Chapter 5

The following morning I was up extra early, at least an hour before dawn, feeling tired but deeply satisfied and relaxed. Jenny and I had made love for hours before sleep finally took us, but this day I knew I had business with Sam and some unwanted guests, assuming they turned up. After my shower I moved silently around the cabin locating everything I needed by touch or experience and left a note saying I had duties in another part of the park and not to expect me back for lunch, and yes, I had the radio with me. Then just as it was getting light I set off on a very frosty trail for the top end of Kielder Water, taking my shotgun and crossbow, together with a bag of razor-sharp .035" stainless steel barbed tips for attaching to the crossbow bolts. Technically illegal in the UK, I, like Sam and a couple of other rangers, had contacts with the American military and had them post them when in the country ... just in case ... as it were. Yes, I know it made us seem a bit Rambo-ish, but 'hope for the best, prepare for the worst' was pretty much a dominant character trait of mine now. I kind of hoped civilisation wouldn't collapse around me, but I was damned if I wouldn't go down fighting if it did, hence my almost religious attempts at self-sufficiency. Sam and I were kindred souls in this and I had to admire what he told me of his family and their attempts to live with his lifestyle too.

As ever I didn't spot Sam until I was almost on top of him, this time he really was trying to remain unobtrusive and he was damned good at it.

"Good to see you, Sam," I announced myself.

"You too, David," he replied as he emerged from some shrubbery that looked far too dense to allow anyone to hide in it. "Family OK?"

"Yes, yours?" I asked.

"Good too. Mind you, Emma suspects I'm up to no good, though didn't ask," Sam replied.

"Aye, Gwen's the same and Laurel never mentioned it once. Must be that woman's intuition I've heard about," I chuckled.

"My boys will be sniffing around her like bees to honey," Sam chuckled in return.

"Wait till they see Jenny, she's just as good looking," I said, knowing Sam's boys would behave and could be trusted despite Sam's joke.

"Will be good for them to meet up with young ladies besides their school mates," Sam said as we walked towards where the isolated cabins were located.

"Well, they may end up as school mates yet. Could be that Gwen is going to stay and the girls with her," I said, seeing Sam's eyebrow rise in surprise.

"Congratulations if true," he said with a slight smile. "What of Gwen's friend?"

"Nancy will probably remain too," I replied. "Don't ask. It's complicated and I'd best warn you now, she had a terrible experience with a group of men and is very nervous around us now. She is intending to visit though and if she tells her tale that's up to her, just warn your boys about getting too close unless she approaches first."

"I will mate," he said thoughtfully. "I'll let Emma know too."

"I was hoping Emma might teach them Krav Maga,"

"Good idea. I'll mention that too. She gets a bit pissed off with all male classes," Sam chuckled.

"They soon learn she's no shrinking violet I'll bet," I chuckled in return.

"Hell yes, but the macho taking on a woman thing makes many of them piss poor students, at least at first," he replied.

"Well, hopefully the ladies will enjoy the ability to kick the shit out of anyone who threatens or gets physical with them in the future," I replied.

"Let's hope so. Ah, here we are," Sam replied.

We looked around a small parking area which was in a small hollow out of sight of the six cabins to give them an added feeling of isolation and an at nature ambience, despite them having pretty much all mod cons.

"If they are coming, they'll have to park here or pass through here," Sam said.

"Hope the lack of a vehicle here doesn't put them further on guard," I replied scanning the area looking for suitable ambush sites.

"It might, but I've got the keys to a cabin and I'm going to light the range to make it appear occupied," he said.

I nodded in response and we went over the site and planned how to draw the assailants away from the cabins and further into the woods.

"Disable their vehicles first, one leads, one follows to pick off stragglers," I opined.

"My gaff, I'll lead them away," Sam stated.

I nodded, it made sense. The trick would be to keep any group from panicking too close to their vehicles and getting past me to the trails out of the area.

"Where is the kill zone?" I asked.

Sam produced a large scale map of the area in several laminated sheets and showed me a hand marked trail to what appeared to be a low valley with a stream running through it.

