Blighted Land: Book two of the Northumbrian Western Series (Northumbrian Westerns 2) (23 page)

A figure stood facing me, a teenage lad, skinny with a mop of hair. When he saw me he ducked behind the wall. I made my way towards him, not too fast but with the pistol raised and cocked.
 

When I came round the wall he faced me.
 

He was older than I’d first thought, in his late teens, sunken eyed and gaunt. He wore a sweatshirt and jeans. The clothes were faded and holed but clean. He stared at me but didn’t speak.
 

‘Who are you?’ I said.

He half turned and looked out across the field. Then he faced me again. ‘Got any food?’ he said. His voice was muffled, like there was something stuck in his mouth.

I waved the gun at him. ‘No.’ Not for him at least. Some fella wandering around in the wilds.
 

‘I’m really hungry.’ His mouth dropped at the edges as if he was going to cry. ‘Hungry.’

I kept the gun on him but he didn’t seem interested. Or bothered. ‘Where’ve you come from?’

He pointed across the field. ‘I’m out of food.’
 

‘Sorry. I’ve got nothing.’
 

He nodded but didn’t say any more.
 

‘I think you should go home.’

He nodded again then walked off. Through the gate and across the mist-heavy field. He didn’t slow or stop so I left him to it. I turned and walked off back into the barn. He didn’t seem like a threat but he wasn’t my responsibility. The country was full of people who were hungry. I sat down on my bedding as Casper and Becky slept.
 

We had food but it wasn’t my job to help him. He’d just have to sort himself out.

I lay back on my bedding.
 

It wasn’t up to me to save people. He’d just have to starve.

I sat up and went over to Becky’s bag, grabbed a tin of beans, proper old-world ones, and took it and a can-opener and spoon. As I walked across the farmyard I drew the gun out again. Maybe it was a trap and there’d be a bunch of lads waiting all tooled up. Maybe they sent him as bait.

When I got back to the spot I’d last seen he was still there, in the field. He must have stopped walking as soon as I gone. I slid the gun away. ‘Hey!’ I shouted.

He turned back towards me. When I held the can up he walked over. I offered him the can, can opener and spoon. He grinned and took them, opening up and scooping out the cold beans.
 

I stood there as he ploughed through them until he scrapped out every speck of sauce and leant back with his head facing up and eyes shut. The can, spoon and opener slid from his fingers.

Then he moved fast and dropped to his knees. Before I had time to grab the gun he was down on the ground, hands clasped together. With whispered words he prayed. I smiled at this. He was like Rory, my crazy god-fearing brother. He’d not been able to take a sip of water without thanking God or Jesus. Seemed this lad was the same. He finished then stood and smiled. He grabbed up the can, spoon and opener, handing them to me.
 

‘Thank you,’ he said.
 

He turned and walked off, back into the mist and across the field. Within seconds he vanished from sight.

If it wasn’t for the empty tin and dirty spoon I’d not believe he’d existed.
 

I took them and returned to the barn. Lay back on my bedding again and watched the barn brighten up.

Casper woke with a grunt. He found the can and spoon but didn’t seem impressed that I’d eaten the beans. I spared him the story of the lad just in case he fancied tracking him down with the Eblis. Shooting him in the back of the head.

Once Becky was awake they set to work on the tank. As they leant into the engine compartment I took a walk around the farm. The mist had cleared and the autumn sun cut through the cool air, crisp. Golden light on the overgrown fields. There was no sign of the lad or anyone else. Just the weed-filled earth that ran off towards overgrown hedgerows and a copse of brown-leafed trees on the horizon.
 

For a minute I leant against the fence as Becky and Casper clattered on behind me.
 

There was a flash of light from the trees. A few seconds later it came again but this time there was a sound. Like something heavy being dropped. Becky and Casper were still busy and there was nothing for me to do. I checked I had the gun then walked across the field. Towards the light.
 

The ground was rutted and covered with thick plants: dandelions, coarse grass and thistles, still damp from the mist. I kept an eye on the copse. There was no movement. No sign that anyone was there.
 

As I got closer I saw that there was a structure hidden in the trees. Tall, man made. There was a fence around the patch of woods and I could make out the outline of something else through the branches: a building. I stopped in the middle of the field beside a muddy pool. This was a stupid idea. There could be anyone there. Any number of neo-reivers or crazy people. There were no sounds apart from the clanks that floated over from Casper and Becky.
 

So I carried on. A trampled path came in from the left so I joined it, where it led up to a section of the fence that was bust. Through the foliage I could see the building. It was brick built with an exhaust and several wires’ conduits running out of it. The structure beside it was a lattice of rusted steel: an old phone transmitter. A branch had fallen from a tree and lay across the top of it. I slid through the fence and walked over towards it with the gun in my hand.

A head popped out of the building and disappeared back in. It was the lad I’d seen earlier. I put the gun away and walked towards him. He looked out again and when he saw me he grinned. In his hand was a mole grip and a tenon saw. For a moment we just faced one another. The building had several small piles set out around. One was of feathers and bones, presumably from the birds and other animals he’d eaten. Another was old food tins flattened and neatly arranged. The third was clothes all folded. There was also a bowl of water set beneath a length of guttering that ran off into the trees. To the side of it a washing line was set up with pegs on it.

‘Hello,’ I said.

The lad put his tools down. He came over and extended his hand. For a second I didn’t respond then I took it and shook it, a ritual I’d almost forgotten. His grip was light, skin soft.

‘I live here,’ he said.

‘Yeah?’

‘My place.’

‘Are you on your own?’

‘Yep. Since Mum and Dad went. You want to look?’

