Blackout

by Chris Ryan

  He climbed out and crawled across the flat roof. Ten home-made firebombs were laid out in a row. Glancing up, Josh could see the bikers advancing to the main street. The same big black Hondas, the same burly men clad in leather and helmets. The same pistols being brandished.

  Serve them up a diet of death and mayhem, and they just keep coming back for more.

  Josh waited, counting down the seconds. The bombs would work once and once only.

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  The bikes were advancing steadily, their engines roaring. The front biker was moving carefully, scrutinising the ground for stretched wires or freshly dug earth. They're checking for mines, realised Josh.

  But this time the death will come down like rain from the sky.

  After checking that the ground was undisturbed, the lead bike started to advance towards the corpse that was lying directly below Josh.

  'Kate, take cover,' shouted Josh, aware that she was still down below.

  He could see the bikers twenty feet below turning their heads up to look at him but before they could shoot Josh hurled down the first of the petrol bombs. It ignited as it hit the ground, sending a huge of ball of flame shooting out. He threw down more. The bottles splintered, at first sending tiny shards of glass spraying up into the air. Then the nails packed inside the bottle spun upwards, gathering velocity as they moved outwards, forming a lethal sphere of shrapnel.

  One biker was already in flames, his arms flailing desperately as he tried to extinguish the fire enveloping his body. Another was lying face down on the ground. A pair of nails had shot straight through his head, piercing his skull and sending chunks of his brain splattering across the dusty ground.

  Josh ran along the length of the roof, hurling down the bombs one by one. Suddenly the street was a bedlam of explosions. Burning petrol, steel najls and glass splinters were flying everywhere. Two of the bikes exploded, sending hot oil spewing out onto the burning ground. Swirling clouds of smoke were spiralling into the sky. The noise was deafening. Josh threw himself down and gripped the side of the roof, shutting his eyes and closing his mouth to stop the fumes from choking him. I just hope Kate has the sense to do the same, he thought.

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  When he opened his eyes again, the street was a chaos of burning rubber and petrol. The bikes were mangled heaps of metal. Corpses lay strewn across the ground, but the closer Josh looked the harder it became to count the dead. Too many severed limbs were scattered around.

  One man was lying on the ground. His leg had been ripped off, and blood was pulsing from the open wound. His lips were trembling as he tried to cry out in pain, but his tongue had been burnt out and no sound could escape from his mouth.

  Josh dropped down from the roof and landed on the ground. He approached the wounded biker and knelt down, putting the barrel of the Wildey to the man's head. I'm saving my ammunition, but I'm still going to put you out of your misery, pal. One warrior should always be willing to spend a bullet on another.

  He squeezed the trigger. The bullet shattered the man's skull and pulverised his brain, killing him instantly.

  'Hold it right there,' shouted a voice. Josh looked up. Twenty yards ahead, walking towards him, he could see Flatner who was holding Luke with his arm twisted behind his back. A pistol was pressed against the side of the boy's head. Luke's head was lowered and some blood was trickling down the side of his mouth where he had taken a blow to the face.

  Flatner was walking along the main street with Edward Porter at his side. He was looking at Josh, a grin playing on his face.

  'Stay where you are, Josh,' said Flatner. 'This time you're mine.'

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  TWENTYSEVEN

  Thursday, June 18th Morning

  Josh stood perfectly still. The fires were still burning behind him and the flames continued to lick at the corpses of the fallen bikers. He could feel the heat on his back, but despite that the blood in his veins was starting to freeze.

  Flatner was still walking towards him, a cruel smile on his lips. He was holding a Glock 18 in his hand, one of the simplest, most reliable and most accurate handguns in the world, and he was pushing Luke forwards roughly.

  At his side, Edward Porter was standing with his own Glock 18 held almost casually in his right hand, as if he was not used to carrying a gun. Close up, he looked much older than he had looked in any of the pictures that Josh had seen. His hair was starting to thin, and his skin was greying and blotchy. The face of a man who is rapidly ageing, decided Josh. And of a man who doesn't waste time on negotiations or compromises but cuts straight to the deal. Or the kill.

  'Where's the woman?' said Flatner.

