THE BETTY McCLOUD COLLECTION                   Return to home page                                                      TRAVERS TRACK        ‘Stretch your legs Debbie,’ Betty McCloud urged, ‘drive those arms a little harder, keep it up and the school championship will be within your grasp…’    ‘Huh…’ Debbie snorted as her teacher began to pull away with the rising ground. ‘I don’t have your kind of strength…’    ‘Technique, Debbie – technique…’ Betty shouted back, but Debbie knew as the finishing line came into view on the hilltop, and the field of tiring runners began to string out, that from here on in it was going to be a question of stamina and power and nobody had more of that than the amazing Miss McCloud.    Debbie watched her break the finishing tape and stand aside for the girls to finish, scarcely out of breath. But she was the next one through, achieving second place – the first pupil home.    ‘Where’s Dolly?’ Betty sighed, stared down the meadow, there was no sign of her as the stragglers began to filter through, ‘She’s up to something, guess I’m gonna have to go searching.’    ‘No Miss – leave her,’ Debbie grabbed her big upper arm and promptly apologised, ‘sorry, but it’s probably a set up.’    ‘Oh now look,’ Betty’s muscles rippled as she shook Debbie off, ‘she’s in my care during school time, my responsibility – one, we don’t know it’s set up, something might have happened.’    ‘But after the barbecue business…’    ‘Since I didn’t follow them out we don’t know for sure that it was a set up,’ Betty slipped her track suit top over her vest and gazed at the dense woodland bordering the field, ‘now I wish I had gone down Travers Track…’    ‘And have the Bambers and god knows who else ambush you – you wouldn’t have stood a chance.’    ‘I have to find Dolly,’ Betty ignored the remark, she’d removed the braid from her dark curly hair, now she replaced it, ‘and I’ve made a decision to confront Corrisville’s dark side head on, so no matter what, I’m going in search of Dolly.’    Debbie shook her head, she didn’t underestimate the awesome power of her five foot three inch teacher if confronted by a surprise attack, but the woodland which surrounded Corrisville was littered with opportunities to waylay her and not even Miss McCloud could battle what she couldn’t see.    ‘Miss –be careful,’ Debbie whispered but Betty was off down the slope at speed.    It was a trap, Betty knew full well. She’d declined the invitation to pursue them a couple of weeks back, but the Bambers, probably backed by some of Corrisville’s so called respectable elements, never gave up. She’d out-thought, out-muscled the Bamber family on previous occasions and because of Sheriff Gater’s bewildering reticence to crack down on them it seemed she must do so again – Dolly, wherever she was, wouldn’t be alone, that was for sure.    Betty ran a quarter mile, no sign of Dolly but through a narrow clearing that intersected Travers Track she saw a fresh set of footmarks.    The footmarks led into Travers Track, broad at its outset, but narrow and overgrown at its termination where it ended at the long disused railroad depot, with its few derelict buildings and rusting sidings amidst jungle-like undergrowth.    Out here in the open, where she could detect any movement, nobody would chance taking her on. Her shows of strength had astounded Corrisville and along the way had shaken the criminal community to its roots. These roots would now try to entangle her she was sure, amidst the corroding depot buildings a half mile ahead up Travers Track.    Betty wasn’t fooled by the single set of footprints; she knew the depot was approachable from the other end of the sidings, where old crossing gates provided access and an excellent opportunity for anyone wanting to jump her. That she was following Dolly’s tracks was certain, and Dolly was heading towards her cronies.    That she could single-handedly take out a whole group had become a proven fact, so there was every chance her aggressors would be armed with weapons even her physique couldn’t withstand.    Crouching low, she was close enough now to make out the old red-brick buildings with shattered windows and holed roofs looming up on her. Five buildings in all, situated amidst rusting track. In one or more of them lay hidden her welcoming committee. Betty tensed, looked around, all was still, hardly a breath of wind, while somewhere in the distance a woodpecker hammered on bark.    Betty flexed her muscles, gazed defiantly ahead. This would be the Bambers’ golden opportunity to eliminate her and there would be Corrisville folk who would applaud them. But they were in the minority; she had admirers in Corrisville – plenty of them – decent folk who deserved not to have their peace disrupted by the likes of the Bambers.    If for whatever reason, Sheriff Gater wouldn’t apply the law she would. The Bambers and friends would be confronting her full power. She would hold nothing back.    The undergrowth got thicker, the track blanketed in weeds but she ploughed through. The footmarks were no longer visible but they’d terminated here, somewhere inside the old buildings.    To expose herself now would be to afford the thugs an easy target, so she edged along the wall of the buildings – and then on an upper floor of a roofless tower something moved.    A split second later a bullet ricochet from the wall a foot from her, shooting within a millimetre of her face. Betty dived to the ground and rolled as a pistol sounded again. Frothing with fury she launched herself towards the tower, making it to the shelter of the entrance as a cluster of bullets raked the ground.    