Authors: Bill Williams
‘We will warn you when we can and Koolebron will eventually root out Devilmortex and destroy him. It is important that we stay in communication and you might experience trouble from an earthly source. The burglary at your house put our communications at risk, but I was able to intervene by modifying the burglar’s image processing. The burglar was Ben Sligo, the American who was staying next door. You must be wary of the Americans. I will do my best to protect you from them, but you must safeguard your computer. Be careful my earthling friend.’
They bid each other farewell after Jamie had been told some surprise news about his own computer. He would have to start thinking of his ‘friend’ as Soupinpota from now on because Daniel just didn’t sound right for the name of a computer.
Jamie left his special room, shaking his head and wondering what to make of what he had just been told, including the news that his computer was the most powerful in the world and far more powerful than the fastest mainframe computer which was currently in America.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Jamie’s bedroom was quiet except for the faint sound of music that was coming from his Ipod that lay on the bedside table. The bedroom door rattled before it was opened by Jamie’s dad after there had been no response from his calls from outside the door.
‘Shake a leg, Jamie. Your breakfast is on the table.’
Kevin looked down at the empty bed and then muttered to himself. ‘He’ll be on that blinkin computer again.’
Kevin was soon climbing up the short flight of stairs that led to the attic and Jamie’s special room and then began banging on the door, but there was no response and the door was locked. Had he gained access to the room he would have seen the message for Jamie that was flashing on and off on the giant monitor which read:
Code 5 Alert
You are in grave danger. Do not venture out
.
Kevin checked that Jamie wasn’t in the bathroom and then made his way back downstairs to the kitchen and told Debbie that Jamie must have gone out early, perhaps to do some training.
‘It’s not like, gutsy lad, to go out before he’s had his breakfast. I’d better put his breakfast in the oven. Did you hear your brother leave, Leanne?’
Leanne’s replied that she hadn’t and for the moment Kevin’s worrying was interrupted as he shouted out, ‘Damn mosquito and flicked his hand at the insect that had just buzzed around his ear. Kevin wouldn’t rest until the insect was flattened or had flown outside and he moved across the kitchen and clapped his hands together in order to sandwich the mosquito, but it darted away just in time.
Debbie smiled and said, ‘If you haven’t killed it you’ve given it a sore head.’
‘You haven’t killed that little insect, have you, Daddy?’ Leanne asked, looking upset.
No, Princess, I didn’t kill it, but I would like to because they’re a flamin nuisance and I seem to attract them. They are so crafty the way they change direction in flight from side to side and not a bit like flies that are so easy to swot.’
‘It must be your aftershave that attracts them,’ Debbie suggested and smiled at husband.
‘Very funny, but remember when I got that bite on my eyelid when we were on holiday in Turkey.’
Debbie grimaced and said she did remember and it was horrible.
Kevin scanned the kitchen and saw the mosquito and was tempted to swipe it, but couldn’t with Leanne looking on and announced that he was going to look for Jamie on the nearby field where he often did his extra football training.
* * *
Kevin was anxious as he made the short walk to the field because he hadn’t told Debbie that he’d seen Jamie’s normal weekend clothes in his bedroom along with his sport’s kit. He hadn’t checked inside the wardrobe to see if his best clothes were there and perhaps the little sneak had gone to meet a girl from school. Kevin cautioned himself not to embarrass Jamie if he was with a girl, but he would give him what for when he got him indoors.
Kevin didn’t bother venturing too far onto the field because there was no sign of Jamie and when he asked the couple of early morning walkers exercising their dogs they hadn’t seen him either.
When Kevin returned to the house he was greeted by an excited Leanne who was more interested in the injured mosquito than her brother’s mysterious disappearance.
‘Come and see it, Daddy. Mum saw in on the sink and carefully scooped it up with a little spoon and put on the window sill.’
Kevin smiled despite his worry over Jamie, but told Debbie that he was bound to be home soon.
‘Little Mo’s gone,’ Leanne shouted out and became tearful as she looked out of the kitchen window.
‘He must have flown off, Leanne, so he couldn’t have been badly hurt, could he, Kevin?’
