevey asked in amazement. ‘He doesn’t want us to get out does he?’
They tried to break the plastic but it was no good and Stevey went back to sawing at it with the shard of stone.
‘My bum’s wet now!’ Stuart complained and Stevey started sawing faster.
Outside they started up the breaker and worked at making a hole in the wall, inside it sounded like an angry bee was trying to get.
‘What’s that?’ Wendy asked.
‘Some one might be trying to get in but the wall is very thick and is it me or is the air in here becoming distinctly foul?’ David answered.
‘I think that was me.’ Stuart replied apologetically.
‘I think it is more than that Stuart.’ David declared. ‘It is a little room and there are six in here.’
‘Seven actually.’ Stevey corrected.
‘Well only six actually breathing.’ Stuart re-corrected.
‘And with six breathing in this little space.’ David continued ignoring the two interruptions. ‘We are running out of air.’
‘Anyone got any ideas?’ Molly asked hopefully, while Stevey still sawed away at her bonds.
A complete silence descended onto the group save for the slight noise from the sawing Stevey was doing. They thought long and hard but no one had any ideas, apart from waiting until the r
escuers made a hole through the wall. The air grew thinner and thinner and they breathed as shallowly as they could. Molly felt her hands come free and massaged them.
‘Well I am free so if you give me the stone I will start on yours.’ She declared and the positions reversed with Molly sawing at Stevey’s bonds.
Outside of the priest hole they were having little luck, the chisel they had started with fell in half and they brought another one down to be able to continue with the work. So far the wall had been slightly dented. The shotgun had merely made the lever useless without making a hole.
‘Shall we try something else?’ A senior fireman asked.
‘Like what sir?’ His second in command asked.
‘We could blow a hole in the wall!’ He answered.
‘But there might be casualties.’ The second in command warned.
‘It is looking like we will lose all of them if we do not break through soon. Under that circumstance I see it as the lesser of two evils.’ The senior fireman replied. ‘But I will have to get permission from the super.’
‘If only the stone wasn’t as strong.’ The second in command complained not liking the other option.
The senior fireman went outside to use the radio so that no one heard what he said, while Dan waited on tenterhooks. He spoke at length giving his boss the options and the likely outcome, noting the time that had already elapsed but it was too big a decision for his boss. He decided to speak to someone senior and the senior fireman had to wait for an answer.
Inside Molly sawed away at Stevey’s bonds feeling it now and then just to prove it was doing some good and then carrying on. Stuart moved slightly to ease his aching bum and try to move from the wet patch under his bottom. It did little good and soon he moved it again in hopes of better luck.
‘Shh.’ He said suddenly.
‘What is it?’ Stevey asked.
‘I don’t know, a new noise but I can’t work out where it is coming from.’ Stuart answered.
‘It is probably them outside.’ Molly declared and continued with her work.
‘Shh.’ Stuart repeated and they all kept quiet. ‘Can you hear that?’ He asked.
They all strained to hear what Stuart could hear.
‘What that dripping noise?’ Molly asked.
‘Yes where is it coming from?’ Stuart answered.
‘Hard to say but it sounds funny.’ Molly exclaimed and they all fell quiet to listen.
‘It is water dripping on something hollow.’ David decided.
‘Of course!’ Stuart exclaimed. ‘Why didn’t I think of that before? They wouldn’t have a priest hole that meant they would just die of suffocation now would they, there must be another way out and that is where the water is dripping. All we have to do is to find it, open it and see where it leads.’
‘No easy when you are tied up.’ David exclaimed.
‘I’m not.’ Molly retorted. ‘Well my feet still are but my hands are free.’
The cable tie round Stevey’s wrist parted when he tried to break it.
‘So am I now!’ He declared. ‘I will try to find another sharp piece of stone and then start on Mr Sellars’ cable tie, you do Stu, Molly.’
Stevey felt around for a sharp piece of stone and then started moving towards David.
‘Just be careful where you put your hands Stephen!’ Wendy warned.
‘Only girls do that.’ Stevey replied.
‘I slipped; okay!’ Molly exclaimed.
Stevey did not answer but made sure he knew just where he was putting his hands, as he moved along. He found David’s hands and started on the cable tie.
The senior fireman walked back down.
‘They are sending out a squad to blow a hole through to try to get some air inside.’ He reported. ‘I did stress the urgency.’
The chisel started up again and they fought with the stone wall to get some air into the priest hole but the brick was hard and they soon realised the futility of their attempt. The chiselling stopped and the tool, which was now red hot was left to cool. All they could do now was to wait for the squad who were to blow a hole in the wall but at what cost?
David kept constant pressure on the cable tie, as Stevey worked and it parted quicker than the other two had. He took the stone shard and worked on his feet until they came free and then freed Stevey’s feet. He started on Wendy next as she was partly on top of him and freed her before freeing Pat. Now they could all move about except Stuart and Molly. Stuart’s hands came free but Molly let David come down to do his and her feet until they were all free. Now they all kept quiet to listen to the dripping but it had stopped.
