Chapter 43: Their Game Is Game – on With the Hunt!

I think my gentle jog slightly extended my lead but I maintained that pace until I reached the trees. It was an effort not to speed up immediately but I continued for 20 to 30 yards before putting on more speed. I didn’t break into a sprint as I wanted to get to the fork in the path without them being able to see which path I took. Several minutes went by and then I saw the path divide up ahead and took the left branch.

I believed that this path would give me a number of possible routes and even the possibility of doubling back by crossing over to path B and turning back towards the quarry, (I do hope you are following this)

My canvas shoes made little noise as I trotted past the first of several paths across to path B and I decided to take the next such path. There was a slight left kink in the path which showed the next path off, some distance away and a large rhododendron bush growing on the corner. I thought of the local park where the special needs team and myself, sometimes take the children and their love of the rhododendrons there as they provide first rate hiding places. I would take a rest here and listen for the hunters.

I slowed to a walk and rounded the rhododendron onto the side path and came to a sudden halt. There a few yards in front me was the well muscled back of a large black man wearing knee length satiny red shorts and a black T shirt which looked as if it had been sprayed on. He had been hidden by the rhododendron on my approach. I managed to stifle an exclamation of surprise and watching him intently eased slowly backwards away from him.

I worked silently and slowly the way I had come and then slid soundlessly under the bottom branches of the rhododendron, As is common with these older bushes there was a large space in the middle but my cover was better under the big drooping leaves. I listened to him talking to someone on his mobile and he was telling them quite firmly that I had not come his way. I could see brief red flashes of his shorts as he walked back and fore to the corner. There was a flurry of incoming calls and he said “You have been to the far end and no sign of her? OK I’ll go down to the end and you work your way back to me”

Everything went quiet. I waited a minute or so but didn’t know how long he would be gone so eased back out into the path,. I crawled to where the path divided and looked along the path he had taken. There was no sign of him ... Still on my knees I slithered backwards around the corner and sat back on my knees ... I heard a voice shout “Ben!”

I didn’t know who Ben was (it was silky red shorts) but the voice was right behind me. I turned to see a smiling black face looking down on me. “Hello baby!” said the face as the sound of running approached from the other side of the rhododendron. “Ben” or “red satiny shorts” appeared in front of me. He too was grinning.

“Where was she?” asked Ben.

“Under this bush” said the second guy. “I lost sight of her just back there and I knew she must be hiding somewhere around here.”