Black Tide Read online

  “YES!” he screamed. His hands found a hold on the greasy wooden edge, and he threw his elbows and upper arms onto the bridge. He was now dangling high over the moat, his legs scrabbling uselessly in mid air. He didn’t dare look down but concentrated on trying to fling one leg up and over. Just then, the Captain strode forward, grasped the back of Toby’s muddy boiler suit, picked him up and flung him to safety in the middle of the bridge.

  “Let that be a lesson to you, kid. Don’t ever run away from us, eh? You may think you’re like a cat with nine lives but you’re fast running out of them!… Yuk! What’ve you been rolling in, you wee toad? You stink!” The Captain wiped his muddy hands down his trousers and marched off. Toby lay in shock, trying to get his breath back. That had been a near thing. Too near for his liking. He sat up and watched the dogs slink off into the shadows. They’d lost interest now that their prey was out of reach.

  The other men followed their leader into the fort, one of them grabbing Toby by his collar and dragging him back inside, too. Behind them it took three men to close the enormous wooden door and slam the thick metal bolts across it.

  What’s going to happen to me now?

  Inside the fort the Captain was busy shouting orders at the rest of the raiders. They were congregated in the square in front of the prison. It was dark, and the men near the Captain held lanterns. The flickering light threw scary shadows across the grass. The raiders were a motley bunch of various sizes and ages, dressed in old army gear, dirty and unkempt. Toby tried not to stare as he was pulled and pushed through the crowd.

  As the wind tossed the light from the lanterns across their scarred and battered faces, the men looked rough. Most had lurid tattoos decorating their hands, necks and arms, but none seemed to have the red and black NC emblazoned on their wrists. They were all holding some weapon or other: shot guns, rifles, even sabres. They were anxious and jittery, shouting out questions to the Captain, who was trying to reassure them that the dogs couldn’t get into the fort.

  Some of them looked surprisingly young. One was probably about the same age as Toby, though the boy was trying to look older by posturing and showing off his gun.

  Where have they all come from?

  When he and his family had lived in the lighthouse at Collieston, before the dogs drove them out, they hardly saw anybody after the red fever. The only good people they had met had been the crew of a peace ship, Jamie and his mum, and Magnus, who had rescued them and let them stay on his minesweeper.

  Toby was dragged across the whole fort, through the two large courtyards, past the lines of Georgian houses with their dark windows staring at him like black eyes. There were more men down in the bottom square where the barracks were resounding with shouted commands. As they ran in and out of buildings, collecting arms and throwing belts of ammo over their shoulders, Toby could see that these were different men from the others. They looked better equipped and even in the shadowy light thrown from the barracks, he could make out that they were fitter, cleaner and were wearing smart navy-blue uniforms.

  Are these the chosen ones? Do they have the same tattoo as the Captain? he wondered, as he dragged his feet slowly over the pebbled courtyard, trying hard to get a better look.

  “Hurry up, kid!” his captor snarled, shoving Toby with his hand.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m hurrying,” replied Toby. They seemed to be headed for the far courtyard where the church stood.

  For the first time that day, Toby felt his heart lift a little. If he was put in the church, he knew exactly what he was going to do.

  “You’re not going to lock me in the church are you?” Toby asked the man, feigning fright.

  “Yeah, serve you right if the ghosties get you, you smelly brat!” the man snapped back, pushing Toby hard into the church porch and through the door, which he then locked. “And don’t get any ideas about escaping or else this time I’ll personally feed you to the dogs!”

  Toby stood in the quietness of the church aisle and waited. It wouldn’t be wise to go straight to the trapdoor in case the man came back.

  After a few minutes had passed, he groped his way in the dark down the aisle of pews to the back of the church, and pulled across the curtain to reveal the vestry door.

  I hope that Tash got back ok. I’m starving – wonder what she’s got in her store for dinner?

