The Cistercian Conspiracy

  Out of Time 3

  The Cistercian Conspiracy

  Gill Jepson

  Copyright © 2014 Gill Jepson

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study,

  or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents

  Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in

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  For Harry and our three wonderful children

  and remembering Alice Leach

  Contents

  Cover

  By the same author

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  AFTERWORD

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  By the same author

  Out of Time – The Secret of the Swan

  Out of Time 2 – Raven’s Hoard

  Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle

  CHAPTER 1

  RESCUE

  The mobile was ringing. He looked at the screen. Nate. What did he want? It continued to ring.

  “Yeah? Whadda ya want?” Rob snapped briskly.

  “Can you do me a favour?”

  He sighed. “Depends… what is it?”

  “I need you to get me a McDonalds… for three…”

  “D’ya think I’m made of money? Why can’t you get it?”

  “Erm… it’s a long story. Look, I’ll pay you back… and I need a lift too.”

  “For God’s sake! I’m not your slave y’ know? Where are you?”

  “Abbot’s Wood… there are three of us… we need a lift to Rampside… but bring three Big Macs will ya?”

  He considered for a second. He wasn’t doing much. Suppose he could.

  “Ok, I’ll see you on the road outside Abbot’s Wood in fifteen minutes.”

  *

  He sped off to Hollywood Park. What an odd choice of name for a retail park. You half expected a glamorous American style mall… not a Bowling Alley, a Comet and a Curry’s. He wondered which town councillor had kept that little joke up his sleeve. He skidded into the drive-through at McDonalds, as usual misjudging the corner. After buying the food he raced off again, along Abbey Road towards Abbot’s Wood. What did his kid brother think he was doing? He had always been quirky – but recently he had taken quirky to a whole new level. Bad enough that he chose to hang out in fields grubbing about in the ground looking for artefacts, but recently he had even brought home a skull. The old guy who ran the dig had died and left him a skull! Rob could have understood if he had left a coin or some pottery – but a skull? That was just perverse. He had teased his brother and that had caused a massive uproar with everyone yelling and the skull had been banished to the shed.

  He didn’t know what sort of strangeness was going on, but the back garden had been trashed by vandals in the night and Nate had been very edgy about it all. So had Rebecca his kid sister – sometimes wondered if he actually was related to those two at all. Then later the next morning, he had had to come back home to get his shin pads for a five-a-side match he was playing in. The house was empty – everyone was out, except Nate. He was in the garden, he never saw Rob as he went upstairs to get the pads. He couldn’t resist looking through the window at Nate to see what he was doing. He had expected to see him sunbathing; but no – not his brother! He was digging and laying patio flags. Trying to curry favour with his dad he thought, until he saw the box with the skull inside. The idiot was burying it. What was the point in that? Surely, it had already been in the ground – so why bury it again? He was going to shout down some abuse, but then he noticed a massive black raven perched on the hedge. It was crowing and it stared straight at his brother as if it approved. He shuddered. It unnerved him a little. It seemed to herald something strange and mysterious.

  Then for the last week nobody had seen hide or hair of him because he was camping out somewhere and now he was up at the abbey again. Most of all… who were the nutters he was hanging round with this time? His array of strange friends was legendary, so he was prepared for anything. Almost.

  He drew to a sudden halt at the small lay-by near the entrance to Abbot’s Wood. There they were. Three weirdos. What… the… heck… were they dressed in? Weir – dos! They looked like extras from some boring historical drama on the BBC. Embarrassing. The girl looked like she was about to pass out or something and the bloke – well, he just looked ridiculous, dressed up like a highwayman. What was his brother doing with these freaks?

  Nate bundled the couple into the back, they both looked too terrified to move.

  “You are seriously weird! What do you wanna do all this re-enactment stuff for?” Rob laughed.

  “It’s to help people get the idea of the past,” replied Nate.

  “All of you going then?” he said nodding to the others.

  “Er – yeah! They’re with me,” said Nate, “Did ya get the Maccies?”

  “Doh! What do you think this is?” Rob said, lifting two brown bags from the well of the front seat as Nate got in. “And watch the drinks… don’t knock ’em over!” he instructed.

  They sped off towards Yarlside at an alarming rate of knots, Rob keeping up speed to the beat of the music. A small whimper escaped from Dolly’s mouth. He glanced in the rear view mirror at the two in the back.

