by Ryan Gawley
Adrenaline coursed through his body as Sam fought to bring his mind and heart rate under control. He settled Molly to stop her barking and then taking care to switch off all lights in his apartment ran to his front door and cautiously peered through the spy hole. The four man Enforcer squad were now withdrawing from the apartment directly across the hall, the commander in front, a single guard at the rear and two in the middle of the group dragging Sam’s neighbour Pete out into the hallway. He appeared badly beaten but still had strength to struggle. Already blood ran from several wounds and his shouts of innocence were garbled as he attempted to form words through a badly broken jaw and split lips, spitting and drooling blood with every syllable.
‘That poor bastard,’ Sam thought to himself.
Whatever Pete had done or was suspected of doing he would most likely pay with his life but if by some luck he survived interrogation he would be exiled to the prison farms far to the south or released onto the city streets to die.
Sam waited nervously and watched as the rear guard Enforcer checked up and down the hallway covering the withdrawal with his shotgun in case anyone felt brave enough to help their neighbour. Sam cursed himself for allowing Pete to be taken but he knew he was powerless against armed Enforcers and would have been badly beaten or arrested for interfering. He had to think about Lucy and needed to stay alive and well if they were ever to see each other again.
‘Sorry Pete,’ he said quietly, feeling ashamed.
Once sure that the Enforcers and their captive were descending in the lift Sam backed away from the door wiping a cold sweat from his brow and started to feel sick from the adrenaline that had pumped into his empty stomach. Wasting no time he ran to the bedroom to let Molly out and checked the clock as he got fully dressed. It was ten past four in the morning, a good time to make a run for the city perimeter as when he reached the wall the city would be fully awake and the morning commuter rush would ensure fewer Enforcer patrols on the fringes. He didn’t have to meet with Arthur and Alice until the following morning but he couldn’t wait a minute longer after the scare he just had.
In the bathroom he checked the wound on his face and removed the old dressings, cleaned the dried blood from around the deep cut then applied antiseptic cream and fresh suture strips. There was no sign of infection and he was pleased to see the swelling around his eye had gone down.
Dressed in faded blue jeans, used army boots, grey wool jumper, battered black leather motorcycle jacket and a waterproof khaki army jacket on top Sam was ready to go. He put a dish of food out for Molly and she hungrily wolfed down the tinned meat as he snacked on a couple of raw carrots which were past their best but the only remaining edible food in his fridge. He stuffed a few sticks of dried meat into his jacket pocket planning to save them to eat on the road. When Molly had finished her breakfast he hoisted his pack and tightened the shoulder straps to ensure a snug fit then snapped closed the fastener on the kidney belt so everything was well balanced and would leave his hands free.
He took one last look around the apartment where he had lived for the past four years and caring nothing for the meagre possessions left behind he made for the door.
‘That was too close for comfort Molly. Get your lead, we’re going out.’
In the vacant hallway Sam peered across the gloom into the apartment of his neighbour and couldn’t help but wonder what inhumane treatment Pete would be subjected to even during transport for processing. With Molly by his side Sam started down the concrete staircase not trusting the lift to deliver him safely to the ground without jamming and bringing about the end of his journey before it even began.
Once out of his building he clipped Molly’s lead to her collar and flipped up the hood on his army jacket to keep out the cold but also to shield his face from any operational security cameras he would pass beneath as he made his way west toward the perimeter and the relative sanctuary of the forest beyond. He navigated the city’s dark streets as the sky began to lighten with the approaching dawn. To keep off the main streets and avoid the scrutiny of passing Enforcer patrols he used back alleys as much as possible. The stench of filth and rot was all the more pungent and reminders of social decay more obvious where hordes of the city’s homeless huddled to keep warm in makeshift shelters. Some slept clutching bags or suitcases of treasured possessions and when Sam saw a skeletal man removing his torn sports jacket to lay it as a blanket over his two sleeping children he stopped and looked on, rummaging in his pocket.
‘Please, we don’t want any trouble,’ cried the man as he threw himself defensively in front of his young son and daughter. ‘Everything we own has already been taken, they killed my wife because I wouldn’t give up our last can of food. It was for the kids you see, I couldn’t let the bastards take it,’ he said as his eyes shimmered and tears ran down through the thick dirty stubble on his cheeks.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Sam kneeling to speak to the man face to face. ‘Here, I won’t be needing these anymore,’ and he pressed the keys to his apartment into the man’s hand and leaned forward to whisper the address.
The man quickly snatched the keys for fear someone else might see.
‘Thank you mister, thank you,’ he whispered emotionally in reply.
Sam could think of no words of comfort so just smiled and shook the man’s hand then continued down the alley. When he reached the end he turned to look back and saw the man disappear around a corner carrying his daughter in one arm and leading his son with the other, their only possessions in a little knapsack on the man’s back.
‘Good luck,’ Sam wished them quietly.
A few times an armoured patrol wagon slowed as it drove past but to Sam’s relief they didn’t stop to ask questions. Molly of course took it all in her stride and simply enjoyed savouring the new sounds and scents in areas of the city she had never been.
