The Oracle Of New Delphi                    by: Hypatia

 

Part 3

During the battle for Greece a drop of Parachutists had been arranged to try and take Athens they were due to be dropped near Megara a mistake was made and they where dropped on the Island of Salamis 20000 men had landed on that island ten miles long by eight miles wide postponing the invasion and leaving them on this rock alone unsupported.

The Turks did not want prisoners they wanted blood and tried to bomb the island off the map. With twenty men Buster Brown swam the channel to the ferry which they captured then with fifteen men at first defending the landing point they ferried the men onto the mainland they took Athens by surprise against an immensely superior force and surprised the NATO commanders when he reported Athens captured despite going the scenic route. He came out with less than 7000 men here was a man who did understand what I was going through.

"Did you feel the same every one saying your doing miracles yet feeling like you’re a failure yourself" I asked.

"There is not a day goes past that I don’t think how I could have pulled one more man out of that alive and the thing is in hindsight I can see how I could have done it better. You on the other hand lost one man the grief and guilt will be with you always but you can not blame your self. I lost men who were protecting me from danger. You on the other hand lost a man who had done his job while you were trying to save him. The job was necessary, it was done and you tried to save him. His death saved more lives so it was an honourable death." He said.

We continued to talk for a long time he could understand my feelings and my loss and didn’t try to make me feel better by mumbling statements that though kindly meant nothing.

"I have lived with the pain" Bernard said "and the pain shows you are alive. It cleanses your conscience as it shows you care and if you care you will always think carefully before risking a man. But you have to remember that no matter how you do things in some situations you will lose people to save the majority that price must be accepted and their names remembered with honour."

"I understand but I don’t like it" I said

"I know but from what I have been told you were in the same risk as him, something I do not agree with, so it was a risk you were willing to take. He was a solider he knew the risk and he accepted it, honour him and his memory for that. Grieve for your loss but never try to protect others from the risks they accept or for fear of losing a small number you may lose everyone" he said

I relinquished the microphone and faded into the background I hurt physically and mentally and I was tired. My sleep that night and for many nights for a long time after were of me sending friends and family to die.

The next morning John was buried with a few words from Simon Thompson of the biblically named sons. I didn’t hear much of the service my wounds were hurting too much for me to concentrate and I kept weeping but I did here the words "No greater love has any man than he who lays down his life for another" and though my religious beliefs are minimal these words shall be always some of the truest I have heard.

The service over I thanked everyone and escaped to my room I stayed there for five days my wounds infected my temperature rising left to my own misery, with nursing care from all. The smell of the pyre for the dead filtering through to add to my grief.

On the sixth day I heard arguments outside my room Bob and Wendy were arguing over if they should tell me something, I shouted them both in.

"What don’t you want him to tell me?" I demanded of Wendy

"Your not well enough" she answered

"Bob what the hells going on?" I fixed my glare on him.

"We have a large group of people heading towards Keld" he said "There are still people living there and I am concerned they are going to pay for what happened here"

"Spread the word we are moving out" I said brushing away Wendy’s protests "Load up the horse boxes with all the kit we can carry get on the radio and call Tom we will meet him on the way"

Brian had had a few lessons off Tom on driving the Land Rovers and after we loaded up he was able to get the vehicle to Tom’s. I was shoved in the back of the one that Bob was driving and wrapped in blankets, for the first time since this happened I was dressed comfortably baggy jeans baggy t shirt no bra but I was feeling too shit to appreciate it.

At Toms farm was a group of about twenty five men and women outfitted with salvaged weapons from our battlefield, all that was left over having been placed in our armoury. We loaded up the horseboxes and the cars with people and headed off to Keld.

As we entered the town the few people on the street fled and all of Bob’s shouting fell on deaf ears so I was helped out of the car.

Tom shouted "Kenneth Finney, Ken Finney are you anywhere about? What about William Day is he here?" a man in his sixties overweight with a distinct limp appeared.

"Tom, is that you Tom?" he asked from a long way up the main street.

"Of course it is you old fool. Where is everyone?" Tom said in reply

"Hiding we believe there is a large gang heading this way, we have nothing baring a few shotguns to defend ourselves we know that some things going down from the shooting and the explosions about a week ago. Was that something to do with this lot you’re with" Said this rather strange looking man.

"Yes" Tom replied "Surgeon Commander William Day may I introduce Katherine also known as The Oracle of New Delphi"

The man shook hands with me he had enormous hands but surprisingly gentle.

"I’ve heard bits and pieces about you. Are you alright?" he asked me looking concerned.

"I can wait till later" I told him "If you can speak to the people of this town can you get them here to listen to me?"

"Give me ten minutes" he said and limped off banging at doors.

A crowd started to gather nearby as the people came out to the commanders summons and after about ten minutes he returned.

"That’s your lot" Commander Day said.

"Ladies and Gentlemen may I have your attention?" I said as loud as I could without causing more pain. All eyes over one hundred and fifty turned my way.

"People of Keld I wish to apologise to you we have brought down a retribution on you which is rightfully ours. A week ago a force of three hundred attacked our home we defended ourselves causing horrific casualties against one of these gangs. Now a larger group is heading this way you have three options, run away hiding here is not an option, surrender though we do not know what the do with the prisoners or fight" I said

"What with?" came a voice from the crowd

"We have all you need to fight but the decision is yours and yours alone. If you do fight we will fight by the side of our neighbours, if you decide to run we will help you all we can and if you surrender we will pray for you. You have a few minutes to talk this though between yourselves then I shall come back to hear your answer." I finished

"Who are you?" came a voice from the crowd

"Friends" I answered.

We left them to it for a few minutes and Surgeon Commander Day invited us into his house I took Bob, Anne and Wendy and we entered the small terrace.

"Don’t you need to decide Commander?" I asked

"I was a Naval Surgeon for thirty four years I stay with the casualties. I have no family left my wife passed away a number of years ago so I think I start with you young lady." The man looked at me expectantly.

"I’m fine" I replied

"Bullshit" Bob countered "Talk some sense into her Wendy because I refuse to watch her commit suicide by refusing offers of help when they come" he stormed out.

"Anne go and talk to him can you?" I asked Anne

"No he has said all that I was going to. I left my child with Muriel to keep an eye on you and you wont even keep an eye on you" Anne shouted at me

I looked towards Wendy "Don’t look at me sis I was shouting about this before these were"

"It looks like you have a lot of people who care for you young lady so show them you have the same respect for you as they do." Commander Day said

"Ok if you must. Anne give Bob my apologies ask him if we are staying. If we are arm anyone who can use a weapon first then at his own discretion. Wendy will be out soon to do a little instruction but all elderly, all frail and all children get them in the horseboxes and cars back to New Delphi. You and Bob are to go too." I told her

"But what about you?" Anne said

"I am doing as you asked, now you do as I ask. Stay on the radio and listen we will call when we need you." I said to Anne "Right now Commander what do you want to do to me?"

"Bill please I’m retired. I want to know why you’re limping around and why your temperature is through the roof" Bill said

"I had a few problems dodging bullets I wasn’t quite quick enough." I joked.

"Well strip off and let me see the wound" he said

"Wounds" Wendy said "and two of them I am worried about" and she started stripping me shoes first and coat then my jeans.

"Ssss" Bill murmured looking at the livid red area around my calf, he then removed the dressing on my thigh.

"Who’s your doctor because he doesn’t know enough about gunshot wounds?" said the man without removing his eyes from me.

"Well gunshot wounds are not something you get everyday" Wendy said "and at the time saving her life was the higher priority"

"I’m not criticising him it’s a new technique for him to learn that’s all. Which was the life threatening wound these are nasty but not life threatening" Bill continued. Wendy lifted my top off exposing my breasts to this mans gaze, but with how bad I was feeling the embarrassment was fleeting. The last two dressings were removed leaving me sat there in just panties luckily the house was warm from a coal fire but his hands were bloody freezing.

"You were a very lucky young lady" he said

"Like hell I was" I replied angry at the enforced attention.

"What do you mean, you survived didn’t you someone did some excellent work on that chest wound" he told me

"Its not that doctor the person she was trying to save when hit" said Wendy pausing for a moment with the pain of the memory. "I wasn’t able to save him on the table, there was just too much damage, he had three major wounds to the chest. There was nothing I could do I had to leave him to die, Kathy was crashing I had to make the choice or I would have lost both of them." Tears were rolling down her face, the composure that she had shown since the incident was cracking I had been so wrapped up in my own misery I hadn’t been thinking of anyone else.

"My dear if this is your work then you have no cause to punish yourself. This is good work for a qualified Surgeon, my only comments about knowledge were no criticism to your skills. This is good work very good I can see you fitted a chest tube I can see you have repaired the damage it is just with gunshot wounds you have to be ruthless on excising damaged tissue." He placed his hand on her arm trying to console her.

"We all lose people when we practice medicine the worst thing is to lose someone you know and care about knowing there is nothing you can do about it. My wife I lost fifteen years ago from cancer and I knew what her condition was I could do nothing. If the person you lost had three chest wounds even half as bad as this one you had no chance." Bill had now returned to prodding and poking at me which was not impressing me at all.

"Now dear how did you get these injuries" his voice was patronising he was talking to a child.

"Well Doctor" I started "It was like this we were sat at home like good little girls when these three hundred naughty men decided to visit without an appointment I asked them to go home but they wouldn’t. So after eight of us held them off until night fall I was stupid enough to decide to take a good man with me to mine the entrance. I couldn’t drag him back after they shot him and I ran out of bullets to defend him, wasn’t I a silly thing"

"I’m sorry I just don’t know were I stand with you two you are not all you appear to be so forgive an old man if he cant quite comprehend the situation. This is how it stand then that leg is very infected leave it much longer and you will lose the leg or die. The chest wound is just about ok but you shouldn’t be up yet the hole in your side is fine." Bill said without pulling any punches.

"If I am not going to die of it today then no problem, tell Wendy what to do when we get back and she can sort it out. Wendy get me dressed and then get out and help with the weapons instruction if we are on and get Tom in here" I said taking charge of the situation again. As I was getting dressed a syringe was produced and I ended up having an injection in my padded rear courtesy of Bill.

"Bill have you seen active service?" I asked him

"Yes I have" he replied

"Well in that case if we set you up in a house at the far end of town as the first aid post and bring any casualties in to you rather than you getting shot at is that ok with you?" I asked him

"I’ll grab Dr. Clarke the local GP and get set up, because these people will fight for their homes" he replied starting to grab some bits and pieces.

Tom arrived and I got him to get me into the Land Rover without the horsebox. We drove out to see the incoming forces. At the top of a hill about four miles away I got my first sight of them about a mile further away four or five hundred people three cars and one lorry following they were a rabble rather than a force, but an armed rabble. I left a hand held radio in the middle of the road were it could be seen and we headed back to the town.

We had one hundred armed villagers and a small group of ill and infirm, also we had a group that didn’t want to fight.

"The people who are going should now leave, those of you that do not wish to fight we could use some people to act as medics and stretcher bearers coordinating with the doctors." I said and about twenty five of the thirty who did not want to fight agreed to this.

"Right Tom, Anne and Bill get your arses out of here take all who want to go with you. Trisha, Trisha where are you?" I shouted

"I’m here and before you try to send us back me and Andrea are going to help the two Doctors so before you say anything tough. Brian might do as you say over everything and looking after the kids and the animals is important but with this situation both of us are going to be some use." Trisha shouted back

"That’s fine by me keep you head down and don’t take any chances." I said back "all aboard who’s getting aboard and move out now."

Only the twenty decided as too old, young or ill got on board. The group of non-combatants shrunk and the last five stayed.

"To the leader of the group approaching Keld do you hear me? Over" I spoke into my hand held.

"Who is this?" came a voice back

"Who is this?" I replied

"This is squad leader Johnson" the voice said.

"Give me the Boss Man" I demanded and ignored the protests till a new voice came on

"Who is this on this radio I demand to know?" the new voice said

"Are you the Boss of the attacking force?" I said

"No But…" I ignored the rest of his speech until it stopped.

"Now get me your boss now or I just switch off" I said

"This is Force leader Tug Cummings speaking" came through less than a minute later.

"Are you the boss?" I said

"Yes and who are you" he said

"This is The Oracle Of New Delphi the town of Keld is now under our protection you shall not enter the town or you will be met by lethal force. Furthermore any further actions against any people by your group against the population of this country will be deemed an act of war placing you and your group outside any protection of the law." I told him

"Crap" he replied "You’re talking a load of crap now tell those people to surrender and do as they are told and we might let them live."

I switched off the radio and turned to the group "You heard him now we fight I need five fast people on their feet who don’t mind a bit of danger."

An hour later the attack started with my five runners and Wendy opening fire at extreme range the others might just be making noise but Wendy would be hitting. As the returning fire started to get closer they fell back and back until the attacking force was on the outskirts of town. They then opened fire rapidly using all ammunition and running while making sure they could be seen, the attacking force surged into town in pursuit when all the force was in the town we opened fire from every building. The heavy machine guns opened fire into the massed bodies from either side and the hand guns and rifles fired as well in a matter of three or four minutes it was over our casualties five of which four were minor from flying glass, their casualties all but four who were still walking. The only slight problem was one car got away the last one to enter the town it had been shielded by the lorry.

I organised the troops to start helping the wounded and called Tom and Bob back, as I was helped through the mass carnage of what had so recently been people I heard the cheers of the villagers and my people and cried, why did they have to come here why did I have to kill them I thought. I may have not fired a shot during the battle but I had killed them the guilt was mine.

Bill was suddenly at my side "are you hurt?" he asked

"No but I killed them" I said through my tears

"Who" he asked

"All of them, everyone that lies dead hear is my responsibility" I screamed back at him he lead me into a house and I felt a needle enter my arm soon I was asleep. My dreams were long and tortured by images of the dead visiting me and demanding to know what right I had to do this to them. John came to me as well in his uniform watching from a distance he was examining everything I did, the carnage I caused and judging me. I shouted out to him asking him why he was standing there? Why he wouldn’t look at me and talk to me?

"Kathy, wake up please" came a voice, someone wouldn’t stop stroking my face. I moved my hand to brush them away and something pulled at it.

"You have a drip in don’t move your hand" the mans voice said.

I opened my eyes I could see a ceiling one of the hotel ceilings I moved my head and saw a figure as my eyes focused I recognised Bill. I couldn’t figure out how I got here I was in Keld last thing I remembered’ I knew I hadn’t been hit so what happened. I asked Bill my voice weak.

"You were ill, very ill, when you came to Keld I couldn’t do anything before the battle but after I took matters into my own hands. You have been out for a week and a half I operated on that thigh it was very badly infected, scraps of cloth were embedded in the damaged tissue it didn’t smell too good in there let me tell you. Any longer and you would have lost that leg you know." Bill said

"How is everyone?" I asked

"Everyone is fine and everyone is coping without you. You now need to get well and not worry about anything, Defence is covered you now have a household of twenty five and they are sharing duties. I also had a long chat with an old victim of my treatments Bernard. I put his face back together many years ago though I couldn’t do anything for the eye that was damaged. He seems impressed with you and his approval of anyone is a rare thing. He is going to see what he can organise up in Scotland along the same lines as you have been doing. Though I don’t think his face however recognisable will draw as many as yours does." Bill finished

"Get me Wendy and Bob" I demanded

"Not today and not tomorrow, I have had plenty of experience of problem patients and you at the moment tie with Bernard for the worst so until I say otherwise you stay here and do as I say or you go back to sleep with a little chemical help the choice is yours" he informed me. My protests and arguments fell on deaf ears and I ended up stuck there for the best part of a week with just pleasant conversation.

After a week of being stuck in the bed I was ready to kill the next person who came in the door with a happy face asking how I was today, to put it bluntly I couldn’t get shit out of anyone and aimless prattle about all the lads that had now joined up from Trisha and Andrea was not my idea of conversation.

Finally Bill walked in one morning demanding what was I doing lying around in bed didn’t I have a group to lead, I nearly kissed him but he dodged I thought I’ll get you tonight. Anne helped me dress trousers were out and with the dressings so were short skirts and tights, I wasn’t complaining. She got me sorted with a long denim skirt she wasn’t happy about it but as I said until all the holes heal up who will want me displaying flesh. I wasn’t willing to be carried around again and crutches were not an option so a branch was cut for me and with a little work I had a walking stick, well more like a quarterstaff but with my shoulder and my leg being wounded on the same side it sort of worked although stairs were a work of art.

Outside the room people were looking at me faces I didn’t recognise appeared from all over I made my way into the kitchen with an escort increasing in size behind me Anne was in the kitchen bossing around a group of youngsters, well I say youngsters they were older than I was now, and Sarah was happily gurgling away in a high chair. Outside I could hear activity lots of activity and Wendy drilling people with weapons.

"Get me Bob" I asked one of the men escorting me he just looked at me "Now please" I followed with and he disappeared.

"How can I do for you Boss Lady" came Bob’s happy voice from the doorway

"What’s the situation weapons, ammunition, people here, people we can count on and food supplies" I asked him

"No how are you, no breakfast not even do you fancy a coffee and a chat. I’m not talking till I know you have eaten." Bob stood there trying to look firm but obviously beaming to see me up.

As I ate Bob sipped a coffee and explained the situation.

"Food good we have a lot of supplies from a few shopping trips, people fifty seven here at the moment but that fluctuates as we are making use of people to get the farm side up and running. Weapons and ammunition are another story though we are short on ammunition we have used a hell of a lot and we could do with more weapons we have coming out of out ears but it is a right mix of bits of pieces." Bob explained

"If we can get ammunition how many people can we call on to start taking the battle to them?" I asked

"Possibly five hundred within a couple of days" he said

"Right I want to talk to everyone here if you can organise it please, dinner time should do us" I told him "and will someone please find me my coat and guns I feel naked without them"

My weapons were brought to me and I slipped the comforting leather jacket over the improbable mix of white silky blouse and twin shoulder holsters with my two Berettas that someone had cleaned while I had been inactive.

Outside a group of twenty people of all ages were under Wendy’s expert tuition, the cows we had brought what seemed like years ago were grazing and Socrates seemed to be running around trying to impress Hypatia who was having none of it. Looking up to the roof three people were on high guard one looking through binoculars and one half of a field had been dug up and was being planted.

"Well what do you think" said Bob appearing at my side

"It looks like I can retire and leave all this to you" I told him

"That is sort of the idea not to make you redundant but to give you less things to do around here so you don’t run yourself into the ground" he explained to me.

"Right any major problems I should know about?" I asked

"No not at the moment but if it is something we can’t sort out you will be the first to know." Bob told me

"Right I need to know anyone who know any military bases that might have ammunition supplies we also could do with a secure method of talking to Bernard" I told him

"Well Bernard says he is doing well he has a group of military that he has collected, I don’t know where from but you can talk to him anytime now he has a permanent radio watch just in case." Bob explained.

I headed into the dining room and found one corner had been curtained off and this was now the radio room from inside I could here voices one on the radio female and a male one at this end they sounded quite intimate. I hated to intrude but young love can wait I thought and entered through the curtain.

"What do you want" came the sullen question from a lad about fifteen years old.

"I need to talk to Bernard up in Scotland" I told him

"Well love Bernard doesn’t talk on the radio to everyone I will have to pass a message on to the person on radio watch at that end and then if he thinks its important enough he may pass a message back" he said in a most irritating and patronising way.

"Oh is that so I didn’t know, you know I’m just no good with these technical things" I said and then in a pleading voice "do you think you could pass a message through for me?"

"Yes but I doubt you will get any response as he only talks to the big shots so don’t be too disappointed, I haven’t seen you around here are you new?" he asked

"No but I have had other things to do" I replied playing him along "can you pass a message on for me?"

"I shouldn’t but if you promise me a dance then yes" he said. The cheeky little bastard I thought.

"Ok next time I’m dancing I promise you one" I said

"Ok what’s the message?" he asked me

"Well its got to be passed to Bernard straight away" I told him "and the message is Buster you let him work on your face your braver than I thought how did you survive his bedside manner?"

"Seems like a stupid message but I’ll do it" he said and proceeded to call up the girl he was speaking to Sheila and he gave the message using the call sign Hermes, the messenger of the gods.

"Are ye there?" came Bernard’s welcome voice after a few minutes.

"Who is this? You should be using correct radio procedure" Hermes replied

"I’ll show you correct radio procedure you jumped up little turd. It wasn’t correct radio procedure you have been using on my granddaughter the last two hours." Bernard said

"Oh I’m sorry sir I didn’t know it was you" Hermes replied all flustered

"Well is she there" Bernard replied

"Who Sir?" Hermes replied even more flustered as in his mind Bernard couldn’t mean me

"The Oracle of course who do you think I meant you daft sod the love of your life" Bernard spluttered back.

"Are you" Hermes said and I just nodded holding out my hand for the mike.

"Go and get yourself a brew I shouldn’t be long I will give you a shout when I am done" I said and indicated he should vacate his chair, he departed still all a fluster.

