The Sacrifice

by Charlie Higson

  Sam looked at Tish, sitting there with her legs tucked up, wrapped in a blanket, staring into her mug of tea. A fourteen-year-old girl. He tried to put this picture together with the other one – Tish cutting a man’s head off with a spade. They’d talked about this kind of thing back in Holloway, around the fire in the evenings. Why they were the ones who had survived. Mostly it was luck, sure, but there was something else, something that had helped Sam get across London all by himself, had helped The Kid to survive in the tube tunnels, had helped Tish make it here.

  They all did what they needed to do survive.

  So many kids had cracked up, lost it big time. Gone loony. Got so stressed they couldn’t cope any more. Curled up into balls like hedgehogs.

  Died.

  Tish hadn’t curled up; she’d waited and waited and when the time was right, she’d cut that man’s head right off.

  Just like that.

  ‘I fell in with a gang of kids after that,’ Tish went on. ‘Tough nuts mostly, knew how to fight, but didn’t have too much sense. Nobody really in charge. Arguing all the time. We moved round London trying to find a safe place. God, seems like a long time ago now, first with all the rioting and the looting and the murders, then the gangs fighting, then almost everyone dying, and after that the sickos everywhere. And there was fires to deal with and dogs and … Well, to be fair, you know how bad it got. I didn’t think we were ever going to be safe and then we arrived at the Temple.’

  ‘What temple?’ Sam asked.

  Tish laughed. ‘Oh, you know, that’s just what we call our camp.’

  ‘What sort of temple is it?’

  ‘It’s not really a temple. It’s just a name, to be honest.’

  ‘Does it look like a temple?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Tish was starting to sound irritated. ‘One of the boys said it, like, you know, looked like a temple he’d seen in a PlayStation game or something, I think.’

  ‘Cool.’

  ‘It’s not a temple, though, to be fair. It’s just, like, a house, a building. Offices and things.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘So where do you hail from of late, wayfarer?’ said The Kid. ‘Where’s this temple of yours and why on earth were you out there running around in Zombieland like a lost sheep?’

  ‘We came from the centre of town. You know? Our base is near Trafalgar Square.’

  ‘This temple of which you speak?’

  ‘Yeah, this temple of which I speak.’ Tish giggled. ‘I’m sorry. You make me laugh.’

  ‘That’s because I’m elemental, my dear Watson.’

  ‘So what were you doing all the way over here?’ Sam asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ said The Kid. ‘You were a long way from home without a paddle.’

  ‘There was ten of us came out,’ said Tish. ‘We were exploring. Seeing what other kids might be out there. We didn’t mean to come this far. But then we bumped into some sickos and they had other plans for us.’

  ‘You was ham-busted?’ said The Kid. ‘Taken by surprise and blindsided, mashed up like pumpkins and done up like kippers?’

  ‘We were attacked, yeah, if that’s what you mean,’ said Tish. ‘They chased us all over. Half our group split off and went back; me and three others, we carried on running. Came further and further this way. Didn’t really know where we were, to be honest. Then another group of sickos got us. And that’s when Ed and his crew eventually found us, hiding in that building. Only he got to us too late. The others were all killed.’

  Tish stopped talking. There were tears in her eyes and her voice was raspy and wobbly.

  ‘That’s bad,’ said Sam.

  Tish nodded.

  ‘We didn’t know,’ she said quietly. ‘We were told we’d be protected, that no harm would come to us. We didn’t have any idea how dangerous it was going to be on the other side of the Wall. How bad it is out this way.’

  ‘You came through the forbidden zone,’ said Sam.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘The no-go zone. It’s what the kids here call the whole area to the north and west.’

  ‘The badlands,’ said The Kid. ‘Full of outlaws and scum-crackers and professional no-goodnicks. Sickos and ogres and blood-farmers, sniffing out the youngers. In the words of the prophet, “Don’t go there, man.”’

