A Seat of Learning by Jonah
More of the adventures of Simon and Garret and their boys. This is a loving story of good people. It features men looking after boys but do not expect to find any indecency here. Only genuine love. Not one of the characters in this story is a real person or is, in any way, based on a real person. At least one character, however, is the creation of another author. I wish to thank Jacob Lion, in the USA, for his permission to use his characters in my stories.
I hope you will enjoy this story, and I'm grateful to Nifty for enabling me to bring it to you. Nifty does not charge either me or you for doing so, but it does cost money to do it. Please consider donating to Nifty at https://donate.nifty.org/ to help keep this site going.
Chapter 14
We got back to Sheringham at around half past six, Luke and Simon both parking in the railway car-park. I left the discovery where it was and we walked across to the "Two Lifeboats Hotel". Ben Pigeon was already at the bar and greeted us all as we walked in.
"Joining us for dinner Ben?" Luke asked. "My treat."
"It ought to be my treat, " I said, "since Ben was kind enough....."
Ben shook his head slightly and pursed his lips. I fell silent.
"No, it's my treat Garret. I'm treating you two anyway since tomorrow's dinner's on you," Luke informed us.
Simon grinned and ruffled his step-brother's hair.
"If that's what you want bro," he commented, "but I think I should warn you that it's my turn to cook tomorrow."
"Come on Ben," said Luke. "I promise I won't make you eat Simon's cooking tomorrow."
Ben slid off his bar stool and joined us at the corner table which, it was obvious, wasn't meant to seat seven but we would manage. All of us were known at the "Boats" and it didn't take long for drinks to be served and orders taken for food. The boys were in awe of Ben - the man who drove the massive 9F - and not much less in awe of Simon and Luke. To be honest, two of them were even in awe of Lloyd.
We each put away a most enjoyble meal, including steak and kidney pie in my case, and consumed zero alcohol between us. Every one of the adults was driving and Ben even had engine driving to do tomorrow. By nine o' clock we were all sated, sober and satisfied. My car being more or less across the road, I ran everybody back to the railway car-park where we decanted courselves into different cars. Barry remained with me while Lloyd insisted on travelling with Luke, and Philip went with Simon. Ben was staying at the station so didn't need to drive anywhere.
We were at home before ten and the boys were sent immediately to bed. There was not even a murmur of dissent. In fact - there was not even a murmur.
The three adults supped a small whisky apiece whilst putting the world to rights before putting ourselves to bed. I threw a blanket downstairs for Luke, who made up his bed on the settee.
Simon and I didn't even say goodnight to the boys, none of whom were in any position to listen. Before long, neither were we.
I don't know what time of the night it was when there was a tremendous hammering of the front door.
Garret and I were both out of bed and dressing-gowned immediately.
As we quickly tiptoed down the stairs I noted that Luke hadn't stirred from the settee, but was mostly still covered in his blanket.
"Simon," he whispered urgently, "see who it is, but be prepared to use karate. Garret, call it in. Tell the duty controller it's a code seven and give them your address. Let them know you can't talk other than that and hang up. Don't switch the light on. We know our way round this house better than whoever that is."
As the door opened a rough voice said,
"Stand back!" as he pushed his way into the room. He was carrying a battery torch but was using it to ensure that we could see the pistol in his other hand.
"You," he called. "Move away from that phone. Switch the light on."
"Have you got 50p for the meter,?" I asked him.
"Don't be smart with me," he roared stepping toward me with the pistol pointed directly at me.
Suddenly there was a tremendous report as the gun went off. I waited to feel the pain of the bullet but, instead, only heard the roar of pain from the gunman."
"Light Garret," said Luke.
I switched on the light to find the man pinned to the floor by Simon, roaring in pain as blood gushed from his right foot. Luke, in just his underpants, stood behind them holding the pistol by its barrel.
"Make the call Garret," said Luke. "Just as I told you, but request an ambulance as well."
I pressed the 9 button three times.
"Police," I told the emergency operator.
"Norfolk Police, What is your emergency?" said a new voice.
I lowered my voice to give the impression that I was forced to whisper and said,
"Code seven at one, four, zero Newton Road, Newton St. Faith. We need an ambulance."
