Power Sabotaged : Part 3 : Sheila Learns More About The Crisis

Power Sabotaged : A New Life For Sheila

Part 3 : Sheila Learns More About The Crisis, and Receives An Offer

Sheila said goodbye to the woman and trudged on. She felt she’d stayed a bit too long because it was already becoming dark. She hurried, luckily her home was not too far from the woman’s. There were other people out, but most seemed, like herself, to be rushing to get home before the dark descended.

A man, around her age (late thirties early forties) ambled alongside her at one point. He seemed polite and friendly, but she felt wary as the dark began to envelope the city. “It’s terrible isn’t it, this darkness. I wonder when they will be able to restore the power?”

“Soon, I hope,” she replied.

“They already restored it once. But it only lasted a couple of hours before the terrorists sabotaged it again. I think they’ve tried a few more times as well, but every time they get something working the terrorists manage to dismantle it or interrupt supply again.”

“How do you know this? There’s been no TV for days,” she asked, partly curious about what this man might know, and partly hoping to get rid of him so she could get home.

“It’s the word on the streets. Some of it might be rumours but I think a lot of it is true. The terrorists have been planted here for a long time. They’ve just been waiting for the day when their orders came through to take us back into the dark ages. And its working.”

“Yeah, I helped a woman who had been mugged earlier,” said Sheila. Perhaps she didn’t mind talking to this man so much. He seemed to know more than others she had spoken to. “Do you think the power will stay off for a long time then?”

“No one knows for sure. I certainly think the terrorists are well organised. Even Adolph Hitler was unable to cause so much disruption to Britain. And I think the terrorists have hit the States too. I know they’ve targeted France too, but I heard the government there has already caved in to their demands. It doesn’t help when so few of our people are trained in practical, electrical skills these days.”

The man asked, “How are you for food? Have you got plenty left?”

“Not really,” she replied, honestly. I am running low on foodstocks and I’m getting rather worried about it. I just hope these terrorists, whoever they are, give up or are caught soon. Then the power can be fully restored and the country will return to normality. These crises always blow over. It will be as if nothing had happened! It is always scary while the crisis occurs, but things always return to normal.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that lady,” said the man. “I don’t remember things ever getting this out of hand. Those religious fanatics are well organised this time. The way they’ve been sabotaging every repair that’s been done is very frightening. If they’ve managed to keep the grid down this long then they know what they’re doing, and they can probably keep it up for a long time. I bet they’ve had undercover cells in place for a long time, ready to drop their normal lives at a moment’s notice when the call comes from above. None of their neighbours or friends will suspect anything. Even now they’ve started the sabotage ordinary people will not know who they really are. You might well have seen some of them down at Heavengate, or anywhere. How can we know who they are?”

“Well surely the police will follow the trails of suspects after each act of terrorism. They’re sure to get some leads and put a stop to it soon.”

Will they?” grinned the man, beginning to laugh at her naivity. She felt suddenly smaller. She felt irritation that the man had so little respect for her opinion, that he would laugh at her. Her initial reluctance to talk to him returned partially. She was a well educated woman. She had a degree and an intelligent job. She had doubted he had from the start, and subliminally felt him to be inferior to her in the educational sense, and in social grace. Okay her favourite programmes were the soaps. She loved all that common humour and was much entertained by the colloquial stereotypes. All that relaxed her and made her laugh. But she felt herself to be capable of more efficient thought processes than the average soap character. This man was one of those practical Salt of the Earth types who assumed he knew more than everyone else and was always willing to explain at great length, particularly to women, the detail of what he knew, even though a more concise version would be quite sufficient. She found herself wishing she had not encouraged him to enter this long conversation. But she realised, as she thought these thoughts that this was not a normal time. The TV was off, and much else besides. She needed information from somewhere and at least she had company through the darkness.

“You know lady, I hate to see a good lookin’ woman like you in difficulty,” said the man, talking plainly. “You’re just the kind of woman I like. You remind me of my ex wife.”

“Do I?” she said, before she knew whether she wanted to respond. She had not expected the man to turn the conversation in this direction, especially not now in the midst of the immediate crisis. He seemed to be smooth talking her. She should not have been much surprised by it, she told herself, as this fitted the character type she imagined him to be. Perhaps he was a chancer with the ladies, certainly he was an ordinary man who liked to talk to women. A little bit more and she would have counted his words as a pass.

“Oh yes. You’ve got very strong features, just like she has. And your hair colouring is similar. It’s kind of honey brown like hers!”

“I am surprised you can tell that in this dim light,” she said politely, conscious that it would not do to put him off in the cheeky way she might have if surrounded by friends. It was rather dark and she was aware that she did not know this man and needed to be careful with him.

“My house is over there. Would you care to come inside now and see the place. I have light; some candles. I can offer you some food, if you will just come inside and see where I live.” She sensed his hard breathing, the slightest cracking in his voice, which told her the man was nervous about what he was suggesting. She had the strongest feeling that his offer was for far more than it seemed, and that if she allowed herself to accept his hospitality she might not easily escape it.

“No, I don’t think so. I must get back,” she said politely, not trusting the man. She knew without doubt that he wanted her and was using all his persuasion to coax her into his trap.

“Where else will you get the offer of a nice meal on a night such as this. Why don’t you lady. I will do you no harm. I know you’re tired and you have walked some distance, and although those bags of yours might not be full you could do with setting them down for a while.”

“No I cannot. It is dark and I must go home.”

“Well if you must, may I walk you home at least for your protection,” he offered.

“I do not need your protection! Thank you for keeping me company on this stretch, but I am not so far from my home now. I do not need further company.”

“What would be the harm in a meal with me,” he persisted. “I promise I will not detain you after our meal. You may go then, on your own, or maybe you will allow me to walk you home. And I promise I will not ask to come inside your home unless you ask me.”

She heard his promises and guarantees and wondered whether perhaps she might trust him. The meal he offered sounded more inviting in the light of his promises. She had shared food with the middle aged woman, but she knew her stomach would gladly cope with more. She would dine on very little otherwise tonight. Although part of her was tempted, the other sensible self told her not to risk closer entanglement with this man who had foisted himself upon her. “No, I do not wish to!”

Seeing she was so adamant and his request had failed, he explained himself more clearly than he had so far.

“Lady I would have fed you well if you did come back to spend the evening with me. I meant you no harm. I am just lonely. I need female comfort, particularly a woman as lovely as you. You have something I want very much and I have something you want. I will give you extra food supplies if you would give me some favours. If you will dine with me, your company would be sufficient. You are a likeable woman, more to me than a beautiful body. I didn’t mean to make it sound sordid. My wife left me some time ago, ran off with another man. She lost interest in me. She kept the kids, who are almost grown up now.”

Sheila said no firmly, believing now that he would honour his words and let her be. The stranger did accept her answer. He gave her his address card. “I have a stock of them,” he said, “You’re welcome to change your mind. My offer will stand!”

She suspected he was not as lonely as he pretended. She wondered how many women this had worked with. Just maybe he was explaining the full truth, but she had doubts. At any rate he was not going to force himself upon her and had proved that he was merely persuasive. She felt relieved and more at ease with him. She accepted his card, noting for the first time that his name was Bob.

( To be continued )