by Ryan Gawley
‘Sir you can’t allow them to pass, I was just about to call Command for a wagon,’ complained the recruit keen to prove himself and follow procedure to the letter.
‘Shut your yap,’ snapped the older guard grumpily. ‘You’re fresh from the training grounds and you’ve no idea do you? This is an easy number, I like it, it’s quiet out by the gate, no trouble and I won’t have you stirring up a hornet’s nest over a tramp and his dog. Geez the paperwork alone would have me buried for half a shift.’
‘Yes sir, very good sir,’ the younger guard replied looking like he’d taken a physical blow, the wind knocked out of his sails he was crestfallen much to Sam’s amusement despite his unease at his own predicament.
‘Now,’ continued the senior guard turning his attention back to Sam, ‘I’m certainly not letting you through the gate without a permit but I’m not calling out a bloody wagon either. Get your arse out of here and if you get picked up on the way back into the city don’t breathe a word about speaking with me or I’ll be sure both you and your dog see an interrogation chamber. Now beat it.’ He turned and walked back into the guard hut to continue his snooze leaving the sneering recruit the pleasure of escorting Sam and Molly back through the turn-style toward the city.
‘And don’t let me see you again either,’ shouted the young Enforcer as Sam squinted in the low morning sun before being engulfed by the long shadows of the city he couldn’t now leave.
‘What an arsehole!’ Sam said to Molly and she gave a little bark as if to agree.
CHAPTER 8
As Sam retreated from his encounter with the perimeter guards he was completely thrown but not for a second did he consider giving up.
‘What do we do now Molly?’ he asked his loyal companion. ‘There’s no way we’ll make it through the city to another gate and they’ll be guarded just the same anyway.’
Tail wagging and tongue panting Molly just looked up at Sam with her big brown trusting eyes as if to reassure him that it would all be okay and he knew no matter the outcome she’d never leave him.
‘You know Molly.....,’ he began but his thoughts were interrupted as in the corner of his eye he caught sight of something that gave him an idea and renewed his hope.
Roughly two hundred metres to his right in the open border of waste ground between the city buildings and perimeter wall, he saw a depression where there appeared to be a bank sloping down on either side to a narrow channel. From the distance and angle he couldn’t be sure but it looked like an exposed section of a culvert draining out from the city and under the main wall to the river beyond. Aware that the overzealous recruit would probably be watching him all the way back to the city’s edge Sam casually glanced behind him to his right and with the morning sun shining on the east facing inside of the wall he traced the channel to where it met the tall concrete barricade and sure enough there did appear to be some irregularity to the construction where the pipe outlet would have to exit.
‘That’s how we’ll get out Molly,’ Sam said with renewed determination as he walked further into the cold morning shadows of the city. Once back in the city streets he walked along a block of abandoned buildings then turned right and then right again and walked to the end of the street so he looked back out to the west across the waste ground toward the city perimeter wall but now further away from the gate checkpoint and almost opposite to where the culvert exited under the wall. Taking off his pack Sam opened a front pouch and pulled out a canteen and a small metal dish then poured out some fresh water for Molly before taking a few sips himself. He then unbuttoned another flap on the outside of the pack and took out a small pair of field binoculars his grandfather had given him on one of their many hikes in the north of the country during his childhood.
Sam looked around to be sure he was alone and with his side of the street quiet and still in shadow he took the opportunity to use this vantage point to check the route he planned to take. He estimated at about twenty metres from the wall the ground receded and a narrow channel did indeed open up to expose a large pipe which had been stained a burnt orange colour from years of exposure and rust. The pipe didn’t run under the wall after all but ended roughly five metres short then whatever waste ran from it flowed across open ground and through a metal grille out to the river beyond. A longshot for sure but Sam knew he’d have to take it if he was to meet with Arthur and Alice and then get to Lucy.
He put away Molly’s dish but kept out the binoculars then strapped on his pack in readiness to run when the chance presented itself. He knew from his time working in the food plant that supply trucks arrived every morning delivering raw materials from the prison farms in the south. Since the south and east gates led into Elite sectors of the city all shipments arrived via the west gate so it would be just a matter of time until a supply truck appeared at the gate providing the distraction he needed.
The shadows maintained the biting morning chill and despite sitting now in a darkened doorway to ease the weight on his back the straps of his pack made Sam’s shoulders ache. To make matters worse, as the sun continued to rise he would soon be in direct sunlight making him more conspicuous. He was thankful that with his cut face, old green army jacket worn over his biker jacket and dirty ripped jeans he looked typical of many street dwellers in the Dreg sector so most passers-by preferred to avoid making eye contact.
While he waited and watched Molly lay and dozed beside him. Sam found the waiting worse than anything as it led to nervousness but thinking of Lucy kept him focused. He realised he looked forward to seeing Arthur and Alice again too which was unusual for him since he usually preferred to keep his own company.
