Hooded Man (55 page)

Well, he’d been with the Frenchman, hadn’t he? He’d been with the German, the Italian and Mexican. Used them. Race meant nothing to Tanek, only the need to destroy and take what he could for himself.

Bill was brought back to the here and now when the man began to convulse. “Easy,” said Bill again. But the man couldn’t hear him anymore. Bill held him tightly by the shoulders. When the convulsions ended and the man went limp, Bill closed the dead man’s eyes.

He stood, feeling numb: none of his original questions answered, and a whole lot more lumped on the pile. If Tanek really had returned, bringing with him another army, then there was only one place they could be heading. As he was righting himself, though, at least one of the mysteries was solved. Across the sea, and almost obscured from view by an outcropping, he could see some kind of ship. Bill took a pair of binoculars out of his pocket and looked through them. Maybe it was just the light, but it looked slightly silvery, and it had three big fans on its back. It resembled a grey slab of concrete on the water, resting above the waves on a black skirt.

“A bloody hovercraft!” said Bill.

But only one of them, and now he remembered what that lookout at Whitby had said: “Several things.” Bill had no clue what one of those brutes could carry in terms of equipment, men and vehicles, but he was guessing it wasn’t to be sniffed at. Imagine what had come across in a handful, splitting up and branching out to land at different points along the coast so they could take out observers before a flag could be raised. Bill was betting the army would rendezvous somewhere inland before heading on for their final destination. “Shit,” he added for good measure.

Time he wasn’t here. Jamming the other rifles under his arm and stuffing anything else he could find of use into a backpack one of the soldiers had been wearing (grenades, knives and spare ammo), Bill began the task of climbing back up towards his chopper. Hopefully before anyone over at the hovercraft realised something was amiss.

What he was going to do first, he didn’t have a clue. Deep down he knew not only was the region in danger again, but probably his friends as well.

And he realised they’d only been in the middle of the calm before the next storm. A lull which had made them complacent.

All of this and more was buzzing round Bill’s mind as fast as the rotor blades on his helicopter when he started her engine.

Everything being mulled over, especially Tanek, always Tanek, as he made his way upwards and eventually away from Robin Hood’s Bay.

CHAPTER TEN

“A
RE YOU SURE
this is such a good idea?”

If he’d been asked that once today, he’d been asked it a million times. By Mary – of course – by Jack, and now the one person he’d thought would be guaranteed to be on his side: Mark. This was for
his
benefit, after all.

Wasn’t it?

Mostly. Robert was finally beginning to concede that the boy was getting older, that maybe it was time he started his training in earnest – and that didn’t just mean messing about on the Bailey with Jack and the other men. It meant taking him out to where he himself had learnt his skills.

Where Robert had become the Hooded Man.

“Sherwood? Are you serious?” That had been Mary. “You can’t go off again now, with everything that’s happening.”

Jack had broached similar concerns. They were only just starting to figure out the cult, with Tate’s help, and for their leader to keep vanishing like this...

“I’m not vanishing. You know where I’ll be if you need me,” he argued. The first trip to Hope had been essential. This one they really didn’t understand, and his flimsy explanation about Mark hadn’t cut it. Especially after he’d been the one who kept knocking the boy back, telling him he wasn’t ready.

Robert couldn’t blame them for being freaked out, not after the incident at the Britannia. Mary had only just been able to save Geoff Baker’s life. She’d set to work straight away after getting there, apparently taking the corpse slumped across the table in her stride. Then she’d had Geoff moved somewhere they could treat him properly. Mary hadn’t even acknowledged Robert or Tate’s presence. Though that was understandable with her hands full, Robert still had a niggling feeling she was punishing him.

Later, when Geoff was stable – though there was still a good chance he wouldn’t see the next dawn – Mary had demanded to see Robert and Tate alone in one of the small conference rooms at the hotel. That was when she’d asked them what they thought they were playing at, interrogating a prisoner without her present, with only Lucy on hand to deal with the medical side of things. “What were you thinking?” she’d asked, pacing up and down in front of them.

“There wasn’t time, Mary,” Robert told her.

“No time to let me know you were back, either,” commented Mary with a sour face. “But time to send for me when Geoff had been attacked?”

“Lucy had given the Servitor –”

“The what?”

“It’s what they call themselves. Anyway, Lucy had given him something to calm him down. He was secured. We didn’t think –”

“No, you didn’t, did you?” Mary sighed. “Look, some people’s reactions to any drugs can be totally unexpected. Obviously the Chlorpromazine had the opposite effect of that intended.”

Tate was seated on one of the chairs, tapping his stick with a finger. “Can I just ask, Mary – and by the way, it’s nice to see you again.” His smile was weak, but sincere. “Could it also have made him stronger?”

“It’s possible, yes,” Mary admitted. “And it’s nice to see you again, too, Reverend. I wish it was under better circumstances.”

When they’d finished going over what had taken place, possible causes and reasons, and coming to no definitive conclusions, Tate had left to go and get settled back at the castle, he’d be staying there until this mess with the cult was sorted out. Robert and Mary had hung back in the room, at first hardly able to even look at each other. It was Robert who broke the silence first.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? For leaving so suddenly, or not saying a thing when you got back?”

“For whatever it is I’m supposed to be apologising about this time.” It hadn’t been the wisest thing he’d ever said.

“How about for giving Adele the run of our bedroom?” Mary had said, hands on hips.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

Robert wracked his brains. Had he done that? He didn’t remember it... maybe something about borrowing anything if she needed it, but he just assumed she’d ask first. Robert shook his head. This wasn’t really about privacy, no more than it had been the other day. This was about him and Mary. About how strong they were together – or, right now, not.