  He felt good and warm with the expectation of something hot to eat, in a safe place where he could relax, at least for a short while. His brain felt like it was spinning out of control. He needed some time to sort out what had happened and to formulate a plan.

  If I can just lie down for a little while and have a nap, then I’ll feel better. I must think about my mission. I must get going and find where Dad and Sylvie are being held. I must — What? What’s wrong with this door?

  Toby rammed the handle to the vestry door hard down, but it didn’t budge.

  “What’s going on?” he cried, leaning all his weight onto the door handle.

  I don’t believe it. The door’s locked. What was Tash thinking of? She’s gone and locked me out.

  8. The Invasion

  Toby leant against the door and slumped to the floor, burying his head in his hands. The last two days had been so hard, leaving him feeling like a limp teddy someone had pulled all the stuffing out of. Every time he thought he was getting a step nearer his dad and Sylvie, something bad happened.

  The biggest mistake I made was believing that Tash was a friend and was going to help me. Going with her has only made the situation worse with the raiders. Now they hate me and I’m still being held captive. I might as well have stayed in that prison.

  Toby knew that this was harsh, after all Tash had shown him her den and fed him a good meal. But then she had run off leaving him to face the angry raiders alone.

  I must trust no one from now on. I’m better off on my own.

  Toby wiped his snotty nose on the cuff of his jacket and pulled himself slowly to standing. His bruises still ached. He put his hand to the back of his head to feel how the lump was faring. Dried blood clumped around the large egg-shaped bump on his skull.

  Good one, that! Wait till I show it to Sylvie. She’ll be dead impressed… if I ever find her.

  Toby froze. He had heard a noise – a sharp intake of breath, like a… like a dog sniffing the air? He pulled back the curtain and stared down into the darkness of the church aisle, the hairs on his head prickling with apprehension. Something rustled in the blackness of the altar area at the other end of the church. It was crawling down the aisle towards him. He could hear its shallow breathing, and a scratchy scraping noise of claws on the smooth tiled floor. Whatever it was, it was getting nearer and nearer.

  Toby pushed himself back as far as he could against the door and slowly stood up. Outside, someone was crossing the courtyard carrying a lantern. The light bounced up into the vaulted wooden ceiling of the church and glinted in the eye of whatever was drawing near, dancing off its sharp fangs.

  Hold on a mo – those eyes aren’t moving…

  “Tash,” he called, “is that you?”

  The fanged thing slid slowly along the floor until it reached the vestry door. Then suddenly it reared up to reveal Tash hiding under her wolf coat.

  “It’s me,” she whispered conspiratorially, as if they were being overheard.

  “What are you up to?” Toby asked. “You seem to take great fun from frightening the life out of me. I’m not sure my heart can stand any more scares, thanks.”

  “I’m sorry your heart isn’t strong, but I was thinking the men might be watching here.”

  “No, they’re too busy trying to keep the dogs out. Anyway, where have you been? And why did you lock me out?”

  “I didn’t know they’d put you in here. I always keep the door locked. But you’ll be happy when I tell what I’ve found out. Now let’s go below and eat.”

  “Great,” said Toby, “I’m starving.”

  On reaching the kitchen down in the cave, T
ash rummaged through some cupboards and put a large bowl of cereal covered with sweet, sticky condensed milk in front of Toby.

  “There’s no time to cook, but here’s some sugar – it’s good for energy,” she said, tucking into a large mouthful of muesli with dried apricots.

  “Yummy,” said Toby through a mouthful of the sugary goo. “Ok, so where did you go and what have you found out?”

  Tash started to tell Toby about where she had been since leaving him in the tunnel on the ravelin. He interrupted as nicely as he could,

  “I don’t mean to sound rude, Tash, but d’you think you could take off that wolf thing? The smell’s putting me off my food.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Tash pulled off the offending article and threw it over the settee. Then she told Toby about how she had got back into the fort by climbing underneath the main bridge, clinging to the wooden joists. She had waited until the raiders were distracted by him, then had slipped over the side of the bridge and into the fort.