An Enforcer patrol wagon shook Sam from his thoughts as it rumbled past mid-way between the outer city edge and the perimeter wall following a dirt track worn smooth and packed hard by countless circling patrols. It was the first he had noticed go by during the time he’d been watching the gate and confirmed his guess that the early morning rush hour would be a busier time for the Enforcers in the city centre districts meaning patrol numbers on the perimeter were reduced.
After a couple of hours as he stood for the third time to stretch his legs and move around a little to keep warm Sam noticed some movement at the distant gate. He quickly raised the binoculars and watched discreetly as the younger guard who he had nearly run into earlier demanded that the driver of an incoming supply truck get out of the cab and submit to a vehicle search. The driver appeared annoyed about the search and from the cab of the truck gestured wildly to the guard.
‘I wouldn’t piss him off if I were you,’ Sam said as he watched the young Enforcer open the driver’s door to begin his search, starting with the driver.
‘The old guy must still be sleeping with his feet up, come on this is our chance,’ Sam whispered, quickly getting to his feet and grabbing Molly’s lead.
Just about to make a run for the wall Sam heard the distinct rumble of a big V8 engine and looked in time to see another Enforcer patrol wagon approaching. He had no choice but to pull back into the doorway and wait, trapped between the slowly cruising vehicle to his left and the gate guards on the right. As the seconds ticked by and with heart pounding in his chest Sam felt as if his chance was slipping away from him yet he could nothing except endure the agonising wait.
‘That Enforcer must moonlight as a hearse driver in his spare time,’ Sam said to Molly as he watched the heavily armoured patrol wagon cruise on past the gate and eventually disappear around a curve and out of sight. Sam could see the supply truck was still stopped at the gate and a quick check through the binoculars revealed that the senior guard had become involved and was speaking with the driver while the younger officer looked on. The driver had his wallet out now and appeared to be making his feelings known about being robbed blind by the guards.
‘That old bastard has quite a racket going on at the gate, no wonder he doesn’t want to attract attention to himself,’ Sam thought. ‘Come on Molly, it’s now or never,’ and taking a d
eep breath he ran as fast as he could, crouching low, keeping a tight grip on Molly’s lead and a sharp eye on the gate.
Halfway across the open stretch of waste ground he heard the supply truck’s door slam shut and the engine start. Glancing at the guards he saw the older of the pair turn toward him as he walked back to his station but the guard’s attention was on the handful of bank notes he had just fleeced from the unfortunate driver. The truck belched black smoke as it pulled away from the gate and the younger guard waved to clear the air in front of his face as the large vehicle lurched off toward the city streets. Sure he’d be spotted any second Sam broke into a flat-out run with Molly pulling on her lead alongside. He could see the massive exposed waste pipe now and where the ground sloped down around its open end. Letting go of Molly’s lead and with all the strength he had remaining Sam dived for cover into the ditch where he crawled on his belly the last few metres until he could be sure he was lying low enough to not be visible from ground level. He quickly released the straps on his pack and grabbing hold of Molly by her collar to keep her head down he scrambled up the side of the gulley peeking through the wild grass at its edge to check if their frantic dash had been noticed.
As the young guard shouted a smug remark after the truck driver some movement to his right had caught his eye. He looked around sharply and thought he saw the tail end of a golden haired dog run into the culvert.
‘Probably chasing rats; actually those bloody rats are probably hunting the dog,’ he thought to himself and walked back to the guard hut, interested now in learning from his older partner all about life on the gate since he knew there was a cash incentive for the otherwise monotonous post.
Sam breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
‘Well done girl, so far so good but we’re not out of here yet,’ and he slid back into the deep ditch careful to guide Molly gently to its base.
Sam could stand without being seen from above and if he hunched over slightly he could have walked into the pipe’s massive circular opening. Thankfully the rain over the previous few days hadn’t been heavy and the river level was relatively low meaning the noxious liquid streaming from the pipe was just ankle deep and Sam’s waterproof army boots kept his feet dry although not knowing its origin he didn’t fancy splashing about in the stinking foaming soup for too long.
Examining the channel through which the effluent from the pipe oozed Sam estimated it to be slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe itself. He guessed the original idea may have been to extend the pipe through the wall out to the river beyond but the work must never have been completed so instead a heavy cast-iron grille had been hastily placed over the opening to secure the gap under the wall. The grille itself was not one single piece but comprised of two parts hinged like a gate at their outer sides and secured in the centre by a large corroded padlock.
From his pack Sam retrieved the small twelve-inch crowbar he had taken from his toolbox before leaving his apartment. He thought it would prove useful to scavenge supplies from some of the boarded up shops and abandoned buildings on his journey through the city and was glad for his foresight now. The padlock securing the centre parts of the grille appeared to be thoroughly rusted and so he pushed the straight end of the bar through the shackle and levering it against a section of ironwork pulled down on it with his full weight. The short crowbar had no effect on the sturdy lock and despite a few attempts the lock simply refused to be defeated. Sam thought perhaps he could bash the lock with a large rock but couldn’t risk the noise.
Molly sat nearby on the dry bank watching Sam with interest and when he turned and threw the crowbar across the gulley in frustration she ran after and brought it right back to him like she was playing fetch.
