Authors: Caroline Clough
As Toby stood hidden in the shadows, he watched a parade of dogs coming and going from the college. Cerberus sat and watched with interest as each dog approached him and submissively licked its lips. Some of them rolled over in front of him, and with some he put his paw across their necks.
What are they doing in there? Starting a university?
Toby hoped the badger juice was still working, as he was only yards away from the procession of dogs. He had to get back and warn Jamie. If Jamie made too much noise clearing the rockfall, it might attract the dogs to the cellars and then they would be discovered.
He slid slowly back along the wall, his heart thumping so loud against his ribs that he felt sure the dogs must
hear it. He gulped with relief once he was back inside the spooky café, and crouched down to drop himself through the hole in the floor to the tunnel below.
Without Jamie there to help, he had to leave the glass pane sitting on the café floor and hope the dogs didn’t find the entrance to the tunnels.
Back in the chamber, Jamie was busy scraping frantically at the rock pile. He had cleared a good-sized hole with the help of Belle, who was using both her front paws to dig the stones away.
“You’re back quick,” he puffed, stopping for breath, as Toby joined him in the hectic digging.
“I’ve seen Cerberus; he’s holding court at the college. That’s why your mum can’t escape that way. The place is alive with dogs. There are hundreds of them.”
“What? Quick, we’ve got to get her out.” Jamie scrabbled desperately at the mound.
“We mustn’t make too much noise. The dogs will hear us,” warned Toby.
The boys tore and clawed at the powdery rubble, their hands sore and bleeding. Toby’s bandaged hand became even filthier with dust and grime. He tried not to think of the pain.
Must concentrate on getting Jamie’s mum out of here. Then I can think about finding medicines for Sylvie.
Through the dusty air came the distinct sound of
tapping. It was getting louder and more urgent. Finally Jamie sat back and, wiping the grime from his face, said, “I can see something moving! There’s something there!” He moved a large stone carefully to one side, and revealed a hand holding a large pebble. The hand was knocking the pebble against a boulder.
Tap, tap, tap!
“Mum!” Jamie whispered hoarsely. “Mum!” He crawled forwards on his belly and grabbed the hand. They boys could hear a sob coming from the other side of the cleft in the rocks.
“Jamie? Oh, Jamie, I knew you would find me!” cried the muffled voice. “Jamie, hurry! The dogs are in the cellars; they’re getting closer.”
The boys redoubled their efforts and soon the hole grew bigger, and then …
“Mum!” Jamie gasped as he caught sight of his mum. She was lying, covered in dust and shale, with her legs half covered with boulders. “Mum? What happened?” He wriggled through the gap and grabbed his mum in a huge hug.
“Steady,” she said, fending him off. “I’m a bit bruised. The roof collapsed and I just didn’t quite make it. I’m OK, I think. Nothing feels broken. But I can’t move; these boulders are pinning down my legs.”
“It’s OK. Everything’s going to be OK now,” gabbled Jamie. “I’ve got my friend Toby with me. He’s really
brave and great and … He’s the one who got me and Belle here. We’d never have made it without Toby.”
Under the sweat and dirt on his face, Toby felt himself going pink.
“Toby, come and meet my mum. We need to dig her out. She’s stuck.”
Toby crawled through to join him. Belle pushed her way past him and bounded up to Jamie’s mum, licking at her face and hands.
“Hiya, Belle!” Jamie’s mum greeted the dog warmly. “Have you been having an adventure?” Belle furiously wagged her tail.
Toby and Jamie gently lifted the heavy rocks from Jamie’s mum’s legs. She groaned and tentatively stretched them.
“How long have you been here, like this?” asked Toby, picking away at the stones.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “I went down to the beach café on the sixth of June to wait for you, Jamie. But when you didn’t turn up, I laid a trail back here, just in case you’d got the days mixed up.”
“Me? Get the days mixed up?” snorted Jamie. “It was you got the days mixed up Mum.
Today
is the sixth.”
Toby decided not say anything about Jamie thinking that the day before had been the sixth.
Best to keep quiet
, he thought.
