Farm Kill

by Robert W Fisk

  Jo slipped down the bank. The long struggle up the bank seemed only a short drop now. The evening light was fading, making the bottom of the slope dark with a silver ban of water reflecting the light from the sky. Jo summed up the risk of running away, or swimming strongly downstream. She decided that the risk was too high.

  Philip was close behind her. "Wade across the stream," he said as he prodded her in the back with a finger. "Go on. Move."

  Jo began to feel her way with her feet. The water was muddy not clear; she could not see the bottom, which felt uneven. Philip slipped on a rock, offering Jo a slim chance of getting away. He splashed wildly but recovered his balance and her chance passed. She waited at the foot of the opposite bank.

  "Start climbing," said Philip.

  Although the evening air was sultry, the running water brought a chill. Jo gave an involuntary shiver . She was glad to start climbing as this might give her a chance to run off into the dark. She was younger and must be fitter than Zinsli, who was at least twice her age. She found, however, that Zinsli was more than a match for her. He was fast and very strong, staying right behind her no matter how hard she tried to outpace him.

  At the top of the bank Jo stopped for a rest. She was puffing with the effort she had made. Zinsli hardly seemed affected at all by their exertions.

  "What are you going to do?" she asked.

  "You're talking now, are you?" he commented.

  Jo could have bitten her tongue off.

  "Only when I need to know something. Where are we going? Kidnapping a girl is serious, next in line to murder. I want to know where we are going and what you are going to do."

  "Well, Bossy Boots," Philip said, "I'm going to my farm, taking you with me, then we're going to find your parents."

  "They are at Somerville's but the Somervilles aren't there. We've used some of their food. In return we've done the evening chores. They must be in town or something."

  Jo could see that Philip was pleased with her explanation. Was he making illicit whiskey? Cooking up meth? Hear nothing, see nothing, say nothing.

  "How did you get this far?"

  "I used Mr Somerville's ATV. But I got it stuck in mud and couldn't get it out on my own."

  "Where is it?" asked Zinsli.

  "Not far from here," said Jo. The two of then began walking along the farm road. What had seemed a long way earlier in the day did not take them long, even in the dark. Their feet began to sink into soft slimy liquefaction from the earthquake.

  "You've got to go up here on the left," said Jo. "Get above this stinky stuff."

  Zinsli saw the sense in what Jo had said. He realised that she must be older than the thirteen years he had originally thought. His first impression on seeing her sleeping at the side of the road was of a small and slim child. She had brown hair and unusual blue eyes. When she had stood beside him he realised that she was about five foot five in height. Zinsli wasn't sure if that was tall for a thirteen year old or not, but in brushing against her he realised this was no child.

  With Jo in front, they climbed above the earthquake's muddy spew. It took less than Jo's original twenty minute climb before they descended to where the ATV lay on its back.

  There was little point in not working as a team. Zinsli put his rifle down.

  "Roll it on its side," he said.

  The two of them stood side by side against the ATV, Jo at the tray end of the bike and Zinsli at the heavier motor end.

  "One, two, three, heave," he said. They both lifted and the side of the ATV began to rise.

  Zinsli strained but could lift no higher. "Put it down," he said. "Come to the tray end. We'll use the roll bar like a seesaw."

  They managed to lift the ATV quite high by using the roll bar as a fulcrum but they would not be able to turn the ATV over end for end. Instead, the bike fell sideways, on to its side. Then they were able to use the role bar again to roll the ATV on to its wheels.

  The effort had generated a feeling of team work. They sat on the ground in the mud with their backs against the wheels of the ATV.

  "Good work, mate," said Philip Zinsli.

  "I still hate you," said Jo. "Even though we had to work together."

  "A fair summary," thought Zinsli. "She's still an enemy." He got up and retrieved his rifle.

  "Let's give it a go to get out of here," he said.

  Zinsli sat the seat. "Wait a bit for the oil to settle," he said. "Hey, you were only in two wheel drive. This thing should drive out of here quite easily. Has it got a reverse?"

