Whatever Next? Chapter 31 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

(title picture Andrea Piacquadio)

Dave threw the car around trying to intercept the large motorbike which was fully intent on catching his daughter. He didn't think that he'd just indicated his acceptance of her change in status, probably because if he had it would have interrupted his pursuit of the chaser—Meadows—it had to be Meadows.

The car skidded and ended up facing the wrong way, gouging lumps of turf out of the grass. Dave fought with the wheel, trying to encourage the machine to go towards his child and the man who'd caused him so much grief. The wheels spun chucking clods of soil up into the air but the Saab refused to budge.

Dave leapt out of the car, the engine was still running, and jogged towards the two main players in the duel that was being acted out in front of him. He puffed and panted and even the adrenalin that was coursing through his veins didn't seem to help him very much. He vowed he'd go on a diet if he could just protect his daughter from the monster who seemed to be closing in on her.

Dave's eyes widened when he saw the big BMW force Gaby back towards the tarmac, he wanted to shout, ‘Keep to the grass,' but he didn't have the breath. Then to his astonishment, Gaby bunny-hopped over a metal chain fence, which had to be a couple of feet high. He'd seen kids on mountain bikes and BMXs do that sort of thing but not a full road bike.

Gaby set off again across the field heading south towards the river and Dave trotted as quickly as he could behind her, the motorcycle unable to get through the chain had to take the long route, giving the young cyclist a few seconds breathing space.

Gaby's breathing grew ragged and she was tiring, not surprising given the fact that she'd already ridden over thirty miles and while she'd tried some grass racing a few years ago, it was hard work, especially on the longer sward. The bunny-hop was a last ditch attempt to escape from Meadows—she knew it was Meadows and she knew if he got to her he'd hurt her if not kill her outright. She knew her dad was there but Meadows had stopped her from riding back towards the car. She'd also spotted that Dave was on foot and as such was vulnerable to attack from the motorbike. She had to keep Meadows away from her dad however dangerous it became to her, she just had to.

The roar of the BMW drew closer and she jinked and he overshot her, she doubled back on herself then struck out for the river again. Meadows saw where she was going and thought it suited his plans quite well. If he collided with her alongside the river, she'd drown and he could make his getaway, possibly with enough time to hit her father as well, yeah that would be good, but not for the Bonds.

Gaby heard the motorbike slow before coming after her, then its speed seemed to slow again, she realised he was going to try and hit her into the river. She'd had one encounter with the Frome before and nearly died, she didn't want another.

It was a moment later that Gaby's quick mind hatched a plan to hopefully escape the lunatic on the motorcycle and possibly give her father a chance to help her drive him off, or even capture him. She had one element in her favour—surprise; that of changing defence into attack, its reputed best form.

The growl of the BMW drew closer again and Gaby put on a spurt away from the river, the motorbike tried to counter which was what she wanted. She felt hot and sweaty and close to exhaustion, she'd have just one shot at her plan and it would be quite literally sink or swim time.

The BMW swung inside her, and then had to swerve again away from the river, Gaby meanwhile seemed to heading towards her father, who was still trotting to her. The motorbike revved up and flew between them, seemingly cutting her off from Dave's help, causing Gaby to turn sharply, her back wheel skidding a little on the grass, and she turned back towards the river.

It isn't known if Gaby knew the story of the Brer Rabbit and the tar baby, where the apparent victim manipulates the captor to do what they want without realising it. Gaby was playing Brer Rabbit very ably.

The motorbike engine sounded again and as she reached fifty yards from the river, Gaby began to sprint. Meadows spotted her change in speed and thought, she'll never jump over that, she'll end up midstream—but then she'd escape assuming she didn't land awkwardly.

He gunned the engine and the machine flew after her, he just needed the slightest touch on her back wheel and she'd fly uncontrollably into the water and drown.

What he didn't appreciate was that Gaby had spotted a small footbridge, a plank across the river which while only about a foot wide, gave her a chance to escape, it certainly would be a jolly sight harder on a large motorbike which was travelling too fast—she just hoped she'd provoked him enough.

Reaching a speed of nearly thirty miles an hour, Gaby zipped through a hole in the hedging and onto the bridge which was more slippery than she'd anticipated. At one point she thought she was going for a swim as the wheel skipped towards the muddy water of the river but she controlled it and crossed the bridge.

Meadows realised too late he'd been had, the sprint from the girl on a push bike caught him by surprise and he accelerated faster than he intended. He saw the bridge too late, braking, the heavy motorcycle skidded towards the bridge before pitching over the side right in the middle of the stream pinning the rider beneath it.

