by Ryan Gawley
‘Why have you stopped?’ shouted Henderson from the back seat. ‘We can’t stop, move man. Drive. Stone, do you hear me? I said drive.’
Stone snapped back to his senses and slammed the car into gear. Accelerating past the scene he saw for a few seconds the man kneeling over the girl had leapt back to his feet and begun to shake violently. Glancing in the rear view mirror Stone could have sworn the man had now ripped out chunks of his hair and was waving them high over his head, screaming and shaking all the while.
‘What the hell is going on? This is no riot. What have you done Henderson? What was the General saying about a project?’
‘I pay you to drive Stone, now get me to the club,’ Henderson snarled as he stared coldly into Stone’s reflected glare.
Pulling up sharply outside the old bank building which was Henderson’s club Stone left the engine running.
‘I’ll wait here as long as I can but I might need to circle around the block if things get a bit dicey.’
Henderson stepped from the rear of the car and hurried to the old wood framed revolving door which served as the club’s entrance but found it wouldn’t move. He pushed and pulled but couldn’t move it an inch. He frantically looked about the street to check for signs of danger from the advancing crowd but the trouble hadn’t spread this far into the Elite sector just yet. He tried the door once again and was about to give up and return to the relative sanctuary of his car when he heard a click and watched with relief as the door began to move freely on its axis. Slowly emerging from the doorway appeared the tired, wrinkled face of Maurice Hastings, the ancient doorman wearing his dark grey uniform contrasted by woven embellishments of silver cloth which complimented his thin silvery hair.
‘Ah, Mister Henderson sir, I was just locking up, seems there’s a spot of bother and we’ve to batten down the hatches eh?’ said Hastings with a chuckle obviously unaware of the full extent of the situation unfolding only streets away.
‘Excellent timing Maurice. Tell me, is Mr. Cartwright still in the club?’ Henderson asked with urgency as he bolted to the door.
Hastings thought a moment; so many faces had passed through the club over the decades he had difficulty remembering who had died and who was still alive but suddenly a wave of clarity flit across the old man’s face.
‘Oh yes, of course, Mr. Cartwright. Yes, I believe if you hurry you may just catch him.’
Henderson looked puzzled. ‘If you’re locking down the club won’t he be staying for the evening?’
‘Oh my no, Mr. Cartwright was in quite a rush. He received a telephone call on his little screen thingy and seemed agitated. He actually asked me how to get to the roof. Can you believe that? I haven’t been up there since, oh, now let me think. Yes it must be over twenty years at least, why was it now that I had cause to go up there I wonder?’ the old man rambled as he lost himself in memory.
‘Maurice, listen. It is very important that I speak with Mr. Cartwright. Can you tell me how to get to the roof?’ asked Henderson in as patient a tone as he could manage knowing that getting rattled would only delay him further.
With rough directions Henderson squeezed his way through the revolving door and jogged as quickly as his bulk and weakening heart would allow. Puffing and sweating he ran across the entrance hall to the lifts drawing stares of disapproval from his fellow members for his appearance and ungainly behaviour.
For the first time this day chance favoured him and one of the two lifts sat empty and waiting at the ground floor. He rode it to the top level and again jogged as quickly as his tiring legs would carry him to a service door at the end of the corridor where he found the staircase leading to the roof access just as Hastings had described. Bursting out of the door onto the roof the rotor wash of an executive helicopter buffeted Henderson as he watched Cartwright being guided to the waiting craft by a dark-suited bodyguard.
‘John!’ shouted Henderson. ‘Mr. Cartwright,’ he shouted again as he advanced toward the helicopter. This time he was heard by the bodyguard who alerted his boss to Henderson’s presence.
Cartwright paused, briefly considering whether to even acknowledge his subordinate.
‘Henderson, what are you doing here?’