  She’s much braver than me. I bet she thinks I’m a right coward.

  “So what did you find out?” he asked her.

  “I hid in the stores where the men keep guns and ammo. They came in all excited. They’d heard the dog howling and then there was a big commotion. Some of them were saying they want to leave now and go to the other collecting station,” she said, scraping the last of the condensed milk from her bowl.

  “Did they say where that was, or say anything else about the General?” asked Toby.

  “Sounds like he’s a very clever man, and very powerful. He seems to have some sort of hold over them. They’re all scared of him and do as he says: he says to kidnap people, and they do it. They gather their prisoners together at the collecting stations and then take them to the place they call ‘New Caledonia’.”

  “New Caledonia?” Toby tried to put things together. The Captain had mentioned that name. It sounded quite nice, but that must be misleading. What had the Captain said? It was a new world the General had created. How had this General managed to gather so much power so quickly? And could he really be using the people he had kidnapped as slaves, as the Captain had suggested?

  “This all sounds so weird,” he said, scratching the back of his head, which had started to itch where the wound was beginning to heal.

  “No weirder than your dogs taking over Scotland and dominating the world,” Tash countered.

  “Yeah,” replied Toby, “well, they’re not my dogs, but I get your point. Still, these days nothing seems weird. I mean, who would have thought that a single virus would wipe out most of the world’s population? Since then, nothing has made any sense,” he ended lamely, thinking of all the terrible things that had happened to him and his family. Tash looked at him sympathetically. He took a deep breath and changed the subject. “Did the men say where these places were?”

  “They did mention a fort. Could it be another place like this? They said that there was a lot of stuff there that needed moving.”

  “Er, well, in Scotland there are some towns that have ‘fort’ as part of their name, such as Fort Augustus, Fort William and… Actually, they’re the only two I can think of.”

  “Fort William?” said Tash. “That sounds right, a man’s name. It was a man’s name!”

  “Fort William? You think it’s Fort William? That’s at the end of the Caledonian Canal. It’s where Ben Nevis is. I know that ’cause my dad used to go climbing on Ben Nevis. He said he’d take me one day when I was big enough. There’s a famous climbers’ café there where my dad used to have his coffee and buns before setting off. He used to text me from it.”

  Toby was excited having heard where his dad and Sylvie might be. Suddenly it seemed possible that he could go there and find them. Then, just as suddenly, he felt deflated.

  “Sounds like the raiders have got some sort of warehouse or depot there. But how can I be sure that’s where Dad and Sylvie are?” he asked Tash. “All we know is that they have been taken to see the General. We don’t know if he’s at Fort William or at this New Caledonia – wherever that is. It could be near Fort William or somewhere else entirely!”

  “We don’t have much choice, do we?” observed Tash. “At least if we go to Fort William we might find out more about New Caledonia. First, though, I think we need to sleep on it,” she continued, in her bossy, mothering sort of voice. “We’re too tired to think straight just now.”

  “Yeah, you’re right, but I know where I’m going as soon as I’ve had a sleep. Me and the Lucky Lady are heading for Fort William. You haven’t got a map have you?” he asked, trying to hide an enormous yawn. He didn’t like the idea of leaving his dad and Sylvie another night yet he knew he was too exhausted to take on the General and his henchmen.

  “Get some sleep, Toby,” replied Tash. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

  He lay down on the settee, finding the Henry cushion once more to cuddle. He lay awake for a while trying to work out the best way to get out of the fort, past the dogs, and past the raiders to reach the Lucky Lady. Once on Lady he knew he would be ok.

  “You’ll look after me, won’t you Lady?” he murmured, as he fell into a deep sleep.

  Down in the cave it was hard to tell the time of day. When Toby awoke he snatched up his watch to see if he’d overslept, but the hands were pointing at twelve and three.

  Three o’clock in the morning! Better get going. With any luck the raiders will still be distracted by the dogs or, even better, they might’ve secured the fort and gone to bed. Just need to get across the beach to the harbour. Surely there’s nothing around there to interest the dogs?

