Burly & Grum and The Birthday Surprise

by Kate Tenbeth

CHAPTER 5

  Gruel was making his way to the other cove. Despite his great strength, carrying a box of gold was hard work, especially in the tropical heat, but he kept on going because he knew that in the next cove, hidden under piles of fallen palm leaves, was a small inflatable boat with an outboard engine.

  When he’d first started thinking about taking the gold from The Toolkits he knew he’d have to be very clever and have escape routes set up in different countries in case of emergencies. Now all that hard work and planning was about to pay off. He was going to get off the island and escape the police. “You are a very smart groblin,” he muttered to himself. “Oh so very smart...”

  Burly sniffed the air with his large snout. “It’s easy,” he said. “Gruel went that way.” He nodded in the direction of their cove.

  “What?” said Grum. “He’s going to our beach? Ooooh, King won’t like that, he’s already cross that we’re there.”

  “Who’s King?” asked Tara.

  “He’s a crab, a very big one with a bit of an attitude problem,” replied Burly.

  “He’s a bit, you know, crabby,” said Grum and snorted with laughter at his own joke.

  “No more jokes, please, it’s just too much with this heat as well.” Burly was puffing as the sun beat down on his thick fur coat.

  “Well, why don’t you take your suit off?” suggested Detective Finn.

  Burly glared at him. “Does this look like a suit? I am a bear. I am in my prime. Don’t annoy me.”

  “Yeah, really, it’s best not to,” said Grum. “I did warn you, when he gets angry he tends to double in size. I’ve got no idea what that karate stuff is you were talking about but one swipe of his paws and seriously, you can say goodbye to it forever.”

  “Anyway,” said Burly, “why don’t you take off your coat? Ridiculous thing to wear in this heat.”

  Tara giggled. “That’s his detective coat,” she said. “He wears it like everywhere, even when he’s not detecting. Mum gets really fed up of it and says she’s going to throw it out one day.”

  It was her father’s turn to look annoyed. “It’s a great coat,” he said, “and no one’s ever going to throw it out. Now hurry up, or Gruel will get away.”

  “Is there lots of ice cream in your ice cream truck?” asked Tara as she trotted along trying to keep up with them.

  “You bet,” said Burly.

  “Cookie dough?”

  “Er, no,” Burly lied.

  “No talking!” said Detective Finn. “We’re wasting time, come on!”

  Gruel was so preoccupied he didn’t even notice the ice cream van as he hurried past it. He was making his way to two palm trees that were bowed across each other so that their trunks made a huge ‘X’ sign. He’d hidden the inflatable boat between the two trees. He put the box down and started scrabbling about, moving what seemed like tons of palm leaves, trying to find his boat. Where was it? It had to be here. But it wasn’t.

  “Looking for this?” asked a rasping voice.

  Gruel stiffened. He stood up slowly and turned around. Facing him were The Toolkit Gang - Anvil, Crowbar and Nails. Anvil held up the inflatable boat with hands the size of a football and then dropped it to the ground; it had been slashed and fell in a squiggly heap on the sand. Gruel gulped and took a step back.

  Crowbar pushed the remains of the little boat to one side with his foot. He was very tall, well over 6 foot, and as thin as a piece of crispbread, with long greasy hair and a scarred spotty face set in an angry scowl. Gruel’s beady red eyes glanced at the others. He could usually rely on Nails to support him, but her blue eyes were as cold as ice. He looked at Anvil - thickset with close cropped hair, and muscles made huge by weightlifting. Grum could make Anvil do whatever he wanted but, judging by the look on his face, that wasn’t going to happen today. The Toolkit Gang were angry. Very, very angry.

  “Hello!” Gruel forced the cheerfulness. “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for all of you. Well done for finding me. Now, er, you’ve found me we can split the money eh?”

  There was silence. The three gang members stared at him. Gruel gulped. “Look, this was a plan all along - I was only trying to keep the money safe for all of us. I was looking after you.”

