The Team and the Cavern

by S G Read

  By the same author.

  The Team’s Journey

  The Team’s Return

  The Team and the Move

  The Team and the Ghost

  The Team and the cavern

  Canadian Winters

  Canadian Winters 2

  Canadian Winters 3

  Canadian Winters 4

  Run Cally Run

  Nice to Meet you Cally

  The Reluctant Bounty Hunter

  The Vampire Wars

  The History Channel

  Me and Them

  The Lamerton Workhouse Orphanage

  T.H.O.A.G

  She Was a Pretty Girl

  The Fight for Life.

  All these are on Kindle

  The team and the cavern.

  First meet the team.

  Stuart (Stu) Sellars, the team's spokesperson, so voted while they were in the Columbian jungle.

  Stu a boy of average height for his age, not tall and nicely placed between fat and thin, brown eyed and with medium length brown hair.

  Stephen (Stevey) Brown Stuart's best friend, taller than Stuart but not thin, with blond hair and blue eyes that made him look like an angel.

  Ben Davis, the bad boy of the team but now reformed, with blond hair and pale blue eyes were a warning of the menace behind them, if angered.

  Colin (CJ) Jenkins, taller than Stuart by two inches and well built, with black hair and brown eyes.

  Denis Barlow, smaller than CJ in height, although not in build but still taller than Stuart though, with blond hair and hazel brown eyes.

  Antony (Ant) Sadler, a tall slender boy with black hair and steely grey eyes; as he was a fast runner he played as centre forward and his eyes came to life when he scored.

  Simon (Si) Higgs, a dumpy looking boy, who in the jungle climbed trees that the others ruled out, they thought he was part monkey. His light brown hair and piercing brown eyes made you look twice at him before dismissing him as not useful.

  Stephen (Sherman) Sherrington, the biggest in the team, his nickname coming from the way he tackled during the games they played, he stood four inches taller than Stuart and was big with it. He wore his brown hair short and his brown eyes always made him look friendly.

  James (JC) Chickford, the smallest in the team; small and wiry with fiery red hair and green eyes, the team's speedy left-winger.

  Tobias (Toby) Carter built like Ant with black hair and dark brown almost black eyes.

  Colin Stone, a Stuart look alike but with brown mousy hair and bright blue eyes.

  John Taylor, another Stuart look alike and could pass as Colin's brother as they dressed the same and looked almost identical.

  James Marriot had been the final member of the original team before the crash in the jungle, he wore his fair hair short and boasted blues eyes.

  After their trek in the jungle three girls had joined the team.

  Jenny Robbins, a girl the team met when Stuart was in hospital, unfriendly at first and very prickly but she soon worked out that she wanted in. They did not object, as she was a very pretty athletic looking girl with long blond hair and Blue eyes.

  Celia Rees-Carter met the team when they were trying to trace a young girls parents, the same height as Jenny but thinner, she looked weaker than she actually was, her long chestnut brown hair cascaded over her shoulders and for Stevey it was the start of a new adventure, he now had a girlfriend. Her blues eyes shone when they were together, showing that it was mutual.

  Molly Parsons helped them free the girls from the convent, shorter than Celia but thicker in stature, with shorter brown hair than Celia's and brown eyes.

  Chapter 1

  The team assembled outside Stuart Sellars house, he stood next to his friend Stevey Brown. Next to them stood Sherman and Molly, they were fast becoming an item.

  The football had improved since the plane crash but without a manager and without their pitch, which now had houses built on it, they only played against each other. It made it awkward, until the girls joined the team, as there were thirteen of them and one goalie. Molly, a relative newcomer to the team, had helped them with their latest adventure to help a young girl who was being ill treated. At four foot six inches she was short for her age and standing next to Sherman did not help but if Sherman was threatened she was the first to go into battle for him.

  Next to them Toby Carter and James Chickford, they lived next door to each other. The two standing next to them looked like brothers even though they were not related. John Taylor and Colin Stone were the same height and weight and dressed the same.

  On the other side of the group, right next to Stevey, stood Celia Rees-Carter, Molly's friend and another person who helped the ill treated girl. Stevey and Celia were fast becoming an item and Stevey's mother Pat thought Celia had gone home but one phone call from Molly brought her back very quickly.

  Jenny stood next to her, Stuart met Jenny in hospital and after an initial period of mutual dislike, they were now becoming an item. Jenny was a strong willed girl who only had her father Brian to bring her up after her mother died. He had been in and out of work for many years so as soon as Stevey inherited a lot of money, he employed Brian.

  Next to Jenny, Ben Davis, the reformed bad influence of the team, and James Marriot waited patiently, not that Ben was the patient type. He played in goal and his hands rarely slipped off whatever he held. They still called themselves a team but league games stopped when Milton Miller, their manager, died while they were in Colombia. Now they played small sided games and they had to find a second goalie. James stood next to Denis Barlow. Denis played on the wing in league games, he was fast and his build led a person looking at him to think just that. Denis lived next door to CJ, so while they waited they stood together and chatted.

