You Promised Me Geeks: UK Summer

"That way, me lasses."

Asha hoped her wan face, both of theirs, their hair, mussed clothing, would be taken for simple road weariness. But with Tracy on the far side of her she gave the best strut she could manage.

"Thank you, sir," Asha kept the broad accent on their emergence, Tracy managed only a half smile and stayed silent, "we needed that."

The barman's smile was friendly.

"Will you lasses be thirsty?"

"I'm so sorry we imposed, but we really need to get to Bath. Our friends will think we crashed! You know, Yanks on the wrong side of the road."

The barman chuckled. "You'd not be the first."

"But,"Asha looked up and put her hand to her cheek and took advantage to press her left tit tighter against the thin cloth of her tiny dress, "their directions are confusing. Do you know of a Salter's in Bath?"

The men looked amongst each other before the barman gave Asha an amused look.

"Dunno nothing 'bout one in Bath, there's a Salter's Mill just ahead, couple miles in Trowbridge."

"Ay," the seated speaker's voice was shaky, he appeared to be the oldest, "wool mill. By the river. Worked there as a lad, I did. Shut back in '82."

"Gonna make it into a shopping centre and museum, the Council says," the men now well engaged.

"Is that BA14?" Their expressions made clear the group hadn't noticed Tracy was there until that moment. They didn't seem impressed.

"BA14? That's just our postcode here, not Bath."

"Someone's been having you on, girly."

Asha caught Tracy's eye and flashed a smile before she put a face of anger for their audience.

"Arseholes," a near perfect mimicry of the locals before she went back to American, "well. Any inns or hotels? Guess we'll just forget them then."

"Not much close by but plenty in Bath. Just go through town, you'll get there."

"Tourists go there, not here," muttered one of the men.

"Thank you, gentlemen, you've been so kind. Sorry we can't stay."

"Drive carefully, you two, gettin' dark."

"We will," Asha wiggled her ass hard enough she knew her dress would fly up far enough to show the bottom of her bare round ass as she pushed Tracy out in front of her.

A Big Dark Building

Tracy turned her head to look at Asha. "What do we do with her? She going to stay out?"

"I can make sure she stays out..."

"No," Tracy shook her head, "not unless we have no choice. But. What if they have guns? Here, I've got my little knife here in my pack, I know you can use one."

Asha chuckled but she took the small combination tool knife. They'd parked the car behind an old wooden fence that hid it from Salter's Mill.

"Considering they have magic death cooties, might be all hopeless. But what the hell. At least they don't have masks."

Tracy's mouth made an 'O' and she nodded. "No buzzing, so maybe no death cooties."

"Buzzing... I didn't hear, I heard screams but mostly I just heard the energy in the stone, then it took my energy. I've... never, ever had that happen."

"Ok, well. We drove around, haven't seen the van but this place is huge. Could be inside there. We could wait until it gets dark..."

"No, we need to sneak while we still have some light so see. Let's go."

The main building was large, around 50 by 100 yards and multiple stories in height, with a smattering of smaller buildings around it, all of them with a combination of intact and broken windows. The long shadows of the late solstice sun didn't obviously reveal if the white-hairs and their captives were even here.

Asha put her hand on Tracy's chest.

"Not copping a feel... Well, yeah, I am," Asha grinned, "back that way, garages, from the big doors."

"Asha," Tracy said on the second building they'd checked, "here."

She pointed through a very dirty window to where a white panel van was parked as Asha arrived next to her.

They turned to look at the buildings. Long, straggly grass filled most of the yard around piles of broken masonry and other detritus.

"I kind of want to come back to see what kind of mall they make out of this..."

"Got it," Tracy squatted, hissed as Asha turned to her.

"Huh?"

Tracy pointed about forty-five degrees to their right. "That way, game trail, c'mon."

She stood and walked slowly, Asha shook her head and followed as she worked the still-closed knife through a serpentine of the fingers of her right hand. About 40 yards along Tracy stopped and rotated her view, turned hard right and looked up. A closed wooden door was straight ahead. The single-story outbuilding was about thirty yards wide and maybe forty deep, a single set of windows in the middle of the wall both sides of the door.

"Those windows are painted, or something," Tracy said, "not just dirt."

