The Historians
Chapter 15
It was almost midnight and Matt was looking at the array of gadgets on the table.
Cranbourne explained to him how to set the tracker and handed him a set of night vision goggles and a communications device.
"Just put this round your neck, with this part," he pointed to a small, thickened part on the cord, "in the front. It will pick up a whisper, and this part goes in your ear. That way if we need to talk I can hear you. It has a range of a few hundred feet." He hands him a bulletproof vest. "This will stop everything except some of those Kevlar piercing bullets. I'm hoping we won't be needing them, but you never know."
Matt followed Cranbourne's lead and donned the vest. It was uncomfortable and restricted his movements. This wouldn't work if he had to work his way through the undergrowth to the horsebox, but he'd give it a try. The black polartec fleece jacket was warm and light. He watched as Cranbourne fastened his by pulling a tab all the way up the front, it made a zipping sound as it fastened. The right hand pocket was big enough to hold the Glock. He checked the safety catch before placing the weapon in there. The agent handed him a tubular like device.
"This silencer should fit if we need to use them." Matt put that in the other pocket – not sure what function it served but not wanting to show his ignorance.
"How do you want to do this?" Cranbourne asked.
"I figured we would drive over there but park away from the ranch, then work our way in on foot. I have a good idea of the layout of the place from when Kitty and I visited the other day."
Matt looked at the other man. "I want to check around here first – make sure no one is watching the cottage, wait here."
Moving around in the dark was not a problem for him, how many times had he tracked criminals across the prairie and worked his way into their camp unseen? These night vision goggles were something he had never heard of, he wanted to see how they worked and so put them on to see what they did. He was amazed at the detail they revealed, it was almost like seeing in the dark. An animal moved among the bushes, a cat or something. It showed up vividly against the dark background. This was a great tool to have.
He returned to the cottage some ten minutes later. Cranbourne was startled when Matt came up behind him declaring everything to be clear. It amazed him that such a big man could move so silently.
They drove off into the night. Matt did not want to turn the headlights on until they were away from the cottage so as not to attract any unwanted attention. Finally about half a mile down the road he picked up a little speed and drove for about thirty minutes before looking for a place to hide the Defender.
As they started towards the ranch on foot they checked that their communications equipment was working, and turned off their cell phones. It was about a mile or so to the ranch and both men headed off across the fields. Matt had a good sense of direction, and managed to get them within a few hundred feet of the horsebox. He took the tracker from Cranbourne.
"A herd of buffalo makes less noise than you do. Just stay here and let me go attach this." He puts the night vision goggles in his pocket and heads off into the darkness.
There are noises of partying and celebrating coming from the house. Probably Bardee and those farm hands of his, Dillon thinks as he makes his way towards the horsebox. He puts the night vision goggles on and looks around in the direction of the barn. One man was sitting outside there, keeping watch. There is another man on the front porch of the house. He works his way behind a thicket, moving closer to the horsebox then he is confronted by an open space he has to cross to get there. He searches for an alternate route, but can't see any. Dropping to his belly he considers working his way across in the shadows, a little too risky though. Then he remembers the communications device.
"Allen," he says in a voice little above a whisper, "I need a diversion, there are two guards here, I could take them out, but not advisable."
A voice replied in his ear, "Hold tight Matt and give me a minute."
It's not long before there is a loud rustling in some bushes about 50 feet to his right. Both the guards jump up and go to see what's happening. Matt takes the opportunity to run to the horsebox, he bends double to create a low profile and makes no more noise than a cat as he covers the distance.
The men have gone to investigate the disturbance, he can here them calling to each other in the distance. He reaches the horsebox and looks around, no one in sight. He listens, just the sounds of the night and the party going on in the house, the guards are not coming back yet.
He climbs in the rear compartment of the vehicle and looks around for somewhere to hide the tracker – somewhere that the magnet can grab on to. Finding a spot behind the driver's cab that is hidden from direct view, he sets the tracker and fixes it in position. He needs to hurry, there may not be too much time before those guards return. He looks out the back doors, no one around, and he is about to jump down when he hears voices coming his way. He crouches down and stays still, hiding back in the shadows, no way out of here now. Maybe they will go on by. He cannot understand the language they are speaking so he has no idea what they are planning. They keep coming his way and then stop just as Cranbourne's voice erupts in his ear in his ear, "Is everything okay?" He barely breathes an answer, "Fine, be patient." The two men continue their conversation until one turns and heads back to the house. The first man continues to lean against the cab and lights a cigarette from which he inhales deeply. Matt knows that he needs to get out of here, the other guards will be headed back this way soon. He looks out the back of the horsebox again, no one in sight. He carefully lowers himself to the ground making no noise. About twenty feet away there are some bushes – they are not in the direction he needs to go but he has to get away from here, it will do. He'll just have to circle round, it'll take a while but he can't afford to be seen.
Bending low he moves across the space to the bushes making no sound. No problem so far. He squats down behind the cover and looks back at the horsebox. The man is just finishing his cigarette now and starts to head back to the house. He passes the back of the horsebox and about ten feet from where Matt is hiding.
"Allen, you still there."
"Yeh what's happening?"
"I got a little delayed, meet you back at the car."
"Roger."
Who's Roger? thinks Dillon.
He works his way back to the Defender, and catches up with Cranbourne.
"What happened back there?"
"I nearly had some company, but everything went all right, the tracker is in place and turned on."
"What do you think is going to happen now?"
"I would say there'll be a lot of Donkeys on the beach tomorrow, and if we watch, one of those horseboxes will leave the ranch and head through the town and up that road – the A 30. No one will think it strange or give it a second thought. Everyone is used to seeing Ben Bardee haul his donkeys around from one beach to another. I would think they will park it just off the road on the edge of the Moor and wait for the delivery."
