by G F Cusack
“It looks like you caught him just in time,” Frank said.
“One of the last things he said was that if he didn’t report back to the Company, others would be sent to mark the targets.”
“One of the last things he said?” Pepper repeated accusingly. “Are you convinced of the threat now?”
“I’m not totally convinced but I’m willing to accept we need to take some precautions.”
Pepper took another gulp and grimaced as it burned the back of his throat, making him cough a little. He had hidden the effects of the first taste but this stuff was lethal.
Frank smiled and seemed to even laugh a little. “Careful, this stuff is a bit of an acquired taste. Luckily we make it on site and it helps that we get the raw materials from the Farm, so it’s plentiful.”
Once he’d cleared his throat, Pepper became more business-like. “So you want to wait until you’ve got more information. That’s fine in principle but in reality it sounds like you haven’t got the time to wait. Currently the girl is communicating with the boy in the Sanctuary. He says we have one, maybe two days at most before the assault. Unless you've got some magic plan that I don’t know about, the only way I see you surviving an aerial assault is to evacuate this place. Do you have an evacuation plan? And if you do, how fast can you deploy it?”
Frank hesitated, cautious not to give too much information away. Although Pepper was supposedly on the same side, he didn’t know him well enough yet to trust him unconditionally.
“I took a bit of a walk around today,” Pepper carried on. “If my estimates are correct, with the number of people, vehicles and equipment you have, it would take at least a day to pack this place up. The next question is, where would you go?”
Pepper gave Frank time to consider his questions before adding more food for thought. “If the Company have recced this place, there is every chance that it knows about your relationship with the Farm. The Farm has too much open space for an aerial assault to have much effect but a reasonably sized ground force could cut off your supply lines.”
Frank was in uncharted waters; he had built a stronghold, expecting to defend it against a large ground assault. Someone dropping large quantities of explosives from the sky was not something he could protect against. Even though a large part of the compound was hardened underground, the prospect of being down there and buried under tonnes of rubble didn’t appeal to him.
His initial escape plan had been to head for the Farm. If it was also at risk, they needed to take action fast. Assuming Pepper’s information was correct, the attack would occur in the next day or two. It would take at least a day to get to the Farm, leaving very little time to build defences that could repel a large-scale assault.
Taking into account the information that he had gleaned from the Company scout, which was verified by the equipment he carried, they were definitely in some kind of danger. The arrival of this girl with abilities and Pepper with his experience at the rebel base with his brother, along with the info from the scout, was fuelling his sense of urgency.
“Did you spend much time with my brother?” Frank asked.
“I traded with his people a couple of times but didn’t spend much time with him. He was more a ‘hello, goodbye’ and a short period of negotiation type of guy. It was only on my last visit to him, when I was trading essential medicines, liberated from the Company, that we spoke for a little longer.”
“Paris was never one for small talk,” Frank said with a smile. ”How was he when you last saw him?”
“He seemed okay. He wasn’t injured or sick or anything before the assault. That’s about all I can tell you.”
“Is there any chance that he escaped?” Frank knew the answer as soon as he asked. He knew that if Paris had escaped, he would have made it here by now.
“I’m sorry to say that I don’t think anyone else survived the attack. I was lucky that on a previous visit somebody had pointed out an escape hatch. I was also fortunate that I was in the bathroom when the attack happened so I was close to the hatch. If I’d been anywhere else, I doubt I’d have escaped either. As fate would have it, when I left the bathroom I came across the girl. I’m not sure if it was something to do with her abilities but I felt sorry for her. Without thinking, I managed to manhandle her through the hatch. If I’d hesitated and hadn’t acted on instinct, I don’t think either of us would be here.”
“You had a gun, didn’t you?” Frank asked accusingly. “Why didn’t you fight?”
“I’m sure that as a survivor like me, you’ve had times when you've had to decide when to fight and when to run? This doesn’t make us cowards, it makes us survivors. In that situation, we were outnumbered and outgunned – it would have been suicide to stay and fight. I am not the kind of person to commit suicide.”
Frank found Pepper’s openness refreshing. He could have lied or told any story as one of the only survivors. Yet the tales he told seemed plausible and, in the same situation, if his brother hadn’t been there, Frank would have taken the same path. Pepper was right: choosing self-preservation over heroism is what made them survivors.
Pepper was suddenly aware that Debs was approaching the table – the woman who had shown him to the mess hall earlier. Even though they hadn’t talked much, Pepper realised by the way she carried herself that she was not someone to be messed with.
It would have been unusual to find a woman as second in command in any group of rebel fighters, let alone in a stronghold like this. Pepper could see women fighters had the advantage of being less noticeable than men. Aside from her undercover abilities, she needed to be strong and resolute to survive, even more so to maintain her current position.
Debs took a seat without asking and poured herself a glass of liquor. It was clear to Pepper that her arrival had been prearranged. Frank had probably suggested she gave them ten minutes to talk before she joined them. It was also telling that Pepper hadn’t noticed her when she entered the bar.