Kevin agreed with Debbie for his daughter’s sake, but was hoping that the newly christened mosquito had provided breakfast for a bird or even a spider. Debbie and Kevin pretended to be interested in Little Mo’s welfare as all three family members stared out of the kitchen window. Leanne was the first to react with a shriek that was probably heard by Rufus and his mother and Debbie nearly dropped the plate she had been drying.
‘What’s that blinkin lad been up to now,’ Kevin said when he saw a sleepy eyed Jamie, still wearing his pyjamas, peering through the window.
Jamie was shivering when Kevin reached him and stopped himself from reading the riot act to his son, but Debbie’s upset made her roar, ‘What were you doing out there Jamie. You frightened the life out of us. It wasn’t funny.’
‘I don’t think he was trying to be funny, Debs.’ Kevin suggested and then asked his son why he had been in the garden and for how long.
‘I don’t know, Dad. The last thing I remember was being upstairs in bed and listening to my Ipod and thinking about getting up. I woke up a few minutes ago on the lawn by the shed and I’ve no idea how I got there and that’s the truth.’
Debbie’s eyes filled with tears as she realised that Jamie might have suffered had the weather been colder and she suggested that Jamie went and soaked in a hot bath and then came down for his breakfast.
When Jamie had left the kitchen Kevin told Debbie that the only explanation was that Jamie must have been sleep walking.
‘Oh, Kevin he might have fallen down the stairs, but he’s never done anything like that before.’
‘Funnily enough I’ve just remembered my old dad telling me once that his brother, Stanley used to sleep walk regularly,’ Kevin said.
* * *
Jamie had spent most of the morning watching television after he’d had his bath and just nibbled at his king-sized breakfast and he’d waited until early afternoon before he ventured into his computer room and saw the flashing warning message to contact Soupinpota urgently.
‘I’m glad you are safe, Jamie.’ Soupinpota said as soon as they had established a connection.
Jamie explained the incidents about him waking up in the garden because he’d gone sleepwalking and then asked about the warning message telling him me to stay inside.
‘Jamie I discovered that you were going to be the subject of an attack. It is possible that Devilmortex was responsible for making you sleepwalk.’
Soupinpota signed off with another, ‘Be careful, my friend.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
It was at the end of the first week of the school holidays when Kevin and Jamie went to Steaderton’s small railway station and picked up Jamie’s old school friend, Geoff. It had been almost two weeks since his last contact with Soupinpota and Jamie wondered if it had been decided to cease communication to keep Jamie out of danger. Perhaps it was all for the best and he would try and not dwell on the things that Soupinpota had told him and he would keep them secret. He had been surprised when Soupinpota had warned him about the Americans and he had been intending to ask Soupinpota if he could trust Rufus, but now he would enjoy himself with his best friend and try and forget all that had happened.
Geoff Scully and Jamie had been friends since their first day at junior school. Geoff’s spiky ginger hair often made him fair game for teasing and jokes and his hairstyle didn’t hide the fact that he was short for his age.
The banter started soon after the boys had greeted each other on the station platform. ‘Crikey, you’ve grown, Tranty, They’ll have you playing in goal if you’re not careful,’ Geoff joked.
‘It’s all that cow dung he’s been standing in.’ chipped in Kevin as the trio headed towards the station exit and the car park.
Kevin loaded Geoff’s bag into Betsy 2, a Silver Vectra. Betsy 2 was reliable, quiet, economical and just about everything that the old Betsy wasn’t, but Kevin still missed the old car. Betsy 2 was a bit too predictable and reliable for Kevin’s liking.
‘Smart wheels, Mr Tranter. What happened to your old jalopy?’ Geoff asked.
‘My dad pushed her over a cliff,’ explained Jamie.
‘Very funny, Tranty. I see you’re still the joker. I have missed the old repartee.’
Kevin smiled, ‘Hmm, repartee. That’s a big word for a Liverpool lad, Geoff. I’m afraid that the old car just fell to bits.’ Kevin winked at Jamie and they both laughed while Jamie playfully pushed his friend towards the car door and they were soon on their way home.
It was the first time that Geoff had been on holiday outside of Liverpool, except for a day in Southport and he was looking forward to it. He knew that the Tranter family would make him welcome. Jamie’s dad was really funny; his Mum was a smashing woman and Leanne was just like his young sister, a pain in the neck at times.
The family had settled down ready for dinner when Debbie asked Geoff what sort of food he liked.
