by Paul Moxham
Without further ado, Max led the way back up the tunnel. They soon reached the dungeons and the group halted for a moment to survey the scene just in case someone had been left on guard, but this wasn’t the case.
So the group continued on up the stairs until they reached the door. At least, it was where the door had once stood, for now it was a splintered mess of broken timber due to the ferocity shown by the Golden Dragons earlier.
Max cautiously peered out and then, a moment or two latter, stepped out into the hallway. “All clear.” As the others joined him, he muttered under his breath. “Hold on. Someone’s coming.”
Everyone quickly stepped back through the door and then, a few seconds later, as someone rounded the corner, Max grabbed hold of the person. Almost immediately, he let him go.
It was Mango the Magnificent. He was still dressed in his circus costume, which was a bright orange suit, complete with a red cape which was billowing out behind him.
“What are you doing here?” Christo asked.
“The ringmaster was wondering what was happening,” Mango replied. “He’s getting ready to pack up and—”
“Are there any hidden compartments in the caravans?” Max questioned.
Mango shook his head. “No.” He glanced at the group. “Where are the rest of your friends?”
“They escaped,” Max explained. “We were going to go to the cable car room when you showed up. I’m not sure where it is though so—”
“Let me lead you,” Mango interrupted. “I know where it is.”
Christo frowned. “How do you know?”
“I saw the map that Captain Williamson had and I’ve got a magnificent memory so I remember it quite clearly,” Mango replied. “Just wait here while I speak to the ringmaster.”
As the man hurried off, Max turned to Christo. “How long have you known him?”
“Mango?” Christo replied. “Personally, not long, but if you’re asking me if he can be trusted, yes. And if he can recall the quickest way to the cable car, that would be most helpful.”
Max nodded. “I just don’t like putting my trust in anyone I don’t know.”
“It’s not as though we have much choice,” Will said.
“No, you’re right,” Max agreed.
The group waited just inside the dungeon entrance for another minute or so and then Mango appeared. “It’s all organised. I’ve told the ringmaster to leave without us.”
“Lead the way then,” Max said.
“Right.” Mango glanced down both ends of the passageway and then, apparently satisfied, hurried down the right side.
At first, Will thought they were making good progress, but then, as the group made their way down a second lot of stairs, he whispered to Joe. “I wonder if Mango really does have a good memory. It seems to me as though we’re going in circles.”
“I’m sure it just seems like it,” Joe said. “After all, this castle is a big building.”
However, Will wasn’t convinced. “I still think we are—”
“Quiet!” Max ordered.
Everyone halted as Max peered down the hallway. Then, a second later, the man pointed towards the nearest door. “Quick! In there!”
“But what—” Mango said.
“Don’t argue!” Max pushed the magician into the room with the children and Christo following suit.
Max then quietly closed the door. Just as he did so, footsteps were heard. Max just had enough time to push the bolt across the door and stand back before the handle rattled.
Max held his finger up and placed it across his lips, urging everyone to be silent, not that this was really necessary. This went on for two minutes as the soldiers in the hallway tried every door.
Finally, as the footsteps ceased, Christo breathed a sigh of relief. “That was close. If you hadn’t heard something, they would have caught sight of us.”
Max nodded. “I thought I heard a very faint sound in the distance.” He unbolted the door and peered out. He then urged the others to follow him.
As Mango went to take the lead, Max held the man back. “No, this time I lead. We can’t afford to have another close call.”
“But I know the way,” Mango protested.
“No, and that’s an order,” Max snapped. “I’m staying in front this time.”
Mango sighed. “Very well, if that’s how you want it.”
Luckily, five minutes later, the group found themselves outside the door marked cable car.
Throwing caution to the wind, Max flung open the door. No one was in sight, so he stood aside and waited for the others to enter. After they had done so, he pushed the bolt across the door. “Hopefully this door is stronger than the dungeon door.” He led the way down the winding corridor. Half a minute later, they reached another door. This one was unlocked.
Max paused for a moment and peered around into the next room. A moment later, he turned back to face the others. “Stay here for a moment. I’ll have to take care of the guard.”
The others did as they were told and watched silently as Max tiptoed towards the solitary guard who had his head slumped down over the controls of the cable car.
He was snoring, so the children were confident that he wouldn’t hear Max approaching. As the man crumpled to the ground, Max glanced back. “Hurry up!”
As the children obeyed, Max studied the controls. He pressed a few buttons and moved a few of the levers. “It looks pretty easy to operate, so we should be able to get it going.” He turned his attention to the cable car which was docked nearby. He pressed a button and the doors of the cable car opened. “In you go.”
The children rushed over and climbed in. Christo and Mango joined them a moment later. Max leapt in just as the cable car started to move.
A second later, the cable car had left the platform and was slowly making its way down the mountain. Darkness had fallen and it was an eerie feeling hanging in the blackness with nothing below them.
“What are we going to do when the person in charge at the other end sees who we are?” Amy asked.