Frank said, “I realise that time is not on our side. Although I’m not one hundred percent sure that this attack will happen, I’m not prepared to wait until it’s too late to act. I'm going to split my forces in half. Debs will take half of the fighters with you in the morning and head to the Farm. As soon as they arrive, they’ll start to reinforce the defences. The rest of us will stay here to create a few surprises, so that if we do come under attack, we can choose the narrative and not become just a by-line in a Company report.
“Debs will be in charge of the fighters – make no mistake, you are only there as a passenger. She knows these roads, she has my full authority and trust. She also has the trust of the fighters, which is just as important. They would never listen to a stranger like you, but they will listen to her.”
Frank poured another round of drinks and then continued his briefing. “You can take the boy with you but Flo will stay with me.”
Pepper immediately objected. He had a deal: to bring the girl here and escort her home safely, and then he’d receive his reward. “You might not believe this but I don't do this kind of thing for a pat on the back, a round of applause or cheering from other people. I do this because this is how I survive: I trade wherever I can. In this case, I have traded my services to escort this girl here and then back to the Farm. If I don’t take her back, I don't get the reward that I’ve been promised. Make no mistake about this – I am doing this for the reward!”
“Don’t worry,” Frank said. “The girl will come to no harm. If the attack doesn't happen, in a few days she will be returned to the Farm, when I come to collect my fighters. If this imminent attack is truly happening, I need her by my side to provide advance intelligence.”
Pepper couldn’t fault this logic. It gave Frank a lot of wins: he had a hostage in case they were trying to play him, the fear of losing his reward gave Pepper a reason to behave and Flo’s presence also gave Frank a means of advance warning of the attack.
Having pulled similar moves in the past, Pepper was incl
ined to agree but then he remembered: What was he going to do about Eric? Eric would not leave Flo’s side without a fight. Pepper had to convince him that it was in Flo’s best interest to stay here and be safe.
Quickly he formulated a plan: to tell Eric that, although Flo would be safe here, he couldn’t guarantee the safety of Eric’s adoptive parents. As strongly as Eric felt about Flo, Pepper gambled that he would feel duty-bound to go on the mission to protect Kath and Mitch.
“You seem to have everything covered,” Pepper said. “Is there a chance you could spare a couple of those rifles for me and the boy? You seem to have quite a few.”
Frank exchanged a glance and a nod with Debs before saying, “As we may be in your debt for the warnings, I think we can make that happen, although the accuracy of your intelligence is yet to be confirmed.”
Finishing her drink and getting up to leave the table, Debs nodded to Frank. Then she said to Pepper, “We leave at seven o'clock in the morning. Don’t be late.”
“Yes, sir,” he said sarcastically. He decided to have one more drink with Frank before he left as both the alcohol and the rebel leader were growing on him. But it would have to be his last drink as he still had to brief Flo and then convince Eric that they were leaving early in the morning. “Shall we have one for the road?”
“If I didn't know any better, I’d think you were trying to get me drunk,” Frank laughed as he poured the last drinks.
“Maybe some other time,” Pepper said mischievously. With that, he finished his drink, winked and left.
27
Zap meets Karla
12 September 2202
Zap arrived at the pits at 3pm as arranged. Angus greeted him with a smile. “I’m glad to see you came, Zap. Were you followed?”
“No, no, I wasn’t followed.” Zap thought that Angus seemed a bit paranoid but maybe this was just Zap’s sheltered upbringing.
“Good. The decisions you make today may determine how long you live. I apologise if that seems cryptic but for the moment, that’s all I can say.”
Zap was unsure of what Angus meant. Following Angus up to the top of the stadium, he remembered similar climbs he’d made to watch the fights with his stepfather. These steps were not the same plush carpeted steps designed for the elite though: they were narrower and well worn. He also noticed that the walls were damaged from the impacts of who knew what.
At the top of the stairs, as the stadium opened out into a wider area, it was like coming out of a dark tunnel into sunlight. At the far side of the space was a large wooden door, which was ajar. Zap recognised the two fight instructors sitting outside it.
They nodded to Angus but didn’t get in his way. Angus led Zap into an office with a large wooden desk prominent at the far side. Sitting behind the desk was Karla, with Miyamoto standing by her side. The bodyguard looked Zap up and down, perhaps assessing whether he was any kind of threat. Zap assumed that, going by his reputation, if Miyamoto had sensed any danger he would’ve dispatch Zap ruthlessly and quickly.
“This is Zap,” Angus said to Karla.
“Hello, young man,” she said emerging from behind the desk and offering her right hand. Without a second’s hesitation, Zap offered his own hand in return. He was unsure what else to do.
“Make yourself comfortable,” she said as she gestured for him to take a seat. He followed her advice. “Has Angus told you why I asked you to come here?”
Zap paused, looking from Angus to Karla and back again. “He said that you needed my help and that it could be dangerous but, other than that, nothing else. Oh and he also told me to make sure I wasn’t followed.”
“Very good,” Karla said. “Caution is always a good trait in anybody I deal with. For one so young, if you want to live as long as me, I would suggest that you continue to be cautious. I know that you have done some work for us in the past, gathering information through your position in the Company. Angus tells me that the information was useful and for that I am very grateful.”