  ‘Me and The Kid came all through the City of London,’ said Sam, trying not to sound too much like he was showing off. ‘You see where all the banks used to be? All the money-makers in their skyscrapers? We were like you: we didn’t know where we were really or how bad it was. Maybe that’s why we made it through. We were too stupid to be caught. The kids here couldn’t believe we’d done it. They don’t ever go there.’

  ‘Ancient evil,’ said The Kid. ‘Bad magic. The devil’s playground.’

  ‘They only go out to the east and south over Tower Bridge,’ said Sam. ‘We’re not allowed anywhere near the way you came.’

  ‘But if I’m going to get home I have to go back that way,’ said Tish.

  ‘You want to go back?’

  Tish nodded. ‘Of course I do. It’s my home. It’s where all my friends are. They’ll want to know what happened to us. I mean, don’t get me wrong, in all fairness, what I’ve seen of it, it seems nice here; everyone’s nice and friendly and it’s safe and you have food and water, but it’s not my home, is it?’

  ‘It’s not our food and water,’ said Sam.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘This isn’t our home. We’re not staying either.’

  ‘Really?’ Tish sat up straight, listening more intently.

  ‘Yeah,’ said Sam. ‘I have to find my sister, Ella. We got split up. She was heading for Buckingham Palace. I’d love to stay here, don’t want ever to go back out there, but … I have to find her. I promised I’d look after her, you see.’

  ‘But to find her you’d have to go through the forbidden zone.’

  ‘Yeah. There’s no way around it.’

  Tish thought about something for a bit then smiled at Sam.

  ‘We know the kids at Buckingham Palace,’ she said brightly.

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Yeah.’ Tish nodded. ‘We’re well close to them in Trafalgar Square.’

  ‘Do you know if my sister made it there then? She was travelling down from Holloway.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Tish’s smile was so big it looked like it was going to split her head in half. ‘Did you say she was called Ella?’

  ‘Yeah. Ella Brewer. Do you know her?’

  ‘I do know that some kids arrived there recently from north London. It must be them. Ella must be there.’

  ‘I have to go and find her,’ said Sam, ‘but Ed won’t let us.’

  ‘What’s it to do with him?’

  Sam explained about the expedition that some kids had gone on and how Ed wasn’t letting anyone else leave until they returned.

  ‘What if they never return?’ said Tish. ‘Then what?’

  Sam shrugged.

  ‘I’ll tell you then what,’ said The Kid. ‘We’re stuck here like bug-eyed flies on bug-eyed flypaper. In short, sweetheart, it’s a bugger.’

  Tish stared into Sam’s eyes.

  ‘He’ll never let you go,’ she said bluntly.

  13

  ‘He’ll keep you here. He doesn’t want you to leave.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘The kids here are strong. They could put together an army and push their way through anything. But they sit behind their walls. They could get you to Buckingham Palace easy if they wanted. It wouldn’t take them more than two or three hours at the most, to be honest.’

  ‘But it’s through the badlands.’

  ‘I came through the badlands.’

  ‘And all your friends were killed.’

  ‘We weren’t prepared. We weren’t an army. Not soldiers like the kids here. We thought it would be easy. We were dumb. I’m not dumb any more. If we were prepared, if we did it right, we could get through.�
��

  ‘What do you mean “we”?’

  ‘Us three. We could do it. In the daytime when the sickos are asleep. Go quickly. Properly armed.’

  ‘But … ’

  ‘Ed won’t ever take you. Believe me. And he won’t let you go with me neither. I know it. They don’t want any kids to know what’s really out there. If you stay here you’ll never see your sister again.’

  ‘Why would Ed want to keep me here?’

  ‘You’ve heard the rumours?’ said Tish.

  ‘What rumours?’

  ‘You know the ones. I’ve heard them too. People have talked to me; they know I’m living here with you two.’

  ‘What rumours?’

  ‘They all talk about you. How you’re special.’

  ‘I’m not special,’ said Sam.

  ‘Special needs maybe,’ said The Kid.