Gaby had thrown herself off her bike as soon as she reached the far side, some twenty five feet away getting away from the plank bridge which she recognised was actually an old sluice gate. She rolled away from her bike as the motorbike slewed out of control on the narrow planking hitting part of the sluice control before dumping itself into the river with a huge splash followed by gurgles as the engine flooded with river water.

Stunned and breathing hard, she drew herself up on shaking legs and could just see the outline of the bike and the swirling mass of muddy silt it had caused to be liberated into the quite swiftly flowing current.

She watched for a moment and saw Meadows' hand break the surface as he struggled to free himself, but pinned by half a ton of German metal, he was fighting a losing battle. Then the hand sunk back below the water and she watched almost as if in a trance, bubbles floated up then stopped. He was going to die in front of her very eyes. A sense of relief surged through her, then she realised what that meant—he was drowning and she was standing there watching him.

A split second later she scrambled into the water to see if she could help, wary that he could yet try to hurt her or pull her under the water, and drowning people panic, sometimes drowning the rescuer as well as themselves.

She knew only too well that cycling shoes are not the best thing for walking in mud or swimming rivers, but they take time to get off, ratchets and straps fixing them firmly to the foot—hence the bunny hops when the rider lifts the bike by the handle bars and pedals while still astride it.

She moved towards the now developing oil slick and squealed nearly falling as she realised she'd stepped on his lifeless arm or hand. At that moment Dave puffed into view, “Oh shit,” he gasped and jumped and slid into the water from the opposite side of the bank.
Gaby was trying to lift the drowning man's head, from which her hands were slipping off the helmet. Dave waded into the waist deep water, which was cold and dirty and yanked off the helmet. Muddy water escaped and Dave dropped the helmet on the bank, “Phone for help,” he shouted at Gaby who seemed unsure of what to do in the shock of the moment.

Voices were heard as one or two witnesses saw the incident and came to help, but no one had called the police or ambulance. Gaby dialled triple nine as Dave shouted instructions, “Tell them we're in the river by the show ground and to bring lifting equipment or this man's going to die.” Gaby did as she was told and the police said they were on their way.

Another man arrived and jumped in to help, between them they managed to pull Meadows, who was now unconscious, from under the bike. They struggled to drag him up the bank and tried to pump some of the water out of his lungs. Gaby dashed across the bridge to help, with some reluctance she wiped his mouth and began blowing into it. He had no pulse and Dave pressed down on the villain's chest trying to stimulate some circulation. He was shivering and only half of him got wet until he and the other man dragged Meadows free.

Gaby blew twice into the man's mouth, the hair of his moustache and beard tickling her face. Dave continued the compressions. Gaby stopped him and blew again, suddenly Meadows' eyes flickered open and he coughed up foul, muddy water. They turned him on his side as he coughed and vomited again.
Sirens sounded as the emergency vehicles screamed up to the river, the police closely followed by an ambulance and then a fire engine. “You got him out then?” asked an incredulous young policeman.

Dave, too exhausted to speak, simply nodded.

“It's Meadows,” said Gaby accusingly.

“What, Rod Meadows?” gasped the copper.

“Yep,” she replied, “he tried to kill me again, his motorbike is down there,” she nodded at the river.

The paramedics stabilised him and strapped him to a stretcher and set off towards the hospital while Gaby, Dave and the other rescuer, wrapped themselves in the blankets the ambulance had provided and the police took statements about what had happened.

Seeing they were all wet, the police had asked if they'd fallen in the river but were reassured their dip was entirely controlled. Finally, they were allowed to go home, the bicycle going in the back of the Bond's Saab, which the firemen helped push out of the mud.

However, it wasn't until they were back at the cottage that the realisation of what had happened really sank in. After showering to remove the final vestiges of river silt, a fine mud which seemed to get in every nook and crevice, Gaby slipped into jeans and a top before sitting on Dave's knee and crying into his shoulder while he held her tightly.

Jules was sent for and she and the others listened in total awe as they heard how her sister had kept the murderer away from Dave once he'd started running to help her. They gasped as they heard how Gaby then tried to rescue the drowning man, and how it had taken two grown men to drag him free, but that she'd started CPR on him and that he'd somehow survived.

“I have never seen someone bunny hop over a chain fence like that, not on a road bike,” Dave declared causing Gaby to blush.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she replied thinking it was a good thing he hadn't seen her and Paul doing it down the woods with their mountain bikes.

A short time later a car pulled up and two police officers got out—more questions and then some answers. “Did you recover the motorbike?” asked Dave, Gaby was still seated on his lap.