‘Please Mr. Cartwright; you have let me go with you,’ Henderson shouted over the roar of the twin turbine engines. ‘The project has been sabotaged and General Curran has taken command of the city. I need to speak with you and make arrangements for reinforcement troops loyal to the Brotherhood. We can regain control. I can turn things around, I just need more time.’
Cartwright looked him hard in the eye. ‘Henderson, this experiment was your responsibility and you have proven how wrong we were to assume you could be as efficient as your father. You have failed us and failure does not go unrewarded. I will speak with the Brotherhood and recommend you are exiled here to live or die by your own hand.’
With that Cartwright turned and climbed into the waiting helicopter which promptly lifted off from the roof of the club taking Henderson’s life of entitlement with it. His only hope now was the loyal Derek Stone. Hurrying back down to the lobby and through the revolving door once again he was relieved to see Stone had been true to his word and waited dutifully outside the club entrance.
‘Derek, my good man,’ said Henderson using Stone’s first name for possibly the first time during his entire employment. ‘I appreciate you waiting; true professionalism.’
‘Well, as you pointed out, that’s what you pay me for,’ replied Stone not rising to the baited compliment. ‘Where to now, sir? Might I suggest you return to your apartment until this situation has been cleared up?’
‘No, Derek. I have unfinished business with my daughter. You said you could find her? Then I want you to take me to her immediately.’
‘I’ll find her Mr. Henderson,’ Stone replied confidently. ‘I guarantee it. I’ll find her.’
CHAPTER 22
Sam slowed and turned the bike into a rarely used fire road as the evening sun began to descend behind the tall evergreens stretching the length of this section of the southern highway. Closely followed by the girls in the old cleaning company van he rode slowly, careful to keep the bike in the left side of the rutted tarmac since a heavy growth of grass and weeds had sprouted along the centre line. They continued down the twisting lane for about a quarter mile until the trees gave way to clear flat land gently sloping off toward tall cliffs on the left and to lower land leading down to a small sandy inlet to the right.
The smell of the sea was inviting and as they drew closer they watched the warm orange orb of the sun sink low on the horizon. High on the dunes overlooking the beach at the far side of the inlet stood the only visible man-made structure, fragments of broken windows shone gold as they reflected the late evening rays. As the lane narrowed the cracked tar surface transitioned to broken concrete then to a wide track in the sand which meant Sam had to slow the bike to a crawl to maintain balance and traction in the soft uneven surface.
As they approached they faced into the sun so the building was in silhouette with much of the detail lost in shadow. Sam could see a section of the roof had collapsed and what perhaps was once a well-tended garden had been reclaimed by the wilderness. Tall coarse grass grew in thick clumps around the remaining posts of a fallen timber fence and wild flowers and short stunted grasses covered the sandy soil. Skeletal blackened joists peering out from under the scorched roof on the right side of the house were an ominous sight as were the sharp teeth of broken windows hanging from charred and blistered frames. The front door in the centre of the house had been painted white many years ago but coastal weather and neglect meant it was cracked and peeling although it seemed that it had been reinforced with newer timber more recently. One window in the left side was intact except for a broken pane which had been covered up with old fence boards.
Sam pulled up to the front of the building and killed the engine as Lucy parked behind the motorcycle and both she and Kathy stepped out of
the van to stretch their legs. Sam approached removing his helmet then arched his back and rolled his shoulders to relieve cramp from the long ride.
‘Are you sure this is the place Sam?’ asked Lucy
‘I think so, Arthur was very specific about the directions he marked on my map but I don’t see any sign of life and his truck doesn’t seem to be here.’
‘It’s so beautiful,’
‘What, this old shack?’ Sam said turning to question Kathy.
‘No, the ocean, it’s beautiful. I’ve never seen the ocean before.’ She had walked to stand by the left side of the house and look out over the panorama before her.
Sam and Lucy joined her and held hands as Lucy put her arm around her sister’s shoulder and they all stood in the cool breeze for a moment listening to the rhythm of the pounding surf.
