Chapter eighteen
Conner's House
Conner's place wasn't exactly the mansion the Baxter's had, but I think it's safe to say the pay for being Robert Baxter's lackey, isn't all that bad. We pulled up in John's second hand van (we needed to get around somehow) and looked at the house; it looked so pristine so perfect, what could Conner possibly want doing?
"Ok guys" I said as the four of us exited the van "we need to be careful, this could very easily be another one of Conner's trick. So we need to be on constant alert, if Conner's found out who we are that doesn't matter right now, the most important thing is that we all get in and out safely."
They nodded their agreement and we headed up to the front door. John rang the door bell, it chimed out at the other side of the door the kind of loud ding dong, ding dong, sound posh people have. The door sprang open revealing Conner himself, we all suddenly became uneasy; one of the most dangerous men in Locksdale (who happened to have a big price on our heads) was standing before us.
"Hello" I said extending my hand "My name is Raven Sherwood, of Sherwood Designers."
We had decided it would be best to have fake names, just in case; I was named Raven for obvious reasons. Conner sniffed and ignored my hand.
"You are a woman." He said.
"Well yes." I said taken aback by his rudeness, but then again what had I expected?
"The man I talked to on the phone" He said "who his he?"
"Errrr, my receptionist." I said not sure where this was going, why was he asking about Will?
"Well he is a disgrace; I would never employ someone like him! Rude to paying customers he was, I'd fire him on the spot tomorrow morning if I were you." He said, it was clear Conner was a very different person when he was trying to be posh to when he was chasing outlaws. But you know what, you can take the boy out of the Southside but you can't take the Southside out of the boy, born and raised in the Southside the new posh Conner let his guard down. That's right, I do my research.
"I'll take your complaint into account sir." I said through gritted teeth, Will had been the very definition of politeness on the phone, well except for the mimicking thing.
"Come on then don't just stand there, I don't have all night." Said Conner turning and heading back inside.
Now his back was turned all four of us stuck our tongues out at his back, childish yes but he provoked us.
"What an appalling man." Said Jack who's first impression of Conner had been no better than ours some months ago.
"This isn't worth the money Robin" Said John "I don't think I can take him bossing us around, thinking he's the King of England.
"We'll just have to grin and bare it" I said.
"Are you coming our not?!" Snapped Conner.
"Coming." I said and we all walked grudgingly into Conner's house.
We followed Conner down a white walled corridor, expensive painting lined the walls and the occasional pot plant sat on a polished wooden table every now and again down the hall. All the doors we passed were shut so we had no idea where Conner was taking us; suddenly he stopped at the end of the corridor and opened the door.
"This is the room I need decorated." He said, we walked into the study like room it too was painted white, everything was of similar taste to the corridor outside: white, black and minimalist.
"Ok" I said "Tell us what you want doing and we can start tomorrow."
As it was a late call we weren't planning on doing the work today, just getting a basic idea on what we would be doing.
"Tomorrow?" Conner asked "I need this finishing tonight."
"Tonight? No way, we can't do that it's too late to do anything today." I said, I didn't like the way he was speaking to us.
"I you don't like it I'll call another company!" He spat.
"Fine then…." I started ready to tell him exactly what he could do with this job, when Mark caught my eye he was shaking his head. No, it said, we need this money. "Well do it."
"Very good, maybe you're not as dim-witted as I thought you were" ignore him Robin I told myself as he carried on "Now I want the whole room repainted, white."
"But it's already White…" I said and he arched an eyebrow "white it is then."
"And while you're at it you can dust and polish the furniture." He said, ooooh he wined me up some times "Im off out and I want the whole thing finished by the time I get back!"
"Yes sir!" I said plastering on a fake smile.
He waited, watching what I did next.
"Ok guys" I said "Jane and James you two go and get the stuff from the van, bring in the sheets first so me and Mike can start covering up the furniture."
"Will do." Said John and they set off.
I smiled sweetly at Conner and he took his leave. Looking out the window at the setting sun I wondered how we were going to finish in time.
Actually there was no need for me to worry, in that respect anyway. In just a couple of hours we'd finished, dividing the job had got the whole thing done faster, each of us taking a wall or piece of furniture ( and the fact that we used thick emulsion instead of paint probably helped too) the room was painted, polished and dusted in no time. Finishing up I had sent Mark to pick up the money Conner was paying us for the work and Jack to pick up the money Conner kept stashed in his bedside cabinet, stitching it up so it looked as though someone had snuck in through the window and taken it, things were going well.
Me and John folded the last of the protective sheets and waited for the others to come. It was now completely dark outside, but at least we could call it a night, we'd decide who to give the money to tomorrow and besides im knackered.
"Can you hear that?" John asked, I nodded there was a quiet shuffling sound coming from behind the door, the sound of someone walking.
We walked to the door, the noise was getting closer, it sounded like it was coming from just outside the door. I grabbed the handle as the shuffling noise stopped and counted down from three on my fingers at John. Swinging open the door John and me jumped out ready, but the dimly lit corridor was empty. Mark walked out of the door at the other end of the hall.