  ‘It doesn’t matter whether you believe it,’ said Tish. ‘They believe it. They believe that if they keep you here they’ll be safe. Ed will never let you go. You’re too important to him. But us three … ’

  ‘That way madness lies,’ said The Kid. ‘Us three traipsing off like dilly-dallies, bog-eyed silly billies. You were big kids and you got sliced and diced, they murdered your faces. What chance would us three musketeers have?’

  ‘You lived on the streets by yourself,’ said Tish, ‘and Sam made it all the way here from Holloway, didn’t you?’

  ‘Yeah, but … ’

  ‘Two squirts like you. You’re lucky. Maybe you are special.’

  ‘You’re wearing green and you ain’t so lucky,’ said The Kid.

  Tish smiled at him, then smiled at Sam. ‘You two will bring me luck. You feel lucky. I just know it.’

  ‘It doesn’t make any sense what you’re saying,’ said Sam. ‘First you tell us how bad it is out there and then you say us three could make it back to your place, to the palace.’

  ‘An army is right,’ said The Kid. ‘An army is what we need.’

  ‘It’s only the first bit that’s dangerous, to be honest,’ said Tish. ‘The no-go zone.’

  ‘They call it that for a reason.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said The Kid. ‘So we no go there.’

  ‘We’ll think of a way,’ said Tish. ‘We’ll work something out.’

  ‘I’m going to talk to Ed again,’ said Sam. ‘Try to persuade him. This isn’t right.’

  Tish looked anxious. ‘You won’t tell him what we’ve talked about, will you?’ she said. ‘About our plan?’

  ‘Not that bit, no. If he thought we were even thinking about going by ourselves he’d probably lock us up.’

  Tish got up and hugged him.

  ‘We can do it. We’ll be all right.’

  She sat back down. Sam’s cheek was wet where she had pushed her own tear-streaked cheek against him.

  ‘Hey, hold on, babe,’ said The Kid. ‘Don’t The Kid get a hug?’

  Tish looked at The Kid and for a moment she looked fearful. Then she smiled, gave him a quick stiff hug.

  ‘Boobalicious!’ said The Kid.

  Tish looked awkward and Sam understood. The Kid was weird. He freaked some people out. Sam knew he had a good heart, though. He was loyal and brave and tough as anything.

  He was the best kid in the world.

  Sam would make Tish understand that.

  14

  Ed scratched his head and yawned. It was another early start for him. The sun was barely up and the war room in the White Tower was freezing cold. Even wrapped in his greatcoat, knitted hat and gloves the cold had got into him. His breath hung in the air in a frosty cloud. Once a week General Jordan Hordern pulled all his captains together for a meeting and he insisted on doing it at dawn. Jordan never seemed to need any sleep. You could see candles burning in the Queen’s House long into the night and he was always the first up.

  Ed sometimes found it funny. You’d have thought that a bunch of kids, young teenagers mostly, left to themselves with no adults to tell them what to do, would have slept all day and partied all night. But it wasn’t like that. They usually went to bed at sundown and woke at sunrise. Ed really could have done with a lie-in this morning. But as Captain of the Tower Guard, he had to be there.

  He’d hardly slept. There’d been trouble with one of the girls, Zosia. She’d got hold of some vodka from somewhere and made herself horribly drunk. She’d smashed a window in the governor’s house, screamed abuse at Jordan and then started throwing up everywhere before passing out. Ed had had to sit with her and make sure she didn’t choke on her own vomit in her sleep.

  Ed’s lieutenant, Kyle, was explaining what had happened to Jordan.

  ‘She was Brendan’s girlfriend.’

  Jordan nodded, his eyes unreadable behind his thick lenses. They were sitting directly above the room in which they’d held the trial, where Jordan had ordered Brendan’s execution.

  ‘I thought that girl, what’s she called? The one that went off with DogNut? I thought she was Brendan’s girlfriend.’

  ‘Jessica?’ said Ed.

  ‘That’s her.’

  ‘She used to be his girlfriend,’ said Kyle. ‘Only they split up. That’s why she went with DogNut. To get away. Then Brendan’s took up with Zosia.’

  ‘What are people saying about it?’ asked Jordan.

