Adventures at Brentwood Gap-Chapter Two- Austin Mitchell

CHAPTER TWO -Adventures at Brentwood Gap-Austin Mitchell

The boys woke up in bright sunshine. Rog was the first one up. He rolled over in his sleeping bag and looked at his watch. The time was five minutes to eight which surprised him because he was normally up by five, especially during school. When school was out he was normally up by seven o’clock, helping his parents with chores around the house. Lucky for them that a tributary of the river through which they had made their first escape was nearby. They were able to bathe there, get fresh water for their canteens and cook a meal. After they had eaten they decided to head for the road and to take a taxi down to Spanish Town. They walked over to the taxi stand and Bertie negotiated the fare from Jakson to Spanish Town. The taxi driver’s name was Marcus. The boys knew this because they heard other drivers call him by that name.
“You boys are from around here?” he asked as they started their journey.
“No, sir, we are from Portmore,” Rog replied.
“Sure, you boys not lying to me. Listen, we been told to be on the lookout for three boys. We heard that they did a lot of bad things. Stabbed a local youth and went into a shop and stole money. There’s a reward of fifty thousand dollars for their capture. I’d like to catch those boys. I could do with that money to do some repairs on my car.”
All three boys started fidgeting at what Marcus said. Rog turned around to look at his friends.
“You know what I think. You boys are the ones, those men are looking for. I am going to deliver you up to them, and collect my money.”
“We haven’t done anybody anything. We are just on a hike and we are going home,” Brett said.
“You are all liars, you did a lot of bad things and are running away. I am going to turn off on that back road and go back to Stonewall.”
The boys knew that they were in trouble. But they stood a chance of escaping. On the back road it might be easy for them to jump out of the car as Marcus would have to slow down in negotiating some of the potholes on that road.
Marcus turned the car on the back road. He pulled out a knife.
“I know what you boys are thinking that because the road is so bad you can jump out of the car when I am slowing down to avoid some of those potholes. If you try anything like that I’ll cut your friend’s throat.”
They had been driving for a short while on the dirt road when a big truck reversed out of another road completely blocking their path, making Marcus blow his horn several times and letting off a few bad words. This distraction gave the boys the chance they needed and they opened the car doors and bolted out with their gear, running into the bushes. Marcus cursed and stopped the car and jumped out, running after the boys into the bushes. But even with their gear the boys were still able to outrun an overweight Marcus. He returned to his taxi, blowing hard, cursing the truck driver and the boys for escaping and robbing him out of the reward money. He decided to drive up to Stonewall and report his sighting of the three boys. Perhaps he would get some money for his efforts.
“We have to get back down to where Marcus turned around his car and went on that dirt road,” Rog said as they walked through the bushes.
“They have a reward out for us and they are telling lies on us. Why do they want to capture us and for what reason?” Brett asked.
“You heard what Jonas said. They probably want to kidnap and hold us for ransom,” Rog replied.
“Told you that I thought those men were evil,” Russell said.
“They certainly didn’t want us to go to Brentwood Gap,” Brett said.
“Well, we didn’t go to the Gap so why don’t they leave us alone. We have to be hiding from them and we don’t know who to trust,” Russell said.
“When we get to Spanish Town we can take a breather and decide on what to do. We can probably buy some lunch in one of those restaurants,” Rog said.
At the mention of a restaurant the boys became hungry as they had not eaten a cooked meal except their own for five days now.
“It would certainly be a relief to be out of these parts and be sitting in a restaurant and looking forward to eating some good food,” Brett said.
All the time they were walking through the bushes they were mindful of the fact that Marcus could have summoned help and their pursuers could be right behind them.

Marcus reached Stonewall and immediately went to see Lloydie. Now he was seated in a chair and Lloydie was shouting at him.
“You had those kids in your taxi and you let them escape? I can’t believe it and before you sit tight and call for back-up, you drive all the way up here just to tell us that. Those boys could very well be out of our reach for all we know.”
The others were seated in chairs and looking at the bewildered Marcus.
“Oh, I know why you came up here, Marcus. You probably figured that you would earn some money by giving us information about those boys that will lead to their capture. Even if we catch them, giving you money would be rewarding you for your stupidity. You go with Bull and the others and see if you can capture them,” he commanded to a relieved Marcus. He knew that he could have been beaten to a pulp right there and his taxi taken away from him as it was owned by the ‘Organization’.

