Chapter Ten

Café Locksley

My mind was buzzing. I swear a swarm of enormous bee's had made their home in my head, I couldn't switch off. Yesterdays events swam through my head making it imposable to write down the order I was trying to take.

"…and a cup of tea please, milk and no sugar."

I snapped back to reality.

"Im sorry could you repeat that please?" I asked the grumbling customer that was the second time I'd asked him to repeat his order.

"It's Ok I'll take this Robin, yes can I help you sir?" said Carie.

I stepped away from the till and rubbed my eyes, I was so tired. Yawning I watched as Carrie went about preparing food for my unsympathetic customer.

"I swear, I don't know what's up with you and Will you're both so tired. He woke up this morning as tired as he was when he went to bed." She said motherly handing the customer his cup of tea. "You both really need to get some rest."

If only it were that simple. Besides even if I tried to go to sleep I doubt I'd get anywhere, my mind was working over time trying to figure out who our masked saviour was. There was something familiar about him, was it his voice, his eyes, his hair, his personality, his adorable smile? Whoa Robin don't go down that path, keep those thoughts well out of your head, you don't want another Adam. Oh but it's so hard, there's definitely something about him.

I'd even taken to glancing at the door every time someone walked in, just in case it was him, stupid I know. Funny really how the fact that I nearly died doesn't bother me at all, at the time of course I was terrified but now I guess I've kind of got over the shock, you know that someone wants me dead. Now my head is filled entirely with him, which I suppose is why I didn't see what happened next coming.

Bang!

My boss Mr Jordans (who is a violent man) brutally swung open his office door knocking me off my feet and face down on the floor. I guess that's what I get for day dreaming in front of his office door.

"Ouch." I moaned. Now lying most unladylike in the middle of a posh café I blushed with embarrassment. Ahead of me was a pair of expensive brown leather shoes, a hand appeared before my nose and a familiar voice asked.

"Can I help you?" I turned a deep crimson when I looked up and realised that the hand and expensive shoes belonged to none other than George Baxter.

Quickly I jumped up, ignoring Baxter Jr I brushed myself off.

"Hudson what do you think your playing at!?" My boss demanded.

"I fell Mr Jordans." I said, not daring insinuate that he pushed me.

"Yes I can see that!" He snapped, suddenly a look of horror took over his face as he realised who had witnessed this embarrassment "Apologise to Mr Baxter Hudson, this instant."

"For what? Forgetting to bow before his royal highness?" I asked sarcastically, I had put up with five years of Baxter Jr being treated like he was better than me. It wasn't like I was scared of some blond, smooth talking, pretty boy, just my boss who is so not any of them.

"How dare you!" He snapped at me "Im most sorry Mr Baxter, it won't happen again, Miss Hudson here will fetch you a free meal for your inconvenience."

"That's really not necessary, im alright." Baxter Jr said.

"Oh no I insist, please take a seat." My boss replied and led him to a seat. When he got back I asked.

"I will?"

"Yes you will if you want to keep this job" He snapped "and by the way that free meal's coming out of your pay check!"

Fuming I took Baxter Jr's order form Jordans and prepared the meal.

"Are you alright?" Carrie asked.

"Im fine, which is more than I can say for Baxter when im done with him." I replied Carrie kept silent; she had known me long enough to know when I needed to let off steam.

I walked over to Baxter Jr's table and plonked down the plate.

"Is that all?" I asked through gritted teeth, holding my arm it hurt bad and would surely bruise.

"Yeah." He replied looking at my arm he said "Are you ok?"

"Just peachy." I replied, deciding against my revenge, I didn't need the whole café staring at me like they did when I fell.

I started to walk away only to be called back by Jordans.

"Did you offer Mr Baxter a drink of water?" He asked fully aware I hadn't. So I walked to get the water jug and a glass. As soon as I got to the counter Jordans cornered me.

"You'd better behave Hudson" He warned making it seem like he was addressing just me but specking loud enough for the whole café to hear. "Your family are going to need the money you bring in after what's been going on, on that pathetic little farm of yours." He sneered.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten I knew he was right, and I hated to admit it, but he was right I did need this job. And if I didn't do something about the thugs attacking the farm we could lose it for good.

I walked back to the table set down the glass and asked.

"Would you like a drink?"

"If it's not too much trouble." He replied noticing my strong dislike with serving him.

I started to pour water and listened to two old women gossiping about the local news.

"…. Saved the whole street they did, Baxter set a trap to have them all killed, he had a bomb in the ally on Pontifact road, it would have taken out half the local area had it gone off." One said, in hushed whisper.

"True hero's they are, Robin Hood and his men. Thank the heavens we have them to sort out all the riff raff around here." the other said.

"Right you are Janet, say have you heard about the new one?" the first woman asked.

"No, what new one?" Janet asked.

" Its just a rumour mind, but I heard from Jean next door that another masked man helped Robin Hood and the outlaws last night, helped them save all those lives I heard." Said the first woman her voice dropping even further and I was now struggling to hear.