  He answered his own question. "Yeah. Here it is."

  Jo heard the click-clack of the manual gearbox. Richard had shown her how to change gear, but had told her he could leave it in a lower gear and not bother with the gears. Jo wished he had told her the ATV was in two wheel drive.

  "Let's try it," said Zinsli. The electric starter turned the single cylinder over smartly, resulting in a smooth idle.

  "I'll put it in four wheel drive," he said. The ATV inched forward. Zinsli used the gears to rock the ATV backwards and forwards, then he said, "I need some weight on the back."

  Jo climbed on the tray behind Zinsli. The bike began to move slowly backwards. Zinsli kept the speed of the motor down, the low speed torque of the Honda motor handling the load without a problem.

  "We're clear now," said Zinsli. "My place next. Hold on."

  On her knees, Jo put her arms around Zinsli's chest. The rifle that was slung across his back stuck into her and hurt, but it also separated her a little from Zinsli. As a young woman she was acutely aware of the man's physique, his easy confidence and charming good looks. As a girl she felt intimidated and a little frightened. She needed to hold on as Zinsli increased speed and the ATV bumped and swayed along the roadway so she endured the discomfort. An idea occurred to her. She freed one arm and felt for the magazine lock. The gun was well serviced and the lock opened. With a wiggle as if she was changing position, she withdrew the magazine and let it drop to the road. Zinsli might find it in the morning but at this hour of the night it was unlikely.

  At the fork in the road, Zinsli stopped to check his mail. Jo almost burst out laughing at the incongruity. There was nothing as there had been no deliveries due to the earthquake. Zinsli climbed back on to the driver's seat and drove up the narrow gravel road to his house. Jo looked at the wooden house with its long verandah and overhanging corrugated iron roof. It was quite a charming house but as the ATV swept around the back of it, Jo could see the earthquake had spilled windows out on to the ground and the roof sagged dangerously.

  "Bugger," said Zinsli. "Didn't expect that."

  He tied Jo's hands behind her back again. Then he fastened the loose end around part of the frame of the ATV, saying "Wait" as if she were one of his dogs.

  "What's the time?" she asked.

  "Just after eleven," he replied.

  He went to the door. It was stuck so he tried no longer. He came past Jo and climbed through the opening left by the smashed window. He was shocked by the damage the earthquake had caused. He checked that the power was on. It wasn't. He wondered if Sally was still alive. If she had died before Greg there could be complications. The store room door was locked. He banged on the door but there was no response. He went to get the key but it wasn't on the key board. Others were, so somebody had been there. Keeping the girl Jo might have been a very wise thing to do.

  Philip slipped out of the house through the broken window, walked past Jo, who was still tied up, then hurried round to the kennels. The dogs were settled.

  Greg and Ashleigh was his next stop. He went to the shed to find them. There was no truck. It had gone. The freezer cable had been disconnected. The light switch showed power was still off. Tyre marks at the door showed in the mud where water had spilled off the truck, softening the dirt.

  Sally had gone. The freezer truck with Ashleigh and Greg had gone. There was no-one else around. Sally must have driven the truck, attempting to get away. But Zinsli had not s
een the truck on the road down to the Te Kouka Bridge. Sally must have driven to her old place, not realising that Greg and Ashleigh were in the back.

  Philip had a nasty feeling about his plans. The bridge was down and the road was blocked by his pick-up truck and the gap in the road. Whoever had been there was still there. Jo had mentioned only her mother and father. Was she lying?

  Philip went back to the ATV. Jo was still there and obviously was feeling cold.

  "Who was with you?" Philip asked.

  Jo hesitated for a second. She didn't want to name Lance. Philip noticed her hesitation.

  "In the earthquake? Just Mum, Dad and me."

  "You're lying. Who was with you when you came here?"

  "I have never been here before."

  "What are your parents' names?"

  "Richard and Alex. Alex is my Mum, not a man."

  "There was someone else. Who was it?"

