by Adam Matlow
Kali drove the truck for several more minutes, before stopping in a deserted alleyway. The occasional vehicle rolled past the top of the alley, but nobody had yet paid them any attention.
She smacked the steering wheel with her hands and let out a frustrated grunt.
“It’s too late to back out,” she said, turning to look at the two passengers still concealed in the rear. “We’ll just have to wing it.”
When the coast was clear, Kali jumped from the cab and climbed into the back with the others. They all changed into the uniforms provided, throwing the military style jackets over their existing clothes.
“How are we going to get inside the complex now?” said Marcus. “If the memory we saw was accurate then almost every door is access controlled. We won’t make it ten feet before we’re shot. Or worse, arrested.”
A Legion patrol truck drove past the top of the alley and stopped. Several soldiers jumped out. Marcus felt his heart pound in his chest as he reached for his weapon. The soldiers turned and crossed the street and stormed a building on the opposite side of the road.
Marcus relaxed, and let out a sigh of relief. Kali scanned the area for any other signs they had been spotted.
“That was a close one,” grunted Marcus.
“The longer we’re here, the more chance we have of being spotted,” said Kali. “We should go somewhere with more people.”
“Whoa? More people?” said Marcus. “I thought we were trying to stay under the radar?”
“Three guards hanging around an empty alleyway will draw suspicion, but three guards on patrol through the streets though is another matter. Just don’t do anything to draw attention to yourselves.” Kali zipped up her jacket. “We’re just your everyday normal Legion soldiers out on patrol. But I can tell you now, without those id’s we’ll be outed by the first grunt we come across.”
“I have an idea,” said Vana. She reached into her pocket and produced the circular disk housing Jax. She held him gently in the palm of her hand and a small face appeared, floating in the air a few inches above. “Davon must have some sort of security system inside his headquarters. Most likely computer controlled. If we can get close enough, it may be possible for Jax to scan the networks for a vulnerability.”
“Scanning…” said Jax, on cue. The image of the face was replaced by waveforms, dancing and changing size and shape. After a few seconds of this the waveforms faded, and his face returned. “I believe I have located a weakness in the security system, but the signal is too weak from this distance to be able to penetrate their network. We will need to be much closer to the source for me to stand any chance of success.”
“How close,” asked Marcus, looking over his shoulder. The Legion soldiers on the opposite side of the road were leaving the building and were milling around their vehicle.
The face of Jax was once again replaced, this time with a top-down rendering of the area they were in. Four small yellow dots, scattered around various locations near the complex were pulsating softly. A small green dot indicated their current position.
“Any of the highlighted locations should be acceptable,” stated Jax.
Kali studied the tiny floating map and immediately discounted two of the four locations as being too close to Legion patrols. Of the remaining two they opted to head for the closest one. A building overlooking the complex a few hundred meters away.
Kali opened a container in the back of the truck, revealing several rifles and other weapons. The same ones carried by the Legion soldiers.
“Grab a rifle and a side-arm,” said Kali pointing to the open box. “Legion soldiers are never unarmed. You’ll find extra ammo at the bottom.”
Marcus slung a weapon over his shoulder and shoved several clips of ammunition into his pockets. He took a pistol and a spare clip, then helped Vana, who looked wholly uncomfortable handling the weapons.
Kali sighed as she watched her struggle.
“You’ll give us away if you keep acting like that,” she said.
Vana gave Kali a weak smile. “I’m just not used to handling weapons that are so --primitive.”
“Well I’m sorry, but this is the best we have. Just hang it from your shoulder and try not to aim it anywhere near me.”
The last part of their disguise was riot helmets, which obscured most of the face when worn. Kali didn’t bother but made Marcus and Vana wear one. They were after all on Davon’s most wanted list.
Kali emptied a few more items from the truck into a small backpack which she threw over one shoulder.
“What have you got in there?” asked Marcus, eyeing the bag.
“Just a few things we may need. Ammo, a few grenades, a block of C4. You know the usual.”
“C4?” asked Vana.
“Explosive,” clarified Marcus. “Very powerful explosive.”
“And perfectly safe. It only becomes dangerous when you attach the detonator.”
“You think we’ll need all that?”
“I’m not walking in there without some serious firepower to back us up,” replied Kali.
From the last container she produced three tiny earpieces. She pushed one into her own ear and gave one each to Marcus and Vana, who did the same.
“Testing--” said Kali. “Can everyone hear me okay?”
Her voice came through loud and clear, and Marcus gave Kali a thumbs up. Vana fiddled with hers until she was comfortable with it and nodded.
“They’re voice activated,” said Kali. “Just speak normally and we’ll all be able to hear one another.”
And with that, they set off towards their target building.
◆◆◆
They heard the noise of the crowd before they saw it. A group of approximately twenty men and women gathered around the entrance to a small concrete building, barely fifty meters from Davon’s main complex. Signs plastered over doors and walls indicated this was a ration centre.
