The Rattler (Rattler Trilogy Book 1) (3 page)

1

Friday
26
^th
August 2011, Leeds, England.
It’s 10.30 am. Removal men are
busy loading boxes into three large trucks. The house was stripped and ready
for a new family to move into. The Johnson family were packing up their final
few boxes of memories. Jim, the dad, a grey haired man, had finished packing up
his black 7-series BMW. He looked at an empty black Range Rover parked behind.
He smiled, and opened his driver’s door. Ten year old James was in the front
passenger seat, playing on a Nintendo 3DS.

“Are
we going now?”

“Yes,
just waiting for the girls. I’ll be back in a minute,” said Jim, as he entered
the house for the final time.

2

Zoe,
a 19-year old blonde, slim, woman, was sitting on the floor, resting against a
wall, in an empty bedroom. She was using Facebook on her iPhone; she typed,
A
typical August bank holiday, the sun is shining,
and the removal trucks are full!

Mary,
an attractive blonde woman, entered the room. “Here you are! Everyone’s waiting
outside.”

Zoe
stood up. “I know mum, it’s just...” she said, wistfully. “It’ll be fine. Think
of it this way, at least you can stay at home for the remaining two years of
Uni,” replied Mary. Zoe walked round the room towards the window. “That was the
whole reason why I chose Oxford in the first place, to get away,” she replied.
She stood and watched as the removal men closed the truck’s rear doors. Deep
down she was sad to be leaving behind happy family memories. Mary walked over
to her and hugged her from behind. “I know, but your father had to take this
new job offer from Uncle Carl, or face redundancy.”

Jim
entered the room. “Here you are! Come on, everyone is waiting.”

“OK,”
said Mary, “we’ll finish this conversation in the car, Zoe.”

3

As
they all left the house, Zoe turned and took a photograph using her iPhone
before getting into her mother’s Range Rover. Her parents embraced and kissed.

“I’ll
drive slowly,” promised Mary, solemnly.

“You’d
better,” replied Jim.

The
convoy began the long journey towards London. Zoe was in the front passenger
seat, listening to her iPhone’s music whilst texting friends. Mary glanced at
her husband’s car in the rear view mirror, then at Zoe.

“Aren’t
you happy?”

“Did
you say something, mum?”
Zoe un-plugged her earpieces.

“Just
wanted to know if you’re happy, that’s all.”

Zoe
finished writing her text message. “Yes, and no,” she replied whilst looking
out of the window.

“What
do you mean by that?”

“Well,
of course I’ll have extra money in the bank saved from Halls, but I feel I’ve
lost my independence again. And I’m certainly not looking forward to the hour’s
journey into Oxford every day.”

“I
don’t understand, Zoe, what do you mean?
Lost your independence?
”

Zoe
removed her trainers and moved her legs closer to her chest. “I moved to Oxford
for some space, mum.
And to experience adulthood.”
Mary massaged Zoe’s right shoulder. “I know how you feel hunnie. But your dad,
although, he won’t admit it, missed you last year. He missed your chats and
certainly co-op mode on FOD!” Zoe laughed. “We still played together online,”
she replied, examining her fingernails. “But it’s not really the same, Zoe. I
know he can be a bit embarrassing.”

“You
think? Do you remember what he said to my friend, Cary, last year?
You’ve
got a lovely tan, been on holiday?
He wasn’t even embarrassed when she told
him it was her natural colour!”

“That’s
why I married him, he makes me laugh. And regards the extra journey time,
you’ll pass your test next time. Just keep thinking of the new Mini Cooper. It’s
arriving in eight weeks, so no pressure!”

“I
know mum, and, until then, dad will just have to act as the taxi.” The pair
laughed.

4

James
was playing his 3DS. “What are you playing, son? You’ve not said a word since
we left the house.” James quickly glanced at his dad. “Back Alley Fighting
online.” Jim was puzzled. “Online? How the heck are you doing that?” James
rolled his eyes and pointed to the charging iPhone.
“Using
your iPhone as a Wi-Fi hotspot.”
Jim was certainly impressed.
“Bloody hell, son, you kids and technology!
Your
Aunt Lynn and I had to settle for miniature magnetic
car Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders, and Connect Four when I was your age. How
things have changed!”

Jim
smiled, proudly. Both of his children were interested in video gaming, and that
was something he’d been responsible for. The house was always full of the
latest games, straight from the development shelf. Jim often joked that he and
Mary dated with Nintendo’s Zelda, and it was Link that had brought them together.
They’d met at Leeds University in the late 80’s. Jim went on to work in the
area of designing and making video games. Mary took a step back in her own
career development, and soon became a modern-day housewife.

