Spoil of War (TV story)

***Spoil of War*** was the eighth episode of *Series 1* of *Survivors*.

## Synopsis

Abby and friends settle down at the Grange to build their community.

## Plot

Abby and Jenny take a horse out into the field while Wendy hangs washing. Emma is feeding John and Lizzie inside. She reminds them to call her "Auntie Emma" rather than "Mrs Cohen" and sends them to give Barney his breakfast. John asks for a bone for Ben but Emma says they need the bones to make soup and Ben will have to earn his keep. Abby and Greg are trying to use the horse to plough a field but have a hard time getting him to move. They run into a stranger, Paul, who confirms he's been ill. They explain they found the horse in a field. Paul says it's not a working horse and also chides them for ploughing up grass that could be used to feed the stock. He explains he used to live on a commune.

Greg and Price try to get a tractor working as Abby and Jenny return with Paul. The group join Emma and Wendy inside. Paul offers advice, saying they need to get organised and set up a cycle of crop planting. They need two good work horses to plough. Greg argues they have a tractor, but they admit they've spent three days trying to get it working. Paul points out they'll need spare parts and petrol for it. Price tries to claim things will be back to normal soon and he's heard the Japanese have a new vaccine. Paul says they have to work on the assumption that nothing will change. Most of them agree with him. They tell him about the potatoes they found.

Paul examines the potato crop with Abby, Greg, Jenny and Price, and says they're not seed potatoes. He and Price go to look at the tractor but Greg doesn't think they'll fix it. He suddenly remembers the quarry where he encountered Anne and Vic and how they had gathered stuff together. He gives Price instructions on how to get there, telling him not to deviate from the route. Barney is accompanying Price. Greg tells him to focus on taking an inventory and leave the booze alone.

Paul is examining the field with Abby and Jenny and makes suggestions for gathering hay and ploughing. He thinks a field near a stream will be good for grazing but will be too wet to plant there. Jenny senses Greg is resentful of the newcomer and jokingly suggests he thinks his harem has been challenged. Later, Paul tells the others how he left the commune with his daughter, who died, and buried her in a church yard. Greg complains about Price not having returned, thinking he's got drunk. Paul recalls he went looking for his dad in London but didn't find him and found it was full of snipers looking to rob people. Jenny hears a vehicle arriving. Greg is angry that they travelled at night.

Abby, Greg, Jenny and Paul go outside but realise it isn't the van approaching but a land rover. Greg has Jenny get him a gun. The land rover's driver is a middle-aged woman, Charmian Wentworth, who says she hoped they'd be friendly. Greg says they may be. Charmian says she needs somewhere to park for the night. She says she hasn't got the Death. She is the secretary to Arthur Russell, who is asleep in the caravan she's pulling and was the head of an investment fund. They're planning to go to a small island off Argyll that he owns. Arthur emerges and Charmian explains the situation. Arthur tells her to get some sleep and goes back to bed. Paul is amused. Greg insists Arthur show courtesy if he's going to stay there.

The group go inside. Greg suggests someone else might be using the island. Arthur points out it belongs to him but Paul doesn't think that counts for much. Greg isn't impressed with his plans to fish there and Arthur asks if this is his idea of courtesy. Emma has prepared a room and gets Wendy to refuse Arthur's offer of a drink. Arthur suggests they stay on a day or two so Charmian can rest. Next morning, Emma sends John and Lizzie to give Wendy breakfast: She's looking after the sheep while Barney is away.

While Jenny milks a cow, Abby sees off Greg, who is taking the land rover and Paul to retrieve Tom and Barney. Abby is worried that they'll be short of people if the pair don't return but Greg doesn't think there's anything to worry about. Arthur joins Abby and Jenny. Abby reminds him he said he was going to stay, hence borrowing his land rover. Arthur walks with Charmian, complaining about how bossy Abby is. Charmian wonders if he wants to move on but Arthur is willing to see how things work. Charmian suggests the people there might need them. Arthur asks her not to tell anyone about their supplies. Charmian thinks Arthur's administrative skills could be of use. Arthur indicates that she needn't call him "Mr Russell" anymore. He isn't keen to move into the house yet, in case they decide to move on with their things.

Greg and Paul arrive at the quarry and see the van apparently abandoned. Someone shoots at them and they reverse out. Paul thinks the shot came from the hut. Greg decides to go in on foot. Watching from the top of the quarry, they see Price and Barney sheltering behind some rocks. Price thinks there's three or four opposing them: Their tyres were shot out straightaway and every time they try to move they're shot at. Greg thinks they could have left when it was dark but Price argues there was moonlight. They left their guns in the van. Greg suggests waving Tom's hankie as a white flag and Paul points out a stick he can use. Tom tries to get Barney to retrieve it but Greg and Paul insist he go. He manages to grab it despite being shot at. Paul notes that both times they've been fired at, there's been one rifle followed by shotguns, and the others have been bad shots. Price is fired on despite waving the white flag. Paul points to the shotguns pointing out the windows of the cabin and wonders if there's any round the other side. Greg decides to move round while Paul draws their fire.

Greg climbs down the side of the quarry. Paul fires into the air, mostly by accident. Greg gets to the hut window and sees a dishevelled Vic inside, armed with a rifle and pushing himself about in a chair. He triggers the shotguns by pulling ropes. Greg bursts in and holds Vic at gunpoint. Vic dares him to kill him, thinking they'll take everything and leave him to starve. Greg calls the others over and tells Vic he was the one that pulled him out from under the tractor. Vic attacks him in a fury and fires off the shotguns. Paul and Price dive for cover, pulling a confused Barney down with them. Greg gets the upper hand again. Vic accuses Greg of taking what he wanted and leaving him to die. Greg tells him about Anne saying he was dead and suggests she didn't think Vic could keep her anymore. Vic attacks Greg wildly with a stick but Greg manages to subdue him. Vic recalls Anne leaving him and thought Greg must have convinced her to go.

Greg disables the shotguns and tells Vic he hasn't seen Anne since that day. Vic has to remind him of her name. Defeated, he says Greg can do what he likes. Greg calls Paul and the others in. Vic vows to find Anne, saying he's got something to live for now. The group exchange awkward introductions and Price tries to claim the supplies as spoils of war. Greg says there hasn't been a war: The supplies belong to Vic and they only came for them since they thought there was no-one there. Greg says they won't take the supplies unless Vic comes as well. Vic ponders the likelihood of being left alone or of Anne coming back and whether he'll be any good. He agrees to come and supplies them with an inventory.

The land rover drives out of the quarry with Vic's chair tied to the roof. Price runs over the inventory. Paul is bemused at Greg stopping at the main road to check no-one is coming and suggests they go on a pig hunt tomorrow.

## Cast

* Abby Grant - Carolyn Seymour
* Jenny Richards - Lucy Fleming
* Greg Preston - Ian McCulloch
* Tom Price - Talfryn Thomas
* John Millon - Stephen Dudley
* Lizzie Willoughby - Tanya Ronder
* Emma Cohen - Hana-Maria Pravda
* Wendy - Julie Neubert
* Barney - John Hallett
* Paul Pitman - Chris Tranchell
* Vic Thatcher - Terry Scully
* Arthur Russell - Michael Gover
* Charmian Wentworth - Eileen Helsby

## Crew

* Written by M.K. Jeeves
* Produced by Terence Dudley
* Directed by Gerald Blake