by Ray Smithies
‘Can I see some of your work while I’m here?’
‘You can have a look tomorrow, Brigit. I keep everything in the shed out the back, but it’s too damn cold to venture out there at the moment.’
After we’d finished dinner Hamish brought out some port to drink by the hearth. Brigit also enjoyed a glass as the three of us sat by the open fire, which continued to cast its hypnotic spell of heat and flames. What better way to idle your time away on a cold winter’s night, I thought. My thoughts went out to Emily, for I knew she would be worrying. Perhaps a further attempt to reach her by mobile was in order. I dialed the number and as to be expected there was no signal. I would try again later.
‘Why don’t you try the landline, Tom,’ suggested Hamish.
‘Very well.’ I picked up the phone. ‘The line’s dead. Nothing.’
‘Maybe this approaching storm has something to do with it,’ said Hamish. ‘I better check outside before the rain hits.’
At that moment Cain and Abel stirred ever so slightly. A slow, deep, muffled growl could be heard coming from Cain, but the two continued to lie on the mat.
‘They only react this way when we have visitors and I’m not aware of anyone else coming here tonight,’ said Hamish.
The growls intensified. With ears alert, the Dobermans had their heads tilted at forty-five degrees. Knowing someone was approaching the cabin, Hamish walked toward the window and peered through the glass pane, but the darkness of the night offered no movement in return. Both dogs were now on their feet and were waiting at the door for their master to give the command. Brigit and I remained by the fireplace as Hamish ordered his dogs to stay prior to opening the front door. Hamish turned on the porch light, stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Through the window I saw Hamish standing on the verandah, looking into the darkness of the night. A quarter-moon provided little light from behind the clouds. The landscape reflected only black and varying shades of the darkest grey. The weather was deteriorating and it would be difficult to make out the shape of someone approaching.
‘Anyone out there?’ yelled Hamish as the wind let out its first indication that a change was imminent.
No reply. He called again but to no avail. Whatever was out there had decided to stay put. The dogs were now in a frenzy behind the closed door.
Hamish came back inside and with a worried look loaded two shotguns.
‘I hope you know how to use this,’ he said to me, ‘because there’s something very wrong out there. Judging by the dogs’ reaction my guess would be a person is out there and not some stray animal. By the way, the landline’s been cut.’
‘Maybe it’s these drug people. But how would they know of this place?’ asked Brigit.
‘I’m going to release the dogs to hunt them down,’ Hamish said. ‘Tom, grab that torch so we can see where they go.’
‘I’m coming too,’ said Brigit.
‘No bloody way. Stay indoors for your own good,’ Hamish instructed.
He opened the door and upon his command “hunt” the Dobermans tore into the darkness with exceptional speed. Our torch followed the dogs’ route, which was in the direction of the gravel roadway leading down to the entrance. Cain and Abel suddenly stopped halfway down the drive and, uncharacteristic of their breed, began to pace in circles trying to pick up the scent.
‘These bastards have spread a trail scent,’ fumed Hamish.
At this point the dogs went their separate ways, with Cain trailing a scent down the east bank toward the first dam and Abel concentrating on the immediate area but still appearing confused as to the correct path to take. Growling, then whimpering, Abel’s nose led her on three different short trails, but with each diversion she returned to the same position. The poor bitch was utterly and totally confused. Her whimpering was more out of frustration than vengeance. Then the unthinkable happened.
We heard a loud yelp from Cain’s direction. With the torch now facing the east bank, Hamish and I hurried toward the animal sound that had now become more of a faint whine. The beam of light finally picked up the outline of Cain’s body lying still upon the icy grass. Hamish dropped down on all fours to check the condition of his beloved pet and companion.
‘He’s alive, thank God. I can still feel a pulse. They’ve used a tranquilising gun to silence him.’ Hamish pulled out the dart and passed it to me. ‘I’ll carry him back to the fireplace for some warmth and then we’ll see what Abel’s up to. My guess is these cowards won’t come forward until both dogs are out of the way.’
Having taken care of Cain, Hamish returned to my side and we walked toward the sound of Abel’s continual frustration.
‘Go get ‘em, girl!’ called an insistent Hamish, encouraging his second Dobe to locate her prey.
Abel looked up at her master with kindly eyes that seemed eager to please, but the numerous trail scents had only made her task more difficult. She whimpered back to Hamish as if to say ‘I won’t let you down but give me more time’. Abel continued to march up and down the same paths of scent that would lead nowhere; her predictability would become her downfall.
A dart caught Abel in the hind leg. She gave a yelp, but her sudden movement dislodged the piercing arrow that had not quite found its target.
‘Come out and fight, you bastards!’ shouted Hamish angrily.
The bitch now became obsessed with locating the intruder. In a frenzy of ferocious growls, she entered previously unexplored territory in search of her invisible prey. A second dart hit the dog squarely in the back, resulting in a yelp that seemed louder than Cain’s encounter. Hamish reached Abel first; she was barely standing but still determined to find the intruder to the bitter end.