Asha tapped Tracy's shoulder, nodded when the dark-haired girl looked at her before she stepped forward. She put her finger to her lips and they walked softly along the broken concrete path to the door. Asha nudged Tracy to stand at arm's length before she put her ear to the door then closed her eyes and inhaled deeply but slowly and held it. Then repeated it. Then motioned for Tracy to lower her ear.

"They're in there, arguing, not yelling, but they're not happy. I think they got their wires crossed, they expected to find me, us. Well, they were right, my mom was right. Something held me at that Saracen stone, but they expected their death cooties would bring us to them like it did everyone else. I think the stone made me immune though..."

Then she suddenly pushed Tracy and they stepped softly back along the path before she guided her friend behind a large wall left over from a demolished building. They peeked just as the wooden door was pushed open with some force. Six of the white-hairs emerged including the two apparent leaders who'd met Asha and Tracy at the pub. One of them shared out cigarettes to three others and a second pulled out a lighter.

"Where is that American idiot? Why'd you let her drive?" A forceful blow of smoke.

Asha looked at Tracy, mouthed 'German,' Tracy nodded.

"Like you'd do better?"

'Italian... I think,' Asha's mime.

The male leader, one of the non-smokers, had dropped his posh accent from the evening at the pub for an Irish lilt. "Enough, she's as good a driver as any of you."

"Why do we even need her? She's got some strange beliefs..."

"She's the reason we got those nanowhatsits, yeah, she's bit of a freak but she's got some friends. And we need contacts in America for our plans."

"They work, but not as good as we'd hoped. You believe her story about the black robe cult and that fire at a church? Sounds, well, off."

"It's real," the leader, "trust me. Because of her we also should've had this redhead, whatever the deal with her but apparently having her would make us better friends with our benefactors. Anyway, you three get the van and go get the other cars. We're splitting up. If she's not here by the time you get back too bad."

Shrugs and two cigarettes were stomped out on a bit of concrete then the two men and the woman in the assigned trio retraced the path to where the van was hidden. Asha and Tracy slid deeper into the wall's shadow.

"Go in," the female leader told the white-haired woman, who stubbed out her butt and disappeared back into the building.

"I like when they split the herd for me," Asha whispered, Tracy scrunched her face in confused response.

"Those three going to have no memories?"

"What we were told, but who knows. The nanos didn't last very long once we activated them but they worked."

"The old fights are going to be passé pretty soon. We've been fighting the fascists and the capitalists, but our side isn't any better. And almost everyone's in prison or dead. Gotta make a new way."

"Pass off one of those redheads for who they think they're getting?"

"Might work, might be a bad idea...," the female leader said, "we'll offer 'em anyway, leave it to them, just not mention the point."

She stubbed out her cigarette as the male shrugged. Then she continued.

"I need the loo," she said, "get those two to get our new friends ready to move. We'll take 'em in the van, send everyone else in the cars to the alternate safe houses."

He nodded and went inside. The woman followed the broken paths to a small set of outbuildings and opened one in a line of four doors and pulled it shut behind her.

"C'mon," Asha whispered, "splitting the herd for me."

She ignored Tracy's questioning look as they walked to the end of the wall. Asha handed the knife to Tracy who pocketed it.

"Wait here. Do I get to Jed this one, miss futsy?"

"Wha? Hey, if you're going to be unconscious for hours, no fucking way!"

"It's just a top up. I'll be fine... She told them to kill innocent people..."

"Go."

Asha's feral smile was again Janet's as she walked silently to the loo door. She put her ear to the door, looked back at Tracy and smiled. She grabbed the door handle and with a soft but clear grunt pulled the door open, the sliding latch tore free of the old wood. The seated woman's mouth was a confused look.

"You—," she managed before Asha charged.

The Loo

Tracy edged toward the loo door where the sounds of a struggle had ended while she kept her eye on the open passage in the main building. Just as she arrived at the door Asha leaned her head out.

"Blech, bleah," she stuck her tongue out and her face scrunched before she spoke softly.

"These bitches must've met on the dock, waving the sailors in with one hand and the other lifting their shirts up in promise."

"Why do you keep going on about ships and sailors?"

"My naive country mouse. Later..." Asha's smile was wide. Tracy looked inside, the woman's vacant stare was like Jed's, she was still seated with her legs apart and her arms limp. Instead of the wood she expected Tracy saw what looked like a modern plastic toilet seat and lid. Asha stepped out and pushed the door closed.

