Ordeal at the Old Ivy Oak

John Funke

Description

Two brothers are inadvertently captured and held by a pair of escaped convicts while on a fishing trip. They are subjected to a barrage of cruel indignities which test the limits of their endurance. Yet, despite the dire circumstances, the boys prevail by guile and ingenuity, bringing about a delicious but just revenge.

Sujets

• Adventure
• Adventure (Guyana)

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 24 novembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781785383267
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Title Page
Ordeal at the Old Ivy Oak
John Funke



Publisher Information
Published in 2015 by
Andrews UK Limited
www.andrewsuk.com
The right of John Funke to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998
Copyright © 2015 John Funke
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.



Chapter 1
“Got everything?”
“Yep, all loaded and ready to go,” said Jerry as he shook his father’s hand.
“OK, well we know right where you are going to be, so we can get in touch if we have to,” said Clyde Banks, Jerry and Benny’s father. “Be careful, and we’ll see you in a week.”
“Bye Mom.”
“Bye, Jerry, and be careful to keep a close eye on our Benny.”
“Oh, Ma! Benny protested as he struggled to escape the virtual bear-hug his mother held him in.
“I will, Ma. Don’t worry,” Jerry said with a grin. “Ready, Benito?”
“Ready!”
“Then let’s get the show on the road!”
The sun was just rising as Jerry backed the family station wagon out of the driveway. The light played itself on the white climbing roses that surrounded and arched over the front porch where their parents stood waving. Jerry and Benny waved back as the car proceeded down the street. Their mother was still standing there in the shimmering roses when the car, loaded with camping equipment, a week’s provisions, and sporting a red canoe tied to the top, turned the corner and went out of sight.
“Wow!” said Jerry, “Free for a whole week!”
“This is gonna be nice... gonna be nice,” said Benny, sticking a thumb up to further affirm his positive assessment of the situation.
“Nothing to do but loaf and eat fish,” said Jerry. “Man, this is great!”
“If we catch any, you mean,” Benny said. “I remember one year when we got skunked and spent all our time driving back and forth to the store for food.”
“Ain’t gonna happen, Benito. In the first place, we aren’t going where we went that time. Besides, Dad isn’t along this time, and that means we can try places we normally wouldn’t. He always makes us miss the best spots if they look even the least bit dangerous.”
“Here we go again! Another pronouncement from Mister know it all! Did it ever occur to you that Dad knows what he’s doing? After all, he taught us everything we know about camping, and he’s been doing it all his life.”
“Not everything, Benito, not everything,” Jerry said matter-of-factly. “I know plenty that I didn’t learn from Dad.”
“It’s a good thing he never heard you say that, or he wouldn’t have trusted us alone this time.”
“Yeah, well don’t worry little brother. Dad’s not here, but I’ll protect you.”
“Gimme a break, Jerry,” said Benny in a tone of exasperation. The conversation died like it always did. Benny stared out the window and watched the pine trees pass by. Jerry started whistling the high school fight song that he was so fond of.
They never seemed to get along, Benny mused. This trip was supposed to be highlight of the summer. He had been looking forward to it for months; ever since his father pronounced he was sure they now could handle being alone in the wild. He had decided not to go with them this year, but to take their mother on a trip instead. Ever since Benny found out he and Jerry would be allowed to go it alone, he had been ecstatic, but now it looked like business as usual. They weren’t alone for ten minutes and already they were at each other’s throats. “Great”, Benny muttered glumly, “Just great”.
The problem wasn’t that they actually disliked each other. In fact, they sometimes seemed to even enjoy each other’s company. They shared many memories of previous camping trips and other activities as well; memories any kids would treasure if they were lucky enough to be born to such a family. But it was ever thus. Predictably, some foolish disagreement would set off a flurry of sarcasm and both boys would clam up and sulk. This time was no different. Neither one would speak.
No, they didn’t dislike each other, but they certainly didn’t understand each other either. Jerry was an inveterate football fanatic. His prowess on the field was exceptional and his life goals revolved around sports as well. Being seventeen and two years Benny’s senior, he considered himself entitled to a position of authority as well as respect by his brother, and had a hard time dealing with Benny’s obvious views to the contrary.
Jerry always surrounded himself with a lot of like-minded friends. He had a need for peer acceptance, and because his friends were all jocks like himself, he had the notion that Benny, because of his lack of ability or even the vaguest interest in athletics, was not only just a constant source of embarrassment but even a threat to the exalted position he held in his social group. He was incessantly on Benny about getting in shape or joining a team at school. Much to his frustration, these efforts always failed. Jerry feared his friends saw Benny as a hopeless academic, or even worse - a priss, or a nerd.
Benny was oblivious to all this inane social acceptability stuff. He was a loner, and if he was considered a nerd, he didn’t care. Although having no ability in athletics, he certainly was talented. He had skipped a year in grade school due to his superior comprehension. Like his father, a chemistry professor, he had a strong interest in science, and spent most of his free time either reading about, or experimenting with things scientific. Along with this, oddly enough, Benny had a real love of theater. He belonged to his school’s drama club, which was his only social activity; and this, more than anything else drove Jerry up a wall.
Jerry saw theater as a phony and even sissified pursuit. How could the brother of the best ball player in school stoop so low as to put on silly costumes and say idiotic things on stage in front of other people? Furthermore, what kind of kid would rather rent videos of Shakespeare plays instead of picking up some good horror flicks? It was downright humiliating!
They had now driven a hundred miles without speaking. Benny broke the silence.
“So, what did you mean when you said that we weren’t going where we went that one time? That’s where Dad and Ma think we’ll be.”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them. Besides I’m old enough to decide where we go and I just happen to know of a place that hardly anyone else does that’s loaded with walleye. That’s where we’re going - like or lump it.”
“Look”, Benny said, “the only reason Dad let us go alone is that he trusts you to be where you said you would be. He knows we’ll be safe there.”
“Safe? Safe? Is that all you care about is safe? Here we have the chance for some real adventure and you worry about being safe. Oh yeah, but it don’t really surprise me much though. I mean what else can you expect from a wimpy bookworm that spends his time play acting?”
“Yeah, well it’s a good thing for you that I am a bookworm isn’t it Jerome? How many times have I saved your hide by helping you with your homework?”
“I would have done just fine without your help. And don’t call me Jerome!”
“Why not? You call me Benito, and besides, it’s your real name; “Benito” is not mine. I’ll bet you’re afraid your Neanderthal friends will find out and mock you. Right?”
“Shut up, Ben. Just shut up. I should have known better than to let you tag along. I should have gone with my buddies. I could have, you know.”
“Well it’s a good thing for you that you didn’t. The smartest one of your pals doesn’t have the brains God gave a goose!”
“That does it! I’ve got a good mind to turn around right now. Just keep your opinions to yourself, Benito!”
“Okay, okay, I will - but you better not need any help from ME from now on, ‘cause you’ll be in big trouble if you do!”



