Jake decided to walk through the day and most of the night and by last light he had covered almost 100 Kilometres.
The night drifted over him like a blanket and brought with it a security he loved. Jake always breathed slightly easier in the darkness. He felt more alive in the dark and was always more tuned in at night. He was moving over the ground as fast as he had ever done. No torch, just the moon to light his way, which made it a little easier. A dog barked in the distance. Jake turned and glanced down towards the light far in the distance, but it was obviously not him that the dog could sense… probably a fox trying to get his dinner from the chicken coop. He pushed further up the valley and could see the hills guarding its entrance ahead of him. Although it was now dark, Jake could just make out their shape against the clear sky. He pushed on through the rain.
Within the hour the force of the rain changed. It came down harder and the wind drove it directly into his face but Jake walked straight through it. It was only now that Jake would come into his own. He was in his element and had walked further than most people could do in a week. Five hours later after a quick brew he knew the Rannoch valley was well behind him and only a few hours of the night remained. The rain had stopped but it was still hard going. Jake was okay and still going strong. The moor was featureless and desolate: there was nothing to look at, especially in the dark. Nothing except the bleak, never-ending countryside. There was no noise and the wind had dropped to a whisper, but it was still very cold. Jake had got to the point farthest from home and had started on his way back. It always gave him a lift when that happened. There was almost a bounce in his tired steps - it wasn’t much, but it was most definitely there. It would be another thirty-six to forty-eight hours before he would be home, but the challenge would be to get there sooner rather than later. He now wanted desperately to get into her arms and fall asleep next to her. It had always been good waking up beside her. There had been a time when he had found himself lying awake, just watching her sleep for a full two hours. God, she was beautiful and he loved every bit of her. He knew he would love her always and forever. One hour later as if by magic and right on cue he felt the tell-tale vibration in his pocket. The mobile phone made no noise but he knew who it was and exactly the message she had sent. Cold though he was he knew the little ritual would have to be played out to its conclusion so, with great difficulty he eventually punched the ‘Read Me’ button.
‘WHERE R U’ said the message.
‘COMING HOME’ he replied through frozen fingers and with a great deal of difficulty. Jake knew that Vicky would have remembered how long his walk would take and through experience she knew when he would be past the half way point. Telling her he was on his way home to her would give them both a great lift and it always helped Jake to know she was thinking of him.
The cold was by now biting into every part of his body, but worst of all was the impact on his extremities; his fingers, toes, ears and nose - they were all suffering. Jake tried not to let it get to him; he had a great ability to ignore what was happening to his body, to walk right through the pain and discomfort - that was what made him so very, very special. After only a few hours sleep, at first light he was on his way again, feeling like a bird migrating south, heading for the warmer weather and long summer days. But his summer was only a day or so away, and he pushed on with a renewed vigour. Jake would take the shortest route home, which meant using the map and compass, going over the hills as opposed to round them. It was always harder to do this but it was a good end to a long tab.
Morning came and went without incident and by late afternoon he could see in the distance a small track that appeared to be heading in the direction he was going. A quick check of the map confirmed that he had just had a piece of good luck. If a track or road was heading in your direction, use it, so use it he did. Christ, he could almost run on it and he was making good speed and time. Jake was by no means the quickest of walkers, he could just keep going day and night at a relentless pace. He sometimes wondered just how far he could walk before he would have to stop…six days and night’s maybe!
Then, just before nightfall, Jake saw something quite strange. An old abandoned cottage in the distance with what appeared to be smoke coming from the chimney. Now that was unusual as he knew this was a conservation area, and no one was allowed to move into a cottage. As night fell and he got closer, he moved off the track and onto the hillside. He was making too much noise and he always liked to be on the high ground anyway. For a reason that he could not explain, he was now on a very high state of alert. He came to the cottage from out of a small patch of fir trees and found a van parked behind the cottage and out of sight. Jake crouched at the edge of the wood, about fifty metres away from the cottage. Someone was definitely using it. He watched for thirty seconds, taking in the entire scene before him. The van was dark-coloured. The cottage had two back windows, and a lean-to with a door and a window at the rear. Another lean-to at the side had just an opening for a door and there were logs lying just inside. It was obvious to him that they were new and had been put there recently. The cottage roof had a skylight, which was partially open. A perfect point of entry he thought… if he was going in. The curtains were drawn but there was definitely a light on.
Jake decided he would have to take a closer look. A quick glance down the slope showed him the way and he was off. There was absolutely no noise. He was at the window quickly and looked through a small gap in the curtains. The three men inside were playing cards and drinking whisky, 12- year-old, very nice. Two old battery-operated lamps at opposite corners of the room gave off the only light. All appeared normal, if not slightly unusual, but after a couple of minutes Jake decided he should be somewhere else.