After The Turn: Redemption

by Daniels, Melvin

  He felt a cold shiver making the hair on his neck stand on end, and he felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

  "You’re a good man my son" came a voice in his ear. His father appeared before him once more.

  "I know what I have to do, but do not know if I’m strong enough to do it" Sam declared "I have a score to settle but thou shall not kill, we are not at war"

  "To show mercy is to show strength, our lord Jesus forgave Judas his betrayal" Sam's father said

  "He killed my wife in cold blood, he is beyond mercy" Sam insisted

  "Lead by example, not by fear think of the message it will send to the people who follow you"

  Sam agreed with the advice he was given but could not accept it, Amber’s execution was beyond reasoning, he never intended on being a messiah. He was above revenge, but the tyrant would continue being so unless he was brought to justice. Life for life. But whatever happens, it would not fix the hole inside him.

  "I'm sorry father, I don't know what to do, I do not wish to disappoint you, God will be my judge when my time comes"

  He heard another voice to the left of him, his father whispered away into his imagination, sitting beside him was Amber, this time she was holding a baby to her breast, Sam could not see the child’s face.

  "I know what he took from you" Amber spoke softly as if on the air itself. "Our future, our family, but killing him will not bring me back"

  "I want to be with you" Sam pleaded

  "I live on through you babe" Amber said touching Sam's cheek. "It's the only way I can be with you"

  "You keep me alive" Sam exclaimed

  "Wrong" Amber said, "You keep me alive... in here" she touched his forehead "You keep my memory alive" the baby wriggled in her arms. "Do you want to hold him?"

  Sam wept as Amber passed her the baby, he held him tightly and began to rub his back, the baby rolled over and Sam was alarmed to see that he had no face at all. He sat back on the wooden bench in shock.

  "He is not real, babe" Amber said "Your mind cannot process him a face as you never had an image of him before, he was only an idea, your wish and your desire. Your brain can not compute the details, I see him, he is beautiful, just like you"

  Suddenly the door to the church flew open. Amber was gone. His arm washed in blood, he had scratched the scab from his arm again. He quickly pulled the bandage back up over the wound. Drew was walking between the aisles of the benches.

  Drew sat down beside Sam

  "Mitch said I would find you in here" Drew explained "We have a problem" he handed Sam a note, he took it from him and began to read.

  Drew

  I have taken Hannah, she is not safe here, Marcus will get her killed. She is safer on the other side we are going to the knights. I will not inform them of your upcoming raid, or that you have given shelter to your friend Chloe. I am sure they can be reasoned with. Please reconsider the raid and seek advice from Sam before you make your decision. Please take care.

  Seamus

  Sam handed the note back to Drew, even with good intentions he knew that Seamus would not be able to keep his word for long, they had to move and move fast, and the fact that he had taken Hannah was only going to exasperate matters further. They needed to set the wheels in motion now.

  "We do this tonight" Sam declared he stood up and started pacing around his hand rubbing his bristly chin. "Who are you taking in?" he asked Drew.

  Drew had thought a lot about this over the last few hours, he figured he needed six maybe seven bodies inside the walls, to help secure all objectives, it needed to be quick and many hands make light work.

  "Chloe has contacts inside, it may help us get this done quickly, so I need her there" Drew said. "Hameed, Tommy and Matty can steal some transport. Omar and Dieter can get the guns, I am looking for Sarah"

  "Ok, Paul, Clifford, Connor, Doc, Rachel and the kids can stay here" Sam insisted "I will take Frances and Rocky with me?"

  "I was hoping that Frances could stay behind also, I know that does not leave you with many in the diversion, I just do not want her to get captured and put into their system"

  Sam agreed but did have one further question

  "Where does this leave Marcus?"

  "He went out with Skutterz last night, to meet this artist he was talking about. Hopefully, we will be gone before he gets back. I have seen him change lately I fear he will be a liability"

  With that there was a massive Crash as the church door swung open as Mitch was shoved through the old sixteenth century doors. Marcus yelling at the top of his voice.

  "Where are they!"

  Mitch struggled to his feet has Marcus bounded towards Sam and Drew, they stood at the font, Jesus behind them, Sun came out from behind a cloud and shone through the stained glassed window. Drew handed the letter to Marcus. Who snatched it out of his hands.

  "I'm going to kill him" Marcus said through gritted teeth reading the letter "Let’s go, Now!"

  "Easy brother" Drew tried to reassure him, but the anger in Marcus was rising his inner beast raging "You shall do no such thing" Drew paused thinking how he was going to word his next sentence, he had no other option so he just said it "You’re staying here, you will jeopardize the operation"

  "Screw you" Marcus clenched his fist tightly "I'm going, with or without you, and I am going right now"

  Sam took a step forward

  "Back off solider boy" Marcus stopped him in his tracks.

  "You want my help when we are saving your girl, now mine is in trouble you don't?" Marcus queried,

  Drew could not think of an answer before Marcus spoke once more, this time with a cruel vile tone

  "I'm going before she ends up like his girl" He pointed at Sam.