  They were all waiting for Jenny's father Brian and the minibus. They saw it turn into the road Stuart lived in and drive up to the house. They dropped their luggage on the tarmac at the back, for Brian and David to load but it soon became obvious that they would not all fit in with the luggage. David and Wendy were driving down but Stu, as the others knew him, wanted to travel with the team, mainly to be close to Jenny. He did offer to let her come in the car with him and his parents but as Brian was driving the minibus, she was going to be in it to make sure he had someone to talk to.

  'It isn't going to work like this.' Brian complained as he tried every conceivable way of getting all the luggage into the minibus.

  With all the seats full, the luggage had to go in the back but there just was not enough room.

  'No, I can see that.’ Stevey agreed.

  ‘I could buy a roof rack and put the extra up there.’ Brian offered.

  ‘We would still be in the minibus and it is a bit of a squash now. It is obvious to me that from now on we need a coach to take us all, do you know where you can get hold of one?’ Stevey asked. ‘As it is later than we wanted to leave, it doesn’t really matter how much they are charging.’

  'I can hire a coach for the holiday from a firm I know but what do we do with the minibus? With all the work going on at the hall after the goings on there, it would be safer parked round here.' Brian answered. ‘If it is all right with David and Wendy?’

  'What about the stables?' Stevey asked.

  'I'd have to make the door bigger and alter the inside to allow it to go in.' Brian answered.

  As a carpenter and a good one, altering the stable was not a problem for Brian, as he had spent the last few weeks refreshing his skills while he was at Apsford House. To him it was just the time it would take as he refused to do anything as a stop gap.

  'Enlarge the door and get the stable ready for the minibus. When you have done that to your satisfaction, you can go ge
t the coach. I don’t want the stables collapsing, my mum will want a horse when we have settled in properly. We will find something to do until we can go.' Stevey answered.

  By now, the minibus was empty again and everyone was standing there listening intently, Molly more than the rest of them. She looked suitably put out. Up to now there had been no sign of her parents and the last thing she wanted was for them to turn up and take her away. She was starting to like this group of boys.

  'Let's play football.' Jenny cried.

  'Is there a seconder for that proposal?' Stuart asked, ready to raise his hand if no one else did.

  The only hand that remained down was his.

  'I think there is no real point in voting on this one team, football it is.' Stuart declared.

  Brian drove round to Gordon Hall, Stevey and Pat's new home. He had to drive round all the obstructions and the building materials that were piled in the drive. Gordon Hall was in a state because of the team’s last adventure and now it needed a serious makeover. Hence the decision to go on holiday to give the firm doing it time to finish. Brian drove down to the stable and parked in front, he needed to assess the work he had to do to make sure it was done safely. With that worked out in his head he hurried off to buy the materials he needed. His tools were no problem, they were already locked in the stable. He took them with him wherever he went. Unless it was just a quick trip.

  The team changed and grouped on the pitch ready to play. They were waiting for David to come out and referee the game. Since they had returned from the jungle and started playing their small sided games he had become quite a good referee. He even bought a rule book to back up any decisions. Toby had read the book as well and that helped. He did not argue against decisions but back them up when he was sure they were right. They picked two teams while they were waiting and started playing as soon as David appeared but the work Brian had to do, ensured that they played more than one game. That night they slept at Stuart's house, after another barbeque, to Wendy and Pat it seemed the easiest way to feed so many children and the children did not mind at all.

  The next day passed as Brian altered the stable, he had worked late and Pat had taken food round to him to make sure he did not go hungry. She stayed with while he ate, ostensibly to bring back the dishes. Jenny stayed to play football. He was up early again working and Pat took his lunch round to him. Again Jenny chose to stay and play football. During the second game in the afternoon, he walked across the field from Gordon Hall to watch Jenny in action, the work was complete and he decided to watch some football before he went of to collect the coach. When it was time to collect the coach Pat was only too willing to take him in her new car and then follow him back. Wendy watched them go, two single people who seem to go together very well. She smiled, Pat needed a man and Brian needed a woman but how long would it take them to realise that?

  With Brian busy working, it ended up Thursday morning before they all assembled ready to go to Devon. They hoped it would be an interesting holiday and Molly really wanted to go but to her horror, her parents arrived fresh from their last holiday. Molly saw them and groaned. She walked slowly over to the car with her suitcase, she had hoped that the minibus would be long gone before her parents arrived. She did not reckon on needing a coach. Sherman saw her walk away and he suddenly felt very unhappy. He wanted to walk over with her and plead with them to let her come with them on holiday but that was not Sherman, he watched her walk away disconsolately. Molly reached the car very slowly and put her head in the window, what she said to her parents who did not bother to get out of the car, no one knew. Seconds later, she was on her way back to the coach at a greater speed than she had left it. There was no tearful goodbye from her parents and certainly no parental cuddle. She just spoke to them and then she was on her way back. Brian stowed her suitcase and she was welcomed back on board, waving happily to her parents as she climbed aboard the coach. They watched her parents as they drove away, when they were no longer in sight Brian closed the door.

  ‘Now before we go girls are you really ready for this?’ Simon asked standing up by his seat. ‘We always have an adventure wherever we go and I don’t think this trip will be any different! It might not be as exciting as our time in the jungle but we will have some sort of adventure down there.’