The three boys knew that they were still in danger unless they reached the cross roads where Marcus had turned off the main road from Jackson and headed on the parochial road to Stonewall. They were not sure if Marcus had not summoned help. They were about a mile from the junction when they heard car horns and men shouting.
“It’s them and they are looking for us,” Rog shouted.
“What do we do now?” Brett was asking.
“The further inland we go it will probably take us back up to Jackson, but we daren’t go on the dirt road or go to the junction for they will be waiting for us there,” Rog replied.
“How are we sure that when we reach Jackson we won’t see men like Marcus ready to capture us and hand us over to Bull and his friends for the reward they are paying?” Russell asked.
“That’s a chance we’ll have to take. There must be some good people in Jackson who are not corrupted by people like Bull and Lloydie,” Rog replied as they trudged through some thick bushes.

Marcus had brought his companions to where the youths had bailed out of his car.
“This is where they jumped out of the car and ran into the bushes,” Marcus said.
“I don’t fancy going through those bushes after those boys, but Tonto, you and Neville go in there and see if you can find them. Meanwhile, Marcus and I will circle and go back up to Jackson,” Bull said.
“Those boys will be anxious to get out of Jackson. After that experience with Marcus I doubt if they will trust any taxi man again,” Neville said.
Bull looked at him.
“We still have a matter to settle. Remember that last night we trailed them and then somebody must have taken them to Jackson. Old Miss Reid says that she saw a car stop on the road to Jackson to let off three boys. She says the car was very old, but she couldn’t make out the make or the driver for that matter, but that person will be found and punished. You boys better get a move on. While I’m here talking, those boys are getting further out of our reach,” Bull said as he got into Marcu’s car.

The boys were moving through the thick bushes in the mid morning.
“Jonas said we shouldn’t take any taxis in which there are any other passengers, but ourselves. But after that experience with Marcus, I don’t think it’s all that bright an idea,” Rog remarked.
“Yeah, maybe we should take a minibus if any run up here,” Brett said.
“I don’t think so, still might be better to get a taxi in which there are people from Jackson traveling. As far as we know they and Lloydie’s crew are not friends,” Russell put in.
“I don’t think we should just go into the village like that maybe we ought to find out what is happening up heren first,” Rog said.
The boys knew that it would be useless to report it to the police in Jackson since they would not be believed. Maybe they had even heard the rumor about them. Jonas had told them that no police were in Stonewall or the Gap. For the past two years no reports had been made of crimes in these area so it was decided to remove the police to areas where crime was more rampant. The boys thought that a more stupid decision could not have been made.
Meanwhile, in Stonewall, Lloydie was growing worried at Bull’s failure to find the boys.
Apart from the ransom they would lose, it was possible that the boys could go somewhere and report them. They came from influential families and it was possible that they had friends in high places, who could get the police to start investigating the activities of the ‘Organization’ in Stonewall and Brentwood Gap. He wondered if he should send in another team. Juvert would not take kindly to these types of failures. He went to his refrigerator in the office when his cell phone started vibrating. It was Bull on the line.
Lloydie’s feeling of triumph was soon muted.
“Marcus and I’ve been all over the place and we haven’t seen the boys. Norris is combing the bushes but not a sign of them so far,” Bull reported.
Lloydie wondered if he should send in a back-up team to sweep the area as far as Norwich. If the boys got to Spanish Town then they would be virtually out of their reach.
“Do you want backup, Bull?” Lloydie asked.
“I will send in three more of those guys to help you comb as far as Norwich,” he told Bull and hung up before Bull could reply.
Bull was left stranded on Lloydie’s suddenly ending of the call. He did not want to lose the confidence of the top men in the ‘Organization’. Plus, he knew that they were due to take over other villages and that he was slated to be the commander of one of them. He smiled at the thought of controlling a village like Jackson and the amount of money they could make from the protection business. Unlike what they did in Stonewall, Quaco and his gang collected dues from all the businesses operating in the town in return for security guarantees and already Juvert was saying that this might be the new way of operating in the future. They would only pick out prosperous villages to control. They might even get some politicians on board since controlling a village might mean votes and that could be music to any politician’s ears.
Bull looked across at Marcus.
“Those boys must be around here somewhere. Lloydie is sending back up to search as far as Norwich,” he told Marcus.
“I have a feeling that they are laying low. I believe that they are still in those bushes. Those guys should search harder. Why didn’t you ask him to send us the dogs to help search for them,” Marcus said.
“Those guys in Jackson will know that something is afoot. We don’t want them to know anything about this,” Bull replied.
Marcus knew that even as they traveled through Jackson, Bull was weary of Quaco’s people. Quaco was the man who controlled Jackson and he might want to know what such an important man like Bull was doing in Jackson.
He, Marcus had gotten money from the Juvert ‘Organisation’ to purchase his car. He was up to date with his payments which were very steep. In addition he had to pay protection money to Quaco and his operators. He had only been loaned the money to buy the car on condition that he spy for Juvert. He was nearly finished paying for his car and was planning to move with his family to another area where he would not come under this type of pressure.
Bull took out his cell phone and called Neville.
“We are keeping our eyes open and using our field glasses, but so far we have not sighted them,” Neville reported.
All this made Bull stomped his feet in disgust.
“You have not picked up anything, not even their tracks?” he asked.
“We saw some tracks, but we aren’t sure that it was theirs,” Neville replied.
“You mean you can’t look at tracks and know whether they are new or old,” Bull shouted in frustrations and cut off the call.
“You are to blame for all of this. Imagine you had the boys in your cab and let them escape,” he shouted at Marcus.
Marcus did not reply and after a while Bull told him to drive on the back road.

