AUTOMEDON - The drivers of Cambrésis
During the First Empire, Dirk Borman, a young journalist at "La Feuille hebdomadaire de l'arrondissement de Cambrai," decides to investigate the serial murders, kidnappings, robberies, and rapes that are terrifying the population of northern Imperial France. He harbors a deep hatred and a veritable obsession with these "foot-drivers." But why?
Accompanied by Ambre, his secret love, and Sergeant Oudaille, a merciless hunt begins. The trio's investigations and their blistering articles lead them face to face with highwaymen: the three Flahaut brothers, complex characters whose ambitions, personalities, and devious murderous expeditions are revealed as they unfold.Press review : Listening to books ; The voice of the North
Paperback book description
210*140, 350 pages, 446g
Excerpts
P29: Jean-Baptiste takes a few steps and catches up with the old path that leads from Beauvois to Cambrai. He stops, the glow of a lantern placed on a low wall vaguely illuminates the profile of a figure. A hand protects the bowl of a pipe. In complete darkness, in the mystery and horror of a night without moon or stars, his brain still full of charming things, his head on fire and his senses on edge, he lengthens his stride on the large cobblestones of the roadway. He has been walking for a good fifteen minutes when his watchful eyes, searching everywhere in the thick darkness, distinguish two groups of men walking at the edge of a field. They come towards him in single file.
- Damn! Bad encounter, the fiddler thought to himself.
But it's already too late to turn around, to bolt, to flee. Courageous but not reckless, he nevertheless faces danger. Arriving alongside the leader, he boldly calls out to him, in a voice intended to be as confident as possible, a "Good morning!", a pledge of peace and good intentions. The man walking at the head of the pack immediately replies. Our Jean-Baptiste passes without incident between two lines of strangers, having had time to notice that there were a good twenty of them, all dressed in military clothing and, above all, armed to the teeth. In his head, he wonders where they are going at this hour, these men with sinister expressions. They have stared him down from head to toe. The charm disappears, goodbye party, drink, feast, he still wonders why they left him alive. It was with a heavy heart that Jean-Baptiste confided in me the misadventure of "La Buissonnière" and the Richet dynasty.
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...III. In the family's private living room, on the left. 6° We find the said Armand Richet, head of the family, near the door as if he wanted to leave, his two feet up to above the knees, charred. He is disemboweled, bathing in his own blood and his guts, dressed in his work clothes, covered with a thick jacket slashed by the blade of a straight razor planted and embedded in the carotid artery. Near the shattered skull, the butt of his hunting rifle according to the testimony of citizen Pierre Bouthors, without having been able to find the rest of the said rifle. IV. Passing into a fourth square where the shop is located, filled with all kinds of merchandise, we find an improbable mess as if a tornado had visited it. Candles burned to the end, dripping onto the counters. The shelves are overturned, torn from the walls. We noticed that all the communicating doors of the said house were open on all sides. In this storeroom, we found the location where the family hid some of their money. 7° The eldest son, named Jean Armand, aged 31, hung like a quarter of meat from one of the hooks in the room assigned to meat raised on the farm. The gendarmes, although accustomed to scenes of horror, had their guts hanging from their lips, the less experienced ones went to vomit their guts outside. (Note reported by a witness).
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Charles summons what little courage he has left, in a thin voice that fear makes quaver miserably, asks this man whom the others call "Captain" what they want. He assures him that it is not necessary to use violence, neither against him nor against his family, to obtain everything they want. He puts himself at his disposal, gives him his full attention, all requests will be granted if he promises not to do anything to the people in the household.
The leader's voice echoes in the room, he starts laughing followed by his companions.
- Don't worry, rich old man? Where's your money? You're coming with us to give us the keys to the safe, and sooner than that if you don't want to end up on the spit like an Easter lamb. Afterward, we'll take a little tour of your pretty home.
In digital version
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