‘Easy, girl,’ said Hamish, comforting her while removing the dart.
He carried his second unconscious Dobe into the cabin and laid her down in front of the fire. I quickly followed up the rear, not wanting to remain outdoors to become a prime target for these thugs. I shut and locked the door behind me. In my attempt to help Hamish I had unknowingly knocked my mobile from its side holster. It was gone, at the mercy of the elements and the intruders.
Hamish’s face was a mixture of sadness and revenge. He turned off all the internal lights but maintained the well-lit verandah flood lamp. He turned. His voice was stern and deliberate.
‘These people need to be taken care of, even if it means using these shotguns.’
With loaded shotguns Hamish and I took up our position at the front windows. The darkness of the living room emphasised the brightness beaming from the outside floodlight. For the moment I felt the advantage was distinctly ours. In a nervous state, Brigit maintained her position beside the warmth of the open fire. We heard no unfamiliar sound from beyond the cabin and couldn’t hear the intruders. The wind had strengthened, indicating the storm was not far off.
Hamish broke the silence.
‘Judging by the angle the dart went into Abel, it’s fair to say our intruders were up a tree.’
‘But which one? There are so many,’ I responded.
‘Probably in that cluster halfway down the driveway -’
‘Look, Hamish! Straight ahead!’
We saw the sudden flash of a torch some forty metres from the verandah, at the base of a group of trees beside the gravel driveway. A second torch, at around the same distance but to our right, responded with an identical sequence of flashes. Both lights then ceased communication. A minute went by and again the torches repeated the same routine, about ten metres closer.
At that precise moment I saw the headlights of an approaching car coming up the driveway. What now? Could this be the syndicate’s backup henchmen? Or perhaps the police from Pedley. I desperately hoped for the latter.
‘Where did those bastards go with their torches?’ called Hamish.
‘God knows! They could be anywhere now. Hope you’ve got enough ammo, Hamish.’
‘There’s enough ammo, Tom. For Christ’s sake, stop panicking!’
‘Okay, you two, enough of that bullshit. Keep focused on the outside,’ said Brigit from beside the hearth. ‘It sounds like that car’s come to a halt. Better pray it’s the good guys.’
I peered through the lounge window. ‘It’s the police,’ I said with much relief. ‘But we need to warn them about the trouble outside.’
~ * ~
Darren Burke and Chris Martino parked the car about twenty-five metres from the verandah and stepped out. From the partially opened doorway of the cabin Tom yelled out a warning. They gave him a welcoming wave. Tom yelled a second time. The message finally registered and by instinct Burke and Martino’s training skills came into play. Back to back, they walked cautiously toward the verandah with guns poised, ready for the unexpected.
A torch signaling two flashes of light twenty metres away caught Martino’s attention. He informed Burke of his observation and a second torch from his superior’s side beamed back an identical message. They had progressed ten metres closer to the cabin and there was still no visual presence of the men. They heard approaching footsteps, but without the aid of a torch it was difficult to pinpoint where they were coming from.
‘Halt or I’ll shoot!’ called Burke.
The sound of footsteps on ice-covered grass came out of the darkened backdrop. Something resembling a ball and chain was thrown at Burke’s feet and wrapped its metal tentacles around his legs. He fell to the ground, not so much from pain but from the unbalanced state he had found himself in. Unfortunately his predicament was about to escalate. Without warning two electrodes affixed with small barbs, each positioned at the end of their respective long conductive wires, grabbed onto his jacket. A temporary high-voltage, low-current electrical discharge shocked Burke and he remained slumped on the ground in a daze. The electric shock was brief but the electrodes had done their damage. His muscles began to twitch uncontrollably and his body was transformed into one total muscle spasm. His face was etched with extreme pain. He would be completely disoriented for at least the next ten minutes.
Martino was aware of his sergeant’s predicament, but had no idea what had happened. Burke’s assault had been swift and silent and he had no clue about where the assailants were or what weapon they had used. Darkness indeed favoured the aggressor tonight and the young constable sensed he was possibly outnumbered after receiving no verbal response from Burke. He heard the approaching footsteps as the circle was tightened. Clearly the situation had become a case of self-defence and it was made more difficult by Martino not knowing where to aim his gun into this circle of obscurity. He fired a random shot into the air, which made no impact on the advancing footsteps. The syndicate was hell-bent on immobilising their foe in uniform before action could be taken to abduct Brigit.
~ * ~
‘What the hell was that?’ I asked Hamish.
‘These guys have taser guns that release an electric shock from long conductive wires. They’re not lethal but the pain’s intense and can leave a person completely disoriented for up to fifteen minutes if the shock’s maintained for more than three seconds. The bastards probably picked them up through the black market.’
