Stormdragons

Chapter 7

When Joe arrived at Madam Lefevre's cottage, he left his bike by the fence, went through the gate and walked up the path to the front door. He was about to knock when he heard a voice from the garden, Madame Lefevre's voice. Turning the corner of the house, he saw Madame Lefevre. She was no more than ten metres away. Her back was towards him and she was talking to someone or something. As Joe took another pace he saw a particularly large and ugly-looking crow perched on her slender wrist.

'Yes, my dark angel, I noticed it too. I think we have our chance at last, don't you?' said Madame Lefevre.

Joe stopped dead in his tracks. His heart sank. The crow was Lefevre's pet! She was no friend to him or to Uncle Toby. She'd had been playing him for a sucker all along. Could he sneak away without being spotted? He began to back away slowly.

The crow replied to his mistress with a hoarse caw. Madame Lefevre began to issue instructions.

'Yes, go now. And if you have to harm the boy to get it, don't hesitate.'

The crow cawed again and rose up from her wrist.

Joe didn't stay to watch any more. He turned and ran. Madame Lefevre heard his feet on the path.

'Who's there?' she shouted

Joe hurdled the fence and grabbed his bike. He mounted and began to pedal hard. He heard Madeam Lefevre shout 'It's the boy. Get him!'

Joe didn't look back. He didn't want to see those black wings and those dark eyes swooping down on him.

Within seconds he was going flat out, the bike careering over every bump and hollow in the road. He looked ahead. Two boys with bicycles were coming towards him on the narrow road. It was Spud and Mac. Madame Lefevre was shouting instructions to them. Joe's stomach tightened again. He was in even more trouble than he thought.

Joe left the road and headed downhill on the grass. Immediately, Spud and Mac split up. Spud kept to the road and Mac swung down to head Joe off. They were manoeuvring like a pair of sheep dogs circling a single sheep. Joe glanced behind. The crow was flying low, heading towards him. Joe remembered the look and feel of its talons.

'Please no, please no,' he muttered.

He headed back uphill. Perhaps he could slip between the two boys. Spud speeded up. Mac adjusted his line of approach. Joe pedalled furiously. But it was no good. They were closing in on him.

Riding hard, watching both boys and changing direction second by second, Joe failed to see a large stone in front of him. His front wheel hit it full on. The handlebars flew sideways. The bike came crashing to the ground.

Before Joe could scramble to his feet, the two boys were on him. Spud jumped on his back and pinned one of his arms.

'Gotcha!' he said.

Joe was forced flat against the earth. His face was full of grass. He tried to kick out but someone was already holding both his legs. It must be Mac. Joe gasped for breath and stopped struggling.

'That's better. You lie there like a good boy, Joey,' said Spud.

Joe struggled again, lashing out with his free hand. But the combined weight and strength of the two boys was too much for him. He slumped forward exhausted. Spud pushed down hard on the back of his neck.

'Easy now. The nice lady wants a talk with you,' he said.

Spud shifted his weight. Joe couldn't help a groan escape his lips. The two boys laughed.

'Gonna be a big reward for this, Mac, I reckon' said Spud.

'Here she comes now,' said Mac.

Joe heard an ominous caw from the sky above him, then Madame Lefevre's voice close to his ear.

'Lie still, boy, or I'll set the bird on you. And I warn you, his claws can tear metal.'

Joe lay still as Madame Lefevre dug the orb from out of his pocket. She hissed in delight.

'We did alright, didn't we Miss?' said Spud

'Madame. You will address me as Madame. How many times to I have to tell you?' replied Madame Lefevre.

'Sorry, Madame,' said Spud.

'Here, take this tape and bind his hands. Then throw him over a bike and bring him to the cottage.'

Joe didn't resist. There was no point in doing so. His mouth was dry; his body was bruised where he had hit the ground and the side of his head throbbed with pain. Worse still, he couldn't think straight. Everything had happened too fast. He hardly moved as Spud bound his hands. Together Spud and Mac heaved him onto his bicycle and wheeled him back to the cottage.

Madame Lefevre beckoned them round the side of the building.

'You two have done well,' she told the two boys. 'You'll get your reward. But not yet. I have preparations to make and you must help me. First, bring me the boy.'

Joe was hauled to his feet and pushed forward. Madame Lefevre gave him her full attention. She seemed different now. Instead of being graceful and languid, her whole body seemed possessed by a strange energy. Her fingernails flicked in and out like claws. Her thick hair writhed around her shoulders. She stared into Joe's eyes.

'Does your pasty-faced sister know you found it?'

'Yes,' said Joe.

Madame Lefevre slapped him hard across the face.

'Liar!' she snapped. 'Don't you know I can read you like a book?'

She pointed to a large metal ring attached to the back wall of the house. A padlock and length of chain dangled from the ring.

'Chain him up,' she ordered.

Joe was horrified.

'You're can't do that,' said Joe. 'It's illegal. It's kidnapping.'

Madame Lefevre told him to shut up or she'd cut out his tongue. She turned to Spud and Mac.

'Be sure to take his mobile phone off him. When we're all finished on the cliff tonight, you can let him go.'

Spud and Mac hesitated. Madame Lefevre snapped at them.

'It's simple enough. What exactly don't you understand?' she demanded.

Spud looked at her fearfully.

'Nothing. We got it,' he said.

'You'd better have,' said Madame Lefevre.

Spud and Mac dragged Joe across the garden to the back wall. There were bones, bits of straw and large animal droppings scattered on the ground beneath the ring. Some creature had been chained up there. Joe felt so miserable that he groaned as the two boys wrapped the chain round his waist.

Madame Lefevre was already heading back to the front of the cottage. She turned and gave Joe one last withering look.

'We won't meet again and I can't say I'm sorry. At least your Uncle Toby was a worthy opponent. Guts and brains, it seems, do not run in the family.'

Spud and Mac padlocked the chain behind Joe's back and hurried after Madam Lefevre.

Joe kicked the animal droppings aside and sat down on the grass. He put his head between his hands. Tears of self-pity welled up in his eyes. His holiday had turned into a nightmare.

After a while he calmed down. He tried to work out what was going on. But he couldn't make sense of it. What had Madame Lefevre meant about Uncle Toby being an opponent? What was the orb and what part did it play in Toby's disappearance?

He also thought about what Madame Lefevre had said about him. Was she right? He knew he wasn't as tough as some boys or as reckless as others, but he'd never considered himself stupid and a coward. Was that how others saw him?

He yanked the chains against the iron ring. Perhaps he could escape. That would show her. He looked at the heavy, old-fashioned padlock and wondered how hard would it be to pick.