The Silent Owl by Glen Williams

Author:Glen Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult;Young Adult thriller;Young Adult heroes;adventure;echoes from WW2
Publisher: The Conrad Press
Published: 2021-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

They stood in a circle and stared at the tent as Rachel emerged from her search of its contents.

Will, Enid, Bryn and Sgt Rees all waited for her to explain whether she had found any clues to the whereabouts of Tom and Beth.

In the distance they could hear the shrill sound of the motorbike travelling back down the track towards the village.

‘That’s Mog,’ said Will as he looked at Sgt Rees. ‘Been up to tell David.’

Elsewhere from the forest they could occasionally hear the eerie sound of Tom and Beth’s names. Word had spread quickly and a clutch of miners and farmers were out searching the immediate vicinity.

Around the tent they all waited and hoped for a child’s voice in reply: there was nothing.

Sgt Rees had said it was probably a wasted effort. Will knew the policeman had left unsaid his theory that the two may have been hurt or worse in a fall or other accident.

Rachel climbed slowly to her feet and brushed loose strands of hair away from her pale and worried face.

‘As you said, sergeant, duffle bags gone, anoraks too and no sign of the food they had, oh, and no money left there either.’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘That’s it.’

She stared at Will with a look of desperation. If they were safe surely the two young friends would be back in camp by now?

‘That’s good luv,’ Will made sure he wore a broad smile. He was about to add that at least there was no sign of a struggle., He stopped himself raising that spectre just in time.

‘Gone off they have.’

Sgt Rees had been carefully watching the faces of each of the parents. Will looked back at him with an intensity which silently pleaded for his thoughts.

Instead the sergeant took a sheet of paper from his pocket and showed it to the others.

In large crayoned letters it read: Beth and Tom, get home now. Parents very worried. Sgt Rees.

‘I’ll leave this at the tent. That’ll shake them,’ he said and then placed the notice inside in the centre of the groundsheet.

‘The stuff that’s missing,’ he was speaking with a reassuring calmness, ‘it’s clear to me they’ve scarpered on an adventure of some sort.

‘A white lie about young Llew, duffle bags, coats and food all gone with them. They went somewhere of their own accord.

‘Look, all of you, everything is being done. You can hear those up in the forest and David might have some ideas of his own.

‘I’ve issued an alert and descriptions so we’ll find them soon enough. Certain as anyone can be I am. I’ll have the tent checked regularly too.’

He was ready to continue his short speech but was interrupted by Enid’s cry of anguish as she burst into tears.

‘Not like them. Not like them, sergeant.’ She turned away as Bryn placed his arm around her shoulders.

Will gritted his teeth and stared at the sergeant. He was sure the police were not taking this as seriously as they should.

‘Enid’s got every right to worry,’ he said.

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