Hunters: A Trilogy (62 page)

Her words would prove to be more than prophetic.

For more than a week they waited for some news. It was driving Ken crazy, but he filled his time with making sure that Jane was taking it easy. He ordered her to put her feet up and watch the TV or something. It was a wasted sentiment, in defiance of his orders she took up her paint brushes again.

‘It helps me relax!’ she said, in reply to the stern glance Ken gave her.

He shook his head in exasperation, saying: ‘God preserve us from stubborn women!’ It was the usual retort Ken used when realising he was on a losing wicket. She grinned at him and then burst into wicked laughter as she saw him desperately trying to hold onto his scowl. Not wanting to surrender, Ken grunted and stomped off towards the kitchen, grumbling about how much easier life had been in the desert.

Mike had long since become bored of waiting and had cleared off in the car for a few days. ‘I reckon I’ll head south for a while, I know some people down near Carrick and I fancy seeing them for a couple of days,’ he said. ‘Plus it will give you two some time to chill out together.’

Jane knew exactly what Mike meant when he said ‘some people’. ‘Why don’t you bring her up here for a few days, Mikey?’ she asked.

He grinned, saying: ‘Because you’ll have me married by next weekend, that’s why!’ Laughing, he had slung his bag over one shoulder and headed for the car.

They didn’t see him for another four days.

In the meantime, they spent their time doing things around the house and catching up with friends and emails. Ken also finalised the business dealings for their company in Afghanistan. With the paperwork signed, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. The buyers had understood about the delay, which Mike had told them was due to Ken’s injury. Now it was done he was relieved and the familiar feeling of itchy feet soon returned. Sometime later that week, he received a text from Mike. The message ending with the usual: ‘…get the kettle on!’

Ken looked at his phone and then gave Jane a shout. ‘Babe, Mike is on his way back – I guess he must have heard something from George.’

She wandered into the kitchen and washed the watercolours from her hands. Although she was still very weak and spent a lot of time sleeping, Jane had also become much keener about her painting. It was as though something had been fired up inside and she spent a large portion of her time in front of the easel, totally engrossed in her work. Ken had moved it, and all the other bits and pieces from the studio upstairs, into the conservatory attached to the sun-filled rear of the lodge. He was amazed by the talent she possessed, her latest streak of other-world paintings transfixed him. He often sat and watched as she worked, it was one of the most pleasurable things he had ever done and he let the sensation carry him away.

Mike returned to them later on the day of his text-message, only this time he walked onto their driveway and knocked on the door before they were even aware he was there. Ken opened the door with a surprised grin upon his face.

‘Bloody hell!’ he said. ‘What are you doing? Don’t tell me, you’ve written-off the Porsche…’ Ken turned and scowled at the Ridgebacks, his angry look chastising their lack of warning. They completely ignored him, to stand, wagging their tails at Mike.

Mike had two big bags with him. Dumping them on the front step, he grinned and wrapped an arm around Ken’s shoulders. ‘Nah, mate, it’s all good,’ he said, ‘I’ve sold the car, and it was all in one piece! Carol is taking care of the flat for me, so,’ he said, looking Ken straight in the eye, ‘we, my old son, are going on a little trip!’

Jane shouted at them to come in, picking up Mike’s gear, the men did as she asked. Once they had carried the bags into the spare room, they made their way back into the kitchen. Jane flicked the kettle on and turned to Mike. ‘Right, come on then,’ she said. ‘Let’s be hearing the news, what’s happening?’

Mike powered up his magic box, the screen came to life and George appeared before them. He had discarded the dapper black outfit he had been wearing when Jane had seen him last and now had on the more casual attire, which they were more used to seeing him in. He walked towards the screen and took a seat in front of the lens that was transmitting his image. He smiled and said, ‘Hello again, my friends! I hope that you are all in good health, Jane, we have been monitoring your recovery and I do believe that you are getting there – how do you feel, my dear?’

‘Good, I guess, George. I still feel so tired though, and my back hurts. But otherwise I’m doing okay.’ Jane said, nodding as he told her that she was to expect the discomfort for a while longer as the infection she had picked up meant that her immune system had been severely weakened.