Max examined the pistol he had taken from the guard who he had knocked out earlier. “Well, this still has a few bullets left in it, so if the guard knows what’s good for him, he’ll do as I say.”
“But what if there’s more than one of them? What then?” Will asked.
“Well, there’s nothing else we can do about it now. We’ll just have to wait until we get closer and then…” Max suddenly paused as the cable car suddenly clanked to a stop.
“Why have we stopped?” Sarah asked anxiously.
No one had any idea. Then, as the cable car slowly started to reverse back up the hill, Joe’s eyes widened as he realized what was going on. “Blow! The soldiers must have broken down the door and reversed the controls.”
Max reached into his rucksack and took out a pair of binoculars. As the castle wasn’t too far away, he was able to see who was at the controls. His heart sank as he saw several guards dressed in the dreaded uniform of the Golden Dragons. “Joe’s right.”
Anger tore through Max as he realized that he had no options left. As the cable car slowly made its way back up the hill, he thought for a moment, and then he looked at the others. “I’m afraid we’ve run out of options.”
Chapter 17: Icy Cold
Joe shook his head. “There must be another way!”
Will sighed. “But there’s only one set of controls and the Golden Dragons are in charge of it.”
Joe suddenly turned to Max. “Do you have rope in that rucksack?”
Max nodded. “Yes, why?”
“Why don’t we jump then?” Joe suggested
“Jump? Are you crazy?” Sarah yelled.
Joe shook his head as he gazed down at the lake. “It’s our only option. But we have to act now before the cable car is over land. If we could lower ourselves down on the rope and then drop into the water, we should be able to make it to shore.”
Max raked a hand through his brown hair a
s he thought through the plan that Joe had proposed. “I don’t like the idea. It’s risky, very risky. But if the only other option is to be locked up in the dungeons in Eagle’s Nest, then a risky plan is better than no plan at all.”
Mango looked terrified. “There’s no way I’m jumping. Let’s wait and think of a better—”
“There’s no time,” Christo interrupted. “The end of the lake is approaching.”
Max quickly reached into his rucksack and pulled out a rope. “Open the door, will you?”
As Christo opened the door, Max used his fist to smash a window and, once that was done, he tied the rope around the window frame before letting it go. As it dangled down towards the lake below, everyone saw that, while it didn’t quite reach the water, it was close enough. It stopped around ten feet short. “The jump shouldn’t hurt us,” Max admitted. “But we have to move quickly.”
Christo reached up and smashed the light in the cable car. “Let’s make sure the Golden Dragons don’t see what we’re doing.”
As darkness flooded the area, Max began to climb down with only the moon to guide him. Since time was not on their side, the children did not have a chance to wait until each one had jumped. So, as soon as Max had climbed down a few feet, Amy followed, and then it was Sarah’s turn. The boys were the next to go, followed by Mango and then Christo.
As Amy reached the end of the rope and looked down at the darkness of the water below, she took a second to collect her bearings and then let go. When the icy water touched her body, she struggled to not scream out. It was cold, very cold.
As the others hit the water, they all began to swim towards the shore. Luckily, since they had jumped near the end of the lake, they soon reached firm ground and, within a matter of minutes, all of them had scrambled out of the lake and lay on the grass, breathing heavily.
“We must get somewhere warm,” Christo stated. “If we stay in these clothes too long, we’ll catch pneumonia.”
Mango, who had left his cape in the cable car, shivered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I have pneumonia already. I hate cold water.”
“We must also get as far away as possible from the lake,” Max said. “The further away the better, since it’s not going to take long for the Golden Dragons to realize that we’ve jumped and then they’ll be searching the shoreline for any sign of us.”
“But how are we going to get to Monrovia?” Amy asked. “Gringo’s Circus will be long gone by now.”
Max nodded. “I had a quick chat with Captain Williamson earlier and he told me about a plane which will be waiting in a field near the border tomorrow night. He had organised it as a last resort in case things did not turn out as planned. So that’s where we’ll head. Luckily, it’s the same field into which I parachuted when I began my mission of infiltrating the Golden Dragons so I recall how to get there.”
The group got to their feet and hurried down the road. Luckily, there was now a full moon and, therefore, a good deal of light. They had been walking for just over five minutes when they heard the sound of vehicles approaching.
“Quick, into the bushes!” Max ordered.
The children raced into the undergrowth as quickly as they could and it was a good thing that they did so for, a few moments later, several vehicles roared past them. They were all filled with soldiers. The lead lorry even had a big searchlight attached to the front of the vehicle which illuminated the area.
Once the convoy had passed them, Max glanced at the others. “They must be heading to the lake.”
“When can we stop?” Sarah moaned. “I’m getting really tired and I’m so cold.”
“We can’t stop yet,” Max stated. “Why don’t you climb on my back and I’ll carry you?”
Sarah managed a weak smile. “Okay, thanks.”
Now with Sarah on Max’s back, the group resumed walking. Since Amy was older than Sarah, she was stronger and able to continue walking by herself but, as time passed, she too came to a weary stop. “I’m afraid I can’t keep on walking. My hands are frozen and my legs are stiff.”