5

Zoe’s
mobile phone beeped; she read the text. “Dad says we’re stopping at the next
service station for lunch, but mainly because James is desperate for a piss.”

“Did
he really say piss? More like
spend a penny
. And, how did he text you?”

“No,
mum,” said Zoe, laughing, “dad’s a safety nut and wouldn’t risk his son’s life
typing out a text message – he used Siri.”

“Him
and his iPhone!” replied Mary.

This
car journey was the first time in months that mother and daughter had actually
spent a couple of hours together, and Mary was enjoying it. At the start of the
summer Zoe went away with her friends to Ibiza for four weeks, and then spent
two weeks with friends in Oxford. Mary wasn’t at all prepared when Zoe left
home last August. Mary accepted that once Zoe left Uni she would be off –
accepting a job in any part of the country. She sighed as she looked lovingly
at her daughter, thinking that she would only have her company for another few
days as the family would be going on holiday to Florida for a week with Mary’s
Aunt Sally – her mother’s sister.

6

The
two cars pulled up at an M6 service station. The removal vans had carried on to
London, where a builder friend of Jim’s had agreed to meet them at the new
house. James couldn’t wait – as soon as the car stopped he dashed into the
building. “Get me a Whopper with extra cheese, please!” he shouted.

The
rest of the family smiled as they walked into the building. Jim held the door
open for his girls, but it soon became apparent that he was acting as a
temporary doorman! Mary watched as he held the door open for a number of people
– many of whom did not even acknowledge him. It was a typical motorway service
station but, because of the bank holiday weekend, the place was packed –
children ran around, and parents chased after them. As they walked in, Zoe’s
phone beeped. She pressed a button. “Someone’s popular today,” said Mary,
smiling fondly at her daughter. “No,” she replied, “just checked into this
place on Facebook.”

They
soon joined the Burger King queue and, as James re-joined them, Jim said, “I’ve
got a treat planned for us later.”

“What?”
said Zoe and James
together.

“No,
you’ll have to be patient,” Jim teased.

“I’m
too impatient for surprises, dad. Just tell me already!” said Zoe.

“No,”
Jim continued, firmly, “all will be revealed in a couple of hours. Right,
what’s everyone having?
The usual?”

“Yes,
but make mine a large one,” said Zoe, her parents smiled. “What?” Zoe frowned.
“It’s nothing, come on, let’s get a table,” Mary replied, taking her by the
hand.

7

Four
large Whoppers
later,
and they were back in their
cars. Zoe was sipping the remains of her Fanta. “So, come on, mum, what’s dad’s
big surprise then?” Mary briefly glanced at her. “I really don’t have a clue. I
guess you’ll just have to wait.”

The
journey was boring; the skies were becoming overcast, and Zoe pretty soon
started to doze off, listening to her iPhone’s playlist. It was true bliss,
with only the car’s engine creating a light hum. Mary was deep in thought. She
yawned, “I wish you’d hurry up and pass your test. I could do with a little nap
myself.” Suddenly, a
withheld incoming call
message flashed up on the
touch screen, and a jazz ringtone played throughout the car.

“Hello?”
she said, tentatively.

“You’ve
been following me for the past two hours, officer. When are you going to pull
me over?” replied a male voice. “Jim!” said Mary, exasperatedly, “you
frightened the life out of me! I could have had a heart attack!” Jim smiled at
his wife through the rear view mirror. “I couldn’t resist. James is asleep,
snuggled under his blanket, and I’m bored! Still, we should be there in less
than an hour.
Zoe alright?”

“Yes,
she’s asleep,” answered Mary. Jim blew her a kiss through his rear view mirror.
“Love you,” he said, tiredness creeping into his voice. “My love rebounds to you,”
Mary replied.

8

Zoe
woke up as her iPhone vibrated; she rubbed her eyes.

“Not there yet?”

“Nearly.
We should be there within the
hour.”

Zoe’s
text message was from her best friend, Vana. They had been friends since they
started at Primary School together, and now they are both at Oxford, where Zoe
is studying computer science and graphic design and Vana reading history. Zoe
started typing a reply but stopped. “Is it OK if Vana stays over tonight?”

“Yes,
of course, you don’t need to ask. You know that,” replied Mary. Zoe grinned as
she finished her text message.

1

It
was almost 6.30 pm when Mary followed her husband’s car into Wyne Tree Square;
they had been lucky to beat the rain that threatened to ruin the summer’s
evening. They’d had to stop at an M1 service station just outside London for
James who needed the loo again, but they were all grateful to stretch their
legs. Zoe took James on a shopping spree for sweets and chocolate. They also
picked up the latest video games magazines. Mary and Jim enjoyed a quiet
coffee.