‘You’re not letting me give up eh?’ said Sam gently taking the bar from the dog’s slobbering jowls and ruffling her ears the way she liked.
He took a thin stick of dried meat from his jacket, broke it in half and gave a piece to Molly who took it carefully then chewed hungrily on the treat.
‘Good girl Molly, I’ll think of something,’ he said as he took a bite from the other half of the meat and stared at the seemingly impassable obstacle.
As he ate Sam studied the mounting points of the huge grille and observed how they were made of thick metal spikes sunk into the concrete supports. The spikes were formed into loops at the end through which pins in the grille were inserted to act as hinges allowing it to pivot open if required. Below the high tide mark the lower mounts had become heavily corroded over years of submersion in river water and toxic run-off from the waste pipe.
‘Never give up, right Molly?’
He checked both lower mounts and seeing the right-hand side appeared to have more damage set about working the flat tip of the crowbar into the small gap in the hinge. There was just room for him to get enough of the tool against the iron to gain leverage but it was all he needed. Tugging the bar at first seemed to accomplish nothing but in desperation and muttering a few choice curses Sam kept working, pushing and pulling the forged steel crowbar, working back and forth applying force to the corroded metalwork.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly the aged hinge succumbed to Sam’s efforts and soon the rusted surface of the hinge released flakes of rotting metal and where it entered the concrete support post tiny crumbs of debris rolled away. Feeling something loosen he changed tactic and using the curved end of the bar for greater leverage attacked the spike where it was anchored to the concrete post. With the crowbar wedged now between the grille mount and the support post Sam sat down and used both feet to push against the free end of the bar using the strength of his legs to lever it then suddenly with a sharp snap the hinge lost the battle and half the mounting pulled free from the wall leaving the right side of the heavy grille held by only the top mount and the padlock in the middle. This had the effect of causing the bottom corner of the grille to twist slightly outward leaving a gap underneath.
He almost shouted out with joy at this small but hard won victory and then realised he hadn’t been checking the guards. He cautiously climbed the side of the gulley and checked around him. His timing was such that he saw the young recruit wave to a passing patrol wagon then turn back to the guard hut.
Sliding back into the gulley Sam took off his army coat and leather jacket then his jumper and strapping them on top of his backpack pushed the bundle through the narrow opening he had created at the bottom of the grille and encouraged Molly to go through next. Finally he lay down in the filthy water and crawled through then pulled the grille back into position as best he could so it would appear upon casual inspection to be undamaged.
He held Molly’s lead so she wouldn’t run off to play in the river and worked his pack onto his back before carefully edging his way to the outer side of the wall. Cautiously peeking out from the open face of the drainage tunnel Sam could see no traffic or sign of the guards at the west gate and bridge to his right so keeping close to the wall he tracked left for several hundred metres following the river upstream until he came to a section where the stony river bed was visible beneath shallower water. He cut a strong branch from a nearby tree and stripped the small twigs and leaves from it so he could check the water’s depth as he forged the river and keep his balance against the current.
Satisfied they were far enough from the city gate he unclipped the straps on his pack so he could quickly free himself if he fell while crossing and then holding tight to Molly’s lead ventured out into the cold water. Although only waist high at its deepest and with a gentle current Sam still fought in places to keep from stumbling on the slippery rocks underfoot. He stayed down river of Molly so he could be sure she wouldn’t be carried away although he needn’t have worried as she could swim much better than him and his companion was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Safely to the opposite bank Sam helped Molly up out of the river where she shook her thick coat showering him with freezing water. He dragged himself onto the shore then leading Molly ran to the cove
r of some thick bushes close by. He was shivering with cold and exhausted but he was happy. He had made it out of the city at last and knew he deserved to feel proud of that. Looking through the bushes and back across the river he knew couldn’t stop here and had to press on but he took a few minutes to pour the water from his boots and change his wet jeans and underwear for spare dry clothes from the plastic wrapped bundle in his pack.
An old pair of olive green combat trousers and some dry wool socks were a welcome reward for his efforts and a square of chocolate gave him some energy and boosted his spirits.
‘We’re out Molly, we made it this far. Let’s get to the forest now and wait for our new friends eh? Good girl.’
And with that Sam lifted his pack once more and hurried away overland, hiking through lush green fields toward the forest that lay several miles ahead, with each step leaving the doomed city farther behind.
CHAPTER 9
‘It’s time my love,’ whispered Arthur to his wife as the morning sun filtered through a crack in the curtains. ‘We need to get a move on if we’re going to meet Sam.’
Alice stretched, kissed Arthur and in spite of her age sprang from their bed like an excited child on Christmas morning.
‘Let’s do it,’ she said. ‘I’ll get breakfast started if you gather my bags to the hall. Adventure awaits!’
Arthur knew she was putting a brave face on things, knew it would be difficult for her to abandon their home of so many years but knew also that for ages she had longed to leave. Mixed feelings but as always Alice chose to be positive and to start the day with a smile. She amazed him and gave him courage and hope that he would have lost long ago if not for her.