  Philip grabbed her hair and twisted it. Jo squealed. Then Philip untied her from the frame of the ATV. He put her arm behind her back and twisted it as far up her back as he could. It hurt so much that Jo screamed.

  "I'll ask you again. Who was with you?"

  "Just Mum and Dad."

  'What about here?"

  'I've never been here before."

  He twisted her arm until the pain was excruciating.

  "Who was with you on the ATV?"

  "Lance."

  Philip relaxed his hold a little.

  "You've lost him," he said. "That's why you asked if I'd seen a ten year old boy."

  "Yes, yes," said Jo. "He's autistic. He's out there just wandering around."

  Zinsli realised that Lance posed no threat. He simply could not communicate. But there had to be a change of plan now three others were involved. Greg and Ashleigh were dead already Tie the others up and set fire to the house. Scatter some drug stuff around; the police would leap to the conclusion that they had been high when the electric heater was left against the furniture. In Summer?

  "No," he thought, "the house had a coal range. The electric power supply had been cut off so Greg and Sally used the coal range to cook on, some coals dropped out when they and their visitors were high, Q.E.D."

  Sally he would lock away for twenty four hours, then bury her on the farm, just as he had buried Georgina. How tragic; while Philip was in Grantville repairing his pick-up truck his wife fell into a chasm, breaking her neck. He had done just that to a man in a mental hospital; broken his neck then pushed him off a terrace.

  Zinsli stood behind Jo as he thought things through. He needed Jo to make her parents comply. He would take the ATV back to Greg's house. Her parents would think it was Jo returning. He could tie her to the frame as he had before.

  "Come on Sleeping Beauty," he said. "Time you introduced me to your parents."

  37.

  Richard was tired and worried. It had been a long and stressful day. Greg and Ashleigh would survive with no brain damage or frost bite. Had they been much longer in the freezer it might have been a different story, even with the power supply off.

  Richard and Alex managed to get Greg and Ashleigh into the cab of the truck. Because there was no room left, Sally and Alex travelled in the back, in the freezer compartment. The freezer thermometer had shown a temperature of plus 5 degrees when Richard opened the doors to free them. Back at Greg's house, when Richard opened the doors the temperature had risen to seven degrees. The few minutes ride from Zinsli's house to Greg's had done Alex and Sally no harm, except for being thrown around as the truck negotiated the road.

  Ashleigh was the first to be able to speak logically, as the drug wore off. She told Alex how Greg had lain on top of her to keep her warm. Alex had taken over nursing care, knowing that although they had suffered only mild hypothermia, the two victims should not be warmed too quickly. The process was a slow one as core temperature had to be raised before the peripherals such as arms and legs, which would cause a rush of blood away from the brain and heart.

  Next, Greg recovered from the drug and began to speak. He was concerned for Lance. Alex quickly reassured him that Lance was with Jo. Greg did not know who Jo was but soon realised how lucky he and Ashleigh had been, first with the power cut and then the arrival and initiative of Alex and Richard.

  "I don't know what drug knocked us out nor how long we were out for," said Greg. "The last thing I remember is fighting a fire. It was typical vandalism; Zinsli has caused so much harm, but the police just won't listen. It would be well after two in the morning. I have no idea how we got here, nor di I know where I was; in a metal box, that's all"

  "When I first woke up I began to shiver," added Ashleigh. "I could see Greg had opened the door, and I could hear the motor on the roof. I tried to think of a way to stop it. Then the truck began to heave and shake. I thought it had run away down the hill. The noise was awful and the shaking really threw us around. I realised it was an earthquake. It seemed to go on forever. We were really thrown about and both knocked unconscious. I'm covered in bruises."

  Greg continued, "When the earthquake stopped, it was like a huge drum or roll of thunder that seemed to move away. I imagined field guns in the Great War slowly thundering into silence. Then I realised that the silence meant no refrigeration motor."

  Alex tucked them both up together in the double bed in the room next to the lounge, placing a warm water bottle on top of the covers so the heat would slowly filter through to them. She knew from her tramping experiences at university that warming someone with hypothermia could not be rushed.