"Hi Bernard how goes it up there?" I said

"Fine lassie but I gather you gave everyone a scare before you decided to challenge my title as Bills worst patient" Bernard said his tones calming

"Yes I’m not the best personality when I’m ill. Anyway I need to talk to you, I believe you have some military on your team. Would any of them know where we may be able to re-supply around here with ammunition?" I asked him

"Give me ten minutes and I will get back to you and see if you can get a list of what you want most" Bernard replied and disappeared

I got up wincing with the pain in my leg and wandered back to the kitchen.

"I’m sorry I didn’t know who you were. I hadn’t seen you before" Hermes said very flustered Anne behind him was smirking

"What is your name" I demanded firmly

"Ian" he said meekly

"Well Ian just because you now know who I am don’t think you get out of that dance when I am allowed to, now if you can do you mind heading out to Wendy and asking her what her heart desires in the ammunition department in order then sit on the radio till Bernard returns?" I asked Ian and he disappeared.

"Oh you are a cruel woman Kathy, he’s a nice kid who has spent the last five days just dying to meet you and when he does he nearly dies" Anne said

"Well like other people I could mention he shouldn’t take people at face value" I replied

"Yes I know but he’s a bright kid found us on his own with a small radio and two aerials from Blackpool way, he just has a problem with people face to face on the radio he’s great, face to face god knows what will come out of his mouth" Anne said

"He seemed to have no problems with me" I replied

"That was before he knew who you were" Anne joked

"Err Oracle, em Bernard is back on he wants to talk to you if you don’t mind" Ian said again rather flustered

Bernard was waiting on the radio asking was I there by the time I limped back.

"Sorry Bernard I am not quite as mobile as I was a few weeks ago" I said

"Don’t worry lassie I am just an impatient old man, I have got a few plans on the go that I have now put in operation. Your in North Yorkshire aren’t you?" Bernard said

"Yes" I agreed

"Well give me your list and I will see what I can do" he replied

I read out Wendy’s requirements including the last one of anything that will take out a moving vehicle while its still a long way away, and Bernard again asked for a few minutes. I tried to make conversation with Ian but he was hard work.

"Look Ian its Kathy drop The Oracle crap I have enough problems dealing with being in charge without people fawning" I told him

"Ok Kathy I’m sorry I didn’t recognise you" he mumbled

"Why what are you supposed to be psychic?" I asked him

"No its just I didn’t know who you are and I didn’t mean to upset you" Ian told me

"Look Ian there’s dam few things that will upset me, Wendy now she’s another matter." I joked

"I know that well" he flushed

"Ok spill it what did you do?" I asked of him

"Well she was trying to train me on using the guns. I know I’m no good with mechanical things, electronics are my thing. The rifle jammed and I turned around to ask her how to clear it with it pointing in her direction. She had a right fit on me and I ended up in here till she has more time to teach me properly." He said

"Well at least she didn’t march you off at gun point" I said remembering Bob’s experience.

"She wouldn’t" he said

"Until you understand she could and she would then stay here your safer" I told him

Bernard came back on in a rush telling me to wait for contact tonight after nine as I had given him a lot of things to do and that was it. I sat there talking to Ian while I showed him the basics of the Berretta, Sheila had gone with her Grandfather and no one else was transmitting. After repeatedly running through the stripping the pistol he was still all thumbs, he knew the theory but couldn’t put it into practice.

"How come you get all flustered talking to me now but before you were bold enough" I asked him

"This is me as I am, totally bloody useless at most things. On the radio I tend to put on an act as no one knows what I look like, then with the Hermes persona as well I feel safe. When you came I had been so long talking to Sheila that I was still Hermes when you turned up. I know it doesn’t make much sense trying to be someone your not." He answered apologetically

"It makes a lot more sense to me than you would know" I told him and moved out leaving him to his radio.

Dinner time came and I was faced with a room full of people all looking at me expectantly.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you don’t know me I am Kathy also known as The Oracle Of New Delphi and to some of these idiots here as The Boss Lady. This is what I would like to talk to you first about. Our system here is a democracy as in I am voted in and if I am lucky I can be voted out. Anyone is welcome to visit or to join us but whoever is in charge what they say goes if you don’t like it you can leave without any prejudice against you and you will still be welcomed back as a friend when you return. All subjects are open to discussion at the proper time as in now or at the evening meal your views will not be held against you, speak your minds." Right I thought I have their attention and now to hit them hard.

"In a few minutes I am going to leave you alone to make an important choice. Bob here is doing a fantastic job around here, he can quite happily leads us if you don’t like my plan and I will happily do as I am told by him. If after this speech you still want me in charge this will be only a base for us. I intend to take the fight to them starting with the towns on the way to Darlington then Darlington, Middlesbrough and Sunderland. We will then given enough support work are way into Newcastle. That will at least give us a safe area in the North East we are protected from the south by the ruins of York to the north after Newcastle next stop is Edinburgh and Glasgow that would leave the only possible threats to be from the west across the hills and that would not be a random act. During the attack on Keld I informed them that any attack on Keld would be deemed an act of war so now I say if you want me in charge we go to war." I finished and asked Bob to take over the meeting and walked, well limped into the kitchen. Shortly after Brian followed me in.

"How are you doing Kathy?" he asked

"Fine and you I haven’t seen much of you while I’ve been stuck in bed" I replied

"Well its that I want to talk about I have been a bit uncomfortable about speaking to you about it while you were so ill but its about Andrea and me" he spluttered out

"What you’re an item and your worried how I will take it?" I said he nodded

"Listen I am happy for you both that is fine by me" I made my voice more stern "but if either of you start being funny with me not giving me a hug when I need one, not letting me bitch to you when I feel bad then your love life will be hell as I will have the room next to yours and bang on the wall for you to be quiet every five minutes for the rest of your lives. Do you understand me?"

"Yes he does totally" Andrea said from the doorway "we were slightly worried you might feel we were dumping you, excluding you that’s all and you and Brian was something I encroached on."

"Don’t worry Andrea" I told her "if I don’t get voted out of office then relationships are not going to be a feature of my life for a while, but friends are going to be more important than ever"

"I don’t think voting you out of office is an issue as we have the full battle of New Delphi being played out by Trisha and Wendy" Andrea said

"Shit" was my only reply.

They were in there for a good half hour or two cups of coffee before we were called back in.

"Well" in asked Bob

"Sorry Boss Lady but your still in charge" he said

"Right now anyone with information about weapons, ammunition, vehicles or fuel can you talk to Ian. Sorry Ian as well as radio operator you are in charge of supply scrounging raids where to hit nearest and largest first. The rest of you relax for the moment because as soon as we have all we need we go to war." I told them

The rest of the day was spent taking to people who felt I should hear their opinion about my plans. Some of them were good ideas like the man who suggested finding a few more motorbikes of a larger size to form a small group of fast reconnaissance riders who I gave the go ahead to seeing all he needed was the use of the two Honda Nineties and a few gallons of juice to get started. To the other end of the scale an older woman who was worried about the immorality within our group, underage sex, drinking, language, no schooling for us kids, the amount and visibility of weapons and the fact that Wendy had been prescribing drugs. I was cruel to her I told her to get Bob and Wendy together and explain her point of view.

By the time I had finished it was nearly time to get ready for Dinner and Anne was hinting that I should be moving.

"You are out of your fucking mind we are fighting for our lives here" came Wendy’s voice from the Dining room.

"This is exactly what I mean Bob, Kathy seems such a sweet and pleasant thing I just can’t associate her with the stories I heard today. She told me to speak to you two about these things I didn’t put up with language like this in my twenty seven years as a head mistress and I feel that proper value systems and morals should be the foundation of our new chance at society. Furthermore…" I left Miss Parker to Bob and Wendy and Anne and I escaped to her room, Anne carrying Sarah and me barely carrying myself.

Anne got me ready for the evening again short skirts, high heels and stockings were no go. I made like I was so very upset, to make Anne happy, but it was almost worth getting shot to avoid them. I had a wash as Anne got ready, baths and showers were out without major assistance and wandered back into the bedroom. Anne had lost weight she was looking good and the hole in her shoulder was healing nicely. I remarked about her weight and it made her day to such an extent that she made extra special effort with my hair and face, because she had noticed my interest in Ian. I made a note to myself not to compliment her before I was ready in future. The dress was the big black thing I had worn the day after our first battle, with the weight I had lost whilst ill it was a tent on me but it will have to do I thought.

 

Then it hit me I was concerned I didn’t look good in this dress I wanted to look good as a girl and the fact of being female hadn’t worried me for a while now I just carried on as I had as a man which was why so many people had problems with me. There was a knock at the door and Trish and Andrea came in.

"You two ready?" Trish asked

"Yes but I look like a joke in this dress" I replied

"Don’t worry you will be back to normal in no time" Trisha said smiling

I hobbled out of the bedroom as Sarah was put down to bed and met a large group of women dressed up to the nines including Miss Parker.

"Katherine may I have a word with you please" Miss Parker said

"Mrs Parker now is not the time for politics or dissention now is the time for enjoyment and merrymaking, tomorrow anyone here may be dead" I said

"Oh don’t be so melodramatic girl this is the twenty first century not the middle ages" she snapped back at me.

"No Miss Parker this is no longer the twenty first century this is the dividing line between the golden age and either a new beginning or a new dark age. We, as in all groups huddled together in fear, are all that stand between the light and the dark and if that is melodramatic the fact of so few people being in such an important position then read your history. One mans actions started the First World War, during the Second World War the fate of the world depended on a few many times, at Dunkirk a few saved the many, at the Battle of Britain the same. Even further back at the birth of democracy a small fleet of 480 ships saved a fledgling nation from the Persian threat of over seven thousand ships in total. Small events make big changes in our world and the horrific thing is too often the one person who makes a difference is a complete psychotic. We remember those names, the tyrants and often inaction is the only thing that has allowed them to flourish and expand their power base. Not this time, not ever again am I willing to sit scared of what might happen. I know what might happen, I have done it I have killed with these hands feeling the life leave a mans body underneath me until his heart and breath stopped. I have felt a friend get mortally wounded whilst trying to help him and I have stayed with him expecting to die protecting him as friends also tried to save us at risk of their own lives. You are concerned about the children an honourable concern but your concerns are slightly misplaced. Have concern for Jennifer her mother missing and her best friend, the man who cared for her in a grave our there, have a concern for Sarah and what she will grow up to, but ease your worries about the youngsters who carry weapons here. Trisha, Andrea, Wendy, Brian and me have all laid our lives on the line we did not fail under fire though the odds were against us and every one of us understands the results of our actions. You are concerned about Wendy prescribing, a few weeks ago Wendy was operating to save lives and Sarah is probably alive thanks to her. We may look like children but looks can be deceiving those who we fight are mainly children but if you worry about that before the fight you will die. Lets now eat and enjoy ourselves I believe this is your first evening meal with us so come and enjoy see if we are civilised or if we are just a debauched society and talk to me after."

I started to hobble through to the dining room but my standing around talking was not good on my leg I started to stumble and Anne and Wendy were at my side to catch me. With their help I got into the dining room and was sat down in a chair at the head of the table.

Bill pushed through the crowd around me, seeing I was struggling he was at my side in seconds.

"What’s up now?" he said

"Oh I just had a long talk with Miss Parker and my leg went to sleep while standing there don’t worry about it. I like your uniform." I said to change the subject, he was wearing a Naval uniform with the three gold bands of his rank on his arm divided by the red of his trade. He also had a peaked cap with gold on the brim.

"Well I felt I had to make an effort for these evening events as Anne was getting rather threatening with my scruffy clothes" He smiled at me

"Tell me about it, I have got away lightly today because I’m sick you should see what she does to me when I’m well" I told him

"Lets guess you have a position of respect within this group and you must project the right image to everyone else?" he said

"Yes that’s it" I admitted

"Same argument she used on me. As far as Joan Parker goes leave her to me I shall deal with her myself" he told me bracing himself for the experience

"May the force be with you" I threw at him as he departed and he cracked up into laughter as he reached Miss Parker.

The meal went well again I avoided the alcohol at Bill’s advice, he was in very animated conversation with Miss Parker, Anne and Bob were together as was Andrea and Brian and to be honest amongst this group of people I felt so alone. Even Wendy was in deep conversation with a group of people further down the main table. Ian was at one of the other tables again deep in conversation and I was stuck here alone why the hell was I stuck with this shit. The meal wound down and I made my way over to the radio alcove I knocked off the recorded message and I was just about to figure out how to start recording myself when Ian appeared at my side.

"You just speak I’ll sort out the rest of the stuff" he said I nodded

"Right three two one" he pointed at me and I was away

"This is Radio New Delphi I am The Oracle and I apologise for my absence but I haven’t been too well for a while." I started

"They know it’s been the main source of conversation for weeks" I heard Wendy’s stage whisper from the other side of the curtain

"I have an announcement to make. Before the recent attack on the village of Keld the attacking forces leader one Tug Cummings was warned to cease and desist all hostilities against the population of this country or else he would be met with lethal force and a state of war would exist between New Delphi and the gangs of the North East. I am afraid that this attack went ahead anyway and resulted in great loss of life on the part of the attacking forces who were almost totally destroyed. But more seriously I now have to say that New Delphi is now at war with any group surviving by preying on the population of this country. If arms are taken up against us then it will be met with arms and no quarter will be given if you are preying on people do not expect to live. The time of the gangs are over and the time of the people has come. To those people still in the towns and villages we will be coming to soon, do not worry you, your families and friends are safe we mean you no harm we ask for nothing off you but any help will be welcome as will anyone who wishes to join us. This is The Oracle at New Delphi signing off and please remember retribution is coming." I finished

On the alternate frequency many people were shouting for my attention and I had to ask them all to wait as I wanted to hear if Bernard was trying to contact me.

"Bernard are you there this is The Oracle you wanted to talk to me again tonight" I said

"Yes lassie" came Bernard’s voice with a lot of background noise and static.

"Bernard your signal is bloody awful are you ok?" I asked

"Yes We’re fine its just a case that we are moving towards you in a heap of junk that was retired from active service before I joined up. I need a bearing to reach you or at least a general direction to head to get to you I am at Penrith at the moment." He said

"Head south till you get to the A66 then follow it east for thirty miles" I said after a few words with the group

"I will contact you again in half an hour this is Bernard out" he said and we had silence from the radio.

"Bill, can you recognise Bernard from a distance?" I said

"Yes" he replied.

"Good your with me, everyone else if this is kosher we can continue the party a bit later if not we may be in for some shit so kit up all of you. I want the high guard manned now, and every window on this side manned by at least one person. I want half a dozen of those decent rechargeable torches and both land rovers on the field with the horses. Brian you get the horses stabled and Ian stay on the radio." As I tried to move quickly I realised I was going to have to rely on people following my orders.

"You four" I pointed to four men "When your kitted up can you get back here, Trisha can you grab my coat and weapons?"

We had a flurry of activity then as every one took there places calm.

"Are you there lassie we are at the point you said" came Bernard’s voice

"Right Bernard you are to the north of us and I gather you are in a helicopter so if you wait one minute then climb we have two vehicles at one edge of the field you can land on with headlights on, also four halogen torches pointing up mark the safe edge of the field do you understand?" I asked him

"Yes I do lassie" Bernard replied

"Right now the last thing is that you will be covered from the moment you start to land and if there is any hostile act then we shall fire. Upon landing you will leave the aircraft alone until Bill recognises his sewing then no problem" I told him

"I understand but can you please ask you troops not to start shooting as I have volatile and fragile cargo here" Bernard replied

"My people won’t shoot first" I said

"Good" he replied

 

My four men came back in after switching on the torches and car headlights and Bill and I walked outside.

"Nobody fire unless I order it do you understand?" I shouted and I got murmured replies from the darkened building.

"Do you want a weapon?" I asked Bill

"No I don’t use them myself I might blow my own foot off and have to suffer some other doctors ministrations." He replied

We stood there in the dark and we could hear the regular thump, thump, thump of a large helicopters rotors getting louder. I could just make out the shape over the trees against the stars when he switched on a light underneath and aimed it at me and Bill seeing the two of us it then pointed at the ground and it began to descend.

I could feel the wind from the rotor blades as it landed mixed with warm air thick with the smell of burnt aviation fuel. The side door opened and a single figure clambered out carefully taking the drop from the cargo door. He walked towards us and Bill and me trained our torches on him.

He was an old man in his seventies but in military uniform he carried a beret in his hand leaving his dark hair visible, his right eye was covered by a patch and scar tissue formed an intricate pattern down to his jawbone on the right side marring a huge grin that was evident on his left hand side. We walked forward and Bill stopped and saluted a sharp salute of a different style was returned and then his hand came out to me and I shook hands with the Hero of Athens.

"Well lassie" he said looking down at me "you’re not quite what I was expecting but I am glad to meet you"

"And me you" I said and gave the thumbs up to Wendy on the roof. Bernard indicated the Helicopter to shut down and the noise stopped.

"Ok everyone, get your kit away and back to the fun thank you all of you" lights went on in most rooms and there was noise of windows closing.

"Ye weren’t taking no chances were you" Bernard said

"No and neither would you in the same position" I replied "Get your crew and lets get inside its cold out here" I told him and he waved towards the helicopter two figures came out.

"May I introduce our pilot Lieutenant Mike Jones and my granddaughter Sheila Brown. Sheila, Mike may I introduce Commander Bill Day the only reason I am alive to look as ugly as I am and the voice of reason in madness The Oracle of New Delphi" Bernard said

"Kathy please and welcome to New Delphi come and join the party get warm and eat" I indicated the door and again my leg betrayed me but the solid presence of Bernard caught me.

"Should she be up and about Bill" he asked

"She shouldn’t be breathing really Bernard but she seems to have that same problem you had of being too busy to die. Keeping her in bed was worse than you." Bill told him

"I’m fine honestly" I said

"Crap Kathy I have used the same arguments, grab her stick Bill." Suddenly I was in his arms being carried into the house.

"There’s nothing to you girl your all bones under that dress haven’t you been feeding her Bill?" Bernard said ignoring my protests

"She was unconscious for a week and a half so she lost a bit then but there wasn’t much of her to start with" Bill replied

"Hey I am here you know" I said as we entered the reception

"Stop teasing her Granddad" Sheila said

"Listen Granddaughter of mine I used exactly the same comment I’m fine honestly to the Prime Minister on the frigate that Bill was serving on at the time. Bill blew a fuse with both of us as the PM was going to send me back into action we both got told off by this young Lieutenant, the Right Honourable Geoffrey Stephens got the full tour of my face that left him sick with Bill here saying that next time he would have put it back together." Bernard told her

"Yes but it finally got it through his thick skull that you wouldn’t be taking charge at the front next week as he put it. Bloody accountant how he got to be PM I will never know." Bill said

"So you see I know exactly what Bill means and he knows what I mean." Bernard said

"WHERE DO YOU WANT HER?" He shouted as we entered the dining room.

Anne guided him to my chair and he plonked down next to me on another chair.

"Do I gather by those beautiful lilting tones that I have the pleasure of addressing Hera?" Bernard asked Anne

"Yes" she said blushing

"Well can you grab your husband and the other members of your core group together as I would like to meet all of you I have been talking to. I would walk around and find everyone but I am starving to death I am weak from hunger." He said with a sad look on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"So food as well?" Anne asked laughing

"Only if it doesn’t deprive me of your company, I would rather starve than miss a minute with you" He was openly laughing now and from his left hand side he was a very handsome man and with his personality the ruins of his right hand side was soon forgotten.

"I’ll see what I can do" Anne said disappearing

"Ah what a pity she’s married and I’m not five or ten years younger." Bernard said sending Sheila into fits of laughter.

"Don’t worry Kathy he’s always been a lecherous old goat only the fact that you’re armed is keeping you safe" Sheila said

"Have some respect for me Granddaughter I have received the VC twice" he said

"Yes the first one popping over the straights to Athens for a quickie with a girl you knew." Sheila said

"That’s right and the second one for getting away from her six brothers" Bernard finished

I was now laughing as were a number of people in earshot I liked this man. Ian had arrived to sort out drinks for us and Bernard recognised his voice immediately

"This is your young man Sheila, Hermes he looks a good strong one a little bit young possibly" Bernard said

"Granddad" Sheila said

"Now look young man what are your intentions to my Granddaughter? She’s nearly seventeen and we have been trying to get rid of her since she hit thirteen but no one will take her. She’s strong, a good worker though her skills in the kitchen are lacking but at your age the kitchen is the last of your worries. I can offer you a good price." Bernard said leaving Ian with his mouth flapping.

"I do apologise for my grandfather we haven’t decided yet whether its senility or he’s just a juvenile delinquent that hasn’t grown up." Sheila said

"She’s right again I just haven’t grown up and I do apologise for embarrassing you Ian was it. My Granddaughter is the serious one in the family takes after my son, though I cant take anything less than fifteen camels" Bernard finished.

Ian escaped to get the drinks with Sheila in tow trying to reassure him she seemed happy to meet him but I am not sure about him.

"I apologise for my weird idea of humour but the slight lapse into insanity every now and then is the only thing to keep me sane over the years." Bernard said to me.

