A day in the hills.
Chapter Four.
I don't know what woke me. Maybe it was the biting cold working its way into every part of me or the incessant dull thud inside my skull. Either way, if it hadn't have been for the silvery sheen of frost on the iron gate I'd have probably thought I was still unconscious, for the night was still as black as I had left it. As my senses began to drip slowly back I found myself tied at the wrists by rope to the bottom of the gate.
I sat up trying frantically to free myself as the awful truth of what I had done started to dawn on me. I had told the rest of the gang exactly where the weapons were and, more importantly to me at any rate, where Cowley and Bodie were. How long ago was that? How long had I been unconscious? Minutes? Hours? As if to answer my confusion a sudden loud crack fractured the quiet night. Gunfire! And then, a second later, another. The sound reverberated around the hills but it froze me to the spot. It could only mean one thing. They had found and killed both Bodie and Cowley and I had led them there. I was responsible. What the hell had I been thinking? How had I not realised that the man I had spoken to was not a farmer? He wasn't dressed like one and worse still, he had a London accent!
Filled with adrenaline fuelled anger I began thrashing around wildly, almost hysterical with grief. My hands were so numbed by cold that I barely felt the chafing to my wrists but I did feel the sudden give in the rope as it began to work loose. A few minutes later and I was free and stood up stiffly feeling the dried remains of a thin trickle of blood down the side of my face.
My wallet and i.d. had gone but more worryingly so had my gun. I crossed the field and began to creep up the hill silently listening for any sign of the gunmen. They must surely have found the box of Kelmers by now and be on their way back down. But there was neither sight nor sound of them and I fearfully prepared myself for what I would find inside the house. It loomed more clearly on the horizon now. I had long since forgotten about time and guessed that the morning was starting to move in.
Barely breathing I leant against the wall of the house feeling the hairs on the back of my neck standing up in anticipation. I gently pushed open the door slightly, evey sense seemed heightened, ready for anything. But instead I was greeted with a strange eerie silence and the feeling that the killers weren't there. Stepping inside cautiously and crossing the floor Cowley and Bodie were still where I had left them but were now slumped against each other, motionless in the cold returning dawn. I stared down at them, caught in a nightmare, a sound catching in my throat, a tear tracing its way down my cheek.
"R…Ray?"
At first I didn't think I had heard the voice, weak and unsteady but then it came again.
"What….kept you?"
"Bodie?" I gasped in disbelief, dropping down in front of him, sheer relief rippling through me. "I thought you…. I heard gunshots."
"Over there." Bodie, shivering, motioned with a hand. I turned and was just able to make out the two dead bodies by the door.
"How the hell did you know it wasn't me coming in?" I asked, kneeling to press two fingers against Cowley's neck.
"They had ….too much energy. You would have been shattered….slower."Bodie turned a sweat drenched face towards me. "How is he?"
"Not too good. How about you?"
"Bloody freezing, I told you it was cold up here at this time of year. I should be in bed, you know!" he tried to grin at me.
"Who with?"
"At this moment in time I'd settle for anyone….with a warm pair of hands!"
"I was meant to be taking Janet out tonight."
"Janet? She'd …eat you for breakfast, mate."
"Who says I don't want to be eaten!" I grinned back at him and then looked at him seriously.
"Sit tight,mate, I'll be as quick as I can." I said getting to my feet.
"You said that …..last time."
Sharing a few warm hastily grabbed moments with Bodie had renewed my sagging spirits and a surge of energy and urgency swept me back onto the lane below in record time. I turned left at the gate and started to jog as fast as my unwilling legs would carry me and as I ran I debated who to call should I find a phone. If I called an ambulance the police would also arrive and right now I didn't want to deal with a hundred questions about gunshot wounds and rifles and dead gunmen. But I also needed Cowley and Bodie to receive medical attention as soon as possible.
A good mile or so later I was greeted with the welcome sight of a huddle of outbuildings and, to my great relief, a farmhouse. It was in darkness but after a minute of hard banging on the front door a light went on upstairs and then a middle aged woman clad in a dressing gown opened the door a fraction and peered out at me.
"Sorry to bother you but have you a phone I could use? There's been an accident."
She eyed me suspiciously; I had forgotten about my dried blooded headwound.
"You'd better come in." she said eventually, standing back. "The phone's over there. I'll put the kettle on."
I stood in the delicious warmth of the hall thumbing through a copy of the Yellow Pages. The number I dialled rang for ages before a sleepy voice answered.
"Cass? It's Doyle, Ray Doyle."
"Ray? Where are you?"
"Listen, I need your help. Bodie and Cowley have been hurt and I need to get them to a hospital urgently."
"What's happened?" Cass was suddenly wide awake.
"Long story. Can you get here quick?"
"Of course, tell me where you are."
"Good question." I realised I hadn't a clue. "Hang on a minute."