I could no longer allow myself to stand and watch this crisis unfold without at least trying to assist my friends in the force.
‘Chris, I’m coming over to help!’ I called from the verandah door.
‘No way, Tom!’ Martino yelled back. ‘Grab Brigit and get out of here! I’ll keep them at bay while you make your escape. Go now and hurry!’
The rain had arrived, steady at first but steadily increasing its drenching load upon the Peterswood countryside. The approaching thunderstorm was becoming intense, emphasised by the constant display of sheet lightning drawing nearer. Tonight would be a violent spectacle; nature was about to unleash its heartless and random destruction.
Then, as we watched helplessly from the house, two sets of barbs released from opposite sides caught Martino’s uniform. An extreme pain was unleashed, momentarily paralyzing the constable and causing him to fall heavily to the ground. The shock duration was excessive and he endured an incredible four seconds.
‘Bastards,’ said Hamish. ‘That guy will be inactive for upwards of a quarter of an hour.’
With both officers now lying on wet ground, the syndicate men made their advance.
‘Tom, the cop’s right,’ Hamish said, ‘the two of you must leave this minute. I’ll be okay. I still have my shotgun, and besides, they’re not after me. With the dogs still sedated, they’ll now try to hunt down Brigit.’
‘Okay, but we’ll be back, my friend.’
‘Take your shotgun and this ammunition. There are a couple of raincoats hanging behind the laundry door on your way out. I’ll keep these jerks at bay while you make a run for it.’
Brigit and I escaped via the laundry exit and headed on foot toward the camouflage of the nearby pine plantation. I could hear Hamish’s shotgun blasting, first one shot and then a second and a third. The sound from a pistol echoed in retaliation.
~ * ~
The Piedpiper had given specific orders that should the police intercept they were to be put out of action, not killed. Their boss was well aware that the murder of any law enforcement agent would attract unwanted attention from both the police force and media alike. This was best handled the sensible way to avoid any undue additional burdens. The use of taser guns had proven a viable choice. Clean, and with only superficial injuries inflicted.
To put a stop to Hamish’s shotgun onslaught, one of the intruders fired on the verandah floodlight, effectively plunging the immediate area into near total obscurity. They knew the man inside the house wouldn’t fire randomly into the darkness with the incapacitated officers lying in his line of fire. Under orders to destroy all possible communication, the two syndicate thugs approached the police car and ripped out the two-way. Throwing the police weapons and phones into a nearby dam, Charlie and Mick then tied the officers to a nearby tree. They went about their business with a minimum of noise, making it nearly impossible for Hamish to make sense of the darkened backdrop.
Charlie walked in a westerly direction and yelled to his accomplice, ‘Forget the bloody cabin! They’ll be in the forest by now. Here, let me have one of them torches.’
‘What about the guy inside?’ Mick asked.
‘He wouldn’t get far in this storm. We’ve cut the phone line and Pedley’s the nearest cop station. We’ve got an hour to find the O’Neill bitch before those friggin’ dogs wake up.’
‘Yeah, but they might have mobiles.’
‘You’re not fuckin’ listening, Mick. We’ll be outta here before more coppers arrive.’
~ * ~
We walked about two hundred metres into the pine plantation, hoping our one torch contained a fully charged battery. The storm had now hit with all its intended fury. The uninterrupted display of lightning was a sight to behold, spreading its intensity upon the defenceless forest. Vulnerable tall pines swayed in synchronous rhythm as the merciless squalls repeatedly punished all before it. Rain continued to bucket down onto the forest floor. Then the terrain began to level out, making our travel less demanding. Tall trees in full illumination appeared to be looking down upon our every move in this cold and uninviting place.
I focused the torch on the surrounding ground and the many low obstacles that would result in a fall if we didn’t tread carefully. Brigit was particularly weary of this, with her arm still in a sling.
‘Tom, there’s got to be a purpose to all this. We just can’t wander aimlessly in this wilderness all night.’
‘I know that, Brigit. What we need to do is lay low for a while. Hopefully these bastards haven’t harmed Hamish and his dogs in any further way. Remember what Hamish said - the sedative wears off in just over an hour, making Cain and Abel a formidable duo again. So we’ll take our chances and return to the cabin when that time comes.’
‘Okay, but I can’t help but worry about those two policemen as well,’ said Brigit, showing
a newfound compassion toward the authorities.
‘First let’s concern ourselves with this immediate threat. There appear to be two of them and chances are they’ve already left the cabin in search of us. We know they have taser guns and a tranquiliser that probably has a night lens, and it’s fair to say some spare darts to silence us.’ I was shouting to make myself heard above the storm.
‘Bloody hell, I forgot about the tranquiliser.’
‘Don’t forget we have this shotgun,’ I said to give Brigit some reassurance. ‘Which reminds me, I’d better load it, despite this weather.’ I completed this formality not knowing if and when the weapon would be required.