  ‘That Bren was cut up about Jessica. Went a bit crazy. Tried to impress Zosia by jacking that stuff. He was showing off to his new wifey. Showing her he could look after her with all that loot.’

  ‘Do they think I was too harsh?’ said Jordan.

  ‘It’s mixed,’ said Ed. ‘Some think Bren had to be punished for stealing; others, his friends, Zosia obviously, reckon the punishment was too cold. It frightens them, thinking about what’s out there, wondering how they’d cope if it was them.’

  ‘That was kind of the idea.’

  ‘We don’t want everyone to be scared,’ said Tomoki. Because Tomoki had been in charge at the Tower before Jordan arrived, the kids who’d been there before looked up to him, although none of them would ever dare challenge Jordan as leader. Brendan had been one of Tomoki’s kids and it was among them that the bad feeling about how he’d been treated was strongest.

  ‘Fear doesn’t do anyone any good,’ Tomoki went on. ‘Some of the kids here, if they’re not part of one of the more active regiments, haven’t left these walls in months. That makes them bored and scared; actually, not so much scared, more anxious, nervous, worried … What’s the word I’m looking for?’

  ‘Neurotic?’ Ed suggested.

  ‘Yeah. That’s it. And those two little boys arriving … ’

  ‘Baaaa,’ said Kyle and a couple of the other kids laughed.

  ‘It’s kinda freaked everyone out,’ said Tomoki. ‘Some people are talking about them bringing bad luck.’

  ‘Oh, for Christ’s sake,’ Ed spluttered. ‘Grow up, Tomoki.’

  Tomoki blushed. ‘It’s not me,’ he said. ‘It’s not my lot. It’s your lot, Jordan, the ones who were at the war museum. They think those boys are special in some way.’

  ‘They are special.’ Ed was trying not to shout. ‘They’re special because they’re brave. They’re bloody heroes. They’re special because they made it here all by themselves. But they are not some kind of spooky magic figures out of World of Warcraft or something. Just because of a stupid coincidence that they happen to look vaguely like the kids Mad Matt painted on his poxy banner. So I don’t want to hear any more rubbish about people being freaked out by them.’

  ‘It’s not just that,’ said Tomoki.

  ‘What is it then?’

  ‘It’s everything. It’s being bottled up here. Kids are starting to think that this is it.’ He indicated the four walls with his hands. ‘They’re starting to think they’ll just hang on here until they get old and die. We need to think about doing something more. Giving them something to look forward to.’

  ‘Like what?’ Jordan asked.

  ‘I don’t know. Breaking out of
here. Taking the City back. Maybe going on the attack instead of always being on the defence.’

  ‘You saying we need to get into the forbidden zone?’

  ‘Sooner or later we’re going to have to,’ said Keren, who was Captain of the Pathfinders until DogNut got back.

  ‘Keren’s right,’ said Tomoki. ‘The zone sits there on two sides of the Tower, like a constant reminder, and it makes the kids nervous.’

  ‘Neurotic,’ said Jordan.

  ‘Yeah. Neurotic. Why can’t I remember that word? I mean, the thing is, Jordan, you’ve got troops. Why not use them? Let’s take war parties in there and kick some heads in.’

  ‘There’s still loads of sickos out there,’ Ed interrupted. ‘Why risk kids’ lives?’

  ‘I think it might help, what’s the word … making everyone feel good?’ said Tomoki.

  ‘Morale.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘How good would it be for morale if kids got hurt, Tomoki? Got killed?’

  ‘We just got to make sure we get more of them than they get of us,’ said Kyle and he chuckled.

  Kyle never seemed to get bothered by anything. He was probably a psychopath. But in these changed times psychopaths were useful. At least he was Ed’s psychopath. He’d hate to be on the opposite side to him in a fight.

  Ed’s scar was itching, like it always did when he was stressed. He couldn’t forget seeing that girl in the corridor, Louise, the one he’d killed. Couldn’t forget the effect it had had on Tish. There was no way they could go out there on to the streets and not be in danger. And risk more moments like that. More kids dead, more kids wiped out by the loss of a friend.