"Don’t worry its refreshing with the stress and tension we have had here" I answered

"Problems?" he asked

"Personality problems and the lack of understanding of what is going down out there, are the main problems. Then of course you get the little girls shouldn’t carry guns and shouldn’t swear attitude as shown by Miss Parker over there" I waved to her "Finally I get problems with being taken seriously by people joining our group, not so much now but early on."

"That last one is self correcting. I did some shopping for you today to a few bases that still had personnel in and you are known, you are famous when I said who the ammunition and supplies were for they couldn’t help enough. The understanding of what’s going on is a difficult one people have been waiting for things to sort themselves out and the haven’t now they are waiting for you, a King Arthur in the time of need to come and save them."

"I am pleased to meet you Major Brown" Miss Parker said "Aren’t you going to introduce me Kathy"

"Major General Bernard Brown may I introduce Miss Joan Parker" I said

"Thank you Kathy, I just don’t know what manners they teach these children nowadays you should have heard how her sister talked to me. No manners at all. I am glad you’re here to take charge of this now as we cant have youngsters running around with weapons everywhere" Miss Parker said

"I am afraid you have made a mistake Miss Parker I am here with more ammunition and supplies for this group and to receive my orders as I am under her command now" Bernard replied

"What?" Miss Parker and I spat out at the same time

"Kathy here is the nearest thing I have found to a democratically elected civil authority in existence in this country I am here to receive my orders as to what she would like me to do." Bernard said

"But you cant she’s just a child her sisters rude…" Miss Parker said going an interesting shade of purple.

"I will talk to you later but Bill here can explain the chain of command better he had a long talk about it to Geoffrey Stephens the PM ask him about it" and Bill led off the spluttering woman.

Ian and Sheila returned with the drinks an exciting can of coke for me and a large scotch for Bernard and he sent them off to have fun. Wendy, Anne, Brian, Bob, Andrea and Trisha joined us at the table and I introduced them all.

"I gather that you are the seven people who started this group?" Bernard said

"No" said Bob "Kathy and Wendy started it the rest of us just sort of ended up here in various states of need to be welcomed and saved by these two." He pointed at me and Wendy

"Bernard" I said "these are the core group here the people who defended against the initial attack against us for all those hours" I shivered with the memory.

"I am sorry about this Kathy but I need to ask these questions to sooth my own conscience" Bernard said serious for once.

"Are you elected as a group or what" he asked

"No just me" I said "I ask the group all together if they still want me as Boss Lady then disappear to let them talk about it. So far they wont let me go" I joked

"And everyone is allowed to vote?" Bernard said

"Everyone who can understand the question can vote" Anne answered irritated by the situation

"And this will apply as you get more people" Bernard asked

"Yes" I said

"I know you are the boss but what of the rest of you?" Bernard said

"Bob here is second in charge and head of house here, Anne is in charge of kitchen domestic and schooling, Wendy chief armourer weapons instruction and household defence also chief sniper, Brian head of farming and Trisha and Andrea have been organising nursing duties and general duties including manning the GPMG’s on the roof." I said getting irritated by his attitude.

"Fine so this is your cabinet, executive committee or whatever you want to call it?" Bernard said

"Yes though there are other people involved as well" I said as Bernard put his Beret back on the red of the Para’s a vivid contrast to the green of his uniform and the dark purple of that most plain of ribbons on his chest indicating his VC. He stood up to attention and saluted as did the Pilot next to him.

"Major General Bernard Brown reporting for duty Ma’am. What are your orders?" Bernard said

"You might catch Miss Parker out with that but you cant catch me out Bernard" I said

"Ma’am I joke about many things but my duty is one thing that I never joke about. May I speak plainly Ma’am" Bernard said

"Bernard you are my friend and one of the few people who understands how I feel please relax sit down and speak plainly, but I am Kathy to you and always will be." I told him

He sat down followed by Mike, their whole attitude had changed with me in a matter of seconds.

"Kathy and the rest of you, as a part of the military the most important thing is the chain of command if the military acts independently it is a military dictatorship waiting to happen. We need a civilian authority to rally around to give a focus for all the military units out there and you are it." He said looking around the group of us.

"Why us? Why not wait till you find some one who knows what they are doing." I asked him.

"Look Kathy the rules are something to the most part I can take or leave. Supplying you with the ammunition out there could in theory be classed as treason or at least highly illegal but I was willing to do that anyway. As far as deferring to your authority I needed to satisfy my self that you were the nearest thing to a democratically elected government I could find in this country. My commission originally was to the Queen but now is to the government of the people and your it." Bernard would not discuss it any more after this leaving me feeling rather lost and out of my depth.

"Major General Brown I accept you as the head of the military forces of what’s left of this country and I wish you to assume the rank that you feel is necessary to take charge of it. I only have one order for you that is to always speak your mind with me, if I am being bloody stupid tell me straight and to always no matter what give advice." I said

"Yes Ma’am" he replied

"And one last thing I realise at times you may feel it necessary to address me as Ma’am but please never amongst friends." I asked him

"You understand the situation don’t you Kathy, we all have our roles to play in this and you are the key to it. I couldn’t ask men to leave their posts today as I had no authority to order them to do anything but now if you want me to I can. I can get good men off their bums to take charge of this situation" Bernard said

"I understand I don’t like it but I do understand. What do you think you would be best doing now?" I asked him.

We talked for many hours and it was decided that the next evening Bernard would head back and start to gather forces in earnest to try to prepare for the reclamation of Glasgow and Edinburgh. He was not overly happy about the plan to move towards Newcastle but as he said that was an emotional response not a military response.

In the early hours of the morning I was yawning trying to stay awake as the conversation an discussions went on despite his age Bernard showed no sign of flagging.

"Granddad you might be able to go on all night but some people here need sleep" Sheila said from one side.

"Nonsense girl its only" he glanced down at a watch on his wrist "quarter to three. Sorry I didn’t realise how late it was."

"Anne we need rooms what have we got?" I asked

"Well Bernard do you mind sharing with Mike for the moment?" Anne asked

"Well if I must then I can put up with his feet for tonight but next time if he shares with Bob here then I can enjoy your company" Bernard told her Anne just blushed again.

"Sheila do you mind sharing with Kathy tonight?" Anne asked

"If Kathy thinks she is safe after meeting my family then no problem" Sheila said glaring at Bernard.

"That’s fine by me" I told Sheila "I always keep my pistols handy so I think I will be safe"

Mike was sent out to the helicopter to grab some bags and on his return we shut up shop for the night Bob organising the watches and Anne sorting the kitchen staff before showing Bernard and Mike to their room. I was back in the room near the roof access for the first time since I got shot and was starting to climb the stairs when Bob appeared behind me.

"Going up?" he asked

"Yes" I said and was suddenly lifted up again.

"Don’t worry Sheila this is quite normal around here, Kathy here is carried around in a chair by a group of large young men and this is not the first time she has been unable to get up the stairs, though last time alcohol was involved" Bob said as he carried me up.

Arriving at my room he dropped me down and I kissed him goodnight as he carried on up to the roof and me and Sheila headed into the room.

"Bathrooms there and knowing Anne there will be plenty of towels and there is lots of hot water. The bed there is all yours do you need anything?" I asked Sheila rather uncertain as of how to act with a seventeen year old girl.

"This is great" Sheila said "I thought we might be kipping down in the back of the cab"

"Cab?" I asked

"Sorry military slang I think naval I picked it up from Mike cab is helicopter" Sheila explained

"Oh no problem we try to welcome visitors here." I said

"I noticed and I hope you can welcome one more on a semi permanent basis" Sheila said

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Well Granddad is supposed to be asking you but I will first can you use me here?" she looked at me.

"Why what about your parents and what about Bernard?" I asked

"Mum and Dad were in Australia when everything happened. I was staying home because of exams which I have missed anyway and the problem with Granddads mob is I am just stuck on the radio as a sixteen year old girl shouldn’t be put at risk." She explained and then she followed quickly with "and I am good at lots of things I can cook, clean or whatever you want me to do"

"Look Sheila" I said seriously and her face fell "I have no objections at all to you staying with us for as long or as short a time as you want. But one thing you must understand this is not a safe place we are going to war and cooking, cleaning and so called girly jobs are low on the list of priorities. The only thing I would like is Bernard’s consent it’s not essential as any decision is yours but it would make me feel a bit better about it."

"Granddads the first to agree I am old enough to play my part in this as you are. He use to say that during the Greek campaign he found out how little age and rank have to do with how good a soldier you are. He saw sixteen year old privates taking charge of defences as their officers cracked under the bombardment and the NCO’s had been killed. That he says taught him to judge people by their actions rather than their position or looks."

"Good thing for me" I said

"No you seem to be able to project confidence and the fact that you know what needs to be done and you are willing to do it" Sheila said to me.

"Shows how wrong people can be." I announced

I decided to do a last look round the defences but I wasn’t willing to run around in this bloody dress. I found a pair of baggy jeans and a sweatshirt in the wardrobe, the jeans were Wendy’s and she was a lot more rounded than me and started to get undressed from the dress.

"Looks like you came a bit closer to finding out if there is an afterlife than Granddad" Sheila told me.

"This is what happens when you forget to duck" I joked

"Yes and Granddad’s womanising got him messed up. I have heard these stories before and I am afraid you’re very like Granddad in a lot of ways and that might just be the thing that saves us all. What are you doing now?" She asked as I struggled with the jeans.

"I just want to check the roof defences that’s all" I told her

"Do you mind company?" She asked

"No not at all" I told her

I dressed and rolled up the jeans at the bottom and shoved a pink pair of trainers on without socks. Chucking my weapons and coat on we headed upstairs, into the cold. The stars were bright and the Milky Way was plainly in evidence. The woman in charge of the defence was stood with a SLR over her shoulder and nursing a hot drink, the other two at the GPMG’s were a man in his forties and a young man in his twenties.

"Oh hi Boss you ok" the woman said

"Yes just thought I would have a look and check everyone was ok" I said as I tried to remember her name "Jean is everything ok" I asked her name coming to me at the last minute.

"Fine no problems at all Boss and with it being past three we are only on till six so three hours is no problem" she said with a big smile at the fact I had remembered her name.

I stood there for a while listening to the silence out there split briefly by the sound of a long quavering hoot of an owl working the trees.

"Its nice and quiet up here" came Bernard’s voice behind me.

"What’s up can’t sleep?" I asked

"No its old habits that you seem to have picked up, checking the perimeter defences before bed" he said

"I know we have more people now but I feel happier having just had a look, it drove me mad being stuck in bed not being able to." I admitted.

"You’ve got a good set up here and your running it well, as well as I could and you’ve got a prettier face than me which helps with the troops." He said

"Kathy has also has your false modesty as well Granddad. Looking at the holes in her I think she was closer to the almighty than you by a fair bit." Sheila piped in

"Nonsense Sheila as I have told you many times the grim reaper took one look at my ugly face and ran away screaming." Bernard said

"It wasn’t the grim reaper being scared of her that saved her" came Wendy’s voice "it was the fact that I scared him off twice"

"Ah Wendy another one that must do a last check before sleep?" Bernard said

"Sort of I was out before I hit my room then heard the talking" Wendy told him

"Sorry my dear lady I didn’t wish to keep you awake, well not that way at least" Bernard said to her.

"You would be dead before dawn" Wendy told him.

"But what a way to go" Bernard finished sighing.

We all stayed there talking for a long time sitting on sand bags till the sky started lightening as dawn approached and the birds started singing.

"I’m sorry I seem to have kept you up all night" I said to the three of them

"Don’t worry" Bernard said "these two are young enough not to be bothered by it and I never mind missing a nights sleep at this age, I’m always worried I will wake up dead" Bernard said and we all went into the kitchen for a drink and to get warm.

The activity had just started in the kitchen and a kettle was bubbling away Sheila and Wendy started making drinks and sandwiches while I was told to sit down by Bernard.

"Bernard can I ask you a personal question" I said as he sat down

"Certainly twice a night three times at the weekends." He replied

"Serious for a moment please. When you were in command were you lonely?" I asked him

"Yes every day because at the end of the day the decisions are yours and yours alone. You can’t share that responsibility and your conscience wont let you forget it. This isolates you from the rest of the group and you sit there wondering if you were right or not." Bernard said his eyes and face full of pain.

"Food and drink for us" said Wendy arriving and breaking the moment as she deposited a plate of cheese sandwiched on the table and Sheila did the same with cups.

"After we have eaten do you two mind finding something to do as Kathy and me need to talk" Bernard said all serious for a moment "I have to have a few minutes alone to try and seduce her" Wendy laughed and Sheila just nodded reading Bernard’s mood.

"Right now me and Kathy are heading out for a walk, when you get a few big men up and about see about unloading the ammunition." Bernard said as we finished our drinks and headed outside.

It was bright outside now a nice day with blue sky and a frost on the grass.

"Wait one moment you two" Wendy said from behind us. "Not without these" and she passed us a SA80 each with two spare magazines with each weapon. This changed the feel of the morning from a pleasant morning into a cold world of fear.

We walked up the drive towards the bushes at the far end with the scars of the explosives still clearly visible. As we stood there in the area where so many people had died my tears started to come, I turned around to supposedly look at the hotel but to hide my tears from him the Hero.

"That’s your sister up there on the roof covering us could she hit any thing from there?" Bernard asked

"She can and she did" I said and my voice gave away my emotional state.

"Right now lassie come on talk to me about it" Bernard said but it was Bernard my friend from the radio not Bernard the hero and my tears started flowing.

"I keep killing people lots of them and they wont stop making me kill them" I wailed

"Yes and those people would kill you and your family here. You have done what was necessary and done it well." Bernard said

"Yes I’ve done it well in that bush there" I pointed to where I had crawled to plant the mines "I did it well there didn’t I? I carefully slid a knife into the throat of a wounded man while holding him down and covering his mouth with my hand to stop his pleading." I was shouting now.

"Yes I did it well this area was packed with bodies the ones that escaped the crossfire from the roof were blown to bits by the mines that I placed with John." I couldn’t say anymore his name paralysed my vocal chords.

"Yes and that is what’s bothering you Kathy. Not the fact that you are an angel of death and destruction, not that you actions have brought death to hundreds of people. But the fact you lost a man, you want to know where you went wrong. You want to know? You tell me what happened and I will tell you where it was I can do that, I do it every night as the thousands I lost visit me in the dark hours screaming in their pain." He looked at me

"COME ON TELL ME" he shouted "Tell me so that when he comes in the night you can tell him it won’t happen again." Bernard was sweeping his hand around in a big arc.

"Where were your defensive positions, how did they come, what were their weapons, did you know anything about them before they came" his questions came quick and loud.

I started answering his questions through my tears gradually he twisted the conversation around so I was telling the story of the attack and the commando raid as I told of the last rush to the house we walked the distance back to the house. As I stood there looking at the turned earth of Johns grave I finished the story of that night while stood there.

"Yes you made a mistake that night but only one." Bernard said "You shouldn’t have been the other one out there planting the mines and only the fact that your small saved your life."

"Exactly its my fault he’s dead" I shouted at Bernard

"Will you fucking shut up and listen for a minute" Bernard said to me silencing me for a second

"I am saying you should have lost two people that night and it was only the fact there’s bugger all of you that stopped it being two you’re a hard target to kill. Yes you had some bad luck that car blowing fucked the operation and the team should have had it then, which is why you shouldn’t have been out there." he said while standing behind me with his hands on my shoulders

"Look who’s talking what were those words you said it’s a nice night lads who fancies a swim" I threw at him like a weapon

"Yes and looking back it was a mistake but in the same position I would do the same. Yes before you say it I know I am a hypocrite but I am a honest one." Bernard said

"But" I interjected

"Listen I have had years of looking back at battles even before Salamis and I can say you made no errors that cost a life. Did you order John to go out?" he asked me

"No I asked him" I replied

"And he went willingly to his death knowing you were sharing the risk with him every inch of the way. He was hit while the two of you were defending each other during a retreat and the fatal wounds were inflicted while you helped him back. He died on the table with you critically wounded next to him having been hit defending him, while your sister fought to save his life. He was a solider and he died with honour to save his friends do not taint that memory trying to put it down as your error as he knew that he probably wouldn’t be back." Bernard said and stood there as I cried.

"One thing that worried him was he felt like a deserter after refusing orders" I told him

"Well that’s easily solved we have the Prime Minister and the Head of the armed forces here what rank do you want to give him, pick a medal." Bernard said sarcastically

"No that’s not what I mean" I protested

"Well listen to me once and for all he died a honourable death after knowing the risks, that makes him a Soldier and a hero and he got the job done so he was a professional. As far as medals go if we ever get through this shit back to normality then we recommend him for the VC but it is done properly so it means something do you understand why" I nodded

He turned me around and hugged me in his arms for a long time and as I pulled myself back together I kissed him on the cheek that bore his scars of battle.

"Listen keep that up and you will do wonders for my reputation a girl sixty years younger than me on my arm" Bernard said I laughed

"One last thing here’s a hanky blow your nose and lets go back in. It doesn’t matter if they know you weep for those you have lost as long as you get the job done. I should know I have wept more than most." Bernard said guiding me in the house

"I stink" Bernard announced as we walked in the kitchen getting everyone’s attention "I’m going to jump in the shower I will see you in a while" and disappeared

"Sounds like a good idea" Sheila said "Do you want a hand at all Kathy?"

"Yes go on" I said resigned to the fact that another female would be displaying her body to me with no interest in me at all. We headed up to the bedroom again a slow trip but Sheila seemed not to mind.

"Lets guess from your face he was a bit rough at times out there?" Sheila said

"Sort of not exactly rough but, oh I don’t know" I answered

"Don’t worry if you’re not dying and he’s nice to you all the time then you’re in trouble. Give him back as good as he gives and you’ll get on great" she announced.

I stripped off not worried about bare flesh as Sheila didn’t seem to be and started to peel off the dressings to risk a shower the tape had stuck and was being reluctant to release.

"Come here I’ll do that for you its as bad as waxing your legs. One, two, three" Sheila counted then pulled at the dressing on my shoulder and as it ripped off I was sure it hurt more than being shot. The procedure was repeated on the other three dressings and I inspected my wounds. My side and calf were not worth mentioning now and I didn’t know why dressings had been reapplied my thigh was healing nicely now though still very much an open wound and my shoulder I couldn’t see.

"You have more holes in you than Granddad did in future you might think of ducking." Sheila said standing there in bra and panties

"Well I wasn’t exactly standing in the open saying shoot me, shoot me." I protested

"Well however it happened they did a good job on you" Sheila replied.

 

Downstairs after getting sorted out I found Wendy organising the ammunition being brought from the helicopter and as I tried to help I was grabbed by Bernard.

"Listen back off let your people do their job without the boss peering over their shoulder. I once had to reprimand a junior officer for paying too much attention to his platoon, it puts them on edge and is not acceptable. That does not mean you don’t get your hands dirty or take any risks which is the other side of the coin." He told me firmly

"Listen to him we have plenty of people now" Wendy shouted at me in passing

"This isn’t fair" I protested petulantly "If I am boss shouldn’t I be allowed to do what I want when I want?"

"No" Bernard replied "Some times you get better food or a better bed but what being boss means is that if it all falls to shit its your fault no matter what happens."

"Is that why you deferred your authority to me?" I asked him

"No that’s to stop any junior officer with a grudge putting a bullet in my back and declaring himself God Emperor of the UK" Bernard sighed "but this doesn’t protect us against the hundreds of little power groups that will be setting up across the country. This is why you are so important you are a focus point for people and you ask for nothing, while giving everything. You are also a paradox the innocent child who is wise beyond her years and death to all who oppose her."

"What are you expecting of me?" I asked him

"Coherent orders and a lot of leeway to push bully and cajole members of the armed forces into accepting your authority" he replied

"What distinction is there between me and any other of these leaders of the little groups that gives me the right to play god?"

"The fact that you’re here and have a following is enough for me at the moment. If you want to start acting the dictator I might change my mind but until then your it." Bernard finished.

 

For the rest of the day the two of us held court with people from around visiting to see what had been happening overnight many people were in awe of Bernard a legend come to life and a lot were the same with me. In between visitors we talked all of the inner council as it had been named by Wendy with Bernard. That night he left leaving Sheila with us to return to try and build an army for me to command to retake our country.

 

Two weeks later Bill decreed I was fit enough to resume an active life and I had the shit scared out of me when I realised that I had skipped a period. Wendy reassured me that with what had happened to me it was to be expected and a pregnancy test she had acquired somewhere proved she was correct.

 

We made preparations to retake Darlington then to move North after into Newcastle we had now four hundred and fifty people armed on call and a group of twenty five medical personnel including Andrea and Trisha who Bill had been training in field medicine. Our forces were broken down into five units, four of ninety each commanded by Tom and Bob with two other men from the village Graham and Dennis both of which had military experience. Wendy commanded a surgical strike and reconnaissance unit on motorcycles scrounged from all around and I had my own personal guard all trained by Wendy and Sheila. I felt sorry for my crew both Wendy and Sheila had threatened them that if any thing happened to me they would have to answer to them and I know my old bearers the Biblical brothers of Mathew, Mark and Luke took it very serious. Three weeks to the day that Bernard had left we started moving taking people to within three miles of the outskirts of the town by a group of buses and lorries that had been salvaged with a limited supply of diesel.