From within a block opposite a shot cracked and a bullet whistled over her head striking the door jamb, whilst inside she heard footsteps descending the stone stairs. She saw a shadow in the light afforded by the broken roof and sprinted to the base of the stairs, as gun in hand, Johnny Bamber came rushing down.    ‘Hi Johnny, in a hurry aren’t we?’    He spun round but she had his wrist, ‘How many Johnny, how many am I up against?’    His lips were clammed shut so she exerted her strength, watching the pain contort his face, ‘I said how many, and where?’    ‘Tommy, Dolly, Carter – in the main depot now…’    ‘I don’t know Carter – no matter, anyone else?’    ‘Rudi…’    ‘Sheriff Gater?’    ‘Well, I’ll be…’ Betty gave a quick squeeze, snapped Johnny’s wrist and as he gaped in agony she compounded it with a blow on the jaw, its power crashing him against the wall.    She picked up the pistol, grabbed it at both ends, her sheer strength compounded by anger contrived to force the barrel down. The weapon now useless, she tossed it high across the yard into the main depot from where a shot had been fired.    ‘You’re trying my patience fellas, now quit while you can – that includes you Rudi Gater – I know you’re in there Sheriff.’    Silence = before another shot rang out. She saw a form at the window, couldn’t discern who it was, didn’t have time to figure it out. She had twenty yards to cover to make the depot entrance – twenty yards in which a bullet could cut her down…    But Betty McCloud wasn’t about to let that happen.    She backtracked, picked Johnny off the floor by his lapels and using the massive power of her biceps carried him before her across the yard.    ‘You’ll hit your own man before you hit me fellas – guess that sucks Sheriff Gater,’ she called, ‘that what you want?’    Johnny Bamber was regaining consciousness but she held him, arms forward at full stretch. The ground under her feet was covered in bramble, her legs were heavy as the effort tested her, and Johnny’s foul breath wasn’t helping.      She got him to the doorway, using him as a shield with her great strength holding, though half expecting them to shoot anyway. When they didn’t she launched him through the depot entrance, watching him groan on the dusty floor. The area was empty and satisfied she’d rendered Johnny harmless Betty crept to the stairs, waiting. Tommy came charging down, boots booming on the bare boards.    She sprang as he reached the bottom, wrapping an arm around his neck. He screamed out as she exerted all the power of her fifteen inch bicep, while above footsteps crossed the floor. Something cracked in Tommy’s neck and narrowly resisting the urge to crush it she dropped him, racing instead upstairs, even though she knew it was rash.    Betty stopped dead, what confronted her was a man mountain, six foot six at least, with the physique of a bodybuilder he dwarfed her. “Hired for the purpose, you must be Carter,” were her thoughts as he started towards her, arms outstretched.    But she wasn’t finished or overawed. By his sneer he was complacent, but he also looked stupid. They were alone in the room with a heavy metal desk between them as she stooped, raised it in her arms and hurled it forward in one deft movement. It struck him in the chest, propelled by sheer weight and her explosive power it smashed Carter to the floor, out cold.    Then down below she heard the sound of hurrying feet, someone was running out – could it be Dolly, or Gater – or both? Betty crossed to the window, running through the old crossing gates as fast as his legs could take him, his wide brimmed hat slipping to one side was the unmistakable form of Rudi Gater.    Betty reached for her cell phone, it had fallen from her pocket as she’d thrown the desk but wasn’t broken. She called the station, one of Gater’s deputies answered. ‘There’s been some trouble at the old railroad depot,’ she said, ‘some bodies need collecting, maybe you’d better call an ambulance also – possible broken bones – oh, and one more thing – a message for Sheriff Gater - tell him Betty McCloud would like a word – up at the school – I’ll be waiting.’    Debbie was waiting anxiously when Betty got back to the school field – ‘Miss – what happened…’    ‘It’s okay,’ Betty patted her arm lightly, ‘a little commotion that’s all. Didn’t I tell you I was taking Corrisville on…’ Betty stopped; out of the corner of her eye she spotted Dolly Bamber, ‘how the hell did she get here?’    ‘Turned up a few minutes ago Miss, pushed right past me, I could have…’    ‘Oh and that’s a surprise,’ Betty interrupted, ‘just like nothing ever happened. Well I know otherwise and Johnny’ll testify if he’s got any sense.’ Betty marched towards Gater, who turned on her approach. ‘Nasty business Miss McCloud, I just found out – I came straight here – mind telling me what business you had at the depot?’    ‘I was searching for her,’ Betty glared at Dolly, then at Gater; as if he didn’t know.    ‘You were right there, along with Dolly.’    ‘Why, don’t know what you’re talking about ma’am, I had business to attend to, police business…’ Gater took off his hat, gave her a sly look. ‘You inflicted some mighty serious injuries at the depot,’ he shot up his hand, ‘now I know you was provoked, attacked even - the Bamber brothers along with Jake Carter have been arrested, be in custody for quite a while I imagine.’    ‘Along with two others, I hope.’   ‘Beg your pardon ma’am?’   ‘I was set up, you know it. You and I need a long talk Sheriff Gater.’    Before Gater could answer, headmistress Alma Phipps appeared, ‘I need you in my office please, Miss McCloud.’    ‘Can’t it wait?’    ‘I’m afraid not, the school schedule is very tight.’    Betty McCloud raised her finger, an inch from Gater’s nose, ‘Unfinished business Gater…’    Rudi Gater blinked and swallowed as the muscles twitched in her arms.