by Benson, Tom
“Was that when you two got together as a couple?”
“No, although we did become friendlier.” She smiled. “Once his underhand tactics brought me around, I started looking more closely at the others in our farmhouse family. It took very little time for me to see the truth of the situation regarding our behaviour.”
“What stood out most clearly for you?”
“Helen’s state of mind was the first thing I considered. On the first day, instead of falling apart, she’d gone from worried to angry very quickly—which we’d all noticed. She’d assessed our situation and then rallied and gave us a real talking-to.” Amber laughed briefly. “As we raided stores in Aviemore and stocked up on piles of food and things she was like a commander in a siege.”
“How long did that attitude last?”
“She kept it up for our sake for a day or two and then as it dawned on us that we might all have lost everyone who meant anything to us we all fell apart—including Helen.” For the first time, Amber’s expression was serious. “It was our worst time, but it was probably the period when we realised that we had to rely on each other.”
“What about the characters of the others?”
“Quincy rapidly became the alpha male and wanted to protect everyone. Imogen’s attraction to him became more obvious with every day that passed. It wasn’t long before they were finding the odd job to do, which only needed two people. He was her muscleman, and she was his beauty.”
“Was it the same for Glen and Emma?”
“Just like Josh and me, they’d known each other at school before college and their relationship simmered for a long time. If you stay with us for a couple of days, you’ll learn that Emma loves to cook and bake, and Glen loves to eat.”
Sandy laughed. “He’s a big lad, but he doesn’t look overweight.”
“Don’t get me wrong—he eats a lot, but he works bloody hard.”
“Am I right in thinking that Emma is the hairdresser for you guys too?”
“Yes, we’ve got her to thank for not looking like a bunch of rag dolls.” She studied his hair and face. “I noticed when you and Flint arrived that you only had a couple of days stubble and your hair is short and neat—have you guys discovered a hairdresser in your midst too?”
He grinned. “Within a day of seeing the scissors and trimmers, we had a steady stream of haircuts and beard trimming going on. Flint and I were the first two in the queue.”
“Keep the stubble … it’s a nice look.” She winked and grinned as she turned and walked on.
They arrived at another gate, which led to the next field. While Sandy looked around, Amber performed the same rapid technique to get over the gate, and Sandy followed.
“As strange as it seems now, I’d never have envisaged myself with Josh. Although we were friendly early on, we didn’t become an item until much later than the other couples. It was only thanks to his sneaky mural trick that I didn’t become a recluse.”
“He’s a nice-looking guy, but he strikes me as the quiet type, and you’re an attractive young woman—I think he must have been scared to try anything.”
“Thank you.” Amber laughed. “When we eventually kissed, it was down to me to make the first move. We were in the barn, just the two of us together and I caught him looking at me several times as we continued working. He apologised for letching, and it was then I realised how much I had grown to like him.”
“It’s easy to see how he feels about you, and I’ve only just got here.”
“I see him as a handsome inventor and academic, and he sees me like Diana the Hunter. I think it was when I noticed possible weaknesses in the others that I decided to raise my game.”
It was Sandy’s turn to laugh. “Well, I think you and Josh are well-matched, and you’ve most certainly got the respect of every person in your group.”
For a few minutes, they walked on in silence, occasionally looking around.
Amber glanced at Sandy. “Did you spend much time with Helen before you came up here?”
“I met her at the entry portal, that’s our front door. Our four-person team arrived back from here as a five-person team, and I must admit, a special guest like Helen was a pleasant surprise. Once they’d rested and things calmed, I took Helen on a tour of our mountains.”
“You live in more than one?” Amber squinted.
“No, we live inside Auchcarn, which is where the hydro-electric facility is housed. Rachcarn, the mountain next to ours is where the disused rail tunnel is situated. The glass corridor you’ll have heard about joins the two mountains.”
“That sounds a bit precarious.”
“They converted the bridge into a large greenhouse which is only a small part of the facility.”
“Those guys heavily into conservation?”
“The aesthetics of the region were hugely important in the acceptance of the power plant design. The only part outside is the dam on the reservoir; otherwise, you wouldn’t know the hydro station existed.”
“It must have taken a while to go on a guided tour of the whole place.”
“We were together all day.” He paused and smiled. “It was a pleasant day too.”
“So, you two must have had quite a long time to chat.”
“We did, and I hope she enjoyed the day as much as I did.”
“I’m sure she did, Sandy—I’m sure she did.” She smiled. “I’d love to see the Auchcarn power station—it sounds incredible.”
“Obviously, you all have an open invitation.”
“It may take a while, but we’ll take you up on the offer.”
“How did it go?” Flint said as the recce patrol walked into the garden.
Sandy said, “We found a few smudged prints but nothing conclusive. In some ways, it reminded me of that walk we did into the forest.”
“Oh,” Flint said knowingly. “Was there something in particular?”
“I think Amber got it right—the feeling that someone is watching you.” He gave an imperceptible nod.