"Here," he said pointing to it. "Doesn't look much on the map, but there's only two easy ways in as the top and bottom of the valley are blocked with boulders and heavy gorse."

I nodded, our only other problem would be if they turned up in far greater numbers than the half dozen to a dozen I expected ... or at least I thought that was going to be our greatest problem.

We were just going to the trail that led up to the cabins and hence the trail that led to the kill zone when we heard an approaching vehicle.

"Bit early," I muttered.

"It's Emma in my Landrover," Sam replied as he glanced through a monocular spyglass. "She has company."

I pulled out my own spyglass and stifled a curse as I spotted Gwen sitting next to the Lady I presumed was Emma.

"Seems our women know us far better than we thought," I opined.

"Aye," was all Sam replied.

Sam stepped out of the brush when the Landrover pulled up and nodded to the ladies.

"What can I do for you, luv?" he asked.

"You can tell David to stop lurking in the brush and come out to speak with Gwen here," Emma answered in a beautiful lowland Scots accent, her dirty blonde hair blowing slightly in the breeze.

"Good morning, my Lady," I said as I stepped out.

"You need me," Gwen stated flatly.

"I know," I replied. "But specifically why here and why now?"

Gwen had the grace to blush slightly at my first comment whilst Sam and Emma tried to hide a smile.

"I know what you're up to and I disapprove, but it won't stop you and God help me you may be right. But, you don't know any of Ali's group and you can't know if Ali will be with them," Gwen said.

"Does it matter?" I replied and shrugged.

"Do you want the next group he sends up to find Jenny because you thought you fixed the problem?" Gwen hissed at me.

"They won't find her because they won't know what happened to this lot," I replied seeing Sam also nod in support.

"Going to just hide their cars are we?" she asked acerbically.

"Report 'em abandoned," Sam said laconically.

"And the copper?" Gwen finally made a telling point; a missing copper would probably draw a lot of attention if he was using his own car.

"Could be an issue," I finally admitted.

"You know they'll push in extra resources for one of their own," Gwen stated. "And you'd just report his car missing here."

"You have a plan then, my Lady?" I asked as Gwen and Emma got out of the car.

"Nancy mentioned a place called Catcleugh?"

"Might work, bloody deserted if we take the cars or vans up there," mused Sam. "They could search the moors for years and not find anything even if there were something to find."

"Depends on if there's a link to this group and the copper," said Emma who now I noticed was a very delightful looking lady, about Gwen's 5' 1", dirty blonde hair, sensual thick lips and startlingly cobalt blue eyes along with a lush rather than a petite figure. The word svelte sprang to mind.

"Hard to say, but if we take the copper's car up to Catcleugh and leave it down a farm track it might not be linked to these," said Sam.

"Might not be found, if we plan it right," I said.

"Told you that you needed me," said Gwen wryly.

"You did and I answered you," I replied, placing my arm around her waist and squeezing her into me.

"That you did," she giggled.

"So how come you two ladies managed to find each other and then find us?" I asked.

"Emma came up to see us when she realised Sam here had done a runner," Gwen admitted. "Laurel then told us what you and Sam had discussed yesterday, after I threw a shitfit at her."

"You shouldn't have done that, my love," I said.

"I know and I did apologise, but I was so worried that you might not take all the details into account," Gwen said miserably.

"I was just mad at Sam here getting to kick some pimp arse without inviting me," Emma chuckled making me smile.

"That's my girl," chuckled Sam. "But this one could be dangerous, they may be armed."

"That's why I brought Beatrice with me," Emma replied and brought a composite Olympic bow from out of the Landrover, complete with a quiver of illegal tips too.

"Seems like you're the only one not bringing something to the party, my Lady," I said to Gwen,

"Oh, but I'm the decoy, which is why Sam is going to show me the route he wants these thugs to follow. If they see me they'll think the girls aren't far away," Gwen replied.

"Oh, I am so not liking this idea," I muttered.

"Makes sense. I doubt they'll shoot at her if they spot her as they'll try to track or chase her to find out where the others are," said Sam.