  “You’re all freaks! And do you have to look so filthy? I’m sure they had soap in the eighteenth century!” he chuckled.

  “I wouldn’t bet on it Rob! But you wouldn’t know!”

  “Anyway you owe me for the McDonald’s and my petrol,” Rob insisted. “You back tomorrow? Mum was asking… she said you’ve gotta tidy your room before school on Monday.”

  Nate’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

  “What day is it today?” he laughed nervously.

  “Plonker! It’s Thursday… you dim or what?” retorted Rob. What was this kid on?

  “I forgot… it seems centuries since I was home,” he quipped, smiling.

  “No, you’ve only been camping since Monday, but Mum wants you back Saturday,” added Rob with authority.

  Rob drew to a halt at the car park next to the Concle Inn. Nate got out and grabbed the bags of food and the drinks. The
two reluctant passengers scrambled out of the back seat and stood on the gravel. Dolly dropped a small curtsey in thanks for the end of the journey and Rob shook his head in disbelief.

  “Freaks!” Rob muttered, as he pulled away and sped off down the road back to Barrow. What was that all about? Nate was becoming obsessed with this history stuff. It couldn’t be healthy. He caught sight of them in the rear view mirror, walking towards the beach. His view was impeded by a hazy cloud of sand or dust. Within moments they were shrouded from view and it was the last he saw of them.

  CHAPTER 2

  BARROW VILLAGE 1846

  The young man surveyed the site. It was a paltry little place, very backward and old fashioned. It was nothing like Bolton where he came from. The villagers had hardly heard of the railway. Well he would change that. He and the Furness Railway Company! The whole place would be unrecognisable in a few years, he knew what he was capable of and this place would remember him forever. He watched from a distance as they laid more track, the precision was amazing and he was pleased to be responsible for the execution of the new railway. He sat down on the grass on top of Rabbit Hill and surveyed the view across the sea. A small rabbit hopped and skipped in front of him, disappearing into a burrow in the hillside. That explained the stupid name then? He smiled knowingly.

  Below him at the foot of the hill was the beginning of the extension of the Furness Railway. He envisioned the new station and the offices, which would be built there and looked at the tiny village to the north, a few meagre cottages, farms and an inn or two. It nestled in the dip between two hills, cradled beside the lapping waters of a small tidal channel. The channel was sectioned off by small piers and yards, where the slate and iron ore were loaded. The railway delivered the unprocessed rock to the yards and then it was shipped out to foundries far afield to be made into metal. Soon the link would extend beyond Barrow and take the ore out and bring more miners in.

  He gazed across the water to the small island, inhabited only by one family, in an ostentatious house named after them, Michaelson House. He would have a house like that one day. No… he would have a bigger one… much bigger. Beyond Barrow Island sat the larger Walney Island curled around the peninsula like large protective arms. It was cut off for so many hours a day and the farmers over there were isolated at certain times of the year and arranged their days to suit the tides. It was not part of his plan, with no bridge it was useless to him and would probably remain a rural backwater.

  *

  He sank back into the grass, put his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. He reflected on his good luck in being charged to undertake this job by the Directors of the railway. He still had a lot to prove, but knew he could show them what he was made of. He smiled to himself when he remembered the day they had landed the first engine. The villagers had turned out to look at the great beast, standing in groups and chatting. They watched patiently as the locomotive was unloaded from the barge and as the engineers put it into working order. He was amused at their reaction when the huge machine burst into life, hissing, spitting and steaming like some angry mythical creature. Many of the bystanders screamed and hollered, some running for cover, others hiding behind walls and trees, unable to comprehend its sudden animation. Its unholy noise and plume of steam and smoke was more than most could stand. They had to be calmed down and reassured like children. James could not believe it, in Bolton where he had been born modern inventions were not held in such awe and terror. He would make sure that the villagers of Barrow would learn to embrace these machines, and learn to love them, just as he did himself.

  He had a dream. It was a dream, which would revolutionise the village of Barrow. He knew that it was ripe for picking! Slate was brought down from the quarry at Kirkby and Lord Burlington had the foresight to create the Furness Railway. Next there would be exploration to find more iron ore, as soon as that was found the industry could grow. He for one would be right at the front when the ‘industrial revolution’ finally hit Barrow.