The crowd pushed and shoved each other as they fought to get to the head of the line. In the doorway, a Legion soldier handed out small packets wrapped in brown paper, which were quickly snatched from his grasp by a sea of greedy hands. After a few seconds the packets stopped coming, and the door was slammed shut.
Those in the rabble without a packet screamed and shouted, while others kicked at the closed door and pulled at the bars covering the windows; the glass long since broken and removed.
“Is this the place?” asked Marcus, keeping his distance from the angry mob.
Vana turned to conceal Jax while she consulted him, before giving Marcus a nod.
“Jax has made a connection. He’s looking for a way in.”
“How long is this going to take?”
“I have no idea,” said Vana. “It depends on what level of security Davon has in place.”
Marcus looked around at the imposing concrete walls towering above him. The razor wire, guards and guns. “I’m going to say: a lot of security.”
The jeering from the angry crowd intensified, and the door buckled under the sustained attack.
“I didn’t think things had gotten so bad up here they needed to resort to rationing,” said Marcus, arching his back and peering over at the angry mob.
“They’ve got plenty of food,” spat Kali. “It’s just another way for Davon to maintain control. Do as the Legion say or starve on the streets.”
The growl of an engine attracted the attention of some of the crowd, who booed and chanted as Legion re-enforcements arrived, springing from the back of a large flatbed truck. The crowd thinned, as people darted away, their confidence failing them in the face of their opposition. Only a handful of the most ardent protesters remained, who found themselves trapped between the building and the guards.
“I think we should get out of here,” said Marcus. “I don’t like where this is heading.”
“Hey, you,” shouted one of the Legion soldiers. “Don’t just stand around, move these people out of here.”
Marcus looked around for a fe
w seconds before realising that the command was meant for him. He pointed to his own chest and cocked his head, and looked wide-eyed across at the soldier barking orders.
“Yes you,” the soldier shouted back. “You deaf or what? I said get these people out of here now, unless you’d rather join them in the stockade?”
Marcus nodded quickly and whispered from the side of his mouth to Kali and Vana. “We should do as he says. I think he’s getting suspicious.”
“You’d better stay here Vana,” said Kali. “Try to look busy or something.”
Marcus and Kali headed for the few remaining protesters, who were no longer trying to break into the building, but instead were constructing a makeshift barricade from anything they could get their hands on. A few of them had armed themselves with bricks and planks of wood, turning them over in their hands menacingly.
The other Legion soldiers kept their distance, forming a perimeter around the building, but not advancing.
“What are they playing at?” Marcus said under his breath to Kali as they approached the crowd.
“Probably leaving the dirty work to us,” she replied.
Marcus stopped, his eyes scanned the people in front of him. They looked desperate, their clothes muddied and torn. They jostled for position, their eyes wide in anticipation of what was to come.
Marcus resisted the urge to hold his rifle, choosing instead to let it dangle by the strap to his side. He raised his hands to try and subdue some of the noise.
“Alright everyone,” said Marcus loudly. “I think it’s time for you all to move on. You’ve had your fun - you should leave while you still have the chance.”
A man with a wiry black beard and unkempt hair pushed his way through to the front of the crowd.
“That sounds like a threat to me,” he said wrapping a metal bar in his hands. “See you’ve brought your friends along.” He jabbed the bar in the direction of the guards by the truck. “What’s the matter? Too afraid to face us without your buddies to back you up eh? Cowards the lot of you. Selling out for a hot meal and a shower.”
“Wait, they have showers?” exclaimed Marcus.
Kali jabbed him in the ribs, her eyes darted to the man in front of them. “Not the time Marcus,” she hissed.
“Look guys,” said Marcus addressing the crowd. “You need to get out of here now. You’re not doing yourselves any favours by staying here. See those guys over there?” He tipped his head towards the soldiers. “They’re getting pretty impatient. I can’t predict what will happen if you don’t all leave now.”
“We’re not going anywhere ‘til we get our rations. They’ve worked us to the bone shifting materials around all over the place, and now they refuse to give us what we’ve earned.”
“Guy’s seriously now, get going or else we’re all gonna be in trouble,” Hissed Marcus.
He flinched as the metal bar swung past his face, barely missing him. The man didn’t get a second chance and was sent crumpling to the ground by a swift butt to the chest from Kali’s rifle. He dropped the bar and Marcus kicked it away.
Kali kept her weapon trained on the downed man, while Marcus readied his, pointing it at the crowd, who looked a bit less confident after their leader had been so swiftly dealt with. They backed away, slowly at first, before dropping whatever weapons they held and running. After seeing the crowd had dispersed the Legion soldiers climbed back into their truck to leave. Their commander hadn’t moved though. He pointed at the man, gasping for breath on the ground.
“You know what we do to people who don’t follow the rules,” he said.
“I’ll take care of it,” Kali shouted back. She grabbed the man by his shirt collar and dragged him towards the roadside, along which were parked several vehicles. Marcus started to follow her, but Kali shook her head and glared at the spot he was standing on. She wanted him to stay put.