“So are mine,” Mango complained. “And I think I’ve twisted my ankle.”
“I suppose we could take a break now.” Christo turned to Max. “Do you think we’re far enough away from the castle?”
Max nodded. “Yes, I think so. Let’s find someplace to rest away from the main road.” He led the way down a side road and continued to walk until he saw the lights of a cottage. As he approached, he glanced back at the others. “I don’t suppose any soldiers live here but, just to be on the safe side, how about everyone stay hidden while I knock on the door?”
As the others took shelter behind some trees, Max walked up the path and knocked on the door. It was opened by an old man half a minute later who stared at the dishevelled looking man in astonishment.
“I need somewhere for me and by friends to hide for a while,” Max said. “Can you help?”
“Your friends?” the man muttered, glancing around.
Max then looked towards the bushes and motioned for the others to come out into the light. As they did so and the man saw the condition that the children were in, he cried out. “Come in! Martha will fix you up with blankets and a nice warm drink.”
Half an hour later, everyone was dry and warm. As they sat beside a crackling fire, Christo explained to the old couple what had been happening for even though they spoke some English, they understood the local language much better. And, since Christo knew the local language, he was the best person to explain what had been happening.
~
The children awoke early the next morning just in time to see Max leaving the house. They hurried outside to speak to him.
“Where are you going?” Joe asked.
“To scout around,” Max replied. “We need to find out what the movements of the Golden Dragons are. Then I can assess what the best plan is in order to reach the plane. I’ll be back within the hour.”
As he left and walked down the path, the children made their way back inside. Christo was at the table, talking to the old couple. He turned to the children. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, I’m starving,” Joe replied.
“I’ll see if they have any food to spare,” Christo said. After a few moment’s discussion with the couple, the old woman took a big loaf of bread from her larder and placed it down in front of them along with a jar of strawberry jam.
After the children had finished eating, they went into the living room where Mango was resting his ankle and took turns gazing through the cottage window for they wanted to be alert when Max came back.
From time to time a vehicle passed by on the main road, but since their view was hindered by a number of broad, tall trees, they couldn’t see who was driving the vehicle or who was in it. However, it was reasonable to suppose that it was soldiers.
As twenty minutes turned into thirty, and then into forty, the children began to get worried. Joe turned to Christo. “What are we going to do if Max doesn’t come back?”
“Relax, I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” Christo replied.
“But he said he would return within the hour and it’s getting close to that now,” Sarah stated.
“Well, Max is a resourceful fellow, so I’m sure that, if he did encounter trouble, he’d find a way out of it,” Christo replied.
“But what if he didn’t?” Will asked.
“Hey! It’s Max!” Sarah cried out joyfully as she spotted the man walking down the path.
As Max entered the cottage and slumped down on the sofa in the living room, he apologized. “I’m sorry for being so long. I couldn’t help it.”
“Why? What happened?” Joe asked.
“There are quite a few patrols out,” Max replied. “It seems as though the Golden Dragons have everyone on patrol and, not only that, a curfew must have been introduced for there wasn’t a sign of anyone else on the road other than soldiers.”
“They must have introduced it because of us,” Sarah piped up.
Max nodded. “Yes, which means that my original plan to steal a car and drive to the field is now impossible.”
“So what do we do now?” Amy asked.
Max was silent for a few moments and then he turned towards Christo and Mango. “Do you two have any idea how we might be able to reach the border?”
“We could wait it out here and see if the patrols stop,” Mango said.
“Or we could steal one or two uniforms from the Golden Dragons, then hijack one of their cars and pretend to be on patrol,” Christo suggested.
“But what about us?” Joe asked. “We can’t dress up as soldiers. We’d be recognized at once. The only thing I can think of is for us to travel there on foot.”
“But then we’d be spotted for sure!” Will exclaimed.
“Not if we walked at night,” Joe replied.
Max thought for a moment. “That might be the only solution. If we were to take the main roads it would take us no longer than two hours or so, but going by the main roads would be risky. If we kept to the side roads it would take longer, but we’d be less likely to be spotted.”
“So what are we going to do in the meantime?” Joe asked.
“Get some rest,” Max replied. “You’ll need it.”
“But we’ve just been sleeping,” Joe stated. “I’m not tired at all.”
“Well, I am,” Sarah admitted. “I’m happy to have a bit more sleep.”
“Well, do whatever you want, but don’t go outside,” Max ordered. “Christo and I will maintain watch from the front and back garden to make sure no one approaches the cottage without us seeing them first.”
“What shall I do?” Mango asked.
“Rest your ankle,” Max replied. “We don’t want anyone slowing us down tonight.”
With the plan set, the rest of the day passed slowly. Luckily, the old couple, who had several grandchildren, had a couple of puzzles in one of the cupboards, so the children filled in some of their time seeing who could complete the puzzles the fastest. Then, as they began to get sleepy again, for they hadn’t had much rest while in the dungeons, they decided to go to the bedroom and lie down.