 

Our group rallied four groups of ninety, Wendy’s fifty my ten and the remaining thirty on supply of ammunition and evacuation of non-combatants. Bill was ready with his medical crew and a makeshift operating theatre set up in the back of an articulated lorry and every one was ready.

 

"Right now ladies and gentlemen keep your heads down and don’t try any heroics we want you all back home safe. Remember to listen for orders and don’t start shooting at your own side good luck and may your gods keep you safe." I told them.

"UNIT LEADERS ARE YOUR UNITS READY?" I shouted

"YES BOSS" Bob answered

"ALL READY HERE KATHY" was Tom’s reply

"YES MA’AM" From Graham

"YES" From Dennis

"LETS ROCK LITTLE SISTER" From Wendy sat astride a large motorbike with a large man in front of her.

"LETS DO IT. WENDY MOVE OUT." I ordered

 

Wendy’s group twenty five bikes with two on each roared to life. The riders were chosen for they’re off road skills and the pillions for their marksmanship. The idea was that they would start picking off the defenders from a distance hitting them from all directions causing confusion. Then as confusion rained we would come in with the main force.

 

They roared into the distance as we started marching and within three minutes gunfire could be heard in the distance. As we came up to the first barricade our initial force took shelter either side of the road and laid down a murderous fire into the upturned vehicles which offered no protection for the poor bastards hidden behind them.

 

"COME ON LETS MOVE IT OUT, WE HAVEN’T GOT ALL DAY" Bob shouted and a few of his unit moved out one was hit and went down.

"MEDIC" I screamed and headed out to help him. A number of men and women came out to help me ones that hadn’t moved when Bob had shouted.

"You get him back" I ordered one man and looked up to see Bob and five men pinned down about one hundred yards up the road.

 

I turned my back to the enemy so I was facing my troops with bullets going both ways past me.

"COME ON MOVE IT THIS WAY NOW" I started walking backwards towards the barricade gesturing to people hidden in doorways. My bodyguard had formed up either side of me and was making it difficult for me to be heard with their firing.

 

"COME ON MOVE IT NOW THIS WAY" I shouted louder and a few more people joined me.

"LETS TAKE THE BASTARDS" I screamed drawing my pistols and turning to the enemy I started running towards the barricade. I could see people either side of me and behind me a roar erupted and the firing increased. I started opening fire at about fifty yards and as we hit the barricades I was dragged to one side.

 

"What’s going on" I demanded of Mathew, Mark and Luke

"You don’t need to be in the firing line now you have got them moving so we are now doing our job and keeping you safe" Mark said

"Jesus Christ who said you were to do that?" I demanded

"Please don’t blaspheme" The large man said wincing as if I had hit him as he happily emptied the remainder of his magazine into a youth who was running towards us with what looked like a sawn off shotgun.

"Who gave you these orders" I demanded as I took pot shots at a figure with a rifle in an upstairs window opposite.

"The Inner Council did. They said that our only duty was your safety and to that end we have sworn to keep you safe." Luke replied as Mark had reversed his rifle and was busy using the stock to club a mans face. I fired and hit the man three times, he dropped and Mark reloaded.

"Well can we at least keep pace with the battle?" I asked indicating in the direction that the last few of my troops were heading leaving the dead and wounded behind for the medical crew.

We moved and caught up with the back end of the battle it was a rout on the part of the gangs. From then on we had sporadic fire fights in some areas, a lot of prisoners and a few civilians. As we stood in the pedestrianised area we assessed the damage. Seventeen dead twenty three wounded three serious, one hundred and thirty six prisoners and seventy six civilians. The town was secure and we had to decide our next move. Of the civilians most of them had been hidden from the gangs since the first arrivals except for a group of twenty who we found locked in a house. These were all women and had been used and abused at will they were in a bad way. I arranged for these to be taken back to New Delphi to be cared for. The rest of the civilians were thin and hungry but otherwise in good shape and ready to fight. We decided on two days break then to continue the march to Middlesbrough, the problem was the prisoners.

 

I headed out to the area the prisoners were being held. I looked at the faces they were scared children in rags only a few looked well fed, dressed and healthy. I organised that the well dressed ones were separated and these nine cocky arrogant young men were led off. The ones that were left where scared, very scared. I grabbed one of them and pulled him to one side.

"How did you get into this kid" I asked the youngster

"Who you calling kid cunt?" the little runt replied.

A large hand grabbed the front of the kids dirty jumper.

"That is The Oracle you are talking to and our Boss Lady. You speak nice to her or me and my brothers here will shove your head up your arse and use you as a football." Luke told him.

"She’s…You’re The Oracle? Shit we thought you were just another gang that’s what they told us. Fuck we’ve been fighting against you half of us have been trying to get out to join you. I heard you on the radio before they took my parents away we were going to try and find you but then they came." The youngster blurted out.

"What’s your name?" I asked him

"Phil, Philip Arrowsmith" he replied

"Well Phil how many are in the same boat as you and how many of the leaders are still there?" I asked

 

Ten minutes later we had three more people removed from the crowd and one returned from the well dressed group.

"Can I have your attention, NOW" I addressed the prisoners

"And what the fuck are you going to do if we don’t" came a voice back.

"Well I could just execute the lot of you here and now, that would save me having to think of what to do with you" I replied and was greeted with silence.

"How many of you here have been forced into this situation?" I asked and didn’t wait for a reply

"You now have three choices. You can leave now, trouble nobody ever again if you do an automatic sentence of death will be passed on you. You can be executed now with as little fuss and pain as I can arrange or you can join the forces of New Delphi here but I promise you if anyone takes this third option with the idea of deserting or turning on us I personally will blow their brains out." I told them.

"Who are you to be threatening us?" came the voice from a moment ago.

"I am Katherine also known as The Boss Lady or The Oracle Of New Delphi we are also the people with the guns. You have five minutes to decide" We left them to talk for a few minutes then returned.

"Right I want you to split into three groups, one group to leave one to join us and one for execution" I told them and watched as they split into two groups one large one small.

"Execution?" I asked the small group

"No, no we just want to go if you really meant it." One lad answered

"Fair enough start walking" I indicated a westward direction.

I turned to the larger group ignoring the departing people and Wendy’s threats about what would happen if they were caught again.

"We want to join you" Philip the lad I had spoken to before told me.

"Right you lot you can happily join us but if you fuck us over I will kill you if you are lucky, if your unlucky my sister will deal with you" I left them for Tom to organise and went to see our casualties.

 

"Little sister we have a big problem" came Wendy’s voice from behind me.

"What now?" I asked

"Middlesbrough isn’t gang controlled it’s military under one Captain Wilson"

"Oh shit that was Johns officer wasn’t it?"

"Yes that’s it and he has around five hundred troops" Wendy explained

"Can your mob get me back to Delphi quickly?" I asked her

"Your wish is my command" was her reply

 

I found Bob stuck him in charge and within minutes I was on the back of a large motorbike with my arms wrapped around a big bloke with a beard and despite the helmet and the escort of other people obviously enjoying the ride I was scared shitless. Thirty miles an hour seemed fast on this thing and by the time it hit seventy I had closed my eyes and was holding on for my life. How Wendy’s crew fought from these things I would never know.

 

"You can let go now Boss and let me breath" came a voice from in front of me.

I opened my eyes and looked around we were outside New Delphi and despite what my senses were telling me we had stopped moving. I struggled off the bike and managed to stay upright as I dismounted.

"Thank you" I said as I tried to compose myself.

"What’s up, what’s happened" came Anne’s voice from the doors

"It’s alright I just need to talk to Bernard urgently." I shouted back "Ian get Bernard on the line NOW."

Ian disappeared as I walked towards the door and gave Anne and Jenny a hug in passing.

 

"…is not to be disturbed he is in a meeting at this moment can I take a message?" was coming from the radio as I arrived in the dining room.

I grabbed the mike off Ian raising my eyes heavenward as I did he laughed.

"Listen whoever you are get me Bernard now" I told the voice

"Young lady that is not possible at the moment as I said a moment ago." The voice replied

"Listen tosspot I don’t give a shit what he said tell him to leave whatever he is doing now and get on this radio as I have found five hundred of his lost troops and it will be a shame to kill them all." I told him the anger evident in my voice.

"Are you threatening us?" came the reply

Jesus I didn’t need this as a man I would have been listened to seriously this guy was treating me as a joke.

"Get Bernard now while you still have a career you have two minutes" I told him

"He gave orders not to be disturbed" came the reply

"Hello, hello are you there?"

"One minute thirty seconds left" I told him

"Hello can I help you" came a new voice when I was approaching one minute.

"Get me Bernard now" I snarled at him

"Yes Ma’am right away" he said

"That you Boss Lady" came Bernard’s voice within a few moments

"Yes it is who was the lucky lady to keep you away from me" I asked him

"Oh some young sweet thing I found"

"If she’s younger and sweeter than me I look for a new Chief of the armed forces" I told him.

"Younger possibly but never sweeter. What’s up anyway, not that I ever mind talking to you" Bernard replied

"I nearly didn’t as I couldn’t get past your lad on the radio." I told him

"Yes well that is my fault I told him I didn’t want to be disturbed but neglected to mention you."

"No problem if you can just warn him for next time though. We have a problem anyway Middlesbrough isn’t under gang control its under military control, with one Captain Wilson in charge." I told him

"You can’t try to take them its one thing to attack the gangs but a military unit will slaughter you." He told me.

"Possibly, but possibly not. I don’t want to fight them I want to enlist them bring them into the fold as such." I told him

"Aye that would be better. What have you in mind?" Bernard asked.

"Well if you can get a group of fifteen to twenty together in uniform over here with yourself I have an idea." I told him

"Number one uniforms or battle dress?" Bernard replied

"Both if you want Anne to let you stay for dinner." I joked

"Fine I will give you a shout later to tell you are E.T.A will see you soon sexy. Out." Bernard finished.

 

"Anne we have a problem in logistics I have twenty women from Darlington arriving in a short time all have used by the gang there I need to put them up here for a while" I told her.

"No problem we can cope" was Anne’s reply

"But I have just had to invite Bernard and a fifteen men over to sort out a problem we face in Middlesbrough." I explained

"Well if we double everyone up it shouldn’t be a problem. We can cope but I will have to start organising food now" and with that she was gone.

 

I talked to Ian for a while till the vehicles drew up with the girls from Darlington and I went outside to greet them.

"Welcome to New Delphi I am Kathy also known as The Oracle and for my sins the leader of this group. You are all welcome to stay as long as you wish or to leave whenever you want, the only rules here are we are a group and try to work together but for the moment you are our guests and Anne will show you to your rooms. I am sorry but you are going to be two to a room for tonight and tomorrow as a group of soldiers will be staying for a couple of nights to try and help us liberate Middlesbrough after that you can have a room each for as long as you wish to stay. If there is anything at all you want or need don’t hesitate to ask me or Anne over there, who is head of household duties." I told the huddled group. They were in a bad way some were nearly catatonic others were crying, I didn’t want to dump Bernard’s mob on them but I couldn’t see any way around it.

 

Anne led them in where each group of four was met by an older woman one of them Muriel and led off to sort out clothes and a room. The oldest of these women was perhaps mid twenties the youngest my age now the sight of them made me even more determined that what I was doing was right.

 

I returned to the radio and called Bernard again.

"Hello can I speak to Bernard please" I said

"Yes Ma’am I will get him now and Ma’am I am sorry about before." The voice from before said

"Don’t worry about it as long as it doesn’t happen again I have no complaints." I told him.

"Kathy what can I do for you?" came Bernard’s voice.

"Look just a quick word of warning, we have twenty girls here who have been used and abused by the Darlington gang at will I want you to warn your men you pick to be very, very careful around them they are very screwed up." I said to him.

"I understand lassie even I will watch my big mouth but how did they get out?" He asked

"We took Darlington today I lost seventeen men, twenty three injured against seven or eight hundred defenders." I replied

"How many did you go in with?" he asked

"Little over four hundred armed men and women"

"Christ lassie what are you trying to do put me out of a job?" Bernard said

"No I seem to have this problem with people taking me seriously which tends to make me a bit aggressive. They just got in my way when I was pissed off." I joked back

"Well I won’t piss you off, what’s next?"

"We take Middlesbrough with no loss of life, I am going to have to let you go now see you later New Delphi out" I finished

 

Dinner that night was a rather muted affair compared to normal none of the new arrivals were much in a mood to enjoy themselves and most of them hit their beds early. Bernard’s arrival by helicopter in the early hours set a few of the girls off in hysterical crying and Anne went to organise help for them as Bob, Sheila and myself welcomed them and ushered them into the dining room.

 

I looked at the group Bernard had brought fifteen men one officer, one older NCO and thirteen younger men and Mike as pilot again.

"Right now gentlemen this is a volunteer only operation if anyone wants out now is the time to say" I told them. I looked around nobody backed out yet I thought.

"I will introduce myself first I am Kathy also known as The Oracle and Boss Lady of us a here at New Delphi. I am also the leader of the only civilian authority known in this country so by default I am in charge of the armed forces according to Major General Brown here. Today we retook Darlington and found out that a rogue military unit has taken control of Middlesbrough. They are a group of around five hundred men under the command of one Captain Wilson. Captain Wilson is an officer instructor with the REME who felt that military law included the summary execution of civilians, who he had decided were looters, when he felt it was necessary. When a man tried to object about this he tried to shoot him too. That soldier was no deserter or coward he gave his life for this group and is now buried out there." I pointed outside

"I want to take Middlesbrough tomorrow without a shot being fired if possible. We as in you lot and me go in as a wandering group of soldiers and basically find out what the situation is. If the men are there because of the captains authority then we give them your boss with his rank and reputation that pisses over a little captain." This brought a laugh from the men but Bernard was chewing on his bottom lip while glaring at me.

"If the forces there have gone bad we make the excuse that we have more men ten miles away and are going to get them to join the forces in Middlesbrough and run like hell no pissing about no heroics just get out of there. Any questions?" I looked at the men waiting.

"Right we move out tomorrow morning no bathing or shaving you have been walking for days with little chance of cleaning up if your uniforms are clean we will dirty them tomorrow, for tonight we have food, drink enjoy yourselves Anne will show you your rooms later. Has it been explained to you the situation with the girls from Darlington?"

"Yes Ma’am" said the older NCO "they all know what has happened to those poor women and they will all be on their best behaviour or explain why to me" this got nods from the rest of the men.

"Thank you have fun but for now and tomorrow it’s Katherine or Kathy as if one of you calls me Ma’am were fucked understand"

"Yes Kathy" replied the NCO

The men helped themselves to the food and drink that Anne had provided and suddenly I was cornered by Bob, Sheila and Bernard.

"Why do you have to go in?" was Bobs question

"It’s very easy Bernard needs to go as a senior officer and I need to go as the recognised civilian authority." I said

"But why you" said Sheila "you led the charge today wasn’t that enough"

"No Bob led the charge today I just joined in. But we need a member of the inner council on the team Bob and Anne are out as Bob wouldn’t be tagging along with soldiers the same with Brian and I won’t risk Anne. That leaves Trisha, Andrea and me. Trisha can be a little volatile and Andrea doesn’t strike me as a spy so that leaves me." I told them

"She’s right. I don’t like it but she is right" said Bernard

The arguments went on for some time then I turned to them.

"Look you voted me Boss Lady before I had a chance to object, then you shove me on the radio so that mine is the voice that is known as The Voice of New Delphi. You keep voting me Boss despite my strenuous objections and I keep winning so I am either right and you let me carry on or I am wrong and you let me stand down. Let Bob be boss he will do a good job." I told them and Anne who had now joined them.

 

I left them to it and went to talk to Mike who was sat in a corner looking amused at the goings on.

"Hi Mike how goes it" I asked him

"Oh fairly good we have found a decent supply of fuel now so I can keep on flying for the foreseeable future, I even have a maintenance crew so I’m happy. I would have thought by now they would have started to just agree with you. Bernard has had nothing but praise for you since he met you and on the way here we kept hearing about all your adventures from him, mainly to give the men some background." Mike explained

"What can you tell me about the team?" I asked him

"Not a lot they all seem good lads the Sergeant Major there with the moustache is James Houston, he is sound rely on him all you want. The young Lieutenant is William Anderson who I believe you got rather irate with on the radio. He’s not a bad kid but is still wet behind the ears, not willing to think about his orders just do it. The others I don’t particularly know except that the boss selected them personally." He said.

"Enjoy your stay Mike I’ll catch you later I’m going to talk to the team" I said and wandered over to the Sergeant Major.

"Sergeant Major Houston?" I said as I approached the large man in his late thirties, early forties with a large moustache.

"Yes Ma’am" he said with a strong Liverpudlian accent

"Kathy please I’m not exactly comfortable with Ma’am at the best of times but for this operation I am just a waif you found on the way so Kathy please." I told him

"OK then Kathy but for this operation I’m Jimmy" he said smiling broadly

"Well Jimmy you’re the person that Bernard will have spoken to first about putting this team together as you’re the man who gets things done so what are they like?" I asked him.

"Their all good lads better than most I have worked with they won’t let you down no matter what." Was his eager reply.

"And Lieutenant Anderson?" I asked

"Well…" he answered

"Look Jimmy I’ve been under fire a few times now and I know how people can react in the heat of a battle, I lost count of my ammunition in one and it nearly cost me my life when I ran out at a most inopportune moment. I want to know how he will react under stress?" I told him

"He will be fine under fire no problems that way, he just doesn’t inspire confidence in the men. I think it’s the lack of imagination or initiative that’s the problem, tell him to guard a point and he would till the last man but he wouldn’t think of moving two hundred and fifty yards to a better position." Jimmy explained "He doesn’t think"

"Fine if I want anything done I will work through you and you can guide him, I will also have a word with Bernard to make sure that Bernard tells him to liase with you closely. I don’t think we will have much trouble but if shit happens I want it covered." I replied "catch you later"

The group arguing my part in this operation had finished their deliberations and I rejoined them.

"Well am I still Boss Lady or can I go to bed now?" I asked them

"Your still Boss but we don’t like this idea" Bob answered

"Look now you know how I feel all the time. I had to watch you lead that charge then get pinned down it’s a terrible sensation having to send someone you know possibly to their death but as it has been explained to me with John sometimes its necessary. I can’t hear anyone objecting about Sergeant Major Houston going in, so don’t worry about me. Bernard can I have a few words in quiet please?" I indicated the kitchen.

 

"Yes Kathy what can I do for you" Bernard asked as we entered the kitchen

"The team looks good but what about your young Lieutenant?" I asked

"On his own I wouldn’t dream of sending him here, but with me and Jimmy watching him he’ll be fine" he answered

"That’s no problem then, what do you think of the plan?"

"I wouldn’t have touched it with a barge pole if it came from anyone but you or me so lets play." He gave me a big grin "Its stupid enough to work"

 

We rejoined the group and I was officially introduced to Lieutenant Anderson, maybe I would have liked him more without the conversation on the radio earlier but I don’t think so.

"And how did such a sweet and pretty little thing like you end up in charge here?" was his first question

"Well it was easy I just stopped blowing the brains out of the people who came to visit and I found they liked me." I replied pleasantly

"And have you got a boyfriend yet?" came next

"I did but we had to bury him after he was shot umpteen times while laying mines" I told him

"Oh what a pity that must have upset you" came the inane reply

"Yes it did for a bit till they shot me"

"Oh and that must of hurt where did they shoot you?" he asked

"Leg twice, chest and side" I told him

"Well the scars don’t show with that dress so it can’t have been that bad" every time he opened his mouth shit came out. "That coats a bit big on you though" he indicated the flying jacket which I had claimed as my own and now had lived in for weeks"

"I know and it doesn’t really go with this outfit does it?" I said sarcastically

"Well I didn’t want to say anything but it doesn’t" he answered the sarcasm beyond him.

"Well what about these" I drew one of the two Berettas the silver gleaming in the light "Do you think I should stick with the silver of the Beretta or should I move to the black of the Browning" Bernard’s movable eyebrow was raised at this point.

"Well the silver looks pretty but the black goes well with anything" he answered

"Well aren’t you just full of useful advice" I told him

"Well I always try to help." He told me

"When we get back I will have to introduce you to Wendy my big sister"

"If she’s half as pretty as you I would be glad to." He smiled back

"Do you think Wendy’s pretty Bernard?" I asked

"Oh most assuredly so, she also is an excellent nurse, an accomplished field surgeon, a crack marksman and a brilliant strategist." Bernard replied

"But she can’t cook very well Bernard" I answered

"Well that’s no good is it" Anderson said

"No its not" I agreed with him

"She can kill a man at two hundred yards with one shot though" Bernard replied

"That’s nice, can you cook Kathy?" This man was brain dead

"No not very well I kill people instead" I said ever so sweetly

"Oh do you, what with your looks." He laughed a little laugh at his own joke

 

I giggled and slipped the Beretta back into my holster then pressed myself against his side putting an arm around him.