She reached the vehicles and threw the man behind them, out of sight of both Marcus and the Legion commander.
Two shots rang out and Kali returned to view, her face expressionless. The commander laughed, and shouted over, “Leave the body somewhere where it’ll be found.”
Kali nodded silently. The commander climbed back into the truck with the rest of his men and departed in a haze of dust.
Marcus stood motionless, his eyes wide with shock. As she drew closer to him he grabbed her by the wrists. “What the hell was that Kali?”
“I did what needed to be done - to maintain our cover.”
“But--”
“Let’s just get out of here,” said Kali and beckoned over Vana, who approached cautiously. “Did you get what you needed?”
“There’s an old goods entrance that’s no longer in use. It’s still guarded, but the security is lighter. Jax can disable the locks long enough for us to get inside and scramble their systems to cover our tracks - for a while at least.”
“Lead the way,” said Kali.
Marcus looked back towards the line of vehicles. “What about him?”
“There’s no time. Let’s just get out of here.”
◆◆◆
They reached the entrance to the compound a short while later, which was little more than a back door. There were no guards present - instead, a camera mounted above the door kept vigil. Marcus hung back, staying out of the camera’s field of vision as it panned smoothly back and forth across the entranceway.
“Time to do your thing,” whispered Marcus to Vana.
There was a click through Marcus’s earpiece, and he was surprised to hear the voice of Jax.
“I have integrated with your comms,” said Jax. “I am establishing a connection to the base mainframe -- please standby.”
A few moments later there was the soft hum of something powering down. The security camera above the door stopped moving, and there was a soft click as the electronic locks holding the door closed were released.
“I have placed the cameras on a timed loop,” said Jax, through the earpieces. “It is safe to proceed.”
Gingerly, the trio headed for the door and pushed it open. Inside was a dim corridor which stretched off into the interior and was thankfully deserted. Lights above them came on as they shuffled their way through, triggered by motion sensors embedded into the walls every few meters.
“Do we even know where we’re going?” whispered Marcus as they slowly made their way deeper into the building. “I don’t recognise this place from the memory earlier.”
“Neither do I,” said Vana.
“Take this corridor for another twenty-three meters and enter the room on your right,” said Jax into Marcus’s ear. “This will take you to the main floor, and have access to more secure areas within the facility.”
“Er-- thanks,” stammered Marcus. He felt strange talking to a machine. Especially one much smarter than him.
“What are the odds we’ll make it out of here alive?” muttered Kali to herself, as she pressed forward, her weapon raised scanning every inch of the corridor.
“I could tell you exactly,” said Jax. “But I don’t think you will like the answer.”
“You’re right, I don’t want to know.”
“If it’s in double digits I’d be surprised,” said Marcus under his breath. Jax remained silent - and Marcus couldn’t decide if it was a good or bad sign.
They reached the door that Jax had mentioned, and after confirming via his link to the security system that the coast was clear, they went through.
Marcus recognised their location at once, as images from the memory they had experienced flashed through his mind. People milled around, some wearing suits, others wearing Legion uniforms. Tall trees in large pots lined the hallways, and offices on either side bustled with people. It all looked quite corporate and not at all like life on the outside. He wondered if the people in here ever left, or if they worked, lived and slept behind the safety of these walls.
With uniforms of their own, the three blended in quite well amongst the people here. Marcus
glanced around nervously, then pulled the others into a nearby alcove where they were less likely to be seen. He closed his eyes and mentally retraced the steps that he had seen Amara take, and got a sense of where they needed to go.
“What are you doing?” said Kali.
“I’m trying to remember where to go. I recognise this place from Amara’s memories. It’s just a bit… strange, seeing it for real.”
“Well hurry up about it. Sooner or later someone’s gonna wonder what us three are up to back here--”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Marcus. “I’m great at thinking on my feet. If someone comes, let me do the talking okay?”
“Whatever you say,” muttered Kali.
Marcus turned to Vana, who was peering out from behind the leaves of a potted plant at the people passing by.
“I think I remember where Davon’s office is, can Jax confirm it?”
Jax replied over the comms, “The security cameras on that level are controlled by a different system to which I do not have access. I can assist you in reaching that level, but after that, you will have to improvise.”
“Improvise?” scoffed Kali. “This just keeps getting better and better.”
There was a lull in activity in the corridor and Marcus put his hand on Vana’s shoulder. “Let’s go,” he whispered. “Follow me.”
They shuffled down the corridor, trying to avoid bumping into anyone as they made their way towards a door at the far end. When they were near the end, an office door burst open ahead of them, and several people carrying files poured out. Marcus’s heart thumped, and he steadied his breathing, trying not to look out of place. The office workers in the corridor saw the group walking towards them, and to Marcus’s surprise they stopped, parted themselves and looked at their feet. Marcus picked up the pace and hurried through. As they passed the office workers stepped back into the corridor and continued as if nothing had happened.
“That was strange,” said Marcus.