The three youths had reached a point where they could see the Jackson main road. They knew that Jackson itself would be only a half a mile up the road us they were cut off from that view by numerous trees.
“What do we do now?” Russell asked.
“We have to get out of here, but we certainly don’t want to take any more taxis like Marcus’,” Rog replied.
“I vote that we go down to Jackson and take a taxi from there,” Brett said.
“I’m not sure we wouldn’t fall into that trap again. I think we should go down to the main road. I will stay on this side of the road and you two stay on that side. If I wave down a taxi you two can just skip across the road,” Rog said. Russel was about to ask him a question when there was a shout.
“There they are!” Neville was shouting as he and Tonto started running towards the boys.
The boys turned around when they heard the shouts. They realized that these men were working for Bull.
“Let’s go on the road and run to Brooklyn,” Rog shouted as they started running.
“Call, Bull, Tonto, tell him that we’ve found the boys and we need back-up,” Neville instructed as he ran after the youths.
“They are gaining on us,” Russell said as he looked back and saw a tall man coming at them and knew that with their heavy knapsacks they could not outrun these men.
“What did Bull say?” Neville asked as Tonto caught up with him.
“He says to try and keep them away from Jackson,” Tonto replied.
The three boys had reached the Jackson main-road now and were heading up it, but they could see Neville and Tonto behind them.
“I saw one of them on his cell phone,” Brett said.
“Probably trying to call Bull, Lloydie and the others,” Rog replied.
As they rounded a corner they saw a taxi about to pull out with only one lady in the front. Bertie stopped the car from driving off, told the driver where they were going and the three of them piled in. As the car was about the drive off Marcus drove up in his taxi and jumped out.
“Stanley, those boys are mine. They hired my taxi this morning to go to Lennox Hills. On the way I stopped to let out a big truck reversing into the road. They jumped out of my taxi and refused to pay. We’ve been looking for them from morning,” Marcus declared.
Stanley turned around and looked at them.
“Is that true what Marcus here is saying, boys?”
“You know you are telling lies on us, Marcus,” Rog replied.
“Now we heard that you same boys went into Mr. Wright’s shop in Norris Hills and stole food from him. The police gave us your description.”
“Marcus, you’re a big liar. Nothing could be further from the truth. You, Lloydie and Bull want to kidnap and hold us for ransom,” Russell said.
Stanley was not listening to him and Rog saw when Marcus wink at him and he was suddenly afraid. Stanley shrugged his shoulders then put his hands on his hip in a show of surrender. Bull, who had not gotten out of the car did so now and came to order the boys out Stanley’s car. Each of Neville, Tonto and Bull was holding one of the boys and pushing them towards Marcu’s car. Then another car drove up and stopped and the three boys suddenly realized that the air had suddenly become tense.
A short man in African clothes came out of the car along with three other men. The boys were surprised as the three men did a pincer like movement that caught Bull and his companions by surprise. The three men let go their holds on the boys when they realized that they had been outflanked as two of the men were behind them and two facing them.
“What’s going on here?” the man in the African clothing and the leader of the new arrivals asked.
“Marcus says that these boys took his taxi and refused to pay him, Cuffee,” Stanley informed him.
“So what is he doing up here?” Cuffee asked pointing at Bull. “So are you now operating in Jackson, Bull?”
When Bull did not answer, Cuffee continued.
“Are you, Lloydie and Juvert breaking our agreement, Bull?”
“It’s these boys we have been chasing. They are robbers.”
“You are a liar Bull. You have been running us down to kidnap us and hold us for ransom,” Rog put in.
Cuffee looked at the three youths.
“Where are you boys from?”
“Portmore,” Brett replied.
“So Bull wants to kidnap you and you are from Portmore. I don’t know of any millionaires living in Portmore,” Cuffee remarked and he burst out laughing, his three companions joining him.
“You want a million dollars for each of these boys, Bull. I doubt if you’ll get a hundred thousand. Listen, Stanley, you drop these boys in Spanish Town and report to Ricky.”
“Bull, you’re lucky we don’t take you to Jackson and let some of our boys club some sense into your head,” he warned before getting into the car.
“Hey Marcus, you take them back to Stonewall. The next time you bring scum like those to Jackson you’ll lose your license to operate on our roads,” he shouted at Marcus before the car sped off.
The three youths got into Stanley’s car and were not perturbed by the threats Bull was making. He was saying that he would carry out his plans and was not afraid of Cuffee or Quaco for that matter. But Stanley said that he had to report with the three boys to Ricky in Spanish Town because he had no doubt that Cuffee would shortly be calling him.
