by Matt Pike
The redundancy thing had me very concerned. The flag was going to be delivered when the redundancy was ready - that was the general vibe of what I was piecing together.
Then something else new happened. The workers who had been moving the ash in the new stronghold were marched back out of it again. This time they had all of their digging equipment with them. They marched them up to the road again, then over the other side into the park between the city and the river.
The guards in the nearest tower climbed down from their positions and followed the train, with guns aimed. There must’ve been nearly half of the Fat Man’s men guarding them now.
While the immediate heat had gone out of the situation for me, it had probably escalated for those stationed on the other side. I turned on our radio to see if there was any chatter.
*
Up in the sniper building, they lost sight of the workers and most of the guards as well. They gave a rundown of what was going on to base. It didn’t seem good. They were clearly off to dig a hole somewhere and it was part of a plan called the redundancy. It didn’t take too much to realise that had some seriously bad outcomes.
*
Base called out to those on the western side to report if they could. No one responded, so we were still in the dark.
Another update from base - no sign of Goodwood.
*
Update from Ye-jun at the jail - no sign of any of Zoe’s team. Things were too far in now. Jonesy called him back to join Steph’s crew on the western flank.
We held our spots on the eastern side of Government House, while things transpired out of our sight. I felt the eyes of everyone were far enough away I could take in some water. I also made sure I gave eye contact to Kelly - the next link in the chain up in the east. There was a shrug of not knowing what was going on, and a reassuring look that we would stay on the plan and wait.
*
After well over an hour, we got something from the west. It was Steph, giving an update on the workers. They were digging a hole. A massive pit. Big enough for, well, all of them.
Then the enemy radio crackled into life. Their scouting crew had heard something by the casino and were going to investigate. That was exactly where Steph had probably radioed in that report.
*
After exchanging signals with Ye-jun, Steph had worked her way from her position near Parliament House all the way down to where she could get eyes on the activity at Pinky Flat. She saw the workers digging the hole that would seemingly seal their fate. Shane and Trav were part of that group. After watching for long enough to get a picture of what was going on, she had pulled back to the casino to report in.
The update was vital.
Back at base they finally said the words we were all thinking. Redundancy was likely their code to kill off the workers. They were going to line them up, probably shoot them and bury them in the pit. We had to act.
*
Now the heat was on Steph. As soon as she heard the enemy radio talking about a noise, she knew it was about her. She buried herself into the quiet corner of rubble she’d found and waited with gun ready.
*
Ye-jun, who was closest to her in the line, switched his attentions from the pit to Steph.
*
The enemy base radioed their scouting team. “The flag is getting ready to move. Awaiting the all-clear on that noise.”
*
Then we got the signal from our base. Help had arrived.
It wasn’t just Goodwood-sized help, either. There were hundreds and hundreds of people. Everyone armed. Some with guns, others with crossbows, bows and arrows, bats - anything and everything that could be used as a weapon.
Hundreds and hundreds of them.
*
Near the casino, everything we were doing came down to Steph not getting exposed. That all depended on where they went and how close they got to her.
She kept in her hiding spot as still as possible, one hand on her gun, the other on her knife. They rounded the corner near where she was and were heading past when one of them spotted her out of the corner of their eye. They took a second to react. Steph did not. She moved in and slit one’s throat, then kicked the gun away from the other before it went off.
She then moved again before he had a chance to realise the smartest idea was to shout. But as she lunged, he grabbed her wrist and the two fell to the ash in a dance of strength and rolling. He overpowered her and slammed her wrist into the rubble, forcing the knife free.
Then it was a test of strength to claim position, free hands and one of the weapons to end it all. There was no time to yell, no time to do anything that used energy, concentration or time in this fight to the death.
The man slowly used his size and weight advantage to wear Steph down. She tried everything to avoid him reaching the dominant position, but it was no use. She had one more play - the moment he would reach for the gun, now closer than the knife.
It was all going to play out in a second. She waited to use her speed to get back into the fight. But before she had a chance, he forced her hands together, then to the ground. He pressed down on them with one hand and, with the other free, turned his attention back to the gun. But all he saw was Ye-jun and the knife… and his last moments.
Base was calling out to the two scouts again, calling for an update. Ye-jun picked up the two-way off dead guy No.1 and responded in a voice that was a pretty convincing imitation of whoever was talking earlier, saying everything was clear. It certainly seemed good enough for me, when I heard it, even though I knew it was Ye. And it was good enough for base, apparently, as they responded with, “Affirmative, thanks Redleg 4. Stand by for the flag.”
*
From the markets, hundreds of people marched forward in silence, well, as much silence as that many people can bring, I guess. Jonesy led the way as best he could on his leg, leaving Jessie and Angie running comms back at base.
Our comms were now starting to escalate, with chatter now pretty steady between the sniper location, base and Jonesy with the army.
