by Lisa Grace
“Yes. How foolish of you to show up here on your own. Follow Miguel please.” The man motioned with his gun to the other waiting guard. Julian went in front of Keiko. The speaker grabbed Keiko roughly by the arm as she went to pass.
“Do not try to be a hero, or she will be shot.” The one who had them call him Jolly Roger pressed his gun into Keiko’s side.
“I told you there are people who are expecting us back,” Keiko said.
The gang member nodded. “I am sure there are. That is why your deaths will look like an unfortunate accident.”
They continued down the path to the ravine. Before Keiko realized it, they were on top of it. The first guard pushed Julian towards the edge. Keiko screamed as Julian disappeared into the crack in the earth.
***
Mary and the Attacking Natives
Her blow deflected his aim. The club landed on her hip, protected by her skirt. The native stepped back wildly, surprised. She didn’t know if it was because she was a woman daring to fight, or if he had not expected a person to be at the corner. She screamed and swung the shovel low. He brought back the club and swung again at her head as she ducked, the club grazing her opposite shoulder.
She swung quickly at his head and was rewarded with a hit. The blow while connecting, did nothing more than cause the native to step back out of her range.
She screamed again, letting her fear drive her forward. She went to attack as the native lifted his club yet again. Mary heard a crack and saw the native fall back. Just at that moment the moon came out from behind the clouds and reflected enough light for Mary to see the native with his arm still above his head with a wide-eyed look of surprise on his face.
Mary heard running steps approaching from behind her and she turned ready to swing the shovel again.
“Ma’am, please stay inside.” It was one of the guards from town speaking as he knelt to make sure the native was dead. He apparently wasn’t as the guard took a knife out of a sheath strapped around his waist, and proceeded to slit the fallen man’s throat.
Mary gasped, and went back in the house, closing the door behind her. She propped a chair against the door, and went to sit by the shuttered window. She could hear the guards on the roofs of the house and the barn calling out an all clear. It appeared the attack was over. She sat until she heard a knock on the door and a voice call out.
She opened the door and thanked the guard, blocked the entrance again with the chair, made her way up to the second floor, and helped the women and children settle back to sleep again in their beds.
She tried to fall asleep herself, but every time she closed her eyes and started to drift off, she saw the native swinging his club at her as she fought back.
She called out, “Bennett!” in the midst of her nightmare, and woke to find Betsy reaching out to calm her, “Dearie, it is Miss Betsy. You can wake now.”
Mary noticed Miss Betsy did not offer false platitudes by saying “all was fine,” and “her memory was just a bad dream.” Miss Betsy must have suspected that Mary’s bad dreams were her reality. Waking just made her bad dreams all the more real.
***
Keiko and Julian
As Keiko screamed she swung her elbow back into her attacker, spun and kicked him in his crotch. She took off at a run and jumped over the ravine first. She headed down the steep cliff side then cut sideways and back up towards the ravine. She heard the men shouting in Spanish, beating at the bushes, looking for her. The foliage was so thick she could be hiding a few feet away and they would never spot her. Now that she was away she took her gun out, and slipped the safety off. Julian could be injured was all she could think. She had to find him. She crept back to the head of the trail where it met the ravine. She heard shouts in Spanish further down the path closer to the beach. Maybe that’s where the men were looking for her, assuming she would go back to the camp.
She edged up to the ravine ducking down low to the ground. She could see nothing. She whispered into the opening, “Julian!”
Nothing. She could only see down about ten feet. Because the foliage was growing so thick lower, she couldn’t make out a thing.
Julian had rope in the ruck bag on his back. She called out again, when something went flying just past her face with force. Her first thought was gunshot, and she froze.
***
Life On the Island of Tasmania Five Months Later
Mary was out in the field picking the bugs off the plants. Tender young shoots were transforming into stalks of wheat. The potato shrubs were covered with beautiful tiny purple or white flowers depending on the variety. They were so pretty it looked like a wide long garden of ornamental shrubs. On the forested side, they had taken down trees to make into planks with which to build their homes. Ten new houses stood. Each of the married men now had a place to live. Mary promised each man who would marry a home for his new family. It was her wedding gift to them. Since then, six additional men had found wives. Many of the single men asked for furlough papers to go into town on errands for the farm. A woman’s garment factory had opened in the town and it was a good place to search for a wife.
Mary’s personal job was helping to take care of the six horses the farm had. It helped keep her mind off of missing Bennett and her son. She wrote Ben twice a week, afraid not all the letters would make it through to him. In each letter she told a story about his father, and an update on what was happening in the colony.
She had asked the governor for permission to bring Ben over, but he was adamant it was not proper for a single widow woman to raise a child in a penal colony. If she were to re-marry he would consider allowing the child to come.
She had no word from Randall either. His fate was a mystery. Maybe he had been caught and hung or made a new life for himself in England or some far off country. He had Graham’s solicitor’s office address so they would surely inform him of where she was.