  Josh said nothing. ^

  Flatner glanced left and right, his stare scouring both sides of the street. Whether he felt anything about the death of six of his men a few minutes ago, Josh couldn't tell.

  'Come out now, or I shoot both of them.'

  There was a pause. Behind him Josh could hear the continuing sounds of burning. Then he saw Kate. She stepped from the porch of the old hotel, walking carefully

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  through the blazing wreckage. Her face was blackened and there was sweat running down her skin. Her eyes looked tired and frightened. 'Don't hurt the boy,' she said, glancing up at Flatner. She was choking back the tears in her voice. 'We'll do whatever you say. Just don't hurt him.'

  'So,' said Porter. 'Are we ready to do some business?'

  'You're a bloody idiot,' said Josh angrily, looking up at the man.

  Porter nodded thoughtfully. 'According to the Forbes list, I'm the ninth richest man in the world,' he replied. 'That doesn't sound like an idiot to me.'

  'We'd have given you the software all along,' said Josh. 'Luke wanted his money, that's all. If you'd just given him the five million we could have done this simply and without any bloodshed.'

  Porter laughed. 'You don't get to be as rich as I am by going around giving five million dollars to every two-nickel hustler who wants to blackmail the company. I'm a straightforward man. You treat me with respect, I'll treat you with respect. You try to fuck me, then I'll fuck you so hard back that you'll wish you were dead.' He glanced first at Luke, then at Josh. 'You've both tried to hustle me. Now it's payback time.'

  Josh shook his head. 'It's no hustle. Luke found a flaw in your software. If he can find it so can someone else. He's performed a service for your business and he wants to be paid. Simple.'

  'Then why the bombg and landmines?' said Porter.

  'Why the bikers armed to the teeth?' snapped Josh.

  Porter raised a hand. 'Enough of this,' he said. 'I'm a busy man. Now, I want the software -- or the boy dies.'

  Josh shook his head. 'Give us the money'

  'I said the boy dies.'

  Josh glanced sideways. He could see Flatner jabbing the Glock harder against the side of Luke's head.

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  'I don't care,' said Luke fearfully. 'You already killed Ben. Kill me if you want to. I don't care.'

  Flatner slapped him around the head. The blow rocked him but Luke stood his ground, and his lips stayed sealed.

  'The kid's brave,' said Josh. 'You're not going to get anywhere by roughing him up.'

  'Maybe we should just shoot him, then?' said Porter thoughtfully. 'No more Luke, no more problem.'

  'You need him,' snapped Josh. 'Without him, the security flaw is still there. Someone else will find it.'

  'I'll break them, boss,' said Flatner. 'Just give me a few minutes to knock them about. They'll break.'

  Porter raised his hand. 'We haven't got time.' He looked across at Josh. 'What are you, the kid's agent or something? You collecting ten per cent on this deal?'

  'I gave him my word to protect him,' answered Josh. 'I haven't managed to hang on to much in my life, but I keep my promises.'

  Suddenly and inexplicably, Porter seemed to change his mind. 'Okay, you win. Give us the software, and we'll give you the money' He placed a black briefcase that he'd been carrying in his l
eft hand down on the ground between them. 'It's all here.'

  Josh stepped forward. He opened the case. Inside, he could see a neat stack of freshly minted fifty-dollar notes. 'There's a million in notes,' said Porter. 'The rest is in bearer bonds. You can cash them at any bank, no questions asked.'

  Josh nodded. 'You happy?' he s^id, looking towards Luke.

  'Okay,' said Luke. 'Give them the computer.'

  Josh glanced at Kate. 'Get it,' he said.

  Kate started walking back towards the crumbling sheriff's office. Luke had left his laptop in there. A minute later she returned, carrying the machine in her hand. She handed it across to Luke.

  He knelt down on the ground. Flatner stood over him,

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  his gun still to the boy's head. Josh knew there would be enough power in the laptop's battery to last for another hour, and its satellite connection was keeping it plugged into the internet. With a look of concentration on his face, Luke started tapping at the machine's keyboard.

  'How do I know you're giving me the right computer?' said Porter. 'How do I know it's got the software in it?'

  'Name a city^' said Luke, looking across to Porter.

  'Any city?'