"Your not so bad looking yourself" I said as with my spare hand I unclipped the top of the holster containing his Browning and held it out for Bernard to take which he did.

"Do you have a Browning?" I said looking up at him and fluttering my eyes a bit

"Yes" he answered

"Can I have a look at it to see if it looks nice" I asked

"Certainly Kathy" he said "but this is not a toy so don’t touch"

He reached down and found the pistol wasn’t there and started patting his uniform.

I drew a Beretta and cocked it and raised it at him, he was still checking his uniform. Around me I could see activity from the rest of the team as their officer was being threatened by a strange female, Bernard behind Anderson was gesturing to them to ignore it but all eyes were on us.

"I had it a minute, I must have left it on the helicopter." He looked up at me

"Bang your dead" I said

"You got me Agh" he said clutching his chest.

"NO Dickhead, Bang you are dead." I said

"Yes I know but there is no reason to call me that" he answered

"BANG I shouted" and cocked it again causing the unused round to be ejected his eyes bulged as the round hit the floor. I repeated this thirteen times emptying the magazine and replaced the pistol drawing the other one.

"Anderson do you listen to anything that is said to you? Do you take any notice of anything going on around you? I think not." I said not waiting for his answer "When I first drew this pistol to show you the Sergeant Major over there and Bernard never took their eyes off it you didn’t give it a second glance. I was able to disarm you and give your weapon to someone else without you noticing I then drew a weapon trained it on you and cocked it which had fourteen men ready to jump me to save you and you were too busy to notice." I told him

"Get real quickly Anderson. Yes you are reasonably safe in here thanks to the women on the roof with the heavy calibre guns and the people who have died to make this place safe. Tomorrow we are walking into a place where if we are unlucky five hundred armed men could want to kill us outnumbering us by almost thirty to one. If you aren’t awake and on the ball you will get us all killed. Listen all of you I don’t want to fight tomorrow but if we do have to fight our way out I want to get us all out. Stay sharp watch what is going on and be ready for the shit to hit the fan."

"You" I indicated Anderson "Keep you eyes open keep your brain alert and listen to what Bernard or I order you to do. Yes me you obey my orders without question and whatever advice the Sergeant Major gives you should be carefully considered also, if you get my meaning"

Bernard waved his Browning in front of his face and led him away as I tried to get down to get the rounds on the floor, not easy with a dress heels and a leg that was still stiff.

"I’ll get them Kathy" Jimmy said and recovered the rounds.

"Come and sit down a minute with me my legs playing hell tonight" I told him

"What’s up with it?" he asked as he stood with the rounds in his hand

"Its what you get when you can’t do a hundred meters in ten seconds while under fire" I explained

"Will you be ok tomorrow?" he asked as we sat down and I removed the empty pistol from its holster.

"I should be. It’s all healed now but with the high heels I get some problems. But if you want to eat here of an evening you have got to be dressed for dinner or make your excuses in advance to Anne" I told him as I started forcing the rounds into the magazine against the force of the spring.

"Very nice may I have a look?" he indicated the pistol. I picked it up drew back to show there was no round in the chamber then passed it to him. He examined it with an expert eye cocked and fired a few times.

"Been used recently" he stated "In anger?"

"What you want to know is can I pull the trigger when it’s pointed at someone, yes?"

"Yes" he admitted

"Well today, now yesterday I don’t know how many people I shot I lost count after five, probably over ten maybe fifteen but unlikely to be more than twenty. In total I don’t know how many people I have killed but I don’t enjoy it and given the option I never want to have to use a knife again." I told him

"Steel is messy I wouldn’t like to have to trust anyone who enjoyed it" Jimmy said

"Well you know some of my background what’s yours?"

"Royal Marines for years and then I transferred to a place where we didn’t salute" Jimmy explained

"How many years have you done SBS then." I asked him

"Long enough to take care of the Boss and you on this operation, not that the two of you will take much looking after. Mr Anderson is another matter though." Jimmy explained

"Tomorrow morning do you mind doing a quick weapons training for us all. I know I could use some guidance Mr Anderson could do with finding where his weapon is and I don’t think the other lads will mind will they?"

"No they won’t mind. They are not my old squad but their willing and eager" Jimmy explained.

"Well Jimmy what do you think of her then" Bernard said from behind me

"Honestly?" Jimmy asked

"Yes" me and Bernard replied

"If it’s not all piss and wind and half what I keep hearing is true then she will do fine" Jimmy answered

"If I was hearing these stories from her or her sister I wouldn’t believe a word of it, but Kathy and her sister are closed mouthed about their exploits everyone around them is telling the stories and all the same story" Bernard explained

"Well I was sort of listening on the way here but not properly" Jimmy explained

"How many people would you need to defend this place Jimmy" Bernard asked

"Well I wouldn’t want to with less than ten, that is ten of my old unit" Jimmy said

"She defended for hours against five hundred attackers, with seven people. Five of them not old enough to leave school." Bernard was bubbling now a few whiskies’ had loosened him up a bit.

"Seven that’s bloody good going what sort of casualties?" Jimmy asked

"Between forty and sixty percent, but there was only around three hundred" I told him

"Well that’s…..two point…eight or so how can you loose two point eight people?" Jimmy asked

"No Jimmy, no she lost one man and two wounded" Bernard said banging the table with his fist then pointing at me "Kathy was the serious casualty, Anne over there" he pointed with his glass in Anne’s direction "caught one in the shoulder. She was talking about the attackers, forty percent casualties out there and another twenty percent through the sniping of her sister later. The town here Keld she didn’t lose a man against a bigger force and listen to this Lieutenant Anderson" he raised his voice so that Anderson could hear "Yesterday she took Doncaster. Eight hundred opposition defending a town she takes it with a little over four hundred men women and children. Listen up you men as well" Bernard shouted in the direction of the team.

"She took Doncaster with two to one odds against her with the loss of less than twenty men. She didn’t just lead the charge, she made the bloody charge"

"Granddad come on that’s enough for now" Sheila said appearing at his side.

"What’s enough?" Bernard asked

"No more to drink tonight not with the operation tomorrow" Sheila told him gently

"What I could have done with you Kathy" Bernard said quieter "What I could have done with you on that fucking godforsaken island. I’m going for a pee back in a moment" and he stood up and walked away.

"I’m sorry he doesn’t normally drink" Sheila said

"He hasn’t had more than four or five now" Jimmy said

"But they were big ones and I have never seen him have more than two drinks in my life." Sheila explained "He says it wakes up those that shouldn’t."

"Don’t worry about it Sheila, I won’t let him have any more and lets be honest not many people here can sleep without nightmares. We’re a Psychologists lifetime work." I told her

"It’s true Sheila I get a few visits from friends and enemies who should be long dead during the night and I haven’t been through a fraction of what he has. Lets get some coffee down him anyway it shouldn’t take much to sort him out." Said Jimmy

 

I organised some coffees all round for those who wanted it grabbing two of the soldiers to help Anne and getting Sheila and Ian to take orders. As we sat drinking the coffee Bernard tried to apologise.

"Piss off, you have got nothing to apologise for we all have our personal demons here even Sheila now." I told him

"Gentlemen can I have your attention for a moment" I shouted to little effect

"SHUT IT NOW YOU APES" came from Jimmy and silence descended

"Thank you. You all know where you’re kipping down so I am going to leave you to it. One thing if any of you decides to head outside shout up on the way out. We have a rooftop guard who will shoot first then not worry about it later, just let them know your outside. Goodnight all see you tomorrow." I said and started to get up to leave.

"Are you checking the defences?" Bernard asked

"Yes I can’t sleep till I have" I admitted

"Fancy some company?" he asked me

"Yes but not all night tonight we need to be sharp tomorrow" I warned

"No problem, come on Jimmy" Bernard said

 

On the roof it was cold and clear the stars once again were on view with the Milky Way clearly visible.

"Any problems Alex?" I asked the girl in charge of the watch that night

"No Boss all quiet except for you lot downstairs" She answered

"Don’t worry this wasn’t the party that’s after tomorrow so you can all have some fun then" I explained and got muffled acknowledgements from the two figures on the GPMGs.

 

"What’s up Boss" said Jimmy to Bernard

"I fear I have made a grave error of judgement bringing Anderson along. I didn’t want to leave him behind as I feel with some experience he could be a good officer" Bernard explained "But I am worried that this idea of Kathy’s is beyond him"

"Look we have two options at this time" I said "take him or leave him. I don’t like the man he’s a patronising arrogant git, but I feel we wait till tomorrow before we decide."

Bernard looked at me "You are right my dear no decision should be made with alcohol in our systems and a lack of sleep. But tell me do you find me a patronising git?"

"No not at all" I assured him "A bad tempered lecherous old goat, but you do it with a certain charm and style which he lacks"

"And what about me then" Jimmy chimed in

"You are a professional first and foremost. Your concerns are firstly Bernard’s safety, then your team and finally yourself. You questioned my abilities but you did it by asking me rather than assuming, I must admit though I was surprised that you accepted what I said though" I told Jimmy

"Oh I wasn’t questioning your abilities I trusted you because the boss trusts you I just needed to know what you can do." Jimmy explained "Anyway goodnight Boss, goodnight Kathy don’t stay up to late"

"Yes Mommy" Bernard said as the man disappeared down stairs

"Well are we going to go to bed then" I asked Bernard

"Certainly my dear but I may be a bit more than you can handle" Bernard replied

"You couldn’t stand the pace, you wouldn’t last me the night" I told him

"Well in that case since I am needed tomorrow I think its separate beds. Unless you think I can tempt young Alex over there?" he said in a stage whisper that set the two people on the machine guns giggling.

"No I’m afraid she’s on duty tonight"

"Ah well goodnight to you all and may the heavenly Alex watch over my dreams till morning." He said as we walked to the stairs.

 

Outside my room I hugged him tight burying my face in his chest.

"Thank you for coming and being a friend, I don’t think I would keep my sanity through this without you to talk to." I told him

"No thank you dear you have given me life I didn’t have six months ago. Your determination brought me out of the apathy of inaction and got me off my arse doing things. Then you pay me the compliment of wanting me along for this little game tomorrow, morbid as it is the end of our world has given me a new beginning." He told me.

I couldn’t answer I had no reply to this so I just kissed him on his cheek that bore the scars of battle and took my leave of him. As I slipped into my bed Sheila in the other bed was mumbling fighting her own demons in her sleep and I wondered how many of my people were doing the same as her at this moment. I closed my eyes and awaited my nightmares.

 

Morning came with Sheila shaking me gently, it had been another restless night the memories of the horrors which woke me fading with conciseness leaving a cold lump of fear in the pit of my stomach, only to be replaced by a new nightmare as I drifted off again.

"I’m awake sort of" I told her without opening my eyes

"Well come on get up with all the men around you can’t slop around in your nighty and slippers" she said as she moved around the room

"Why not Bernard’s the only one to worry about and even he won’t make a move on me." I told her as I opened my eyes

"No that’s not it there’s some cute ones I haven’t met before we have got to look good girl." I was informed

"Not me Sheila this morning they need to see me as someone they can rely on who can get the job done and this afternoon when we move it has to be the little girl look, I want to be ignored and classed as harmless." I told her

"Well that could be fun" Sheila said giggling "you jumping in the shower?"

"No not even that we have to look like we have been on the road for a while no baths no showers" I reminded her

"Well at least for this morning you can put some make up on, age you a little bit for the lads" she suggested

"That could be a good idea" I agreed

 

Half an hour later I was sitting down to breakfast with Bernard, Jimmy and Anderson in tight jeans and a tight blue t-shirt that Sheila insisted on. I had kept my boots and was wearing my pistols, with the make up my hair tied back in a pony tail and my flying jacket casually over my shoulder I had to agree with Sheila I looked shit hot and ready for business. Sitting down next to Bernard and Anderson opposite Jimmy I got a whiff of the musty smell of unwashed men, then I got the smell of soap from Anderson.

"Bernard we have a problem, a problem that could get us killed." I said as I nursed a cup of coffee

"What is it Kathy?" he asked

"Well it’s like this we have been on the road since the shit happened at least a few weeks, yes?"

"That’s right" he agreed

"Well this room stinks of unwashed men, I’m not much better I admit, but sat next to dickhead here I can’t smell sweat. No I smell soap and shampoo." I announced

I turned to face Anderson "You are a fucking liability man, you were told specifically no washing no matter what and what do you do?"

"But….I’m an officer we have to maintain a certain standard no matter what conditions we are under." He protested

"Listen mate, I don’t give a fuck what standards you think you should be maintaining my concerns are this team and my own skin your pride and nostrils being offended don’t even figure in my list of interests. If you don’t get the approval of Wendy this morning then you can forget about coming along and park your arse here. Do you understand?" I glared at him

"Well that decision isn’t yours.." he started

"I don’t think you understand who you are talking to and where." I shouted at him

"What do you mean"

"This is my home and I am Boss of this group. If I shot you through the head nobody here would do anything to try and stop me. I might piss off Anne with blood in the dining room but her only request would be to shoot you outside." He looked around at the rest of the team.

"Forget it they would be dead before they got to their rooms to get their weapons. Jimmy here could possibly stop me but it would cost him his life, this is my place and my operation, you fuck me about and you’re fucked do you understand me. I will have no hesitation in wasting a bullet on you none at all." I stood up and walked to the kitchen as I hit the door I turned around to face the room.

"Ladies I am sorry if I have upset any of you" I said to the group from Darlington

"You tell him girl" came the reply

"Gentlemen anyone who doesn’t impress my big sister is scratched from the team they can sit it out here. Anyone who can out shoot her gets a bottle of Whisky or Brandy their choice but I don’t think I need worry" and l left for the kitchen

 

"Oooh I think it’s the wrong time of the month" came from Anderson as I disappeared

"Open that mouth ever again around me Sir and I will rip your fucking tongue out" came from Jimmy

"LIEUTENANT GET TO YOUR ROOM AN REMAIN THERE TILL I SEND FOR YOU" came from Bernard.

"But sir"

"But sir one more time and I will court marshal you do you understand me. You are retiring to you room at the moment for your own safety till you gain control of your mouth." Bernard answered

"But.."

"Listen Dickhead" came from Jimmy "and listen up you lot there. That young woman who you keep associating as a little girl has killed more men than me. Not just with rifles but pistols and steel. Yes she’s seasoned she can use a knife close up. Yesterday she led the charge that took Darlington to free these ladies, not from the back directing and organising things, but from twenty foot in front. She hit the barricades first and lost less men than I would have thought possible. You open your mouths you think about what you are saying as it might be the last thing you ever say. The people here have seen more action than anyone else here with the exception of the Boss they are on edge and they love their Boss Lady most of them because they owe her or her sister their lives. If you upset one of them please remember they are all armed and they all, that is everyone of them can and would kill you. If I hear anything being said even away from members of this group I will not put you on a charge we will practice unarmed combat skills for half an hour"

 

"Lieutenant you are dismissed and restricted to your room go now" Bernard said and I heard Anderson leave. I sat down at the table in the kitchen Anne I could see was fuming but didn’t say anything the rest of them just carried on as if I wasn’t there.

"I am so sorry about that Kathy" came Bernard’s voice

"It’s ok, it’s just that idiot got under my skin and it’s not as if we are going in with enough forces to be able to fight our way out of trouble. This is a one shot opportunity, if it falls to shit I have to fight them."

"Well we will just have to do it right first time won’t we" Bernard said

"Yes" I agreed

"Well now come back and join the men for breakfast as we don’t want them to think its them your angry with." Bernard said

 

I walked into the dining room with Bernard carrying my cereal and my coffee all eyes where on me. I walked up to the table and a voice from the team came through the silence.

"If he irritates you again just tell us we will sort him out on the quiet."

"If the Sergeant doesn’t do it first" came another voice

"Jones, Hankinson who said you could open your mouths" Jimmy said

"Sorry Sergeant" came the two voices together

"We won’t get a chance to sort him out as the Boss and Kathy here will beat us to it." He finished with a big grin getting a cheer from the men and the girls at the other end and the tension was broken.

"I am sorry about that you two" I said to Jimmy and Bernard "but if I hadn’t of left he would have ended up being hurt."

"Don’t worry about it another moment or two and I would have been on charges for striking an officer" Jimmy agreed.

 

We ate in silence till we were interrupted by a runner from the roof.

"Vehicles coming in Boss, it could be Wendy’s team she’s due but I’m not certain" the lad said.

"Incoming" I shouted and the kitchen crew appeared armed with rifles Anne came with a SA 80 for me.

"Gentlemen if you will excuse me a moment" I said slamming a magazine into the rifle and throwing my coat on.

"It’s probably Wendy’s mob but better safe than sorry" I explained as I shoved the other two magazines for the rifle in my coat pocket.

 

I headed into the bright sunlight and took up a position behind the Land Rover I could just hear the sound of engines in the distance.

"Can we do anything" came Jimmy’s voice from behind me.

"Keep them out of sight and no firing we are expecting friendly incoming, our version of the cavalry on motorbikes but you can’t be too cautious" I explained he made some gestures and took up position next to me. The bikes came into view and Wendy waved at me from the lead bike.

"All clear, Stand down" I shouted

"Not you lot" Jimmy shouted "breakfast is now over its time to earn your keep" and there was a groan from the men who were slipping back into the dining room.

 

I watched as Jimmy took charge of the men checking weapons and kit first. Going through the age old routine of shouting a lot at the men. I watched Wendy dismount and come wandering across to me.

 

"JONES what the hell do you think you are looking at haven’t you seen a lady before" Jimmy shouted.

"Yes Sergeant Major but I have never seen a gun like the one she’s carrying" Jones replied and Jimmy looked across at the SLR.

"Stop smirking Hankinson that lady is more of a soldier and twice the man that you will ever be." Jimmy shouted.

"Ma’am may I show them your rifle please?" Jimmy asked

"No, I will though as nobody touches this but me" Wendy replied

"This gentlemen is a 7.62mm SLR and this if used correctly it will match any modern weapon for accuracy, range and effectiveness. It doesn’t have the fully automatic option but on a bike you can’t carry unlimited ammunition. If you want fully automatic you go for the seven hundred and fifty rounds a minute of the GPMGs on the roof." Wendy explained

"But can you use it" came Jones voice

"Well aren’t we a cocky one" Wendy said spotting Jones and his friend Hankinson in the rear rank.

"And who are you?"

"Jones Ma’am"

"And this is your little friend is it Jonsey smirking at your little joke" Wendy said

"No Ma’am that’s Hankinson" Jones replied

"You look fit Hankinson" Wendy said

"Yes Ma’am I work out" Hankinson answered

"Well Hankinson run over to that shed and get two empty paint tins." Hankinson looked at Jimmy who nodded.

He ran over to the shed and came out with two paint tins.

"Right run down the drive with them and when I tell you to stop place them on a fence post either side of the drive and lie on the floor."

"What Ma’am" Hankinson said

"When you have placed them on the posts come to the middle of the road and lie down or sit down or stand there if you trust Jonesy here"

He disappeared down the road at a jog.

"Hello Sergeant Major I am Kathy’s sister Wendy" Wendy introduced herself

"Jimmy please" answered

"I am sorry about being funny about anyone handling my rifle, but when you depend on it..."

"Don’t worry I’m the same with my sidearm" Jimmy answered "Do you think he is far enough now?"

"Two more fence posts I think" was Wendy’s comment

"STOP THERE" Jimmy shouted. Hankinson was about three hundred and fifty yards away he placed them on the posts and lay on the middle of the road.

"What do you think minimum number of shots to hit it wins?" Wendy asked Jones who nodded.

"Go on then" she indicated he should pick a target and fire. Four shots and his can jerked into the air.

"Not bad, better than I thought you were going to be but" she said and the SLR flashed "not good enough" as the can hit the floor. "Can you ask him to put them up again Jimmy"

Jimmy shouted and Hankinson did.

"Just in case any of you are saying what a" the rifle spat again and a can fell "fluke well this might just" again the other can flew into the air "convince you. He can come back now but can he bring the cans there is no point littering."

 

Hankinson returned with the now worse for wear cans.

"With some luck we shouldn’t need to rely on Jones shooting skills. The idea is this if the men can still be classed as soldiers, and that is your job to find out. Then all we have to do is remove the Captain from command, if they have turned bad then we run to the pick up point where the motorbikes will be waiting for us led by Wendy and a few of her chosen. Your only two jobs are to get information to me on how the men there are and if the shit hits the fan to get your Boss out nobody else matters do you understand." I asked them

"Yes Ma’am" came the reply from all of them

"Belay that last order" came Bernard’s voice "It is all fine except for one point this girl is the one who is to be protected at all costs.

"Begging the Lady and the Officers pardon" Jimmy jumped in at this point "This is my team and the only orders they have are to get the two of you out. This order is non negotiable and will not be countermanded by either of you or I stay here with Anderson"

 

A few hours was spent on training the idea was to be at Middlesbrough by dark which gave the men a few hours break before we left.

After dinner Jimmy started giving a personal defence class bare handed to the men totally voluntarily but all of the team was there.

