Chapter 3: The bonding course

"... by sending you here for this week Grant and Grant expect that you will get to know each other much better and to pull together as a co-ordinated team, as a team striving to do their best for the company," Senior Manager Copely ended his fifteen minute introductory speech to the thirteen employees sitting in the lounge of a small hotel on Dartmoor.

"Crap!" The expletive exploded from Robert Eason. Robert worked in IT. It was his responsibility to keep the computer systems running and updated.

"I do hope you are not going to continue with that belligerent attitude for the whole week Eason. It won't further your position in the company if I have to report you to the MD." Stan Copely looked at him sharply. He knew the IT geek hated social events and never attended any of the firm's functions. He had to force him to attend this course and vaguely knew that the only reason he had agreed was because the hotel was on Dartmoor, which was an area Robert knew well. Much of his spare time was spent walking the Tors.

"Crap!" Robert repeated. "We are all individuals. We have our own lives. The company doesn't own us. I work for Grant and Grant because they pay me to do a job and I do that job well. If everyone does his or her job well the work gets done. All this week is doing is waste the company's money. Probably just to further your ego."

"The company is generously giving some of the money you have helped to earn, back to you by paying for this week. In return they hope you will all bond together in a positive way. Not as individuals each fighting for their own little niche."

Robert kept silent. He didn't really want to enter into an argument. Slumping in his corner chair he prepared himself for an evening of boredom. Senior Manager Copely continued his pompous and arrogant speech by outlining the evening's activities. "Grant and Grant are paying for the drinks tonight so make the most of the bar and then we are going to play some party games to get us in the mood and to get to know each other."

Stan himself dragged Robert on to the floor for the first round of musical chairs. "So bloody childish," Robert muttered and quickly offered his seat to Mary from accounts and returned to his corner. Next came the string game. Three teams of four and a ball of string. Each team had to pass the string up the leg of the first person and out the top of the shirt and on up the leg of the next until all four members were tied. Stan didn't take part and nor did one of the older women. Of course it was arranged boy girl, boy girl. Janet copped a feel of his cock as she passed the ball up his legs. Robert blushed. He was very shy with girls, except when he had to explain the workings of their PC to them.

So the games went on. Twister. Blind Man's bluff. Pass the parcel. All more reminiscent of children's birthday parties. More and more as the evening progressed and the alcohol took its effect, the games got increasingly sexual. By ten thirty several couples had disappeared and Robert went to bed alone. Tomorrow he knew would be more to his liking. They were to hike to a hut on the moors. Spend a night there and do an orienteering course the following day, returning to the same hut at night. Stan had it all planned, or so he said. That worried Robert. In distance the hut wasn't all that far but some places were steep and none of the others seemed to have any experience of walking. He hated walking at a snail's pace but thought he could probably stride ahead and wait for them at some point.

Stan arrived late at breakfast with Barbara Maitland at his side. He had a quick cup of coffee and then announced, "In the hallway there is a small rucksack with a packed lunch and emergency rations for our walk to High Tor hut. Take a waterproof and wear decent shoes. Leave mobile phones, make up and other unnecessary things behind. Travel light. On this part of the bonding week you will experience a little hardship and it will be up to you to help each other through these hardships as part of the bonding process. The walk is not far but is more than most of you will have done before. As I said it will be part of your team effort to help each other through these little hardships. Accommodation at the hut is primitive. Almost back to nature. No electricity, water from a well and outside earth closets. We have arranged for food to be at the hut for us but we will have to cook it ourselves. Assemble outside at ten."

Robert stood alongside his big red rucksack, his walking boots on and ready to go. Three others were outside too. Only Charlotte McReady, the receptionist looked like she was equipped for walking. She had proper walking boots and a small-framed blue rucsac. The two men with her wore trainers and the little rucksack supplied by the hotel. Charlotte came to him.

"It doesn't look as if it will be a fun walk Robert and the forecast is not good. We should have been away two hours ago."

"You look as if you've walked before Charlotte."

"Mostly in the Dales. Never been to Dartmoor."

"Probably its more wild and open here. And you're right about the weather. Sunny and nice now but heavy rain is forecast for this afternoon. Don't suppose Mr. Senior Manager took the time off from screwing Barbara to find out."

"I gather you two don't get on." Charlotte laughed.

"He's just an upstart yes-man. Lick the boss's arse man. Perhaps he'll lose a few pounds off his belly during this walk. If he ever appears." Little by little the group assembled but it was 10.30 before they finally started off and not before Robert and Stan had another little altercation.

"You were told to travel light, Eason. You look as if you've got the kitchen sink in there. Go and empty it." Copely ordered.

"No way," roared Robert, "I am not quite as stupid as you think. This is my hiking gear. I always walk with it and I'm taking it with me today. And you can put that in your stinking report!"

"You are letting the team down, Eason. We are all going with just the basics. You should do the same. Go and unload your stuff. You surely don't expect to need that rope for a little trek across the hills. You think that Tor is the Eiger?"

"Piss off!" With that Robert easily shouldered his rucsac and started along the trail. Stan fumed with indignation. Slowly the others gathered their stuff and followed. Charlotte was glad Stan ignored her rucksack. It was much smaller than Robert's but still larger and more comfortable than her team-mates. At first she was in the middle of the crocodile as it made its way along the path but she became weary of the slow stumbling pace and as they began the first quite gentle climb she gradually found herself ahead of the others. Robert she could see on the skyline, walking with an easy grace.

After an hour and a half and many stops with barely three miles walked the party stopped for lunch. Charlotte saw Robert had stopped too at the top of the col and forged ahead to catch up with him. "I once took a group of primary school children on a nature walk. I think they did better than our workforce," laughed Charlotte as she reached him.

"Yeah. I know what you mean Charlotte." Robert smiled back. "And it will get worse," he added pointing to the clouds that had just began to appear on the top of High Tor.

"Call me Charley. My friends do."

"Bob." Incongruously they shook hands.

"How long before the rain comes Bob?"

"An hour, maybe two. Can never be precise. Sometimes it seems to hang back, others it drops down like a bomb. But when it comes it will get pretty bleak on the tops. We've started out far too late for this jaunt and they are so slow, even if the weather held, they would be lucky to get over top before dark. Charley, I think they could get into real trouble."