The
four hour drive had taken its toll on Mary – she looked whacked-out. “At last,
we made it,” she sighed, and parked the Range Rover on the drive outside a
large red bricked house. She looked up at the building. Number 10 Wyne Tree
Square consisted of four floors; the ground floor had a lounge and a dining
room at the front, and a kitchen, small study and bathroom at the rear of the
house. The first floor had four bedrooms and a bathroom, and the second floor
had a further three bedrooms and a bathroom. There was an attic on the top
floor, while a basement ran half the length of the ground floor.

Because
the house had been empty, the builder had been able to refit the kitchen and
install new appliances, as well as sand, stain and varnish the floors. The rest
of the house needed repainting, and Jim planned to start on one of the guest
bedrooms the next day in readiness for Aunt Sally’s arrival on Sunday.

The
removal trucks’ doors were wide open, and the men were busily taking box after
box into the empty house. They’d been greeted by Jim’s builder friend two hours
before. Each box had been marked with its desired destination, and all the new
owners needed to do
was
to un-pack the contents. The large
furniture had been placed in the relevant rooms. Zoe glanced at Mary, with a
smile, as they watched the removal men at work. Mary and Zoe got out of the
car, stiffly, and walked towards the open door, nodding to the removal men as
they passed by; they entered the house via the impressive, box-cluttered,
dusty, hallway.

Jim
gently tapped James on his shoulder. “Wake up son, we’re here.” James rubbed
his eyes, and stretched. “Great!” he said as he got out of the car and ran
towards the house. “Where are you going in such a hurry?” asked Jim, as he
started to unpack the car. “Exploring!” shouted James over his shoulder as he
dashed into the house. He was impressed. “This house is huge! Seven
bedrooms,
and three bathrooms. WOW!”

2

As
her parents joined the removal men in unpacking, Zoe was exploring the empty
second floor, using her iPhone to film as she went. “So, this is my new house,
peeps,” she said, slowly panning around the landing. Three doors opened up to
large bedrooms, there was a door to the bathroom and a flight of stairs led up
to the attic. Zoe entered a bedroom, and walked slowly around, filming as she
went. “As you guys can see, it’s a little bit bigger than Leeds.” Suddenly,
footsteps running above her head broke her concentration.

“Shit!
What the hell was that?”

The
ceiling shook, causing an old, dusty lampshade to sway gently from side to
side. Zoe came out of the room onto the landing, still filming. “Well, guys,
we’d better check that out,” she said, cautiously.

3

As
she neared the stairs, the wooden beams above her head gently groaned. She
glanced up at the ceiling. Her heart started to pound. She gripped the
handrail, took a couple of deep breaths, and started to venture into the dark
towards the attic door, the stairs gently creaking with every step. All of a
sudden, the flashlight on her iPhone automatically turned on, making her jump.
“Get a grip, girl,” she said, quietly, as she apprehensively climbed the stairs
– adrenaline flowed through her body. “Why is it so cold up here? It’s
freezing.” She stretched out her left hand, slowly, and turned the round brass
doorknob. The door opened noisily.

“Hello?
Anyone in here?”

Zoe
panned the iPhone round the dark, large room. The only light came from four
small, dusty windows. It was empty apart from a hefty wooden chest in the
middle of the floor. Zoe made her way warily across the room towards the chest;
the lid was closed and there was an opened padlock with a key hanging on the
latch. “Well then, let’s see what secrets you hold,” she said, taking a deep
breath and placing her hand on the lid.

“BOO!”
shouted James, throwing open the lid of the chest. Zoe almost dropped her
iPhone. “James, you’re such an idiot! You frightened the life out of me! What
on earth are you doing up here?” she said, angrily, as James climbed out of the
empty chest, grinning. “Toilet, second floor bathroom’s the only one that
flushes,” he replied as he took the lock off the chest and placed it on the
lid. Zoe started to calm down.

“You
haven’t blocked the other two already?”

“No.
I’ve only been up here.”

“Come
on, let’s go and give mum and dad a hand,” Zoe said, tolerantly, hugging her
brother and messing up his hair.

4

Jim
and Mary were unpacking boxes in the lounge. “I know it’s going to need some
work – the fact that it’s been empty for a few years hasn’t helped, but having
said that, it already feels like home.”

“I
know. It’s much bigger than our old house, and it’s a bonus to have the extra
rooms. I think we’ll be very happy here,” replied Mary, resting for a minute on
the sofa. The removal men had already put the black leather la-Z-Boy sofa and
two armchairs in place, with a coffee table in front of them. Jim smiled at
Mary. “I’m absolutely knackered. Let’s just set up the TV, Mary; the rest can
wait.”

“Agreed.”