George changed the subject. ‘Anyway, we have studied your proposals,’ he said. ‘Yes, we have had a good talk about ‘The Plan’. After some careful consideration, we have decided to proceed with it. However, I must warn you that this will mean a total life-change, one that will involve a completely new beginning, with no return to where you are now. I hope you understand that?’ He observed them carefully, looking for any hesitation on their behalf.

Seeing none, their old friend continued. ‘Right, well, make absolutely sure that you are certain. There will still be time to back out should you change your minds, although I do notice that young Michael is already packed!’ He laughed and then said, ‘I am downloading all the data you require – Red is currently without his father, fortunately for us. The man seems to have disappeared momentarily.’ He paused to glance down at his notes. Taking a breath, he continued: ‘However, the magazine is pulling Red towards the Darkness. It is starting to blossom within him, we have provided a small distraction to take the edge off the power the Darkness is starting to exert over the boy. He is currently fifteen years of age, a mere child in a man’s body…’ Pausing, he looked across at someone who, off camera, had passed him some papers.

He read them and then looked up again, saying: ‘By our estimation you have about two weeks to do whatever it is that you need to do in your present dimension. Then we must act, because if we wait much longer, Red will be taken again and it will become impossible to get him back!’ After one final consultation with his paperwork, he glanced down at them from the screen. ‘Is there anything else we need to discuss?’ he asked. ‘I’m sorry we cannot promise you a return trip, but this time we have to ask you to commit for an extended period, one which may conceivably last forever.’ He sat back and waited for them to ask any questions they felt needed answering.

The trio sat in silence for a while, there were no questions. They had pulled the whole plan to pieces and then reassembled it several times before they had submitted it to George.

Ken, mainly to break the silence, asked one thing. ‘George, just confirm that we’ll have access to our finances from over there, I know we mentioned it, but…?’

George smiled. ‘Ah, Kenneth,’ he said. ‘The practical one as ever, yes, absolutely you will be able to use your money, just as you do here. I must say that your account looks very healthy indeed! When you go back to Red, it will be even more valuable, the prices of things in that particular parallel are much cheaper than in your present location. Yes, you will be extremely wealthy indeed!’ He looked at them again and then said, ‘You deserve to be!’

They laughed and spent the next few minutes ticking all the boxes with George. After a while he said his goodbyes and asked them to call him when they were ready. Seconds later he had gone, leaving them to their own devices.

‘So, it’s a fortnight is it, what do we have to do?’ Ken asked as he looked at the other two.

Mike said he had done everything, he had no family at all and his property would be rented with the income being transferred to his account monthly. He looked more than ready to go.

Ken glanced at him. ‘You’re cool with all of this, aren’t you, mate?’ he asked, with a wry smile.

Mike nodded. ‘I can’t wait, man!’ he exclaimed. ‘We’re going on our travels, going to some other place, some other time! Think about it, what else is there to see around here anyway? We’ve seen the future, and it sucks! Maybe this way we can actually make the changes stick.’ He made his left hand into a hollow fist and slapped the top of his thumb and forefinger with the palm of his other hand. It made a loud, slapping noise, a sound of happy anticipation.

Ken and Jane had no real ties. Both sets of their parents were long dead and there were no other relatives. They were free, in every sense of the word.

They busied themselves with their plans, and over the next ten days, Ken managed to put the lodge on the market, it was a very desirable residence and they soon had plenty of interest. There was no outstanding mortgage – years working in the dust of Afghanistan, and other equally dangerous places, had taken care of that. They instructed the estate agent to extend the lease on the apartment in London; they liked the current tenants, who had expressed an interest in buying the place. Ken left the agent with a power of attorney and organised for any funds to be transferred to his account as and when the properties were sold.