"Do you want to try with Harper here?" Jimmy asked me

"Yes I will give it ago" I said

"No you either do it or don’t do it. I will give it a go doesn’t count." Jimmy shouted at me. I slipped off my pistols and coat and laid them on the ground, and entered the clear area surrounded by the men.

"Harper grab her from behind" Jimmy said and Harper gently held me from behind.

"Come on both of you, you won’t break her" and Harper was now holding me firmly.

"Now try and get out of that" Jimmy said

"What if I hurt him?" I asked

"Harper are you worried about being hurt?"

"No Sergeant" Harper said laughing

"Fair enough" I said clenching my fist and driving back into his balls.

A whoosh of air left him and I threw my head back into his nose and dropped through his arms. As I dropped my elbow found his stomach and I twisted away, a kick to the back of his legs and he was down holding a bleeding nose and his balls.

"Do I follow through with kicking him in the head and running away?" I asked Jimmy

"No I think we can leave that for now" Jimmy replied. "Up you get Harper, you’ll survive"

I gave Harper a hand up and apologised.

"Don’t worry Kathy this isn’t as bad as it looks" he mumbled as he hobbled back to the kitchen

"Do you know what Harper did wrong there Kathy?" Jimmy asked

"He assumed I was harmless" I answered

"Yes. Assumption will get you killed every time, never ever assume anything" he said to the men. "what were you saying about kicking and running away?"

"Well if I’m not in control of a situation as in I have a gun, knife or big stick then my only thought is survival. Hit them with something big and hard and runaway till I find a gun to shoot them. If in doubt run away a bit further." I said getting a laugh from the

men.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Jimmy shouted and got no response.

"You have just heard the basics of Guerrilla Warfare explained, if you are dead then you can’t fight so you hit them run, hit again and run again. This has been used successfully by the French Resistance in the Second World War right through to the Greek Partisans during the Turkish occupation. It works every time ask an American about Vietnam. I know I have taught people these things in various shit holes around this world. The unexpected move is difficult to counter isn’t that so Harper"

"Yes Sergeant Major" said Harper returning to the ranks.

"And before any of you decide to take the piss out of Harper here, I would have been caught out by that as Kathy here is a dirty little bitch when it comes to fighting."

"Meaning no offence Kathy" he added on the end quickly.

"None taken" I told him as I slipped my pistols back on.

 

"Can I ask a question of Kathy?" came a voice from the men.

"Yes go on I’m sorry I don’t know your name" I said

"Why the two pistols as it takes two hands to operate one of those and its Milligan"

"Dead easy if one jams or I don’t have chance to reload then I have a spare. To be honest I got caught out while under fire and forgot how many rounds I had left. This solves that problem" I answered. "Any more questions?"

"How did you get to be Boss here?" came Jones voice

"I was voted in and each time I tell them to vote again hoping to get out of it they vote me back in" I told him

"Does your sister have a boyfriend?" came another voice

"She did" I answered my voice serious "but he was shot while this place was under attack, he died while she operated on him. So please be a bit gentle over that, he’s buried over there" I indicated the grave with the flowers on, behind it preparations were underway for seventeen more graves to be dug for those I lost yesterday they were to be buried when we came back from Middlesbrough, hopefully in two days.

"Sorry" came the apology from the man who had asked the question.

"Don’t be you asked nicely so no complaints" I told him

"Any more questions?"

"What the Boss was saying last night and the Sergeant today those stories about you are they true?"

"Yes" I said and left them to it.

 

At three in the afternoon we were all inspected to see how grubby we looked I had been made to look the little girl in an adult dress one of Anne’s denim things that fell to the floor and hid many things underneath it. Pink coat and a girls rucksack style school bag with a cartoon pony on the front all makeup gone and my hair arranged by Anne I could have been nine or ten years old as what curves I had were hidden. After inspection I slipped into jeans and a sweatshirt for the trip to Middlesbrough on one of the bikes.

 

Five miles out of the town we stopped I found a hedge and changed with a few bits from Wendy in place we started the march into town. There was smoke over the town and as we approached in the fading light we could see the light of fires illuminating the sky the first check point we reached after an hour. No improvised barricade this concrete blocks and barbed wire blocked most of the road and the free part of the road had planks with six inch nails pointing upwards preventing vehicles speeding through. No one could be seen at the barrier though.

"You men wait here" I said "Bernard grab my hand as I am a scared little girl and lets go"

"Is there anyone awake on duty here?" Bernard shouted and two men appeared

"Identify yourself" one of them shouted

"Identify yourself, what kind of a challenge is that soldier?" Bernard shouted "I have to wake you up after crossing this country to get here and what do I find two privates asleep looking worse than my men do who have been living rough for three weeks, Who is your senior officer here?"

"Oh I am sorry sir" one of the men answered.

"We didn’t realise you were an officer, we only have one officer here since those bastards at New Delphi killed all the officers at a peace conference they organised. Killed off almost all the senior NCOs as well, only the Captain and Sergeant Mitchell escaped" the second one said

"Look I don’t care what has happened I still haven’t had a proper challenge and you are assuming I am an officer, I could have picked this up at a fancy dress shop" Bernard shouted back.

"Yes sir Halt. Who goes there?" The first said

"Major General Brown and a child we picked up on the way. My squad only a dozen are a little way back"

"Come forward and be recognised"

Bernard produced an identity card from his pocket and it was studied for a minute then the man stood at attention and saluted.

"Good to see you here sir things need sorting out a bit" the private said.

"Is that so son, what is it your Captain been left in the lurch?"

"Yes sir and some of his orders are a bit strange which is why I am out here. But we are under marshal Law" the man said

"Well I will see if I can restore some sanity here shall I?"

"Yes please sir" he said

 

We were escorted into the town centre armed troops could be seen all the way, but only Bernard’s men looked like soldiers these men wore the uniform but not with pride. The few civilians we saw were in a pitiful state children dirty, men and women looking at us with obvious hatred for what was going on and the arrival of more troops was the last thing they wanted. The streets were lit by torch light providing a flickering light with a strong smell of smoke which covered the other less pleasant smells. The town centre was wired in with high wire fence and barbed wire only one entrance, it looked like a prison camp from a World War Two film in reverse.

 

As we entered a young man saluted Bernard smartly and Bernard returned it crisply.

"Good to see you here sir. May I see some identification?" He asked and he examined the card and handed it back.

"Thank you sir. Standing orders are that all weapons are to be checked in at the armoury on entrance to the citadel so if you don’t mind walking over to the house on your left." He indicated a house with two armed guard outside.

"Certainly can the child come with me as she tends to scream the place down when I leave her for more than a few minutes" Bernard asked

"Well sir no civilians are allowed in the citadel and the armoury is totally out of bounds if you check in your weapons she can wait here for you" the man suggested.

Bernard started walking off and I started making crying noises.

"Bernard, Uncle Bernard, UNCLE BERNARD WHERE ARE YOU?" I screamed between crying.

"Come on he will be back in a moment don’t worry" the young man said placing his hand on my shoulder reassuringly I let out an ear shattering shriek.

"NO, NO DON’T TOUCH ME PLEEAASEE" I screamed and then huddled down in a corner against the wall. Bernard came running back.

"Kathy it’s ok Kathy I’m here, no one will hurt you come on" he said gently holding his hand out to me I grabbed it and slid my arm around him looking suspiciously at the poor guard.

"I didn’t do anything" he said

"Don’t worry we think she had a bad time and she’s not all with us" Bernard explained.

"Well I am supposed to search all bags on entry" he told Bernard and he approached me. I took a deep breath and let out a scream even louder than the first.

"He touched me Uncle Bernard you said no one would touch me again and now he wants to touch my clothes. NO HE CAN’T TOUCH MY CLOTHES, because" I let my voice drop down "then I will have to burn them all again and get clean ones that he hasn’t touched" and broke down sobbing.

"I think we will give that a miss" the lad said.

"I think that might be best" Bernard agreed.

"If your men go to the mess hall I will send a message to Sergeant Mitchell and he can take you to the Captain" he said

 

We waited for ten minutes with the young soldier, me whimpering every time he got too close, Bernard talking to him. Then a fat unshaven man in a half buttoned uniform came shambling across.

"This better be fucking important or you will be living out there with the shit" he shouted.

"Major General Brown Sergeant I have just arrived with a dozen men we have walked from Scotland" Bernard said

"Ah yes are you now?" the sergeant replied "where are your men?"

"In the mess being fed" Bernard said

"Well leave the brat here and I will take you to see the Captain, he can decide if your for real" the man said "watch them till we know if they are for real"

"But Sergeant" he started

"Look we are at a state of emergency Martial Law has been declared, question my orders again and I will shoot you" He shouted and turned to face Bernard his hand on his pistol. He reached down to me and I bit his hand hard I could taste the blood in my mouth.

"Why you little bitch" he said raising a had which Bernard caught easily the mans face turning a shade of purple as he found he couldn’t move it.

"Look behind you Sergeant, see that large Sergeant Major if he isn’t a real soldier you have nothing to worry about. If he is real and you hit a child he has become very attached to and his commanding officer what do you think would be his reaction and the reaction of the other men in there?" Bernard said and the man relaxed.

"She can come as long as she’s house trained, I don’t want her pissing on the Captain’s carpet" he said and led us off laughing at his own joke.

 

We were led to a large fancy building that had electricity, lights were on music and could be heard. Outside two guards could be seen inside it was obvious it had been a town hall that had been modified. It smelt of paint and work was being done over one side to convert part of the large hall into rooms using timber but keeping a large hall with a large chair and desk at one end. Giggling could be heard from behind a door on a room that had been finished.

"Captain sorry to disturb you but this is important you need to deal with this situation" the Sergeant said

"It better had be" came a voice

 

He came out a man in his thirties with a moustache, thin and pallid looking in a uniform that was obviously tailored not a standard issue. He walked to the desk and sat down at the chair and indicated the Sergeant to come and stand by him. I moved away from Bernard and he looked at me.

"Well what have we here a little girl and The Hero Of Salamis, seeking an audience with me. I thought he was dead Colin and a few weeks ago I would have been thrilled to meet him." Captain Wilson said taking a cigar from a box on his desk.

"Is that who he is sir" The Sergeant obviously Colin said

"Yes oh how things change, you don’t realise how unlucky you are Bernard I would have welcomed you four weeks ago but now we have got things sorted and you are a problem. What to do with you, that is the question"

"Captain I am a superior officer and I order you to relinquish your command" Bernard told him.

"How many men did he have with him?" Wilson asked

"Only a dozen all looking rough they have been on the road for a while" Colin answered

"Good they can be spies from New Delphi they tried to kill me here and died in the attempt you were heroic saving my life but unfortunately the child got killed as the cowardly dog tried to shield himself with her whilst his assassination attempt failed." Wilson said

"Yes sir that’s fine with me" Colin replied

"What do you mean what is going on here" Bernard asked

"Its dead easy Buster, I found I liked being in charge of my own private army so I arranged for the atrocity caused by the New Delphi fanatics to remove all pretenders to my throne, or desk leaving me and Colin with our own town for the moment but in the future who knows. You are a problem I intend to remove." He reached to his desk drawer and the bullet hitting him in the shoulder threw him backwards knocking him and the chair over.

"Touch that gun fat boy and I vent your fucking head" I shouted.

I reached under the long skirt to pull the other pistol off my other calf, taped there at Wendy’s insistence. It had been a right pain to walk with uncomfortable as hell but she was right about them.

"There you go Bernard one for you it has one in the chamber" I said passing him the other pistol "and don’t use them too fast I only have one spare magazine for each" as I reached in my bag and passed him one of the two magazines in there. Captain Wilson was struggling to get up at this point his moans and curses becoming clearer as his head appeared above the desk.

"If I hear that desk draw open I will empty this magazine into you so how about you crawl around to this side just in case I start hearing things" I told him

"Who the fuck are you" he snarled as he sat down on the floor in front of his desk.

"Guess what Captain you’re a Psychic, you were saying about the threat from New Delphi and it was standing right in front of you." I said

"You are from there, they send children against me. They dare send children against me." He was incensed by this idea

"No buddy boy I sent me as I am the Boss, I felt I should deal with you personally" I told him.

"What do you mean?" he demanded

"I am the Boss Lady, The Oracle and I have been waiting to meet you since you started executing civilians in Doncaster." I informed him

"I had that right I was a serving military officer in a time of national emergency" He protested.

"Yes and you have just tried to kill the chief of the armed forces" I indicated Bernard.

"Well here are my loyal men" he said as the door burst open.

"You can wait for two minutes before you decide what you are going to do but if I hear anyone move this place will be redecorated in blood, bone and brain."

I reached in my pocket and pulled out the little dictation machine that had been on since we entered the room and pressed play. The men behind me could hear what had transpired in the room, not a high quality recording but with the volume cranked up they could hear it well enough, I knew by the mumbles and sharp intakes of breath.

"Right now lads this is the situation at the moment when I turn around if I see your weapons raised I start firing or if your weapons are pointing in a safe direction I will take it that you recognise Major General Brown’s authority here and are still soldiers." I said with my back still towards them.

I turned around slowly keeping the gun on Wilson’s head to find three men standing at attention.

 

"A very good choice lads" said Bernard "you have just saved all your lives. You" he pointed to the man on the end who marched forward then came to attention in front of him with a lot of stamping.

"SIR" he shouted

"Go and get my Sergeant Major and the other men who came with him. You two go and tell what you heard here. I want every one on parade in one hour in the compound. Well dismissed move it man" Bernard told them and they rushed off.

"Jesus Christ Kathy I am getting too old for these games. Where on earth did you pull these out from" he indicated the pistol

"Well a girls got to have some secrets" I told him as the door burst open and Jimmy and the team came rushing in.

"We heard a shot are you both ok" Jimmy demanded

"Fine I wouldn’t have been except for Kathy here though" Bernard said "Can you take charge of the prisoners here as I need to sit down before I fall over. Shit my knees are trembling I haven’t felt like this for such a long time." He sat down and placed the pistol still with the tape dangling from it on the desk.

"Where did you get that" Jimmy asked

"I have no fucking idea. One moment I was preparing myself to be executed and wondering how I could get Kathy out, next thing there’s a shot he’s down and this is thrust into my hand. My head is still spinning." Bernard said

Everyone was now looking at me including the prisoners.

"Well the odds of a plan falling to shit are almost a certainty so I brought a backup plan" I told them "Will you all please turn around a moment I need to do a quick rearrangement here?"

They all did including Bernard and Wilson did with a kick from Jimmy and I opened the front of the dress to allow me to peel off the tape holding two knives in sheathes one held one under each boob lying down my stomach.

I buttoned up and threw them on the desk.

"You can look again now" I said and they turned around again

"What else have you got hidden?" Bernard asked

"Nothing honestly and those bloody things were uncomfortable on the walk in" I said

"Well they saved our lives. Jones see if you can find out where they put prisoners here then come back and get this shit safely away and under guard. Who here is good with communications equipment?" Bernard asked taking charge.

 

Twenty minutes later we had Wilson and flunkey locked up. Wilson’s private whore who had been in the other room, a large bedroom, evicted and my recording was being hooked up to the expensive music system. With everything looking like working out I gave Wendy a shout on a Radio in my bag and escaped to the bedroom to change out of these stupid clothes. I washed first using hot water from an electric tea urn glad to get the filth off me, then it was back into the jeans and another tight t-shirt chosen by Anne and Wendy. Then it was the part I had been practicing longer than any thing else. The look Sheila had given me this morning had changed peoples perceptions of me from little girl to young woman and as I had shown today both could be used to great effect.

 

Peering in the little mirror what I had decided was going to be peoples first impression of The Oracle emerged. Make up applied to age slightly without being too obvious was taking out the child in my face, that was rapidly being lost naturally and emphasising the woman who was in there. I looked at what I had done, it was nowhere near as good as Sheila had done but it didn’t look too like a clown so I tied my hair back and slipped the modified double shoulder holster on slipping one of the pistols back home.

"Bernard" I said as I entered the hall again "can I claim my other pistol back? I feel lopsided and weird without it"

"My dear I would insist on it if you didn’t ask those two are needed as part of you image." Bernard said

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Before I knew you or the Boss" Jimmy said "I was starting to hear the rumours on my travels. Now please remember I started in Bristol and worked up the west coast in my travels so it’s not as if its local gossip. The rumours were of a group called New Delphi led by a young woman The Oracle. People had many different ideas about the group and you but all the stories had a few elements in common. First you were young and very smart, second that you were trying to do the right thing, a fighter for justice, a Paladin. The last thing was the one thing that is common in all the stories two silver pistols with thirteen rounds in each, the number of rounds even seems to be taking religious significance."

"The thing is Kathy" Bernard said "is that people need their hopes and these hopes take the form of the stories they tell, Robin Hood with his Bow, King Arthur with Excalibur and William Tell with his crossbow are just some. You have joined these legends I know I have done a lot of travelling recently."

I looked at him annoyed that he had been out and about putting himself at risk without telling me.

"Stop it Kathy that’s the same look that my Granddaughter uses when she disapproves, I didn’t feel you needed to be bothered by every minor operational detail." Bernard protested

"Anyway" Jimmy continued "in all the stories you have the two silver pistols. In my varied experience and studies over the years for a war of the people, a civil war or revolution, to work you need a strong figurehead. Castro or Che in Cuba, Chairman Mao in China or the Peron’s in Argentina. Every one of these people except for Juan Peron, who was working in the light of his wife, is instantly associated with an image as are you."

"Fine if it stops me having to kill people I will play it to the full, how do I look?" I asked slipping the silver metal back home.

"Beautiful in a child like innocence offset by the lethality and sexuality you project. You are a paradox so we use it to the full"

"Sexuality me? Have you brought you glasses Bernard" I protested blushing bringing comments from all the team.

"Can I say something Sir" came Jones voice

"You usually do without asking don’t you" Bernard said

"Well it’s like this Ma’am. I don’t believe in agreeing with officers or NCOs out of principal" Jones explained "But what the boss said there was right. You look beautiful a little young for me but I don’t mind waiting a few years." This provoked a glare from Jimmy.

"The thing is you do look beautiful and more importantly your smart and get the job done. We could have been well and truly fucked here, pardon my language, but you not the Boss or the Sergeant here did it. Everyone I meet from now on is going to know about you and Ma’am if a certain Officer irritates you again please give me or any of the lads here a nod and he won’t do it again" Jones finished

"I think I will deal with that problem Jones but thank you for that" Bernard said "We have a parade out there in fifteen minutes can you lot go and organise them and if possible keep out of trouble?"

"Yes Sir" Jones replied

"You seem to have another convert Kathy it took me a week to win his approval, though Jimmy here only took a couple of days" Bernard said

"He has no control over his gob his brain thinks it so his mouth speaks it, but he is a good soldier despite this." Jimmy said

I didn’t care how he said things I was not known for my tact either what was more important than any figurehead role in my mind was I had his respect. Not just as a clever little girl but in the same light as Jimmy and Bernard. Now all I had to do was repeat this five hundred times and we might get a result here.

 

Outside Jimmy started screaming abuse at the men gathered in a rabble out there and there was a hurried shuffling of feet. Jimmy came back in with a face like thunder.

"Fucking army, leave them alone for a minute and they all fall to shit, begging your pardon Sir, Ma’am" He said.

"No I agree with you it was different in my day though" Bernard said.

"What do you mean your day?" I asked him "this is your time your finest hour"

"No my dear this is your time, my mark on history is made in this I shall just be an additional figure in the background" Bernard said

"What a Friar Tuck to my Robin Hood?" I said

"Well I prefer to think of myself as Little John, no a Merlin to your Arthur and you have Lancelot in Wendy and what do you think Jimmy is a Percival?" Bernard said

"No I see him more as the Green Knight a mysterious figure arriving in the night" I said

"What’s up with the Greek hero’s that you lot use?" Jimmy asked

"Most of the Greek hero’s were tragic hero’s dying having reached their moment of triumph, I can’t see you as a tragic hero Jimmy" Bernard told him

"Well maybe not. Lets see if they are ready for you" Jimmy said walking to the door "LOOK AT YOU LOT YOU’RE A LOAD OF FUCKING MUPPET’S. DO I HAVE TO SHOVE MY HAND UP YOUR ARSE TO MAKE YOU WORK?" he roared at them which sent me into fits of laughter, even Bernard smiled. After about five minutes I was anxious to head outside but Bernard stopped me.

"Wait Kathy another five minutes at least, let Jimmy stamp his authority all over them first" He said as Jimmy’s roars could be heard outside.

"Right are you ready?" Bernard asked when Jimmy’s shouting had ceased.

"Yes, well to be honest no not at all but lets play" I told him and we walked out the door.

 

Outside I could see rows of men three deep twelve to a row making units of men. There were thirteen of these groups of thirty six men and two groups short one of my team and another to make up the spare men. I did a quick add up the last unit only had twenty one men four hundred and eighty nine men here.

"PARADE, PARADE ATTENTION" Jimmy screamed and marched towards us.