‘Now we will never find it.’ Molly declared.
‘Find a puddle so that we can swoosh it about and try to find the trap door.’ Stuart ordered.
‘And if there isn’t a puddle?’ Wendy asked.
‘I’ll make one mum; needs must and all that but I wouldn’t sit down again afterwards.’ Stuart answered.
‘Uggh.’ Molly said passionately. ‘Still if it finds the way out, I need to go as well.’
They found their puddle and the water was pushed in different directions until they heard the same hollow dripping sound. The swhooshed more water in the direction that had caused the dripping and it increased. They found a metal cover and fought to open it but it had been there for some time. David stood up and stamped on it and then tried again. It made it move more. He repeated the operation until he heaved the trap door open but showered bones everywhere.
‘I think that was Tim.’ Stuart said quietly. ‘If only we had a light.’
Suddenly a light shone and they could see Stevey’s face, he had his torch in his hand but by now it was just a glimmer.
‘It is better than nothing.’ He declared.
They carefully moved Tim’s bones to a safe place before fully opening the trap door to look inside.
‘Fresh air.’ Stuart exclaimed. ‘Even that buys us time.’
‘Where does it go?’ Molly asked.
There was a pause while both Stuart and Stevey thought back to Apsford house.
‘Where does it go?’ Molly repeated.
‘If there is a cemetery near by it will go to that.’ Stuart answered.
‘Is there one?’ Molly asked.
‘We could ask Tim, if he was still about but he legged it when his uncle showed up.’ Stevey complained.
‘He did stop to untie the rope from round my neck or we would still be all tied up.’ Molly retorted.
‘And I wouldn’t be a eunuch.’ Stevey added.
‘What’s a eunuch?’ Molly asked.
‘Just ignore him Molly.’ Pat answered. ‘He is just being picky.’
‘Picky!’ Stevey declared. ‘She didn’t land on you mum!’
‘I said I was sorry didn’t I?’ Molly retorted with feeling.
‘Hold me and I’ll look to see what it is like.’ Stuart offered.
David looked at Stuart and then at Molly. ‘I think I will hold Molly down there to see what it is like as I will be able to pull her back in case there is trouble, you I am not so sure about.’ He answered.
‘I don’t mind.’ Molly replied.
Outside the squad arrived with the explosives. The area was cleared of anyone who was not needed down there and that included Dan much to his annoyance. The squad set up barricades to protect them from the explosion and then rigged up the charges where the door mechanism had been, to try to be able to pull the lever and get it open just as the others had thought. They ran a wire to the detonator behind the barricade and then all non essential personnel left. After a quick check on the radio, they fired the explosive charge. When the smoke cleared nothing had happened to the wall with the exception that a little more stone had been blown away.
‘That is some wall.’ The man with the detonator declared. ‘I think we will need more explosives.’
They hurried up as time was pressing and collected more PE4 to try again.
‘How much sho
uld we use this time?’ The second in command of the squad asked.
‘Enough! Time is running out. Some might be hurt if we over do it but some will at least be saved.’
They placed the explosives in the same place and added more round the door to try to shake it loose if nothing else and hid behind the barricade. The leader looked over the barricade at the explosives.
‘Maybe we should not be in here when it goes off?’ He suggested as they were closer than he wanted to the seat of the explosion. They retreated and the wiring to the plunger was extended to get them out of the coal store. Then when the plunger was reconnected to the wire the second in command looked at his boss who nodded and he pressed the plunger. They waited until the dust settled but a loud groan and the movement nearby made them not go in and look at the wall but run for their lives.
Chapter 17
Inside they heard the first explosion but it was muffled.
‘Was that the shotgun again?’ Pat asked.
‘Hard to say what it was so let us get down the tunnel as soon as possible.’ David answered. He held Molly’s feet and lowered her head first into the trap door. In her hand she had the torch to shed some light on what was down there.
‘It is just a tunnel.’ She called up. ‘And I can see an old lamp down there. Lower me right down and I will try to light it.’
‘What with?’ Stuart asked.
‘The matches next to it of course.’ She called back up as David lowered further until her hands touched the floor and she dropped down into the tunnel.
She lit the lamp with the matches she found and turned the wick up to shed more light. The others were lowered down feet first until there was only David left and he closed the trap door after him to stop Humphrey following them. As the trap door closed an explosion ripped through the priest hole and huge rocks fell down on it making it impossible to go back that way.
‘What was that noise?’ Molly asked.
‘Sounded like an explosion.’ David answered and tried to open the door again but it would not move. ‘Well I hope there is a way out this way.’ He declared and they started along the tunnel. ‘That way is blocked well and truly.’