"I somehow doubt they'll try tracking and we don't know what they'll do," I replied angrily.

"Still makes sense," said Sam.

"Please David. It's all I'm good for and at least we'll be able to get them as far away from their transport as we can. Besides I still jog and run on a treadmill so I'm pretty fit," Gwen pleaded.

"Not the same as running on the flat," I tried to object.

"I know, but they'll not be used to a chase around here either," Gwen said.

"You're dead set on this?" I asked.

"Yes, my love," she replied.

"God help me. OK. Off you go with Sam and if you manage to get yourself hurt or killed I will somehow turn up to tell you 'I told you so!' so help me," I stated feeling oddly proud of Gwen despite my words.

"We're on channel 4," Emma said as Sam led Gwen off in the direction of the cabins.

"Yes, my love," he replied over his shoulder as he walked off.

"So, we finally meet Mr Ghost," Emma chuckled.

"Mr Ghost?" I replied, eyebrow raised.

"It's what Sam called you in the first year as he often saw sign of you, but never actually you," Emma answered.

"He could have called at the cabin," I replied.

"What and spoil the fun of actually stalking you and catching you unawares," she said with a grin.

"Hell, I pretty much knew where he was most of the time our paths crossed," I chuckled.

"I know, and he knew too. So it became one of those male pride things until he did finally run you to ground," Emma giggled and I found myself liking her a lot.

'Bet she's a proper tigress in bed, ' I mused before frantically trying to drop that line of thought as Sam was not a guy I'd care to cross under any circumstances. Yet oddly I felt Emma was appraising me similarly.

"So what's our part of the plan?" she asked.

"We wait here, out of sight and sabotage the vehicles after taking care of any guards they leave," I replied.

"No bloodshed I take it?" she replied.

"Not here, not if we can help it," I answered.

"Aye, best not,"

"Then we trail them picking off stragglers if necessary until we reach that narrow cut that Sam picked as the ambush site and make sure no one leaves," I finished.

"Good plan, lot of what ifs I can think of, but a good plan," Emma agreed.

"Keeping it simple and being prepared to deal with any unexpected issues is all I can do," I replied with a grin. "I don't expect them to follow the plan, that's why they're the enemy."

"Yep," she agreed with a grin of her own.

"Now we just wait till Sam and Gwen get back or let them know if the pimps turn up first," I said.

"How long will they be?" Emma asked.

"About an hour. It's a three mile round trip," I replied.

"An hour? Lots of things we could do in an hour," Emma replied giggling and looking directly at my crotch.

"Behave! I like staying alive and Sam probably knows more agonising ways to kill anyone who offends him than anyone I know ... bar me," I chuckled, assuming she was joking, or hoping she was, tempting as she was...

"Yeah, but he's off with your Mrs and we're all alone here," she said in sultry tones.

"I'm not going to fuck my friend's wife ... period," I replied.

"You're no fun. He'll be trying to get in Gwen's knickers you know," she said with an evil grin.

"No, I don't know and neither do you,"

"Oh I do, still, it's a bit cold anyway, even if you were checking me out. Still, when you come down to ours we have a hot tub spa we can have a bit of fun in," she replied with a wink.

"I was not checking you out," I chuckled.

"You were wondering what it would be like to fuck me, I could tell, I was thinking the same about you," she chuckled back.

"Aye, well, thinking isn't doing," I threw back.

"True, but sooner or later I'll have that cock of yours in me ... just a feeling, Mr Ghost," she finished.

"Dream on, babe," I chuckled, yet feeling seriously tempted as Emma was a gorgeous woman who, like Gwen, simply oozed sex appeal.

"Mmmm, Mr Ghost's babe, I like that," she teased.

"Heh, picking up a harem is not on my mind," I replied.

"A harem? Hmmm that means you've got temptations at home too," she replied, showing a disturbing tendency to read my mind it appeared.

"Not really," I chuckled.

"Nailed 'em already?" she giggled.

"More like she nailed me," I replied, thinking of Nancy.

"Oh? Do tell Mr Ghost."