‘We’d better have a look around, it’ll be getting dark soon and at the very least we need to sort out somewhere to sleep tonight, not to mention get something to eat. I don’t know about you but I’m starving,’ Sam said breaking the spell of the moment, anxious that his friends weren’t here to greet them as he had hoped.
Lucy wiped the sleeve of her jacket on a window pane and pressed her face against the glass, shielding her gaze with her hands to try and see through to the gloom inside.
‘Do you see anything?’ asked Kathy
‘No, not really, it looks like there’s some old furniture like this was the living room. It doesn’t look like the fire got to this part of the house though.’
‘I’ll check the door,’ said Sam stepping up to the door and trying the handle but it wasn’t the type that turned from the outside needing a key to open the latch lock. He tested the lock by butting his shoulder against it but the only thing to give way were flakes of the crumbling paintwork.
‘It’s pretty solid; I’d guess it’s been propped up from the inside. We can always break that window if we need to but let’s check around the far side first.’
An empty window frame blew open slowly as it caught a breeze passing through the missing upper floor and roof as they walked past the burnt section of the house. Sam pushed it closed and looked into the room. He could see the remains of an iron bed frame and some wooden furniture that hadn’t been fully destroyed in the flames. The door was closed and although it had been badly scorched it hadn’t burnt through completely. Somehow someone had managed to contain the fire and get it under control before it consumed the entire building. Turning the corner at the gable end which hadn’t been visible from the road Sam was greeted with a familiar and welcome sight which lifted his spirits. There, parked neatly and facing him was a dilapidated red Land Rover pickup, the rear canvas cover flapping loosely in the wind.
‘Look, its Arthur’s truck,’ he said excitedly. ‘This is the right place for sure, come on, let’s check around the back.’
‘Why aren’t they here then?’ said Lucy nervously
‘Do you think something might have happened to them?’ Kathy asked picking up on her sister’s concern.
‘If the truck is here they have to be here,’ replied Sam confidently as he strode forward and around the corner to the rear of the building. He tried the back door and found it unlocked so pushed it ajar and stepped inside. ‘Wait here, I’m going to have a quick look around first.’
He searched the small kitchen finding it surprisingly neat and tidy with clean dishes stacked in the rack by the sink. Faded wallpaper with an old fashioned nautical theme still hung on the walls but sagged in the corners. A clock with a surround in the style of a ship’s wheel was mounted above a worn wooden table top but the motionless hands incorrectly gave the time as four minutes past three since the battery had long since been removed. A dented aluminium whistling kettle sat on one of the four gas burners of an ancient stove. As Sam crossed the room to check if by some miracle any gas was left in the cylinder Lucy leaned in through the door and whispered urgently.
‘Sam, come here, quick! I think someone’s coming.’
Suddenly feeling trapped Sam ran out to Lucy and Kathy. ‘Where are they? I can’t see anyone.’
‘I heard voices, Kathy heard them too.’
‘I did Sam, it was faint but we both heard them,’ Kathy confirmed.
Sam turned his ear to the breeze and listened carefully but couldn’t detect anything other than the roar of wind and waves. Not trusting his luck Sam thought quickly on the best course of action.
‘Go to the Land Rover, the lock on the driver’s door is broken. Lift the base of the passenger seat, you should see the battery compartment, Arthur hides the keys there. If we need to we’ll have a better chance of getting out fast along that lane if we have four wheel drive. If I come running start the engine and be ready to floor it.’
The sisters went to the truck and began checking for the keys as Sam bent low and crept quickly to the edge of the dune at the rear of the back garden where a narrow gap gave access to a set of crumbling concrete steps and a heavily rusted steel banister. He lay flat and tried to position himself where he might get a glimpse of the approaching strangers before they caught sight of him. Creeping forward on his belly to better see the beach directly below he saw a flash of shaggy golden hair running up the steep sand bank toward him immediately followed by excited barking and within seconds he was rolled over onto his back ruffling Molly’s ears as she yelped with excitement and licked his face then bounced around him before returning to give and receive more affection.