Chapter 2
The miles passed by in silence. Benny didn’t mind the lack of conversation though, he was preoccupied with thoughts about the origins of the rock formations they were passing through. The road had been gouged deeply into the tops of the low mountains, almost like a tunnel without a top. The walls consisted of layers of multi-colored stone, laying somewhat horizontally, but contorted and crumpled like the side view of corrugated cardboard.
Ordovician or Silurian, Benny thought, guessing the geological time the rocks belonged to. Probably loaded with fossils too. If it were up to me, we’d be fossil hunting right now. No sense suggesting it though. If it doesn’t have to do with action on the
“ol’ gridiron” it isn’t worth the trouble.
“Have you noticed anything strange?” asked Jerry with a surprisingly cordial tone, apparently attempting to bury the hatchet.
“Why? What do you mean?”
“Police cars. They’re all over the place.”
“No, I haven’t been watching, I was looking at the rocks,” Benny said. “What do you mean, all over the place?”
“I mean, in the last ten miles I’ll bet I’ve seen ten cruisers. Not just sheriff cars either - State Boys too.”
“I don’t know. Maybe some kind of a training exercise. Can’t imagine what else it would be.”
“Man, now what?” said Jerry indicating the presence of a figure two hundred feet ahead, waving frantically in an attempt to stop the car. Je