***
A wonderful development was that the men from the crew who had been shipped over earlier, had found them. Some were assigned like Lt. Toussant to work aboard the prison ships. Dr. Geary, the ship’s surgeon, was on the same slip with Lt. Toussant. Lt. Sedgwig was happily assigned to working for the governor as an administrator. When furloughed, they came to the farm to see their friends.
The rest of the men if they did not have jobs they enjoyed, were bought out of service to work on the farm. The routine reminded Mary of life aboard the ship. Everyone had assigned duties. Leisure time was a luxury as something always needed to be done. Keeping busy with thinking of it as a service to Bennett’s men, kept Mary from sliding into a depression. She needed to be strong.
***
Betsy stopped by one day. “Mrs. Graham? I have been thinking.”
“Yes Betsy,” Mary spoke as she continued to brush down the horse.
We should rename the farm. The Van Klennon’s name is still up above the gate.”
“What should we name it then?” Mary kept brushing the horse they had named Brawny. He was especially skittish today.
“That should be for you to decide, Mrs.”
The horse tried to back up in the stall so Mary grabbed his halter to yank him back into place. “I do not care, Betsy! Rename it what you like.”
“What is wrong?” Betsy asked reaching out to put a hand on Mary’s shoulder.
Mary dropped the brush and leaned her head against the horse. Her body heaved with her sobs.
“Oh dearie.”
Mary said through her tears, “I’ve lost my son, and my husband. Sometimes it seems as if nothing else matters. I have to be strong all the time. I cannot let my feelings show. All I want is the things I cannot have. Bennett back. And our son.”
She cried as Betsy stood helplessly by. Nothing she could say would help. This she was smart enough to know.
***
When Mary gained back her composure Betsy said softly, “We should name the farm Graham’s Treasure, is what I think. It seems you and the men were his heart. T
he good book says, your heart is anchored to your treasure. He must have been a very good man to have the lot of you love him so much.”
Betsy patted the horse.
“I never knew your man, but I do know him because of you and his men. This place has his heart. Someday your son will come here. You just see Mrs., I feel sure he will.”
Mary frowned, “Betsy, the problem is they say I must re-marry to bring Ben here. I cannot do that. I am afraid Ben will hate me if he knew I could bring him. If I wait until he is eighteen, he can come of his own free will. But it might be too late. By then he might hate me. I could not bear to lose him too.”
Betsy rubbed Mary’s shoulders. “You write him letters and let him know how much he is loved by both you and his father. He cannot hate you. I know this in my heart.”
Mary nodded and picked up her brush. She needed to finish her job and get in to help serve the dinner.
***
The Neighbors
“A letter for you, Mrs.” One of the children ran up to her eagerly with it rumpled in his little hand. “Thank you, Thomas, She said with a smile. The post on it was from an address in London she did not recognize. She ripped it open.
Dear Mrs. Graham,
I have inquired to the governor of Van Diemen’s Land about acquiring a land grant. He has accorded me some acreage next to your estate, on the western end. As we will be neighbors, I thought it only right to make a formal introduction. I shall be arriving with my wife, Liza, and our household, which will number six in total.
The governor has said you have fine carpenters available for hire. We shall need a home large enough to accommodate the six of us. I look forward to making your acquaintance. I have sent some funds to the governor for deposit in the local bank to start the work on our home if you can possibly spare the workers. We will be arriving as soon as we can arrange transport for our household.
Cordially,
Your neighbor,
C. Markus
“Betsy, we will be having neighbors soon. ‘The Markus.’ More people for us to keep safe.” Mary sighed.
***
Ray, Della, and the Guys: Phil, Irv, Roger, and Dent
Phil, Irv, Roger, and Dent took the sailboat in quietly around the bend from the gang. One gang member was left to guard the boat of the pirates, which was a Grady White with two 225 horse power engines and a cabin, great for smuggling drugs. The guard was now out of sight below deck. Phil and Irv stepped in the inflatable and paddled it quietly to the back of the boat. They boarded and listened for movement. As the guard came back up the cabin steps, Irv grabbed the railing from outside and plowed into him with his feet, knocking the guard backwards and down the steps. Irv landed on his feet, smacked the stunned guard in the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him unconscious. Phil took out cable ties and secured the guard’s hands behind his back, then his legs, and tied him to a rail. Phil said, “Go help Dent and Roger. I’ll let Ray know the boat is secure.”
Phil nodded and left to help those on shore.
Ray saw the sailboat as he lowered the throttle to speed toward the beach as fast as he could. Della looked through her binoculars at the powerboat near the shore. She saw a man emerge from the cockpit and signal.
“The boat is secured,” Della said over the roar of the engine.
As they approached the sailboat, Ray’s radio squawked. “The boat is secure, Dent and Roger are on their way up. Phil’s on the Grady and I’m making my way to cover the guys in a love pattern.”
Della looked over at Ray a puzzled look on her face. He answered her look, “Triangle, as in love triangle. Our own little code we made up when we’re bored.”
“So what will our location be?”
“Grind, ‘cause we’re right behind.” Ray winked as he spoke into his talkie, “We’re ready to grind, over.”
“Della, got your gun?”