  'Name me a city, and I'll switch off the power there,' said Luke. 'Then you'll see for yourself that this is the software.'

  Porter's brow furrowed. 'Austin,' he replied. 'I've always hated Austin.' He chuckled grimly to himself. 'It'll be thirty degrees there already, even at this time of the morning. They'll all be sweating like pigs when the air-conditioning gets switched off.'

  Josh remained still, watching while Luke tapped away at the keyboard. A single thought was now running through his mind. Luke may get his money, but Azim hasn't shown up.

  I've miscalculated. I'm done for. Even if Porter and Flatner don't kill us, if I go back to Britain without taking out Azim I'll be court-martialled for sure. / disobeyed orders and I won't have a single argument to defend myself with.

  'You got a PDA or something?' Luke said to Porter.

  Porter pulled out a small, slim case from his breast pocket. 'A Blackberry'

  'Then check one of the news sites,' said Luke. 'The power in Austin is already down. The story should be running any minute.'

  Porter was staring in fascination at the tiny screen embedded in the device resting on the palm of his hand. He might be a billionaire several times over, thought Josh. But he was still an engineer at heart: the thing that fascinated him most was machines, and how they worked.

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  Porter turned the Blackberry 7290 outwards so that everybody could see the tiny screen. It showed the CNN.com website. Across the bottom of the screen, under a flashing 'Breaking News' logo, the words were clearly spelled out: 'Blackout hits Austin . . . Blackout hits Austin. Details to follow . . .'

  'Okay,' said Porter. 'I believe you. Now give those poor Texans their power back before you totally bankrupt this company.'

  Josh stepped forward, putting his hand down on the briefcase. 'You might keep your promises,' said Porter. 'But to me, words are matchsticks.'He snapped his fingers.'I break them just like that.'

  As Josh looked up he saw that Porter's pistol was pointing straight at him.

  'Get away from that case,' said Porter, pronouncing the words with the kind of force that comes easily to a man holding a gun in his hand. 'Then hand over the computer.'

  Josh shook his head. 'I've been jerked around once too often.'

  'Put down the gun,' shouted Porter. 'And get your hands in the air. Now!

  If I go this time, decided Josh, so be it. Without Azim, I've nothing. I'd rather die here than go back to Hereford and get ripped to shreds by the Ruperts for disobeying an order.

  Josh sensed how his military training just might give him the edge in this fight. With one, quick movement of his hand, he pulled the Wildey from the inside of his jacket where he had been hiding it for the last ten minutes. His mind was a blur but an adrenalin-fuelled mix of anxiety, anger and desperation was guiding his movements.

  'You've got the safety catch on,' he barked at Porter. 'That gun's not going to kill anyone.'

  Porter's gaze flicked towards his pistol. A split second of

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  delay. Josh jabbed his gun forward, squeezing the trigger hard. The bullet knocked the Glock clean out of Porter's hand. Swiftly, Josh cocked the Wildey and squeezed its trigger again. This time the bullet struck Flatner's right hand, smashing his knuckles. His Glock fell to the ground too. Unfired.

  Luke leaped forwards, unscathed. He grabbed his computer and cowered behind Josh.

  'You're worth billions,' said Josh to Porter. 'Yet you're about to throw your life away for the sake of a stupid five million.'

  Josh stood rock-solid and nodded at Luke to pick up the briefcase. Stepping forward, Luke gripped its handle, cradling it to his chest. Many men have died for that money, thought Josh. Don't let go of it now.

  'Now which of you wants the next bullet?'

  'I . . . I . . .' stuttered Porter.

  He can order the deaths of other men, thought Josh, but he can't face it himself. Josh held the gun up, so that Porter's forehead was neatly in its sights. 'I'll finish you nice and quick,' said Josh.- 'As for Flatner, I'll make that slow and painful.' He glanced across at Flatner. 'I owe you that much.'

  'N-no,' stammered Porter, his lips quivering. 'I can give you money ... I can . . .'

  'Stand still, and take it like a bloody man,' barked Josh.

  'Put the gun down.'

  Josh turned around. Kate was holding her own Glock. Its matt-black barrel was pointing straight at his chest.

  'I said put the gun down,' she repeated.