"Whatever. C'mon, windows on that side, let's see what we can find."

The windows were evenly spaced along the wall, both had metal bars in checkerboard mesh but the first one at least had no glass. Near each window was a door. Inside the first window was a room, a closed door on the far wall. A few pieces of broken furniture were strewn about. As they neared the second window, its glass blackened, they heard angry voices, male and female, in accented English.

"Stay down!"

"Don't move."

Asha led the way to the window and they crouched as low light leaked out in the long shadows.

"That's good, people," the female voice. Grunts and incoherent yelps from additional voices.

"Questi fottuti stronzi, non vedo l'ora di liberarmene," the male voice. Tracy faced Asha and mouthed 'what?' but Asha put her finger to her lips.

"Not come ai vecchi tempi in cui prendevamo quel fascista Moro."

Seemingly mordant laughter from inside as Asha kept her finger on her lips and rose slowly until she was at the bottom of the glass.

"I bei giorni torneranno per le brigate rosse."

"Now be good girls and boy and don't move," the male voice followed by steps and a door closed hard.

Asha rose again then pushed Tracy to move to the door a half dozen steps away.

"What was that?"

"Italian, ragazza dolce, they claim they're Brigate Rosse, Red Brigades."

"The terrorists?"

Asha shrugged as she looked the door over. It had no doorknob but had two heavy latches bolted to the door and two heavy, rusted padlocks secured them.

"Can you pick locks, city girl?"

"No need, give me your knife."

Tracy's mouth opened into an 'O' but she pulled it from her rear pocket and handed it over. Asha squinted in the shadow until she found the flat blade screwdriver tool and pulled it out. She pointed to the door's hinges and smiled.

"Brace the door," Asha said, Tracy stood against it with a doubtful look. Asha attacked the lower hinge which resisted for a few moments before it moved with a scraping sound that caused both of them to flinch and stop. When they didn't hear any response Asha pushed the pin the rest of the way out. Then she reached up to get the second one, it started but then locked.

"Shit," she muttered before she angled the screwdriver and used her right palm to drive the knife up. Nothing. A second push met the same result.

Then she growled and slammed the edge of her palm against the knife and let out a hard closed-mouth grunt. The pin gave way and popped a couple of feet into the air as Asha just managed to hold onto the knife. Tracy had her own grunt as the door teetered before Asha recovered and helped her balance it. They went still again as they heard muffled sounds in the room but no voices followed them. Asha folded the knife and handed it back to Tracy.

"Over here," Asha nudged Tracy to the wall just beyond the hinges, "when I get it started push it just so you can see in, if the far door is closed nod and I can balance it as you push."

"What if the door is open?"

"Run like fuck to the car... that way, this building is separate, we can get back. Okay, now."

Asha pulled and Tracy pushed it slowly then stopped it, looked. She nodded with a smile.

"The hostages, on the floor, hands tied behind backs and to each other and gagged and blindfolded. Door closed."

"Perfect let's go." Tracy saw the nearest head raise and turn at the slight sound the door made as Asha balanced it out then let it sit where the latches held it. Tracy started inside but Asha grabbed her shoulder and put her mouth to the dark-haired girl's ear.

"Say nothing, let me talk."

Tracy shrugged and they stepped in, Asha walked and stood near the heads and squatted. She mimed to Tracy to tell her to watch the far door. Tracy nodded and walked to it, put her ear. She looked at Asha and used her fingers and thumb in a 'yak yak yak' motion. Asha smiled as Tracy turned back to the door, saw a small tab on the doorknob and flipped it to lock the doorknob. It would delay them a few seconds.

"Right, you three," Tracy turned back with a shocked look as Asha did an excellent imitation of the white-haired woman leader she'd just done a Jed on, she spoke in a soft but commanding tone.

"You're going to stand up and we're going to lead you to the car. Anyone tries shit and I'll let my Italian friends leave you dead in a car boot like they did with poor Aldo Moro, you heard them. We'll lead you."

She looked quickly and Tracy stepped back. The two of them helped the three blindfolded and gagged people stand, the man was tied in the lead.

"This way," Asha led them to the open back door as Tracy helped guide them, "slight step."

