Episode 5: Calum's Warning

By Leigh Barker

Another Bitesize Read. Clan, Episode 5 - the next 1 hour episode following our hero, Calum Maclean.

He must warn the Prince and his friend Lord Elcho that the English have laid a deadly ambush for the rebel army on the road to Carlisle.

Colonel York has taken command of the infantry column that has doubled in number now that Loudoun’s Campbells have joined it.

The Prince has two thousand men, so York’s three hundred should not have been a problem, but they have five cannon set up for overlapping fire on the road the rebels will use.
It will be a massacre, unless Calum can warn the Prince.

But York’s company is between Calum and the rebel army. And so is a crazy scout with a sabre and an 18” butcher’s knife.

If Calum is to succeed in his mission, he has a very long and very dangerous night ahead of him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leigh Barker
• Release date: Mar 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311493538

Leigh Barker

Leigh was born in Dudley in the middle of England. He has been a merchant seaman, a (useless) electronics salesman, a programmer, and a business analyst. And now he is a full-time writer, but that doesn't make him a bad person.He is presently writing 4 series:Clan, following the adventures of Calum Maclean as he tries to avoid the Bonnie Prince but still protect his beloved Highlands.The Hellfire Legacy Series follows US Marine Master Sergeant Ethan Gill and his team as they take on the jobs too hot for other special forces. They go where they're sent; South America, Middle East, Korea, but their most dangerous missions are on US soil.Volume #1: A Whisper of ArmageddonVolume #2: The Hellfire LegacyVolume #3: The Orpheus DirectiveEden, a three-volume series -Trinity is at war with Lucid, the son of Lucifer, and he will do whatever it takes to win. The Archangel Gabriel has an army but he needs more. He needs heroes, but they are few and far between. Which is why he gets Dylan and co. Not too much luck in Heaven then.Volume #1: Eden's Last HeroVolume #2: WinterwoodVolume #3: Requiem for Eden.Soldiers is set in 1914 and follows John Regret and his 12-man squad on their suicidal mission to find and destroy the German howitzer nicknamed Big Bertha. Find it before it drops it's thousand-pound shells on the allied army retreating across France. A seemingly hopeless mission that just cannot fail.Other occasional series include:Anarchy, the 'completely true' stories of men doing what men do when there's nobody to keep them in check. Create mayhem and behave like monkeys on speed.Coffee Break Reads - each issue has 5 stories short enough to read while taking a break from life. A mix of adventure, love, disaster, and fun. All with one thing in common; for a moment they transport the reader to another world.Episode 1 of each Season is free and can be picked up with other free books at:https://leighwbarker.com/my-library/Just copy the link above and paste it into your browser and you're there...

Book preview

Clan

(Season 1)

(Episode 5)

Calum's Warning

Copyright 2014 Leigh Barker

Published by Leigh Barker at Smashwords

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ISBN: 9781311493538

Calum’s Warning

Calum closed the door behind him and strode down the path from the cottage but stopped at the gate. He wanted to kill York so badly it pounded in his head, but a tiny voice deep inside grew in volume until it drowned out the pounding. If he did this, if he stepped out onto the road and killed this Englishman, then they would kill him and hang John and Jamie, and Isobel would wish they’d hanged her too. He put his hand on the warped wooden gate but couldn’t open it. He swore and kicked it. When he turned, Isobel was watching him from the doorway, not speaking. Which disturbed him more than if she’d been shouting at him to come back.

He could hear the English column coming, the creaking of wagons and the sound of horses snorting and men trudging in the mud, and above it all, the barked orders and grumbling of an army on the move.

The need to kill the man who’d killed his kin still gnawed at him, but he turned slowly and walked back to Isobel. There would be another day, when the price would be paid by him alone. Let that day be soon.

You and John must hide, she said, taking his arm and leading him inside, in case he changed his mind.

I’ll not hide from the likes of these men!

She stopped, released her grip and glared at him. Very well, then you may as well go out and fight them, because the end will be the same!

His breathing was shallow and fast as he fought his anger, but as he looked at her, he began to calm down, not much, but enough to see the sense of what she was saying. He nodded and followed John outside and around to the back of the cottage. He hated leaving Isobel and the boy defenceless, but she was right, if the English came to the door, he wouldn’t be able to defend them against so many, and his presence would see them all dead.

John pointed at a long shed with its roof half fallen in, but Calum shook his head. If they search this place, they’re sure to start there. He looked around. Can you climb a tree? He pointed at a gnarled ash leaning away from the prevailing wind.

John stared at him. Do I look like I could climb a tree?

Calum looked him over, and a smile softened the anger lines on his face. Then it’s that. He pointed, strode down the long yard and waited for John by a low pile of dirty straw.

John joined him, leaned forward and smelled it, his nose wrinkling