I was indignantly yelling in protest but the sheer size of this guy made me pause. I am not a small guy but I knew I had no chance against him. Suddenly there was movement behind me, and blinding pain as my feet were swept away with a blow to my right calf. The big gorilla picked me up and literally threw me down the verge in to the hedge running along side the road. Another, standing there with a baseball bat stared down at me menacingly.
“Is a broken rib and a car smash not enough warning to?” he said. “This is the last warning. Next time it will be serious, a lost hand or foot, we are not messing around. No float or else, and our friends want to talk to that brother of yours, tell him , and tell him what the penalty will be for not doing what we say. Tell him to ring Groucho soon or you will all regret it. You can tell that partner of yours, Bell , that we will come for him next time, and he has a family. Remember, no float!” With that he turned and smashed the rear window of the car with the bat.
Lying sprawled and dazed in the midst of the hedge I slowly realised that the two cars had gone. My leg was screaming at me as I tried to get out of the hedge and crawl up the slope to the grass verge; my leg would not take any weight.
I heard a car pull up and a voice shouted, “Are you alright?” The voice turned out to belong to Jerry, the proprietor of the delicatessen in the village.
“Give me a hand please, it is difficult to walk.”
“Shall I call the police, or an ambulance,” said Jerry.
I looked in both directions along the road and thought, no point. “No, don't let's bother them Jerry , if you can help me clear the glass off the drivers seat I will move the car out of the way so you can get through, I only live just up the road.”
“Well if you are sure,” he said somewhat doubtfully, as I stood there on one leg gingerly feeling my right calf. Nothing felt broken I thought but I wondered if I could drive.
Jerry got some gloves and a heavy rag out of his car and brushed the glass off the driver seat on to the road. I then sat down on the seat and carefully, using both hands, lifted my damaged leg in to the car. The car engine was still running and I gently tried to see if I could control the throttle with the foot of my injured leg. The car revved a bit jerkily but good enough to get me home.
“Thanks Jerry, you've been very helpful. I will move on and get out of your way.”
Jerry was still looking doubtful, “Are you sure you are OK?”
“Yes, I will be fine, thanks Jerry, see you later,” I said with a confidence that I did not feel, “I will get on home now.” With that I pressed the clutch, put the car in gear, and jerked off up the road.
Luckily, I met no more traffic and found myself entering the drive to my house. The drive is on a downward slope, my right leg simply refused to cope with the foot break, so using a combination of left foot and handbrake I came to a stalled halt before I reached the Rhododendrons!
Getting slowly out of the car, I limped to the door. Feeling was definitely coming back in to my leg but with it came the pain. Inside I dragged myself t o the bathroom, swallowed some P aracetamol, and then limped in to the bedroom where I fell on to the bed. This was getting to be a habit!
As his cell phone rang, he closed the door and answered it. A voice said, “ We found him and the next round of warnings administered,” and hung up. Dawson smiled to himself, perhaps that would get the result they were looking for.
CHAPTER 15
Next morning my leg felt a bit better, less painful, but was almost totally black with the bruising, right down to the ankle and instep. Today was a day to stay at home.
First I rang Inspector Lloyd and told him what had happened the night before. He listened, asked a few questions and then said that he would like to come out and see me to bring me up to date on his enquiries so far. I said OK and he said
“Is a broken rib and a car smash not enough warning to?” he said. “This is the last warning. Next time it will be serious, a lost hand or foot, we are not messing around. No float or else, and our friends want to talk to that brother of yours, tell him , and tell him what the penalty will be for not doing what we say. Tell him to ring Groucho soon or you will all regret it. You can tell that partner of yours, Bell , that we will come for him next time, and he has a family. Remember, no float!” With that he turned and smashed the rear window of the car with the bat.
Lying sprawled and dazed in the midst of the hedge I slowly realised that the two cars had gone. My leg was screaming at me as I tried to get out of the hedge and crawl up the slope to the grass verge; my leg would not take any weight.
I heard a car pull up and a voice shouted, “Are you alright?” The voice turned out to belong to Jerry, the proprietor of the delicatessen in the village.
“Give me a hand please, it is difficult to walk.”
“Shall I call the police, or an ambulance,” said Jerry.
I looked in both directions along the road and thought, no point. “No, don't let's bother them Jerry , if you can help me clear the glass off the drivers seat I will move the car out of the way so you can get through, I only live just up the road.”
“Well if you are sure,” he said somewhat doubtfully, as I stood there on one leg gingerly feeling my right calf. Nothing felt broken I thought but I wondered if I could drive.
Jerry got some gloves and a heavy rag out of his car and brushed the glass off the driver seat on to the road. I then sat down on the seat and carefully, using both hands, lifted my damaged leg in to the car. The car engine was still running and I gently tried to see if I could control the throttle with the foot of my injured leg. The car revved a bit jerkily but good enough to get me home.
“Thanks Jerry, you've been very helpful. I will move on and get out of your way.”
Jerry was still looking doubtful, “Are you sure you are OK?”
“Yes, I will be fine, thanks Jerry, see you later,” I said with a confidence that I did not feel, “I will get on home now.” With that I pressed the clutch, put the car in gear, and jerked off up the road.
Luckily, I met no more traffic and found myself entering the drive to my house. The drive is on a downward slope, my right leg simply refused to cope with the foot break, so using a combination of left foot and handbrake I came to a stalled halt before I reached the Rhododendrons!
Getting slowly out of the car, I limped to the door. Feeling was definitely coming back in to my leg but with it came the pain. Inside I dragged myself t o the bathroom, swallowed some P aracetamol, and then limped in to the bedroom where I fell on to the bed. This was getting to be a habit!
As his cell phone rang, he closed the door and answered it. A voice said, “ We found him and the next round of warnings administered,” and hung up. Dawson smiled to himself, perhaps that would get the result they were looking for.
CHAPTER 15
Next morning my leg felt a bit better, less painful, but was almost totally black with the bruising, right down to the ankle and instep. Today was a day to stay at home.
First I rang Inspector Lloyd and told him what had happened the night before. He listened, asked a few questions and then said that he would like to come out and see me to bring me up to date on his enquiries so far. I said OK and he said
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