“There’d been a storm, the night before,” continued Jamie’s mum, “and the rain had pelted down. When I got back to the tunnels they were gushing with water from the drains. It must have loosened the rock, because as I was coming up this last bit there was a rockfall behind me, and then this one fell just as I was passing under it.”
“Don’t worry, Belle found a gap in the first one,” Toby told her. “We’ll be able to get back. Come on, we’d better move. Can you walk OK?” He offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.
“Yeah, I was really lucky. Just swallowed a lot of rock dust,” she said, feeling her arms and legs. “As I thought, no breaks.”
“Mum, Toby’s sister is really ill. He needs to find some medicine. Can you help?”
“What kind of medicine?” she asked.
“We don’t really know but antibiotics seemed to be working before we ran out. Now she’s got a really high fever,” replied Toby. Jamie’s mum smiled.
“You’re in luck, young man. I’ve been stockpiling stuff in the Inversneckie Café. I’ve found loads of medicines, and all sorts of provisions in the Offshore Survival Centre.”
Toby chuckled. “That’s where I was going to look for some.”
“Yeah? Well, there’s nothing left now. I managed to move most of it, but someone else thought of it too and the place is wrecked. Could have been the dogs, I suppose.”
“Just as well we rescued Mum first then, wasn’t it?” said Jamie. “You’d have got there and found nothing.”
The three of them, and Belle, squeezed back through the hole in the rubble and started to make their way back through the vaulted chamber and down the tunnel. They climbed up the second pile of rocks and clambered through the gap into the tunnel that led back down towards the sea. As they went Toby recounted his visit to Marischal College, and the sight of Cerberus sitting on the steps, like a king on a throne.
“Yes, I’ve been keeping an eye on him,” said Jamie’s mum. “His power has grown enormously lately. He seems to be in control of all the dog packs in the area.”
Jamie told her about Cerberus going to Collieston, and about their escape in the dinghy.
“He followed us back to Aberdeen. Why?” asked Toby.
“I don’t know,” replied Jamie’s mum. “He seems to be keeping a watch on all human activity. Perhaps he thinks it’ll lead him to food supplies. He’s very clever. You’d almost think he had a plan.”
“Dogs can’t plan, can they?” questioned Jamie.
“These are no ordinary dogs. I’m working on a theory that …”
“Hush!” cried Toby.
A rumbling noise was rolling up from the bottom of the tunnel towards them. It was followed by a series of crashes like claps of thunder. The whole tunnel shook and a shower of shale fell on to their heads.
“What was that?” exclaimed Jamie.
“I don’t know but it seems to be coming from the beach,” cried Toby, shaking the dust from his hair. “We need to get out of here — now!”
The three of them stumbled and slid down the slimy passageway, trying to hold on to the cold wet walls. Jamie’s mum leant on her son as she limped along, while Toby scouted ahead with Belle at his heels.
Another violent crash rent the air, and more dirt fell on their heads.
“We’re getting closer to whatever’s going on,” said Toby worriedly, “but we don’t have much choice. There’s only one way out of this tunnel and that’s straight into what sounds like a full-scale war!”
They crept slowly towards the ladder where they had descended into the tunnel.
“I think it’s safer to follow the tunnel down to the beach where it comes out,” said Jamie’s mum. “I’m not sure I’ll get up the ladder, anyway. I’ve been out of the tunnel that way before. It leads to near the golf links.”
As they staggered along the last stretch of tunnel, an
orangey-pink light glowed from the entrance. Suddenly the tunnel was filled with a screaming noise like
something
in a firework display.
“That sounded like a rocket,” said Toby.
The small party reached the end of the tunnel where it spilled out on to the beach. The sea to the right was bathed in the reflected light from a blaze in the harbour, which sent flames leaping skywards and orange sparks spitting into the night.
“What’s going on?” cried Jamie.
“Look!” yelled Toby. “There!” He pointed across to the mouth of the harbour where, illuminated in the flickering light, sat the sleek grey shape of a warship. “It’s the frigate! It must be the
pirates
blowing up the harbour!”