“I’ve got one for every one of your bad puns.” Della strapped one to her ankle, checked the pistol in her shoulder harness, then took the safety off her favorite Beretta Tomcat 3032 semi-automatic pistol. “Let’s get the show on the road,” she said as jumped from the bow to the sand, and started making her way around to the beach as Ray followed. Della then paused a moment to let Ray take the lead.
***
The Neighbors Arrival Two Months Later
The work on the home, with four bedrooms, a parlor, dining, and a separate kitchen and an outhouse, took all of the month to complete. “Do not worry about whitewashing.” Mary said.
She told the men to work on a covered roof instead, to which walls could be added later to make a barn, which was more important. Mary knew this from growing up on a hacienda. Shelter for the people, crops, and animals, was paramount. Anything else was a luxury. Fresh water from rain and the falls was abundant, and crops grew year round.
The information she had been provided on the Markus family was sparse and the governor knew no more than she. For all she knew they were bringing furniture and livestock. If not, they would share what they had or pull the carpenters off the governor’s house to make them the necessities.
The morning of the ship’s arrival, they sent a young runner from town carrying a letter. He took it to Mary. She had just sat down to eat a simple lunch of bread, butter, and papaya fruit with her cup of coffee. “Ma’am, a letter. And visitors,” the boy said as he handed her the note. She opened it and read,
Mrs. Graham,
We invite you to meet us at the dock. It has been a long time since our last meeting and I bring good news. If you cannot be torn away from your duties, we hope to see you this afternoon once transport is arranged.
Sincerely,
R. C. Markus
Mary turned to Betsy, “Can you ask the men to take the carts and carriage to the dock to meet our new neighbors? They need help transporting their household from the ship to their new home.”
Mary handed the letter to Betsy who perused it quickly.
“Mary, the letter asks for you to meet them at the dock.”
Mary sighed, “If you and I take room in the carriage, there will be less room for our guests. It looks like it may rain and if their household is mainly women only four will fit. In any case, I am sure it is just a polite formality. I will take a nap, and then change out the hay for the horses. I would like to freshen after that before I greet our new neighbors.”
Betsy looked at the letter again and frowned, “He says it has been a long time since your last meeting and he has good news. Do you know what that could mean?”
Mary took a bite of her papaya and chewed while thinking. “I know no one by the name of Markus. Maybe he has brought us a gift of chickens, goats, or even a cow. I am sure again it is just a turn of phrase. I never had the chance to make the acquaintance of those in polite society. It is entirely possible he has confused me for someone else. Welch and Graham both being common enough names.”
Betsy nodded, “’Tis so. Would you like another drop of brew?” Mary looked in her cup and nodded yes.
“Thank you, Betsy. You have been such a Godsend these many months.”
“And you for me, Mary. I would have been stuck working in one of the sewing factories, or who-knows-what if it were not for your kindness.”
“We single widows must stick together.” Mary said. She was happy to get neighbors, even though between the men, their wives, and now children, she was never truly alone. The Graham’s Treasure farm was working on a schedule similar to the one the men kept on the island. They could openly build homes now and barter for goods, and more women were available for courting, so the men made the most of their lives. What could have been an awful situation was turning into one of true opportunity as the governor of Van Diemen’s Land was working hard at transforming the island from a penal colony into one of true commerce. His modern ideas of land grants, and allowing the prisoners to work at skills they possessed for wages, was slowly changing the minds of the hardened criminals who saw work and opportunity
were providing little luxuries only dreamed of in the prisons back home in England.
***
Ray, Della, Irv, Dent, and Roger
Ray and Della heard the pirates call out.
“Sounds like they lost Keiko and Julian, and are searching for them,” Ray whispered to Della. He motioned for her to follow behind as they made their way slowly through the brush towards where they heard the voices calling out in Spanish.
“Your husband is dead, little one. We will find you,” called out one of the men.
Ray stiffened and took aim at where the voice was coming from. He shot.
The shot rang out causing the pirate to scream, “Don’t shoot at me, Paolo!”
A voice called out from further up the mountain side, “I’m not shooting. She must have a gun!”
Another shot rang out followed by one of the men screaming, then silence. Ahead and above, Della and Ray saw the foliage moving in a pattern down toward the path in front of them. Ray motioned for Della to stay back and follow him, out of sight of the panicking gangsters. The gangsters let loose with a volley of shots.
Ray led the way down toward where the path let out onto the beach. Della stuck close behind. They each took position, behind trees that had a clear view of the path that let out onto the beach.
Within minutes one of the panicked gang members came rushing down the path, clutching at his bleeding arm. Ray yelled out, “Stop! Throw your weapon down!”
The man twirled around, brought his weapon up, and fired wildly toward Ray.
The man dropped as Della shot him in the torso. The shot was enough to make him drop to his knees and let go of his weapon. Ray ran up and kicked it away from the man. He stooped to pick it up. Ray motioned for the injured man to stand and pointed toward the cove where their boat was hidden. Irv jogged over from the direction of their boats and said, “He’s bleeding. Let’s fix him up.”