  Crowbar looked down at Nails. “You were right Nails, he does think we’re stupid. Well, we can’t be that stupid can we?” He turned to face Gruel. “Because guess what? Surprise! We found you.”

  “And now,” Nails sneered, “we’re going to make sure that we get what’s ours and that you get what you deserve. Remind me what it was you thought he deserved, Anvil? He’s been thinking, dreaming about this moment for weeks now haven’t you Anvil?”

  Anvil cracked his knuckles. “We’re going to tie you up and then leave you here - all alone, no food, no water - you can think about us spending all that gold.”

  “All you’ll ‘av are coconuts to talk to,” said Crowbar.

  “I think we should take all the coconuts as well,” chipped in Nails. “He doesn’t deserve to have anything at all - he cheated us and stole the money we worked hard for!”

  “You’re right,” said Crowbar. “He don’t even deserve coconuts - let’s get him!”

  Gruel eyes darted to and fro in panic. He was physically very strong but there were more of them and time was running out. “Look, okay, yes I took the gold for myself - so what? I’m a thief, that’s what thieves do isn’t it? Why are you so surprised? I only took it before one of you thought about doing it. But there’s something you should know - there’s a policeman on this island, I’ve only just escaped from him and I don’t think he’s far away. If we don’t get a move on then we’re all going to end up behind bars.”

  “Is that the best you can do?” said Nails.

  “I’m not lying,” Gruel’s voice was desperate now. “Listen to me - there is a policeman on this island - he caught me and tied me up, but I managed to get free.”

  “Oh really?” said Crowbar. “Pull the other leg, why don’t you? You’re a liar, that’s what you are - we let you into our gang when no one else would touch a groblin and then you stole from us - well you won’t do that again.”

  “Look,” Gruel was gabbling now and backing away from them. “We can escape together now, share the gold and forget about all this, but if we get caught then we’ll spend years in jail. We can work together - he’s just one man and... and there’s a young girl, yes, we can use the girl....”

  “Get him!” yelled Crowbar and they all pounced on Gruel. Gruel didn’t stand a chance and they soon had him tied up, lying with his face in the sand.

  “Not again,” moaned Gruel.

  Anvil picked up the box of gold as easily as if it were a bar of chocolate and gave the thumbs up.

  “Say goodbye to the gold - we’ll think of you as we’re spending it,” said Nails patting her dyed blond hair in a satisfied way. The three of them headed down the beach towards their motor boat bobbing in the shallows.

  Gruel wriggled wildly in the sand. “You’re making a mistake, look, set me free, I can help you fight the policeman!”

  The Toolkits were half way down the beach when a voice carried clear and loud across the cove. “Drop the box and then step away from it!” They turned around.

  “Told you,” said a muffled voice from the ground.

  The Toolkit Gang watched in amazement as a tall, broad shouldered man dressed from top to toe in a thick leather coat and leather boots strode through the sand dunes towards them.

  “He wasn’t lying,” said Nails in astonishment.

  “I’m arresting you for theft!” Detective Finn continued to walk towards them apparently unafraid of the gang.

  There’s only him,” said Crowbar. “We can take him easy.”

  “Yeah,” said Nails. “Let’s get him, come on Anvil.”

  Anvil put down the box of gold and the three of them headed straight towards Detective
Finn. And then another figure appeared over the top of the sand dunes. Anvil rubbed his eyes. A large brown bear appeared to be making its way towards them. It looked rather hot and bothered.

  “Nails, what’s that?” Crowbar asked, confused.

  Nails’ mouth fell open. “Looks like a bear but it can’t be,” she said. “We must be, you know... what’s that word... hallucinating...?”

  “I hope it is a bear,” said Anvil cracking his knuckles. “I’ve always wanted to fight a bear, see who’s strongest.”

  “Not a problem,” replied Nails immediately. “You take the bear and Crowbar and me, we’ll take the policeman. Crowbar?” She looked around. “Crowbar?!”

  Crowbar was already half way down the beach towards the motor boat with the box of gold clutched close to his chest.