"What are you doing?" He asked regarding us with a peculiar look.
"Thought we heard something." Said John.
Mark carried on down the corridor holding an envelope of money. He reached us and passed me the envelope.
"Lovely." I said and went back into the room to put the money in my bag. "Now we just need..."
"Hi Jack." Said John, Jack stepped into the room returned his greeting and passed me the money. Oh ok then.
"I think that's it" I said to the others and smiled, unfortunately it wasn't that simple. My phone rang, it was Will. I gestured for John to shut the door and answered the phone putting Will on speaker.
"Will what's up?" I asked.
"Robin!" He said he sounded breathless "I don't know what to do, this cant be happening!"
"Will what's wrong?" I asked starting to get worried, Will was never like this.
"It's Wendy! I went home to baby sit and when I got there the house was quiet, no TV, no music, no nothing." He said his voice strained and overflowing with emotion "Mum said she and dad wouldn't be home when I got back, that wendy would be fine on her own for five minuets, but I couldn't find Wendy anywhere, I searched the whole house. Robin I think she's been kidnapped!"
The others gasped and looked worried, everyone loved Wendy.
"Will are you sure? Are you sure she's not just at the shop buying some sweets?" I asked.
"She's not Robin, I've been searching for her for hours, im out roaming the streets now I can't find her. It's Baxter its gotta be, he saw my mask fall off." Will was well and truly braking down, his beloved sister was missing and he didn't know what to so.
"Robin." Said John, I ignored him trying to comfort Will.
"Its ok Will, we'll come and help you look. Don't you worry we will find her."
"Robin." Said Jack.
"I don't know where to look next I've been everywhere." He said.
"Robin!" Said Mark grabbing my attention.
"What?" I asked and the others put a finger to their lips telling me to shut up and listen which I did, the shuffling was back.
"Robin?" Will asked "are you there?"
I shushed him and stood motionless with the others, waiting. The shuffling stopped, the door handle turned and we crept forward. The door slowly opened, and in walked Gorge Baxter.
"What are you doing here?" asked Jack and she came and stood beside me, the others followed her and stood behind my arms folded. Such good friends.
"I came to warn you" he said "my dads up to something big and it involves all of you."
The others looked from me to George, waiting for my reaction, I didn't give one.
"Conner is in on it, he not only knows the identity of one of your men, he knows you lot have something to do with Robin Hood, he just doesn't know how much." He said.
"What makes you think I'll believe you?" I asked.
"Nothing, knowing how stubborn you are I don't think anything I say will make you believe me" He smiled, I frowned, I wasn't giving in to him. "I've been here a while, mainly in Conner's CCTV room ruining his system and destroying all his tapes of past half six today."
I didn't speak, but Mark did.
"What was it you said earlier, about Baxter knowing one of our identities?" He asked.
"Will!" Said Jack.
"He's going to make him suffer, I don't know how but he wants to make an example." He said.
"By kidnapping Will's sister?" John asked.
"Possibly." George replied.
"Hang on how do you know all this?" I asked still suspicious.
"I over heard my dad talking" He said but I wasn't ready to believe him just yet. "We need to get out of hear, now! We haven't got much time."
"Before what?" I asked hating how gorgeous he looked in his Crusader get up.
He didn't reply he just looked at us.
"Look I don't trust you" I said "we aren't going anywhere with you! Give us one good reason why we should?"
"I know where my dads taken Will's sister." He said.
"Im going with him!" Said Will who had been listening to the conversation "if he knows were Wendy is I'll follow him anywhere."
"But I…" I said, really not wanting to do this, but the others shot me a look. For Wendy.
"Fine, but only because you can take us to Wendy" I said "but I don't like it, and I definitely don't trust you!"
"I wouldn't expect any less" He replied "now come on we don't have much time!"
"You keep saying that but what do you mean?" I asked as we picked up our stuff and followed him out the door.
"You don't wanna know." He said.
"Oh I do." I said.
"Trust me you'll find out soon enough." He said and I broke out into a run after him.
Sherwood House
I stood opened mouth; I could not believe my eyes.
"Im sorry." Said George as all six of us (now joined by Will) watched as thick flames danced around our office upstairs. Only visible because they'd burned Marks holographic projector to a crisp. Our office was on fire.
"I can't believe it." Said Mark "all that hard work!"
John was completely speechless; the office had been perticuly special to him.
Jack walked back to us, just getting off the phone after ringing 999.
"They are on they're way." She said and I nodded.
We sat and watched for a while as our base was slowly destroyed, Mr Jacubs wasn't going to be too happy. We heard sirens in the distance.
"We should get going." Said George turning away, a pale Will was quick to follow him, the others headed back to the van.
"Robin are you ok?" asked Jack putting a hand on my shoulder, I nodded and she headed to join the others. I looked up at the smouldering brick building that only a few hours ago had seemed so constant, so immovable. Baxter was really serious this time, he ment business. It looked like I was going to have to trust George again, if I didn't want my friends to meet the same fait.