  Sam squared up to him, they started pushing each other about, until Mitch had hurried over, standing behind Marcus he put his arm around his throat and choked him until he desisted. Mitch released him. Marcus tried to get his breath back before he stormed back out of the church. Sam looked at Drew not saying a word, none was needed.

  "I'll sort this" Drew insured Sam before he chased after Marcus and out of the church.

  Sam sat back down Mitch sat beside him.

  "Shall I get the guys together?" Mitch asked his friend.

  Sam dropped his head, looking down at the floor.

  "You ok skip?" Mitch was concerned, he had noticed Sam not being himself of late, struggling with his demons.

  "Do you think it will work?" Sam asked, "Normally we would have reliable intel, we would have back up, air support the works, what is going to stop them rolling up and mowing us down?"

  "Don't think like that mate, it will be fine" Mitch tried to reassure him

  Sam knew there was a lot riding on the people going in, he wished he could be with them, but it was important to turn the enemies head elsewhere, Jared knew Sam had beef with him, so it would be almost a certainty that he would send his people to meet with him and with numbers. He needed to keep them occupied.

  "What are you going to say to the Knights when they come to us?" Mitch asked

  "I will talk to them about the masks, engage with a story about wanting to keep both of us safe, then take them on a wild goose chase, make out that we think we have found where they are holed up and that we do not have fire or man power to take them out. They will be curious, they will buy it, you saw how they rocked up at our camp, they will do the same"

  Mitch nodded and got to his feet, with real buoyance and marched across the floor, his feet thudding on the concrete.

  Sam raised himself from the wooden pew and stood facing the statue of Jesus on the cross.

  "I'm ready my lord"

  ***

  "Aha! the famous Seamus, welcome, your sisters tell me so much about you"

  Jared mocked Seamus as he was shuffled into the room, hands and legs tied together with black cable ties, his mouth taped up with duct tape

  "And you bring me a gift?" He noticed Hannah standing silently beside Seamus. "Thom
as would you please show this lovely lady to my quarters, I will give her a proper welcoming in due course"

  One of Jared’s enforcers marshalled Hannah towards a side door. Seamus squirmed trying to get to Hannah, his yells muted by the tape.

  "Nico" Jared ordered another man forward "Take our guest downstairs"

  Nico smiled with a hideous snarl, willingly following his instructions.

  "Move!" he grunted as he shoved Seamus in the back, and marched him down the hallway, Seamus felt like a convict, on death row, he scuffed his feet along the laminated flooring, until he was forcibly stopped at a doorway. Nico opened the door, and pushed him down a set of stairs, he hit his head and was knocked out cold.

  When he awoke, he found himself in the dark chained up in what could only be described as a makeshift prison, with nothing but rats for company, and the smell of blood and urine through his one open airway. He was left there contemplating what a bad decision he had just made.

  **

  Drew was sat in the load bay of the pick-up; Marcus was honking the horn furiously getting everybody to hurry, he was in a rush. Chloe was sat up front to help with directions, and Connor was coming along for the ride so he could drive the truck back.

  Hameed sat opposite to Drew, smiling confidently, Hameed was a very quiet guy but he was always keen to help out, Drew wanted to make a point of getting to know him better when they got back, for now he was focusing his mind on the here and now, he had to have a calm and collected aura around him, there was a lot to go wrong he needed to relax.

  There was a bang on the back on the tail gate.

  Frances threw a rucksack up and over onto the truck, landing at Drews feet, he looked down, Frances was looking up arm outstretched.

  “Give us a hand up?” She asked.

  Drew leaned over and pulled her up.

  “What are you playing at?” Drew asked as Frances got herself over and into the load bay “Your supposed to stay here, and safe”

  She smiled at him.

  “I will be safe” she said, “I’ll be with you” She kissed him on the cheek and sat down beside him.

  Drew was sure he was blushing and there was nothing he could do about.

  Everybody was finally ready, and Marcus revved the engine impatiently whilst Clifford opened the gate for them and then they were on their way. Drew looked back behind them at the people they had left behind, hoping to see them again, but in the back of his mind he could not guarantee that. He kept on looking until he could not see it anymore, the gates, the fence, the buildings. Home

  37

  Darkness had set in already, and it was cold. Drew and his team had worked throughout the day to reach the field outside the Knights village. They lay in the long grass waiting. Waiting for the call on the radio, to let them know if they were good to go or not. Drew was staying as close to Chloe as possible; she was leading the way as she knew where they were going as she had been through here before.

  Dieter had hold of the radio they had obtained at the second visit to the farm, they had re-tuned them to a different frequency so they could communicate with each other. The radio crackled and a voice came over, that of Rocky.

  “They have come to meet us; Sam is talking to one of their guys” Rocky whispered

  Dieter relayed the message to Drew; this was the cue to move up a touch more.

  “Keep us posted” Dieter replied to Rocky.

  Drew encouraged Chloe to move forwards, hesitantly she did so, Drew started crawling behind assuming the others would follow suit. His elbows dug into the dirt, as he pulled his frame forwards. They got to within a close yet safe distance from the perimeter far enough to remain unseen close enough to when the time came, they were only a short sprint to the fence.