"Gwen's friend, but I'll let her tell her story when we come to visit, assuming she wants to," I replied.

"And her relationship with Gwen is?" Emma asked, puzzling over something she knew wasn't quite kosher ... so to speak.

"Gwen's partner and lover," I replied, watching her flounder for once as she sought to come up with a witty answer or reaction.

"OK. You got me. Just how exactly do you fit into this?" she finally asked.

"Safe port in a storm, a rekindled love of Gwen and a liking of Nancy ... quite a lot really," I replied trying to suppress a chuckle at Emma's attempts to probe diplomatically.

"Menage á trois?" she finally had to ask.

"Nope, not yet," I grinned at her discomfiture.

"Complicated life you lead," she finally giggled.

"Recently, yes. But I now have my ex, my girls and a very sexy lady living with me and I couldn't be happier," I replied.

"Well, Mr Ghost, we must see about adding to your happiness one day soon," she replied with a wink.

"I prefer staying alive to the sort of short term happiness you could offer," I said, getting a bit irritated by her flirting ... no scratch that deliberate provocation and enticement.

"Hmm, Sam said you were an honourable man, seems he was right," Emma said.

"I just got my family back after it broke up through my ex's cheating. I'm not about to make a similar mistake," I replied.

"Not even if Gwen said it was OK?" Emma answered with a grin.

"Doubt she would and there's no way I'll ask," I answered back.

"Not a problem, I'll ask," Emma giggled watching me go white in shock.

"You have a husband," I replied.

"We have an open marriage. He gets to bang the barmaid at the Redesdale Arms, the odd female tourist and I get to look after our boys. Because until now there wasn't a man around here worth having other than Sam," she replied seemingly bitterly.

"This really is none of my business," I replied shocked at this revelation.

"Thing is, Mr Ghost, I don't mind. Sam won't mind because it is an open marriage. It's just no one until now has attracted me, though Sam bless him thought you might tempt me," she said. "Which was why I was always on to him to get you to visit, despite your hermit lifestyle."

"So you aren't annoyed at Sam?" I asked perplexed.

"No, just at the piss poor choice of men around here, even my martial arts students aren't worth it," she said.

"I don't know what to say," I finally said.

"I'll OK it with Sam and then Gwen and then you say 'yes Emma, now drop 'em and spread 'em'," She said with a wink.

I have to admit I was flabbergasted, for one thing I didn't entirely believe Emma (who would) and I doubted Gwen would be keen either. Yes, she was lovely, but I really didn't want to lose what I had just regained.

"We'll see," I said at last, which was my way of saying politely, not a chance.

Emma just nodded and we sat quietly on our packs chatting, about how she and Sam had met after she'd been in the military police and had arrested him for drunk and disorderly, whilst waiting for Sam and Gwen's return.

"Hello, what's this," Emma said after an hour had passed.

Two cars and a minibus had pulled into the car park; one of them was the policeman's vehicle. Emma was talking quietly down the radio to Sam who had the sense not to reply merely giving five clicks on the send button to tell us how far away from us he was. Fourteen guys had spilled out of the vehicles and were stretching their legs. Not all were Asians from the Indian subcontinent, but all had the look of low grade street thugs.

"No sign of any weapons," whispered Emma.

"They'll be in the boot of the cars or bags," I replied. "Last thing they'll want is to be seen toting whilst en-route."

"Shit! Hope they don't take too close a look at the Landrover," Emma muttered.

"So far so good," I replied, knowing that a close look at Sam's Landrover would reveal Forestry Commission logos, though fortunately it looked like it hadn't been cleaned for quite a while and, other than the windows, lights and mirrors, was covered in dirt and mud.

At this point we were joined by Sam who gave the men down in the car park a quick glance before moving to talk to us.

"Gwen's up at the cabin and knows the route; the cabin range is also lit so it looks like she's been staying there, I suggest you just keep tabs on this lot till they're far enough from the cars and have joined the chase," he said in a quiet murmur.

We both nodded assent and he backed away to make sure Gwen was going to be OK in her run through the woods.