As they watched, the guns bristling on the deck of the frigate fired another volley of ammunition, hitting the mangled heaps of ships in front of them. Toby, Jamie and his mum covered their ears with their hands as the blasts shook the ground.
“Why are they doing that?” screamed Jamie above the racket.
“Maybe trying to blast their way into the harbour?” screamed Toby back. “Looks like the harbour is packed with wrecked ships.”
“Or perhaps they’re trying to scare anyone or anything away,” said Jamie’s mum. “This will send the dogs crazy;
they won’t hang around in Aberdeen with all this going on.”
There was a lull in the bombardment and the only noise was the cracking and popping of the fire as the ships lay broken and burning.
“I need to go,” said Toby determinedly. “I need to get the medicine and find some fuel. You two go for the boat. I’ll meet you opposite this entrance. If I’m not back in an hour, go without me.”
“No!” cried Jamie. “We wouldn’t do that.”
“Toby, listen,” said Jamie’s mum. “I hid everything in the roof space in the Inversneckie Café. You need to stand on the counter and slide off the panel in the ceiling directly above your head. It’s all there.”
Great! I spent hours sitting next to that counter, and all the time the medicine was above my head!
Toby nodded. Jamie’s mum continued, “If for some reason you don’t meet up with us, take my kayak. It’s hidden behind the café, under a pile of rubbish. If we have to move we’ll wait for you on the other side of the estuary. It’ll be safer there. Oh, I nearly forgot — my bike’s at the back of the café too. Take that; it’ll be quicker than going on foot.”
Toby nodded again. A bike would make all the difference, and if he did attract the attention of any dogs, he might be able to outrun them.
Toby left Jamie and his mum crouched in the entrance of the tunnel, and ran stealthily up the beach. Yellow and orange light flickered from the harbour, showing him the way across the pebbles and sand, back up to the row of cafés. He sprinted round the back of the buildings, keeping flat against the walls. The dogs may have run away from the cacophony of destruction in the harbour, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Behind the café he raked through the mounds of litter. Jamie’s mum had been right — the kayak and bike were still there, hidden under layers of soggy cardboard and piles of empty plastic bottles.
He had taken Jamie’s torch with him and, turning it on, shone the light into the café. It was just as they had left it.
He climbed over the rubbish and into the kitchen. Hauling himself on to the counter, he stretched up and, with the tips of his fingers, pushed at one of the ceiling panels. It moved.
As Toby strained and pushed harder, the panel popped up and he managed to slide it to one side. A hole appeared over his head, and a rope dangled down from it. He gave the rope a gentle tug and heard something scraping along the roof space above. He tugged again and a large rucksack flopped over the hole. Another tug and he caught the bag as it fell to the counter.
Ripping open the cord tie on the mouth of the rucksack
with trembling fingers, he shone the torch inside. It was crammed with small white boxes. He frantically grabbed one and pulled it out. Printed on the side it had a list of medical sounding names. Toby recognised one of them — penicillin! That’s what he was looking for!
Toby thrust the box back into the rucksack, drew the cord shut and leapt off the counter. He dragged the rucksack straps over his shoulders and stumbled out into the night air as the sky lit up with more flashes. The bombardment had started again.
Toby picked up the bike and heaved it on to the tarmac road. He could feel the bike trembling as the vibrations of the blasts juddered through the ground. Toby flinched as the bangs and crashes thundered from the explosions.
Now where? Where am I going to get fuel from?
Toby watched the rising glow from the burning ships and knew. He
had
to go to the harbour. He remembered his dad telling him about the fuel tanks at Peterhead harbour. There would be the same here at Aberdeen. Somewhere on the quayside would be huge cylindrical tanks, hopefully with some diesel still left in.
I’ve no choice. I must go to the harbour! I only hope the pirates haven’t blown up the tanks, along with the ships.
Toby swung his leg over the bike and set off, pedalling as fast as he could.
This has got to be the maddest thing I’ve done yet!
As Toby sped along the beach promenade, he realised that he’d left the empty fuel can in the dinghy. His heart sank.
Oh no. Something else to think about. Better hope there’s some lying around the fuel depot.