Once they came within a couple of blocks of North Tce, the new arrivals split into three groups. One held its ground at King William, while the others split to head either side of Government House.
*
Whatever was going to happen by the pit was clearly waiting for the Fat Man’s arrival. Steph and Ye-jun soon got back into a location to report back what was happening, but I didn’t need a report to get the general gist. I could hear the digging had stopped and there was lots of crying and whimpering from those who now certainly knew their fate, as well as the yelling from the guards as they tried to hold it all together until the Fat Man arrived.
*
At this point, no one was really sure if Zoe’s plan was actually going to kick events off as had been planned. The pit was new and changed everything. Plus, there had been no one to meet Ye-jun at the jail. Were those there in a position to fight back? Were they waiting to stay with the plan and not fight back until they knew the Fat Man had left the oval? Or had things gone even more pear-shaped than we thought for them, leaving us as the only force able to stop what was happening?
The chatter on the radio was to stick to the plan - for now - but be ready to go in at any moment.
I signalled that message as best I could and it filtered down the line on our flank.
*
“The flag is in motion,” came the call through the enemy comms.
*
Then we were surprised again. You could hear the sound of a distant engine - multiple engines. From where I was I could hear some of them were big - definitely trucks. There was another engine noise that danced in and around the others. It was probably pretty subtle to the others, missed entirely even. But not to me. There’s something unmistakeable about the sound of a hovercraft.
I knew what it meant in an instant. That was our third hovercraft, up and running again and in enemy hands.
*
“Oh my g
od!” came the transmission from Steph.
“What is it?” replied Angie at base.
“They’ve got a convoy. Three trucks heading your way. And a hovercraft.”
*
I signalled down the line to make sure everyone was staying low and out of sight. This convoy was going to be headed past us at any moment.
The sound got louder and louder until they came into view as they reached the south side of the bridge. Three trucks - two loaded with supplies, no doubt, being led by a big rig, similar to the one I torched in the last battle. Zipping in and around them was the third hovercraft. I could see two guys riding it, weapons out. I immediately felt exposed. This was a new kind of danger. It was one thing to avoid vehicles on reclaimed roads, it’s another thing entirely when it comes to free-roaming hovercraft.
I felt sick knowing something I’d designed and help create could suddenly be the end of me.
I just had to hold my ground and pray, as did the others down my flank.
Fortunately, those riding the hovercraft were too caught up zig-zagging around the trucks, yea-hawing and generally trying to show off their new-found cross-ash mobility, that they really didn’t feel the need to look for enemies well within their view.
A big part of me liked that a lot. They were too caught up in the power they were yielding over those who had toiled for them and would soon be dead they didn’t even realise the pieces to take away that power were under their very nose at that moment.
I remember taking that personally. You’ve got to be humble in this apocalypse. The second you think you’ve got a handle on it, it’ll do something to break you. Survival etiquette 101. The absolute basics. Yet, here these assholes were, somehow having evolved with their weapons advantage and their lack of care for anything else. It was one thing to use it as their game-changer to stay alive, another thing again to get pleasure out of moments like this.
The fact they had no idea of the forces that were gathering around them made me infinitely happy. I mean, I knew bad things were coming, but with the arrival of Goodwood and the rest, I knew the chances of the Fat Man and his crew feeling their fair share of that bad was strong.
I tried not to think of what bad would play out for us.
The trucks had soon made ground to the Government House compound and they disappeared within, hovercraft in tow.
The flag had reached its destination. This was it.
Soon, a small crew of the workers were called back from the pit to the Government House grounds, under guard.
Asha updated us on the two-way. It was what we’d already guessed from our spot on the eastern flank - the workers were unloading their goods. Everyone was at the ready, knowing things could escalate at any time.
I signalled up the line, but I really didn’t need to. They were ready. We all were.
We were all in place, an army of back-up waiting to sweep in... just waiting. There was nothing to do but listen to Asha’s updates on the two-way about the events unfolding on the other side of the wall of ash in front of me.
That’s how it played out, for an hour, as the workers unloaded the trucks of food, water, weapons, bedding, clothes and equipment. A few times Asha must’ve seen something she thought was a sign the worker rebellion was about to start. There’d be a “Hang on, hang on”, a pause, then a, “false alarm”. I rode all of those moments, easing the grip on my gun and catching up on my breath when they ended.
The Fat Man was in the compound, as was his senior crew. We were hot, but we already knew that.
Zoe was there as well. She was with a couple of others that didn’t seem like the Fat Man’s crew - they certainly didn’t have the red stripe down their pants. I think Asha was looking to her as the potential trigger to all this - the one who’d make the move or call to start it all.
Maybe Zoe was waiting for her moment, her window to trigger this all off. Maybe all these changes with the pit had thrown that plan out the window. Maybe there was no plan at all. Maybe there was a double cross on us.
A lot of maybes: time to think about them and no action.
Just Asha updates.
