“They’ve spotted us.” Jethro heard the Colonel shout as they reached the edge of the water.
Jethro headed straight into the cloud.
“Slow down. You’ll crash.”
But Jethro didn’t slow down, because he could see on his radar that the two military police craft were following him. In the cloud he banked left to avoid the upcoming hill and climb the valley to one side. He couldn’t see it but he knew from experience it was there.
“You’re mad,” the Colonel shouted. “Slow down.”
Jethro might be mad but he still ignored the Colonel. He banked right heading straight for the ridge that climbed down from the hill he had skirted, and at the last moment pulled up and over, and on the other side dropped down the steep sided hill and into another cloud filled valley.
Behind him he heard an almighty bang and the shock wave almost sent his hoverbike and trailer tumbling but he managed to regain control as he flew along the valley bottom, hidden amongst the cloud. Now there was only one dot on the radar.
Jethro slowed the hoverbike to a standstill at the head of a spur.
“He’ll catch us up,” the Colonel shouted.
“That’s the intention.”
“I’ve been saved by a madman.”
Jethro watched the dot get closer on his radar screen. He wasn’t sure how fast the military police craft could go or how it was intending to stop him.
Zing!
Jethro felt the heat from the laser blast as it seared past his leg. That was one question answered. He revved his engine and took the right fork up the valley. This was the most dangerous route and Jethro had never tried it with a trailer in tow before, but the use of weapons had increased the stakes so he had to take the risk. Whoever it was that was chasing them, and for whatever reason, it was clear to Jethro they had no intention of offering coffee and asking polite questions if they caught up with him and the Colonel.
The valley began to narrow and Jethro didn’t need to see through the thick cloud to know what lay ahead. His pursuer was fast coming up behind him and Jethro twisted his throttle a bit more in case he was in visible range of the laser again.
Zing.
Too late. He was within range and sight from his pursuer. Luckily the shot missed this time but it might not next time.
“Faster. He’s gaining on us,” shouted the Colonel behind.
There’s no pleasing some folk.
Jethro put his bike into top speed which judging by the dot on his screen was still short of the speed of his pursuer, who was catching him up fast.
Jethro could see the rocks littering either side through the cloud, the valley had narrowed that much.
“Watch out up ahead.”
Jethro didn’t need to watch out. He knew there was a stone bridge ahead and he also knew that at the speed he was travelling he had no chance of stopping or pulling over it. He had no choice but to go under the bridge. He knew his hoverbike was wide enough to fit through because he had already done it once, albeit at a slower pace on a clear day and without a trailer.
He lined up his approach although he couldn’t see the bridge as it was in the low cloud. Then the thought entered his head that the trailer was a little bit wider than the hoverbike but he wasn’t sure by how much; it wasn’t something he had ever concerned himself with. The dark shape of the stone bridge appeared through the grey of the cloud.
“Oh my god no,” shouted the Colonel. “Pull up. Pull up.”
Too late. There was only one way now and that was through the gap under the bridge. Jethro took one last look at his radar to see that his pursuer was right behind him then he turned his attention to the bridge. Bit too high. He lowered the nose a fraction. Too far left. He twitched his shoulders to the left. Steady. Ignore the screaming coming from the Colonel in the trailer. Steady. Steady.
Whoosh.
Made it. They were through the bridge.
Bang.
But his pursuer didn’t.
Jethro slowed down.
“Bloody hell kid. Are you trying to kill both of us?”
Jethro turned to his passenger. “We’re not dead, are we?”
The Colonel didn’t reply. Then after a pause he said, “good piece of flying son. We still need to hide. There might be more.”
Who is this guy? And why is he being hunted?
Jethro continued at a more sedate pace and was glad of the cloud cover until he reached Grimpen Mire. He knew there would be a persistent ground mist covering the bog at this time of year. A great place to hide out but where? Suddenly in front he saw a figure in the mist.
At first, she was like a vague shrouded shape but Jethro knew instantly who the figure was. His best friends Martina and Alan had an older sister, Elinor, who had disappeared on the moor a couple of years ago. Her body had never been found. Occasionally Jethro thought he saw her just as he was seeing her now.
“What’s up son? Why have you stopped?” asked the Colonel.
Jethro knew the Colonel would not see Elinor so he didn’t reply. She was pointing to her right.
Of course. The stone huts.
As soon as Jethro had that thought Elinor disappeared.
He drove to a couple of stone huts at one edge of the Mire and parked his hoverbike in one hut with the trailer. When he put the infra-red blanket over it, he knew it would be almost impossible under that stone roof to spot it from the sky, because whatever heat the infra-red blanket didn’t hide the cold wet Dartmoor granite would.
He showed the Colonel into the other hut. It was a simple shelter with rocks for seats and a tarpaulin for a door and window to keep out the rain. With his portable heater from the trailer and a lamp it made a comfortable place to stay the night out of the worst of the Dartmoor weather.
Time to find some answers.
Jethro asked the questions that had been troubling him.
“‘I saved your life and you won’t tell me who you are, why you’re on the run from the military police, or where you are heading?”
‘You’re almost right.’
“Why almost?”