  The house was warm from the day but Sally lit the coal range in the kitchen to warm the house further. Then she and Richard and Alex settled down to a cup of tea and something to eat. There was still no power, only kerosene lamps and gas camping lamps.

  Greg soon joined them. He was beginning to put together the pieces of information in his mind. He was convinced Zinsli had kidnapped Lance, and feared for Lance's safety.

  While he was speaking, Ashleigh came through from the bedroom. "Hi everyone. Who spiked my drink?"

  They all laughed. Then they became serious.

  Richard said, "We know that Lance is with Jo, going for help on the ATV. We suspect Zinsli is somewhere nearby, possibly hunting for Lance. I apologise for reading your personal papers. We did it to get information to help you after the earthquake, but the situation has become much more.

  "Zinsli or someone drugged you and left you to die of hypothermia. That means you are both at risk."

  He turned to Sally. "Zinsli locked you up. He told you he was going to kill Greg first and you later. I guess you both have wills leaving everything to the other. He might be mad or he might be very clever, but one thing is certain, he wants you all dead."

  Alex continued for Richard. "There is no power. That saved your lives. When the power comes on, there may be fire from short circuits."

  "You are in danger. So are we, but to a lesser extent. We rely on Jo to get help, but help should be here by now. Something must have delayed her. Meantime, I think we should stay here, and the three of you should disappear."

  Sally drove the truck. Greg and Ashleigh were still tired and cold so the three stayed in the cab of the truck, which Sally drove over the farm track to a grove of cabbage trees further up the river. Richard and Alex settled down to wait for Jo and help to arrive. Richard cleaned the rifle Jo had brought with her from the car. Being a lever action rifle, the Winchester just needed ammunition pushed in the magazine slot at the side. Richard carefully cleaned the ammunition as well, filled the magazine then put the rifle aside.

  "I hate those things," said Alex. "What are you going to do with that?"

  "Just in case," said Richard.

  "You've never needed a firearm before," said Alex. "Violence brings violence. Put it away somewhere."

  Reluctantly, Richard put the gun in the wardrobe in the bedroom. It was available if he needed it, but not as available as he would have liked.

  They were sitti
ng in the kitchen, dozing while they waited, when there was a knock on the back door. The noise woke Alex and Richard. The back door led through a utility area, then through a door on the right to the kitchen. To the left were the bedrooms and the bathroom. The kitchen door slowly opened. As Alex and Richard came to life, Jo stepped through the door. Behind her was a man they had never seen before. He held a rifle at Jo's head.

  Alex had started to rush forward to embrace Jo. She stopped in her tracks.

  "Jo, are you all right?" she blurted.

  Richard was on his feet.

  "Sit." The man's voice was firm and insistent.

  "Who are you?" asked Richard, subsiding into is chair. He wished he had the rifle beside him. Alex was right; the sight of the gun against his daughter's head made him feel uncontrollably violent.

  "Where are they?" asked the stranger, holding Jo by the shoulders with one arm while holding the rifle to Jo's head.

  "You must be Philip Zinsli," said Richard. "I am Richard West and this is Alex. Please put the gun down, there is no threat from us."

  Alex almost burst out laughing at the very English way Richard had spoken. She added, "Put that thing away. I hate guns."

  Jo struggled against Zinsli's arm. He released her, pushing her towards her parents. His gun was now held by two arms and was pointing at the three of them.

  Richard's calm tone had an effect on Zinsli. "I want to know where my wife is."

  "I have no idea what you are talking about," said Richard.

  There was a deafening explosion as Zinsli fired the rifle. The bullet was aimed high, at the wall above the windows.

  "The road is blocked. You are the only people here. The only ones who could have let my wife out and taken my truck." Zinsli did not mention Greg and Ashleigh.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," said Richard. "We let ourselves into this house while we are waiting for someone to rescue us."

  "Then where is your car?" asked Zinsli. The gun never wavered.

  "On the main road. Under the mud caused by the earthquake. We crawled up a pipe that led to a swamp, then walked here," said Richard.