It was after the last of the goods had been unloaded from the trucks, as the Fat Man and his crew assembled and prepared to (we assume) head to the nearby pit site, that everything unfolded.
Asha’s updates continued as I heard the sound of the big rig and hovercraft starting up. The Fat Man had gotten into the rig with the driver, his lieutenants in the hovercraft, while those in the redlegs uniforms herded up the workers, lined them up in single file and prepared to march them back to the pit. Zoe and the two others with her marched behind the workers, all under the watch of six armed redlegs and two in the guard tower.
I saw the rig and hovercraft leave the compound, making the short trip to King William Rd, near where the pit and the rest of the under-guard workers were waiting. Just as the Norwood senior team left the vehicles and disappeared out of my sight over the other side of King William Rd, the line of workers came into view as they made the march on foot.
I was close enough to make out the looks on their faces - they knew what awaited them on the other side of this walk.
Then, as Zoe and the other two cleared the entrance, it happened.
One of the workers in the line collapsed. A couple of nearby workers went to his aid. The guards were all over it. One was straight over, gun aimed at those in the disturbance, ordering those assisting to get him back on his feet. Other guards immediately went into action, ensuring the rest of the workers didn’t move. There was a shouting match between one of those rendering assistance to the fallen worker and the guard standing over them.
Tensions escalated. All eyes were on the moment - all guard eyes, that is. Then the guard leaned in closer to inspect the fallen worker, prodding with his weapon and telling him to get up. One of the two assisting him lunged at the guard with a knife. The weapon went in and out in quick repetition and the guard hunched and fell face down over the fallen worker. As he did a short burst of fire shot out from his rifle.
It’s a small moment I remember well, as the bullets cut through the air right by me, ricocheting off the rubble just behind me. I ducked... all too late to have any affect, had the bullets had my name on them.
By the time I recovered and got eyes back on the situation, more gunfire had broken out and two other guards were down. Zoe was holding a pistol in an exchange with another guard, while she circled around, trying to get as many workers gathered behind her as she could.
There was shouting and gunfire everywhere. Zoe and the workers had taken their element-of-surprise moment and downed half the immediate threat around them, but the surprise was over, and the guards fought back. Shots rang out everywhere. Several workers were mowed down as they tried to flee or charge at the remaining guards.
I had my weapon on the fracas, trying to find a clean shot on a redleg. After nearly a minute of not finding one, I realised I was no use to anyone there. I kept my body as low as possible and charged into the action.
*
Both two-way radios I had burst into life. Communications on both sides shouting out instructions as everyone caught up with the unfolding events. I tried to make sense of the information, but it was hopeless.
*
It didn’t take long for a reaction to come from the Norwood leaders at the pit site. Another team of guards was sent back to the compound to deal with the problem, while those who remained made the workers there drop to their knees and put their arms behind their heads. There were a couple who were slow to comply, they met with bullets.
The Fat Man and his senior crew gathered together, then retreated back up to where the rig and the hovercraft were waiting for them.
*
Up in the sniper location, Asha and Nate opened fire on the two guard towers in the compound. They downed them in quick succession. Then Asha made the call on the two-way - advance!
*
That was the signal. The army from Goodwood
and beyond marched the last blocks to North Tce and headed onto the battlefield.
*
As I neared the battle, I circled around to isolate the guard with the rifle. It was the guy who seemed to like yelling at the workers in the compound. He was screaming as he stood over a worker he’d just shot. He put a couple more bullets into the body, before turning his attentions to his next target.
He must’ve caught sight of me in his periphery, as instead of continuing where his body was pointing, he fixed his gaze at me over his shoulder. He did a quick double-take with a beautiful look of stunned horror on his face, before he started to turn his body and weapon around in my direction.
By that time, I had my gun on him and had fired a couple of shots. I missed with the first, but hit his arm with the second. A plume of blood splattered out as the impact force rippled across his uniform. He reeled back at the impact, but still had the presence of mind to bring the weapon in his good hand into an aiming stance.
He fired as I dived to the ash for cover. I felt pain surge through me as I realised he had returned the favour. My arm was hit. Just near the shoulder. I blocked the pain as best I could and just hoped everything would function when I needed it to. I rolled to stay on the move, hoping to stick the landing in a way that I’d have steady position, with my gun aimed and ready to fire back.
While I’d nailed the move as best I could in the circumstances, the gun didn’t agree with being rolled through the ash. I was in position and fired… but nothing happened.
I dropped back to prone and wrestled the crossbow from my shoulder, fully expecting any second to be my last.
I could hear the gunfire go up another notch as I tried to untangle the shoulder strap. It was then I realised there were no more bullets, either in me or headed past me. I finally got the crossbow free as I stayed low and got into position to take a shot.
That’s when I realised the guard’s attention was behind me. The others on my flank had followed me into action and, while his fire had pinned them down in various spots across the battlefield, they were all firing on him. He took another bullet in the side and dropped to the floor.