“Can you tell me where Comfort Farm is?”
chapter 4
“He’s your brother?” That shocked Jethro. He didn’t even know Mum had a brother.
“Yes Jethro, he’s my brother.”
“That makes you my uncle. Can you tell me your name now sir?”
“Yes and I’m sorry I couldn’t before. I must be careful. I am Colonel John Baskerville, formerly of the Black fleet.”
Jethro had heard of the Black fleet. There were four fleets in the Space Military, the Blue, White and Red fleets, and the legendary Black fleet. The Blue fleet was based on Earth and responsible for Earth’s protection. The White fleet was held in reserve and stationed on the Moon. The Red fleet was based on Mars, but during the war between Earth and Mars it had come out on the side of Mars. In the Treaty of Uruk 2418 Mars had kept control of the Red Fleet. The Black fleet was the front line in space currently patrolling the Asteroid Belt beyond Mars and was responsible for reaching out further into space and any special duties that cropped up, like investigating UFOs.
“Please understand Jethro I can’t tell you any more now.”
Jethro didn’t understand but he knew the military police were trying to kill the Colonel so he didn’t ask any more questions.
“I’ll prepare dinner. You two must have a lot of catching up to do,” Mum indicated to the Colonel and Dad.
“Jethro,” said Dad. “The military police will come here and do a search because we’re closest to the moor. I want you to strip the bike’s engine. Put the hot bits in that old fridge in the barn for an hour to cool them then take them out and leave the bike in bits. When the military police come, we’ll say you’ve been here all day. OK?”
“OK.”
Jethro had learnt something new about Dad. That was not a Soy Bean farmer talking. He stripped the engine and followed instructions. Once the hot bits were in the fridge,
he tidied up his garage area to make it look more messy like he was rebuilding an engine.
Jethro loved working on engines. It was a valuable skill on their remote farm because they couldn’t afford the credits to send anything away to get repaired, and they couldn’t afford the time for any of their machinery to be out of action whilst it was getting repaired. Jethro had learnt most of his skills from the Mesh. Dad and Mum were not happy about the extra speed he added to his hoverbike but they were very happy about how easily and quickly he could repair and maintain other farm machinery.
The hour was up so he retrieved the bits from the fridge and scattered them around the workshop benches and floor tidily in the order he would need to reassemble the engine. He heard voices at the other end of the barn and knew it was Dad and the Colonel talking. It was rude to listen, but hey. He missed the early part of the conversation.
“But none of this has made the news.” Dad.
“Cold War incidents never do, for fear of inflaming the situation. There’s a lot of posturing going on.” Colonel Baskerville.
There was silence for a while and then Colonel Baskerville spoke with such a low voice that Jethro could barely hear. “Some believe there’s going to be another war.”
“No way. I’ve got friends on Mars. I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it William. Politicians and Colonels don’t care about families and friends.”
“John, John.” Mum’s voice. “The military police are coming. I had a call to warn us. Five minutes.”
Jethro crept back to his workshop and was there when the three of them; Dad, Mum and the Colonel, raced in.
“Quick. Where can we hide John?” Mum pleaded.
“The fridge,” Dad suggested.
“The moor,” Mum suggested.
“The silo,” the Colonel suggested.
“They’ll find him in all those places if they’ve got a heat radar. I’ve got an idea,” said Jethro.
“Come on then what is it?” Mum demanded.
“The slurry pit.”
“Don’t be so ridiculous it’s nearly full, you can’t seriously think of hiding him in there,” said Dad.
“That’s the whole point,” said Jethro. “He can wear my mask and breather.”
“It might work darling,” said Mum.
Colonel Baskerville made a decision. “We’ll do it. Jethro get me the mask and breather.”
He was kitted out with a waterproof suit that Jethro wore when cleaning out the slurry pit once a year.
“You’re going to need a good shower after that John,” said Dad as they lowered him into the slurry pit.
Jethro threw the rope into the furnace to get rid of the evidence.
The military police arrived and searched the farm but found nothing.
One of the policemen gravitated toward the slurry pit. “What’s this here?”
“A slurry pit.” Jethro answered.
“What’s in it?”
The slurry pit was a concrete cylinder mostly underground with about a metre above ground. There was a hinged steel lid with a piston opening mechanism.
“We put animal waste in it to decompose so we can spray it on the fields.”
“Open it.” The policeman stood next to the side where metal lid would rise.
Dad was about to say something but Mum silenced him with her hand. Jethro smiled as he operated the opening mechanism.
As the steel lid rose like a slow giant frog’s mouth the policeman bent over and thrust his torch into the widening gap followed by his head. Almost instantly he jerked his head back out and fell to the ground coughing and spluttering.
Even Dad smiled. Mum said. “Shut it Jethro.”
Jethro shut the lid and Dad and the other policeman pulled the incapacitated policeman away from the proximity of the slurry pit and sat him up.
He carried on coughing and Mum brought him some water which he drank.
“You could have warned me,” he finally said when he was nearly fully recovered.
“Sorry but you were too quick,” said Mum. “Everyone round here knows what a slurry pit is so we just assumed you did.”
