Episode 7: Calum's War

By Leigh Barker

Clan: Season 2, Episode 7. Calum’s War

A Bitesize 1-hour Read.

The predators are gathering!

As Calum, Big John, and Magdalene head north on the stolen mail coach, Colonel Dutronc springs his trap.

And at last Jacob Metzger sees his chance to kill Calum and return to England, back to his killing spree.

The odds against our heroes are stacked higher than ever before.

And Calum’s refusal to murder a man could see Catahecassa’s whole tribe massacred by the mad French Colonel.

This is our hero’s darkest hour.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leigh Barker
• Release date: Jun 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310721625

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 2)

(Episode 7)

Calum's War

Copyright 2015 Leigh Barker

Published by Leigh Barker at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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ISBN: 9781310721625

Calum’s War

You don’t think he’s afraid, do you? Magdalene asked as Catahecassa stepped down from the coach and disappeared into the forest without a backward glance.

Calum looked down from the driver’s seat. There’s a man who would walk into hell and kick Satan in the balls if it needed to be done.

John chuckled. Aye, or climb up and spit in God’s eye with as little fear for his life.

Then why? she asked.

He said it was time to go. Calum shrugged. It’s time to go. He looked at the trees lining the narrow trail, then back at Magdalene. If you’re a mind, you can go and see what he’s up to.

She glared up at him with a look of contempt.

Or you can get back in the coach and we’ll be away to look for your Robbie. You choose.

She stepped into the coach and slammed the door. Calum and John exchanged a smile.

Ya get slapped a lot, d’ya? John said, and snapped the reins onto the team’s flanks.

Aye, I do that.

The coach lurching around the tight bends ended any further discussion of Calum’s lack of tact. The road didn’t get any better as the morning burned away towards afternoon and John had to fight it to keep the coach from smashing itself to pieces on the boulders scattered like pebbles along the road by flash floods and landslides. They both breathed a huge sigh of relief when he brought the team to a halt at the top of a wide, rolling meadow stretching down to a shallow angry river.

Calum stepped down from the coach and walked to the top of the slope, stopped at the edge of the forest and looked down at the three wooden cabins set near the rushing river. Something was wrong, he knew it instinctively from years of warfare. There was no movement, no sound, no smoke. Even the birds were silent, as if they were holding their breath, waiting for hell to open its gates.

He primed his pistol without taking his eyes off the clearing in front of the cabins and their dark windows. The clearing was spiked with tree stumps sticking up out of the hard-packed earth and casting long harsh shadows in the afternoon sun.

John primed his pistol and checked that his claymore was loose in its scabbard. He didn’t speak; there was nothing to say and nothing to ask. He knew as well as Calum that it was a trap.

Magdalene stepped closer and was about to speak, but Calum’s quick glance silenced her and she turned quickly to search the cabins and the surrounding forest for enemies, and saw hundreds before she calmed down and realised she was seeing nothing but cloud shadows in the