  The plan once they got inside was to get to the guns first, for two reasons, to arm themselves and to stop the remaining occupants of the village to do so.

  Chloe pointed to where the entrance to her tunnel was Drew could just about make it out. They lay and waited for which seemed like an eternity, until the radio crackled once more.

  “They bought it, they have gathered reinforcements, we are just loading up, get going”

  Drew could hear the noise of engines firing up, the hum carrying in the silent night, it sounded like a lot of vehicles. Good news, hopefully they would be out for a long time.

  Dieter passed the news on once more. Drew got into a crouch and ran to the fence stumbling as he did so, he had never been more focused. His dream of being reunited with Sarah potentially not far away.

  He stood with his back to the fence, as the others scurried their way over. Marcus decided he would be the first one through the hole, without talking to anyone else. He dropped his bag off his shoulder, jumped down and crawled underneath. Drew came through next and then Chloe. Marcus stood by the other end helping everyone out of the hole. Drew was about to move forward; Chloe grabbed his shoulder.

  “Remember you said that we will help that girl” She said

  “Yeah” Drew answered bluntly

  “She is in there” She pointed at the building Infront of them, the building that she was housed in. It was likely to be empty; McCormack was probably assigned to convoy leaving the camp, following Sam’s diversion.

  “Later” Drew told her.

  Chloe knew where they stored the guns, the only problem would be getting into the building where they were, without help. And they needed help, this was all part of the plan.

  The others hid out of sight as Chloe knocked gently on the door. Nothing happened, she waited, was the plan going to unravel already? She knocked again. This time a torch light bounced around inside and shone through the clouded glass, there was a rummaging of keys from the other side of the door, several locks were released. The door was opened a fraction and a sweaty plump man appeared.

  “What are you doing here?” The man asked, he looked around nervously quickly opening the chain from the door to allow her in “Come in quick”

  “Keith, we need your help” Chloe said

  “We?” Keith asked, hesitantly.

  The others came into view Keith stepped backwards tripping on an old, ragged rug in the hallway. Terrified by the sheer number of people at his door. He rushed them all inside and checked up and down the road for any prying eyes that may have seen what was going on.

  “W-What is going on here?” Keith stammered.

  Chloe sat him down reassuringly. Drew approached the tubby man, calmly.

  “Hello sir, my name is Drew Barnes and we have come to find my wife” Drew informed him. “Sarah Barnes?”

  Keith shook his head, “I do not know who that is, she may be here she may not” he said “Although there is a book in Jared’s office which documents everyone who has come through our system, and where they should be now”

  Drew was pleased, worst case scenario in his mind meant he would find out where she is and who she was with.

  “Can you get access to it?” Drew asked

  Keith shook his head

  “Can you show me the direction?” Drew asked

  Keith nodded, his eyes scanning each and everyone in the room, his mind trying to work things out.

  “So why are there so many of you to find one person?” Keith questioned.

  Tommy stepped forward from behind Drew’s left shoulder.

  “We are taking the guns back”

  Keith was apprehensive, he had worked out where this was going as Chloe knew he had access to the armoury. He did not feel threatened by these people in his home, in fact he felt a warmth from them, he was not treated well by Jared and his Knights, he was often the butt of all the jokes. He was picked on and bullied. He wanted change; he offered a suggestion.

  “I can help you get the guns” Keith said “But on one condition”

  “What is that?” Drew questioned

  “Take me with you”

  Drew looked at him did not say a word, he was not intending to bring anyone else out with the
m other than Sarah, he could see Chloe looking at him willing him to agree.

  “These people are despicable I would like nothing more than see them taken care of. But when they find out I helped you I am as good as dead” Keith pleaded

  They all silently strolled down the hill towards the armoury, Keith leading the way, Drew had listened to what he had to say back at his house, the plan had altered slightly but this was the best deal on the table. Once they had the guns secure, they would search for transportation. Drew only hoped that Sam was keeping up his end of the job.

  **

  The station wagon bounced over the potholes in the road. As many as seven vehicles behind them all packed with Knights. They were leading them away from the village at great speed, giving Drew the time he needed to get his team in and out, they were observing radio silence until Drew was clear, then they would slip away before the Knights would notice.

  “How much further skip?” Alex asked, his foot pressed firmly to the floor

  Sam had decided to take them back up to the gibbet, somewhere that they could leave the safety of the vehicles and head into the woodland by foot, back where he and Mitch found the body of Eileen. They could go deep into the woods, far enough to be able to double back and lose them, Sam would insist on no torch light.

  Mitch and Seth sat in the back, holding onto the plastic handles on the roof as they raced over the broken tarmac below. Rocky crammed into the middle seat between them.

  “Not far now, just up to the bottom of the track, we will walk them to the gibbet”

  Alex killed the headlights and slowed down turning into where they parked before on their previous visit. The brakes squeaked slightly as Alex pressed the pedal, bringing the car to a halt, the Knights vehicles follow suit. Alex left the key in the ignition and opened his door as Seth and Mitch exited the vehicle. Rocky slid along the back seat before Sam turned in his chair.