"Errrr." Muttered Baxter Jr but I ignored him straining my ears to the other conversation.

"Really, who is he?" Janet asked.

"Well everyone in towns calling him the Crusader." Replied the first woman, but that's all I heard as George Baxter sprang from his chair, my attention back to what I was doing I realised the glass I had been pouring water into had overflowed and spilled all over Baxter Jr's lap.

"Im sorry." I said generally taken a back by what I'd done "I wasn't paying attention."

"I gathered." Said Baxter Jr. while my boss sucked up to George Baxter assuring him that he would give me a good talking to and my wages would be docked I went to get some paper towels to dry up my mess.

Jordans retiring to his office so as not to watch me make a shambles out of his respected café. I threw Baxter some towels and started moping up the table.

"Im sorry" Said Baxter Jr wiping his trousers while trying to make conversation "I heard about your parent's farm."

That touched a nerve.

"Don't!" I warned "Don't you even talk to me, I stand by what I said in the museum, and yesterday as well." I walked off leaving him to clean himself up, that was a job I was not obliged to do.

Throwing the paper towels in the bin I suddenly became aware that every eye and ear in the room was turned in my direction, and I just didn't care. Leaning against wall I closed my eyes as a mobile phone ring tone rang out, 'The Script Man who can't be moved' my favourite song. I grimaced as the answering voice told me whose phone it was, that's put me off the song.

"Hello?" the cool calm charismatic voice of George Baxter asked.

"No sorry he won't be in today; my farther is out on business. Oh you know that, so why may I ask have you rang me?" He continued. "Of course, I'll be right there, you're quite right all that money wouldn't be safe left on the door step."

Money? Now that made me perk up.

"I know I know, the taxes for the whole of the south side are a very important package."

No one else but me seemed to be listening to his conversation, which suited me fine.

"Right Im heading straight home." Said Baxter Jr to the person at the other end of the phone as Jordans waved him through the door.

Baxter now gone Jordans turned to me his evil boss look in his eye, I knew I was gunna get it for what I'd done to a very important customer. Carrie shot me a sympathetic look over Jordans shoulder 'I wouldn't like to be in your shoes' it said, but I was grinning, the tax money for the whole Southside, what an opportunity.

Sherwood House

"That's a lot of money." Will remarked.

"Exactly, and it's ours for the taking." I said finishing telling the others about Baxter Jr's phone call.

"We could give everyone their money back, the money they spend on pointless taxes." Mark said pondering the possibilities.

"Precisely what I was thinking, it's perfect." I said we were sat around our messy meeting table trying to plan out tonight.

"But Robin." Said John "I thought tonight was the night we watched your house, you know for Baxter's cronies."

I'd completely forgotten all about that in all the excitement.

"Your right, I can't do it, mum and dad need me." I replied.

"Don't sweat it Robin, me and John can watch the house while Will drives you over to Baxter's mansion, it'll probably be quiet tonight anyway." Mark siggested smiling at me.

"Yeah no problem." Said Will spinning his dad's car key's round his finger (Its wonder how his dad still doesn't know).

"Looks like it just me and you tonight mate." John said patting Marks shoulder.

"Thanks guys." I said looking at the clock, we had made sure today that one of us was in the office at all times so that if Joe's friend turned up someone would be here to meet him. It was now half six and still there was no sign of him.

"We'll need to get right on how were gunna do this then." Mark said taking out road maps and a pencil.

"John can you fetch me my laptop?" Mark asked and John did as asked. We heard a loud bang coming from downstairs.

"I'll go check it out." Will said silently slipping from the room the hallway. Soon after there was another bang and the sound of Will calling out in pain.

Reacting to this the three of us jumped up and ran out onto the landing.

A peculiar sight greeted us as we looked down the stairs. Mr Jacubs sat cowering in a corner his hands over his head shouting something about teenagers and bad attitudes, Will flat on his back, a slender brunette with short hair the length of a man's sporting a bow and arrow mark on her arm stood in a fight stance watching them all.

"What the…?" John asked surveying the scene before us.

I walked down the stairs and addressed the woman stood there.

"Hi im gunna assume your Jack." I said not missing a beat.

"That's Jack!?" asked Will who was being helped up by John.

"Yes." Replied the girl "and you are?"

"My name's Robin" I said "And they are Mark, John and Will." I said gesturing to each of them in turn.

"You are Robin?" She asked looking sceptical.

"You're Jack?" I asked returning the look but with a smile. She smiled back and apologised to Will who was rubbing his back.

"Excuse me what is going on here?" Asked Mr Jacubs creeping out from his corner, I stopped open mouthed not sure what to say.

"Sorry Mr Jacubs this is our new employee Jack, we needed her to pass a physical." Said the ever sharp Mark "Were sorry you ended up in the middle of it."

Still not looking convinced Mr Jacubs returned to his office his beady eyes scanning our bright grinning faces for guilt.

"Welcome aboard Jack." I said as we headed back up the stairs "You couldn't have come at a better time."

"She took me by surprise." Mumbled Will from the back.

"Sure she did buddy." John laughed.