He whizzed down the streets of the tiny fishing village of Footdee, which nestled at the edge of the harbour, his bike bumping over the cobbles. He knew the frigate must be lying at the mouth of the harbour, on the other side of the cottages. The pirates wouldn’t be able to see him. Besides, they were too busy creating Armageddon.
The guns fell silent. Toby could hear shouting and screaming. Were they preparing to launch a craft and go onshore?
This is bad timing. What if they want the same thing as me?
Fuel. Maybe they’re just reloading the rocket launchers? What if they fire a rocket at the fuel depot while I’m there?
Toby felt the familiar clutch of fear and panic clawing at the bottom of his stomach, drawing it into a tight ball.
As he drew closer to the granite walls of the main harbour basin, he could feel the air getting hotter and hotter. Sweat trickles prickled his eyes and his t-shirt stuck to his back. Hazy clouds of smoke floated down to the sea, filling the air with an acrid smell of burnt rubber, wood and molten metal.
Toby stood up on his pedals and scanned for the characteristic shapes of the fuel tanks in the patches of darkness ahead.
Suddenly he threw his brakes on hard and stopped. There in front of him was Aberdeen harbour. Its two main channels were crammed with the dark shapes of ships, their masts and aerials sticking up like antennae from a crazy-looking mound of insects.
Viewed through the wobbling air of the heat haze, it looked to Toby like a scene from one of those World War Two movies that his dad had liked to watch on a wet Sunday afternoon. There were ships piled on top of other ships. There were ships on fire, mere metal skeletons burning like dry sticks. There were ships sinking into the dirty black water. Some had mounted the quayside and lay tipsily on their sides, half submerged.
Ah! There they are!
Three tall towers poked their noses up from the blackness of the quayside. Toby raced towards them, feeling the scorching heat from the fires burning his cheeks.
The spiralling flames licking at the ships threw violent shadows up against the metal fences of the depot. Toby thought he saw demons and monsters lurking at every turn. He screeched to a halt in front of the fuel tanks, gravel spitting from under the bike’s tyres.
Phew! Lucky!
Lying scattered around the depot were empty plastic jerrycans. Toby grabbed one and headed for the boom sticking out of one of the towers. On the end of the boom was a nozzle, like one he had seen in petrol stations. As he neared the metal tank, a wave of heat hit him. He felt like the air was being scorched from his lungs. He tore off his hoodie and, wrapping it around his face, breathed through the cloth.
It’s so hot! This tank could ignite any moment!
He wrenched the nozzle from the boom with his bandaged hand.
What if they start firing again now? Don’t think about it! Concentrate on the job.
He pointed the nozzle into the fuel can and squeezed it as hard as he could. At first just a dribble plopped slowly
into the can.
Come ON! Please! There must be some left!
He couldn’t swallow. He could feel panic tearing at his dry throat. He kept on squeezing, grimacing as the hot nozzle began to burn through the bandage. The dribble grew into a flow and within seconds a gush of diesel filled the can. Hands quivering, he screwed the cap on the can and dragged it to his bike. The heat was unbearable. He had to get out of there fast.
The bike was hot, the handlebars were hot, and the pedals were searing holes in his boots. Toby thought he was about to spontaneously combust.
Bike! Harder! Go! GO! GO!
He could smell a warm rubbery smell as the bike tyres softened in the heat. He hung on to the jerrycan with one hand and steered shakily back the way he had come — back along the quayside and towards Footdee, where he had to stop. The weight of the can was too much; he needed to swap arms. Toby turned and looked at the scene of devastation behind him. Great fountains of brilliant sparks shot into the air from one of the ships, throwing light on to the main quay. Toby caught a glimpse of a lone dog, thrown into relief, watching the harbour. It stood like a statue staring into the night.
Cerberus. What’s he doing? I can’t see any other dogs — have they panicked and deserted him? Why isn’t he scared? I am!
Toby jumped as another rocket blasted from the pirates’ frigate. As it screeched through the air, he saw Cerberus rise on his hind legs, as if in defiance, pawing the air. Then he turned and loped away into the dark.
Where’s he going? I wonder if we’ll ever see him again.