Zoe
and James came into the room. “So, dad, what’s this big surprise then?” asked
Zoe. “Look under that stack of games,” Jim replied, with a smile. Zoe started
to hunt amongst the games and came across a blank DVD case, which she opened,
and found a disc labelled
BL4
which Carl had dropped off with the
builder the day before. “What’s on it?” she asked. “Now, that’s Battleline 4’s
online beta and the first two levels,” answered Jim.
“Seriously,
dad?
That’s amazing,” said Zoe, enthusiastically. “Yes, apparently
marketing is struggling for ideas. They could really
use your help.”

“That’s
easy,” Zoe smiled, “got it,
the rage of gunfire is all around as my squad
sit in a tank. Buildings collapse, snipers pick off the strays. And two lucky
teammates enjoy a dog fight in the sky above. This isn’t a run and gun game,
this is Battleline 4’s multiplayer
.
How’s that?”

“Perfect,”
answered Jim. Because Jim now worked for the game publisher
Dread Stoning
Games,
Zoe and James were fortunate enough to be getting unreleased games
to trial. “Zoe, what time are you expecting Vana to arrive?” asked Mary.
“About 8.30.
She said she’d pick up some supplies on the
way.”

“I’ll
order the pizzas for 9 o’clock then,” said Mary, as she wandered off into the
kitchen.

5

The
removal men had just left when the Johnson’s doorbell rang for the first time.
“I’ll get it,” said Zoe, jumping up from the sofa. She opened the door to find
a water-drenched Vana.

“Ha,
is it raining?”

“Yer
think?”

“Hurry
up, get in here. I’m glad you finally found us.”

Vana,
a 19-year old slim, dark-featured brunette, followed Zoe in, just as a loud
clap of thunder made them both jump. “Jesus! That sounded close,” said Zoe,
closing the front door. “I know; I’ve been shitting myself all the way here.”
Vana placed her small rucksack at the foot of the stairs. “I was dead certain
the bus was gonna get it.”

“Vana,
you’re such a drama-queen.”

Vana
followed Zoe into the kitchen, where Mary had unpacked all of the kitchen
utensils, stacking shelves with pans and crockery. “Hello,” said Vana as she
placed her carrier bag on the centre island. “You must all be shattered.”

“Just
a little, but hey, we made it. It’s wonderful to see you,” said Mary, giving
her a hug. “What have you got there?” asked Zoe.

“Crisps,
chocolate, milk and bread,” replied Vana.

“Crisps
and chocolate?” said Mary, in mock horror.

“You’ve
never tried them together, mum?”

“I
can’t say I have, dear.”

“You’re
missing out. We’ll try to save you some.” The girls laughed as they went out of
the kitchen.

6

10.45
pm and all the pizzas had been eaten. The majority of boxes had been unpacked
and Jim and Mary were relaxing on the sofa with a bottle of red wine. James was
asleep, and Zoe and Vana were sitting on Zoe’s double bed, both in their
pyjamas, whilst they watched a movie on television. They were eating chocolate
and crisps, washed down with the occasional swig of hot chocolate. “Vana, you
haven’t told me how last night went with Matthew?”

“Oh,
yeah, I got a little bit too drunk and we half had sex.”

“You’re
never going to enjoy it if you keep on falling asleep.”

Vana
chuckled. “I know. I’ll cut out the wine next time.”

The
two friends concentrated on the movie they were watching.
A man and a woman
were making out on a bed; suddenly the door was kicked down and two men,
dressed in black and wearing ski-masks, rushed in, brandishing silenced guns.
“WAIT!” the man on the bed yelled, holding up his hands. “I have money!”

“That’s
exactly why we’re here,” said one of the gunmen, before shooting them.

“At
least they died hard,” Vana remarked, at which Zoe burst out laughing and, in
the process, sprayed the bed with crisps – a typical Zoe and Vana evening, full
of amusement. They went back to eating their chocolate and crisps. “What do you
make of this house? And be honest, hun.” Vana gave the spacious room the once
over. “I love it. It’s a really nice house. Why, has something happened?”

“No.
Not really,” answered Zoe, moving her legs towards her chest. “Only James
trying his level-headed best to scare me in the attic, that’s all. He well and
truly got me – the little bugger. But, I’ve really enjoyed my year without
them. Is that wrong?”

“No.
I know how you feel,” replied Vana, who was acting like a hyperactive bunny;
chocolate tended to have that effect on her. “But think of it this way, you’ll
have lots of extra money for partying. And, anyway, it’s a big house; you’re
not exactly going to be on top of each other, are you?” Zoe finished off her
hot chocolate. “No, I guess you’re right.”

“And,
don’t forget, you can still crash at mine whenever you want,” Vana added, “so,
you’ll have the best of both worlds, lucky bitch!” The friends laughed, and
knocked their mugs together. “Campus rebels,” they both said.