  He wondered if he could slip out without waking Tash but then thought that wasn’t very fair of him. She had looked after him and proved to be a friend after all. She had even found out critical information for him. He felt a little annoyed that she, rather than he, had learned about Fort William.

  “Tash,” he gently shook her. “Tash, wake up. I’m leaving. I wanted to say goodbye and thank you for your help.”

  She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Toby? You can’t go on your own. I’d better show you the way.”

  “No, I’m good, honest,” Toby said, reluctantly. He would have liked to have her company for a little longer; it could be a long time before he talked to anyone else. He was no good at goodbyes and all that emotional stuff. “You sure you want to stay here and wait for your mother and father?” he asked her, as he pulled on a dusty jacket that Tash had given him.

  “Yes, I want to stay. My mother and father may come back anytime. This General, he isn’t a big enough man to keep my father for long.” Tash smiled bravely. “But I’ve packed some food for you, and I’ll come to the shore with you and see how near the dogs are, too.” She picked up two rucksacks from the kitchen table and gave one to him.

  “That’s very kind, thank you.” Toby blushed as he threw the rucksack onto his shoulder. “Let’s go then.”

  The two of them left in silence, climbing through the trapdoor and up the steps to the door opening onto the foremost headland. Clambering out into the freezing winter night, they turned their torches off. A full moon lit the sky and threw dancing moonbeams on the sea. Toby began to track left, skimming along the edge of the shingle nearest the wall. As he looked behind, he saw Tash was following.

  He reached the harbour. But something was wrong. The large motor boat was now moored up alongside the Lucky Lady, blocking her escape from the harbour.

  “I can’t get out without moving that motor boat. And if I start it up it’ll alert the raiders.” Toby hissed to Tash.

  Suddenly, above them, from the high wall of the fort, they heard a noise. Both turned and craned their necks to see what it was.

  HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWL!

  An unmistakeable sound spliced the icy air.

  “Tash! The dogs are inside the fort!” cried Toby, straining to see whether the howling animal was a foot soldier or Cerberus himself.

  “Impossible!” Tash yelled ba
ck, over the noise of the beast. The two of them stared up at the dog. It stood on the ramparts of the fort, its head thrown back, its hackles standing on end making it look bigger than ever, the stub of its tail erect.

  “Cerberus!” exclaimed Toby. “I told you, nothing’s impossible for him! He’s inside now and he’ll drive the men out, you wait and see!”

  From where they were standing they could hear shouting, and then gunfire rattled off into the night air. There were several loud bangs and a cloud of smoke rose unsteadily from inside the walls.

  “Tash!” yelled Toby over the noise. “You can’t stay here. It’s just like I said: the dogs will take over the fort and even if you do get back safely to your cave, how long can you exist there without being able to get out? It’s madness, you MUST come with me! And NOW!”

  “I can’t go!” Tash sobbed. “Father told me to stay here! I must look after the caves and all the stuff Father saved and made, and —”

  “It’s just stuff, Tash. It’s not worth losing your life over. You can get more stuff. Your father will understand; he would want you to survive. Now, come on!”

  Tash nodded and followed him quietly as he sprinted in the dark down to the harbour’s edge, trying to keep a low profile. With any luck, Toby reckoned, the raiders would be too busy fighting the dogs to notice what was going on down at the harbour. Flashing their torches cautiously onto the Lucky Lady, he and Tash jumped down onto her deck, and then boarded the fancy motor boat tied to her starboard side. Stepping into the cockpit, they looked around for keys or some way to move the boat.

  “Perhaps we can untie it and just push it away?” thought Toby out loud. The painter of the motor boat was tied to a cleat on the deck of the Lucky Lady, so Toby jumped back over to Lady and untied it, throwing the rope over to Tash. Immediately the rising tide started to carry the motor boat away from Lady and towards the harbour entrance.