  ‘Well let me see.’ Molly answered. ‘I was nearly suffocated, nearly squashed by a large stone, nearly shot by a mad man.’

  ‘Don’t forget Ursula and her hockey stick Molly.’ Celia reminded.

  ‘Oh yes and nearly brained by that moron Ursula. I met a ghost and actually talked to him. Anything else is going to be a bit tame if you ask me.’

  ‘Well don’t say we didn’t warn you.’ Simon replied and sat down.

  Brian started the coach and they left the hall to the workmen, they would have no problem with the ghost now that he was at rest. He reversed the coach out of the Sellars drive and used the room available at the bottom of the drive to turn round.

  After their efforts to find Waif's mother, the girl who was being ill-treated, just so that she could live a normal life with her family. At the same time they were doing that they were also searching for Tim ‘the ghost's’ body, so that they could give him a decent burial and stop the sound of his crying from reverberating round Gordon Hall. After all that and what they had gone through to succeed, Stevey thought they all needed a good holiday.

  Gordon Hall was under repair, after the army had tried to blow open the stone door to the priest hole. In the end they were lucky to be alive. Were they still sitting where Tim's uncle had left them, they would have been squashed flat. Not only did the army destroy the door they also caused some structural damage to the hall and it would be sometime before Stevey and his mother could move back in. When they found that out Stevey decided to take everyone to Devon to his other house in Apsford. Nowadays, when he went anywhere, it included anyone in the Minton Cruisers football team who wanted to go. Usually they all wanted to go, sometimes with parents but most times without. As Celia and Molly were now considered part of the team, the invite extended to them.

  The children were all thirteen years of age now, or close to it and the team had expanded since the manager's death to sixteen, the newcomers being the three girls. Now that they were considered members they had a vote in whatever they were voting on. Now that Stevey had gone from poorer than a church mouse, to richer than most, he was able to do things he had never dreamed of doing, without worrying about the expense. He had inherited all his Great, Great aunt's money since her death. Now instead of scrimping and scraping to make a living, he was able to buy things on a whim. It did not mean that he did and it did not mean that he did not haggle over the price. Now that he had money he used that to get the price down, that was now part of his nature but at least now, he had money, a lot of money. Pat obviously had the control but she knew how level headed Stevey was and they was not usually any argument about things he wanted to do. Or anything that Pat wanted to do. The money was Stevey’s but whatever she wanted she bought and Stevey was quite happy. Pat had spent to long working all day long for little reward. When you are poor you are definitely put upon in a big way!

  The coach rolled gracefully down the drive with Jenny’s father, Brian at the wheel. His life had not been easy since his wife died. He had worked for a firm for many years prior to his wife’s illness and they had been less than understanding about the time he was forced to take off as she grew weaker and weaker. They finally laid him off, stating lack of work but they were still hiring people and he knew it. The money had helped at that time but after his wife died he then had to find another job. Since then he had tried many jobs, taxi driving, bus driving, and lorry driving being among them, not bad for a carpenter. That meant that he had a license to cover driving the coach, he could also drive a lorry should the occasion arrive. The delay while they waiting for Brian to finish the alterations to the stable just meant they played plenty of football and other games, although the delay
had caused Molly to some agitation. When Sherman asked her what was wrong, she explained that she was worried that her parents would turn up and insist that she went with them and she wanted to go with the team. When they did turn up, however, it was lucky that their plans had not included Molly and were hoping to enroll her into another summer boarding school somewhere. She easily persuaded them to let her go on holiday with the boys. Her parents were happy enough to have someone else look after Molly, which left them free to go on their next holiday so they let her go. With all her worries forgotten, she was asleep in her seat soon after the journey started.

  Celia sat next to her but she was looking past her out of the window, this was the first holiday she was going on without her parents and she was actually looking forward to going. She had been on many holidays with her parents and not really enjoyed them. They went out sightseeing during the day with Celia having no say in where they went, sometimes without her, which meant that she was left on her own for long periods. At night her parents confined her to her room while they went out for a meal. She did not always stay in her room though and that had nearly caused her trouble several times but she survived. She was a survivor and she suited this group down to the ground.

  The rest of the team were playing cards, sometimes loudly; others were sleeping or talking amongst themselves. As the time went on they all ended up asleep, except for Jenny who was doing her duty and sitting talking to her father to make sure he did not fall asleep, as it was a long journey to Devon. Brian had planned the trip and had decided not to stop for a break on the way, as they were later starting than they wanted due to the work on the stables.

  The children who had already been to Apsford house, greeted the news that there were actually toilets inside Apsford house now, with great enthusiasm. The walk down the path to the only toilet, which was outside, in a shed down the garden path was going to be history. As was the early morning queue outside it waiting for their turn, if they did not find somewhere else to relieve themselves, as some did. The late night walk down to the shed, to make sure they did not have to walk down in the early hours of the morning was history also and no one wanted to walk down the path late at night. This was Devon and there they had no light pollution, that meant, when the sun went down, it was very dark in the garden. To go down to the toilet you either took a torch or a candle. Stevey had rigged up a candle in a jar to help as the person going down there was usually in a hurry.