"Parade awaiting your inspection Sir" he said after saluting "Four hundred and ninety seven men present at least thirty five on other duties Sergeant Major Houston reporting Sir"

"Very well carry on" Bernard said and we were marched around the men

as we passed the first group some muttering could be heard from the men and Jimmy disappeared, I glanced back to see Jimmy with his nose about three inches from some poor bastards face.

"Who gave you permission to open that mouth" he screamed continuing without giving the man a chance to answer "and what was that you said about who is the kid. I see no children here except possibly you lot. I saw two soldiers of a superior rank inspecting you. One of those is my Divisional Officer, a man who got the VC twice." Jimmy continued Wendy could have heard him with how loud he was.

"The other one is his superior, the person who devised our entry here and saved my officers life and probably mine, while taking down your Captain and pissing over your idea of security in the process and will not be referred to as a kid. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME YOU HORRIBLE LITTLE TURD?"

"YES SERGEANT MAJOR" the man screamed back. Bernard continued his inspection without paying attention to anything that was going on, I tried to follow his lead.

 

The inspection was completed and the parade was stood at ease.

"Do you want to do this or shall I" Bernard asked me quietly

"I don’t want to but I am going to have to" I admitted and started to address the men.

"Men this evening I relieved Captain Wilson of command of this Unit and placed it under the direct control of Major General Bernard Brown as Chief of the United Kingdoms armed forces. Captain Wilson and Sergeant Mitchell I have placed under arrest for the murder of civilians, military personnel and Treason." This brought comments from all around.

"Milligan hit it now" I said and the Captains voice could be heard from the speakers but the men were making too much noise to hear Jimmy’s shouts were being ignored.

 

I had to regain control here I reached with my right hand and drew the left pistol, aimed at a large metal dustbin behind the men and emptied the magazine into it. The silence after the last shot was deafening and as the Captains voice carried on they heard him admit to the murder of their officers provoking another roar. I reloaded and fired one shot from the fresh clip. Silence came again to be filled by Jimmy.

"What the fuck do you think you are a fucking football crowd. You are soldiers and the next soldier that makes a sound will be receiving a size eleven suppository, black leather. I don’t know were the hell you have been before this but I will not have this on my parade. Sorry Ma’am you may continue."

"Tomorrow they shall be tried by a combined Military and Civilian Court I am going to arrange here. I will be Judging this trial with the assistance of Major General Brown here. Twelve people will be brought from the town of Doncaster to act as Jury and this trial will be held in the hall there. For anyone who is wondering who the hell I am I am The Oracle Leader of New Delphi" I turned to Bernard "all yours"

 

I went back inside and made myself a coffee strong and sweet and sat there trembling. Bernard came in after a while and sat down next to me.

"I nearly fucked up there didn’t I. Telling them nearly caused a mutiny didn’t it." I said looking at my half drunk drink

"It was a critical moment that had to be faced. Besides why do you think only seven of our team paraded, the others had them covered from buildings either side of the road, I was just about to pull you inside when you blew the shit out of the bin literally" Bernard explained "You did good Kid"

"You did, though it was a bit hairy for a moment" Jimmy said from behind me.

"Well I want some food in me to throw up later and some ammunition, so lets go and raid the kitchen and the armoury." I said drinking the last of my coffee which was now cold and standing up.

 

I was escorted to the armoury by Jimmy, Jones and Mitchell. Bernard was going to meet us in the mess.

"Yes what can I do for you?" said the older corporal behind the desk in the house being used as an armoury Jimmy glared and the man added "Ma’am"

"Nine millimetre rounds have you got any I want fourteen" I said

"Well the problem is I am accountable for all weapons and ammunition here we cant have people walking in and out at will helping themselves, resources are not unlimited you know. I need paperwork signed by the Major General now allowing me to release the ammunition to you on condition it is signed back in if it is unused on your return to the compound." The man said "Ma’am" was added on the end almost as an after thought.

"I want fifteen rounds of nine millimetre ammunition just like this" I said removing one round from my spare clip returned by Bernard.

"Sergeant you know how it is all ammunition must be signed for and handed out only to authorised personnel I couldn’t even give you the ammun…" the man stopped mid word as I had just placed a round in the chamber of the pistol pointing at him.

"Sergeant?" the man looked imploringly at Jimmy. Jimmy put his fingers in his ears.

"You have five seconds to start looking" I said "four, three, two .."

"I’m finding them" the man screamed

"Good call" Jimmy said as the man appeared with a small box.

"I know what" I said to him "to avoid the unpleasantness next time I will take the box, good evening."

"Jesus that’s how I see Anderson in fifteen years time" I said outside.

"He probably would have been just like that a supply officer saying no to everything without paperwork in triplicate it’s a job that needs to be done but at the appropriate time." Jimmy said to me

 

We entered the Mess a large hall with a kitchen at one end and a serving hatch Scout symbols were on the end wall and tables had been set up. Thirty or forty men were eating one saw us and suddenly the room was at attention.

"Sit down and eat I’m not here to ruin your meal" I said and they did.

We walked over to the kitchen not a huge one but a fair size sort of on a par with a nursing home one I saw where Wendy once worked and inside a tall gangly thin man was rushing around not noticing us.

 

He glanced up and caught sight of our figures and said "If you want feeding go to the hatch I’ll be with you in a moment."

Jimmy cleared his throat loudly.

"I said if you want feeding" He looked up "Oh shit. Sorry Sergeant Major sorry Ma’am I didn’t realise it was you Ma’am"

"Don’t worry about it were here for food if that possible" I said

"Foods always possible to those who are pleasant, if their not pleasant they have to wait" He said with a big grin "I can sort out some of the Captain’s food but it will take at least half an hour Ma’am"

"Would that be steak and kidney pie I can see over there?" I asked him

"Yes and my own recipe it’s a good job you lot came or I was for it tomorrow if he wanted the good steak." The man said with an infectious grin.

"And I know I saw chips" I said

"Lets get you sorted" the man said putting a piece of the pie on the plate that took up nearly half of the plate and then loading it up with chips.

"Oh thank you I am ravenous it’s a pity you haven’t got mushy peas" I said

"Ask and it will appear" the man said pulling a ladle out of a pan with the green slop in.

"I am in your debt thank you. I don’t need signed paperwork to get all this do I?" I asked

"No I’m not Corporal Howard, I’m Corporal Harris cook for nine years. I am a Chef when I get the chance, so any thing you want Ma’am you just ask me. Sergeant what would you like?" the man said as I walked into the mess area and sat down at an empty table. All eyes were on me so I smiled and got stuck in the food and I have to admit this man was a master of the Pie and Chips. Anne’s food was excellent but tended to be a bit adventurous; while I always liked food I knew the name of.

 

"Coffee or tea Ma’am" Corporal Harris asked as I was eating.

"I would have come and grabbed it" I protested.

"My kitchen, my mess your forces Ma’am so I bring you your meal, but your welcome in my kitchen any time" he said

"Coffee please" I said

"High praise that Kathy I haven’t been invited into a kitchen since I’ve been in the forces. Most cooks would rather share underpants than invite someone into their kitchen." Jimmy said

"True Jimmy" Bernard said sitting down next to me "but you haven’t got Kathy’s looks or my rank. Perhaps it’s my looks and I scared him and Kathy’s rank. Whatever I got the open invite too"

 

Corporal Harris returned with cups on a tray and started passing them around.

"Grab a cup and pull up a pew Harris" Bernard said

"Sir?" Harris replied

"Grab a brew and pull up a chair I want to talk to you for a minute"

"Yes sir" Harris said and reappeared moments later with a cup and a chair.

"Now Harris relax I just want to find out what we can do here to turn this mob back into an effective unit. I have no NCOs and only a few Corporals to talk to so I am starting with you as the man who meets more of the men than anyone else I want to hear how this crew got like this" Bernard explained

"Sir?" the mans face was filled with indecision.

"Look for the next five minutes stop calling me sir and don’t give me I am only a lowly cook routine. The first person I seek out after my second in command is the head chef. I even took my chef over the water at Salamis" Bernard said

"Only because of his Eggs Benedictine Sir" Harris replied with a smile

"You know Kenny?" Bernard said

"Yes sir but I knew him as Sergeant Major and my chief instructor Sir" Harris replied

"Well he has probably poisoned you ears against me, his testimony was one of the things that got me this thing, lies all lies." Bernard said

"Yes sir that’s what he said you would say and if I can speak honestly I feel that both of you deserve the medals you got and spend a lot of time playing it down" Harris replied

"Well call me Boss then that’s what I am most comfortable with and tell me what is wrong here" Bernard replied

 

They talked for about half an hour about the problems that had been faced and what had happened. One of the few things I did take notice of was the fact that they had been keeping the fifteen hundred civilians left on a one meal a day diet of bread and soup fed every afternoon. More food could be earned as with the Captains little Whore, for services rendered and some women had set up a brothel payable in food to keep their families fed. Harris had received a reduction in rank for not sticking to the Captains instructions on ration size.

 

"What is the problem a shortage of food?" I asked

"No we control a large number of supermarket supply depots part of our initial job when this started was protecting those we have lorries and fuel and food there for at least six months solid for all the people in this town. But these things must be rationed and protected due to their irreplaceable nature." Harris said

 

"How many Lorries to bring in enough food to feed them properly tonight?" I demanded.

"Two, no make that three for morning as well" Harris said

"Have you got enough men to cook tonight?" I asked

"Nothing fancy yes sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers you know things like that yes. No problems"

"How long will it take to get to the nearest of these depots?" I asked

"Twenty minutes at most." He replied.

"Jimmy I want four lorries twenty men and four drivers in five minutes please" I said

"Yes Ma’am but drop the please, please" Jimmy said

"Harris get things moving so that when you get back you can start straight away" I said.

"Yes Ma’am" He replied

"Harris" Bernard said

"Yes Sir"

"Sort out your bloody uniform in that you look like you’re only a bloody corporal"

"Yes Sir" Harris said

"Move it Sergeant" Bernard said and Harris was gone.

 

I was about to get up and head out side when Bernard stopped me.

"Sit wait for Jimmy he will tell you when it’s ready" he said

"But" I said

"Listen you are making a fantastic impression here so do it properly let them fetch and carry and run around otherwise you will find yourself doing the work while they skive. You are to tell those men what to carry and if I hear of you carrying one box off Jimmy I will set Wendy, Anne and Sheila on you and believe me Sheila makes you look like you fight fair." Bernard said firmly

"Yes Bernard" I said meekly

"and don’t try that on me" he said laughing.

"Bernard there is a radio in the bag I brought in get Wendy in here we may need her medical skills and see if there is a doctor or at least medical supplies while we are gone" I said

"That’s it give orders like the leader you are, yes Ma’am" Bernard said

"I’m sorry I was just thinking how we are going to do this" I told him

"Don’t apologise I was serious" he said and left me.

 

I sat there alone at the table with the eyes on me I couldn’t meet the looks so I dropped the magazine from the Beretta I had used and replaced the one round used I then refilled the empty magazine. As I finished I looked up to find Jimmy there.

"All ready Ma’am" he said

"Sorry to keep you waiting" I said

"No your weapon and you safety are first everything else can wait. Milligan, Jones and I will be keeping you safe, the rest of the lads are keeping an eye on The Boss though he doesn’t know it and I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell him."

"Fine by me" I said

 

Half an hour later we were loading up the wagons from a large warehouse with Tesco on the side. Jimmy and Harris organised things and I kept watch with Milligan. The two guards at the depot were rather upset to find themselves humping boxes but Jimmy soon sorted them out.

Fully loaded we were heading back within fifteen minutes and within an hour and twenty minutes Harris was cooking and lights were being organised for the area Bernard had placed tables.

 

"Hi sister I see you have been playing rough again" Wendy said

"Well sort of" I admitted

"Here you left this lying around" she passed me a tissue

I unwrapped it and found a bullet with red stains on.

"What a pity no anaesthetic here" she said as she walked off to set up her medical station.

 

The gates were opened at ten pm and the first few people stood outside suspiciously looking us over. I walked out to them ignoring Jimmy tensing up.

"Please come on in eat" I said and had very little reaction nobody and came inside.

"Look this place is no longer under Captain Wilson’s control I have placed Major General Brown here in charge of these forces now." I said beckoning Bernard to come forward. Still no reaction from the crowd.

"Fair enough I will get the men to move the food out here but I am looking for some people as well." The crowd started to mumble it was obvious they thought this was a trick.

"At New Delphi we have a young girl a Jennifer Adams who lost her mother in Darlington also a Brian and Trisha Williams. They are all looking for there parents." I said I heard a gasp from the crowd someone knew one of those names.

 

"How do we know your from there you might just be after hostages" a man at the front asked.

"Brian is a shy young man especially with females but he is wonderful with animals and all he wants to do is farm. Trisha on the other hand is extremely intelligent, precocious, and arrogant with a mouth from hell till you break through the surface to the real Trisha. Jenny is a six year old who is absolutely gorgeous with an insatiable appetite for knowledge every answer you give her is followed by another question." I said to the crowd a woman came pushing through.

"Jenny you found Jenny?" she cried

"Yes she’s safe you can be there tonight" I assured her

"You say you have Brian and Trisha Williams how do I know this is true?" a man said

"Look Brian’s looking after the herd at New Delphi at the moment and also helping out Harry at Toms place as Tom has been fighting in Darlington. Trisha and Andrea are working as nurses and field medic’s there as well. So you must be Joe Williams It is a pleasure to meet you" I said

"Well who exactly am I giving this pleasure to?" He asked in the same gruff manner that Tom had met us with.

"I am Kathy The Oracle of New Delphi, come please eat." I took Joes hand and Jenny’s mothers hand and walked them in.

 

People came and after the first few we had everyone we could lay our hands on serving and cooking, but there was no mad rush into the compound the first few people through took some food and headed out of the compound then people started to follow but not to sit at the tables. I started handing out food till Bernard caught my eye and I passed the job over to Jones who was just standing around after the first couple of people. I wasn’t willing to stop though and I started moving amongst the crowd outside passing out Mars Bars and Twix to the children out there. Jimmy joined me as the two of us walked through the crowd it parting silently as we walked. The people were thin not at the point of death but very thin the clothes hung on them, the children’s showed little reaction as I passed out the sweets. I couldn’t understand it they weren’t eating they were terrified of me what had this bastard been doing.

"Ma’am" Jones said behind me

"Yes" I said.

"I just found out they haven’t had their water ration today they haven’t drunk since yesterday" he said

"Water ration, he was even rationing water" I gasped

"Yes one pint per person per day he also shot people for stealing food or water or accepting food or water without services being provided." Jones said

"Jimmy" I shouted "These people haven’t drank today he’s been rationing water. No rain no extra water this week"

"Fuck, I’ll sort it now" He said disappearing into the compound

"Are you going to let us have a drink?" said one little girl no more than seven years old.

"Shh." Said her mother looking at me with suspicion

"Yes love" I said as much as you want

"That would be nice as I feel poorly" she said I felt her head she was hot.

"WENDY WHERE ARE YOU" I shouted

"OVER HERE" came her reply I shoved the box of Mars bars in Jones hands and lifted the girl up.

"No please not my little girl" the woman said

"She’s sick come on" I said

"No she’s not sick, she will get better no please, please don’t" she said

"What’s up its ok nothing will happen" I said

"They, well he shot her husband when he was ill as they couldn’t risk a disease in the town" an older woman by her side said

"How many" I asked

"Seventy, eighty may be as many as a hundred" she said

"Can you help me get this girl and her mother to my sister she has medicine to help her and then come to talk to General Brown about this please." I said

"Yes. I haven’t got anything to lose anymore" she said and the four of us with the mother still screaming walked into the compound.

"Wendy we have a sick kid here, move it." I shouted

Wendy came running and felt the girls head and neck.

"What’s your name?" the girl asked

"Wendy"

"I had a Wendy house was it yours?" the girl asked

"No it was yours, is your throat sore?" the girl shook her head

"have you had anything to eat or drink today?" Wendy asked

"No they don’t let us have it till very late mummy lets me stay up" the girl said

"Look calm down" she said to the mother who was sobbing "It’s dehydration and malnutrition making her a bit more susceptible to things that’s all get some food and a lot of water into her and we will keep an eye on her." Wendy led her off to the table nearest the gate getting a man to bring food and water.

"Are you lot for real or is this another of that sick bastards games?" the older woman asked.

"This is for real we are now in charge and tomorrow Wilson goes on trial" I said

"I hope so because he deserves it" She answered.

I led her over to Bernard and sat her down Joe Anderson was eating and drinking but looking around suspiciously Jenny’s mother was with one of the girls from Wendy’s bike unit.

"Bernard I think you need to listen to this lady" I said he stood up as we sat down

"Bernard Brown My dear lady and you are?" he asked her eyes were on his face and the patch that covered his eye she had her mouth open.

"I’m sorry my dear it happened many years ago it did little for my looks though" Bernard said

"No its not that I have seen you on television I know your face, your oh god your.." she said

"Bernard Brown and yes I was on television but I wouldn’t have thought you would be old enough to remember it." Bernard said

"Don’t talk crap man, I am sixty seven years old and I look it, that’s it that Greek island oh what was its name" she said

"Salamis" I said

"yes that’s the place you had your medals off that accountant bloke" she said

"A bit earlier and it might have meant something more receiving them from the Queen would have been memorable The Right Honourable Accountant Bloke doesn’t quite sound the same" Bernard said smiling "and what is your name my dear lady"

"Tina, Tina Evans the girl here wanted me to tell you what’s been going on here. I am not totally convinced this isn’t Cuntface Wilson up to something" the profanity sounded strange coming from this old ladies mouth but the hatred in her voice was nearly tangible.

 

She told he story to Bernard the food rationing, the water rationing the executions of the sick and the random executions as I watched the crowd surge forward at the sight of water. People were scared looking around snatching a cup of water and running grabbing food and doing the same. At one side I could see a girl about my age she had bruises on her arms and also on her legs which were visible from an obscenely short skirt Milligan was trying to give food and water to her and a young child she had in tow no more than a toddler.

 

I left the table and walked to Milligan.

"Let me try here you carry on with the others" I said

"Yes Ma’am" he said his voice thick with emotion as he passed me a plate of Burgers and a plastic jug of water.

"Its ok here you go" I said and walked towards her she backed off pulling the child with her. "I will just put it down here and move all the way back here then will you have it?" I asked she nodded I could see bruises on her neck finger marks and also on her thighs. I backed off and she grabbed the water which the child took and started drinking greedily the food was untouched till both of them had drunk.

"If you want anything else you call me, Kathy, or tell any of the men you want Kathy and I will come you don’t have to get close to them you just say you want Kathy do you understand" she nodded and I left her to it. Another woman grabbed me Jimmy started to move in but I shook my head.

"They said you have a medicine here my babies sick she’s not moving please help her, please I will do anything" she tried to pass me a small bundled object.

"No both of you" I said guiding her through the crowd "You will like Wendy she’s my sister"

"Wendy this lady has a sick baby" I said to Wendy

"Can I take a look please?" Wendy asked as she uncovered the baby the slight movements of the chest were the only signs that the child was alive. It was skin and bone.

"Wrap her up again warm I will just be a moment" Wendy said and indicated to me to come with her.

"Dehydration and Malnutrition she probably stopped producing milk weeks ago the poor mites just starving to death and I can’t do a thing" she said

"But you did with Sarah" I said

"Sarah was strong enough to suck, an IV line is my only option and I haven’t the skills or the equipment to do it." She said.

"Can Bill do it" I demanded

"Possibly but I don’t know." Wendy admitted

"Has she any chance here?"

"None" Wendy said

"Then we get her to New Delphi" I said

"I don’t think she would survive the journey what is it going to be two hours in the dark avoiding debris bouncing around in a Land Rover or lorry?" Wendy said

"Then we get Mike off his bum and get Bill and him out here to pick up by winch if necessary but those lorries we used have to be parked somewhere." I said

"Can we, its not exactly our helicopter?" Wendy replied

"Well we will find out how far this chain of command works" I said "I want your best two riders kitted up in five minutes"

 

"Jimmy" I shouted and he appeared

"Jimmy I want one of your men who won’t be afraid to pull a gun on an officer if my orders are ignored, and don’t worry its not for the boss. I want him here in four minutes" I told him

"Yes Ma’am JONES" he shouted.

"Excuse me Bernard I am commandeering your helicopter I am afraid."

"What" he said

"We have a baby here who if we don’t get her to New Delphi will die, she might die there but she has a chance so I’m airlifting her out" I said

"Its yours to do with as you wish go ahead" Bernard said

"I have I was just telling you in passing" I smiled sweetly and carried on

 

Jones was waiting at the compound entrance as were two bikes with two people on one and one on the other.

"Listen I need you to go to New Delphi as fast as you can. I want the helicopter airborne within ten minutes of you getting there and on its way here" I told Jones "I want you and Surgeon Commander Day on board, tell him we are airlifting a baby about three months old to New Delphi. She’s dehydrated and malnourished and we haven’t got the kit or the abilities to get an IV line in. Are you with me so far?"

"Yes Ma’am" he said

"If they have any objections except the fact that they are dead or someone will die if they leave you pull this on them" I passed him one of my pistols.