‘Molly, good girl, it’s good to see you too,’ laughed Sam as he rolled around on the grass getting reacquainted with his best friend. ‘Lucy, Kathy, it’s okay come on back here,’ he shouted to the girls as he saw the tops of two familiar heads come into view through the gap in the dunes.
‘Sam, is that you?’ an older male voice asked.
‘Of course it’s Sam you old fool, don’t you recognise him? Sam, come and help an old lady up these steps.’
Pushing Molly back so he could get to his feet as Lucy and Kathy joined him again behind the house Sam walked to the top of the steps and stretched out a hand to a spritely lady who gladly accepted despite being in no need of the assistance. She bounded up the last steps and threw her arms around Sam’s waist and reached up to kiss him on the cheek.
‘Oh Sam my boy, it’s so good to see you alive and well. I’ve not slept a wink with worry about you and Lucy. And this must be Kathy, yes?’ she said releasing Sam and striding quickly to embrace both sisters. ‘Thanks for looking after him Lucy; I’ve grown fond of your Sam I must say. Hello Kathy, so nice to meet you, I’m Alice and that old codger dragging his heels behind me is my husband, Arthur,’ she said looking over her shoulder and smiling as Arthur steadied himself on the railing as he reached the top step.
‘Hey, less of the “old” comments eh? You’re making me look bad in front of these gorgeous girls,’ said Arthur catching his breath.
‘Never mind about these young ladies, you can’t even keep pace with me,’ teased Alice and she turned to chatter with Lucy and Kathy.
‘Well Sam, you made it back in one piece. Good to see you lad, really good to see you,’ said Arthur extending a hand which Sam shook firmly then both men engaged in a brief hug and slapped each other on the back before both felt mildly uncomfortable and separated.
‘It’s good to see you too Arthur.’
‘What happened to the house?’ asked Sam indicating the burnt section of roof. ‘We thought maybe something had happened to you.’
Arthur rubbed the stubble on his cheeks as he considered the damage. ‘It was like that when we got here Sam. I’d hoped I’d see my cousin and his wife but they’ve long gone by the looks of things. I guess someone stumbled across the house and tried torching it, probably just vandals. Thankfully it didn’t take the whole building. We worked to save what we could and patched the place up a bit. It’s too not bad really and I reckon in time I can repair the worst of it. Besides, the ocean view is amazing.’
‘It sure is
Arthur, you have yourself a great spot to retire,’ laughed Sam.
‘Well, this calls for a celebration don’t you think?’ said Arthur changing the subject and rushing off toward the house leaving the women talking as Sam knelt to rub Molly’s belly.
‘Here we go, there’s one each,’ said Arthur carefully carrying an old tin bar tray from the kitchen on which he had three small jam jars, a plastic beaker and a chipped china cup with no handle. ‘The ladies get the glasses,’ he said referring to the jam jars. ‘A drink from the last bottle of my own whiskey and a toast to friends found safe.’
They all drank the toast and Kathy coughed at first not being used to liquor which made the others laugh. She took it well and enjoyed the rest of her drink and the company of more new friends, especially Molly who had taken a real shine to her. Arthur brought out the bottle and topped up everyone’s drinks while they sat, legs dangling over the edge of the dune and watched the sun melt into the sea.
The sea air and a few drinks had everyone quite sleepy so as Arthur cleared up Alice led their guests inside by the light of an old paraffin storm lantern they had found in the tool shed along with a half full bottle of fuel. Sam and the sisters followed Alice along the short hall to a room facing the rear of the house. In the dim flickering lamplight they could see the blistered paint on the door at the end of the passage which was the farthest room in the house and had sustained the worst damage in the fire. They were thankful to find their room was intact and even seemed welcoming given how tired they felt.
‘I thought perhaps you girls wouldn’t mind sharing the guest bed and since Sam is such a gentleman I’m sure he’s happy to take the sofa in the living room.’