Passing through an alley behind yet another row of abandoned and boarded shops Sam felt a chill as he sensed the eerie quiet in the narrow space, not a person to be seen even in the darkest corner. He decided to push on but was stopped in his tracks by two men who stepped from the shadows and stood menacingly flashing their blades and blocking his path. Their ragged clothing was in much better condition than that of the other street people Sam had encountered and their muscular builds suggested they ate better too.
‘This is our patch, if you want to pass there’s a toll to pay,’ said the biggest of the two. ‘That backpack will cover the charge but we aren’t letting you go without a warning for trespassing.’
Sam looked back and saw that the way behind was clear but he would never outrun them while carrying his heavy rucksack. As Molly bared her teeth in a low deep growl Sam reached down and grabbed her collar leading her as he slowly stepped backward keeping his eyes fixed on the two men.
‘We don’t want any bother fellas, just passing through. Didn’t realise this was your turf, no disrespect intended.’
‘I’m afraid it’s too late for that my friend,’ sneered the mouthy one as he ran at Sam with his right arm held high, holding his knife ready to stab down hard as soon as he was in range.
Sam raised his arm to try to ward off the attack and in doing so his grip on Molly’s collar loosened allowing her to break free. She ran forward snarling, closing the gap between Sam and the attacker then sunk her teeth deep into the calf of the man before he could react. With the shock and pain he hit the ground hard and dropped his knife which thankfully fell away from his reach. Molly didn’t let go and shook and growled angrily keeping her jaws clamped firmly to the bone as the man began raining blows on the wild animal ripping at his flesh. Within seconds Sam reached her trying to stop the punches from hitting his dearest friend but before he could do much to help the second man had rushed in. The force of his momentum pushed Sam back hard so he stumbled and was brought down on his back by the weight of his pack. Still bound by the shoulder straps he struggled like an upturned turtle but just in time managed to roll onto his side and pulled h
is knees and elbows together to protect the front of his body from a vicious kick aimed for his ribs.
Another couple of kicks came; one caught Sam in the shins, the other he blocked with the fleshy underside of his forearms causing him pain but no serious injury as his vital organs were at least protected. Sam kicked out from his defensive position on the ground aiming for the groin but the backpack limited his movements and he managed only a heavy kick to the front of the man’s thigh.
That their victim fought back frustrated the second attacker who still brandished his knife so he tried to run around behind Sam where he might get a better target for his blade. With all this strength Sam pushed and rolled his body up and over the backpack and onto his other side and in a single fluid movement he reached behind his head, pulled his baseball bat from the exposed side of his pack and swung it hard into the brute’s knee smashing the kneecap and bringing the assailant to the ground where he lay clutching his leg and howling with pain.
Sam unclipped the straps and freed himself from his pack and scrambling to his feet he heard a whimper from Molly then saw her being thrown back against the alley wall. The first man had kicked with his with his free leg and ignoring the pain from the severe bite wound and the blood soaking through his jeans lunged toward Molly with his knife thrust in front of him intent on gutting the beast who had savaged his leg.
‘No!’ Sam shouted leaping forward to defend Molly and with a mighty swing brought the heavy club down hard on the man’s outstretched arm folding bone and muscle around the rounded sides of bat. With one more fast swing of his weapon Sam struck the back of the man’s knee even as he was still moving forward buckling the leg and crumpling the attacker in a heap against the wall where Molly had been lying only seconds before.
‘Molly, here girl, are you okay? Oh Molly, you’re so brave, thanks girl,’ said Sam fussing over his furry companion and quickly checking her for injuries. She was back on feet and licking Sam’s face more concerned for her master than her own wellbeing. She whined a little when he gently pressed some bruises to her ribs but she appeared to be none the worse for wear. Molly turned and barked ferociously at both downed men in turn as Sam heaved his pack onto his back and then pressed the heavy end of the bat under the chin of the man who had kicked Molly.
‘Okay you pricks, I’d say I’ve paid my toll so we’ll be on our way.’
Leaving the two men groaning in pain Sam knew with a busted knee and a heavily bleeding leg between them neither man would be following.
‘Come on Molly, let’s go. Maybe we’ll just have to risk the main streets from here to the gates eh?’
The pair made their way along the remainder of the alley and back out onto the relative safety of the street to continue the trek to the city perimeter.
‘I can’t take much more of this Molly!’ Sam said as the pain from this latest beating throbbed in his arms and legs but he used it to harden his resolve and determination to leave the damned city far behind.
Pushing on through the quiet streets the first stirrings of daytime life were beginning to show as morning approached. At intervals between the boarded and burnt out shop fronts sellers were setting up their temporary stalls keen to tempt the first commuters. Sam ignored the smells of foul meat being roasted over homemade charcoal braziers and passed by the newsstands selling the latest printed propaganda but the rumble in his belly meant he couldn’t resist stopping to treat himself one last time to a warm bacon and cheese bagel from a little barrow stall.