  CHAPTER 3

  THE MONK

  Rob dragged the heavy chocolate brown Labrador down the lane, he didn’t know why he had to take a turn walking the dog, after all, he hadn’t wanted a dog. He actually liked Sam, but he loved to stop and sniff every blade of grass, so a short walk took forever and he had other things to do. The good thing was he could at least have some thinking time and go over his news stories in his head. He was on a work placement at the local newspaper and it had been an interesting and busy summer so far.

  He hauled the reluctant dog towards Bow Bridge and narrowly missed being knocked down by a car, because Sam halted in the middle of the lane. He pushed him through the gate and let him off the lead. The Labrador bounced across the grass, aiming straight for the river. Mum would not be pleased if the dog went home muddy and wet. The huge dog splashed and jumped joyously in the little beck, he was in his element and Rob knew it was going to be a difficult task to get him out again.

  Ah well… no point worrying now. Rob sauntered along the river bank following the daft dog as he gambolled along the fast flowing beck towards the railway line. He was quite funny to watch… not a care in the world and oblivious to everything else. Suddenly, the dog stopped dead in his tracks, the water lapping around his legs, a low growl escaped from his curled lips and every sinew was as taut as a bowstring. Rob was shocked because Sam was a placid and friendly dog and it was unusual for him to react aggressively. Rob looked around to see what the dog was looking at. Someone was walking slowly on the brow of the hill towards the abbey, but he couldn’t see him clearly. The dog had jumped out of the water and was now standing close to Rob’s legs. He was alert and still growling beneath his breath.

  “Come on you dozy dog!” Rob said as he slipped the lead back onto the dog’s collar. “There’s nothing to be scared of…”

  They walked slowly towards the railway line and the level crossing. Rob was a bit reluctant about going this way in case the dog stopped again, he checked the lights and looked into the tunnel and there was no sign of a train. He thought it was safe to go and pulled the dog quickly across the footbridge. When they had reached the other side he struggled to negotiate their way through the heavily sprung wooden gate. He was engrossed in pulling the dog through when he suddenly jumped. The dog growled and yelped and Rob took a sharp breath, his arms prickling. He had almost bumped into another person. He hadn’t heard him approach and he was surprised. Rob took a step back and tried to pull the dog away.

  Sam was now on his hind legs, straining to get off the lead and growling and barking noisily. Rob heaved at the lead and tightened his grip. He hadn’t had chance to look at the person properly and was unable to understand Sam’s reaction. The man was tall and thick set, he peered at him with steely eyes. His severe sharp nose gave him the appearance of a very hungry vulture and he sniffed as though he was assessing whether he would be worthy prey.

  “Your brother is mixing with the wrong people. You must warn him that if he continues in this way he will only come to grief.”

  Rob looked blankly at him. What was he going on about? How did he know he had a brother?

  “The young man will court trouble if he does not cease his efforts to steal my treasure!”

  Again, a blank expression. The dog was going wild and it was all Rob could do to keep him under control. His heart fluttered, he wanted to run, but his path was blocked by this crazy man – was he really talking about Nate? What on earth had he got himself into?

  “Dunno what you’re talking about mate! I’m just out for a walk… me dad’s over there, so let me past.”

  The man smirked. He glanced arrogantly to left and right, demonstrating that he knew Rob was alone. Behind him, just off the road, through the trees, a black car purred to a halt. A youth, another man and a middle-aged woman were inside. At first Rob thought he could call to them for help, but then the youth jumped out and it was evident that he was this man’s companion. Rob was shaking and was almost ready to let
Sam go and do his worst. Just when he thought things could be no worse, something happened which was even more bizarre. Behind the man a grey mist began to emerge. The air became still and then was filled with an electrical charge, which crackled crisply. From within the mist a figure appeared.

  The man shuddered. The few hairs on his balding pate stood on end as though he had stuck his fingers in an electrical socket. Behind him a monk had emerged, draped in a white habit, topped with a black scapula and cowl. Rob nearly passed out. However, the man looked none too pleased either. Sam yelped but lay flat to the ground, eyes fixed on this apparition. The man cursed and made his way through the vegetation to the side of the lane where the vintage black Wolsley car was waiting, engine vibrating quietly. He got into the passenger seat, slammed the door and the car revved speedily away.

  By now Rob was sweating, glad that the crazy man had left but now what? A ghost? His common sense told him it could not be, but he had to believe his own eyes. The dog was now whining, as scared as he was himself. The monk smiled benignly and gave him the sign of blessing, but Rob was rooted firmly to the spot. When he got hold of his kid brother he would…