Jane called their friends and told them to come and take their pick of the furniture. When they asked what was going on, Jane just said that she and Ken had decided to take some time out and do that ‘travel the world’ thing. It wasn’t long before they had most things organised. Ken had found takers for all of his possessions – George had told them that as long as it would fit into the Spears, then they would be able to pack whatever they liked. Jane took the task in hand and before long she had packed four suitcases with clothes, a few pieces of memorabilia and some photos. The rest they either sold or gave away to people they knew.

Frank Ball, their friendly neighbourhood-farmer, was absolutely delighted to see Ken when he rolled onto his driveway in the old Range Rover. Frank had admired the sturdy vehicle for years, and when, after a cup of tea in Frank’s kitchen, Ken handed him the keys and an envelope containing the logbook and service records, the man had been adamant he would pay for it.

Ken had to almost physically restrain the stocky farmer. ‘No way, buddy – you guys have been great neighbours for years,’ he said. ‘We’re off on our travels and it needs a good home. It’s not worth a damned penny anyway, but she’s a good old beast.’

Talking of beasts, Frank then cured the one problem that had been keeping Ken awake at nights. ‘What are you doing with the dogs, Kenny man? I’ll have them withoot a problem, you know…’ Frank knew the Ridgebacks very well and had always marvelled at their discipline and hunting ability.

Ken was so pleased that he could have kissed the red-faced farmer. And so the deal was done, Ken would bring the hounds around later that day to give them a chance to get used to their new surroundings. Frank said that he would come and dismantle the wooden kennel and then erect it in his farmyard. That idea suited Ken to the ground. Looking at Frank’s rotund belly, he also knew that Mrs Ball wouldn’t be letting her latest additions starve.

In the end, Frank had said he would take the dogs straight away. Ken agreed with relief. Frank gave him a lift back to the lodge and sadly said goodbye to Jane and Mike. As he was leaving, Frank turned and asked Ken if they would need a lift to the station or somewhere.

Ken waved and said, ‘Nah, it’s all okay, thanks! We’ve already made prior arrangements – cheers for the offer, though. I appreciate it.’

Frank smiled, and after loading the Ridgebacks and their food into the back of his newly-acquired Range Rover, walked over and hugged Jane. He also shook hands with the men once more, and then drove back to his farm. Jane had already said goodbye to the dogs and couldn’t face seeing them again. They left it at that.

They continued with their packing for another day, Mike was a great help, humping and dumping things for them and keeping a regular supply of brews on the go. Jane made sure all of her painting things were placed in a neat pile by the back door.

‘I know I’m going to need them, I just know!’ she said, when Ken had raised his eyebrows. He never argued and instead matched her pile with one of his own. Soon there were two piles, one of painting equipment and one of guns and ammunition. ‘I thought you were fed up with all that stuff?’ Jane asked, nodding at the weapons.

He paused for a while, before saying: ‘Yeah, I am, especially after what happened to you, but we don’t know what’s going to come our way, and it’s better to be safe than sorry, I would say…’

Jane laughed at him, saying: ‘It’ll be fine, we’re going to the farm, we’ll get a place of our own somewhere and then we’ll all live happily ever afterwards!’

She was almost right.

***

On the night of the twelfth day, they held a party at the now nearly-empty lodge. People had been coming and going for the last few days, popping in to collect the furniture and the other items which they had chosen to take. It had been a frenetic few days but now the job was done.

Ken and Mike had walked across to the old barn the night before and quietly loaded the Spears with all the items they had decided to take on their trip. Once loaded, Mike had zapped them and then placed the miniatures back into the case and then zapped that, too. He slid the matchbox sized container into his pocket – Ken looked at him and shook his head. The sight of two massive vehicles, which happened to contain the sum content of their lives, reduced in their entirety to a tiny square box, and then stuffed into his best friend’s pocket, was, to say the very least, totally mind-blowing. Mike put his arm around Ken’s shoulder and together, chuckling as they went, the two men walked calmly back to the lodge.

The packing was complete and apart from a few bits and pieces they were almost ready to go. People turned up from all over the place, several all the way from London and also a few who had been living abroad. They all came to say goodbye and between them they had a good laugh, told some very tall tales, and also managed to get gloriously drunk in the process.