  “Hey! Wait for us!” yelled Nails. “Anvil! He’s going without us, come on!” Nails ran after Crowbar but Anvil stood where he was eyeing up Burly.

  Detective Finn broke into a sprint and skirted around Anvil, his leather coat flapping like great bird wings. “Stop!” he yelled at the top of his voice. “I’m arresting you for theft! Do not move!”

  Crowbar and Nails carried on running. Crowbar was the first in the water and was wading towards the boat when he started screaming at the top of his voice. “Argh! Yow, help!!”

  “He’s going to drop the box!” yelled Nails. “Anvil! Anvil, get here will you?! I need you!”

  “Help me!” screamed Crowbar.

  “Anvil!” yelled Nails. “You can fight the bear later! I’ll buy you a bloomin’ bear with the gold - just get here now!!”

  “Stop in the name of the law!” shouted Detective Finn.

  Burly padded quickly down the beach with Tara safely by his side. It seemed to him that in less than a second the beach was in absolute chaos. Everyone was shouting, splashing, running. The only thing that was missing was Grum. He looked around. Grum was definitely missing. “Tara?” he asked. “Where’s Grum?”

  She pointed. “There.”

  From seemingly out of nowhere Grum steamed full pelt along the beach towards the thieves and before you could blink he’d rugby tackled Nails to the ground. She let out a piercing scream and hit him hard with her fists but Grum merely sat on her. Crowbar was scrabbling through the water, trying to make it back to the beach and he was still screaming for help at the top of his voice. As he emerged from the water Burly could clearly see a very large crab attached to his big toe. King! Burly grinned. This was going to be easier than he thought.

  Tara tugged at his fur. “Burly?” she said.

  “Hmmm?”

  “Why is that big man staring at you?”

  Burly had been so distracted by the running and screaming he hadn’t noticed Anvil who was standing as still as stone in the middle of the beach looking straight at him. Burly looked back over his shoulder but there was nothing behind him. Yes, the man was definitely staring at him.

  “Not sure,” he replied.

  “I think he likes you,” said Tara. “Look he’s smiling at you.”

  Burly felt uncomfortable. “I don’t think that’s a nice smile Tara,” he said. “And I think you should stay here while I go and have a word with him. You can watch your father arrest the others.” Detective Finn was chasing Crowbar who had dropped the box of gold coins and was running up and down the beach screaming with King still firmly attached to his toe, while Grum was sitting waiting patiently on top of Nails.

  “Oh okay, that’s always fun,” said Tara. “Can I have an ice cream soon Burly?”

  “Yes, of course,” promised Burly. “Now, you wait here okay? I won’t be long.”

  Tara nodded.

  Burly padded up to the big man and sat down casually a couple feet away from him. His bright intelligent eyes looked into Anvil’s glinting, mad eyes.

  “I’m going to fight you,” said Anvil grinning. “And I’m going to take that fur coat off you as my prize.”

  Burly blinked.

  “Are you going to let him speak to you like that?” shouted Grum.

  Anvil was almost as tall as Burly and thick muscles covered every inch of his body. He had been a professional wrestler before he turned to crime and he was mean and nasty. He nodded to Burly and hunkered down in a fighting pose. “Come here.”

  “I really don’t want to fight,” said Burly. “It’s my birthday.”

  “What kind of excuse is that?” sneered Anvil.

  “It’s a pretty good one, I think,” said Burly, smoothing down his fur with a large paw.

  Anvil’s eyes widened at the size of Burly’s paw but nothing was going to stop him. “Fight me.”

  “No,” replied Burly.

  Anvil charged towards Burly, head down. Burly moved quickly to one side and Anvil tripped and crashed into the sand.

  “Good move!” yelled Grum and gave him the thumbs up. Tara clapped her hands excitedly.

  Anvil brushed the sand off and ran towards Burly once more. “Once I’ve finished with you,” he shouted, “I’m going to get that ugly little girl over there!”

  Burly had had enough. He stood on his hindquarters, lifted his front paws above his head and roared at the top of his voice. The whole beach shook. He roared a second time and brought his massive paws down on Anvil’s shoulders. Anvil hit the sand like a ton of bricks.

