The Border Reiver Read Free Page A

You can’t keep all this to yourself anymore; everyone in your privileged position will suffer a little in the redistribution. You will just have to deal with it, Sir, like the other ninety percent of the population has had to up until this point in time.”
    “Privilege!” Nat exclaimed in his husky growl with leathered palms and knobbled fingers raised aloft. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
      Gerry piped up “These are hard times. You been watching the news? We have orders to bring this and every other farm under government management, whether by mutual agreement with the current landowner or by force…”
    “What he means is that the NSO are the new legitimate government.  If you don’t recognise the new system voluntarily this land will be forcibly removed from your possession and whatever rights to it you think you have will be annulled.” 
    Nat could not believe this situation and didn’t know how to react for the best. What he could see was that these boys were not bosses, they were a forward party. So, he answered with the words he knew were the truth.
    “I won’t be giving you any information tonight.”
    “Are you sure about that?” said Gerry menacingly, irritated by the old man and staring him down.
    Nat's eyes narrowed and focussed on the man, his palm moved slowly to the table as his hand closed into a clench. Gerry shifted on his feet as the adrenalin pumped and he became more at peace with the idea of hurting the grizzled old man. Roland put his hand out to hold Gerry back and was about to speak when the door behind Nat swung open and a young woman entered the space.
    She wore thick woollen socks pulled over the bottoms of her jeans, ripped at the knees, which were tight against her athletic thighs. She wore a heavy woollen jumper hanging off her slender but powerful shoulders. Her face was freckled and ivory, her eyes green and her hair an explosion of auburn curls. She had a shotgun shouldered and aimed solidly at Roland.
    “He’s sure; now get the fuck outta this house!” She said without a nerve betraying her.
    It was Roland who now raised his palms, and as he did he lent towards Nat and spoke in a hushed voice, “You carry on like this and an enforcement squad will visit and they’ll take everything from you.” As he said the words he was looking at the girl with the shotgun…
    Nat moved with the speed of a rattlesnake; with all his bulk and size, he grabbed the back of Roland's head with his left hand. Using the table as an anchor with his right, he slammed the man's face into the oak surface crushing his nose and cheekbone. In the same movement, Nat’s right hand punched forward with his palm flat into the boy’s splintered nose. He levelled him in the face and back onto the floor, where he sprawled whimpering with blood streaming from his smashed face.
    In one fluid sinuous movement, Nat stood up and moved from Roland to Gerry. Taking one step towards him, he snaffled his head as the ex-soldier flailed panicked punches. Nat rolled his head under arm and began to constrict. At first on the skull, then squeezing down around his neck until slowly breathing became impossible and Gerry felt his life on the brink of a precipice. Nat whispered,
    “Do you want me to kill you?” Gerry couldn’t talk but the blood-curdling rake communicated a ‘no.' Nat eased the pressure off slowly, ready to constrict again if he felt any fight from the other man.
    “Now pick that snivelling little shite up and get off my farm.”
    Gerry was gasping, he rubbed his throat and stood up, pride dented, angry. He asked himself whether he should have another go at this old farmer.  He stood face to face with Nat, eyeball to eyeball. Nat could smell his breath and sensed that the man wanted to kill him.
    The endless seconds of standoff were disturbed by the spluttering wreckage moaning on the floor; it seemed to focus their minds. Threateningly, Gerry turned slowly with eyes on