Free The Hurst Chronicles (Book 1): Hurst by Robin Crumby Page B

let him pass and ushered the doctor out. Will sat on the side of the bed smiling, opening and closing his fingers in a childlike goodbye.  The guard curled his lip and slammed the door shut, relocking it.
     
    Will puffed out his cheeks and slumped back against the wall, exhausted. 
     

Chapter Fifteen
     
    “Quiet please. This meeting of the Hurst council is called to order. Nathan, can you bring us up to speed on today’s business.” Terra leaned back in the ornate oak chair, positioned at the head of the table. It was a beautiful Victorian antique from Lyndhurst in the New Forest. Its wood was dark and richly stained. Its back and headrest ornately carved with stags and holly. She leaned heavily to the right against one of the arm rests and shuffled some of the papers spread out in front of her with her other hand.
     
    Nathan’s body visibly stiffened with the responsibility conferred on him. He began to reel off the agenda items he had carefully noted on a pad of yellow lined paper, taken from the office upstairs. Terra yawned and looked out the small window of the upstairs room across the inner courtyard. The wind and rain squalls were sheeting intermittently against the glass. Her thoughts were elsewhere as Nathan’s monotone droned on in the background. He worked through various day-to-day household matters ranging from how few eggs had been laid this past week, how stocks of flour were running low, clarification on rotas for who was on night watch and scavenging duties for the next week.
     
    The other heads of department nodded, leaning forward. Each took it in turns to give their own quick updates, going round the table, sharing their questions and concerns before Nathan handed things back to Terra.
     
    Terra leaned forward, blinking rapidly as she organized her thoughts. She looked slowly round the council at her seven lieutenants, all hand-chosen by her or Jack, each loyal and true, but by no means ‘yes men’. They were selected as much for their competence and practical natures as for their alternative viewpoints, unafraid to challenge when opinions differed, which they invariably did. 
                       
    “There is one other matter I need to raise,” opened Terra. “Last night, the door to the food store was forced and a number of items taken.” There was a small gasp from the two women at the far end. “The inventory we took last week confirms that we are missing the following...” Nathan passed her the yellow pad and she fumbled with the spectacles that hung around her neck. She peered down past her nose, running her finger along the listed items: “two packets of biscuits, one bar of chocolate, three bags of crisps and one tin each of pineapple and tuna.”
     
    The two women at the far end exchanged glances and one of them, Liz, mumbled something Terra didn’t catch. It was Liz who ran the kitchen and was more than a little protective of the meagre stores and ingredients her team had at their disposal. Perhaps she had her suspicions already, there were a number of likely suspects, new arrivals, those who had not yet earned Terra’s trust. Liz leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. Her partner had flowing blonde hair that reached down to her shoulders, which she wore in two plaits. Greta was around thirty and spoke with only a hint of a Swedish accent in otherwise flawless English. Her short unsuccessful stint as a trainee detective in Gothenburg had earned her the position as keeper of keys and head of security at Hurst. That made sorting this out her responsibility, but why had Terra not spoken to her first before speaking to the council? Did that make Greta and Liz suspects? Terra ignored their private discussion and continued undeterred. 

“As you all know, theft is a very serious offence and one that must carry the most severe penalty. I want the whole place searched, the camp, the dormitories. Leave no stone unturned till these items are found