Matt drives back to the cottage, stopping a few hundred yards before the entrance to the driveway.
"I'm going to look around before we drive in, don't want anyone surprising us." He gives Cranbourne the keys, "Keep listening, I'll tell you when to come on in, and don't forget to keep the lights off."
He takes the night vision goggles and puts the communication device back around his neck.
He works his way along the driveway keeping to the bushes. Putting on the goggles he looks around studying the undergrowth for anything that moves. He almost misses it but there in the darkness someone is making their way towards the back door of the cottage. He watches as the man reaches the back door and starts to work on the lock. He makes so much noise he doesn't hear the big lawman come up behind him.
Dillon eases the gun from his pocket and pushes it into the intruders back.
"Hold it right there."
The man spins round, Dillon doesn't want to fire – it would attract too much attention here in the quiet English countryside. He whips his arm up hitting the man on the side of the head with the gun. The intruder falls to the ground, out cold. Dillon opens the door and drags him in.
"Allen, come on, we have a visitor," he says into the communication device.
A few minutes later the Englishman is standing next to him in the cottage looking down at the unconscious man.
"What do you want me to do with him? We obviously can't turn him loose now."
Cranbourne makes a brief phone call.
"Someone'll be here to collect him shortly, just keep him safe."
Dillon had noticed some rope in the back of the Defender. He fetches it and makes quick work of tying the man up.
Cranbourne laughs, "Looks like you've done that before."
"A time or two," Matt admits.
It is not half an hour before a car without lights pulls up around the back of the cottage. Two men get out and walk quickly to the house. With very little conversation or ceremony they pick the intruder up and carry him to the car then drive away.
"Who were they?"
"I have no idea, and its better like that."
Dillon gets a couple of beers from the refrigerator and the men sit drinking for a while. Matt checks his phone and sees that Kitty tried to call earlier, probably while he was in the horsebox. He sent her a text saying he would call her in the morning and that all was well.
Kitty watched as Matt walked away from the plane, she saw him turn and wave, then just stand there watching. She kept her eyes on him as the jet began to move forward and watched until she could no longer see him.
"Stay safe Cowboy," she said, somehow she had an odd feeling that this job was going to be a lot tougher than he let on.
Fields, villages and the cars on the roads, they were getting smaller and smaller as the plane rose into the air. Then she was looking down on the clouds, how different it all looked from here. She looked out over the wings – how were those flimsy looking structures holding them up here. She sat back trying to relax. After a while the pilot told her she could unfasten her seat belt, open the snack bar and help herself. There was some cheese and crackers and several small bottles of wine. She poured a glass and opened a package of the cheese and crackers. Matt had told her it would take about an hour to reach London. How amazing – and she had thought the train was travelling fast. She watched as they flew in over the City and could see the River Thames coursing its way through the unique buildings of the capital. They were not as tall or as crammed as those she had seen of New York City on that thing called television. There were green open spaces and historic buildings, she even glimpsed the so called London Eye. As they came in closer she could identify Waterloo Bridge, that made her think of Doc and she wondered how he was doing.
A taxi was waiting for her when she left the plane and in what seemed like a very short time she was standing on the sidewalk out side the apartment. She headed in the main door and up in the lift. As she opened the apartment door she called for Doc, not wanting to scare him.
He was sitting on the couch watching the television. She looked at the screen and saw a group of cowboys racing across the prairie on horseback. She laughed.
"For heaven's sake what are you watching Doc."
"Oh er Kitty, I didn't hear you come in." He seemed somewhat embarrassed at having been caught.
"Oh well –you should watch this – it's just like being back in Dodge. They have Sheriffs and Marshals and gunmen. Just like home." He looks around, "Say, where's Matt?"
"He's still on the job. He said he should be finished in a day or two. Then we'll get to go home."
"Yeh." Doc was thoughtful. Thomas had explained to him why they were brought here because Doc was going to die without modern medicine, and how the historians wanted Matt to do a job for them. He had tried not to connect the two facts, but Doc saw through that. He figured very quickly that Matt was doing this job in payment for his own life being saved, and he felt bad about it.
Kitty went to the bedroom Matt and she had shared, and unpacked the small bag she carried. Doc continued to watch his movie.
Later he told her about all the unbelievable advances in medicine he had seen at the hospital. Thomas had taken him around Medical Imaging, Pathology and Pharmacology, he could hardly believe the things they had.
They ate out, that evening with Thomas and Jennifer. Kitty had a good time especially as they had a table overlooking the river and she could enjoy watching the lights reflect on the water and boats going up and down. Despite the very pleasant surroundings, her mind kept wandering to Cornwall and what Matt was doing. In her heart she was scared for him, things were so different in this world, it would be so easy for him to make a mistake, and the thought of what the consequences of that might be sent a chill through her.
It was late before they got home and when she tried to call Matt, she got no answer. She was asleep by the time his text got to her, but she awoke early and picking up the phone decided to call him.
He sounded like he was still half asleep when he answered.
"Matt, is everything alright, I was worried when I couldn't get you last night."
"Everything's just fine. Allen and I were doing a job and had the phones turned off. I am hoping this will all be over tomorrow night. I miss you already."
"Me too."
She told him about the flight back to London, Doc watching westerns on television and how he had seen so much at the hospital.
" Please be careful Matt, you know I worry about you."
"It's going to be all right. Just a few more smugglers to round up and I'll be there. I love you Kitty, a hundred gun runners couldn't keep me away."
Still she wasn't convinced.
They talked for a few more minutes and then he said he had to go relieve Cranbourne who'd been keeping watch.
She ended the call and sat there holding the phone as if somehow it was part of him, her one connection to the man who held her heart. She put the device under her pillow and tried to sleep some more before morning.
TBC