Episode 6: Calum's Plan

By Leigh Barker

Another Bitesize Read. Clan, Episode 6 - the next 1 hour episode following our hero, Calum Maclean.

Lord Elcho has ordered Calum to silence the 5 cannon that Colonel York has positioned ready to ambush the Prince’s army as it marches towards Carlisle.

All Calum has to do is take on York’s whole division and the 40 artillery men manning the cannon.

Alone.

He has no plan. John summed it up. “What plan could ya possibly have? There's no plan for this madness”

But he has to try, or watch the clansmen slaughtered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leigh Barker
• Release date: Mar 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310486289

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 6)

Calum's Plan

Copyright 2014 Leigh Barker

Published by Leigh Barker at Smashwords

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ISBN: 9781310486289

Calum’s Plan

Calum and John strolled over the ridge and started on down towards the English gunners as casually as they could, knowing that if the English decided they were rebels, they would be shot so full of lead it would take four men to drop them into their graves.

Calum looked around and saw the sheep wandering around without a care in the world, except the suspicion that another sheep was getting the best grass. To take his mind off his imminent death, he wondered how they felt as they were led away to have their throats cut. They probably didn’t think about it, being the dumbest creatures on God’s Earth. Except m’be chickens.

And then he had it. His plan.

He caught John’s arm and pointed at the sheep.

Yes, John said, they’re sheep. They’re like your brother’s cattle. He frowned. But wearing woolly coats. He looked away and wished he hadn’t volunteered that last bit of information.

They are, Calum said, tugging John’s arm. And this is their field.

John looked around. And they’re welcome to it.

No, Calum said, leading John towards the woolly cows. This is their field, so if a couple of sheep farmers were to herd them down the hill, for… he shrugged, milking, then nobody would pay them any mind.

John looked slowly from him to the sheep and back again. And then to Calum’s surprise, he smiled. That could work. He followed Calum towards the sheep. Remind me, laddie, to tell you about sheep another day.

Aye, I’ll do that. If we get another day.

Not very likely, John answered as he picked out one sheep and walked slowly towards it. It did what sheep do and started to walk away, down the hill.

Calum watched the other sheep look up and see their friend heading for a nice warm pen with better grass. He walked behind the flock of a dozen animals, keeping his distance. Cattle he knew about; sheep were just creatures he’d seen wandering around the glens. Though he was pretty sure they weren’t aggressive.

John kept the lead sheep moving slowly so it didn’t attract attention, and angled it so the flock would pass behind the gun set up on the road, but not so close that it would spook the gunners. He waved Calum up and slowed the flock by stepping into the sheep’s way and making it back up.

They reached the road about thirty yards behind the gun and waved casually at the gunner, who stepped away from the cannon and watched them carefully. He relaxed and went back to unloading round-shot from the two-wheeled caisson ammunition wagon behind the gun.

Calum caught John’s eye and raised his fist to his chin. John nodded and edged the sheep out towards the gun, walking after it quickly, as if