“Oh yes, it was full of cocaine, we reckon he was on his way to Sherborne when he spotted you and decided to do a little homicide en route. Fortunately, his little plan didn't work thanks to one brave young woman and her dad.” The superintendent rose to his feet and held out his hand to Gaby, “Thank you for doing our job for us, but I don't think Rod Meadows will be going anywhere for a while, he broke his hip in the accident. I have to say, had it been me, I might have let him drown, but it wasn't and I'm impressed by your courage and generosity, both of you.” He shook Gaby's hand and then Dave's.

“When this goes to trial, will we have to appear?” asked Dave wondering what form of adolescent Drew or Gaby would be manifesting by then, though he thought Drew was now absorbed into Gaby.

“That depends upon how he pleads.”

“I see,” said Dave and Gaby thought, ‘Bugger, I might have to dress up like a school girl again—I hope he pleads guilty.'

Life returned to normality for a few days although the following Saturday, Dave was down again at the request of the police. He and Gaby had been asked by them to meet with Meadows. Neither were sure it was a good idea but they were reassured that he couldn't hurt them and it might help the occasional bad dream both of them had.

Reluctantly, they went to the hospital where Meadows was in a room guarded by a policeman. He was sitting on a chair, his hand cuffed to the bed and his injured leg in a plaster of Paris cast, showing he wasn't going anywhere soon.

Gaby stood in front of Dave who had his hands on her shoulders and despite Meadows being a hospital patient and there being a police officer in the room, was quite prepared to hurt Meadows if he tried anything with Gaby.

“What d'you want?” snapped Dave, he might have helped to save his life but he couldn't bring himself to be polite with him.

“It's like this,” Meadows began; “a few months ago, I 'ad a nice little earner, 'til she poked her 'ooter in. Then she proves pretty well unkillable and pokes it in agin, well I 'ad to do summat, didn't I? When I seen 'er on that bike, I knowed it was 'er, she rides with some style unlike them old farts you sees out on expensive bikes on a Sundee when the sun shines, like.

“Well, I couldn't pass up the chance to sort 'er out fer good an' all, could I now? So I 'as a go on me Bimmer bike, an' bugger me, she bloody near kills me instead.”

“I think you'll find she helped to rescue you, Rod,” commented the policeman.

“Yeah, I knows that, I seen her when she kissed me—lips like a butterfly,” he said and Gaby blushed. “Was like Sleepin' Beauty in reverse,” he chuckled and coughed spitting into a small receptacle he got from the table.

“You're no beauty, Rod, sleepin' or otherwise,” commented the copper.

“No, but she is an' her twin sister.”

“She's my cousin, actually,” said Gaby breaking her silence.

“Well, all I'm sayin' is you're like peas in a pod.”

“Yes, you tried to kill her as well, didn't you?” Gaby stepped clear of Dave's protective grip.

“Did I? Shows I ain't as good as I thinks I am, couldn't even kill a schoolgirl.”

“No, but you killed a schoolboy, didn't you?” Gaby stepped closer.

Meadows lurched forward but she stood her ground although for a moment she wondered if she'd made a mistake. “Game little thing, ain't ya?”

“I told you I wasn't frightened of you before, maybe now you'll believe me. If all this was to try and scare me, we wasted our time coming here.” Gaby held out her hand to Dave to leave.

Meadows coughed and spat in the little pot, “No, it wasn't, I asked you to come so I could say thank you for saving my life.” Both Dave and Gaby were taken aback and said nothing. “An' seein' as I owes ya one, I won't be chasin' you no more nor your cousin.”

“Can we believe you, Meadows?” Dave said holding on to Gaby's sweaty hand and realising that she was far more nervous than she let on. “Well, can we believe a thief, a murderer and drug trafficker?”

“That's up to you.”

“How about you do the decent thing and plead guilty and save these children from having to face your barrister in court—deeds not words talk loudest.” Dave astonished himself with the coldness of his anger, he thought after watching this man terrorise his family for months he'd want to physically harm him, but when it actually came to the point, he felt a coldness towards him which would have made him as nasty as the man he despised and instead flung down a challenge.

“Okay, you got a deal,” said Meadows.

Back at the house they discussed with the others what had happened. “So this creep is going to plead guilty to save us having to come back down here for the trial?” asked Maddy thinking back to when he nearly killed her and only Gaby's quick mind and action saved her.

“So he said,” confirmed her cousin.

“Do leopards change their socks?” said Maddy misquoting the old adage.

“Socks?” squealed Gaby, “Whatever next?”