Unsure how to respond, Zap stuttered, “Thank you.”
“Things are changing rapidly in the Sanctuary,” Karla said. “But before we proceed, I want it to be clear that by coming here today, you are showing you are prepared to work with us. There is rebellion in the wind. The people are starving and unrest is growing. The greed of the elites has never been this bad. The shortages of food are a fabrication devised by the elite. With your access to intelligence, I am sure that you are already aware of this. If not, I am sure that you can confirm I am telling the truth in your own time.”
Zap looked at her and tentatively nodded.
She continued, “We are sick of living under the yoke of such tyranny. The supreme leader Brand is a savage murderer with no respect for the lives of the Norm class. He sees our lives as a mere distraction and places little value on them. We have a choice: we can continue to be treated like cattle and live only at the whim of the elites or we can fight back. Although Brand is just a psychopath, the rest of the elite under him are downright greedy. They have more than they would ever need to survive, they have a hundred times more than anyone in the Norm class, but they still want more. They continue to reduce food supplies so that they can sell their excess on the black market.”
Karla’s voice was getting louder and she paused to keep her passion in check.
“If they actually increased supply, there would be enough food for everybody. Their privileged positions are safe. Even without these extra profits, they would never want for anything and nor would their offspring. Since the Water Wars, the elite have lived in luxury while the disparity between the classes continues to grow to the point that it has become unsustainable. All I am asking of you is to get me some information. Information that you have access to because of your position.”
“That doesn’t sound too hard,” Zap said cautiously.
“You need to understand that you will be in danger. I'm not asking you to fight or to carry weapons. From the outside it will seem as though your life hasn’t changed but, if you are caught, you will be tortured and then killed.”
This seemingly offhand remark caught Zap by surprise as he recognised how serious his situation was.
Knowing the effect she had had on Zap, Karla said more softly, “To help the people, the resistance needs to overthrow the elite but in a sustainable way. That is why we need information. Just destroying the gel plants would not help the starving masses. If anything, it would make matters worse. To really change things, we need to know where all the food supplies are and we need figures to determine the best strategy and timing for our plans.”
From Zap’s limited responses, Karla was concerned she was overwhelming him. “Do you understand what I’m asking of you, Zap?”
“I think so. It's just a lot, a lot to take in all at once.”
“I understand – I was young once too. But this is important work and I wouldn’t ask you if there was another way.” She had considered this over the last couple of days and this did seem to be the only way to get the information she needed quickly.
Zap reflected on the rumours that Karla had originally been married to Dave, the previous boss who ran the pits and all its criminal activities. Dave had recognised her talents and had put her in charge of his books. According to the rumours, he had cheated on her many times and hadn’t anticipated that she would be even more ruthless than him. Unbeknown to Dave, she had built up her own power base, which people said had led to both Dave’s untimely death and her subsequent rise to power.
Of course, these were only rumours. Few people knew the full facts and those who did would never talk. Whatever the truth, one day Dave had disappeared and Karla had seamlessly seized power.
Most murders in the Sanctuary resulted in the bodies disappearing into the gel plants. It was irrelevant how she’d come to power because she was definitely in charge now. Zap realised that she was not somebody to be crossed.
“What information do you want and when?”
; “After today, you will deal directly with Angus,” Karla said. “It’s too dangerous for you to be seen with me on a regular basis. But everybody already knows Angus is your trainer, so it shouldn’t raise too much suspicion. On each of your training sessions, Angus will brief you on what is required. You need to be very cautious – get the information in small amounts. As you are more technically minded than me, I’m sure you can cover your tracks.
“I am aware that you can provide more valuable information than what you have given us so far. I understand that you also have control over some of the electronic security measures, especially around this complex, that will be useful when the time is right. I trust Angus and he says that he trusts you. Are you willing to work with us for the freedom of the people?”
Zap had never been a fan of the current inequalities. Yes, he enjoyed his lifestyle but he hated seeing the poverty elsewhere. From the statistics he’d studied, he knew enough food and resources were available for everybody. He had often wondered what his mission in life was, always wondered how he could use his computer skills to help others. His training in the pits was primarily for self-defence but, given the chance, he liked to defend others from bullies and the state was the ultimate bully.
Although he felt like shouting, “Yes, yes, yes” to Karla’s request, he chose his words more carefully. “I do not agree with the way that the Company treats people. I have seen the brutality, but I never thought I could do anything to change the situation. I’d always thought that I was destined to work for the Company until I was no longer any use and then would end up in the gel plants, like everyone else. You have given me a lot to think about. I need to go away and figure out how I can put this plan into place, but I accept your request for help and I will do whatever I can.”
Zap was surprised to see a slight smile on Karla’s face. For someone with such a ruthless reputation, the person in front of him seemed quite pleasant. “Well, young Zap, I’m glad to hear that. For the rest of today I want you to continue with your normal training session. Don’t change any of your routine and over the coming days Angus will brief you. One thing I’d suggest is that you start to increase the length of your training sessions. This way it will not look out of the ordinary for you to be spending more time with Angus. Have you any suggestions on how to get the information to us securely?”