Toby spun the bike round and headed for the beach, cycling as fast as the can jolting by his side would allow. The air grew cooler but was still thick with the smoky haze that billowed across the promenade. The rucksack began to slip off his shoulders and dig into the soggy t-shirt on his back. He stopped to wriggle it straight. Something darted across the road in front of him.
No! Just when I thought I was safe from the dogs!
Another shadow flitted down a side path, away from the beach. Then another, and another. There were dozens of them. The dogs were travelling fast, heads down, noses to the floor, tails tucked in between their legs. They didn’t stop to look at him. They weren’t interested in him at all. They were running as fast as they could out of the city. They were leaving Aberdeen.
Toby scoured the beach for any sign of Jamie and his mum. At first he could see nothing but the shadowy sands, dancing with the flickering light from the blazing harbour. But then, as he was wondering how to fit the large, lumpy rucksack and the jerrycan of fuel into the kayak, something moved near the sea’s edge. He squinted
into the gloom and made out two figures climbing into a boat. Belle was splashing around in waves next to them.
“WHOA! I’m here!” he shouted, not caring who heard any more. The dogs were beating a hasty retreat and the pirates were blowing up the city. “WAIT FOR ME!”
He threw the bike down and jumped up and down, waving his arms. Jamie and his mum didn’t look up. They were busy packing something into the dinghy. Toby grabbed the jerrycan and ran, the rucksack bumping around on his back.
“STOP!” he yelled, struggling down the promenade steps on to the stony beach. “STOP!”
He could see Jamie’s mum struggling into the boat, while Jamie pushed it away from the shore and then ran into the waves to leap on to the bow.
Toby dragged the heavy can over the rough stones and shaley sand, tears of frustration dripping down his face.
“Wait!” he cried, coming to a dead halt. He couldn’t go any further. His arms were falling off and his legs had turned to jelly. He dropped to his knees on the wet sand.
“I can’t go on! I can’t do it!” he sobbed.
Get up, you big baby! Stop crying! What would Mum say if she could see you now? What about Sylvie? She needs that medicine right away! GET UP!
Toby hauled himself to his feet, and with his very last ounce of energy, picked up the can and the rucksack. He
looked up to where he had last seen the dinghy. It was still there. Jamie had seen him and was pulling it back to the shore, helped by the incoming tide.
Toby staggered the last desperate footfalls as Jamie hung gamely on to the dinghy’s tether.
“Toby! Cool! You made it! We thought you were …”
“I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Toby sniffed, wading into the waves.
Jamie took the can and hoisted it on board, followed by the rucksack. He clambered over the side into the boat and then yanked Toby in beside him.
“Time to go home, hero!” Jamie called out. In the warm orange-red glow, Toby saw a huge smile crease Jamie’s grubby face.
“Yeah, time to go home,” agreed Toby.
The dinghy swung left and headed north.
As the tired crew made their way up the coastline, a pale pink light suffused the sea as the sun started to peek over the horizon. The journey was quiet and uneventful; the little dinghy chugged along, hugging the shore. They didn’t speak; they were too exhausted for words. They stopped once to fill up the fuel tank.
Toby trusted Jamie now, so gave him the tiller, and sat with the telescope, surveying the pinkish landscape in the early dawn. As they skimmed the edge of the suburbs, from Aberdeen to Balmedie, he saw dark figures moving
silently across the land. Many more dogs were running away from the city.
But they’re not running in blind panic. Not like when Monty used to run away from fireworks. It looks as if they all know where they’re going, perhaps staying safe until the chaos dies down. Maybe Cerberus does have a plan.
Toby’s own plan was to get home as quickly as possible and, after giving Sylvie her medicine, all he wanted to do was curl up in his cosy bed and sleep for a week. How great would that be? He was tired of being brave.
The sun was fully risen when Jamie finally navigated the dinghy round the last cliff and into the bay at Collieston. Jamie’s mum smiled at Toby’s weary face.
“Not long before you can go to your bed,” she said.
Toby smiled back, but then, as he looked over her shoulder towards the lighthouse, his smile froze.
The
Lucky Lady
had gone.