“Right, which is why we’re here, of course,” Flint confirmed Sandy’s true meaning. “Could we have a chat about it later over a brew?”
“Yes, we’ll do that, mate, and I’ll talk more to Amber about it, she has a keen eye for detail.”
Flint half-turned to look at Amber and nodded to her slowly. “I’m pleased to hear it.”
Amber gave a weak smile, now content to have kept the secret of her arrowhead find. Whatever happened next, she felt the burden of her suspicions lessened if Sandy and Flint were involved.
“Anyway,” Sandy said, “how is it going with our joint planning efforts?”
Quincy said, “We’ve got a route planned to two of the relay sites. They’re in different directions, and the nearest is several miles away, so it probably means a day-long mission for each.”
Imogen said, “We’ve also got our lightweight trailer which we ought to be able to pull most, if not all the way to either of the sites.” She grinned. “Even if they are on the top of hills.”
Sandy nodded. “Have you considered that any tracks shown on the map might be overgrown?”
Flint said, “I did mention that, and I told the guys about the conditions in the wildlife sanctuary.”
“Are you sure the relay sites are close enough to reach in one day if our chosen team set out early enough to make two trips?”
“We factored-in using the trailer,” Quincy said, “because, although I’m not afraid of a tough hike and hard work, Josh chipped in some important detail. When we reach one of these sites, we’ll still have to dismantle the equipment from however it’s installed, and we don’t know how the antenna will be mounted.”
Sandy nodded at Josh. “Well done, mate—valid points and all very time-consuming.”
Flint said, “We’re not against the clock. I was thinking, maybe deal with one relay tomorrow and it will give us some idea of what we’re up against for the second one.”
Imogen said, “If one team de
alt with a relay, a second-team could go out and have another look at the boats on the Spey.”
Sandy nodded. “I like that—and you said that the river isn’t far from here—”
“No,” Imogen said, “and even if we walked a mile in both directions, it wouldn’t take us all that long to locate any serviceable boats. When your other team was here, we took Bill and Jay-Dee to the riverside moorings. Some of us have been back since to retrieve a couple of craft, and to check out the numbers and condition of other small vessels.”
Flint said, “I think we’ve got the makings of a plan there.”
“Okay,” Sandy said, “how about inclusion—will everyone be taking part at some stage?”
The response was a resounding ‘Yes’.
“Josh,” Sandy said, “are you ready to put together a message for our contact later?”
“Ready when you are.”
Emma said, “Would somebody like to give me a hand, and we’ll get mugs of tea sorted before we thrash out the details?”
“I can help there,” Flint said, standing, “as long as I get more of your lovely cake.”
“Okay, Josh,” Sandy said, shaking his head at Flint, “I think we’ll have an open discussion over our brew and we’ll stick some approximate timings in to see how it all sounds.” He paused. “I meant to ask earlier—how confident are you that the sub-station is secure?”
“We fitted a large metal chain and padlock on the compound gate, but just in case the wrong person gained access, the entry door to the building is wired to a circuit inside. It’s not obvious, but it’s safe if you know how to disengage it.”
Amber said, “Wasn’t that one of Cherry’s suggestions?”
Josh nodded. “Bill said, even if we hadn’t seen anyone around, we should always be alert. Cherry said the electricity supply was too important to have it jeopardised. It would be okay to share the power with anyone who tried to cause damage.”
“Share the power?” Sandy grinned.
“Cherry is a class act,” Imogen said, causing a ripple of laughter. “She suggested that the metal door handle would be an ideal way to share with anyone who might want to damage the unit.”
For an hour, the whole group gave input regarding the sequence of events, timings, who could be involved and in what capacity. The toddlers were happy to play nearby and didn’t cause any disturbance during the discussion.
At half past six, Flint, Emma and Josh returned from the two-mile walk to the sub-station, having sent an update, and received a message from Auchcarn.
Josh smiled. “The response was from Helen—‘Four of us with you on Saturday’.”
14. Gathering Resources
Saturday 20th August
Emma sat at one of the picnic tables having breakfast with the three toddlers. Hence, they felt as if they were emulating the adults—all sitting at another of the tables together.
Imogen said, “Were you two guys comfortable up in the mill?”
Flint laughed. “Compared to some places we’ve slept, it was luxury.”
Glen said, “Surely it would have been more comfortable to have slept in the living room on the sofa and chairs?”
“It would have been more comfortable,” Sandy said, “but we wouldn’t have been able to sit up and take an occasional look around the countryside. The upper level of the mill is a great vantage point, and the window is so small that nobody would know we were there.”
Josh said, “Do you think there is a real possibility that there is someone out there?”
“We had two people living in the caves a couple of miles from the mountain,” Sandy said, “and after a couple of patrols into the forest we found evidence to suggest that they’d moved on. We believe they were hostile.”
Quincy said, “Do you think that there are other small groups around the country?”
Flint said, “Our group has discussed the issue several times, and we believe that there are at least two people—the ones we already know about here in the Highlands. It may be that by some chance, they left our area and have come as far north as here.”