On the way to Spanish Town, Stanley looked downcast and noncommittal, but finally he spoke to the boys.
“You boys are real lucky that Cuffee showed up when he did. You have to forgive me, but I have to believe Marcus as a fellow taxi-man. We get a lot of trouble from our passengers.”
“Well, you know that what Marcus was saying was not true,” Russell remarked.
“Oh, I don’t know any such thing. One thing I do know is that Bull was not out to kidnap you boys. You tricked Cuffee by telling that lie on Bull. You know that Cuffee and Bull are not friends so you played on that. Oh you guys are really smart.”
“Like we told Cuffe we did not steal anything from anybody in Lennox Hills. We are on a hike to Brentwood Gap but those men warned us not to go there. After we turned back we heard that we had stolen things in Lennox Hills,” Rog remarked.
But a plot was already brewing in Stanley’s brain. He knew that neither Ricky nor Cuffee would care too much about any details about the boys. They were boys he knew in Spanish Town, who would willingly impersonate these boys. Sometimes they washed his car. He knew that they would be only too willing to do the tasks at hand for a good lunch money. The challenge was to find three boys who were presentable to pass them off to Ricky as the boys Cuffee had told him to drop in Spanish Town. It was risky he knew and he wasn’t even sure that Bull after that humiliation from Cuffee harboured any further interest in the boys. But that fifty thousand dollars reward was very tempting. Of course if word got to Cufffee that he had disobeyed his orders then his licence to operate in these parts would be revoked and there might be further consequences. He had to get his associates to hold the boys for him. He would then phone Bull to let him know that he was holding them. He would explain what he had done to Bull. They would have to come and collect them with the ready cash.
“Hey you boys, I’m going to stop on Burke Road to check a friend of mine. His mother, who lives in Jackson asked me to collect something from him,” Stanley told them.
All three boys told Stanley that it was no problem. Stanley thought to himself, he would let his associates hold the boys and then trick Ricky with the other youths.
“You boys should get something to eat once you get to Spanish Town. Now seeing how you operate I have to say that I’m disappointed in Bull and Marcus. Don’t know how they could have mistaken the three of you for robbers. Maybe you are right about them.”
“We sure were, Stanley,” Rog said.
“We have a lot of difficulties up here, boys. All the villages you see up here are controlled by bad men. Taxi drivers have it rough. We have to pay them to keep our vehicles on the road.”
It was coming up one o’clock and they were now on Burke Road.
“Hey, boys, you wait here I’ll soon be back,” Stanley said as he brought the car to a halt and turned off the engine. He turned to the boys.
“This won’t take more than five minutes,” he told them as he got out of the car.
As Stanley went inside the house Rog turned to the others.
“I think we’d better make a run for it,” he said, reaching for the lever to open the trunk of Stanley’s car. All three boys opened the car doors and made their way to the car trunk for their luggage.
“Let’s get away from here as quickly as possible,” Rog told them as they made their way into a lane and headed out for the bus park.
Stanley, his two associates and another man had agreed terms on which to hold the boys until Bull came for them. Of course Stanley could not have alerted them as that would have signaled to the boys that he was up to something. The whole negotiations had taken five minutes and Stanley was certain that the boys would not try a repeat of what they had done to Marcus. He had agreed to pay each man four thousand and they had shaken hands on the deal. So it was a shocked Stanley, who emerged from the house with his three co-conspirators to find his car door and trunk open and the boys missing.
“I can’t believe this!” he shouted to the others. “They can’t have gone far. They are dressed in normal clothes but they have bag-packs with them.”
Stanley ran to lock up his car before setting off with the others in search of the boys.
As he set off at a fast pace after the boys, along with the three men, Stanley knew he was in deep trouble. By now Cuffee must have called Ricky and would have been told that he had not yet turned up with the youths. He had to find the boys and take them to Ricky. On the other hand if the boys escaped he could not return to Jackson. He could just get back into his taxi and go to another part of the country and start operating from there, but his baby-mother and two kids were in Jackson. They would not be allowed to leave until he turned up to receive his punishment for having disobeyed one of the top men’s orders. To be continued. Please read my blog at:http://stredwick.blogspot.com