"Code seven at one four zero Newton Road," said the voice. "Can you talk?"
"No," I replied as I replaced the receiver.
I glanced up to see three frightened faces looking down.
"Back to bed boys," I told them quietly. "Not you Barry."
I quickly mounted the stairs until I could hug him to me. I could feel him shivering and I knew it wasn't entirely the cold.
"It's alright Barry," I told him quietly. "He isn't going to hurt anyone. That's not your father is it?"
He shook his head.
"It's ... it's Red.. Reb... Reverend Esau."
"Well he isn't a reverend any more, and he has no business in our house. Now go on up and get yourself wrapped up warm."
The man had ceased howling and was now only moaning. He couldn't turn to look up at Luke, but he could talk to him.
"You've shot me and you've broken my arm," he accused.
"I hope I have broken your arm," said Luke quietly. "If I haven't, I'm losing my touch, but I haven't shot you because I don't have a gun. You were the one who brought a gun to shoot yourself with. Only stupid people do that."
The man moaned again. Blue lights were flashing on the curtains. Luke nodded toward the door which I went to and threw open.
An armed policeman was immediately outside and his weapon was pointed directly at me. "Name?" he barked.
"Garret Ito, are you going to ask me my address?"
"Inside,"he ordered. Another armed policeman followed him in. Then two unarmed ones, the last man looked familiar.
"Hi Garret, Hi Simon," said PC Gary Slake. "Is Lloyd upstairs?"
"There are two other kids up there with him," I told him. "One of them is the one that this worthless specimen came to harm."
Gary turned to the other unarmed man.
"Do you want to nip up and see that they're alright Colin?" he said.
The officer nodded to me and then headed upstairs.
"We haven't secured this place yet," said the man whose weapon was still trained on me. "You shouldn't be in here constable."
"Then use your eyes ... constable." said Gary. "a quick look round will tell you that the only weapon in the room apart from yours and his, is the one being held by that officer there. Do you want a specimen bag for that Sir?"
He reached in his inside pocket and pulled out a sealable plastic bag.
"Here you are constable. Put it in there and you'll be able to get dressed. Then you can show the artillery your badge. Was it your idea to call it in as a code seven?"
"It was a proper code seven," replied Luke, "but then matey here gave me the opportunity to disarm him."
"He's making a mess of Simon and Garret's carpet. "
"When all this is over, they'll be able to show tourists round the place and point out the blood stains."
"Er, Gary...." I nodded toward the Heckler and Kosch still trained on my chest.
"Oh yes," said Gary.
He reached over and depressed the barrel of the offending weapon.
"Your prisoner is down there constable. Feel free to shoot him if he gives Simon any trouble. A bullet or two in the other foot would be nice. Our custody sergeant would like to hear that he's in quite a lot of pain, though he shouldn't have given a prisoner a chance to clobber him with a pistol butt. How did you disarm him by the way?"
"He was about to shoot Garret but didn't know I was lying on the settee. I depressed his aim and he relaxed his grip when the bullet entered his foot. Sadly, I don't think I really did break his arm, but you never know."
A paramedic tapped lightly on the door.
"Is that my patient? he asked.
"Yes, if you can stop him bleeding on the carpet." said Gary. "We're going to keep that gun trained on him so that he doesn't run away though."
"Oh, I don't think he'll be running."
"We could put a bullet in the other foot to make sure."
"Are you going to take him away to a nice secure cell?"
"Are you going to tell me he needs to be in hospital?"
"Nah, we need the beds for proper patients. He hasn't got a bullet in him, There's an exit wound under his shoe. The bullet's in the floor. He'll have a couple of grazed metatarsals and a lot of bleeding that I can stop. I'll give him something for the pain, and you won't have any trouble with him."
"What about his broken arm?"
"Is that what he's holding his left arm for? How'd he do that?"
"He claims that I broke it disarming him."
"Do you know if he's left handed?"
We didn't. The paramedic walked round in front of his patient and threw a punch at the man's face. The man's right hand parried it.
"He's right-handed and holds a gun with his right hand. He's holding his left arm because he's forgotten which arm you broke."
Thirty minutes later the man, with his bandaged foot, was loaded into the back of a police van and taken away. The police - with the exception of Luke - were gone within ten minutes.