The woman gave me the name of the farm and directions and I passed these quickly on to Cass before putting the phone down. Invited into the kitchen I sank into a chair at the table and gratefully accepted the hot tea hoping it might help my still throbbing head. I chatted amiably with the women, Mrs. Evans, managing to avoid too much detail on the type of accident I'd been involved in. She told me the old farmhouse had been unoccupied for forty years or more and there were still old illegal traps that could take down a man littered about the fields. And then, nicely warmed through, I chose to wait outside in the road for Cass. I was never so glad to see the approaching headlights of his vehicle. I got in and he turned the car round as I explained what had gone on. He listened intently, seeming to take it all in his stride, the calmness of his military days coming to the fore. He appeared to unconsciously take charge of the situation and, if I was honest I was glad to be sharing some of the responsibility. I didn't know or care what Bodie would think about me involving Cass, nor Cowley for that matter.
By the time we started up the hill dawn had broken and the old house was clearly visable. Such was Cass's enthusiasm that, as he leapt up the hillside leaving me struggling in his wake, I had to yell out a warning that Bodie had a gun so he should make his precence known.
I retrieved my gun from one of the dead gunmen as Cass swept up the unconscious body of Cowley in his arms in one fluid movement and Bodie staggered slowly to his feet. He was desperately cold and barely conscious himself and he swayed about until I grasped him around the waist and led him out of the building. We weren't even halfway down when Cass appeared again having already secured Cowley in the car and he took over from me. I felt weak and useless and in awe of the sudden power and energy of the man.
In the light of the rapidly approaching day Cowley looked suddenly old and grey and Bodie wasn't much better, his face ashen. I was alarmed too by the amount and brightness of the blood from both of them but it didn't appear to faze Cass who sped off down the lane. Up until now I had chosen to omit telling him about the rifles and he had not asked anything more from me as to what this was all about but pretty soon I knew the dead men in the field would be discovered and, inevitably, the rifles. Sitting in the passenger seat I glanced across at him.
"I need to have a word with you when we get a minute." I whispered and he caught my need for discretion. I hoped I could trust him but I was also mindful of his safety.
At the hospital all hell seemed to be let loose with a frantic crashing around of stretchers and running nurses when Cass carried Cowley in. I had endured hours of black silence and now there were bright lights and noise everywhere reminding me of my throbbing head. Bodie was whisked off and I pushed away a doctors attempt to see to me.
"Let him look at you, Ray." Cass advised. "You look like shit."
"Maybe later." I took his arm and motioned him to two seats in a quiet corner of the hallway. "I need to tell you something."
I proceeded to tell him everything and enlisted his help to retrieve the rifles. He agreed to keep them at the pub in absolute secrecy until I worked out what to do next. I was reluctant to involve him though I thought him trustworthy. He had a wife and children to consider but I felt we had seen the last of any further attempts to steal the consignment though I was at pains to point out the potential danger. Cass swiftly put aside my concerns and, if anything, appeared to be enjoying the whole escapade. He also insisted I stay at the hospital and that he'd handle things for which I was eternally grateful.
The second Cass had left the police arrived as I knew they would, having been notified by the hospital of a gunshot wound. I dealt with their questions and showed them Cowley's i.d. which seemed to satisfy them to some extent. I had my superficial head wound looked at, was issued with painkillers and then I was alone and worried, worried for Cowley who'd been taken in for emergency surgery, worried for Bodie and worried I'd done the right thing in trusting Cass, a man I barely knew.
I leaned forward to put my elbows on my knees and rested my head in my hands and I was still sitting like that when I heard a voice down the corridor.
"They wanted to chop my foot off!" Bodie hobbled towards me, a big grin on his face and an enormous bandage on his foot that I was fairly certain didn't need to be quite so big. I couldn't help but feel my mood lift a fraction.
"Be serious." I grinned back at him. "What damage have you actually done to it?"
"I am! They said it wasn't worth saving! I tell you, mate, I'm sure it's because I'm not a Celt. Bet Cowley is getting better looked after!"
Bodie gingerly lowered himself onto the chair beside me. "Any word on him?"
I shook my head. Bodie tried to appear confident. "Oh, you know Cowley, tough as old boots. He'll be alright."
"But he's older than us, Bodie and he was out there a long time and…."
"Aren't you going to ask me about my foot?" he said suddenly, grinning again but I knew he was hiding his own fears for our boss.
"Well I was going to ask if the size of that bandage is absolutely necessary." I replied knowing he was probably going to be milking this for quite some time.
"What ever are you suggesting!" he retorted. As we fell silent I chose the moment to tell him about the rifles and he listened intently.
"You did the right thing." he confirmed. "I might not trust Cass with my girlfriend but he'll guard the Kelmers with his life."
"I'm hoping it won't come to that." I said and then Bodie nudged me in the ribs as we were approached by a nurse.
"The surgery went very well and there were no complications. Mr. Cowley is now in recovery if you'd like to follow me."
I sat for a moment taking in this news and then wearily both Bodie and I trailed after her along the corridor.