Jethro could see she was trying hard to keep a smile from ruining the sincerity and concern in her voice.
The policeman stood when fully recovered then finished their search by looking at Jethro’s old hoverbike.
One of the policemen said, “It can’t be that old machine, my granddad has one and it only goes 20 knots with a strong wind behind it.”
The military police laughed and left.
After a safe time, and a scan to ensure they hadn't left any surveillance, Dad and Jethro pulled Colonel Baskerville from the cesspit.
“You’re in good spirits considering you smell worse than an Asteroid miner’s sock,” said Dad.
“I’m in good spirits because like the Asteroid miner’s sock, I’m still alive.” He made to enter the farmhouse.
“Stop right there,” said Mum brandishing the yard hose.
“But I need a shower,” he said.
“You’re not getting into my shower looking and smelling like that.” Mum sprayed him fully down before she would allow him into the house.
After a good wash, disinfect and liberal spray with some of the perfumes Mum had collected over the years they had dinner. Dinner was Lamb, everybody’s favourite, including the Colonel. Meat was almost impossible to get hold of unless you reared it yourself. Only the very wealthy could afford to buy it. It was one of the few privileges the Tull family had.
chapter 5
Jethro prepare his hoverbike to take the Colonel to an Inn in the village to meet somebody. It was hush hush and Jethro was not to ask any questions.
Colonel Baskerville came into the yard wearing some of Dad’s old clothes. They fitted him well and along with a couple of days of stubble he could almost pass as a farmer.
“William,” said the Colonel. “Remember our agreement.”
“I remember. But don’t worry you’ll be OK,” Dad turned to Jethro. “Son. You take care of him. He’s my best friend.”
“Dad, care is my middle name.”
“Yes I know that, and less is your last name.”
“Funny dad.”
Jethro hugged Mum. “Look after my brother Jethro.”
“No problem Mum.”
“And no speeding. You’ll be in public airspace.”
“I know. Bye.” Jethro rode his hoverbike out of the farmyard. This time the trailer was a people carrier trailer with seats.
Jethro skimmed across the fields until he reached the edge of his farm land. Then he joined the public route towards Tavistock. He didn’t speed because the last thing he wanted was to get a ticket as he couldn’t afford to pay it. He parked the hoverbike in a field belonging to a neighbour farmer, just outside the town, and they walked in.
“Keep your eyes peeled Jethro. Tell me if there’s anyone you don’t know or anyone who stands out to you. OK?”
“Sure.” Jethro wished he knew what was going on but Colonel Baskerville would tell him nothing.
He was to take the Colonel to the Boar’s Head Inn and make sure he met up with his friend, no questions asked, then return home alone.
The Boar’s Head was a rough but friendly Inn, friendly to locals that is. Jethro drank in there when he could afford a night out. They walked around the Inn a couple of times to make sure there were no unusual hoverbikes parked close by. Jethro told the Colonel it looked OK, there was nothing unusual parked outside. So they entered the Boar's Head.
As they walked in, the hubbub immediately stopped and everyone turned to look at the new arrivals.
“Jethro. Long time no see.” The hubbub resumed immediately and they were no longer the centre of attraction, as a couple of locals, Martina and Alan, twins from a nearby farm, greeted Jethro.
“Who’s your friend?”
“He's my uncle. On Mum’s side.”
The twins greeted him warmly with a handshake. “What
’ll it be?”
“Sorry not tonight,” Jethro told them. “I’m delivering Uncle to one of his friends then I have to get back. Another time.”
“No problem we should leave soon anyway,” Martina said. “Up early tomorrow to finish the harvest.”
As they were about to sit Alan said, “There are two nervous looking guys in the back bar. Maybe one of them is your friend.”
“One of them could be. Thanks,” said Uncle John.
“In fact, here they are,” said Alan.
Uncle John took one look at them and immediately nudged Jethro. “We must leave. Now.”
Jethro didn’t need telling more than once.
“It’s not them,” to his friends. “Sorry gotta go.”
He turned and headed for the door with Uncle John in tow. As they reached the outside, they could hear some shouting going on inside. His friends, Martina and Alan, and probably other locals were hindering the two gentlemen. Jethro made a note to save enough credits to put some behind the bar next time.
Jethro and John ran back towards the hoverbike.
Zing.
They were being shot at.
Zing.
That was close. Jethro changed direction. He ran along behind the cover of a stone wall, not wanting to lead the pursuers directly to his hoverbike. He led Uncle a circuitous route behind stone walls back to the hoverbike. There was nobody in the field. With a bit of luck, they had made it.
Jethro started the engine, not waiting for it to warm up, and took off immediately in the direction of Dartmoor. There was a full moon which lit everything up helping their pursuers, but a strong mist was coming down over the moor and Jethro hoped they would make it to the security and comfort of Dartmoor.
Zing.
Zing.
More shooting but Jethro held his nerve and soon they were hidden deep among the misty moorlands. They should be safe and the pursuers would never find Uncle and him now. For safety, he headed for the hut by Grimpen Mire. The plan was to stay there for a while and Jethro would scan the radar to see if they had been followed.
Red Dust of Mars Page 2