They worked them past the door and along the building. At the corner Asha stopped them.

"Wait here," she said and strode back to the door and hefted it into place on its hinges but didn't bother with the pins. She returned to the head of the train and started around the corner when she stopped and nudged them back, the trussed people grunted. Ahead of them a white van followed by two cars similar to theirs drove along the far side of the building. Once they were gone she urged their parade ahead.

As with the opposite side of the building there were two windows and a closed door. Both windows were blackened so Asha led their little parade as fast as they could go without the hostages falling. At the far end of the building they saw one car in front of the garage where the van had been, the other two apparently pulled around closer to the door.

"C'mon," Asha urged as they retraced their way along the driveway, the worn path made their going easier. Just as they hit the edge of the wall Tracy heard shouts in the distance but wasn't sure what had been discovered. Asha led them around the corner as Tracy pushed from behind.

Another quick left and they found their car.

"Stand here," Asha said and the hostages obeyed. She put her hand out and nodded at the car, Tracy dug the keys from her pocket and handed them over before Asha used a finger to beckon Tracy to follow her to the far side of the car where she whispered as she unlocked the car.

"Dump this bitch, let 'em find her, we'll stuff these three in and go, park it where they'll be found. I saw a sign for the train station, we'll disappear and use that."

Tracy took the keys to the passenger side and unlocked the door and opened it. Asha pulled the still unconscious American white-haired apparent lover of sailors and Tracy pushed. Asha grunted and with her hands under the woman's arms left her legs on the ground and her back against a wall.

"C'mon, you three," Tracy hoped her voice was like their just-departed guest's as she tugged the lead hostage before Asha returned. They heard a couple of voices nearer from over the wall as they tried to urge the hostages into the car but their bindings made it slower than they'd hoped. But they finally got them in and Tracy tossed the keys over the car to her friend as she pushed the rear door closed softly then hopped into the passenger seat. Asha turned the key and jammed the car into gear even before she'd gotten her door closed.

They heard shouts from the other side of the wall. "Hey, who's there?"

The tires spun a bit on the packed dirt drive and Asha pulled forward for two car lengths before she turned left around the building. There was just enough light for Tracy to see two white hairs, sprint into view. The car bounced through the gutter as Asha hit the pavement and turned sharply right to pull away from the mill. Tracy looked back and saw one white-hair sprint around the corner and up the driveway. She looked across and Asha turned to her quickly with a broad smile.

Then Tracy yelped and their still-gagged back seat passengers grunted and groaned as Asha took a high speed right turn, straightened, then turn quickly right then the next left.

"Shit," Tracy muttered.

Asha slowed as she came to an intersection with a bit of traffic, she stopped. Then she turned left and followed the traffic for a minute before the turned right again. She suddenly braked and turned another hard right to yelps and grunts from her passengers. Then she pulled just off the road and stopped the car with screeched tires about a hundred yards from a cafe which had light showing through the windows and a few cars parked in front.

'Your pack, map,' she mouthed at Tracy who squinted for a moment before she nodded and opened her door and gathered her pack then slid the map quickly into before she rezipped it.

Asha walked around the car and reached out to Tracy, who nodded and pulled the knife from her pocket and handed it over. Asha worked the knife blade out and opened the rear passenger door and rolled the window down then closed it.

"I'm going to take your gag off," still the mimic as she held the knife to the woman's throat, "count to 30. Slowly. Then scream your head off. Once someone comes tell them 'Salter's Mill' and 'white-haired terrorists.' Do it sooner and you're dead, right?"

A nod. She worked the gag off and held the knife, watched as the mouth counted. At three she pulled the knife away and grabbed Tracy and led her in a run back the way they'd come before they turned left at a cross street. Except for that stumbling dash to the bushes from the standing stones Tracy had never seen Asha run but knew her curvy friend had strange workout habits, like sparring with her brother with knives. She had to go all out to keep up with the crimson rocket in front of her as Asha led them on a variety of twists and turns.

Finally Asha slowed them to a walk in a mostly residential area of the little town. In the distance they heard sirens. Tracy put her hands on her knees and trudged. She walked, ran and biked regularly but that sprint was a hell of a jaunt. She watched her friend take a series of deep, slow breaths and hold each for a moment.