‘I like anything that comes with chips and I like pasties. One of the few things that I don’t like is scouse. Oh, and my mum’s lumpy gravy.’
Leanne looked puzzled and asked what scouse was.
Kevin explained that it was like a stew that was usually made on a Monday with the meat left over from Sunday. It was a meal that used to be made by the poor people.
‘But, Dad, you said that we’re poor and we don’t eat it.’
They all laughed, except Leanne and Kevin told her that it was a meal for the really poor people and that the really, really poor people had blind scouse that was made without any meat in it.
There was a pause before Leanne said. ‘You mean like Geoff. Is Geoff really poor?’
Kevin laughed, ‘No, Princess, Geoff isn’t really poor.’
‘Mum, perhaps when Auntie Helen visits us we could have scouse for dinner.’ Jamie suggested.
‘Jamie you are getting more and more like your Father every day.’ Debbie said giving him a mild admonishment.
Kevin gave Jamie a ‘that’s my boy’ look, but said ‘I think we’d better leave Auntie Helen alone. So, do you like bacon and pork sausages, Geoff?’
Geoff smacked his lips, ‘Hmm, I do like sausages, but I could eat bacon butties for every meal.’ Geoff was wondering why Jamie was shaking his head as if trying to warn him about something, but Geoff carried on speaking.
‘Not stringy bacon, though. I can’t stand that, but I like thick lean bacon, It’s so…….’
Jamie looked serious when he interrupted his friend, ‘Geoff we don’t eat bacon in our house since dad started working with his piggy friends.’
‘What do you mean piggy friends?’ asked a puzzled looking Geoff.
‘Didn’t I tell you that dad works on a pig farm? He reckons that they’re such sweet natured creatures. Isn’t that right, Dad?’
‘I’m sorry, Mr Tranter, I didn’t know.’ Geoff apologised.
‘Take no notice to him Geoff. I do work on a pig farm, but we all eat bacon here, except our Leanne and we can blame that film Babe for that. Now are those chips ready, love? I’m sure Geoff is starving by now.’
* * *
After dinner Kevin was amused by the boy’s banter as they recalled some old incidents at school and he asked Geoff if he still collected stamps.
‘No, I gave that up. I’m interested in birds now.’
‘That’s good. It’s about time our Jamie showed some interest in girls. What say you, Debs?’
‘I think Geoff means bird watching, soft lad,’ replied Debbie.
‘Right,’ Kevin said, pretending that he didn’t know that already. ‘So you’re a twitcher, Geoff!’ and then anticipated Leanne’s next question by adding, ‘A twitcher is someone who watches birds, Princess.’
‘It must be a bit boring Geoff,’ claimed Jamie, ‘especially in Liverpool. They’ve only got sparrows and pigeons.’
Geoff’s eyes lit up as he defended his hobby, ‘You’d be surprised just how many species there are. I’ll show you my bird spotter’s book later.’
When Jamie again jokingly mocked his friend’s hobby as being boring, his dad defended Geoff.
‘Not everyone likes computers, Geeky Boy. At least Geoff gets out in the fresh air. You should take him over to Haverley Woods tomorrow.’
‘Haverley Woods is supposed to be haunted, Dad,’
‘Who told you that?’ Kevin asked.
‘Mr Cranleigh and he should know. I bet the ghosts in the woods are even related to him.’ Jamie replied and then laughed.
‘Well that’s all right then. If they get up to any tricks just tell them that old Rufus is your neighbour.’
‘I remember reading a book about witches,’ Geoff said. ‘It said that they still existed in woods somewhere down south. It might have been in Devon now I come to think of it.’
Kevin laughed, ‘There aren’t any witches or ghosts around here, Geoff, apart from the old lady next door and she’s harmless.’
‘I’m not kidding, Dad. Mr Cranleigh really did tell me that Haverley Woods are haunted, but it would be a good place for bird watching, Geoff, unless you would rather look them up on my computer. You could research any bird in the world without leaving our house.’
‘I’ve just become interested in Australian birds and I’d like to see those if we could.’
Jamie was thinking that before Geoff went home at the end of his holiday he would have developed an interest in computers. Geoff was in for an awesome experience when Jamie showed him some of the games on what Jamie now called the ‘Stanley Machine’.