Frankie’s Choice

Chapter Eight, Part V

Alberic had landed them in the middle of a large fallow field. After gathering up the parachute, tucking it into its bag, removing their overgarments, and burying everything under one of the long hedges that ran along each side of the field, Alberic and Frankie made their way via a country road to the nearest town. It was tiny and quite picturesque, with a single pub called the Jack Russell. From here they took a taxi to Andover High Street. They walked to the train station and using cash bought tickets for Southampton but got off the train at Winchester. There, Alberic “borrowed” a car and they drove along back roads for almost an hour before arriving at a small cottage set back from the road down a long gravel path. The cottage looked abandoned; beside it was a large stone building that looked as if it was a storehouse of some kind.

“Welcome to our home away from home,” Alberic announced as he parked the car in front of the cottage. “Shall we take a look inside?”

They got out of the car and Frankie followed him to the front door. To her surprise, when he lifted up the doormat, there was a key waiting. That didn’t seem very secure at all. The front door swung inward and they stepped inside. There was a light switch on the wall near the front door, and when Alberic flicked it, a light came on.