“You’ve got to stop this, Mary. Adele is –”

“I know exactly what she is – and what she’s after,” Mary stated emphatically. “What I
don’t
know is whether she’s being encouraged.”

“It’s been another long day, I’ve just been wrestling with a maniac and almost seen one of my friends die right in front of me. I haven’t got time for this nonsense.”

“I understand,” she’d told him; he could feel the chill in her words.

Robert followed Tate’s lead, leaving Mary alone in the room. He hadn’t seen her again until that night, when he’d felt her climb into bed. Part of him just wanted to reach out and put an arm around her, snuggle up tight and forget everything else. But his stubborn pride got in the way: wait and see if she does it first. She didn’t. In fact, she edged as far away from him as possible.

It was as he was lying there awake again that he’d thought of a solution. Things were falling apart rapidly, not only in his personal life, but in every other department. He didn’t know how to fight monsters like the one who’d broken free at the Britannia – it was so far removed from his experience. He knew his men were being spread too thinly, both on patrol and looking after the prisoners they’d captured. Robert not only needed to get away from the chaos and confusion for a while, to rediscover who exactly he was, he needed some kind of guidance.

He needed to be back in his one, true home.

So yes, Mark had been an excuse if he was honest – but Robert saw no harm in that. If the youth was one day to take all this over, which was Robert’s hope, then he needed to begin where Robert had. Needed to experience what he’d experienced out in the wilderness, or at least start his journey there.

It hadn’t gone down well. Mary believed it was just another excuse to get away (from her, though she only implied the last bit). “Go, then. It’s obviously where you’d prefer to be right now,” she’d sniped.

Meanwhile Jack was worried about the new threat they were facing. “I thought you were, too, Robbie. The kid’s training’s going okay on the castle grounds.”

“There are things I can show him at Sherwood that no-one can show him here. Things I never taught any of the troops when we were living there.”

Jack had accepted it, but didn’t like it.

Tate, on the other hand, never said a word. It was almost like he knew why Robert was making this pilgrimage, and why he wasn’t going alone. He’d merely blessed him and said he would pray for his speedy return. “Bring wisdom back with you,” Tate had said.

“I’ll try, Reverend.”

Mark had been all for it initially. But now, on their way to the forest on horseback, he asked Robert if he knew what he was doing. “I don’t want to take you away from important things at the castle,” he said, riding at a trot alongside.

“This is important, Mark. What we’re doing here. But you’re not the only reason we’re heading back to Sherwood.”

“I’m not?”

Robert leaned across and clapped him on the shoulder. “No. This trip’s for me as well. I need to reconnect with something I’ve lost.”

“Oh, okay.” They rode for a moment more in silence. “Talking of which,” broached Mark hesitantly, “you and Mary.”

“Not you as well!” Robert gave him a stern look. It was the face he’d pulled when Mark had first followed him into the forest, first begun pestering him to help them against De Falaise. He’d eventually accepted his other role as well, his relationship with the boy growing, each of them replacing something – someone – they’d lost during the virus. But that didn’t mean he could be as cheeky as he liked. “There’s nothing to discuss, Mark. Drop it.”

“But you need to reconnect with something back there as well, don’t you see?”

“Since when did you become the fount of all knowledge?”

Mark laughed. “I always have been, didn’t you notice? You two are good together.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“I do, and that’s the pity. You’ve lost your way a bit, that’s all. What is it you say to me, face your fear?”

“And how about you and Sophie? How’s it going there, bigshot?” Robert knew it wasn’t really fair to turn this around on Mark, but the boy had asked for it. God, teenagers thought they knew it all, didn’t they? But Robert had to stop and remind himself that this wasn’t any ordinary teen, not like those he used to see on street corners with their mates during his time on the beat. Mark had already seen more than he should have of life’s horrors, and perhaps that afforded him some leeway. Only not to discuss Robert’s private life, and not this, frankly.

Mark reacted as if slapped. “There is no me and Sophie. That’s the trouble. If we had what you and Mary had... still have, then...”

Robert held up his hand. “I told you, let that drop.” But then he couldn’t help digging himself deeper. “Jack told me about the fight, you know. You’re a brave guy, taking on Dale. He’s one of the best fighters I’ve got.”

Mark grunted. “He’s not so tough.”

“Heard you gave him a bloody nose.” Robert smiled. “That makes you pretty good, too, in my book.” Mark joined him in the smile. “Mind if I ask what he did to deserve it? Jack told me about the song. He was just pulling your leg, the men do it all the time with each other.”

“The
men
,” said Mark, heavily.

“Ah, I see. You’re fed up of being treated like a younger brother or something.”

“Brother?” Mark let out a long, mournful breath. “Yeah, I guess that’s how Sophie sees me.”

“I meant Dale and the blokes. But now I see what’s at the bottom of all this. She doesn’t treat
him
like a brother, does she? Dale, I mean?”

Mark shook his head.

“Women, eh?” said Robert, then waited for the smile to broaden; and for it to become another laugh. “They operate on a whole other level, Mark. Out here it’s simple. Even in a fight, it’s simple. But relationships...”

The horses made their way up one final road. Robert saw the faded brown signs saying ‘Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve,’ and indicated they should turn in there. Normally, he would have entered the less obvious way, but he wanted to show Mark something before they got to all the survival stuff.

“Come on,” he said to the boy, urging his horse to speed up a little and taking them through the first and biggest of the car parks. He looked around, admiring the way the forest had taken back what belonged to it, punching through concrete and bitumen in many places, overrunning the dividing posts and benches where families would have had their picnics in summer months. Where he’d once brought Stevie and Joanna to do the same.