It seemed an odd offer. But he was an odd lad. ‘All right,’ I said.

He stepped back and held out a hand towards the building. I ducked down and went inside. It was dark and there wasn’t much in there. He had bedding set out on wooden boards. There were more clothes, again neatly folded with two pairs of holed shoes. A mug and plate with cutlery were set to the side and an old telephone lay by the wall. Its wires disappeared through a gap in the bricks.
 

‘You like it?’ he said.

‘Great,’ I said. ‘Really smart.’

He beamed at this. I went back outside. The wire from the phone ran off towards the transmitter where it was looped around the structure in a knot. There was no sign of anyone else or that there had ever been anyone else.
 

The lad stared at me, eyebrows raised like he was waiting for me to do something. Now I was here and I’d seen him I wasn’t really sure what I’d come over for. Curiosity or something.

‘Well, nice to have met you,’ I said.

‘Yep.’

I started to walk backwards. ‘Bye.’

He stared at me but didn’t move so I backed off a little more then turned around. As I passed through the fence I glanced back. He had his hands at his side, immobile. Then he ducked into the building and started clattering around.

I crossed the field as the sun rose up over the farm buildings, warming the air. It had been a waste of time going going over to the trees but it hadn’t done any harm. Becky and Casper were busy and I’d had time to fill. The lad was on his own though he seemed to have everything he needed, so that was all fine.
 

I came to the farmyard and carried on towards the tank. Casper and Becky stood beside it, the engine’s cover still up and tools lined up on the ground.
 

‘Is it fixed?’ I said.

‘Hmm,’ said Becky but her eyes weren’t on me.

‘Who the fuck is he?’ said Casper, pointing.

I turned.
 

The lad was behind me, close up, holding a bundle of clothes and his plate and cutlery. He grinned. ‘These your friends?’
 

The four of us stood without talking. The lad was tapping his foot.
 

Eventually Casper spoke. ‘Who the fuck is he?’
 

‘I think you’ve already said that,’ I said.

‘What did you bring him here for?’

‘I didn’t bring him —’

‘Well, he’s here. With you.’

‘Let’s not get worked up,’ said Becky. ‘I’m sure Trent has a good reason.’

Casper and Becky stared at me. The lad tapped his foot.

‘Look,’ I said. The lad’s foot was thudding away on the ground. I turned to him. ‘Can you stop that, please?’ Then I faced Casper and Becky again. ‘I didn’t bring him over. He followed me, that’s all…’

‘Followed you?’ said Casper. ‘Where the hell from?’ His voice was raised and he pointed at the lad who shuffled around, kicked up dirt.
 

‘Calm down, Casper,’ said Becky.

‘Yeah, calm down,’ I said.
 

This was too much for Casper. He went red and raised his fist at me. ‘Fuck you, Trent. Fuck you.’
 

I didn’t move. He wasn’t someone who frightened me, especially when he was being so dramatic.
 

‘Come on,’ said Becky. ‘Trent, just tell him, whoever he is, let him know we’re going. That he can’t come with us, okay? That will be all right Casper, eh?’

Casper shrugged.
 

I turned to the lad. He was now playing with his cutlery, tapping it against his leg. I took his shoulder and walked him across the barn, away from Becky and Casper. His body was thin under his shirt.
 

‘Hello,’ I said.

‘I’m Daniel,’ he said.
 

‘Daniel.’

‘Yes, Daniel. Don’t call me Dan.’

‘Right. Daniel. Listen Daniel. We’re going soon and you need to, you know. You need to sort yourself out…’

He held up the bundle of clothes. ‘Got them all. All the good ones. Ready to go.’

This wasn’t going to be simple. I took a breath. He had to be told straight. ‘Daniel, I know you’ve got all your stuff…’ Across by the tank Casper grinned at me. He loved this, me telling the lad that he couldn't come in the tank. That he had to stay here on his own. Me doing as I was instructed.
 

I smiled at Daniel. ‘Come on. Let’s get you settled in.’ I led him across to the tank.

Casper stepped forward.
 

‘He comes,’ I said.

‘Like fuck he can —’

‘He comes.’ I had my pistol out at my side, away from Daniel. At that point I was ready to shoot Casper. Not kill him but certainly hurt him.
 

Maybe he saw this because he stepped back. ‘You’re crazy.’

‘Possibly. But he comes.’

Becky came between us. ‘Okay, Trent, okay. He comes. Four will fit. But we drop him off somewhere, you hear?’

‘Yeah, I hear.’

She shook her head and walked over to the Eblis, stuck her head under the rear hatch. Casper gave me once last glance, a dirty look, then he followed her.
 

I was left with Daniel as he held out his bundle of clothes. ‘You hang onto them,’ I said. Then I waved for him to follow me.

We walked over to the tank and I helped him up the bulkhead and onto the turret. Becky closed up the rear hatch and came and joined us.
 

‘All done?’ I said.

‘I think so.’

She showed Daniel how to get in. Casper picked up the tools and stood to the side of the tank, chewing at his fingernails and spitting them onto the ground. Daniel slid his feet into the turret following after Becky.
 

He stopped when he was halfway and faced me. ‘I knew you’d come,’ he said. Then he grinned and was in.
 

I followed and sat in the usual spot. Daniel was in the armaments seat next to Casper who’d just joined us. He was like a block of wood, responding to Becky’s requests but no more than that.

The hatch was sealed and the motors started. The tank manoeuvred out of the farmyard.
 

We joined the main road and picked up speed, the four of us in the Eblis.
 

‘Where now?’ I had a rough idea but wanted to hear it. Wanted to know there’d been no changes.

‘Galashiels then northwards,’ said Becky.