The stall owner was a small downtrodden man with only a thin threadbare overcoat to protect him from the cold but to Sam he seemed surprisingly cheerful. Despite Sam’s scruffy appearance this little man just nodded and smiled as he wrapped the warm bread in a crumpled napkin and although neither spoke except for the minimum exchange required for their transaction Sam felt heartened to make a connection with someone whose spirit apparently hadn’t been crushed by the weight of life in the city.
As he walked and chewed on his bagel Sam could see a short distance ahead the tops of the iron bridge leading west out of the city which spanned a stretch of water providing a shortcut across the peninsula. The early morning sun rising behind him was illuminating the top of the massive arches coating the flaking white paintwork with a golden light like a beacon calling him onward to freedom.
Before he could cross the bridge he had to walk several more blocks and over a few hundred metres of open ground toward the city perimeter wall. The wall was constructed of massive one metre tall and two metre wide reinforced concrete sections stacked six blocks high topped with razor wire. It was a hastily built barricade erected around the entire city when the Elites took power and was intended only as a temporary measure to allow them to contain and control the city population in a time of chaos. Combined with Enforcer patrols and checkpoints at each exit on the four main compass points the barrier had proved to be effective in keeping the poorer Dregs residents in line and reinforcing a feeling of security and superiority for the Elites so it had remained in place. For one side of the city population the wall was a prison, for the other it served as a defence but most believed they were at least protected from the terrors they had been told existed beyond the wall.
Sam expected little civilian traffic and hoped at this early hour there would be mostly a few supply trucks coming and going and therefore fewer Enforcers stationed to the west gate. He could see the heavy steel gates were open allowing trucks to pass once the long red and white stripped pole was lifted after a full vehicle search had been conducted. However over the years any Enforcers unlucky enough to pull gate duty had become complacent and if they recognised the regular supply drivers they often just let them pass without question. Travellers on foot were uncommon because according to stories regularly circulated by Central Media the roads beyond the city were extremely dangerous due to regular killings and kidnappings by outlaws.
As he approached the gates Sam reached into the inside pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a folded official travel permit issued the last time he had been hiking in the woods far beyond the wall. The permit was a few years old and he knew that in light of the increased patrols to apply for a travel permit would have drawn Central Control’s spotlight on him and this would surely result in his own arrest and interrogation. Hoping against hope that flashing the permit to an undoubtedly bored guard would allow him and Molly to pass through the gate unhindered Sam held the document up to the thick glass of the guard hut for a brief moment and smiled then nodded to the guard as he kept moving forward and folded the paper back into his pocket.
‘Confidence is the key, just keep walking. Nothing unusual here, just me and my dog heading out of the city for a few days, all above board,’ Sam thought to himself praying he’d make it through. As he had hoped the guard on duty was half asleep at this early hour and had his feet up on the desk, uniform jacket half unbuttoned and showed no interest in Sam once he flashed the officially stamped document. Counting his blessings Sam guided Molly through the gate as they shuffled through the creaky, barely used pedestrian turn-style. Just a few steps from freedom and Sam walked straight into a young Enforcer recruit as the junior guard walked from behind the outer wall zipping up his fly after relieving his bladder.
The young guard was obviously surprised and embarrassed and to save face spoke in a sharp official tone. ‘Travel papers please.’
Sam’s heart froze and his stomach suddenly felt as though it held a lead weight. ‘Oh, I ah, I’ve shown my papers to the other guard, thanks,’ he said and walked on toward the bridge.
‘Your travel papers, now,’ continued the young guard, irritated at this disregard for his authority.
Sam knew he had no choice and could only hope on feigning ignorance. He presented the aged permit to the guard who took an agonisingly long time to read it even though it was obviously out of date and glanced from the paper to Sam and back several times insinuating more of an insult each time he read it. Sam’s expression betra
yed that the feeble attempt to intimidate him just wasn’t working.
The young Enforcer was visibly angry now. ‘You do realise travelling without a permit is illegal? I’ll have to write this up and call for a wagon to take you in and unless you can show me your animal permit the dog will have to be terminated.’
‘Hey, no way, you’re not taking Molly anywhere, she’s not done anything wrong. I don’t care what you do with me but leave her alone.’
‘No one’s going to kill your dog son,’ said a weary voice from behind Sam and he noticed the young recruit straighten bolt upright.
‘Sir, this man has no animal permit and his travel permit has expired almost four years, sir,’ blurted the junior guard.
‘Is this true?’ asked the senior Enforcer as he walked from the guard hut with his uniform still unbuttoned and rubbing his face to rouse himself from his doze.
Sam turned to face him and although in shadow Sam could see the tired expression on the older guard’s face. He seemed like a man who had seen it all and more than once too often.
‘Look, there’s been some misunderstanding here and me and your colleague have got off on the wrong foot,’ said Sam speaking quickly to seize the opportunity. ‘I seem to have an old travel permit in my jacket and must have left the new one at home. Of course I have an animal permit for Molly as well but it’s early and I guess I left a few things in my usual coat. I’ll only be gone overnight and its quiet here, no one would know, maybe you can let us go on eh?’