Josh said, “Perhaps they’re not hostile but friendly, and don’t know how to approach us.”
Sandy shook his head. “People with friendly intentions would walk along the driveway to your front door and make themselves known, mate. Only those with suspect motives would be skulking around and observing you.”
Emma looked across from her table. “We’ve all felt so safe until recently but now—”
“Emma,” Flint said. “We came here to investigate and help you guys to protect yourselves. We’re going to be recovering radio equipment and maybe a boat or two, but our primary reason for being here is the safety of your community.”
Amber said, “Apart from me, a couple of you other guys have been taught to shoot now, so we ought to be okay.” She smiled and turned to glance at the two soldiers. “What these two haven’t told you yet is that one of them will be with us until the mysterious person or people have been located.”
“Really?” Emma said. “One of you will stay here?”
Sandy nodded. “If the job isn’t done, one of us will go back with the next visitors from Auchcarn, but the other will stay. If necessary, either Bill or one of us will do short periods here until this suspicious activity issue has been resolved.”
Flint followed up the reassurance. “Our two communities may be separated by a considerable distance, but we’re all in this thing together, and we don’t leave comrades behind.”
Emma said, “I know that we’ve always pulled together here, and we’re protective of each other. Now, I’m no longer worried about the safety of these little ones.”
“I’m with you,” Quincy said. “I’m not afraid of a fight, but not being able to square up to the opponent is a bit worrying.”
Flint briefly placed a hand on the big guy’s arm. “You’ll do for me, Quincy—bravery and honesty in one package.”
The others all laughed, including Quincy.
Although he’d turned the conversation around and it ended on a light-hearted note, Flint thought back to what Sandy had told him up in the gristmill. He considered the bone arrowhead he’d been shown which Amber had found.
Josh was up front with the map and setting a steady pace as the team walked through Aviemore on the main road towards the northern end of the small town.
“It’s a lovely place,” Flint said as he walked alongside Quincy pulling the small, four-wheeled trailer. “I can also see that you’ve got plenty of stores to raid for useful items.”
“This thing behind us has come in handy several times,” Quincy said. He was grateful for Flint’s help, although sometimes either he or Glen would use the harness as an individual. Quincy or Glen working alone made pulling the trailer look easy.
Imogen brought up the rear, carrying a laser rifle and keeping her wits about her. She didn’t admit it aloud, but whenever she was away from the farm, she was always aware of the feral dogs.
One hour from the town’s northern boundary, Josh stopped on the narrow tourist route and looked from the map to a forest-covered hill off to the right. It was still a few miles distant. “Flint, would you like to check that this is the place where we want to leave the main road?”
Flint glanced at the map, looked at the bend in the road ahead and then assessed the position of the hills to left and right. “You’ve got it spot-on, mate. I think we’ll stop here for a few minutes for a drink and then we’ll tackle the route to the hill.”
“How far do you think it is from here?” Imogen asked.
“It’s less than ten miles,” Flint said, “so it will depend on the gradient and the condition of the forestry tracks. Unless it’s really rough, I’d say we could do it in about three hours.”
One hour later they turned off the narrow and overgrown road onto a dirt track. Fortunately, the nylon tyres on the trailer were broad and tackled the occasional bump or loose foliage easily. The trail twisted left and righ
t as the gradient got steeper and the team paused for five minutes occasionally, which saved their energy for the final gradual and winding climb. Neither Flint nor Quincy was willing to leave the trailer behind, aiming instead to get it right to the location.
“We’re there,” Josh shouted with enthusiasm, “and check out that tower.”
“There’s not much to it,” Quincy said as he assessed the relay location from fifty metres away.
Imogen laughed. “It’s a relay connected to an antenna which is stuck up a narrow tower—what more would you want?”
“A more robust tower for one thing,” Quincy said nodding at the fragile-looking structure.
Flint grinned. “I’m glad we got the trailer up here. It doesn’t look like any of the equipment will be heavy, but it would be cumbersome for four of us to carry.”
“I’m with you there,” Quincy said. “Right, who is going up the skinny tower?”
“I’ll have a go,” Josh said. “How high do you think it is, Flint?”
“Probably not more than twenty or thirty metres, and don’t worry about it being slim—I’ve climbed more fragile-looking structures. Tubular metal towers like this one are usually quite strong and steady.”
All four of them pulled off their backpacks and produced water bottles for a drink.
Imogen squatted down beside the suitcase-sized relay unit to check the connections. “It’s got a white cable being fed to the antenna, and then an earthing wire to the tower and four thin black cables going up the tower whatever they’re for.”
“They go to the solar panels,” Josh said. “I checked out the technical side and the relay units don’t have standard batteries—it’s an energy element inside which stores and amplifies even the slightest level of ultraviolet light.”
“We’ll take your word for it,” Flint said, and the others laughed. “Okay, guys, if you’re all okay with the idea, we could strip what we need and pack the trailer before we stop for a snack.”