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  TWENTYEIGHT

  Thursday, June 18th. Morning.

  Josh looked into Kate's eyes. She was wearing the same expression he had seen nearly three weeks ago, when she had first pulled him bleeding out of the ditch. Spirit, fire and determination were the words that had flashed through his mind then, and now they seemed just as accurate.

  Josh lowered the Wildey handgun to his side. His body had frozen, but his mind was calculating furiously. Of course, he told himself.You're a sodding moron,Josh. She was working for Porter-Bell all along.

  Kate took two steps forward. She was holding the Glock straight out in front of her, her forearm steady yet relaxed, the way a trained marksman would hold himself just before an execution.'Drop the gun, Josh,' she said,'That's an order from your doctor.'

  'Kill him, Kate,' snapped Porter.

  'Who the hell are you?' growled Josh, looking at Kate.

  'She works for me,' said Porter. 'Always has done. One of the advantages of being a billionaire. You can have a pretty big payroll.'

  Josh looked at Kate again. The deception, he realised, had been perfect from start to finish. Every tender word, every moment of medical treatment, every kiss and caress - all of it had been a lie.

  'Is this true?' he asked.

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  Kate shrugged aside the lock of red hair that had tumbled across her forehead.

  'I don't know how things are on your planet, Josh,' she said. 'But on this one women don't usually start helping strange men who they find wounded in a ditch. Painful as it might be to your little soldier ego, you're not so irresistible that I took one look at you, fell in love, and decided to risk my life trying to look after you.' She chuckled. 'Only a man, and a pretty stupid one, would think that was possible.'

  Kate placed the Glock closer tcjosh's forehead: he could smell the grease and oil on the gun's firing mechanism.

  'I took you in and took care of you because Mr Porter here paid me handsomely to do so,' she continued. 'Why? Because Luke escaped from us. Don't you remember his final words to you as he ran away? He said he'd be in touch. So we knew all along that if we were going to find him you were our best chance of doing so. So long as we had you, eventually you'd lead us to him. All I had to do was stick close, and sooner or later you'd take us
to Luke. When you did so, Mr Porter would pay five million dollars. So thanks, Josh. You've made it a lucrative time. And you couldn't have played your part better if I'd scripted it myself.

  'You took a nasty wound to the head,' Kate went on. 'That often causes short-term memory loss. Then I kept injecting you with mild barbiturates.You thought they were painkillers. But barbiturates cause and sustain amnesia. I didn't want your memory coming back until Luke sent you his signal.'

  'And Marshall? Didn't he mind you prostituting yourself? His own daughter?'

  Kate smiled. 'You're so gullible, it would almost be cute. If it wasn't about to cost you and Luke your lives.'

  'He's not your father, is he?'

  'Marshall? No,' answered Kate. 'My dad was in Florida

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  playing golf the last time I saw him. Marshall's a clever operator. He ruled these wastelands. After I was charged with keeping track of you until Luke got in touch, he was the obvious man to turn to.' She was watching him intently. 'So like I said, drop that gun.'

  The Wildey was resting in his palm, but Josh felt as if all the fight had been punched out of him. He'd fought like a mad dog, and it had all been for nothing. Now the game was finally played out.

  Porter stepped forward, a grin lighting up his face: the fear of a few moments ago had been banished, replaced by the easy, complacent composure of a man who now knew that he could buy his way out of anything. He picked up the briefcase, holding it firmly in his hands,

  'First rule of business, son,' he said, glancing towards Josh. 'Know when you're beaten. And you two boys are beaten.' Bending over, he also picked up Luke's laptop from the ground. 'I don't think we need these two any more,' he said to Kate. 'Finish them off.'

  At his side, Josh could sense Luke starting to tremble. It took a man of the strongest nerves to hear with calm his own execution being discussed, and Luke was just a boy: his lips were trembling, and his legs looked as if they were about to give way beneath him. I'm sorry, thought Josh. You put your trust in me again.

  Kate kept the gun levelled at Josh s head. In her eyes he could see the cold, uncompromising stare of a natural-born killer. ,,

  'I'm sorry, Josh,' she said. 'In other circumstances, maybe we could have had a relationship.' She shrugged. 'But, you know, there's the money . . .'