  The cove fell silent.

  Detective Finn had just slapped handcuffs on Crowbar and stood, open mouthed, staring at Burly.

  “Told you,” Grum said smugly. “He looks cuddly but you don’t want to get on the wrong side of him.”

  After that it was easy. Nails stopped struggling and was also handcuffed. They couldn’t find handcuffs big enough for Anvil but found strong rope to tie him up with. He wasn’t moving very much anyway. Gruel was also added to the collection of thieves and even he was quiet.

  “I think that everything’s under control don’t you?” Burly said to Tara.

  “My dad always gets the bad guys,” she said proudly. “And you were really good as well Burly.”

  Grum ran up. “Well that was really cool!” he grinned.

  “You did well - great tackle,” replied Burly.

  “Was rather good wasn’t it?” said Grum. “I practise that a lot with Grimly and Gripe.”

  “Do you think you’d better go and have a word with King though?” continued Burly. “He’s still hanging on to that man’s toe.”

  “Really?” Grum had forgotten about King.

  “Really,” said Burly

  Grum turned and ran back down the beach towards Crowbar who was handcuffed and whimpering loudly, and sat down in the sand next to him. “You’d better let go now,” Grum told King.

  “Bloomin’ people,” grumbled King. “Coming to my beach, running all over it, ruining it - they’ve got no idea, no idea!”

  “I know,” said Grum, “but then they’re people, most of them don’t think like us. And the sooner you let him go, the sooner he’ll be off your beach.”

  King considered what Grum said and then, rather reluctantly, let go. Crowbar howled in relief and hugged his foot.

  “You can still help,” said Grum. “Let’s go find that box of gold, he dropped it in the sea somewhere.”

  “Gold?” grumbled King. “What’s the point? You can’t eat it.” But he followed Grum anyway.

  They soon found the box of gold and Grum dragged it up onto to the sand. Detective Finn looked very pleased. He stood with his hands on his hips surveying the scene before turning to Burly and Grum with a wide smile. “Thank you both very much,” he said. “This is quite a result, I’ve got the whole Toolkit Gang and the gold - I couldn’t have asked for anything more.” His mobile phone rang. “Hello? Yes Sir, The Toolkit Gang have been captured - all of them. Okay, yes Sir, I understand.” He shut the phone and looked at Burly and Grum. “The boat is on its way after all, in fact it’s only a
couple of minutes away - I suggest you two make yourself scarce - there’s no way I want to explain how a bear and groblin are on a desert island. I’m not sure I even believe you’re here and I’m talking to you.”

  Burly nodded. “You’re right, we should disappear.”

  Tara’s chin trembled. “But dad, Burly promised me ice cream and it’s his birthday party! I don’t want to go home!”

  “Tara,” her father said. “We have to go, your mother’s making tea...”

  “I want to stay with Burly!” Tara clung onto Burly’s fur. Detective Finn hesitated and Tara sensed he was weakening. “Please daddy, I won’t ask for anything else, ever again. And I have been good.”

  Detective Finn thought carefully for a moment. “I’m sorry Tara, I just don’t see how you can stay - the boat’s coming, your mother’s waiting...”

  “I was tied up!” wailed Tara.

  Burly raised an eyebrow at Detective Finn. Tara did have a point.

  Detective Finn sighed hard, he knew when he was beaten. “Oh okay, you have been good today and you were tied up but only on the condition that you have to let me clear it with your mother first. And I’ll have to make sure the guys can pick us up later.... maybe I can tell them I need to collect a bit more evidence...”

  Tara’s smile dazzled the whole beach. “Come on Burly, let’s go hide in the ice cream van until they’ve gone.”

  “I like the way you think,” replied Burly and the two of them headed up the beach.

  Grum picked up King. “No! No!” yelled King, knowing what was going to happen.

  “Oh you like it really,” said Grum as he tucked King under his arm and ran up the beach.

  Detective Finn laughed and then sat on the box of gold and waited for the boat to arrive.