Disclaimer: I do not own the Famous Five.
Warnings: This contains mild references to the white slave trade and child prostitution. Also contains some violence.
Five To The Rescue
Chapter One.
"Anne that was a wizard meal!" Dick said loudly, resting his hands on his very full tummy contentedly. "You really are amazing sometimes." Julian and George agreed as Anne sorted their plates and things out, getting them into a pile.
"I'm going to go and wash these up in the stream. Why don't you three go exploring?" she suggested happily as she stood holding the stack of plates, the cutlery somehow managing to stay on the top one.
"That's a good idea Anne, if you're sure you don't mind us going without you," Julian said, looking at his little sister. Anne smiled reassuringly and told them she'd be fine. So the other three children and Timmy went off for a walk while Anne walked down the little hill to the small stream she'd noticed earlier. Crouching down she began to wash the remnants of their meal off of the plates and was just moving onto the knives and forks when a shout rang out from across the stream,
"Let go of me! I said let go of me!"
She looked up worriedly, squinting into the trees on the opposite bank. Eventually she saw the owner of the voice, a boy probably a year or two older than Julian being dragged roughly along by his arm quite a ways into the wood. The man doing the dragging looked horrible and angry, his face almost purple with rage.
"Let me go!"
"Shut it!" the man let go of the boys arm and backhanded him around the face, sending him flying sideways into a tree. Anne covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped. The man went to grab the boy again but he'd made a mistake ever letting go of him, the boy ran. "Bloody kid! You wait till I get my hands on you again!" But the boy was faster and as Anne watched he reached the edge of the stream, the man nowhere near behind him.
"Quick! Come across!" she called out quietly. The boy looked at her startled, seeing her for the first time. But he did as she said, jumping into the freezing water and wading across. "Go up that path and hide in one of our tents."
"Thank you," the boy gasped before taking off up the hill. Anne picked up the things and began washing them again, her hands shaking only a little as the man reached the bank on the other side.
"Oi! You there!" she looked up, pretending to be more startled than she was, "You seen a boy run by here?"
"Yes," Anne said quietly, "He ran along the bank that way." She pointed to the right, knowing full well the boy was back at her camp, which was behind her and to the left. The man didn't even thank her, just ran off the way she'd pointed. Quickly she gathered up her things and rushed back to the campsite. "It's alright. He's gone."
The boy crawled out of the boy's tent, wiping the blood from his chin. Anne noticed immediately how handsome he was with hair as dark as George's, his fringe flopping across his forehead, almost in his pale blue eyes. He looked like a film star!
"Thanks," he was still breathing harshly.
"Why was he after you?" Anne asked, putting the things down and sitting down carefully, making sure to keep the remains of the fire between her and the boy. He was after all a stranger. "Who was he?"
"He's after me because I escaped," the boy explained quietly, "And all I know is his names Sam and he has heavy fists."
"What happened to you?" Anne asked worriedly.
"I was walking home from school one day and these men grabbed me, put me in a van and drove off. I've been locked in this huge house since," the boy explained.
"Oh how awful!" Anne gasped.
"There were other kids too but I couldn't get them out. I have to get the police," the boy explained further, "They've been taking kids all over the country and bringing them here."
"But what for?" Anne asked.
"They never said exactly but I overheard them sometimes, talking about their customers in America getting fidgety and wanting their orders," the boy said quietly, "It sounded like we were the orders." Anne couldn't think of anything to say to that, too horrified at the thought. "That's why I have to get the police, before the other kids get sent to America."
"What's your name?" Anne finally asked.
"Josh. What's yours?"
"Anne."
"Hello Anne," he smiled at her, "I know it's awfully rude but you don't happen to have anything I can eat before I go and get the police? I haven't eaten in three days." Anne quickly made him a corned beef sandwich with almost wedge like pieces of bread. Josh scoffed it down as soon as it was placed in his hands.
"You were hungry! Do you want another one?"
"No time. I need to find a policeman or a phone box," Josh said, getting up and brushing off his bottom, "Only I have no idea where I am."
"There's bound to be a phone box in the village. I can show you the way if you want," Anne offered. Josh couldn't thank her enough. "I'll just leave a note for the others telling them what happened and where I've gone. They'll be worried when they get back and I'm not here. Do you know the name of the house? Where you and the other children were being kept?"
"Alright, write your note. And I don't know the exact name but what they said sounded like Humberd Hall," Josh nodded. Anne pulled out her notepad and pencil from her backpack and jotted down a quick note,
Julian, Dick and George,
When I was washing the plates I saw this boy being beaten by a horrible man.
I helped the boy get away from him and sent the man in the wrong direction.
Josh, that's the boy, told me he was kidnapped and so were lots of other children.
They were being held in a place that sounded like Humberd Hall.
They are going to be sent to America by the man and his friends.
We've gone to telephone the police in the village.
Anne.
Using a safety pin from her sewing kit she pinned the note to the door of the boys tent and then the two set off up to the road, walking as quickly as they could. Anne led the way, going back the way they'd ridden on their bikes the day before. It took a lot longer on foot but soon they'd reached the village. They began searching for the phone box, a thing that had never been more elusive, unaware that there were being watched by a man named Sam.
A/N More on the way. Let me know what you think.