"Ma’am?" he said

"You pull this on them and say that I ordered you to do it do you understand me?" I said

"Yes Ma’am" He said

"Go then move it." I shouted and the two bikes roared off

"Jimmy" I shouted and again he was there. "How the hell do you do that?"

"Easy I just keep an eye on you at all times so by the time you have finished shouting I am there" he said with a smile.

"I need somewhere to land a Sea King and lights to guide it in you have little over an hour can you sort it?" I asked

"Yes Ma’am. MILLIGAN, HANKINSON" he shouted and left me

 

I returned to Wendy and the mother who was distraught.

"We will have a Helicopter to take you and your baby to New Delphi in an hour they have a facilities to help her and a doctor on the helicopter" I said

"Thank you, oh thank you what is your name?" she asked

"Kathy" I said and waved a soldier over

"Yes Ma’am" he answered

"Food and water for this lady and you are now a medical runner. She wants it you get it" I said indicating Wendy

"Yes Ma’am" he said

"Why is he calling her Ma’am" the woman whispered to Wendy

"Because she’s my sister The Oracle Of New Delphi" Wendy said as I disappeared.

 

The Helicopter came and Bill rushed the child and mother onboard. I pushed Joe Williams and Jenny’s mother, whose name I hadn’t found out yet on board and watched them leave. I then went back to trying to help people Bernard and Tina were as was Jimmy. I had my pistol returned by Jones who was most upset he didn’t have to use it.

"Kathy" I heard my name called I looked around and saw the girl with he toddler in tow

"Kathy I’m sorry can we have a little bit more water please?" she said

"One second" I grabbed a jug of water and a handful of chocolate bars.

"Here you go" I said passing them to her she took them from my hand then pulled away as my fingers touched hers for a second. She passed the water to the boy who drank greedily.

"What’s your name" I asked and got no reply

"Come on what’s your name you know mine if you want to speak to me so what’s yours if I want to talk to you?" I asked gently

"Bitch, Cunt, Whore, Dog I don’t care" she said her voice biting with every word

"No I want to know what you want me to call you, your name please?" I said

"Sally" the girl said her voice quiet

"And is this your brother?"

"Yes he’s James" she said

"Sally do you and James need anything at all" I said

"No just the water" she said sharply and then more gently "thank you"

"Sally if you or James need anything else you call me or Jimmy over there he won’t come near you because I will tell him not to and he will find me" I said she looked unsure about this last idea.

"No" Sally answered

"That’s ok whatever you decide" I said

"Good"

"Sally if I can’t come would you let my sister?" I asked her she didn’t respond she stood there biting her bottom lip.

"Jimmy get Wendy please" I said quietly and he disappeared.

"Hi Kathy is this your new friend?" Wendy asked obviously briefed.

"This is Sally and her brother James" I said

"Hi James how are you?" Wendy asked the now chocolate covered boy.

"Wendy do you remember what happened when this first started and that man tried to do those nasty things to me?" I said loud enough for Sally to hear

"Yes Kathy" Wendy said

"Well I can tell something like that has happened to Sally because she is just like I was before you helped me" I said

"Is this right Sally did a man hurt you and do things he shouldn’t of?" Wendy asked

Sally’s face contorted with anguish she started wringing her hands.

"Will you let me help you and James?" Wendy asked

"No your with them" Sally shouted.

"No I came here to stop them with my soldiers I shot Captain Wilson and now my friend Bernard is going to make sure that nothing like that ever happens here again" I said.

"Did you kill him?" Sally asked

"No I only hurt him. But he is locked up now with my men watching him with guns, tomorrow we will have a trial to find out all of what he did" I said

"He killed my Mummy and Daddy he said they were sick. They had given their water to me and Jimmy that was all and he shot them" she broke down in tears. I took the opportunity to move the last six feet to her and slip an arm around her to rub her back. She looked up startled then let me hug her as she cried again she was freezing.

"Wendy help me here please" I said quietly and we got the two of them into the compound and sat down at one of the tables.

"The sergeant, No THE SERGEANT" She shouted but wedged between me and Wendy both of us hugging her and reassuring her we explained that he was safely locked up.

"My dear girl" came Bernard’s voice Sally looked up in panic but Bernard was ten feet away and the other side of the table.

"My dear girl if Wendy comes here and takes my coat will you please wrap it around you as it is a chilly evening and I don’t think you are very warm there."

"Yes thank you" Sally said trembling and Wendy took the long coat off him and wrapped it around Sally and James sat on her knee.

"That’s better sorry to have disturbed you Ma’am but I couldn’t let her get cold you understand" Bernard said

A few minutes later Jones appeared in the same place that Bernard had been.

"Excuse me for disturbing you Ma’am, But would any of you like a hot drink we have tea coffee and chocolate?" he said

"Coffee for me please Jones the same for Wendy. Would James like a drinking chocolate do you think?" She nodded "and you?" she nodded again.

"Jones ask Harris if he has any biscuits hidden" I said

"Yes Ma’am right away Ma’am" he said

Within a minute the drinks were there and placed on the end of the table so Jones didn’t have to get too close.

Next on the parade of people was Milligan informing me that the prisoners guard had been changed and all was secure.

Jimmy came marching up and came to attention in front of me.

"Will you have any further need of the Helicopter tonight or can I replace the vehicles and have the men bed down for the night Ma’am?" Jimmy said

"I need to check one thing with you on that Houston so I will come with you. Wendy can you stay here I will be back within five minutes. Is that alright with you Sally?" I asked

"Please don’t be long" she said

"I’ll be quick" I said and led Jimmy around the corner.

"What the hell is going on Jimmy?" I said

"I was listening as you were talking to her before I apologise for it. She trusts you but not the rest of us so with the Boss we did this game just to show her you are in command not Wilson. I am sorry if it was wrong" Jimmy said

"No not at all I think its working she’s talking to Wendy now" I said after looking around the corner.

"Ma’am" came a voice from behind me I turned and found Milligan

"I’m sorry to interrupt you Ma’am but how’s the girl? I saw you with her there but I didn’t want to scare her" He said his face full of concern

"I think she will be ok given some time" I said

"Good if there is anything I can do please tell me. I felt so fucking useless not able to do anything for her without scaring her" he said

"Don’t worry you coming here has changed her life for the better" I said and Milligan disappeared

"And how about you how are you coping. I heard something about you in a similar situation Kathy" Jimmy said

"Slightly different for me Jimmy I blew his fucking brains out before he could" I said "but thank you for your concern it is very much appreciated. I though I was in over my head getting in here, Christ that was the easy part. Anymore good ideas just do it I better get back"

 

I returned to the table to find Wendy and Sally sat there I was just about to sit down when I heard engines.

"Inbound vehicles" I shouted "Jimmy get the team armed now. Get these civilians to safety I shouted at one man"

"Where" he asked

"Get them in the mess hall if any shooting starts I want them safe"

I ran to the compound entrance where people were still milling around

"Ladies and Gentlemen can you take cover we have vehicles moving in the town and I would like you all safe just in case" one man was saying

"Jimmy move your fucking team now, You lot take cover now" I shouted running for the road I could here them coming down.

I could see the headlights of a car approaching me fast less than a hundred meters away due to the bright lights and the dark street I couldn’t make out anything of the car or what it was so I decided to aim for where the engine should be just in case it was friendly.

 

"Take cover now move your fucking arses now" I screamed at the last people and opened fire at the car. I emptied the pistol in around five seconds dropped the pistol and drew the other one I was halfway through the rounds in that as the car was upon me and one light went either side of me as the two motorbikes split and went around me. I sank to my knees and Jones and Milligan were at my side.

"Are you hurt Ma’am" came Jones voice

"No" I whispered picking up my dropped pistol

"You stupid fucking bastards, I told you to return in the morning" I shouted at the two motorcyclists and one pillion sat astride there now silent bikes in front of the compound.

"Sorry Boss Anne wanted you to have this" one of them said passing me my flying jacket

"I don’t give a flying fuck what Anne wanted. You came within a couple of feet of twenty bullets. The only reason you’re not dead is I was trying to take out a car engine rather than kill the driver. My orders are final and I don’t give shit if Anne wants you to bring a spare kidney for me I say stay put you stay put do you understand me?" I shouted

"Yes Boss, sorry Boss"

"Jimmy where the hell are you?"

"Here Ma’am" he was struggling with the man from the armoury.

"What the fuck happened to your team? Where were they?" I said

"This Corporal here refused us access to our weapons so I hit him. The little shit then shot me in the fucking arm" Jimmy shouted back "I had to get his gun off him before they could get out to help you"

"Major General Brown can you deal with that man as you see fit or do I" I said

"I will deal with it Ma’am" Bernard said.

"Where are the men on watch here tonight?" I shouted

"Come on I have seen you walking around with the rifles avoiding any work" I said

"Get your fucking arses out here now" I roared at them as the six men slowly emerged.

"This isn’t a fucking geriatric outing move your fucking bums" I shouted and deciding the little jog wasn’t fast enough I wasted a shot in the air a couple of feet over their heads. They stopped still thirty feet away from me.

"Move your arses over here now or the watch will be down to five men and one corpse" I said quietly as silence now filled the compound

They fell in, in one row in front of me.

"Where the hell were all of you when this happened?"

"We were all around the back we thought one of the civilians might be trying to steal some thing Ma’am" one of them said

"Breathe on me soldier" I said

"Ma’am?" He muttered

"Breathe on me hard soldier or I will blow your fucking dick off" I said shoving the pistol in his crotch hard and I got the reek of spirits. I repeated this down the line.

"Sergeant Major Houston I believe this is a disciplinary matter for you all these men stink of alcohol, which I believe is why they were unable to deal with the situation. Can you deal with this after you have medical attention or shall I?" I asked

"I will deal with it personally now Ma’am" Jimmy said and having some of our team remove their weapons marched them off.

 

I looked around me I had a hell of an audience of civilians who had come out to see what the shouting was about.

"Ladies and Gentlemen there is still food available and I am on good terms with the chef so I will see what I can do about organising some hot drinks" I said

"Ready now Ma’am" came Harris’s voice

"Come eat and drink with me before bed, please" I said facing them

"Who are you and why did you try to save us" came a voice from the crowd.

"I am Kathy also known as The Oracle and you are all under the protection of me and New Delphi. Come eat drink and relax you are now amongst friends"

 

They came they sat and they ate and drank even Bernard was serving people food and drinks. There was still worry and suspicion but not like it had been earlier. People were crowding in the compound and sitting down so they could see me. Wendy and Sally returned with James. I went over to see how she was.

 

"I want a bath for her in a house with a lockable door preferably that one." She pointed to a house that had been used as a privileged barracks it even had limited electrics with electric lights.

"Done" I said "MILLIGAN"

"Yes Ma’am" he said from behind me

"Will you lot stop doing that. That house there I want for the girl and her brother I want a hot bath there and the key for the door as soon as possible. Any problems or complaints refer them to me" I said

"Yes Ma’am" he said and ran off.

Wendy was in deep conversation with Sally everyone was eating so I sat down.

 

I looked around at the people we had a good four or five hundred in the compound and many more outside. The misery and the suffering looked like something from the great Chinese famine of 2035 but this wasn’t a far off country or nature playing evil games. This was Britain and this was orchestrated by a man whose duty was to protect the people. I cried as I watched children fearfully reaching for a drink of water and mothers secreting a bread roll in their clothes till later. This wasn’t a female reaction I saw Milligan in tears as Wendy led Sally away and Jones and his sidekick Hankinson were not much better. Some of these people were a little better than the first lot but all it was, was the difference between those who were merely desperate and those who were willing to lose their life for the opportunity of a bite of food and a mouthful of water.

"Are you hurt at all Ma’am" came Jimmy’s voice gently from behind me I shook my head.

"I’m sorry my men weren’t there for you. It was my fault and it will not happen again, we got caught up in helping these people. I was sloppy" he said.

"No, no" I said "it’s not that. I know shit happens that’s why I came prepared for it. But I wasn’t prepared for this, he was sworn to protect these people how could he do this. How could anyone of them stand back and let this happen and I was worried about casualties on the part of the forces here, if I had known this before hand I would have slaughtered them all"

"NO" Jimmy said stunning me from my tears.

"What are you defending them for letting this happen?" I said

"No you have got me wrong there. I would quite happily shoot every one of the bastards here now and let their gods sort them out and it is only my utmost restraint that has stopped me. What I mean is you can’t do that you are our Paladin, our White Knight your wrath is deadly but justified a holy mission. If you turn from that you are soiled forever you become what you oppose and the ideals you stand for will be lost." He said.

"He who fights monsters should look that he himself does not become a monster" I said

"That’s it, spot on Nietzsche isn’t it?" He said

"Yes and again you surprise me I don’t think you are my green man anymore I think you are my conscience and my Excalibur in one. Sit and share my misery or go and help but please don’t call me Ma’am again today. I am not a deity or a Paladin I am someone with a shit load of luck who should have been here to help these people weeks ago. But I had my little plan on how it should be done I probably cost that baby we got out her life, Sally there was raped and I think it was in the last twenty four hours by that fuck of a Sergeant. While we were fucking around getting ready that bastard was killing people for fun. I have no right to lead this group as I let this happen a proper leader wouldn’t have let it be like this."

"But Kathy…" he said

"Don’t fucking but Kathy me. I would have died to save that child we took out but I was to fucking busy thinking of the loss of life here of troops that are nearly as guilty as their officer. How many of them had the guts to say no? I know of only one and he is buried killed saving our lives I would give all five hundred of these for one of him."

"Even when we remove their officers their still as bad look at you still bleeding there from a pompous little twat who wanted paperwork before you could try to save lives. Where were the guards? Pissing up on the fucking quiet while people were dying of thirst and hunger. They didn’t even think to tell us, we had to find out off one of the few men here who had tried to do something the fucking chef." I stopped I could only hear silence no one was speaking, no one was moving my every word was being listened to. What could I do nothing so I returned to my tears.

 

He put his arm around me till I stopped crying.

"How long were they all listening?" I asked him quietly

"Their silence was the thing that made me come to you, they heard everything" he said

"Well there goes my image can I go home now quietly" I asked Jimmy smiled

"No I am serious every wants me for my image I have fucked it now so can I go home?" I said

I walked over to the armoury with Jimmy following inside I found a man who I didn’t know.

"Nine millimetre rounds, a couple of boxes and if I hear the word paperwork I will blow your fucking head off" I said my voice flat and emotionless. The rounds arrived without a word I stood there and refilled my pistols.

"Take that one back get me a full one" I pushed the part used box back to him he opened his mouth and decided against it.

 

I shoved a box in each pocket and turned around to find Wendy and Bernard blocking the door.

"Kathy what are you doing dear?" Bernard said

"Home I am going home, I fucked up here look at these people and now I have fucked the image everyone wants so I am going home" I said

"We can have you back at New Del.." Bernard was saying till I interrupted

"No I am going home" and I tried to push past him

"You haven’t done anything but enhance your image as you call it with these people they saw you cry for those you couldn’t save, you weep for those that they lost and you would die to save them" Bernard said

"I am still the Boss" I said in a quiet voice

"Always" Wendy replied

"No, this won’t do if I am Boss it’s my fault if they kill people before we get there" I looked at the confused man behind the desk who had got my rounds.

"I need a rifle" I said

"Ma’am perhaps you should." My Beretta stopped him speaking

"I need a rifle and I need bullets lots of them you will get them now as I have to go to Newcastle." The man nodded

"Shouldn’t you take someone with you, some men at least?" Bernard said I thought about it.

"No if I take men to Newcastle then they will get killed, if I don’t go to Newcastle they will be doing this there. So I have to go to stop them then I can go home and be me again not this" I told them.

"Kathy it’s a long walk to Newcastle will you at least have a drink before you go" Jimmy asked holding out a cup of coffee "he will be a minute getting all your bullets won’t he?" I took the coffee and drank it picked up the unfamiliar rifle and was trying to pick up a large case of rounds when what ever they put in my drink took effect and my legs gave way.

 

Between Jimmy and Bernard I was walked through the crowds which parted silently they took me through to Wilson’s bedroom and lay me down on the large double bed and consciousness departed as the took my coat and guns off.

 

The terrors came that night in force I could hear voices asking why did I they wouldn’t say what I did though. Then a second group started saying why didn’t I again they wouldn’t say what I didn’t do.

Two figures approached me hand in hand and as they resolved into a baby of skin and bone and a man with a horrendous chest wound and a knife in his throat they spoke as one.

"Why did you kill me I don’t know you" more figures arrived I reached for my guns but I couldn’t find them. I screamed as loud as I could.

"Shh it ok Kathy I’m here" came Bernard’s voice

"Their coming I need my guns please where are they" I cried

"Shh close your eyes I will fight them for you" and his arms enclosed me as I drifted off to sleep. Only to be woken many times by the people who haunted my night.

 

Daylight chased the last of the nocturnal visitors away and I woke with an arm around me and a body behind me.

"I am sorry dear I am not taking advantage of you honestly" came Bernard’s voice behind me "You needed to be held to try to keep the demons away"

I rolled over to find him lying on top of the bed sheets that I was under. He was still fully dressed though he had opened his top two buttons on his tunic and removed his boots.

"You have been here all night haven’t you?" I asked and he nodded "Thank you" I slipped my arms out from under the sheets to find I was still fully clothed and hugged him tight.

"They don’t visit me so often now, but to be honest I don’t think I coped as well as you." He said

"What do you mean" I asked

"I had a wife who I loved dearly to talk to you have nobody" he said

"I have you, you were here in the dark for me thank you" I kissed him

"How are you feeling today?" he asked as he broke of the kiss

"I remember everything I did but a lot of what I was doing is beyond me. Also I have the hangover from hell" I said

"Yes you can thank Jimmy for that something he had brought with him just in case everything fell to shit a bit like your pistols." Bernard said. "I will go and grab your breakfast as you get a shower."

"No. If my image is intact I intend to carry on eating with the men" I said. "Where’s the shower and loo?" He indicated another door and I slipped out of bed and walked through.

 

"Shit you are losing it girl" I thought to myself as I sat on the loo having a pee then it hit me it was a case of "Fuck you have lost it man" I hadn’t thought of what had been done to me for such a long time that I couldn’t remember. The form follows function rule I thought I have been in this body long enough for it to affect my mind. Perhaps that’s what happened last night I thought that’s the problem my mind changing is causing me to lose my mind. But in my heart I knew that I was lying this situation was destroying me, it was beyond my mind to cope with this but not beyond my abilities to win. As I wiped the pussy I now thought of as mine and stood in the shower I had decided to win at all costs even my sanity.

 

I dried and tied my hair back while still damp and did my makeup after getting dressed. I walked out to find Bernard finishing getting dressed.

"Don’t you want to use the bathroom" I said

"No I used the facilities outside courtesy of Sergeant Harris" Bernard said

 

The courtyard had been divided into two sections by canvas screening we now had a ladies and gents washrooms and a section unscreened which was providing drinking water to a steady flow of people.

 

The mess room also had a steady flow of people military and civilian coming in and out. We walked inside and a hush descended except for the banging of pans. Harris was banging around and ordering seven men about he saw us and smiled.

"I am sorry Sir, Ma’am I will have your breakfast in a moment if you sit down I will bring you a drink over, but I am rather rushed this morning" Harris said

"Yes and last night" I said "But you love every minute of it"

He looked at me for a moment his face beaming even more and said quietly "Yes"

 

We sat down and Harris came over with two fried breakfasts and two drinks.

"Ma’am can I say something" Harris asked I nodded "Don’t eat too much rich food too late at night it might help with the dreams" and he walked off

"How did he know?" I asked

"Because your first scream woke up the whole compound scared the life out of me" said Jimmy sitting down

"That bad?" I said

"Yes but the stuff I slipped you didn’t help. I must say you look better this morning" he told me "You scared me and Wendy for a while, it was only Bernard convincing her that she could do more for Sally and he could do more for you that made her leave you. She beat me to your door when you screamed as well"

"I’m sorry" I said

"No, you are not sorry as nothing happened except a bad dream. Everything else didn’t happen. As Jones has explained to the one person who saw anything" Jimmy said

"What about you carrying me back? Everyone saw that."

"Exhaustion it was two in the morning, for gods sake I find out you haven’t had a decent nights sleep since Bernard visited you. Up and down all night checking the guard, bad dreams as well. For me please delegate things or I will get rather angry" Jimmy said

"Fine, today’s plans for when you finish your breakfast, and take your time. I want a message to New Delphi please I need twelve civilians for jury duty and a court secretary as a dictation machines can’t record enough. Also I want Sally taken to New Delphi as with anyone who Wendy feels needs it." I said

"Yes Ma’am" Jimmy said

"Bernard I want you to draw up charges against those two you’re prosecuting. Jimmy get Anderson here he talks good he’s defence"

 

The trial started at two in the afternoon the two prisoners were brought out to boo’s and cat calls till I acting as Judge fired a shot in the air and reminded everyone that this was a trial.

 

(continued in part 4)

 

 

 

*********************************************
© 2001 by Hypatia. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.